Medusa's on Sheffield, 1983-1992: Chicago's Alternative All-Ages Nightclub in History and Memory
Author(s)
Barrett, Christine
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2017
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Medusa’s, Chicago’s most well-known all-ages nightclub, provides a vibrant case study of how music venues have played a vital role in the longstanding relationship between young people and popular music. The club’s unusual mix of music (from post-punk to house) drew unconventional teenagers to its doors every weekend. While popular memory of Chicago’s ’80s-era youth culture is often conflated with depictions in John Hughes films, which were shot in the city’s suburbs, Medusa’s offers another vision. This analysis contextualizes Medusa’s within its sociohistorical milieu while emphasizing how a significant “alternative” music ...
View more >Medusa’s, Chicago’s most well-known all-ages nightclub, provides a vibrant case study of how music venues have played a vital role in the longstanding relationship between young people and popular music. The club’s unusual mix of music (from post-punk to house) drew unconventional teenagers to its doors every weekend. While popular memory of Chicago’s ’80s-era youth culture is often conflated with depictions in John Hughes films, which were shot in the city’s suburbs, Medusa’s offers another vision. This analysis contextualizes Medusa’s within its sociohistorical milieu while emphasizing how a significant “alternative” music space is remembered by its former teenage patrons and young adult employees.
View less >
View more >Medusa’s, Chicago’s most well-known all-ages nightclub, provides a vibrant case study of how music venues have played a vital role in the longstanding relationship between young people and popular music. The club’s unusual mix of music (from post-punk to house) drew unconventional teenagers to its doors every weekend. While popular memory of Chicago’s ’80s-era youth culture is often conflated with depictions in John Hughes films, which were shot in the city’s suburbs, Medusa’s offers another vision. This analysis contextualizes Medusa’s within its sociohistorical milieu while emphasizing how a significant “alternative” music space is remembered by its former teenage patrons and young adult employees.
View less >
Journal Title
Popular Music and Society
Note
This publication has been entered into Griffith Research Online as an Advanced Online Version.
Subject
Sociology
Urban sociology and community studies
Creative and professional writing
Communication and media studies