The Venue — Attraction in Aurora Township

I can’t believe it took me so long to experience this musical treasure. Visited to hear one of my grandsons play in his middle school jazz band. The room is set up perfectly with several 4-seat groupings and an intimate feel with every seat having a great view of the stage. Pete Ellington’s band was talented on top of talent. Each of the three jazz bands, with solos galore, gave their all and drew well earned applause throughout their sets. The Romeoville High School jazz band featured Skyfall as one of their numbers, and the vocalist simply knocked it out of the park with a powerful performance. Seeing the progression of talent from middle school through high school and on to true professional musicians was inspiring. Ticket prices are very affordable and if you haven’t visited The Venue yet, you’re missing out, especially on those evenings when Pete Ellington, someone who seems passionate about fostering and supporting musical education, shows just how great...

Operated as a community not for profit arts and performance space, the sound system is well engineered, the Customer Service is genuinely devoted to audience satisfaction. The selection of beers and refreshments are adequate, but as the facility is relatively basic, the inventory appears to be somewhat meager. The brick walls are fitted with acoustic treatments, sound absorption panels. The lighting fixtures are modern LEDs with enormous capabilities for a dynamic bonus that could accompany an act that benefits from the splashes of light, the spinning of colors and the shifts from bright to dark that musical acts commonly deploy in the gigs. The outdoor walking mall, with an adjacent park setting provides a casual rest area for anyone awaiting entry or for a moment of reflection and relative peacefulness...

So cool!! I've only attended one event at this place and I actually loved it. I understand it's owned and operated by a collective of musicians. Not completely sure of the details. It's in a cool, artsy plaza with plenty of parking. The interior is a lovely large space, but not overpowering or cavernous. I'm not one to judge acoustics, but the sound was great for the show that I saw. It was set up like a nightclub with low to seat tables in the front, high tops behind that and seats, standing room, too. There were adequate toilets for the crowd and a concession stand selling hard and soft drinks. I think there might have been some snack items too. I've signed up for their newsletter and will...