KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The pandemic forced the Blue Room at the American Jazz Museum to close. Now, the club is making a comeback.
The Blue Room will reopen Friday, June 4, after being closed since March 2020.
"This is the living part of the art. Being a museum, we're looking at the roots and influences, but this is a place where you can see it in action," Rashida Phillips, executive director of the American Jazz Museum said.
The museum reopened in June 2020, but for over a year live entertainment was not an option at the club located in the historic 18th and Vine District.
"We're wondering you know with this virtual era we're experiencing now, would people even want to come back out?" Gerald Dunn said.
Dunn serves as senior manager of entertainment and said when the club announced its return, the response was overwhelming.
"When we finally made the announcement, the Blue Room was going to open, we just saw this flood of support and people looking forward to it," he said.
When club patrons return, they'll notice a neon sign over the stage that says, "Believe in AJM."
"We had put that up in the pandemic because it was a moment for us to rally around each other, support each other, support the music and the museum itself," Phillips said.
Tickets for upcoming shows can be found on the museum's website.
