Loud music, beer on tap and large groups of college students taking to the stage for karaoke. While such sights might be expected at off-campus bars, Luna’s Pub and Grill has brought the fun to Northwestern’s campus.
The highly-anticipated grand opening of the pub was held earlier this month. Norris University Center Executive Director Corbin Smyth said the new hub has been met with enthusiasm by students, especially given its entrance is connected to Norris, making it more accessible to students and faculty during the day.
“I’ve seen students grab a slice of pizza at Forno (Pizza Co.) and bring it in, sit down at the pub and sit with their friends who might be ordering off the restaurant menu,” Smyth said. “We want people to feel comfortable — it’s primarily a student space, a University community space.”
Faculty, staff and Evanston community members alike have also tried out the new Norris pub. Luna’s held two Chicago Bears watch parties during the playoffs, with the more recent game against the Los Angeles Rams drawing such a large crowd that the restaurant reached full capacity, and some fans had to be turned away, according to Smyth.
When the administrative team at Norris first decided on a campus pub, they knew they wanted student input on what events were held there, Smyth said. He and his colleagues hired a Student Programs Board, which decided on weekly karaoke nights, held on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m., and trivia, held on Thursday nights.
The board consists of six members, including the student-staff development manager, and was launched internally in the fall. Students meet once per week to help professional staff at Norris ideate and launch the programs at Luna’s.
Kimberly Mills, Norris’ assistant director of arts and programs, said admission to the board will likely open up to students across campus within the next year or two. Although the board had a limited time to launch and market programming, Mills said the group has been extremely helpful in generating student feedback.
“It’s been really successful so far in helping us create really fresh, interesting ideas for our program offerings every month,” Mills said. “It’s been a really great moment of learning for a brand-new team of student employees at Norris.”
While trivia has attracted a full house every week, karaoke is taking a little bit more marketing to fill the pub every Tuesday, Mills said. But each week, more and more people are taking to the stage, with an average of 50 to 60 singers per night.
Norris Student Program Supervisor Jasmine Porter said it takes considerable confidence to sing for the entire restaurant. She added that the event’s popularity grows throughout the two-hour event.
“It tends to start a little slow, but then when people see that it’s not that scary, we have more groups coming up,” Porter said.
The pub will begin hosting variety nights on Fridays in February, with the potential for a drag show, a battle of the bands and a stand-up comedy event.
For now, students will sing the evening away with “Careless Whisper” by George Michael and battle it out to be trivia champion.
“We’ve had pretty good turnout at karaoke and amazing turnout at trivia,” Smyth said. “The reaction has been really positive overall, not just for the programming, but the vibe that is in that space in general.”
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