By now many of you know my love of music, and if you didn’t, well, now you know. I music everyday from dawn to dusk and genre to genre. My Spotify, Soundcloud, iTunes, Pandora and Mixcloud—yes, I’m pretty active on all of them and no, you can never have too much music–have everything from indie alternative and rock to EDM (and all its sub-genres) and Spanish pop. Even country has snuck its way into my musical libraries. Most people who know me probably associate me with only a certain style, but I can appreciate music in all its forms–especially live music.

Living in Chicago has many perks: the food, the people, entertainment and culture; the list goes on. You can probably find live music on any given night of the week–it’s not just for the weekends. One of my favorite local spots is Lincoln Hall (LH) : Schubas Tavern, and although the venues are very different from each other (LH is a modern balcony seat venue while Schubas is a older, smaller event space) both invite amazing artists you probably won’t find at your United Centers (bigger venues). It’s for that reason I enjoy these neighborhood spots, and typically you can get a pretty intimate show from the artists.

It was a Sunday night, and Chicago had experienced some torrential downpours that weekend, so the mood was a little dreary. My friend and I made our way to Schubas, both of us weren’t familiar with Co-Stanza nor Jackson Whalan (headliner for the night). Making our way through the monsoons we arrived to the converted Schlitz brewery joining the crowd of 15 or so.

(pictured above Co-Stanza at Schubas 4/30/17)

I walked in with no knowledge of who was playing, and actually there have been a handful of shows where I don’t know many songs (if any)—I have yet to be disappointed with these unknown musical encounters. Stumbling across “new” (and up and coming) music is like realizing it’s actually Saturday, not Sunday or finding $20 bucks in your jeans back pocket. Yup, that same giddy effect…well at least it’s like that for me.

Jack, the singer from the group, has a crisp, clean voice and can do anything from cleverly spit some rap lyrics to serenade you with his smooth vocals. His voice has a natural tone that draws your ears and keeps you listening. His sound is definitely fresh and light, and the charisma he has on stage is clear from the way he engages with the crowd. At a young age, he’s already making an impression, and I can’t wait to see his musical career develop.

Take a listen to one of my personal faves below. Check out his Soundcloud and follow him on Twitter! #SupportLocal