Redefining DIY: Chicago musicians turn living rooms into intimate stages

If you think about shows in bars, it's not always about the music. It's a place where people also just come to drink and talk and spend a lot of the time shouting in each other's ear because, let's face it, there's loud music playing in the background.

I like this idea that these musicians in Chicago have; using a place or multiple places solely for the purpose of art or music. This has the opportunity to create a movement that can really be a hub for creativity and collaboration.

Should it be a house or a dedicated place to perform and practice. The bonus here is no moving gear, no set up. Sure, it will also have downsides but I like the idea of promoting your environment with the music. And maybe others will want to be a part of it.

These musicians in Chicago do this in each others living rooms.

"A variety of DIY spaces have popped up around Chicago for decades to provide this exact type of opportunity. Mylo Reyes, a visual communications major at the Art Institute, has transformed his most recent apartment, with the help of his roommates, into a DIY space, allowing musicians of all shapes and sizes to come through the door. Eventually, the space coined the name, “Rad Pad”."