I have known a few of those places, and to this day I'm not sure what's crueller - to see places close down entirely or go on under new ownership, but without the same heart.

It used to be that around Chicago, whenever one music venue disappeared, another one would seem to magically appear to pick up the slack. It's not like that anymore. Too many sports bars, DJ's and Karaoke bars, not enough live music around these days. It's sad, but things change and one must move on. But you don't have to like it.