S.P.A.C.E. to Create in Evanston

BY Kerry Reid

The performing arts space crunch doesn’t end at the city borders, and it doesn’t just affect theatre companies. Musicians also struggle to find welcoming environments in which to share their work with audiences and fellow artists from across the spectrum of musical genres.

A new venue in Evanston has big plans for just such an environment. And though it’s run by people with long roots in the music world, S.P.A.C.E. (the Society for the Preservation of Arts and Culture in Evanston) may also fill a gap for other artists who are in need of a large, flexible, multi-use room in which to present their work—the kind of place that has been in short supply since the demise of venues such as Randolph Street Gallery and MoMing in the ’90s.

The brainchild of real estate developer Craig Golden (owner of the Lakeshore Theatre at Belmont and Broadway), longtime Chicago blues musician Dave Specter, and musician, music producer and former NPR contributor Stuart Rosenberg, S.P.A.C.E is only one component of the activity housed under the roof at 1245 Chicago Avenue (just down the street from the Dempster el stop, in the former location of Khaki clothing company and Minasian Rugs). In the front is a large spacious restaurant, Union Pizzeria, run by Steven Schwartz, who also runs Evanston’s popular Campagnola restaurant. The eatery features wood-fired pizzas and a large, inviting U-shaped bar.

Behind the restaurant is where things get really interesting. There, one finds S.P.A.C.E., the large (3,000-square-foot) open room where the partners plan to present everything from music concerts to dance, theatre, literary, and visual arts events. But the facility is also equipped for filming videos and recording music, with an on-site control room. At the open house on March 25, Mark Tremonti, guitarist for Creed, was shooting an instructional guitar video as guests wandered through, balancing glasses of wine and small plates with slices of pizza. Behind S.P.A.C.E. is a series of recording rooms and a comfortable minimalist lounge environment, which will house the third component of this experiment: the League of Creative Musicians, which the founders describe as “a country club, but for music instead of sports.”

The idea for the membership-only League is that it will be a clubhouse for musicians, where they can record material, attend master classes, and hang out and share ideas with other artists—and where they will also enjoy signing privileges in the restaurant. Membership packages come at a variety of price levels and are by application, and thus far the League boasts over a dozen members, ranging from a Chicago Symphony musician to blues, jazz, folk, and rock artists, with a total membership cap of 60 to 70 envisioned.

“It’s not going to be used as a commercial recording studio,” says Specter. “It’s a center for creative involvement with the club members.” And it’s cozy, despite the concrete floors. Leather-and-stainless-steel-framed couches and chairs offer comfortable perches, and paper-shaded ceiling fixtures flood the cozy warren of recording rooms and the larger lounge at the back with warm light.

It’s a unique concept, according to Rosenberg. “We found examples of clubs with recording studios, or restaurants with nightclubs, but nothing that incorporates everything that we’ve put together. The idea was for a co-operative venture for passionate musicians who want a place to gather and record and produce.”

One of the inspirations for S.P.A.C.E., according to Rosenberg, was the now-defunct Amazing Grace coffeehouse in Evanston, which started out as a co-op in the ’70s run by Northwestern students. Rosenberg, an Evanston native, describes Amazing Grace as “a beacon of enlightenment,” featuring “world-class musicians whose creativity was truly inspirational,” including such marquee names as Pat Metheny, Muddy Waters, and Tom Waits.

Rosenberg, whose career path has included hosting concerts in the ballroom at the end of Navy Pier for NPR, wanted to capture that same sense of cross-hybridization and excitement. Both he and Specter have been friends for years with Golden, who forged the connection between them. Says Specter, “On the one hand, the local music scene in the greater Chicago environment is thriving. But I think specifically in Evanston there is a need for new music venues. Evanston is booming and there are very few places to hear live music.”

Though the trio naturally emphasizes music, given their backgrounds, both Rosenberg and Specter are adamant that they want S.P.A.C.E. to be available to artists from all disciplines. “We are going to be partnering with different promoters,” says Specter. “And it will also be available for private events on a rental basis.” The soaring ceiling and sound-proofed walls make S.P.A.C.E. a good bet for the sort of sprawling physical theatre with live musical accompaniment that a company like House Theatre of Chicago does, but the room can also host more intimate functions.

Rosenberg says, “I literally envisioned that space as a blank creative canvas. The point of what we put in there is to be able to provide a spatial context for any human expressiveness that requires space to be expressed.” Though the venture is now run as a for-profit, Rosenberg says, “We’re trying to come up with a model for programming S.P.A.C.E. It’s possible that we will come up with a [separate] non-profit that would book the space and handle the programming.”

For now, patrons can enjoy a line-up of musical performances, including the twice-monthly “Evanston Hootenanny” on the first and third Sunday of every month, 3:30-6 p.m. On April 20, Chris Walz of the Old Town School of Folk Music led a family sing-along of folk, bluegrass, and popular favorites. But the founders are eager to start getting non-music events in as well. Says Rosenberg, “The best way to describe it is that we’re setting the table for magic, and we certainly hope magic shows up for dinner. Evanston is a town that is full of artists and musicians and writers. We’re hoping that we’re going to provide a wake-up call.”

For more information about S.P.A.C.E. or the League of Creative Musicians, call 847/492-8190 or e-mail evanstonspace@mac.com. Musicians interested in membership information on the League may also e-mail creativemusicians@mac.com.