May 16, 2017

Meet Joe Lardieri of Music Garage Chicago

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Lardieri.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Joe. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The Music Garage started in Brooklyn NY in 1989. We converted an old parking garage into music studios and quickly became a fixture of the New York music scene.

In 2005, we purchased a 6 story building in West Town and spent a year and over $2.5 million transforming it into Chicago’s premier rehearsal facility. The building features 95 monthly and 11 hourly studios with full backline, a pro space and is also home to Vic’s Drum Shop which is owned and operated by the Music Garage.

Any entrepreneur can refurbish a building; however. While we feel our studios are among the best in the country, it is really our staff that sets us apart. Everyone is an active musicians performing around Chicagoland and the Midwest. They understand both the technical aspects of gear, audio and acoustics and, perhaps more importantly, what it means to be an artist and aspire to a career in music.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Any business has challenges and the Music Garage is no exception. Other than typical permitting and construction hassles, our biggest challenge has been dealing with the evolution of the area around us. Over the last ten years, Near West and West Town have seen significant gentrification putting increased pressure on available resources particularly parking.

Our other major challenge has been building our brand. Traditional advertising doesn’t work well since our customer base is a very narrow niche and no medium seems to be able to cost effectively reach it. We have had to rely on street teams, word of mouth and building an ecosystem of partners to reach our audience.

Fortunately, the reputation we have built over the past decade has now established us as one of the city’s and country’s premier rehearsal facilities. We have seen virtually every big name in the business come through our doors including several who were unknown when they started here and now sell out shows worldwide. We take it as a great compliment that despite their incredible success enabling them to rehearse wherever they’d like, they still call the Music Gargle home

Music Garage Chicago – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Music Garage has four major lines of business:

– 95 Monthly rehearsal studios
– 11 Hourly studios with full backline and an incredible collection of vintage and hard to find boutique gear
– A Pro Space that has hosted literally every big name in the business
– Vic’s Drum Shop, one of the most outstanding drum and percussion purveyors in the world

With the exception of the Drum Shop, each of our businesses essentially serve the same purpose: provide an aesthetically appealing space with acoustic integrity to musicians of all stripes. From the true beginner to the accomplished pro,

Regardless of their caliber, each one is a pro to us and is treated accordingly. This is what really differentiates us from our competitors: the knowledge, commitment and passion of our staff for music and translating this into a truly singular experience for our clients.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my time at the Music Garage has been our ability to build an ecosystem of partners which enhances the quality of the experience we provide our customers. This includes everything from discounts at local restaurants and merchants, the development of a concierge instrument repair business, in house instruction by some of the top music teachers in the area and venues throughout Chicago which has given us the chance to set up gigs for our clients.

The great thing about this and what makes me so proud, is not the partnerships themselves which are outstanding in their own right, but the transformation of a building to rehearse in into a cultural icon.

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