Steady Beat

In the Northside District, formerly known as the jazz corridor, Jilly’s Music Room continues the tradition of live music, showcasing local bands of all genres, such as blues, Motown, zydeco and jazz.

“The amount of talent that exists in Akron … is amazing — has always been amazing,” says owner Jill Bacon Madden. She bought and renovated the building that was formerly Northside, an all-genre venue open from 1994 to 2012 where she worked as a talent booker. “It struck me that that was one of the most entertaining things I had ever done in my life,” she says. She opened Jilly’s in 2013.

While patrons listen to local bands and occasional national touring acts — Winslow and the Ryan Humbert Band were some of the first to take the venue’s stage — they can pick from over 100 beer options and over 30 gluten-free small plates. Catch shows like Daddy Longleg’s Homegrown Revival and Indré Nov. 12 and Jim Ballard & the Strangs Nov. 19.

“It doesn’t happen everywhere like this. I grew up outside of Detroit. … There weren’t a lot of live music-oriented clubs.

There’s something special about Akron and the arts.

We’ve got Annabell’s, which serves a punkier, hard rock, younger crowd. We’ve got Nashville Nights that does country.

One of the cool things about Akron is it has room for everyone.

I wanted to build a music venue that grew up with us.

It’s a historic 1910 building. It’s always been a bar and has always been live music.

We give people ages 30 to 90 someplace to go and let their hair down and dance and have a great time.

We’ve had people get up in the middle of a show and propose, we’ve had kids and grandkids surprise their grandparents, we’ve had whole families get up onstage together.

Every single band that comes in here is memorable, is incredibly talented. … Every night is memorable.”

— as told to Alexandra Sobczak