Having personally played dozens of venues throughout Chicago and the Midwest, I was surprised by how truly inspiring it was to be in an old-time theater the likes of The Majestic. This remarkable theater reminds a performer that at one time, live performances in smaller venues truly mattered.

The Majestic is not the largest theater of its kind. It seats 650 or so and seems to be only about half the size of the Rialto in Joliet. But where the Rialto has been restored to perfection with millions of dollars, the Majestic immediately gives a performer the sense that "this is a real working theater for real, working performers." It is not a museum. It is a place to perform and enjoy. Rising to this occasion on Saturday, May 11th, was Philadelphia native John Condron.

Like the unencumbered countryside surrounding him, Condron ripped through a set of mostly original music accompanied only by his unique and forceful guitar playing.

Condron's vocals are stellar. He seems to prefer the higher registers, but he is strong in the lower range as well. Mostly though, his vocals resonate with the passion of his lyrics.

The crowd, which was largely made up of the Condron faithful, seemed to enjoy the solo performance as much as I did. Whether it was "My Own Device" (the title track from his last album, "Big Man" (which features some fabulous guitar playing)) or his more recent "Speed Queen", you could hear Condron's audience singing along.

Having seen Condron in a few other venues, I couldn't help thinking that there was inspiration lying in the form of this Majestic Theatre. I had never heard Condron play quite so powerfully or connect quite so strongly with his audience.

As I left, my singular feeling was that I hoped I was witnessing the beginning of two long stories: that of John Condron, and that of The Majestic Theatre. They are both class acts that are worth going out of your way to check out whenever you get the chance.