02/18/2017
One year ago today we sent this post to our fanbase.
To the fans of The Shrine:
We regret to tell you that The Shrine will be closing soon. The property where The Shrine is located was recently purchased by a local real estate development firm. They have introduced plans to demolish the building, build a hotel and apartment complex in its place, and lease over 30,000 sq. feet of retail space at street level.
Located at 2109 S. Wabash in the South Loop, The Shrine was founded in 2009 by Chicago native Joe Russo. Mr. Russo has been a force in hospitality industry since the early 90’s. He has created, opened and owned various venues over the years, including Thyme Restaurant, Sinibar, and Funky Buddha Lounge.
The Shrine’s location was specifically chosen for its historical significance to Chicago’s black music history. The area was the epicenter for local and national Blues, Soul and R&B record labels beginning in the early 1950s, and a logical location for a venue specializing in great black music.
The Shrine has provided state-of- the-art live performance and nightclub space for lovers of Soul, R&B, House, Hip Hop, Afrobeat and Reggae music for nearly seven years. The Shrine was open to all, but set out from its inception to cater to the underserved Caribbean, African & African American clientele. The Shrine is both nationally and internationally regarded as a unique (and often imitated) entertainment venue that will be greatly missed upon shutting its doors.
The Shrine can boast of hundreds of shows and events it has produced over the years. The venue presented the best in black entertainment, from Grammy and Oscar winners to old and new school artists. There was nothing like it in the city of Chicago, or anywhere in the U.S., for that matter. Here are some notable and memorable artists: 50 Cent, Roy Ayers, Erykah Badu, Eric Benet, Bilal, BJ the Chicago Kid,Chance the Rapper,George Clinton, Brand New Heavies, Common, Mos Def, De La Soul, Dwele, Lupe Fiasco, Floetry, Future, Ginuwine, Robert Glasper, Goapele, Beres Hammond, Lalah Hathaway, Talib Kweli, Kem, KRS-ONE, Kendrick Lamar, Amel Larrieux, Les Nubians, Ryan Leslie, Mali Music, Ky-Mani Marley, Chrisette Michelle, Miguel, Monica, Sean Paul, Rakim, The Roots, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Eric Roberson, Jill Scott, SWV, Tank, and many more.
Here are some notable Djs: Questlove, Jazzy Jeff, J Rocc, Spinna, Black Coffee,Terry Hunter, Ron Trent, Timbuck2, Twilite Tone,Jesse De La Pena, Tone B. Nimble, Rich Medina, Miguel Migs, Dimitri From Paris and many more.
To those of you who enjoyed The Shrine, we say thank you for rocking with us for nearly seven years!