In 1984, opening a blues lounge in Logan Square made little business sense. The neighborhood was (and still is) predominantly Hispanic, had a moderate gang problem, and was decidedly far-flung in relation to Chicago’s other blues hubs on the south and north sides. “People already had some preexisting judgment about Logan Square if you go back 30 years ago,” Tony Mangiullo says. “The idea of a blues club here was absolutely crazy. It still is.”
She was right. Rosa’s Lounge celebrated its 31st anniversary in February, and earlier this month its namesake turned 82. Through three decades, the neighborhood around the place has changed dramatically—but things are largely the same inside Rosa’s, from the ancient-looking hardwood floors to the cast of characters onstage. A lot of the players who’ve been there from the beginning still perform regularly: harmonica player Billy Branch, who performed at the grand opening party; Sugar Blue, who famously blew the harp hook on the Rolling Stones hit “Miss You”; and guitarist Melvin Taylor, whom Rosa calls her “second son.”
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