{"id":31794,"date":"2016-02-24T17:31:33","date_gmt":"2016-02-24T23:31:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=31794"},"modified":"2016-02-24T17:31:33","modified_gmt":"2016-02-24T23:31:33","slug":"how-sweet-the-sound-the-spirit-of-legendary-evanston-venue-amazingrace-lives-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/how-sweet-the-sound-the-spirit-of-legendary-evanston-venue-amazingrace-lives-on\/","title":{"rendered":"How sweet the sound: The spirit of legendary Evanston venue Amazingrace lives on"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong> By Josef Siebert<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dropcap\">Arguably the most famous counterculture venue in 1970s Chicago, Amazingrace was founded as neither a venue nor in Chicago. It started with Northwestern University students occupying part of a kitchen on the university\u2019s Evanston campus to provide food to Vietnam War protesters. Eventually it morphed into a coffeehouse, a collective and finally a music business venture in a building called The Main at Main Street and Chicago Avenue in South Evanston.<\/p>\n<p>Its final location, Amazingrace at The Main, was know for its state-of-the-art sound system, cheap admission and excellent artists. The venue could accommodate 400, tickets were sold at the door for a few dollars, and the audience often sat on the floor. Named for the sacred folk song \u201cAmazing Grace,\u201d the venue usually closed its shows with a crowd singalong of the classic, plaintive tune. Musical acts included the Grateful Dead, Emmylou Harris, Randy Newman and Ry Cooder, popular artists who went on to greatness. Throughout its many incarnations, the venue provided a laid-back style of listening and access to big names in folk, blues and jazz.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Music at The Main died in 1978, and music fans rarely choose to sit on the floor these days. But the spirit of Amazingrace lives on in two area venues where you can pull up a chair, chat with your neighbor and listen to nationally known Americana acts performing a few feet away. Evanston SPACE (the Society for the Preservation of Art and Culture in Evanston) operates at 1245 Chicago Avenue, less than a mile from where The Main once stood. SPACE hosted an event for Amazingrace alumni in 2011 as part of a 40th reunion that spanned Chicago, Evanston and the Northwestern campus. According to general manager Davis Inman, their format was influenced by Amazingrace.<br \/>\n[field name=&#8221;googlemap&#8221;]<br \/>\n\u201cThe idea was for a listening room,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will pull out the tables and chairs for dancing if the show lends to it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>SPACE opened in 2008 and can hold approximately 200 people seated or up to 300 standing. In addition to a live stage, there is an on-site recording studio for professional recording sessions. All of the live shows are recorded and archived, and live cuts can be heard on the monthly SPACE podcast or at <a href=\"http:\/\/evanstonspace.com\/radio\/\">http:\/\/evanstonspace.com\/radio<\/a>. Popular acts have included Alabama Shakes, Lucinda Williams and The Lumineers.<\/p>\n<p>A recent show featured Mississippi folk rocker Steve Forbert, 61, holding court in the dark, candlelit room filled with a middle-aged crowd sipping wine at small tables. The intimate setting fostered easy banter between the audience of about 150 and the singer.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou should just move here, Steve,\u201d said one crowd member. \u201cI\u2019ll be back in a few months,\u201d Forbert replied.<br \/>\n\u201cPlay my song, Steve!\u201d implored another. \u201cIs that you, Laura?\u201d Forbert asked, plucking the first few notes of a song teasingly. \u201cNah!\u201d said Forbert, and grinning rakishly, launched into a different ballad.<\/p>\n<p>SPACE sells most of its tickets in advance. Reserved seats at tables go first, and many of the shows sell out, according to Inman. Patrons have access to a full bar with table service during shows, and food is available before or after shows at Union Pizzeria, a bustling, casually chic restaurant housed under the same roof.<\/p>\n<p>City Winery, 1200 W Randolph St., offers a similarly intimate atmosphere in Chicago\u2019s West Loop, except that food is available with table service during the shows. Tickets are also mostly sold in advance for the space that can hold up to 300. When demand is high, City Winery arranges multiple shows as a sort of mini-residency. The focus is Americana and folk, according to General Manager Nathan Holgate.<\/p>\n<p>City Winery\u2019s flagship venue opened in New York in 2008, and the Chicago location has been open since 2012. Other locations include Napa and Nashville, and each offers different experiences; for example, they don\u2019t all serve food. The common theme is an on-site, City Winery-brand operating winery, a true novelty in Chicago, paired with a concert hall. In Chicago, the concert hall is kept busy. The March calendar has events or shows scheduled every day, with wine events and a movie showing interspersed with musical acts.<\/p>\n<p>David Levinson, 57, of Rogers Park attended his first City Winery show in early January to see country-rock legend Steve Earle. \u201cI was cramped at first,\u201d said Levinson, \u201cthen the guy next to me left. I\u2019d come back for sure, but I\u2019d pick my seats differently.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Levinson was seated at the rear of the main floor, at one of the long tables that radiate from the low wall of a raised VIP section. The tables are lined like spokes stretching from the stage. The audience has long sight lines that cross over candles, cheese and Cabernet wine on a slight incline to the stage where the artists perform, a dinner roll\u2019s toss away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s like playing in a living room,\u201d said Gabriel Kelley, a folk singer from Nashville who opened for Earle to a capacity crowd.<\/p>\n<p>At one point, between the crowd singing along to Van Morrison\u2019s classic \u201cInto the Mystic&#8221; and Steve Earle talking about peace in Israel, it was easy to imagine everyone sitting on the floor.<\/p>\n<div class=\"featurecaption\">Photo at top:\u00a0A ticket stub from influential jazz composer and musician Charles Mingus&#8217;s show at Amazingrace. (Daniel Martin)<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"wpmf-gallerys wpmf-gallerys-life\"><div id=\"gallery-1\" class=\"gallery gallery_life wpmf_gallery_default gallery_default none gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-large gallery-link-post wpmf-has-border-radius-0 wpmf-gutterwidth-5 no_ratio\"><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"0\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_200933-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"SPACE entrance\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"SPACE entrance\" src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_200933-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_200933-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">Artist flyers decorate the entrance to Evanston SPACE. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"1\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_210934-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160123_210934\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160123_210934\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_210934-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_210934-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">SPACE boasts a full bar with ciculating cocktail waitresses. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"2\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_185832-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160123_185832\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"2\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160123_185832\" src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_185832-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_185832-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">Steve Forbert tunes his guitar prior to a show at SPACE. