In the downtown area, I would also recommend the Club Room at the Hoogland. It’s very intimate and can seat around 150 depending on the set up. Theatre 3 might also work…many concerts have taken place in there and it can seat around 300. There are fees for these rooms and I believe the Hoogie has a rate sheet on their website. There’s also Stella Blue above Sebastian’s and a room off of Andiamo’s that they rent out for shows which is nothing spectacular. For work receptions, I’ve used the renovated INB conference space at the corner of 4th and Jackson (the former Ford Building) and the old sj-r press room (now owned by IHPA) just south of Cafe Brio. I have no idea if they could accommodate a concert but I mention them because they’re nice venues and not likely to be booked as they’re generally not open to the public. Who knows…they might be receptive to the idea of hosting a small concert…but I’m guessing you want a place with a bar. These places have bar set ups, but you’d have to hire a caterer. Maybe Pizza Machine? They just recently had a band in there. You’d have to make sure it wasn’t on the same night as some kids 7th b-day party.

Actually, Tom played in Oakford this past Sunday. It does sound like a cool place, but I agree it might be hard to get people to travel there, especially since there isn’t a lot of time left to promote the show.

Also, don’t they have problems in Oakford with kids bootlegging six-packs on their bikes. It sounds a bit lawless to me, might not be safe for us city slickers.

Thanks for commenting,
Dan

http://hillprairiewinery.com/

It may not be what you want, but have you checked with the winery in Oakford. They have a great venue for live music. We went to an NPR event there last year, and it was great. They have wine, beer, and the whole upstairs loft of the barn is a concert area. Ask Tom, he was there.

Unfortunately, the issue there is convincing people to drive 40 minutes to Oakford to see them.

Tom Irwin has been giving me advice during my first foray into concert promoting and he told me that it’s unlikely that any of the downtown bars will have an opening at this late date.

Russ is inquiring into a venue for me, so hopefully that will bear fruit.

Dan

You might call Hoogland. They have a variety of rooms. If you’re only looking to fill it up with 50 people or so, one of the smaller rooms might be good. They have a room there on the third floor called the Club Room, that has a pretty cozy atmosphere, and I think it will hold up to about 150 people. It costs, though. Just a thought.

What about Floyd’s? I know they get bands from time to time. Maybe not the ideal location, but a location nonetheless. Or Marly’s? They have bands quite a bit there, and they might be interested in showcasing some new musicians.

Outdoor venues? Any of the public parks have decent areas for bands? I know bands play at Douglas Park sometimes. They have a bandshell. Or Centennial Park.

Best of luck, Dan. Sorry to hear things didn’t work out at your first venue of choice. I think it’s pretty crappy the way that whole thing went down.

Yes, they have other shows already booked and they really wanted to play Springfield on a weekend night. Had I known back in January they were going to be in Illinois in June, I would have tried to get them booked for Little Flower’s Heritage Days. Or I would have rented the beach house for a semi-private show. Now our options are limited.

Dan

Just curious, are they tied to the June 7 date? You know I love a good cause…I’ll start thinking.