Best Music Venue: The Bluebird

The Bluebird, named Bloomington’s best venue, has been chirping since 1973 and stealing the title as Bloomington’s Best Music Venue for the past several years, with 2010 being no exception.

“Thanks for voting us best,” Bluebird owner Dave Kubiak said. “We are pleased to win.”
The Bluebird has been host to a number of musicians throughout the years, also serving Bloomington as a venue and bar. Headlining both local bands and national acts such as John Mayer and Umphrey’s McGee, The Bluebird aims to entertain a number of styles.

“We have all genres come through. We’ll take anything that appeals to the college fan base,” Kubiak said. “We’ve had everything from hip-hop, rock and country to reggae and bluegrass.”

Senior Sam Glover said The Bluebird’s diversity in taste is what he likes most about the venue; however, there are a number of elements making it a Bloomington favorite.

“It’s one of the largest venues, and it’s located in one of the most vibrant parts of downtown,” Glover said. “I think that’s why a ton of people go there.”

Kubiak said he agreed with Glover.

“The Bluebird is unique because it’s not only located in an historic building, but the energy of the performances are always very high,” Kubiak said. “The crowd seems to be a little bit louder here, and there’s definitely a kind of fun factor.”

Junior Tyler Brown described The Bluebird as an “awesome South Beach party in the middle of Indiana.”

“Before I turned 21, I’d always check out the marquee for upcoming shows,” Brown said. “It used to make me want to get a fake ID strictly for the music.”

Though the venue is often criticized for excluding the younger college crowd, Kubiak said the logistics of the building would simply not allow the separation between the bar and stage. Therefore, it is a law to restrict anyone under the age of 21 to enter the venue. However, some believe the age restriction makes the venue that much more appealing.

“Since you can’t get in at that age, when you do finally turn 21, it’s almost automatic — it’s time to go check out the ’Bird,” Glover said.

Brown is among the students who decided to include The Bluebird in his 21st birthday plans.

“The drinks are great and reasonably priced,” Brown said. “But it also has that atmosphere that creates a great place to listen to music and have a night out with friends.”

Fitting the economic and entertainment demands of IU students, the bar’s popularity only continues to grow.

“It’s a quick essential bar to hangout and go see live music,” Glover said. “I think it humbly fits between trashy and classy.” Glover said he believes that this mix makes The Bluebird relatable to college students, and Brown said he agreed.

“Everything is so upbeat,” Brown said. “It’s the perfect place for college kids.”

Looking forward to 2011, The Bluebird’s owner said he hopes to continue to thrive as one of Bloomington’s best venues.

“We want to keep the level of entertainment on a consistent basis,” Kubiak said. “We’ll continue to invite music of all genres on the local, regional and national level.”

Kubiak said The Bluebird is currently working on a ton of shows for next semester that he believes people will like.

“I saw Bone Thugs N’ Harmony and the Nappy Roots this semester, and I will keep checking the line up for next,” said junior Adam Twer. “It’s the perfect place to see live bands.”