I’ve been hosting a bluegrass jam every other Sunday at the Wild Rover Pub (6001 N. Paulina) on Chicago’s northside. We just had our second session over Memorial Day weekend and it was a blast. We’re including a pot luck dinner as part of the fun. It makes the event kind of like a church picnic where everyone is drunk. This week Tiffany (bartender and hostess) made her special vegetarian sloppy joes and Matt Reese (banjo and co-host) showed up with some oven baked chicken wings. I took a crack at making some chocolate chip cookies with walnuts and they turned out surprisingly well.

The highlight of the evening was when two brothers visiting from Dublin started requesting Irish songs. I drew upon Tangleweed’s limited repertoire and soon the bar was filled with shouts of choruses from “Wild Rover” and “Whiskey in the Jar.” One of the brothers, Craig, had a great voice and belted out the verses. “Wild Rover,” being the namesake of the establishment, was such a hit we decided to play it twice that evening.

The next session will be held on Sunday, June 8 from 4-8 pm. Come bring your instruments, voice and a dish to pass if you feel so inclined. It’s been a great time so far, and there’s free parking across the street at the European Auto Body Shop!