I found out yesterday that Mad Maggie's is no more. In fact, the signs are being taken down today.
But that doesn't mean there will be a lack of music.
After one of the Mad Maggie's owners, Ted Kurita, bought out his partner Sean Davis, the place is in need of new management, said Evie Ferrie, former co-manager of The Gasthaus. Ferrie and former Gasthaus co-manager Larry Herman met with Kurita, who them an offer to be his partners. They accepted and will be managing what is to be called The Hangout, opening Friday and taking the place of Mad Maggie's.
The Gasthaus, in need of new management, will continue hosting live music. All the shows that were booked into December by Ferrie and Herman will happen.
"Some of the bartenders will be following me," Ferrie said.
At The Hangout, Ferrie and Herman will hire a new staff and make a lot of changes.
So what does this mean for music in Elgin? Nothing bad. It's change, and a breath of new life for the local music scene.
"We plan to have an underground area that Fil will bartend for us here Sunday through Thursday - a punk hangout," Ferrie said.
There will be live bands on any of those days downstairs. Ferrie hopes to bring in bigger acts with The Hangout's 1,000-patron capacity.
On Fridays, they plan to have teen dance parties for 17-20 year olds. On Saturdays, they'll have bands early and DJs late. Ferrie said they want to focus more on the food as well. The upstairs of The Hangout will be sports-themed.
"In October, we hope to open for lunch with a buffet and a pizza place inside," Ferrie said.
So long as the rock 'n' roll doesn't stop, I'm a happy guy.
-- Jason Duarte, Music Blogger
Link to story:
http://blogs.suburbanchicagonews.com/cn_bylines/2010/09/breaking_mad_maggies_to_close_reopen_friday_with_new_name_management.html#more
No comments:
Post a Comment