Metro: 25 Years as Chicago's Indepent Music Venue

One of the only for-profit businesses with a mission statement, Metro stands apart from most music venues in America today. Metro's mission is to bring a cross-platform of the best local, regional and national emerging artists to Chicago.

Housed in a building on North Clark Street that once served as the Swedish Community Center for early 1920s Chicago immigrants, Metro's first incarnation was as Smart Bar. Smart Bar, a dance club mixing a variety of genres, opened on the fourth floor of the building. Within a few months, Smart Bar was moved to the basement, where it is today, and owner Joe Shanahan opened Metro on the stage in the main room. The first show, featuring a then little-known band, R.E.M., was a success, and Metro was born.

Bringing new music to Chicago began in Metro's backyard with local bands like Naked Raygun and Big Black. Through the years, Metro helped to bring attention to burgeoning local bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Urge Overkill, Liz Phair, Alkaline Trio, Smoking Popes and Fall Out Boy. Many bands return to the Metro stage for special club shows years after they first played.

In addition to Chicago bands, Metro also helped to bring Chicago fans to bands from other cities. In its early years, Metro hosted New Yorkers Sonic Youth and the Ramones, Minneapolis' Replacements and Soul Asylum, and California's X and the Bangles. Today, artists from all over the country, and the world, seek to play Metro.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary in July 22, 2007, Metro has planned a series of special events. The kickoff was a free public concert at Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavillion with The Decemberists backed by the Grant Park Orchestra. Other special events have included a sponsorship of the Sympathy For The Devil: Rock and Roll in Art show at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tortoise at the Chicago Symphony Center and a party at South By Southwest in Austin. Future events include a New Year's Eve show with Spoon and the return of the benefit concert, The Waltz, in March 2008.