Richmond is a small city with the biggest music history in Indiana — this is where Louis Armstrong first recorded, where jazz, blues, country, and gospel all passed through one studio by the railroad tracks. Today’s live scene is modest but real, centered on the historic Depot District.
Where the Music Is
Civic Hall Performing Arts Center (380 Hub Etchison Pkwy) is the city’s presenting room, bringing regional and national acts through its “Proudly Presenting” series. In the Depot District, Firehouse BBQ & Blues books blues bands most weekends inside a restored 1860s firehouse — smoke, brick, and musical-history quotes on the walls, three minutes from the ground where Charley Patton recorded. New Boswell Brewery & Tap Room adds regular weekend music in the same district, and Richmond Civic Theatre (1003 E Main St) has staged community musicals since 1952.
The One-of-a-Kind Stuff
The Gennett Records Walk of Fame in Whitewater Gorge Park honors the label’s legends with medallions shaped like 78s — read our full story on Gennett Records for the history and current visiting conditions. Each September, the Walk of Fame Celebration brings a full day of live music to the gorge. And keep an eye on Lyricists’ Corner at Morrisson-Reeves Library — a songwriter-in-the-round series that’s exactly the kind of thing no listings site ever finds.
Nearby
Richmond sits on I-70 at the Ohio line, about 45 minutes from Dayton and 75 from Indianapolis. Know a venue or open mic we should verify? Tell us through the contact page.
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