Music Venues in Chicago’s Uptown Neighborhood: Blending Culture and History

By Rachel Ernst and Stephanie Escobar

Chicago is known to be joined by 77 neighborhoods filled with iconic architecture and salient culture. The Uptown neighborhood is located on the city’s north side and consists of rich histories of music and culture.

Uptown is easily accessible by way of the el’s Red Line. Right off the Lawrence stop, commuters can instantly discover the area’s entertainment district by uncovering some of Chicago’s oldest and most influential music venues.

From Blues to Hip-Hop to Rock, Chicago is a place where a variety of music is always present. These influential music venues hold memories of iconic performances, and there are still more to be created.

“The thing about Chicago, Chicago is a city that is made up of neighborhoods, and every little neighborhood has its own identity and every neighborhood is so different than the last. For a lot of these neighborhoods, a part of their identity is these venues that exist there,” said Jordan Kamps, a visiting Music lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago in an interview.