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The Velvet Lounge
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Jazz & Blues Nightlife Jazz & Blues Nightlife Bars Lounges Jazz & Blues, Lounges
67 E Cermak Rd(between Federal St & Michigan Ave)
Chicago, IL 60616
Neighbourhood: Near Southside
(312) 794-5904
- Nearest Transit:
-
Cermak-chinatown (Red Line)
- Hours:
Wed-Fri, Sun 8 pm - 2 am
Sat 8 pm - 3 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
19 reviews for The Velvet Lounge
19 reviews in English
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Review from Laura C.
Chicago, IL
1/15/2012
The reviews are right on. This place is amazing! I will be back soon.
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Review from Drocq X.
Chicago, IL
5/9/2012
Nice atmosphere for music lovers
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Review from Karla T.
Chicago, IL
4/26/2012
So, I would prefer to give this place no stars, but I'm not sure if that's ok. Pretty sure they are under new management/ownership. I'm actually sitting here right now. We got here at 7pm, ordered around 7:45, and everyone just got there food and drink about 35 minutes ago...it's 9:10 people. we gave the waitress a pen and she still got our orders wrong. We got free shots due to the poor evening out we had, so that was nice. But we were also given a discount and it wasn't present on the bill. Needless to say, we will not be back.
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Review from A.S. V.
Chicago, IL
9/11/2005 1 photo
Founded by jazz musician Fred Anderson in 1982 (who previously ran Birdhouse on the north side), this south side jazz club has been a hot spot for up-and-coming musicians ever since. Early participants include George Lewis, Steve Lacy, Hamid Drake and Chicago's other tenor legend, Von Freeman. During the Chicago Jazz Festival, Velvet Lounge hosts its famous "After Fest" jam sessions that are usually a site (and sound) to behold. There's even a book about it, called The Velvet Lounge:On Late Chicago Jazz by Gerald Majer. Sadly, this location is scheduled to be torn down soon.
Massive efforts are underway to raise funds to rebuild Velvet Lounge at a new location at 67 E. Cermak. A historical landmark will be lost, but hopefully the new location will attract a whole new audience. -
Review from Maura S.
Juneau, AK
1/21/2010
I spent a Wednesday night here listening to The Fred Anderson Trio (featuring Corey Wilkes) and was blown away. Cover was 15.00, and the three hours of music that followed was well worth it. The place is small and comfortable (not quite nice and not quite a dive). The combination of bright paint mixed with an old bar, paintings, and red chandelier light fixtures is perfect.
There are shows here five days a week, and if you are a jazz or live music enthusiast a visit to the Velvet Lounge is a MUST.
Other Notes:
I usually take public transportation, but I would recommend driving if at all possible because it is not the best area to be walking around in at night. Didn't look like there were many/any cabs out front after the show. There is plenty of street parking out front.
The house allows you to bring food in, and many people took advantage of that and brought take out to eat before the show began.
Cash only bar -
Review from Tony C.
3/19/2007 2 photos
We went to a AACM sponsored "big band" jazz show featuring approx 20 band members. They played an overwhelmingly progressive piece that last over an hour long. Followed was an extended happy birthday song to Mr. Fred Anderson himself, a jazzical conga line around the room and all.
The "New" Velvet Lounge officially seats 99, but the house felt a lot more crowded that particular night. There is also no smoking and a cash-only bar. The new locale is squeezed right between a gyro/hotdog joint and Chef Luciano's chicken joint just east of Wabash.
$5 cocktails, $7 premium liquor, $15 cover. Being present for ice cream and cake for the owner's birthday: Priceless. -
Review from Tricia F.
Chicago, IL
3/23/2009
Went here recently for one of Mr. Anderson's 80th birthday celebration shows...and I am SO glad I had a chance to see him play the sax. Great music, great people, and decent sound for the space. And the space is hysterical...very VFW. Blue and orange (i think those were the colors) walls, old school vinyl chairs, a few random round tables...It's certainly no Green Mill or Jazz Showcase, and not at all "lounge-ish" but it's absolutely endearing.
some cons...
The venue is a trek for me, and honestly, I would not have felt comfortable in that neighborhood, had I not had the arm of a strapping young gent to hold on to. However, if you have a car, it's pretty easy to find street parking.
