Joe Shanahan is the founder and owner of Smartbar and Metro Chicago, two venues through which he has spent the past 35 years contributing to the shape of Chicago’s music community. With these venues, Shanahan helped give rise to prominent Chicago DJs like Frankie Knuckles, Ralphi Rosario and Derrick Carter. As a consequence of his work with Metro, Smartbar, and GMan Tavern, Shanahan has earned a reputation as an expert in independent music promotion.