A longtime local DJ, George remembers working places in Bloomington like Backstreet and Diamond Lil’s.
“Disco was just getting ready to break loose, you know” he said. “So, it was it was actually pretty awesome being part of the scene back then.”
James George dj's for a party in Elletsville. He prefers retro music, but said he likes most genres. (WTIU News, Bente Bouthier)
According to George, disco’s the best dance music to hit the planet and likes that he helped bring it to people. He works as a DJ still, specializing in retro and funk.
Now that the Player’s Pub is gone, Bloomington is lacking spots for older adults to go that don’t also cater to the college population– who George said lack some decorum.
“They are stepping on your feet. You know, spill your drink.”
He misses hearing music like Prince, The Jacksons, and SOS Man when he’s out.
Visit Bloomington listed nearly 2,000 events on its page this year, up from around 1,200 the year before. It estimated well over half of those were music, festivals, plays, or other live entertainment.
The IU Union hosted 25 concerts last year. It has 15 events listed for next year in the spring.
But only a few of them hold any interest for Elizabeth Mitchell, a local historian of African American culture and experience. She’s aware there are places to go out and events put on by the town and university, but they don’t cater to her.
“Everybody's welcome to come and hear different types of music,” Mitchell said. “But what they have doesn't appeal to me and my age group. So, I'm not going to spend the money to go.”
To her, The Hole was a place Black people could go to let their hair down; shoot pool, play cards, and socialize without answering questions about their skin color.
“You could breathe, you could be yourself, you could take that heavy cloak of armor off, and be with your people.”
Elizabeth Mitchell is a local historian of African American culture and experience. She used to be a patron at The Hole. (WTIU News, Bente Bouthier)
Mitchell and her friends held an invite-only event “Remembering The Hole Pitch-in,” renting out a space for New Years celebrations to ring in 2024.
“There is no diversity, no nightlife for my age group in Bloomington,” she said. “So that's why we have to create our own.”
She said the plan is to listen to music, play cards, and have a good time.
An image of women members of the B.G. Pollard Lodge. The photo is provided by Thomas Doyle, a former lodge member, who DJ'd at The Hole and other Bloomington venues.An image of men members of the B.G. Pollard Lodge. The photo is provided by Thomas Doyle, a former lodge member. Doyle said The Lodge participated community service projects and had started to get a youth program together before it ceased operations.
Mike Klinge, a co-owner of the Orbit Room, said they try to host enough variety to appeal across groups, even hosting a monthly night for kids in local bands to come play the venue, which brought in a lot of parents.
“Jazz, country-ish, folky stuff, rock, movies, we have a monthly experimental noise night that has been bringing in people that are on tour from all around,” Klinge said. “Yeah, so we definitely don't like to have one style that we are known for.”
Opening just before the pandemic and located downtown, the college population isn’t a group Klinge can afford to ignore. But the Orbit is not a college-aimed bar. He tries to cultivate a positive energy, enforce good etiquette, and create a community space.
Klinge agreed that The Player’s Pub closing did leave a gap in downtown nightlife. He said places like The Fairfax Bar and Grill and The Porthole Inn have helped- having nights dedicated to blues and R&B.
“Downtown, you don't see it as much,” Klinge said.
Screenshot of an event from Fairfax Bar and Grill Facebook page
Mitchell said that at less than 5 percent of Bloomington’s population, a nightlife establishment tailored to Black people probably couldn’t sustain.
George sees the issues of nightlife availability for Black people and older adults as separate issues. He said issues for older adults are more recent, while those for Black people in Bloomington have been longstanding.
George offers DJ services as DJ Mr. Magic Retro Soul (We Ain't Dead Yet). He said his business has a double meaning, that the people who listen to retro music are still around and the music is too.
If he had the money, George said he would open a venue for older adults, maybe with an age limit.
“If it doesn't happen, a lot of us older people are going to be wasting away. You know, movement is key to living.”
So, George goes out often to live music or venues in Indianapolis.
“I've got tons of musician friends,” he said. “So I'm always out checking them out. Always checking the scene at different bars and stuff in different towns.”
He still DJs, focused on retro music, as DJ Mr. Magic. He said the music brings memories of people dressed up, in a packed club, dancing.
