[Harp-L] Re: What's the best city these days for the blues?

[Wayne Openlander <engineering@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Somebody from Chicago should speak up. It ain't called Chicago Blues for 
nothin'.

There's at least ten full time Blues clubs in Chicago, 
http://chicago.about.com/cs/blue1/a/blues_index.htm, a Blues museum,  and 
the Chicago Public Library has a floor devoted to Blues research.

Get a room in one of the Lakeview hotels, you will be four miles or so 
north of downtown; there's a fine Day's Inn on Diversey Avenue. Or try the 
Bel Air for cheap Blues atmosphere.

You are in the rainbow zone but also lots of yuppies, singles bars and 
beaucoup eye candy in the summer.

Ask at the desk about the Chicago Reader, a free weekly entertainment 
guide.  Ask where you can pick one up. It's sections two and three have 
fifteen plus  pages of entertainment, find the blues section. Also try 
http://www.wxrt.com/ and hit the "in town" button for major acts. .

I favor B.L.U.E.S., http://www.chicagobluesbar.com/,  on Halstead Street 
across the street from Kingston Mines but cheaper cover and drinks. You can 
walk from the Days Inn about a mile south on Halstead street.

Chicago Library: Walk a couple of blocks west on Diversey Avenue to the 
Brown Line station and get a tourists pass to the CTA from the machine. 
Take the Brown line to the loop and get off at the Library stop. The 
library is that big brown building with the gargoyles. The blues reference 
section is on the eighth floor. 
http://www.chipublib.org/001hwlc/vpablues/cbabrochure.html

The central library is near the stock and commodity exchanges so there are 
a number of very fine but pricey restaurants in the area. My favorite is in 
the Monadnock building, http://www.monadnockbuilding.com/, right around the 
corner from the library.

The Chess Records (Blues Heaven Foundation) museum is 21st and S. Michigan, 
http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/events/28614,0,6909108.location. The Red 
Line (transfer from the Brown to the Red at Fullerton) will take you to 
22th street (Cermak Avenue, Chinatown stop) and you can walk a block east 
to Michigan Avenue, another block or so south to the museum.

Rosa's Lounge  on Armitage Avenue, http://www.rosaslounge.com/,  is another 
fine choice for electric blues but the neighborhood can be intimidating 
after dark, buses run from the Brown Line stop at Armitage or take a cab.

There's a lot more including Buddy Guys Legends in the south loop and Bills 
Blues Bar in Evanston (also on the Red Line).

The Other Wayne