It might be difficult to see what’s so special about Champaign-Urbana, a college town surrounded by cornfields. But hidden within its bustling campus, the community has something unique to offer — a lively music scene.

Beyond its nightly shows, each C-U venue has a rich history and culture. The Daily Illini spoke with organizers at different locations to learn more about their stories and provide an introduction to this remarkable campus.

Rose Bowl Tavern

In 1946, a building originally constructed as the county post office opened its doors to Urbana. Despite its casual demeanor, this officially began the vibrant history of Rose Bowl Tavern, one of C-U’s oldest music venues.

“It was pretty much just the town bar, tavern sort of vibe, and they would just have bands set up in the corner or whatever,” said Charlie Harris, current part-owner of Rose Bowl.

According to Harris, Rose Bowl was purchased in the ’60s by Sunny Norman, a musician who originally worked as the building’s janitor. Norman and his wife rebranded Rose Bowl as “the home of country music.”

Norman kept the music side alive as his wife ran the bar. He performed with his band six nights a week, strongly maintaining the country music theme.

While greatly acknowledging this rich history, Harris doesn’t choose to see the bar as a space that’s exclusive to country music.

“The aesthetic is still that sort of old honky-tonk inside,” Harris said. “A number of the signs outside say ‘Home of country music.’ And we do a lot of country and country-adjacent (music) … We don’t think of ourselves as a country bar, even though those signs are up, and the inside has that old-school vibe.”

Harris came into ownership of Rose Bowl after working with the Urbana Hootenanny, an open music jam that occurs at the bar weekly on Monday nights. The venue’s third owner, Steve Campbell, approached Harris about taking over the venue, which he did in 2019.

Under its current ownership, Rose Bowl has continued to host live music every night — just like it did in Norman’s days. It holds trivia nights, jazz jams, local groups and touring artists for the campus and community to enjoy. All of this, Harris emphasized, goes toward bringing the community together and keeping performances accessible.

“We’re trying to keep supporting musicians and providing … a good space for the community and the region to come and enjoy a good show,” Harris said. “We’re trying to keep drink prices and cover charge low so people can enjoy it on a regular basis.”

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

In the late ’60s, the University — and the country as a whole — were undergoing significant cultural shifts. This included the height of the Vietnam War and the tail end of the Civil Rights movement.

During it all, Herman Krannert, University alum who studied engineering, and his wife, Ellnora Krannert, saw a need in the student population. It wasn’t for another engineering laboratory but for a world-class performing arts venue in the community.

“I’ve joined others in referring to Krannert Center as sort of this ‘miracle on the prairie,’” said Mike Ross, director of KCPA. “I believe it’s unique within the realm of higher (education).”

Created by School of Architecture alum Max Abramovitz, Ross said he “conservatively” estimates the building is valued at around $350 million.

Abramovitz is known for working on iconic buildings in New York City, like Lincoln Center and the United Nations Headquarters, as well as State Farm Center.

Ross shared the Krannerts’ sentiment of bringing the gift of the arts to University students. He emphasized the importance of not only indulging students studying music and performance in its culture but also everybody on campus.

“It’s always been my goal to help make Krannert Center a place, a source of experience for every student on campus, and in different ways, too,” Ross said. “I’m the first to acknowledge that every individual human being has different interests, different preferences. We’re all walking through life at different stages, along different pathways, coming from different places.”

The student-first angle has been at the front of Ross’ mind since he took over as the KCPA’s sixth director in 1997. KCPA has followed through on its initiative to provide $10 tickets to University students, something that Ross feels particularly passionate about.

“That was an initiative that I felt was very important for us to launch,” Ross said. “Breaking down the financial barriers is part of what has helped bring more students in.”

Ross said that relative to other venues at universities across the country, student attendance and participation at KCPA sits “in the very, very top thin slice of participation.”

Lowering student ticket prices isn’t the only move KCPA has made to boost inclusivity and student participation. While the it has five stages, the lobby’s Stage 5 was created to bring a more open, club-like vibe to a venue that could otherwise appear quite formal, according to Ross.

The Krannerts’ gift has given the University its own “Lincoln Center” of the Midwest — as Ross has heard it called across the country. More than anything else, it provides students with a truly unique concert experience right in the middle of their campus.

“I’m passionate about this place,” Ross said. “I think it’s an extraordinary gift to all of us.”

The Canopy Club

Just down the block from KCPA, a smaller venue is tucked between Timpone’s and The Bread Company on South Goodwin Avenue. With a different energy entirely, The Canopy Club has opened its doors for nightly entertainment since 1998.

“When it started out, it was kind of a grungy rock club, right?” said Kate Turk, director of special events for Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment, The Canopy Club’s parent company. “It was an old theater that had been transformed into a music venue by people who just really wanted to see shows.”

The venue has held similar values to Rose Bowl and KCPA since its humble beginnings, particularly in wanting to be as inclusive as possible. 

Turk said the club got its name because “there’s a place for everybody in the rainforest, and there’s a place for everybody at The Canopy Club.”

With brightly painted walls, an array of colored lights and disco balls dangling from the ceiling, The Canopy Club hosts a range of sights and sounds for students to enjoy. These include themed nights from K-pop to Taylor Swift, drag shows, local acts and touring artists. The decorations, Turk emphasized, help to create more of an all-encompassing event rather than just a venue.

While The Canopy Club started with a strong focus on rock, Turk said the venue has evolved over the years to match what students want. 

According to her, it achieved its reputation by staying a few steps ahead of the popular music trends, which included taking chances.

“We’re happy to take the risk on doing something that’s a little bit different and maybe not something that other venues would want to take a risk on,” Turk said. “It started out as a straight music venue — and it still is a straight music venue, but I would like to think it’s a little bit more of an experience at this point.”

Robert Kjev, marketing associate at Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment, has watched the venue grow since its beginnings when he was a regular at the club. He discussed how its dedicated following has made it unique among other venues in the area.

“We’re at a point now where people’s kids are now coming to the club,” Kjev said. “We’re on generation two … I had the realization; it’s completely unprecedented as a music venue around here, but just as far as a business in general, how many have a 25-year lifespan and are still going like this?”

Since its opening, The Canopy Club has hosted numerous big names, including Chance the Rapper, Fall Out Boy, The Chainsmokers and Smash Mouth. 

According to Turk, the club has a knack for catching artists before they achieve global fame — which should motivate students to attend local concerts.

“It’s a really good experience to go to any of these places,” Turk said. “Our local music scene is fantastic. I really hope that more people decide they want to go out and spend their Friday night checking out a band and supporting somebody locally.”

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