A Magical Trip to The Urbana Hootenanny

Now here's a gem that many Pizza FM listeners and University goers have probably missed out on in their music going careers, it's the hootenanny that takes place right in Urbana at the "Home of Country Music" (as proudly stated by the sign hanging over their entrance door) that is the Rosebowl Tavern. I'll admit I was a bit taken aback at this point in my journey to experience this hootenanny, being someone who did not especially like the country music played on the radio during my baseball playing years. However, after walking into the small and dimly lit tavern that smelled slightly like a bowling alley, my eyes were opened to why this was the most crowded bar concert that I've been to yet.The crowd is about what you'd imagine: an excess of plaid, interesting headgear and plenty of boots. Granted, it was clear that some people were a little bit out of the scene and just going for the experience, (i.e hipsters who wear fedoras and lots of pierced areas on the face) but here's the thing: everyone was welcome. While an older couple skillfully square danced to the lively bluegrass music, a younger couple attempted to stomp along in the same way even though they lacked the necessary background that the older couple had and no one sent a dirty look.And the atmosphere of the building with the small center stage is just as welcoming, as otherworldly as it might seem to a city kid like myself. The NASCAR schedule is printed boldly on a banner that is wrapped around the stage and a neon sign depicts Texas and the heroic, lone-star state. It all simply adds to the experience. The circle tables and simple wood chairs invited multiple parties of many age groups and musical backgrounds to sit together and share stories over a basket of free popcorn. Even the stage itself is welcoming. Guitar cases line the walls as people of every musical style and skill level wait around, patiently appreciating the other performers, for their chance to get on the stage and play some of their own stuff for the welcoming and sizable crowd, and most weeks these people will get their shot to perform.This week, however, was a fortunate surprise. An acclaimed and decorated mandolin player, Mike Compton, graced the crowd with his presence and skill. His set list contained speedy and difficult bluegrass solos, old blues tunes that the crowd heartily sang along to, and classic American folk songs such as "Big Rock Candy Mountain" which transported me, in nostalgia, to my living room back in my Chicago home. It was truly a treat to get to experience this performances out of sheer chance, which just adds to the mysticism of this interesting event in the quiet corner of Urbana. After Compton was finished, Bones Jugs N' Harmony took the stage for a while to continue the celebration before opening up the stage again to the public.

So before even considering going to this place, you might be asking yourself "what is a hootenanny?" Well, person who is too lazy to check the Googles, a hootenanny is defined as a gathering of musicians who tell stories and perform with participation from the audience, but it is also derived from a Scottish word meaning celebration. The Urbana Hootenanny is promised to deliver on all accounts, to take you out of the campus bar scene and into a place where all are welcome and appreciated, where you can go to an event on a Monday night, where all shows are a surprise and all performers have something different to add, and where entry is free and the popcorn is too. This is a highly recommended spot and highly under appreciated by my peers.The address is 106 North Race Street, Urbana, Illinois and the hootenanny takes place every Monday from 8 to midnight.