Reggie’s is a multi-dimensional establishment located on the outskirts of Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. It houses three different businesses under one roof; a live music venue, a bar/restaurant and a record store. The main stage goes by the name of Reggie’s Rock Club, while Reggie’s Music Joint is the moniker for the smaller stage inside the restaurant. The upstairs record shop is called Record Breakers, but for simplicity’s sake, all of these enterprises can be referred to solely as Reggie’s. After all, Reggie’s best attribute is likely its ability to combine various activities that serve to enhance the overall concert-going experience.

According to owner Robby Glick, Reggie’s was first conceptualized when business at the original Record Breakers began to decline. The previous suburban site of the record store occasionally held concerts and the positive response encouraged Glick to try and host shows on a more permanent basis. “What gave us the idea originally was having bands in the old store,” he said. “Seeing how many people got into the bands and how many people came beforehand to buy stuff was great, but we’d have to close the store once the show started because we were working with a limited space. We’d have to move the album racks and the shirts, and after the show was over move everything back. We just really wanted to have a space that was big enough to have both a record store and a live venue.” Having devised a plan, it would take Glick years to bring Reggie’s from concept to reality. Finding a suitable building, completing necessary restorations, obtaining proper permits, as well as a plethora of other obstacles still stood in the way. “It was a thought in my head probably about six to seven years before we actually opened. When business started going bad I started looking more aggressively for places in the city, mainly because we figured it would be easier to get bands to play in Chicago as opposed to the suburbs. It took a little over a year to find a building and then it took seven or eight months to close on the property and get the deal done. It took another year and a half to get it open due to renovations,” Glick said.

While the South Loop area wasn’t Glick’s first choice, the amenities offered by the space at 2109 S. State St. were too difficult to deny. Factors such as ample parking and a sufficiently-sized edifice helped make selecting the location an easy decision. “I didn’t necessarily want to pick the South Loop. I had my eye on a building at Damen and Lake, which ironically is kind of where Bottom Lounge opened up,” he said. “They had different zoning and it was about half the size of this building, so there’d be only one stage, limited food and a very limited record store. This space enabled us to do everything we wanted and it’s also in an area where I think the real estate value won’t go down. We can’t lose even if the business were to fail. If something were to happen I think it’s a smarter real estate move over here as opposed to over there.”

Inspiration from several of Chicago’s other notable live music venues is somewhat evident in the design of Reggie’s. Influences range from the Clubhouse record store that once bordered the Metro to the Harmony Grill that’s connected to Schubas. “We weren’t really going for uniqueness, we were just going for something cool and we had the record store already. It would have been a shame to do nothing with it in this kind of a situation,” Glick said. Defunct clubs and venues outside of the traditional rock ‘n roll realm served as motivations as well. “There’s the sloped floor, where you get better sightlines and a little better sound, like the Chicago Theatre or any of those kinds of places might have. We also made steps out of brick and concrete that’s along the wall. If you’re trapped against the side it allows you to get up and create a little elevation and see over everybody. We stole that idea from Lounge Axe, which was a skinny little bar in Lincoln Park. We borrowed the benches from Kingston Mines, the blues club. They have benches all over their place and that’s what we did on the restaurant side,” he said. With all major renovations accomplished and the floor plan solidified, one of the last steps towards Reggie’s completion was the finalization of the sound system. Financial limitations forced some creative compromises to be made, though the array of audio equipment continues to evolve and remains a work in progress. Based on consistent displays of high quality sound, this piecemeal approach has been surprisingly effective thus far. “The sound was one of the last things we did. The project was so involved and took so long that we kind of spent a lot of the sound budget on other things,” Glick said. “It’s kind of ironic because that’s what I care about more than anything. It’s not the greatest sound system, but we did a good job with the money we had. I think it sounds pretty good on most nights, but there’s always room for improvement.”

In September of 2007 Reggie’s hosted its first show and the headliners were a glam-rock group from New York City called Semi Precious Weapons. Countless bands from around the country and of varying genres have since graced the stage at Reggie’s. When asked if one concert in particular sticks out as the most memorable, Glick cited 2008’s Chuck Ragan show. “The Chuck Ragan show was the coolest for me because I saw the room being utilized exactly the way I envisioned it at a packed show. Everybody was having a really good time and it was an acoustic thing with kind of like countrified versions of punk songs. There were 450 or so people there and everyone was singing along. That was probably my favorite and most gratifying show,” he said. If Glick could choose one active band to play Reggie’s who has yet to do so, he stated that his top vote would be for Primus. “I guess Primus would probably be my number one choice. I don’t think that would ever happen, but you never know,” he said. “Maybe when they get old and un-famous or maybe we could appeal to their sense of independent places. The Rolling Stones played Double Door, so I guess nothing’s out of the question.”

By and large the public has responded warmly to Reggie’s during its first couple of years in business. As more and more concertgoers become familiar with Reggie’s whereabouts, the venue’s popularity and attendance can’t help but grow. For those who have yet to attend a show at Reggie’s, rest assured that it offers one of the most distinctive live music encounters in Chicago. “I hope we’re still here five years from now and I hope someday it’s considered one of Chicago’s best places to see shows. I want people to know that they can go and see good bands at Reggie’s no matter what night they happen to stumble in, and know they’re going to have a good time here. That’s what I want more than anything,” Glick said.