Cover bands help make the Bluebird a prime music hangout

While some bars rely on jukeboxes to provide people with their favorite tunes, the Bluebird frequently has popular cover bands rocking the stage with classic hits.

Bar patrons flock to the Bluebird looking to hear well-known songs played by artists who are not so well-known. Local cover bands such as 40% Steve and the Clayton Anderson Band rock at the nightclub about once a month, drawing many students.

“College kids like to hear songs they know,” said Dave Kubiak, owner of the Bluebird. He said he thinks the aforementioned bands are popular because of their delivery.

“They’re both young, energetic performers,” Kubiak said. “They have good energy on stage and come across to all the people.”

Fourth-year optometry student Sarah Dierks first heard the Clayton Anderson Band when she started at IU in 2005. She even went to optometry school with the band’s drummer, Andrew Neukirch.

The Appleton, Wis., native said she enjoys the atmosphere and the band’s stage presence.

“I love the cover songs they play,” she said. “They are great performers and definitely get the crowd involved.”

Dierks has seen the band at least six times and said she is ecstatic to see them play again.

While the band plays plenty of covers, Clayton Anderson doesn’t consider himself a frontman of a cover band.

“We don’t consider ourselves a cover band,” Anderson said. “We have been working really hard on original material.”

He said the band plays at least 10 original songs during its set, and it adds in cover songs between the originals to have a two-hour set.

Anderson said his band’s original songs have been better received by the audience this year.

“You can tell a huge difference between this year and last school year on the amount of people who are singing along to our originals and not running to the bathroom or the bar for another drink,” he said. “It’s a great compliment for the crowd to stay and dance, even if they don’t know the song.”

Last summer, the band opened for Kenny Chesney.

Though Anderson’s band plays more than just covers, Bloomington band 40% Steve plays strictly cover songs.

Senior Mallory Cameron got hooked on them her freshman year.

“I genuinely liked them the first time I heard them play but warmed up to their entire musical endeavors the more I listened to them over the years,” Cameron said. “I respect that they can play a song that I love, and for a while, I can imagine I am at a
Bush concert before (Bush) stopped touring.”

Cameron said she has seen the band at least 15 times and is always excited to see them play.

“There is kind of comfort or warm nostalgia that washes over me when I hear they are playing,” she said. “Like the feeling you get when you see an old friend, but musically.”