Velvet Lounge Reopens
Jazz fans, your wish has been granted. The Velvet Lounge is back.
The famed club owned by Chicago free jazz musician Fred Anderson opened its new doors for the first time on Friday (July 28th) with a show by Isaiah Spencer & Friends and also hosted concerts the 29th and 30th. The Velvet Lounge now calls 67 E. Cermak, between Michigan and Wabash, home. The new location is just around the corner from the original Velvet Lounge (2128 1/2 S. Indiana), which was closed in April to make room for condominiums.
Don’t fret if you missed the first weekend, though, because those shows weren’t part of Anderson’s official grand reopening. They were merely test runs to work out the kinks of the new space, which holds 99 people (the Indiana Ave. spot’s capacity was 72). A celebration is in the works; Anderson has his sights set on the weekend of August 11th. Keep updated by visiting www.velvetlounge.net.
– Trevor Fisher
