Sounds of Bloomington
In a college town with one of the top music schools in the nation, there is bound to be local music talent. Throw in a variety of bars and live music venues, and almost every day of the week offers a new musical opportunity.
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In a college town with one of the top music schools in the nation, there is bound to be local music talent. Throw in a variety of bars and live music venues, and almost every day of the week offers a new musical opportunity.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>We sat down with some local music venues to discuss what makes their concerts so special.In a college town with one of the top music schools in the nation, there is bound to be local musical talent. Throw in a variety of bars and live music venues, and almost every day of the week offers an opportunity to catch a listen. MAX’S PLACEFamily restaurant109 W. Seventh St.TYPE OF MUSIC “Basically, anything that’s off the beaten path,” owner Travers Marks said. “We don’t really go for big cover bands. We like classic rock, but we don’t usually book it. We don’t like top 40, but bluegrass, reggae, blues, jazz, any weird combination thereof, singer-songwriters, that’s Max’s Place.” THE BLOOMINGTON SCENE “It’s a breeding ground,” Marks said. “It’s a place where you are not likely to make much money playing, but you’re going to be able to find the people you need to start the band you always dreamed of.” THE MAX’S PLACE SCENE Marks says two simple words sum up the restaurant’s niche within the Bloomington music scene: Hirsute (meaning shaggy) and liberal. BEFORE YOU GO Don’t eat before seeing a band at Max’s Place. Grab a table with your friends, share a pizza and stay awhile.RACHAEL’S CAFECoffee shop300 E. Third St.TYPE OF MUSIC Owner Rachael Jones says people looking to soak up music at Rachael’s can expect to hear punk, folk, Irish music and hip-hop, as well as plenty of local independent acts. THE BLOOMINGTON SCENE “I feel blessed with how many places there are to go,” Jones said. She also said the Jacobs School of Music has a positive influence on the talent and musical diversity of many of the bands that play in Bloomington. Especially when the bands are made up of students.”THE RACHAEL’S CAFE SCENE“We are so many different things,” Jones said. “We are a coffee shop in the daytime and a music venue at night. We also are not limited to people 21 and over. Any age can come.”BEFORE YOU GO While Rachael’s Cafe can fill the place to capacity at night with its live music and DJ events, don’t forget that it’s also a great place to study or relax during the day. The place is adorned with bizarre sculptures, stimulating artwork and loaded bookshelves for customers to enjoy. And even though the tables and chairs are removed for dance parties, the couches are always there if you need to take a breather. THE BISHOPBar, show ages vary123 S. Walnut St.TYPE OF MUSIC “We’re not too genre-specific,” owner Stephen Westrich said. “(We have had) everything from rock bands, indie rock bands, alt-country, hip-hop. But if we lean towards one thing it’s an indie rock environment, I guess.” THE BLOOMINGTON SCENE “I guess I would say that we’re lucky to have an abnormally productive music scene,” Westrich said. “I grew up in a town the same size of Bloomington, and there was nothing going on. It’s unusual the amount of quality coming out of here.” THE BISHOP SCENE“In terms of places that regularly do live music, we only do original music,” Westrich said. “We definitely embrace local bands like nobody else does and we really solely concentrate on original music. We’ve turned down things we know would bring us 200 people, but we don’t do them. There’s an audience for those kinds of things, but we brand ourselves as something different.” BEFORE YOU GO People over the age of 21 can go directly to the bar area after checking in at the door, but anyone younger will be directed to the stage area to hang out until the bands get on. RHINO’SAll-Ages Youth Center331 S. Walnut St.TYPE OF MUSIC“We’re very open-ended,” assistant director David Britton said. “We do everything from national and international touring bands to local high school bands. We do metal, hip-hop, rock, folk music and really a lot of everything, but we do try to concentrate on local music.” THE BLOOMINGTON SCENEBritton said the music scene in Bloomington is pretty good, considering the fact that many local bands are getting national attention. However, he also says the scene could use a pick-me-up from local music fans. “I’d like to see the audience grow more,” Britton says. “It’s kind of a small town, and there are a lot of good bands, but there are not necessarily enough people to see them on any given night of the week. There is a pool of maybe a thousand people who go to shows, and if we had