does anyone know of a practice space in chicago relatively close to
ashland and foster? relatively close = less than 20 minutes by car

respond with places that you enjoy or at least tolerate.
cheers,
brian

Some friends of mine have a space on Western, but its down south by 35th I think, so not very convenient. Anyway, sorry I can't really help, but I'm right in your neighborhood and may be looking for space in the not-too-distant future, so if you do find something cool be sure to post it here.

Intern_8033 wrote:i have a place at howard and greenview, run by the people at lost eras antiques.

i like it

as a renter for about a year at this place myself, i would only caution that my experience with the owners is a little contentious. the main problem is heat, or general lack thereof. with the rent prices being what they are, having to go to "plan b" to heat my space pisses me off. not to mention what it often does to guitars and drums suffering through temperature cycles.

also, the neighborhood is certainly grim. lots of sketchy activity up and down howard. i had my car hit and run while parked out there - not that i'm necesarily complaining, as i know a crumpled-up car door is one of the more benign outcomes to expect from repeatedly spending time there at night.

basically, for me, the space's and the block's problems are roughly equivalent to the considerable hassle of finding a better space at the same price point.

there is also the distracting spectacle of an EXTREMELY creepy disembodied voice coming over a p.a. system mounted on the outside of the building directly across the street on howard. this voice belongs to some security guard in some control room somewhere who can monitor the tv cameras on the outside of the building. the guard sometimes gets on the mic to shoo away people perceived as loitering near the building's front. "you. with the white hat. we can see you. move along or we will call the police."

-r

Intern_8033 wrote:

there is also the distracting spectacle of an EXTREMELY creepy disembodied voice coming over a p.a. system mounted on the outside of the building directly across the street on howard.

ha, my band talks about this all the time. it's very "big brother"esque.

my experience with the space, also having been there about a year (maybe we are in the same band? Blade, is that you?),

ha, no. i'm in the band that sounds the most like a surf band. i have come to know a few of the other bands in that space by their sounds, we seem to have an interpol jr. across the hallway and down the hallway there's a helgazi. next door lives a idiomatus soundgardenus that uses a line 6 amp sim setting i believe should be called "local metal band." the best band i've heard in there is the helgazi band. they're loud and nimble. i wonder if that's you guys.

it's great when you don't need anything from the owners. They're awful about maintenance (there was once shit clogging both toilets (for which there are not toilet paper, ever) for about two months) and totally unreliable if you ask them to do anything for you.

amen to that

-r

There's a place behind my house on North just west of Rockwell that seems pretty nice. But please don't suck if you play there because you'd be the soundtrack to my life.

brian wrote:does anyone know of a practice space in chicago relatively close to ashland and foster? relatively close = less than 20 minutes by car

Yikes! That place on North Ave near Rockwell is kind of a drag. The 'walls' they put up to make the many practice spaces are as thin as a Steve Albini and do nothing to block out the band in the next space playing Cure covers...or the one down the hall, also playing Cure covers. You have to be a really loud band that never ever wants to record your practices to enjoy being there. A liking of vomit smell would help, too.

Oh but it's such a romantic ye olde Chicago - looking building, and with that lovely fire escape. I envision 14 foot tin ceilings, elegant woodwork, sunlight bathing the space from the floor to ceiling windows. Whose band wouldn't flower in such surroundings despite the acoustic drawbacks and probably rats the size of my mother? And in a few short years the whole thing will be Wicker Parkicized into oblivion.

Mayfair wrote:Yikes! That place on North Ave near Rockwell is kind of a drag. The 'walls' they put up to make the many practice spaces are as thin as a Steve Albini and do nothing to block out the band in the next space playing Cure covers...or the one down the hall, also playing Cure covers. You have to be a really loud band that never ever wants to record your practices to enjoy being there. A liking of vomit smell would help, too.

Yes, that is true. I will not be there for long. What is funny is that half the people practicing there today will be serving Starbucks coffee there tomorrow.

That place on North and Chicago is perfect if you like leaking when it rains, unbearable heat in the summer and lugging your pro gear up three flights of stairs when the elevators don't work.

-r

Yes, the place at North and Rockwell sucks. It freezes in the winter, boils in the summer, leaks when it rains, and is filthy. My band rehearses at Superior Street Studios now. It's at Superior and California. It's clean, secure, and has a cool little hourly rental room where you can make some pretty good recordings directly to cdr. Also, the vending machines carry guitar strings and picks.