Let me commend the Lake County Folklore Society which has events going on very near to Great Lakes Naval Station in Waukegan. They hold a song circle one Sunday a month, an open mic 2 weeks later and featured performers other Sundays ... If downtown, recommend the Abbey Pub for Opem Mics on Tuesday nights (they hosted Eric Bogle a couple of years ago). On Thursdays and Sunday nights you can get a few songs in at the Gallery Cabaret in Bucktown (a thriving artists community) ... and play with Wayne Storey (the guy who wrote Wendigo ...).
I'll be in Chicago on the weekend of 13 April ... I'll prepare the ground for you ...

Cheers,
Brian