Chimel Idiokitas in Northeastern’s Office of City and Community Engagement shares his favorite live music hotspots — including a historic jazz venue steps from the Boston campus.
To outsiders, Boston might not come to mind as a city with a rich musical history. Chimel Idiokitas, Northeastern’s assistant vice president for community relations, would like to correct the record.
“We hear that a lot: Boston doesn’t have the legacy, it doesn’t have the history,” he says. “But we’re always in touch with what’s going on in music.”
Idiokitas grew up in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood and has been moonlighting as a professional DJ around the city for 25 years. He points out that in addition to its elite conservatories, Boston has a rich tradition of jazz and big-band music, with legendary musicians like Miles Davis and Roy Haynes frequenting clubs all around what is now Northeastern’s Boston campus.
His first stop for those interested in that musical tradition: Wally’s Cafe Jazz Club, at 427 Massachusetts Ave., a jazz institution founded in 1947 and one of the first Black-owned businesses in the city. Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker and Esperanza Spalding have performed there; celebrities like Bill Murray stop in frequently. A short walk from campus, Wally’s boasts live music “365 days a year” and harkens back to a bygone era when jazz clubs were all over Roxbury and the South End.
“Back in the day, there were 20 Wally’s up and down Tremont Street,” Idiokitas says.
From there, his favorite venues span the city. He might recommend Big Night Live in the North End, or an evening at Grace by Nia, a speakeasy-style venue in the Seaport neighborhood that showcases local artists and the occasional superstar. Last year, he saw 50 Cent hop onstage there for an impromptu set.
“The band saw him and started playing his joints on their instruments, and he just caught the feeling and grabbed the mic,” he laughs. “It was crazy.”