Chord On Blues Shuts Down

I got a news flash from a member of the Eddy Clearwater Band. The 14,000 square foot blues club/supper club, Chord-On Blues, has shut down as of January 5, 2007. Here is the announcement from the club's web site:

Chord On Blues
Temporarily Closed
We regret to inform you that as of Friday January 5th, Chord On Blues will be closed for an indefinite period of time. For the past ten years it’s been our honor to support the finest blues musicians that the country has to offer. It’s been equally gratifying to serve our customers who are the most passionate blues fans I’ve had the pleasure to know. At this point we will step back, regroup and return better than ever. We will keep our customers informed via our e-mail list so we encourage you to log onto chordonblues.com and sign up if you aren’t already. The Grille at Chord On Blues, located to your left, remains opened and unchanged so we hope you’ll continue to visit us next door. We apologize for the inconvenience we’ve caused you and hope that you will return when we reopen. Please feel free to call with any comments, questions or concerns at 630-513-0074.

Sincerely
Steve Chapman vp/gm

Chord On Blues was a great place, and operated for 10 years on the Fox River in the Chicago suburb of St. Charles. It is quite a hike from Chicago - I think about an hour's drive - but it was worth it. A huge club with a large stage and great sight lines, Chord On Blues booked Chicago blues artists and acts that were passing through town - people like CoCo Montoya, Chris Duarte, Poppa Chubby, Tab Benoit, Kim Wilson (with and without the Fabulous Thunderbirds) and lots of other acts that often don't get booked in the Chicago blues clubs. The Blues Foundation selected Chord-On Blues as the 2006 "blues club of the year." Apparently this honor did not improve business very much...

There were many nights when the band played to a very sparse audience at COB. I hope they succeed in re-opening the club. The blues community in Chicago and around the nation will really miss Chord-On Blues - it was world class. It is tough to make money running a blues venue.