The sign out front of Jumpin’ Jack’s Chicken Shack in North Lima that says, “Jack’s back,” bodes well for fans of local live music (like JamBrain).

The story of Jack’s recent absence is not fit for gentle readers here, though Jack is nothing loath to tell it.

Jack McCann is the owner of Jumpin’ Jack’s Chicken Shack, a distant-enough derivative of Jump In Jack’s Party  Center where he has been selling 30,000 wings a week to neighborhood folks since 1999. “People who live south of Mahoning Avenue have been telling me for years they love my wings but won’t cross that line to get them,” he says. “It’s just not safe.”

He opened the North Lima location a little less than three years ago to give those customers safe access to his tasty morsels, and enhanced the experience for them with live music. He brought the chicken recipe that was responsible for 70% of the volume at his southside convenience store to the bar and restaurant at the front of the little plaza just south of Western Reserve Road.

“It was tough at first,” he says. “Because of a mix-up I couldn’t get my liquor license here for the first six months.” But he had live music. “I had the HouseBand for my grand opening, the week before Thanksgiving, and (except for the unfortunate hiatus) have had live music every Wednesday (open mic) and Saturday since, and never a cover charge.”

McCann looks to book bands who are good and have a following, but he’s given some the chance to develop their following at his venue.

Good music and good wings make for a good time at Jumpin’ Jack’s Chicken Shack.