coffee/espresso creations for the urban caffeine specialist, live experimental progressive and relevant local and national Music performers, abstract Art, spoken word/Poetry, reasonably priced aesthetically pleasing delicious Contemporary Cuisine, low-key vibe, and those that aren't willing to be sucked into chicago elitist clique. This is an off-the beaten path joint on a major drag (milwaukee ave) that gives nothing but finest quality food and drink delicassies. come on in and soak it all up...
I'd like to meet:
I'd like to officially state to the Chicago scene in general, that at the end of March 2007, the Muse Cafe will be closing.The partners at the cafe, Dave Z Marsalek & Joe Grzesik, have decided to hang our towel on the cafe venture. We have the option of gracefully exiting the lease at this time, and we've decided to take it. With many speed bumps along the way, and several difficult unavoidable circumstances and obstacles...the decision to close our doors has been a hard but necessary one to make.Amidst a year & 1/2 of the blossoming of a beautiful experimental culture scene at muse, Joe and I will be moving on to other venutures...no doubt extending some of the elements of Muse in other directions.THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL, THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF THIS SHORT-LIVED DYNASTY! YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND SUPPORT WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN!!! YOU'VE HELPED TO MAKE THIS DREAM/VISION ALL THAT MORE REAL AND TANGIBLE!TO ALL THE AMAZING MUSICIANS THAT HAVE EITHER PLAYED A/O SUPPORTED THIS VENUE, I THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR CREATIVE VOICE WITH US! FROM MY END, YOUR PRESENCE HAS MADE THIS VENUE WHAT IT IS TODAY, AN OPEN-MINDED ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH CREATIVE PEOPLE SHARE NEW IDEAS WITH ONE ANOTHER. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN QUITE A VENUE AS MUSE CAFE, AND YOU HAVE ALL BEEN A PART OF THAT IN SOME WAY. THANK YOU!Special thanks must be given to the following: Toni Asante Lightfoot {Monday Muse Mashup}, The Gunnelpumpers, Ways & Means Trio, The Chicago Junglebop Syndicate, Don & Jazztronik, 7 League Boots & Electro-Acoustic Workshop, and all the artists that showed their works at our cafe!TO ALL REGULARS OF OUR CAFE, YOU WILL BE MISSED...WE HOPE TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU! YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR RESTAURANT HAS KEPT US MOVING FORWARD. Thanks to the River West/West Town area for your generous support of our business {homestead group, the chicago dramatists, Moksha Yoga Center, Intuit Gallery of Outsider Art, The Academy of the Arts, and all others that I didn't mention} and all those that live and work in this area that frequented our business.:::A short word on the continuation of muse, post-muse::: The Workshops at muse cafe will be in transition to be moved to other locations around the city, and I will be acting as a promoter in this case. If anyone has solid ideas for where these should move to, message DaveThe Chicago Junglebop Workshop , which has been going strong monthly since Dec 06, is in search of an open-minded venue to continue its experimentation with the jazz canon and mixing jungle and drumNbass. Thank you Matthew Golombisky, John Bescup and all the others in the Syndicate and any cats that made it out to see what's brewing! I thank you! Also a big ups to Mitch for video-taping all the Junglebop Workshops!The Electro-Acoustic Workshop will be continuing with 7 League Boots. Destination not available yet. Keep posted...this one's been going on monthly since Feb 2006. Some of the finest electro-acoustic musicians in town have contributed to this jam session. Thank you Brian, henry & peter of 7LB for making this event possible on a regular basis!The Jazztronik Experiment with DJ Don Solo & Co will all be continued in some way, shape, or form. This event has been happening regularly since spring 2006, and has involved some amazing improvisers mixing acoustic performance and laptop sampling/direction. Thank you don for premiering this event at Muse Cafe, and to all the Allstars for participating!The official MUSE CAFE WEBSITE will be altered soon to act as a promotional vehicle for the experimental chicago scene. All the full details for this advancement have not been workedout, but there is talk of an online cd store for chicago artists. More on that when it's news. The myspace page will act as documentation of what has happened in the last year and half, as well as promoting the music, arts, poetry, theatre & film scene in town.THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT & VIVA THE CHICAGO EXPERIMENTAL SCENE!
Music:
An eclectic mix of jazz, electronic, acoustic folk, experimental, classical & techno. On a regular day in muse cafe we present a changing mix of artists, because our Ipod is an outstanding DJ. Some of the regular in rotation artists include: Aphex Twin, Portishead, Postal Service, Lamb, John Coltrane, Everything but the Girl, Soul Coughing, DJ Shadow, The Shins, Radiohead, Amon Tobin, Squarepusher, Coldplay, and Fela Kuti. Our stage area in the rear of the store works its ass off 2-4 times a week with several music series, pushing the most relevant progressive, abstract, and experimental underground belly of Chicago's and the nation's finest outfits, jazz/freejazz, laptop artists, poets, and avant garde ensembles. We specialize in avantronica, live jungle, IDM, drumNbass, freespazz, post-jazz, and Junglebop
Movies:
Monday-Friday 9am-8pm Saturday:::10am-6pm CLOSED SUNDAYSOpen til midnite on event nites. check MUSE Schedule for show specs.Beat the bar scene, Muse Cafe, for your live entertainment and cultural symposiums... BYOB after 7pm every nite. The Muse Cafe is also available for your private party you've been dying to throw. That could include:::shower, birthday party, reunion, myspace party, company po-wow. We can meet up to 60 people comfortably, some standing applies. Let us know if our space might just workout for your upcoming shindig! Muse Cafe also caters Crepes (of your choice, freshly made), appetizers, dessert, and full fledged buffet meals for your events. Of course, coffee and teas as well. Think of MUSE when you're planning your next event. Private music performance, workshop, and release party events are also welcome.
