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2020 AXPONA [Cancelled]

Can't help much with Chicago blues or jazz club scenes. I live 50 miles outside area.
But, l do listen to WDCB radio stream from Chicago. They do jazz and blues. Thier site has a "jazz calender" with current club entertainment listed. May be useful.
TSmith, enjoy the show. I do. Does your train stop in any suburbs, if you did not want to go all way to main station? I'm not familiar with train commuting and where thier lines go and don't.
 
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olson_jr said:
Maybe we should ping some of the locals that went to the show last year. Off the top of my head, I can only think of @MikeT. @Skylab @ESP @Old Guy8 @jcamero
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I already have December 1st with alert on my calendar to buy tickets. Palmer House Hilton is a grand old hotel that’s central to just about everything with a Concierge service that will help with finding whatever you want on the music scene. The Warwick Allerton is another choice where my wife and I stay occasionally that is cool and usually inexpensive.

Schaumburg is on the Milwaukee West Metra line from Union Station. We’ll see you there!
 

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Thanks all.

FYI, the AXPONA travel website says and Google maps confirms that the Metra Arlington Park station on the Metra UP North Line is closer (about 5 miles) to the site than the Schaumburg Metra Station (about 12 miles). The UP line appears to originate not at Chicago Union Station but a transit station (Chicago OTC) a couple blocks from Union Station. I'm not sure about schlepping luggage on a commuter train so I may take a Lyft from downtown to the show rather that Metra (still TBD).

Also, the AXPONA website says that O'Hare is about a 20-minute, $25 Lyft / Uber ride about 13 miles. I will not rent a car but will use Lyft for everything.

I will arrive from CA on the Amtrak California Zephyr which stops at Galesburg, Princeton, and Naperville in IL on the way to Chi Union Station.
 
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MikeT. said:
I already have December 1st with alert on my calendar to buy tickets. Palmer House Hilton is a grand old hotel that’s central to just about everything with a Concierge service that will help with finding whatever you want on the music scene. The Warwick Allerton is another choice where my wife and I stay occasionally that is cool and usually inexpensive.

Schaumburg is on the Milwaukee West Metra line from Union Station. We’ll see you there!
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Those hotels look great. Thank you.
 
OK, just booked a room in downtown Chicago for Wed and Thur nights. Also,I bought a ticket for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the Thursday night show: Symphonie fantastique

PROGRAM
R. Strauss Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks
R. Strauss Burlesque
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Still need to find a good Jazz or Blues venue for Wednesday night and / or some good places to eat - where the locals go, not chains, etc.
 
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My better half went to the House of Blues when she was there with her friend for the (I kid you not) redheads convention a few years ago. I guess it depends on who is playing that night, as to what music might be available.
 
Buddy Guy's Legends is always a good time and you never know who will show up there.
Check their calendar on line as Wednesday is not always booked.
Fitzgerald's in Berwyn is another great live music spot. Again check calendar online
Tufano's Vernon Park Tap(Little Italy) has been serving great Italian food for generations. They accept cash only.
Any of the Francesca restaurants has great Italian dishes. They have several restaurants & locations.
Google them to find a spot.
If you want to travel to Elmwood Park there is a awesome little Italian place on North Ave. just west of Harlem Ave.
It's called Donny G's. Terrific home cooking and if you want something special and they have the ingredients in the
kitchen, they have been known to cook it up. Unbelievable veal dishes.
About 1/4 mile west on the same street(North Ave) is the infamous Johnny's Italian Beef. If you go there be sure to
have Italian lemonade also.
Back in the city Manny's Deli on Jefferson St. serves one of the very best Corned Beef and/or Pastrami sandwiches
in the country(for sure) and add on a potato pancake if you have the room.(a lunch time event)
Also will add Al's Beef on Taylor St.(the heart of Little Italy) a Chicago fixture.
 
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bandg69 said:
Buddy Guy's Legends is always a good time and you never know who will show up there.
Check their calendar on line as Wednesday is not always booked.
Fitzgerald's in Berwyn is another great live music spot. Again check calendar online
Tufano's Vernon Park Tap(Little Italy) has been serving great Italian food for generations. They accept cash only.
Any of the Francesca restaurants has great Italian dishes. They have several restaurants & locations.
Google them to find a spot.
If you want to travel to Elmwood Park there is a awesome little Italian place on North Ave. just west of Harlem Ave.
It's called Donny G's. Terrific home cooking and if you want something special and they have the ingredients in the
kitchen, they have been known to cook it up. Unbelievable veal dishes.
About 1/4 mile west on the same street(North Ave) is the infamous Johnny's Italian Beef. If you go there be sure to
have Italian lemonade also.
Back in the city Manny's Deli on Jefferson St. serves one of the very best Corned Beef and/or Pastrami sandwiches
in the country(for sure) and add on a potato pancake if you have the room.(a lunch time event)
Also will add Al's Beef on Taylor St.(the heart of Little Italy) a Chicago fixture.
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Perfect! I will copy this post into my trip planning notes.

Thank you.
 
Looks like I won't need tickets this year. Rather than the industry pass, I'm getting press credentials. It will further limit my "me time" but on the other hand, I might get to speak with a few interesting industry folks.
 
Hardly. :D I've been doing show write-ups for a few years now, and providing "parting shot" photos for the last page, so this makes it a little more "official" I guess. The founder of the "magazine" retired from the company several weeks ago and our new guy has a history of doing work for TAS and other publications, so he's looking to try a few new things.
 
Haven't been in years, but Andy's may be the most well known jazz venue in Chicago. There is also the great and historic Green Mill where Al.Capone was known to hang. Thats a lot of fun and is as close as you can get to being in a 1920s jazz club.
 
Two-months-later bump... who else is going?

Per a few comments above, I fly in to O'Hare every year and get a Taxi or Lyft/Uber to the hotel. A yellow taxi from the airport is a flat fee, and pretty expensive, I remember about $55 plus tip, but it's the easiest. Last year I did a Lyft and it was about half the price (and the driver was much friendlier), and it was nearly as easy. If you can coordinate with somebody else coming in at a similar time, share the ride and split the cost - even better.
 
@DC are you coming in Friday or Saturday?

Still going. But I haven't heard that any other DTW locals are going. As usual I'm driving in, arriving early afternoon Thursday as I have a couple of pre-show meet-ups in the works.
 
Wildcat said:
@DC are you coming in Friday or Saturday?

Still going. But I haven't heard that any other DTW locals are going. As usual I'm driving in, arriving early afternoon Thursday as I have a couple of pre-show meet-ups in the works.
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Flying in Friday morning on the usual 8:40 flight. Landing 9-ish, then fun. We should get breakfast Friday morning?
 
DC said:
Flying in Friday morning on the usual 8:40 flight. Landing 9-ish, then fun. We should get breakfast Friday morning?
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I'll catch up with you in the afternoon--I'll be over at the Renaissance around 9am since I have to touch base with a few folks prior to the show. Maybe an overpriced mediocre lunch at the convention center? :D Some of my Chicago pals often head to dinner Friday nearby, and you're always welcome to join up with us. Didn't do it last year (they all had to go their separate ways afterwards), but two years ago we headed over to the Village Tavern (Schaumburg) as they supposedly have some of the best breaded chicken strips in the area. I went solo last year to Jason's Deli (next to the hotel) or the Weber Grill Restaurant (just down the road).
 
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