It's not cheap (at least the $35 cover that night wasn't), yet the space is not large and they gotta pay the bills, so I get it.
There's not a lot of seating or space, so get there early for big names. -
Review from Johnson C.
Bolingbrook, IL
I've heard of the Velvet Lounge for a long time, but never had a chance to visit. Finally, a photographer's meetup came up and I jumped at the chance and I am so glad I did. We went to see and photograph AACM musicians perform on Sunday night. It was an great performance and the venue is equally impressive.
You can definitely go for dinner in south loop and Chinatown then some great music here on the weekend and I will definitely do so for Mr Anderson's Birthday Fest. -
Review from Grace N.
11/18/2009
Velvet Lounge is a cozy, nondescript music venue and bar where kool kats lounge over french onion potato chips and beer, and listen to some great jazz. All in all, it's really about who's on stage, which in this case was Jeff Chan (Trio Plus One), and he was amazing!
The place is small enough where the music reverberates to the marrow of your bones and takes you on a smooth saxophone ride. Get there early to grab a seat, it's pretty small. And like most serious jazz places, get ready to shut up when the music starts! -
Review from F J.
Berkeley, CA
1/2/2010
Velvet Lounge is a must if you are into the jazz scene.
Long story but I wandered here from around Soldier Field one early evening when I was looking for some kind of transit to take me back to the Loop where I was sleeping. Well I come across this place, step in, and it was just perfect. Open session had sweet players, and the audience was surprisingly friendly. House let us bring in outside food (!) and eat there too. Definitely good people there, whether they were looking to play or just hang out. Place was really packed for an open session. Drinks were pretty cheap too. Perfect for the event. -
Review from alice y.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/29/2009
I was told to go here my first year of college by a math prof I had a crush on, so I may have been biased from the start.
However, when I finally spent an evening here I really was amazed, and so sad that I hadn't been there much much earlier. Three hours listening to jazz here felt like 20min. It's a small space in a nondescript location with great musicians and no packed loud crowds, which gives it a much more intimate feel than Green Mill up north. Love. -
Review from MJ S.
Birmingham, AL
10/20/2010
Great place for jazz, but I wish I had been warned in advance about how expensive the drinks are. I took some friends here and felt bad about how much we all had to pay, between the cover charge and drinks. The music was fantastic though.
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Review from Salvador C.
Logan Square, Chicago, IL
1/5/2011
Where you at Velvet Lounge? I hope it reopens soon. I need my Sunday night jam session. I been going to the jam session since they were at 2128-1/2 S. Indiana.
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Review from Liz O.
Chicago, IL
8/20/2010
Intimate setting. Great Music. Nice people. Strong drinks. Couldn't get better than The Velvet Lounge.
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Review from Anonymous F.
San Francisco, CA
4/27/2008
Chicago is a better city because of Fred Anderson and the Velvet Lounge. While I'll forever miss the orange and green wallpaper, the new location has the same good vibes and fantastic music that made the place legendary. No one should leave Chicago without making a trip here.
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Review from Ross F.
Chicago, IL
4/4/2006
I miss this place already- I am glad I could go while it was still all run down and full of cobwebs. The music was always good - none of that sleepy smooth jazz like up at the green mill- more like insane Coltrane with a heavy dose of funk. I hope the new location can go ahead and get the lived in look the place on Indiana had.
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Review from Molly S.
Chicago, IL
2/9/2009
This is a great place and I can't believe yesterday was my first visit! It's a little sterile with simple tables and chairs in a non-descript strip mall just east of Chinatown, but everyone is super nice and the music is great! The prices are a little steep for the neighborhood, but you can definitely understand once you hear the woefully underpaid musicians and notice the small space/lack of crowds. I hope with the increasing population in the South Loop and Pilsen, this club will start attracting new crowds. Go now, before they get here!
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Review from jamie k.
Downers Grove, IL
3/11/2011
been here one time, cooooool place!!!!
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Review from Arjun C.
Chicago, IL
4/4/2007
The original location in Chicago provided arguably the most-defining experience. Fred Anderson is amazing. I caught a show with Hamid Drake a few years ago that really blew me away. I hope this place can survive in it's new location -- I worry about the Starbucksification of jazz in Chicago. Bring cash.
