Uncorked images
Uncorked
By Sean Kutzko
It’s a warm Thursday summer evening on campus, and a few hundred people are enjoying a beverage and cheese platter in the Krannert Center lobby as they listen to the Kurt Reeder ORGANization, a jazz quintet that plays songs from the masters of the jazz organ like Jimmy Smith and Joey DeFranceso. This is Krannert Center Uncorked, a free concert series on many Thursdays throughout the year, which aims to provide a showcase for central Illinois musicians of many genres.
Krannert Center has long established itself as a premier performance space for international performing artists, hosting world-class orchestras, dance ensembles, and theatre troupes for over half a century. In the early 2000s, as part of their mission to encourage “…public engagement through the pursuit of excellence and innovation in the performing arts,” Krannert Center launched their Uncorked series at Stage 5 in their lobby to expand their offerings to local musicians and help bring the community together.
“When I arrived at Krannert Center, I saw a need for the Champaign-Urbana community to be able to experience Krannert Center in a less formal way,” Director Mike Ross said. “We hosted some occasional wine tasting events to start which is where the name Uncorked came from. These events were without music at first, but it wasn’t long before we added that essential element. And it was important to bring in local artists from across our community to give musicians another place to perform as well as introduce our growing audience to forms of music they might not explore otherwise, be it bluegrass or jazz or something else entirely. This led to the creation of the lobby’s Stage 5. Krannert Center Uncorked has grown into a vibrant social and musical event, like a free Thursday happy hour where everyone is welcome and creative conversations can flow.”
The community—and the musicians—have taken notice.
“I love performing at Uncorked,” pianist and organist Reeder explained between sets. “As a professional freelance musician, performing at the cultural center of gravity in Champaign-Urbana, there’s a built-in audience, and it’s rare that the Uncorked events are not well attended. Performers need an audience, and Uncorked certainly delivers in that regard. Besides, they have a Steinway B piano available for my acoustic performances. That’s a world-class instrument, and most places I perform simply can’t offer an instrument of that caliber.”
School of Music Professor Pete ‘Afro D’ Shungu, a trumpeter, rapper, and member of several local bands, agrees. “Stage 5 is such an important space at Krannert because it feels community focused and less exclusive than other Krannert spaces. In my experience, Stage 5 events, like Krannert Uncorked, do a good job of providing a stage for local musicians to showcase their music. It’s a much more accessible space, open to the public and foot traffic and just has a positive vibe.”
Through Uncorked, relationships with other venues and organizations in town have blossomed, including the Urbana Folk and Roots Festival and the Champaign-Urbana Jazz Festival. Krannert Center now hosts “opening night” performances at Stage 5 for both multi-day festivals. “These events have been a joy over the years,” said Carrie Chandler, cofounder of the Bashful Youngens and one of the booking managers at the Rose Bowl Tavern, another local music venue. “The Folk and Roots festival kick-off parties are a wonderful collaboration with the university community and its offerings.”
Charlie Harris, co-owner of the Rose Bowl Tavern and a multi-instrumentalist in several groups, agrees with Chandler. “Krannert Center and the Rose Bowl have collaborated on several special events, such as an after-party for ELLNORA,” Krannert’s biennial guitar festival. “That was a great way we worked together to activate both venues and create excitement throughout the entire community.”
Several Uncorked events have been in partnership with Illinois Soul, a Black-focused station that began broadcasting two years ago as part of Illinois Public Media. “Our partnership with Krannert Center has been an incredible 360 win not only for Illinois Soul and Krannert but also for the central Illinois Black communities,” Station Manager Jill Clements said. “This partnership is very intentional in providing a welcoming space that features high quality R&B performances that truly amplify Black voices, culture, and experiences.”
A core tenet of Krannert Center’s mission is to build community through transformative experiences found in the performing arts. Sometimes those experiences come from a symphony; sometimes they come from enjoying a beverage with friends while listening to a local singer-songwriter. Uncorked will continue to be a key part of Krannert Center’s mission this season on select Thursdays from 5:30–7 p.m. The Uncorked schedule is updated regularly on the events calendar at KrannertCenter.com.