According to today’s Tribune, the Arie Crown Theater will be going dark starting in September. I won’t miss it.
There was a time when the place was the hottest concert venue in town. Back in high school seeing a group such as Chicago playing the Arie Crown was the ultimate downtown adventure for a group of teenagers from the western suburbs. The Arie Crown still had the sheen of newness back then, having reopened in 1972. For my friends and me, it was exciting seeing performers we loved at a classy, adult venue frequented by our parents.
As a grown-up, however, I came to see the Arie Crown in a much different light. For openers, I never felt the sound was very good there. Seated in the center of the theater halfway back, I thought it was acceptable. Anywhere else—especially in the wings—and it was terrible.
The smooth jazz shows we did at the Arie Crown never seemed to have the spark of shows we did at other venues, either. Boney James at the Arie Crown on March 22, 2002, was a typical example. I introduced Boney from the stage that night, but what I remember most about the night was what went on an hour before the show. As I was walking through the lobby I spotted Boney standing by himself in a hallway near a side entrance to the stage. I remember thinking how cold and sterile the place felt—quiet as a morgue, too. There might have been a dozen people around but, in that wide, expansive lobby, Boney and I felt like we were alone. We stood around and talked for about 15 minutes, and not a single soul came up to either of us the entire time. Contrast that with the typical scene at the Chicago Theatre before a show—the crowded lobby, buzzing with excitement and anticipation.
Being out at McCormick Place didn’t help the Arie Crown, either. There were no restaurants nearby. If you wanted to dine before or after a show, you had to park your car twice—at the Arie Crown and at wherever you decided to eat. It was both an inconvenient and expensive proposition.
Over the years we’ve hosted concerts at just about all the downtown venues. None of them is perfect. But the Arie Crown was the most imperfect of all. I’m glad we did only a handful of shows there. And, after each one, listeners told me in no uncertain terms I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
I don’t feel the same about losing Arie Crown. We don’t have many places on the south side of Chicago where you can sit down and enjoy a great show or play. I don’t smoke and I don’t frequent lounges, bars, etc. We no longer have THE REGAL; it’s a bit of a drive (don’t let snow enter the picture) to Radisson (Star Plaza), and there’s almost always traffic due to construction and trucks-on-the-go in that direction. AC was one place where you had parking and your ticket to fun just moments away/now it’s lights out, AC/southside fun.