more of the populace aware of what’s going on, it would help out a lot.” THE RHINO’S SCENE: Britton said what sets Rhino’s apart from many of the other live music venues in Bloomington is that it’s an entirely all-ages club. He says he also likes to take the risk of booking younger bands that can’t get booked at other places because of age restrictions. “We’re also a bigger venue compared to some of the other places,” Britton says. “So we can bring in bigger name artists.” BEFORE YOU GOStudents from the local Harmony Education Center started Rhino’s in 1992. Since then, the venue has offered a variety of non-music programs for youth. In the past, Rhino’s has helped organize film screenings, dance parties and various fundraising events.THE BLUEBIRD Nightclub, 21+216 N. Walnut St.TYPE OF MUSIC “A huge variety,” owner Dave Kubiak said. “That’s probably the most unique thing about it.”THE BLOOMINGTON SCENE “Because of the music school, there is a uniqueness to play different types of music because the students are a little more cultured and have a broader scope of what to play,” Kubiak said. “You get a lot of students down here who are musically inclined.” THE BLUEBIRD SCENE“It’s really a hybrid of different things.” Kubiak said. “Most clubs try to stick to one type of music, and largely because of the size of the Bluebird, it’s a more unique place in that we have to keep it entertaining.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In a college town with one of the top music schools in the nation, there is bound to be local music talent. Throw in a variety of bars and live music venues, and almost every day of the week offers an opportunity to catch a listen. We talked to the owners of three all-ages live music venues around town to see if there are any unifying characteristics of the bands and performers making music in town. Is Bloomington a bluegrass town? Is it an indie rock town? Maybe a hip-hop town? It turns out it’s more of an everything town. But from what we gathered, each venue manages to offer its own assortment of “everything.” MAX’S PLACE109 W. Seventh St.Type of music “Basically anything that’s off the beaten path,” says owner Travers Marks. “We don’t really go for big cover bands. We like classic rock, but we don’t usually book it. We don’t like top 40, but bluegrass, reggae, blues, jazz, any weird combination thereof, singer-songwriters, that’s Max’s Place.” The Bloomington scene “It’s a breeding ground,” Marks says. “It’s a place where you are not likely to make much money playing, but you’re going to be able to find the people you need to start the band you always dreamed of.” The Max’s Place scene Marks says two simple words sum up the restaurant’s niche within the Bloomington music scene: Hirsute (meaning shaggy) and liberal. Before you go Don’t eat before seeing a band at Max’s Place. Grab a table with your friends, share a pizza and stay a while.RACHAEL’S CAFE300 E. Third St.Type of music Owner Rachael Jones said the restaurant has had every genre of music except country. Jones says people looking to soak up music at Rachael’s can expect to hear punk, folk, Irish and hip-hop, as well as plenty of local independent acts. The Bloomington scene “I feel blessed with how many places there are to go,” Jones says. She also says the Jacobs School of Music has a positive influence on the talent and musical diversity of many of the bands that play in Bloomington — especially when the bands are made up of students. The Rachael’s Café scene “We are so many different things,” Jones says. “We are a coffee shop in the daytime and a music venue at night. We also are not limited to people 21 and over. Any age can come. In fact, we had a women’s music night recently, and there was a girl playing that was younger than 10.” Before you go While Rachael’s Cafe can fill the place to capacity at night with its live music and DJ events, don’t forget that it’s also a great place to study or relax during the day. The place is adorned with bizarre sculptures, stimulating artwork and loaded bookshelves for customers to enjoy. And even though the tables and chairs are removed for dance parties, the couches are always there if you need to take a breather. THE BISHOP123 S. Walnut St.Type of music “We’re not too genre-specific,” says owner Stephen Westrich. “(We have had) everything from rock bands, indie rock bands, alt-country, hip-hop. But if we lean towards one thing it’s an indie rock environment, I guess.” The Bloomington scene “I guess I would say that we’re lucky to have an abnormally productive music scene,” Westrich says. “I grew up in a town the same size of Bloomington, and there was nothing going on. It’s unusual the amount of quality coming out of here.” The Bishop scene “In terms of places that regularly do live music, we only do original music,” Westrich says. “We definitely embrace