MOUNT CARROLL, Ill. — Tucked away down a wooden path sits something you would never expect to find. Rhythm Section Amphitheater owner Reid Law says it’s a mystery for most people as they enter the venue. “Everybody likes the little walk where you walk through the trees. Their initial reaction is where I am?”
Guests walk through a wooded area, out of the trees and pop out to an amphitheater, nestled into the corn fields of Carroll County. Surrounded by wide open fields, the venue is a passion project for Law. “It’s kind of like this little shining nugget sitting on the hill”, says Law.
Law got his love for music from his family. “My grandfather was big into music. I never got any of the skills that he did. So, I guess being a construction worker, it worked out for us to build our own theater and start having live concerts.”
Law spent four years constructing the stage, three bars, silo turned green room, and seating area, all right into the hill. The venue advertises as “to the middle of nowhere.” Music fills the empty air when the weekend hits and crowds of up to 3,000 people fill the venue.
It's brought in national acts from all kinds of musical backgrounds, opening this season with Nelly, and closing it this coming Saturday September 4th with Jamey Johnson.
The venue doubles the size of close by Mount Carroll when it’s full. Law saying, “Being in Carroll County with only one stoplight, there’s not a lot of population or that much light saturation.”
Once you’re through the woods and into the venue, it’s a short walk up a hill to the food trucks that take over an empty space next to the first outdoor bar guests see. Operations manager Jodie Day describing it as, “The swarm of people enter and this is usually the first bar they hit and they don’t often realize we have two other large bars to service them as well.”
There’s also a bar in a silo, and a half indoor bar just a few feet away. It all overlooks the stage that’s downhill. Law says the way the venue is built into the hill provides an experience unlike any other saying, “It’s very close and intimate. When you put 3,000 bodies here it’s very close and it’s a very unique experience for both the guests and the artists.”
The whole venue is decked out in antiques from the area. Law saying the area was designed with history in mind, “A lot of things came from the old heritage of this area.” Like the antique piggy banks that come from Law’s grandparents that line the wall of the main bar. There’s also an old-fashioned hair dryer you can climb under for a picture. Law saying, “Most people look at this stuff and they go what? We try to repurpose as much as possible.”
The entire place is a homage to the land it occupies. Law saying, “When the music shuts down or the artists aren’t playing, now they get to look around and ask questions and kind of tinker and see what’s out here.”
Even with all the small-town charm, the green room that’s been refurbished out of an old silo still sees its fair share of particular requests. Law saying, “Somebody asked about no red lights on stage. We’ve seen no green M&M’s.”
Still, it’s the family values that set the venue apart. Day saying, “This is a very big family environment. So, we pull friends and family, a lot of my family helps out and then all our friends kind of help out too.”
That feeling can be felt through and through, all the way down to the house dog Shifter you just might catch a glimpse of. Law saying, “He likes to sit next to the food trucks.”
It’s an isolated concert going experience relying on the magic of its surroundings to complete the experience.