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Lawrence is known to have one of the best music scenes in the Midwest. It's hosted countless big name acts and produced several nationally successful bands. What people forget is that none of this is possible without the venues that give these bands a place to play.The Jazzhaus, The Replay Lounge, The Jackpot Music Hall and The Bottleneck have all shown to be fundamental players in our town's musical community. That's not to say the venues omitted from this article aren't important. But the interplay between these four have helped shape Lawrence's music scene for decades. Here's some more information about their history to help you get to know your local venues.
// JAKE LERMAN
There's one question you can expect to hear out of any first-timer at The Jazzhaus: "Why aren't they playing any jazz?"
THE JAZZHAUS 926 1/2 Massachusetts St
Despite its namesake, the often-overlooked genre is scarcely heard at this long-established downtown venue.
In fact, the closest thing you'll get to jazz here are the silhouetted cut-outs of horn-playing musicians that are forever frozen in the venues' windowpanes. There was a time though when sounds
of bebop, cool and hot jazz alike could be heard bellowing down the steep creaking stairs of The Jazzhaus. Before Rick McNealy and Michael Donovan bought it in 1982, the venue was called Paul Grey's Jazzhaus and catered specifically to jazz music. Strangely enough, up until 1978 when Paul Grey stepped in, the location housed a laundromat.
But if you thought the idea of a laundromat existing up such a steep set of stairs is bizarre, just wait. Over the years employees have had repeated encounters with "The Jazzhaus Ghost," who's said to emerge when the bar is empty and only a few employees remain. She always appears in a nightgown near the back of the bar, and has been known to open and slam the bathroom doors. Night manager Brett Pitner says when he first caught a glimpse of her he was out the door within seconds. There have also been many occurrences of strange blurs appearing in bar-goers' pictures when taken near the bathrooms.
The Replay Lounge came to be when two longstanding Lawrence venues went under in the
Photo by Jake Lerman
Former haus of laundry, current haus of jazz: The Jazzhaus, 926 $ \frac{1}{2} $ Massachusetts St., once housed a laundromat - despite its steep staircase.
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