Dayglo Presents Launches New Chicago Venue

Chicago, IL (April 16, 2025)—Dayglo Presents’ latest music space, Garcia’s, a brand-new 350-capacity venue and restaurant in Chicago’s West Loop, opened in March 2025 with a Meyer Sound system.

Dayglo’s head of production and media Jesse Lauter, who was instrumental in shaping the sonic and creative vision of the venue, says the team set out to craft a space where every sonic detail was felt as much as heard. The venue was inspired by the spirit of the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia; Lauter worked closely with the Garcia family to create a space that reflects the late musician’s eclectic tastes and values.

“The first thing they said was this place would be a success in their eyes if you never heard Grateful Dead music in it or saw a dancing bear,” Lauter says. “We got the message. It was about building a room Jerry would actually like—one that can handle flamenco, hi-fi jazz and a loud rock band with equal finesse.”

The venue’s system was designed by Meyer Sound’s director of system optimization Bob McCarthy. Masque Sound’s Division installation manager Anthony Nittoli oversaw the installation.

The room’s wide layout and wraparound seating posed challenges that were solved using eight Ultra-X40 point source loudspeakers, two 900-LFC compact low-frequency control elements, one 750-LFC very compact low-frequency control element, and seven strategically placed Ultra-X20 fills and delays. A half-dozen MJF-208 high-power stage monitors support artists onstage. Everything is controlled by a Galileo Galaxy 816 network platform.

Creating Dead & Company’s Incredible Sphere Residency

“The room has a high enough ceiling that you’re able to get good uniformity across the lower-level seats,” McCarthy says. “And the side and rear seating is lifted up, so everybody has sight lines.”

“Coverage is stunning,” Nittoli says. “You can walk the entire room and it doesn’t vary more than a dB and a half. Every seat gets that same punch and clarity. When Peter heard it the first time, he literally ran up and hugged me. In my opinion, this is the best-sounding club by far that I have heard.”

Lauter also credits acoustician Tom Ryan for the room’s sonic signature. “Tom did a really fantastic job,” he says. “It feels like a combination of a high-end performing arts center and a rock club—like a recording studio in a live venue.”

“From the start, our goal was to create the next generation of what a live music venue can be,” says Peter Shapiro, founder of Dayglo Presents, which also operates Brooklyn Bowl venues; The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York; and LOCKN’ Farm in Arrington, Virginia; as well as Relix magazine. “There was only one plan when it came to sound: Bring in Meyer Sound.”