Yes, Lafayette, There is a Music Scene!
Indy’s music scene has dominated the blog lately. So this week, the spotlight is on good ol’ Lafayette, Indiana. A lot of people think there’s not much for entertainment in this college town (aside from auto-tuned club music and binge drinking). In fact, a July 21st Purdue Exponent editorial lamented the city’s lack of support for local music. Natty Morrison issued a noble call-to-action in his piece: “Please, don’t let the music die here in Lafayette. Go support live music in any way you possibly can!”
As Morrison suggested, the best way to improve the local music scene is to support it! Believe it or not, there are some amazing artists and venues in Lafayette just waiting to be discovered by a wider audience.
What can you do? Go to shows. Support local musicians. Volunteer at community music events. Tell your friends about local musicians/events/this blog. Give venues a reason to put on more shows. If venues see that the community is intere$ted in the music scene, they will strive to make Lafayette a better place for music.
Here I’ve compiled information about local artists, venues, and organizations supporting the music scene. Consider this your guide to exploring alt/indie music in Lafayette. If you have suggestions for additions to these lists, please let me know!
A Selection of Local Artists:
John Davey (See my article: http://wp.me/pZmxi-5i)
Small Town Heroes (See my article: http://wp.me/pZmxi-3K)
YEARS (See my article: http://wp.me/pZmxi-5)
Places to See Shows:
Black Sparrow Pub | 223 Main St., Lafayette
Cabello’s Bar | 2270 Concord Rd., Lafayette
Greyhouse Coffee | Corner of State & Northwestern Sts., West Lafayette
Hunter’s Pub Down Under | 1092 Sagamore Parkway, West Lafayette | 302 Ferry St., Lafayette |3239 Daugherty Dr., Lafayette
The Knickerbocker Saloon | 113 North 5th St., Lafayette
Lafayette Brewing Company | 622 Main St., Lafayette
Lafayette Theater | 600 Main St., Lafayette
The Muse | 323 Columbia St., Lafayette
Sgt. Preston’s | 6 north 2nd St., Lafayette
Promoters/Organizations Supporting Local Music:
Greater Lafayette Intellectual Entertainment
Local Music Events:
Mosey Down Main Street (September 4)
Starry Night Music & Arts Festival (September 18)
Taste of Tippecanoe (June 18, 2011)
Girl At The Show
With Honors is also from Lafayette.
D’oh! Thanks for the reminder!
Is that John Davey? My 17 year old sister thinks he is cute!
Hey I just found out about your blog after someone mentioned it on Piradical Production’s website. I really like it and I think I’ll be a regular reader!
In response to this specific post, I have to say the Lafayette scene generally bums me out. Looking at your list of venues really highlights the problem: there are only bars and coffee shops! The lack of a decent place for an all-ages concert to happen is a complete showstopper to kids under 21 and even certain genres of music (high energy shows can’t happen at coffee shops and often don’t work very well at bars). I would certainly appreciate being able to see a decent punk or hardcore show around here and saving myself a trip to Indy!
Thanks for your comment, Phil! I would also love to see more all-ages venues. Part of me dies every time a cool band comes to town and I can’t get in because of 21+. Fortunately, Mosey Down Main Street is this weekend–which means a good number of bands and no age limit. But you’re right– Lafayette definitely needs a long term solution.
Unfortunately, the clutter is no longer together. They will be performing one more show in November and then are done performing together.
Hey GATS,
I play in a lafayette area band called Root Hog. we play all over the region and would love to be included in your blog world, we are always working on something. We’ve got a Cd out and are working on building another currently, plus our keyboard player is single, all bands need a single key board player…. haha just kidding.
love the blog,
-Dru
We are an indie label based here in Lafayette and have bands signed from as close as west lafayette and as far as Sweden and Spain. I’ve been going to shows (and for periods, promoting shows and playing at shows) here since 1995. A lot of really amazing bands have come out of here and a lot have stayed here and left a strong mark on the locals.
We specialize in punk, street punk, Oi!, reggae/ska and things of this nature. Phil hit the nail on the head when he said the lack of an all ages venue is our downfall. It makes it hard to have more than 20 or so regulars to support shows. Hopefully the next door number 3 or downtown records (or union or greenbush house) will happen again soon. Lamenting about it won’t fix it. It is time for the new generation to take the reigns and MAKE it happen. Believe me, if you make it they will come! There is no shortage of people here that know a lot of national and international touring bands in the underground scene that love playing this town, but it is hard to grab some of the bigger ones when you don’t know if you are going to be able to pay them (for example, I’ve had the same band from Norway play here twice- at the all ages club we had over 150 people come and I was able to pay their guarantee. When I brought them to a bar, I had 15 people pay at the door- had to go into my own pocket and it left the band of a mediocre impression of the town due to the sparse turnout).
Local punk/hc bands or promoters- if I don’t already know you, email us!