Grateful Lifeless guitarist-singer Jerry Garcia might have wished for “immortality whereas I’m alive,” and now a brand new live performance venue and restaurant within the West Loop is guaranteeing his legacy lives on through the three issues he liked finest: nice meals, nice music and bringing individuals collectively.
Described as a “dwelling, respiratory tribute” to the late Grateful Lifeless icon, Garcia’s Chicago opened on the former Wishbone restaurant at 1001 W. Washington Blvd., six years after it was first introduced after which shelved as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. It was well worth the wait.
The comfortable, 300-capacity room feels poised to develop into one of many extra intimate dwell venues in Chicago, with a spread of jazz, world music and Americana, with acts from Grace Potter to Preservation Corridor Jazz Band booked by means of November. Patrons should buy live performance tickets to realize entry on present nights because the open-concept venue consists of the dwell stage space. Meals and drinks (at extra price) are elective in any respect dwell reveals, whereas dining-only choices can be found at menu/bar costs on non-concert dates.
The food and drinks is a hearty feast of culinary treats that remember Jerry Garcia’s Spanish roots together with flavors of his long-time dwelling area in Northern California. Steered by the Lowder-Tascarella Hospitality Group, the menu gives Spanish hams and cheeses, coconut-lime shrimp and the Jerry’s Roast Beef Sandwich, which may be paired with a frozen Loretta Chook cocktail with chili-infused blanco tequila,or a spirits-free Cuckoo’s Nest carrot juice and grilled pineapple spritzer.
The Friday evening opening was full of many in Garcia’s inner-circle who gave the spot their blessing. Within the crowd was his daughter, Trixie, who labored with builders on the idea, mirroring it off a “Casa Garcia” idea her father wished to open earlier than his loss of life. On stage was Grahame Lesh, the son of the late Grateful Lifeless founding member Phil Lesh, who performed two units of handpicked covers that spanned practically three hours.
And, as doorways opened outdoors, Southern rock/blues artist Marcus King (on the town for the Expertise Hendrix occasion at Chicago Theatre) was seen greeting patrons ready within the entry line.
Ramon Navarro and Robin Cartwright, “large Deadheads” who drove from Fort Wayne, Indiana, had been the primary within the door. After taking go searching, Cartwright in contrast the vibe to Deadhead “shakedowns,” the place followers collect en masse outdoors concert events.
“It feels prefer it’s all about neighborhood and hanging out,” Cartwright stated. Navarro added the look of the area is “unbelievable … all of the art work, the library, the pictures. It’s simply unbelievable.”
One other patron, Megan Severs, from Park Ridge, added, “I really like all of the décor — the vinyl, the images of Jerry and everybody. There’s so many particulars that I really feel weren’t missed.” Her husband, James, added, “The music they’re reserving is just about every part we love. If we lived down right here, we’d in all probability come to each present they’ve.”
The explanation Garcia’s Chicago comes off as such an genuine area is Peter Shapiro, the driving pressure behind the whole undertaking. The impartial promoter, membership proprietor and head of Dayglo Presents operates venues such because the Brooklyn Bowl and the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, the place a smaller Garcia’s “foyer bar” lives. Shapiro can also be behind the Lockn’ Competition, publishes Relix journal and was the producer of the Fare Thee Nicely: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Lifeless concert events. (Jerry Garcia’s final present with the band was at Soldier Discipline in 1995 as a part of the tour.)
Jesse Lauter, head of manufacturing at Dayglo Presents, stated the idea goes past the “apparent Grateful Lifeless branding” and to have “a spot that basically felt like Jerry,” modeled after San Francisco jazz golf equipment with a ‘60s psychedelic, mid-century trendy aesthetic.
They’ve additionally planted Garcia “Easter eggs” in every single place, with Lauter stating a number of. One is a never-before-seen shade portrait of Jerry, pulled from a slide the group discovered within the Relix archives. There’s additionally an authentic print of Victor Moscoso, one in every of Garcia’s favourite artists, and graphic novels displayed all through that pay homage to Garcia’s love of sci-fi.
The group tried to recreate Garcia’s document assortment, too, with vinyl on shelving all through, although, the venue hopes to be often known as a cassette bar over time, the place followers can carry their very own picks to be performed.
“Vinyl bars have develop into all the fashion, however Grateful Lifeless tradition has all been constructed round cassette tapes, so we felt like we needed to have that,” Lauter stated.
Among the most touching particulars are the homages to Garcia’s father, Jose “Joe” Garcia, who was within the restaurant enterprise and likewise a musician. A portrait of him sits on the finish of the bar, and the postcard visitors obtain with their test encompasses a never-before-seen photograph of Jose along with his jazz band.
Garcia’s is predominately cabaret-style cubicles and tables, although patrons can guide seats, or go for normal admission tickets and stand alongside the perimeter of the room. Most reveals are 18+ or 21+; the restaurant is open to all ages.
“We didn’t need this to be an enormous venue the place we fill a bunch of seats,” Lauter stated. “We wished it to be a spot the place you possibly can actually really feel the sound and zone out.”
When Grahame Lesh took the stage Friday evening, accompanied by associates like singer Nicki Bluhm and guitarist Daniel Donato, the sound felt greater than the room itself but nonetheless balanced to listen to each nuance in guitar riffs and percussion because the band labored by means of winding renditions of the Lifeless’s “Franklin’s Tower” and “St. Stephen,” in addition to “Jessica” from The Allman Brothers Band.
Oak Park native Tom McGee, a “Grateful Lifeless fanatic” who’s seen them “a pair hundred occasions,” thinks Lesh was the suitable choose for opening weekend.
“I like that he’s carrying on his dad’s legacy, and the very fact they’ve him opening is implausible,” McGee stated.
Thirty years after Jerry Garcia’s loss of life, seeing that spirit dwell on at Garcia’s Chicago is absolutely the entire level, and there was no higher place to take action than in Chicago, Lauter stated.
“Jerry liked a whole lot of music that got here out of Chicago and performed a whole lot of fairly well-known reveals right here, together with his final live performance [ever]. Because the final metropolis he ever carried out in, it’s solely becoming opening this membership in honor of him and hold it going.”
