Not just for the flashing lights and fame

There may be something in the water.

Perchance an enormous magnetic disc buried deep within the ground.

Maybe there is even a particular frequency, trancing and luring those who can hear its call like Sirens to sailors at sea.

Whatever the cause, it’s apparent that something keeps drawing talent to Bloomington.

“We are the band we are today because of Bloomington,” said members of Good Luck, one of the city’s favorite local bands.

Good Luck and other local groups find inspiration and audience in the residents, venues and city of Bloomington.

These musicians pour out their hearts and share their talents as often as they can, some with dreams of making it big, others just expressing an innate need to rock ’n’ roll.

“The music here is amazing. It feels great as a musician to share a set with your favorite bands,” Josh Wold of the Bloomington band Pessoa said. “It’s inspiring to play with these innovative bands because most gigs in Indianapolis are hardcore shows, which kind of feels like beating a dead horse sometimes. Bloomington is a nice change of pace.”

The scene weaves together a community, serving as an escape from the drudgery of jobs, homework and institutionalized learning.

It has become a focus for discovering new music and finding new friends who share similar tastes and interests.

“I’ve met almost all of my friends playing music,” Ginger Alford of Good Luck said. “I moved from Mississippi to come to this Bloomington music scene.”

Venues such as The Bishop, The Bluebird, John Waldron Arts Center and Russian Recording regularly have many popular local bands.

Other performances can be found in houses and basements of students and fans.
“Our favorite show was in a cramped unfinished basement where everyone was huddled together,” Wold said. “We will play any basement, anytime, anywhere.”

Many of these shows draw out large crowds. One particularly large concert took place during IU’s famous week of racing, madness and decadence, the Little 500.

Hip-hop jazz-rockers Jip Jop performed a distinctive set on a patio of the Varsity Villas in front of hundreds.

“The energy was incredible,” said Charley Pennington, a student and attendee of the event. “It was one of my favorite shows of all-time.”

Another memorable concert in a basement this past August saw red and blue flashing lights, complete with noise violations and orders to cease and desist, forcing Good Luck and their dedicated following to relocate their show to Russian Recording.

The situation was perhaps a metaphor for the perseverance of the bands.

Bloomington’s scene has not only been a constant source of entertainment, but also a platform from which bands launch themselves into larger receptions.

Lately, Pessoa has been touring all across Indiana, while indie-rockers husband&wife have traveled nationally to perform shows across the southern and western continental states.

Good Luck recently played eighteen sets in the United Kingdom and Ireland, while Jip Jop can add Japan to their tour list as a result of their collaboration with the Broadway tour “Blast!”

Such strides show the potential of Bloomington bands and keep their fans anxiously anticipating the future.

On the horizon are new full-length albums from all the groups, as well as some more elaborate plans.

The record label Crossroads of America Records (XRA), run by the members of husband&wife, is scheduling XRA Fest 3.0 this month, while Jip Jop’s Matt Margeson aspires to one day become the Dean of IU’s Jacobs School of Music.

While these are all undoubtedly admirable goals, the bands don’t necessarily make music just for the dreams of flashing lights and fame.

“It’s fun to make music. It’s cathartic. It feels good to contribute to the mess,” Mike Adams of husband&wife said. “It’s one way for us to interpret things around us that’s also easy to share with each other and other people.”

It would seem that Bloomington’s time with these artists is lessening as their ambitions grow.

The bands aren’t quick to forget their roots, though.

“Our being in Bloomington has influenced our decisions, how we understand music and what we believe it is for,” Adams said, “In fact, we met here at the University, so it’s safe to say we wouldn’t be a band at all if we weren’t in Bloomington.”