Live at the Hungry Brain: Chicago Jazz in Performance

Item set

Title: Live at the Hungry Brain: Chicago Jazz in Performance
Description: This item set documents live jazz performance and community at The Hungry Brain, a Chicago bar and venue that has served as a hub for creative music since the early 2000s. Through flyers, photographs, setlists, and recordings, the items trace a lineage of experimental sound rooted in DIY programming, post-AACM improvisation, and the close-knit network of North Side musicians, organizers, and listeners. These artifacts reflect The Brain’s role as a cultural anchor point for Chicago’s contemporary jazz and improvising communities—where noise meets nuance, and freedom is found in the weekly jam.
Subject: Chicago Jazz Community
Creator: Benny Parks
Date: 1st, June 2025

Items

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Edition Redux @ Hungry Brain — October 10, 2024 (Residency Night 2)
Live performance video of Edition Redux during their October 2024 residency at the Hungry Brain in Chicago. The set includes original compositions and improvisational sections featuring Ken Vandermark, Beth McDonald, Erez Dessel, and Lily Glick Finnegan.
Nolatet – Live at Hungry Brain, September 1, 2018
Full-length live set from jazz quartet Nolatet, recorded at the Hungry Brain in Chicago. Features extended improvisation and groove-driven interplay. Released freely via Internet Archive.
Chicago Jazz String Summit – 10th Anniversary Poster (May 19, 2024, Hungry Brain)
Official graphic for the 10-year Chicago Jazz String Summit improv session at the Brain; marks the venue’s ongoing support for festival-scale experimental events.
Mike Reed on Stage at the Hungry Brain (2023 portrait)
Club owner, drummer, and curator Mike Reed seated on the Brain’s stage set—drum kit in background—underscoring his dual role as artist and venue steward.
Wednesday Night Fellowship, Poster – Hosted by Ted Sirota (Nov 20, 2019)
Amber-hued flyer advertising drummer Ted Sirota’s mid-week jam series. Emphasises the Brain’s role as a musicians’ clubhouse and workshop space.
Luke Stewart / Josh Berman / Mike Reed / A.R. – Hungry Brain Poster (June 8, 2019)
Description Teal-tinted promo image for a Saturday, June 8, 9 PM quartet date. Highlights the Brain’s tradition of mixing national figures (Luke Stewart) with resident creatives (Berman, Reed).
Gerrit Hatcher, Lia Kohl, Sam Wagster Poster (August 4, 2018)
Event poster featuring experimental jazz series at the Hungry Brain—teal-and-black design characteristic of the venue's aesthetic.
Live Performance at the Hungry Brain Stage
Musicians performing under warm lights at The Brain—demonstrates the setup and artistic atmosphere of the venue during a jazz night.
Hungry Brain Exterior (Night, circa 2016)
Nighttime shot of the Hungry Brain storefront at 2319 W. Belmont, shortly after its 2016 reopening under Mike Reed.
The Hungry Brain Interior (circa 2010)
Cozy interior during a jazz night, with bar counter, jukebox, and stage visible—exemplifies the Brain’s welcoming, DIY energy.