Today we’d like to introduce you to Asrat Sellassie and William Glastris.
Asrat and William, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The Wild Hare & Singing Armadillo Frog Sanctuary has been “REGGAE CAPITAL USA” for nearly 30 years. Originally located a block south of Wrigley Field, The Wild Hare has since August 2012 been located at 2610 N. Halsted Street (at Wrightwood) in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago.
Live Reggae in all its forms from all over the world is our passion and our terrific crowds of long-time friends and new enthusiasts reflect the wonderful diversity that reggae music brings out. We feature local, regional and international artists performing nightly Tuesday through Sunday at 9pm. Come early for our killer food (dinner begins nightly at 6pm with late night snacks until close), ice cold drinks and the friendliest, all-welcome Irie Vibes anywhere.
Our venue features three connected rooms, The Front Bar, Music Room and The Lounge Room where guests can move throughout the evening. Private Parties can be accommodated many for groups of 10 to 200 guests.
Cover charge is always reasonable and varies from FREE to about $10 depending on the night and the artist performing. Indoor self-parking is available every evening across the street at The Home Depot garage for a discounted rate of $5.00 and free validation is available if you bring your parking ticket to the window with paid admission.
If you are coming to The Wild Hare on public transportation we are convenient to the CTA Brown line, Purple line and Red line as well as the Halsted #8 bus. We are a short taxi ride from most downtown hotels.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The Wild Hare has been presenting the best live reggae to Chicago and friends from all over the world for over 30 years. Like any small business, you encounter challenges along the way. The venue was forced to move from its original location in Wrigleyville in 2011 and spent the next couple of years relocating to its new home in Lincoln Park and working through a difficult licensing process with the City of Chicago.
Today the venue is as vibrant and exciting as ever with the best live reggae six nights a week, great Caribbean cuisine nightly and the friendliest vibes anywhere.
Please tell us about The Wild Hare & Singing Armadillo Frog Sanctuary.
Over our 30 year history, The Wild Hare has been privileged to showcase the broadest and most complete group of artists the reggae world has ever known. We strive to bring the best talent to our stage and present artists old and new, local to international, famous as well as up and coming. Our shows are truly unique every night with frequent guest appearances and new music being created all the time. You never know what you might see but you always know you will see something terrific and experience it with our wonderfully diverse and friendly audiences.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Like many industries, during the past 30 years the live music business has changed quite dramatically. Today it is critical that you deliver not just great music but an overall exceptional experience for your guests. That means delivering real value, great location, easy parking and other transportation options, easy ticketing and door experience, great food, readily available online information and truly friendly service from every staff member. We’ve adapted our business and strive daily to give our guests the best possible overall experience at a great price.
Pricing:
- Admission to Roots & Dub Tuesdays is FREE and most other nights admission is $5 to $12
- Even on nights when admission is free, indoor self park across the street at Home Depot is only $5.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 2610 N Halsted Street,
Chicago, IL 60614 - Website: www.wildharemusic.com
- Phone: 773-770-3511
- Email: info@wildharemusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildharemusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHareMusic/
- Twitter: @TheWildHareLLC
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-wild-hare-chicago
- Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g35805-d4206158-Reviews-The_Wild_Hare-Chicago_Illinois.html
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