local bands like nobody else does and we really solely concentrate on original music. We’ve turned down things we know would bring us 200 people, but we don’t do them. There’s an audience for those kinds of things, but we brand ourselves as something different.” Before you go People over the age of 21 can go directly to the bar area after checking in at the door, but anyone younger will be directed to the stage area to hang out until the band gets on. RHINO’S YOUTH CENTER331 S. Walnut St.Type of music: “We’re very open-ended,” assistant director David Britton says. “We do everything from national and international touring bands to local high school bands. We do metal, hip-hop, rock, folk music, and really a lot of everything, but we do try to concentrate on local music. “ The Bloomington scene: Britton says the music scene in Bloomington is pretty good, considering the fact that many local bands are getting national attention. However, he also says the scene could use a pick-me-up from local music fans. “I’d like to see the audience grow more,” Britton says. “It’s kind of a small town, and there are a lot of good bands, but there are not necessarily enough people to see them on any given night of the week. There is a pool of maybe a thousand people who go to shows, and if we had more of the populous aware of what’s going on, it would help out a lot.” The Rhino’s Scene: Britton says what sets Rhino’s apart from many of the other live music venues in Bloomington is that it’s an entirely all-ages club. He says he also likes to take the risk of booking younger bands that can’t get booked at other places because of age restrictions. “We’re also a bigger venue compared some of the other places,” Britton says. “So we can bring in bigger name artists.” Before you go: Students from the local Harmony Education Center started Rhino’s in 1992. Since then, the venue has offered a variety of non-music programs for youth. In the past, Rhino’s has helped organize film screenings, dance parties, and various fundraising events.For the 21+ crowdTHE BLUEBIRD NIGHTCLUB 216 N. Walnut St.Type of music “A huge variety,” says owner Dave Kubiak. “That’s probably the most unique thing about it.”The Bloomington scene “Because of the music school, there is a uniqueness to play different types of music because the students are a little more cultured and have a broader scope of what to play,” Kubiak says. “You get a lot of students down here who are musically inclined.” The Bluebird scene “It’s really a hybrid of different things.” Kubiak says. “Most clubs try to stick to one type of music, and largely because of the size of the Bluebird, it’s a more unique place in that we have to keep it entertaining.”
Biz fries, donuts, hairy bears and many more B-Town favorites.
Professor Leah Savion:
How do you survive 4+ years at IU?
The crowd at Kilroy’s on Kirkwood on a Friday afternoon is a thin mix of friends grabbing a late lunch, loners staked out at the bar, and a few waiters taking advantage of the excess space to organize some clean glassware.
Pop music has come a long way since Elvis Presley gyrated his hips in front of a shocked nation watching television in the 1950s.
Our grandmothers would be ashamed. Just listen to the music we’re bumping and grinding to at parties.
Senior Ted Timothy’s life story is anything but average. But on paper, almost everything about Ted — including his gender, age, ethnicity, origin, and even his college major — is typical.
Merriam-Webster defines a cutter as a type of sailing vessel, a light sleigh, or people who cut. According to Urban Dictionary, cutters are people who inflict physical pain on themselves or those pesky individuals who cut in front of others in line. But in Bloomington, the word “cutter” takes on new meaning.
Junior Emily Colman tells us about her block-and-a-half commute and the advantages of going to school in her hometown.
The clutter of lost items in the Ballantine Hall lost and found constantly changes as students come by to claim belongings and janitors drop off items from other campus buildings. But what never changes about the lost and found is the presence of an IU police officer or cadet behind the desk waiting to help.