New American Café

New Year’s Eve, 1977. Mitch Lanier arrives in the heart of Chicago’s vibrant club scene, chasing dreams of musical stardom. But when his college romance fizzles, he finds himself, frustrated and bitter, delivering for Gonzo Pizza Pie alongside fellow driver and aspiring novelist Corey McGowan. Together, they take a bold leap to launch New American Café, a venture that promises artistic freedom but quickly entangles them in a web of ambition, romance, and danger.

As Mitch’s dreams ignite with the dazzling guitarist John Wray and the seductive but enigmatic Anita Russo, the café faces a ruthless assault from a local drug lord. Mitch’s choices may be leading to triumph, or into a dark alley of no return. In a city where art and survival collide, Mitch and his tribe must reckon with the cost of aspiration in a gripping tale of love, loss, and the relentless pursuit of dreams.

This is the Chicago and the cultural surround of New American Café. The clubs and performing spaces were the stages. The musicians and poets, hustlers and hopefuls, made the scene. All played a part in NAC.