FitzGeralds takes weekly ‘Stay-At-Home Concert Series’ to the streets

Chicago restaurant and club businessman Will Duncan had owned FitzGeralds Nightclub, the longtime Berwyn music venue, for barely a month when Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered all Illinois bars and restaurants to close through April 30 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a small business owner, you’ve got to be ready for anything and try to pivot and roll with the punches, so that’s what we’re trying to do over here,” said Duncan. “We’ve used the expression around here: ‘The club is closed, but we’re still open for business.’”

Duncan’s wife, Jess King, a high school administrator, read an article about food trucks in warmer areas of the country going into neighborhoods to drum up business akin to how an ice cream truck does. She suggested Duncan look into perhaps a similar approach to a business model for their shuttered venue.

Duncan, along with the club’s staff members, created the “Stay-At-Home Concert Series” through which a local musician — who is guaranteed compensation for their time — performs live from the flatbed of a pickup truck as Duncan drives through Berwyn and neighboring Oak Park. The “concerts” take place at 4 p.m. every Saturday.

Here’s how it works:

• Nearby residents request a visit from the concert series through a digital questionnaire, which gathers their contact information.
• Using the request submissions, the club plans a route with 10 stops. Residents are notified via text messaging minutes before arrival.
• Respondents receive an advance email which insists on proper social distancing. Residents are asked to stay on their porch and resist following the truck.

“One of the things we really wanted to address was to really consider and put a lot of fun and effort into how do we keep this safe and how do we continue to observe the proper stay-at-home orders and practice safe social distancing,” said Duncan.

Along the way, FitzGeralds collects online tips to support the club, club staff and performers through Venmo (@fitzgeraldsnightclub; last four digits: 0646) or PayPal (paypal@fitzgeraldsnightclub.com).

Cathy Richardson, the lead singer for Jefferson Starship when the group is on tour, is scheduled to perform Saturday. Previous artists have included Jon Langford and Dag Juhlin. (The following week’s performer will be revealed during her live set.)She believes that such a grand gesture like the concert series can go a long way in keeping people’s spirits up amid the pandemic.

“There’s no real clear picture about how long we’re gonna have to do this,” said Richardson. “We have to just figure out creative ways to keep bringing music to people.”

Glass & Grain Photography

The success of the concert series, where previous shows can be seen on FitzGeralds’ Facebook fan page, has prompted Duncan to look into the possibility of its continuation after the pandemic subsides.

“The response has been incredible,” said Duncan. “We’ve had tens of thousands of viewers. The first one [concert], we’ve had 40,000 views on that video now.”

Here’s the schedule of upcoming artists set for the Stay-At-Home series:

4/25: Phil Angotti

5/02: Al Scorch (Bloodshot Records)

5/09: Lil’ Ed (Alligator Records)

5/16: PROM THEME DANCE PARTY - All Ages

5/23: Toronzo Cannon (Alligator Records)

5/30: Ryan Joseph Anderson