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In a college town with one of the top music schools in the nation, there is bound to be local music talent. Throw in a variety of bars and live music venues, and almost every day of the week offers an opportunity to catch a listen. We talked to the owners of four all-ages live music venues around town to see if there are any unifying characteristics of the bands and performers making music in town. Is Bloomington a bluegrass town? Is it an indie rock town? Maybe a hip-hop town? It turns out it’s more of an everything town. But from what we gathered, each venue manages to offer its own assortment of “everything.” Max’s Place 109 W. Seventh St.Type of music: “Basically anything that’s off the beaten path,” says owner Travers Marks. “We don’t really go for big cover bands. We like classic rock, but we don’t usually book it. We don’t like top 40, but bluegrass, reggae, blues, jazz, any weird combination thereof, singer-songwriters, that’s Max’s Place.” The Bloomington scene: “It’s a breeding ground,” Marks says. “It’s a place where you are not likely too make much money playing, but you’re going to be able to find the people you need to start the band you always dreamed of.” The Max’s Place scene: Marks says two simple words sum up the restaurant’s niche within the Bloomington music scene: Hirsute (meaning shaggy) and liberal. Before you go:Don’t eat before seeing a band at Max’s Place. Grab a table with your friends, share a pizza, and stay a while.Rachael’s Café 300 E. Third St.Type of music: Owner Rachael Jones said the restaurant has had every genre of music except country. Jones says people looking to soak up music at Rachael’s can expect to hear punk, folk, Irish, hip-hop, as well as plenty of local independent acts. The Bloomington scene: “I feel blessed with how many places there are to go,” Jones says. She also says the Jacobs School of Music has a positive influence on the talent and musical diversity of many of the bands that play in Bloomington — especially when the bands are made up of students. The Rachael’s Café scene: “We are so many different things,” Jones says. “We are a coffee shop in the daytime and a music venue at night. We also are not limited to people 21 and over. Any age can come. In fact, we had a women’s music night recently, and there was a girl playing that was younger than 10.” Before you go:While Rachael’s Cafe can fill the place to capacity at night with its live music and DJ events, don’t forget that it’s also a great place to study or relax during the day. The place is adorned with bizarre sculptures, stimulating artwork, and loaded bookshelves for customers to enjoy. And even though the tables and chairs are removed for dance parties, the couches are always there if you need to take a breather. The Bishop (an 18+ venue)123 S. Walnut St.Type of music: “We’re not too genre-specific,” says owner Stephen Westrich. “(We have had) everything from rock bands, indie rock bands, alt-country, hip-hop. But if we lean towards one thing it’s an indie rock environment, I guess.” The Bloomington scene: “I guess I would say that we’re lucky to have an abnormally productive music scene,” Westrich says. “I grew up in a town the same size of Bloomington, and there was nothing going on. It’s unusual the amount of quality coming out of here.” The Bishop scene: “In terms of places that regularly do live music, we only do original music,” Westrich says. “We definitely embrace local bands like nobody else does and we really solely concentrate on original music. We’ve turned down things we know would bring us 200 people, but we don’t do them. There’s an audience for those kinds of things, but we brand ourselves as something different.” Before you go:People over the age of 21 can go directly to the bar area after checking in at the door, but anyone younger will be directed to the stage area to hang out until the band gets on. Rhino’s Youth Center331 S. Walnut St.Type of music:“We’re very open-ended,” assistant director David Britton says. “We do everything from national and international touring bands to local high school bands. We do metal, hip-hop, rock, folk music, and really a lot of everything, but we do try to concentrate on local music. “ The Bloomington scene:Britton says the music scene in Bloomington is pretty good, considering the fact that many local bands are getting national attention. However, he also says the scene could use a pick-me-up from local music fans. “I’d like to see the audience grow more,” Britton says. “It’s kind of a small town, and there are a lot of good bands, but there are not necessarily enough people to see them on any given night of the week. There is a pool of maybe a thousand people who go to shows, and if we had more of the populous aware of what’s going on, it would help out a lot.” The Rhino’s Scene:Britton says what sets Rhino’s apart from many of the other live music venues in Bloomington is that it’s an entirely all-ages club. He says he also likes to take the risk of booking younger bands that can’t get booked at other places because of age restrictions. “We’re also a bigger venue compared some of the other places,” Britton says. “So we can bring in bigger name artists.” Before you go:Students from the local Harmony Education Center started Rhino’s in 1992. Since then, the venue has offered a variety of non-music programs for youth. In the past, Rhino’s has helped organize film screenings, dance parties, and various fundraising events.
