MAC Acoustic Music and Guitar Jam

Sunday, August 6, downtown Mundelein will ring with acoustic music from 1 to 3 pm, when the Mundelein Arts Commission (MAC) presents its first Acoustic Music and Guitar Jam at the newly created gathering space at 22 Park Street by the Mundelein Mural. Organized by MAC Commissioner Jeff Justman, who is a busy local musician, the free event will be outdoors, and all acoustic musicians (and the audiences who love them) are welcome.

"This is not an open mic but a true jamming event," says Justman, explaining that such a jam encourages musicians to come and just sit in, playing along without music in front of them, making it up as they go along and striving to blend with the others. "Jams like this are tons of fun for folk musicians, regardless of experience. They are a great way for musicians to utilize or develop on-the-spot musical interaction skills with other musicians in a live music setting."

The original Acoustic Music Jam began in 1975. Known as the Adler Jam, it was held three times a month at the Adler House in Libertyville. Justman joined in 1985, and took it over in 2000, when it moved from Adler House to the Lord of Glory Church in Grayslake. There, it blossomed, with a packed house of musicians flocking in on Friday nights twice a month, up until the Pandemic forced it to stop.

Now Justman hopes to revive the jam and make it an annual event sponsored by the Mundelein Arts Commission. He emphasizes that it is open to any acoustic musicians. "It's going to be a great open-air event in this new, lovely gathering spot. Bring your acoustic guitars, 5 string banjos, mandolins, fiddles, ukes, and basses, and your voices. No electric instruments."

The event is free for jammers and audience, who are all encouraged to bring their own chairs. In case of rain, the event will be canceled.

For further information, contact Justman at jjustman@email.mundelein.org.