An outlet for those involved in the Chicago DIY music scene to come together and share their own reviews of Chicago musicians, upcoming bands and albums, or even share their own artwork outside of music such as poetry or photography. The goal is to provide artists, viewers, and everything in-between their own platform of discovery.
overview
Roadhouse Magazine is for emerging Chicago musicians and visual artists who are building their voice within our vibrant and important music scene. The magazine also serves DIY-culturally engaged Chicagoans who actively seek out local shows, art spaces, and physical media. We speak to creatives who value tangible print culture, DIY music focused design, and documentation of our scene before it disappears.
Audience
While Chicago’s DIY music scene is rich, experimental and constantly evolving, much of our visibility is confined to social media feeds, small venue communities and word of mouth. Artists often struggle to gain sustained and curated coverage. Meanwhile, print publications such as Roadhouse Magazine that focus exclusively on local scenes are increasingly rare, which leaves a gap in archival documentation and cohesive visual storytelling.
Problem
Roadhouse Magazine provides Chicagos DIY music scene a curated print-first platform that documents Chicago’s emerging music scene through photography, interviews, live sessions and more. Each volume functions as both cultural documentation of our musc scene, and a designed artifact. All while establishing a visual identity system that continues to evolve while staying true to Roadhouses’ true brand identity. By combining editorial storytelling and visual design, Roadhouse continues to transform local talent into a lasting narrative of the DIY Chicago music scene that we all love.