Hosting a Little 500 party might be one of the lowest-maintenance DIY activities for a college student. All you need to do is buy some cheap liquor, invite your friends, and partake in the festivities.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In a college town with one of the top music schools in the nation, there is bound to be local music talent. Throw in a variety of bars and live music venues, and almost every day of the week offers an opportunity to catch a listen.Inside talked to the owners of four live music venues around town to see if there are any unifying characteristics of the bands and performers making music in town. Is Bloomington a bluegrass town? Is it an indie rock town? Maybe a hip hop town?It turns out it’s more of an everything town. But from what we gathered, each venue manages to offer its own unique assortment of “everything.” The Bluebird Nightclub216 N. Walnut St.Type of music:“A huge variety,” says owner Dave Kubiak. “That’s probably the most unique thing about it.”The Bloomington scene: “Because of the music school, there is a uniqueness to play different types of music because the students are a little more cultured and have a broader scope of what to play,” Kubiak says. “You get a lot of students down here who are musically inclined.”The Bluebird scene:“It’s really a hybrid of different things.” Kubiak says. “Most clubs try to stick to one type of music, and largely because of the size of the Bluebird, it’s a more unique place in that we have to keep it entertaining.” Max’s Place109 W. Seventh St.Type of music:“Basically anything that’s off the beaten path,” says owner Travers Marks. “We don’t really go for big cover bands. We like classic rock, but we don’t usually book it. We don’t like top 40, but bluegrass, reggae, blues, jazz, any weird combination thereof, singer-songwriters, that’s Max’s Place.”The Bloomington scene:“It’s a breeding ground,” Marks says. “It’s a place where you are not likely too make much money playing, but you’re going to be able to find the people you need to start the band you always dreamed of.”The Max’s Place scene:Marks says two simple words sum up the restaurant’s niche within the Bloomington music scene: Hirsute (meaning shaggy) and liberal. Rachael’s Café300 E. Third St.Type of music:Cafe owner Rachael Jones said the restaurant has had every genre of music except country. Jones says people looking to soak up music at Rachael’s can expect to hear punk, folk, Irish, hip-hop, as well as plenty of local independent acts.The Bloomington scene:“I feel blessed with how many places there are to go,” Jones says.Jones also says the Jacobs School of Music has a positive influence on the talent and musical diversity of many of the bands that play in Bloomington — especially when the bands are made up of students.The Rachael’s Café scene:“We are so many different things,” Jones says. “We are a coffee shop in the daytime and a music venue at night. We also are not limited to people 21 and over. Any age can come. In fact, we had a women’s music night recently, and there was a girl playing that was younger than 10.” The Bishop123 S. Walnut St.Type of music:“We’re not too genre specific,” says owner Stephen Westrich. “(We have had) everything from rock bands, indie rock bands, alt-country, hip-hop. But if we lean towards one thing it’s an indie rock environment, I guess.”The Bloomington scene:“I guess I would say that we’re lucky to have an abnormally productive music scene,” Westrich says. “I grew up in a town the same size of Bloomington, and there was nothing going on. It’s unusual the amount of quality coming out of here.”The Bishop scene:“In terms of places that regularly do live music, we only do original music,” Westrich says. “We definitely embrace local bands like nobody else does and we really solely concentrate on original music. We’ve turned down things we know would bring us 200 people, but we don’t do them. There’s an audience for those kinds of things, but we brand ourselves as something different.”
Any ensemble contains a group of talented musicians who dedicate their time to mastering their instruments.
During the IU football season, junior Elise Masciale stays busy. As a horn player of the Marching Hundred, she performs before, during and after each home game, and attends at least one away game each season. On top of that, she is required to rehearse five days a week.
On Saturday,local jazz pianist Craig Brenner, along with his band the Crawdads and several other friends, proved that at their “Dance to Live, Live to Love” benefit concert at the Bloomington Monroe County Convention Center supporting Bloomington’s Art of Mental Health Week. The band also celebrated the release of their new CD, “Live to Love.”
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Craig Brenner said he has always tried to make his music upbeat.And on Saturday, the local jazz pianist, along with his band the Crawdads and several other friends proved that at their “Dance to Live, Live to Love” benefit concert at the Bloomington Monroe County Convention Center supporting Bloomington’s Art of Mental Health Week, as well as the release of their new CD called “Live to Love.”The concert was a culmination of week-long events around Bloomington intended to raise awareness about mental health, said Jane McLeod, who was the coordinator for this year’s Art of Mental Health Week and is also an IU professor of sociology.“The Art of Mental Health is an annual event that began four years ago cosponsored by Mental Health America of Monroe County, Centerstone, Inc. and the Bloomington Hospital,” McLeod said. “It is a series of events that is designed to highlight the connections between mental health and creativity, to provide public education about mental health, and to diminish the stigma associated with mental health problems and mental illness.”Brenner said he and his band were able to coincide the release of their new CD with the benefit concert after talking with McLeod, who he said was looking for a band that could make the concert more dance-oriented.The concert’s “Dance to Live, Live to Love” theme was magnified by the presence of several other musicians on stage besides the original Crawdads, which Brenner said usually includes anywhere from five to eight people.On Saturday, Brenner played along with twelve other musicians, all of whom, he said, were part of the original recording process for “Live to Love”.And because the concert coincided with the culmination of the Art of Mental Health week, Brenner said he was excited to show off the positive and upbeat characteristics of his music, especially on “Live to Love”, which he said is his fifth full-length release and the first to actually include his band the Crawdads in the title.Brenner said there are some parallels between his newest songs and many of the themes of the week.For the rest of the coverage of "Dance to Live, Live to Love" check out Monday's IDS.