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"3\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_204251-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160123_204251\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"3\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160123_204251\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_204251-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_204251-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">Steve Forbert played to a full room at SPACE on Jan. 15, 2016. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"4\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_210812-1024x684.jpg\" title=\"20160123_210812\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"4\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160123_210812\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_210812-1024x684.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160123_210812-1024x684.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">After his set at SPACE, Steve Forbert hung around for pictures and autographs. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"5\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_231714-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160125_231714\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"5\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160125_231714\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_231714-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_231714-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">City Winery has a large entrance hall where visitors is directed into the restaurant or the concert hall. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"6\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_192848-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160125_192848\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"6\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160125_192848\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_192848-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_192848-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">The concert hall at City Winery can hold up to 300 guests. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"7\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_204110-576x1024.jpg\" title=\"20160125_204110\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"7\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160125_204110\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_204110-576x1024.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_204110-576x1024.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">Martinis and wine fill the foreground as Gabriel Kelley plays at City Winery. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"8\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_212211-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160125_212211\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"8\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160125_212211\" src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_212211-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_212211-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">Even those at perimeter seats enjoy a good view of the City Winery stage as Steve Earle plays. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"9\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_230940-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160125_230940\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"9\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160125_230940\" src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_230940-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160125_230940-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">Gabriel Kelley signs an album for a fan after his set at City Winery.  (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"10\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_154909-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160128_154909\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"10\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160128_154909\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_154909-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_154909-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">Amazingrace was first located in the basement at Scott Hall on the Northwestern campus.(Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"11\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_154059-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160128_154059\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"11\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160128_154059\" src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_154059-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_154059-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">Amazingrace later moved to Shanley Hall after the location at Scott Hall was repurposed for office space. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"12\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_154239-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160128_154239\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"12\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160128_154239\" src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_154239-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_154239-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">Shanley Hall is a modest, nondescript location still in use by student organizations at Northwestern. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"13\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_153719-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160128_153719\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"13\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160128_153719\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_153719-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_153719-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">Student theater groups at Northwestern utilize Shanley Hall for practices and performances. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class=\"wpmf-gallery-item\" data-index=\"14\"><div class=\"wpmf-gallery-icon\"><div class=\"square_thumbnail\"><div class=\"img_centered\"><a class=\" not_video noLightbox\" data-lightbox=\"0\" data-href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_153240-1024x576.jpg\" title=\"20160128_153240\" target=\"_self\" data-index=\"14\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wpmf_img\" alt=\"20160128_153240\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_153240-1024x576.jpg\" data-type=\"wpmfgalleryimg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/medill.wordpress.offload\/WP%20Media%20Folder%20-%20medill-reports-chicago\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/02\/20160128_153240-1024x576.jpg\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text gallery-caption\">The show goes on at Shanley Hall, long after Amazingrace left the building. (Josef Siebert\/MEDILL)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Josef Siebert Arguably the most famous counterculture venue in 1970s Chicago, Amazingrace was founded as neither a venue nor in Chicago. It started with Northwestern University students occupying part of a kitchen on the university\u2019s Evanston campus to provide food to Vietnam War protesters. Eventually it morphed into a coffeehouse, a collective and finally [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":31821,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,585],"tags":[1740,61,1741,1742,887,137,1743],"class_list":["post-31794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","category-winter-2016","tag-amazingrace","tag-chicago","tag-city-winery","tag-evanston-space","tag-music","tag-northwestern","tag-s-p-a-c-e"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How sweet the sound: The spirit of legendary Evanston venue Amazingrace lives on - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/how-sweet-the-sound-the-spirit-of-legendary-evanston-venue-amazingrace-lives-on\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How sweet the sound: The spirit of legendary Evanston venue Amazingrace lives on - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Josef Siebert Arguably the most famous counterculture venue in 1970s Chicago, Amazingrace was founded as neither a venue nor in Chicago. It started with Northwestern University students occupying part of a kitchen on the university\u2019s Evanston campus to provide food to Vietnam War protesters. 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