United States

I've taken a few classes at the OTSFM, which is OK, but it has drawbacks, like cost, and the mix and commitment level of people taking up slots in the class (10 guitars who only show up 2/3 of the time and never practice outside the class).

I'd like to get together with some others who are
* working day jobs they want to keep
* want to play together
* will practice more than once a week

The routine would be like OTSFMs beginner ensemble classes, but more towards mastery of the songs so we would only work on 1-2 songs at a time, and the door would be open to originals or completely inside out rearrangements. Let's strip the songs down to what we can play, and then once we've mastered that, we can work on improvements. There would be no instructor, and the cost would be an equal fraction of whatever it costs to get practice space. I'm thinking 2 mights a week, for 2-3 hours (depending on the space and setup/teardown required).

This would start with a meeting some evening over beers (maybe monthly), and go from there. I'd be open to setting up a Meetup.com thing.

You should
* be able to listen to music and come up with charts/tab
* open to trying some of what others bring
* willing to woodshed your parts on your own time.
* have (or be willing to buy) your own equipment, something to accommodate a live drummer if one should appear.
* live in Chicago on the North Side so that transportation is easy.

cool! sounds like a game-plan! I like this..

There are a couple of places that do something similar in the Boston area. There is an instructor/leader who is more knowledgable/experienced than the others, many of who are adults who have only been playing for a year or so. So the cost covers not only the practice room but also the instructor.
You may find that with a bunch of noobies, you will drift aimlessly at times, and not be able to progress significantly over the long run. Best way to improve is to play with others who are better than you - it forces you to practice and get better!

cool! sounds like a game-plan! I like this..

That 8+ hour drive is going to make it hard for you to make practice. I'll go out on a limb and say it's not going to work for you. Maybe you can work up a similar setup nearer and dearer to you and yours?

I liked the drinking beers part, not sure the music would gel, since your operation sounds like it's for beginners, since you mention noobs

did someone say boobs? oh, wait never mind.

This sounds like some something BMix could set up as a separate topic. I'm sure there are members that aren't looking for a band to join but want to find others to jam or practice with. I work alternating 12 hour shifts and don't have the time to commit to a band but would like to jam/practice with others on my days off.

Open Jam on craigslist. Just bring a buddy. In case you know..... It gets weird.