Indiana’s blues credentials are older than most states can claim. Charley Patton, Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Thomas A. Dorsey all recorded in Richmond in the 1920s. And the state’s oldest bar has been a blues room for decades.
The Blues Rooms
The Slippery Noodle Inn — Indianapolis
Founded in 1850 as the Tremont House and Indiana’s oldest continually operated bar in its original building, the Noodle is the state’s blues institution. Two stages running at once most weekends, national touring blues acts, and a Wednesday blues jam on the back stage that has been going for years. Full profile.
Mojo’s BoneYard — Evansville
Blues and blues-rock on the south-west side of the state, and a regular stop for touring blues artists working the Ohio River circuit. Full profile.
Rooms That Book Blues Regularly
- Baker Street Centre — Fort Wayne. Blues, roots, Americana and singer-songwriters in a former church near the train station.
- The Club Room at The Clyde — Fort Wayne. Local blues, jazz, soul and funk most nights, usually no cover.
- Blockhouse Bar — Bloomington. Blues in a rotation that also takes in jazz, honky tonk, Latin and reggae.
- The Rathskeller — Indianapolis. Acoustic rock, blues and classic rock in the Athenaeum biergarten, Thursday to Saturday in season.
The Wednesday Jam
The Slippery Noodle’s blues jam runs every Wednesday on the back stage, 8 to 11:30, with sign-ups around 7:30. The host rotates by week of the month — Steve Robbins, Dennis McClure, Charlie Cheesman, Zach Day and Russ Bucy. If you play, that rotation is worth knowing before you pick a night. More on the open mic and jam list.
The History
The Gennett Records story is the reason Indiana matters to blues history. Charley Patton — arguably the most influential Delta bluesman of all — recorded in Richmond, as did Big Bill Broonzy and the man who would become the father of gospel music.
Get the weekly email — one message every Wednesday with the next seven days of live music across Indiana. Free.