Television:
Breakfast-lunch-dinner menu; Daily homemade soups, sandwiches, hummus and salad specials, soup 1/2 sandwich 1/2 salad combo $5.99 (choice of 2)...urban house classics & speciality coffee/espresso drink recipe innovations; 100% Organic Fair Trade Coffee...You've gotta come in and checkout what Muse Cafe has to offer! Vegan and vegetarian food offerings are a part of our menu as well. Bring it...we can cut it with the rest of em! We're also carrying an array of vegan, flourless, and organic cakes from Rise And Shine Bakery (chicago).
Books:
Low lit cozy environment---spacious high ceilings cascading red-brown-beige color accents---let yourself go in the decor, comfy sofas, FREE WIFI for laptop users----indulge in a hot double chocolate mint mocha, white chocolate chai latte, caramello, or System Hello with your friends, loved one, family, or simply by your lonesome...come on in, the water's just fine! And make sure to ask us why there's a drink called a Black Eye on the board
Heroes:
:::Mondays::: Monday Muse Mashup w/ host Toni Asante Lightfoot 8-11pm No Cover! Mondays are devoted to presenting an innovative open mic variety showcase. All are welcome to attend, bring their muse, read poetry, do comedy, musical performances, etc. The skies the limit! Examples of weekly "exquisite corpses" are on display on Toni's website from the link above. Go ahead and check it out for yourself or just drop by on any given monday evening to jump in! Each week has a certain theme which readers can bring relevant poetry/works for the subject matter or just read what they feel. The Aristadogs will back the poets in the final set of readings. djembe, guitar(s):::Sonic Foundry Electronik Series::: a showcase of some of the finest local electronic/sonic/experimental glitch-IDM-drillNbass-ambient artists in Chicago and beyond...soon to be regular, currently once month The ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC WORKSHOP -An improv workshop focusing on the new movement of live jungle, drumNbass, idm, jungle bop, freespazz, acid breaks, and fusion groove. Rotating hosting bands from Chicago keep it fresh. Bring instruments (electronic and acoustic). Amps, drumset, bass cabinet, various keys & Bag End PA are all provided, you bring the rest! Checkout the host band's website at 7 League Boots for more info on this phenomenal and exciting live improv forum for the most progressive live electro-acoustic performers in chitown! AVantronica - live breakcore - idm - ragga - jungle - dnb:::Tuesdays & Thursdays-Improvised Intuitive Series::: Jazz/Live Organica/Experimental & Improvised Musics/Freejazz/Eclecctic Rock/Odd Indie from around Chicago's fiery scenes to the nations touring finest!:::Strictly Jazz Jam Session::: -Come and cut your teeth with some of the finest inside and outside musicians on the jazz standard path. Realbook or knowledge of the charts within are helpful. Currently this event has been placed on hold but we are working towards hosting Jazz Department nites from Colombia College, Art Insitute of Chicago, Roosevelt, and Depaul to name a few. hosted by: Fred Krubel, Matt Nelson, Brad Dickert & Co.::: The Jazztronik Experiment ::: -A nite of postjazz and abstract techno hosted by Don Solo and Co. This event previously took place on 3rd thursdays but currently is working at every 2 months under new direction and vision. The 6 months of Jazztronik yielded dozens upon dozens of some of the city's finest improvisers under laptop direction. :::Junglebop Syndicate Workshop:::4th Fridays This is a new series that has been a large devotion of the cafe owners, joe and dave. Here you have The Chicago Junglebop Syndicate hosting a nite of exploration and creative control over jazz standards, revamped, remixed and destroyed through new grooves such as jungle, dnb, idm, triphop, hiphop. Really a scene in the making, The Chicago Junglebop Syndicate works on new vocabulary for evolving the jazz canon by composing originals and remixing live some of the traditionaly standards we've all come to both love and hate. Keep your eyes peeled for this. We are videotaping the events and all are welcome to attend, sit in, and workshop tunes with the syndicate. For listing of tunes for the next upcoming CJS event, message HERE:::Momentum Music Series::: The BKMS Quartet w/ Geof Bradfield - tenor saxophone, Hyosub Kim- double bass, John Smillie- drums, & Sam Macy - guitar & various special guests ( Ted Sirota's Rebel Assault -March 20th; Doug Rosenberg Quartet -April 17th)
