Opening Date: March 27
Fundraiser concert: April 10 and 11, 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.
A local Muncie man will open a new music venue this month on the city's west side.
“The Acoustic Room,” located at 1501 W. Kilgore Ave., will diversify the Muncie music scene, according to co-owner Scott Gates.
Gates said he wants to provide different types of music each night, so that every genre is represented.
“I’ve lived in this town my whole life and what’s out there right there music-wise, I just don’t think there’s a lot of choices,” Gates said. “I want you to walk in here one night and it just be straight up country guy in there, and then the next night you come in it might be a three piece jazz set, or just straight up blues or hard rock.”
Even when there isn’t a musician lined up to play, Gates is planning to set out instruments for his patrons to pick up and play, such as conga drums, acoustic guitars and a piano.
The Acoustic Room will also offer a beer and wine bar.
In addition there will be a Mexican restaurant, a coffee shop and a vinyl store, all owned by members of the community, which are going to be housed in the same building. The property is owned by the Common Market, LLC, owned by Gates and his partner Mike Martin.
“The whole idea behind the Common Market is to get a different layout of people in there that want to do something, [who] have an idea what they want with a business plan, but they don’t have the means or the opportunity to do it, so I’m giving them the opportunity to do it in my facility,” Gates said.
Martin, who owns the business with Gates, said he was inspired to start the business by a community business he observed in Charlotte, N.C. Martin discovered the building on Kilgore Ave., and decided he and Gates could do something with it.
“[We thought], let’s take this old abandoned building in this run-down part of town and turn it into something cool,” Martin said.
Gates said students will play a large part in the success of his business, because they make up a lot of the musical talent in the area. He hopes that students will choose to perform at his business.
“For them to be able to get out and do what they love to do, then this is where it’s going to be,” Gates said. “It’s going to be a very relaxed, laid-back atmosphere, and I think from what I’ve seen of the students and former students, this is the kind of stuff they like. I hope that they’re a big part of it.”
Gates said he wants the building’s atmosphere to be very comfortable. He wants people to come in and relax, and not have to worry if they spill their drink.
“Most people, and I’m just speaking from experience, I don’t care, if I go to a place like that, it doesn’t matter if every table is exactly the same and every table has four chairs that all match the one right next to it, that doesn’t make any difference to me, it’s what am I there for and what are the people bringing me,” Gates said. “You put on a good show with good musicians and cheap drinks, cheap beers, that I’m not going to spend a fortune on, I’m going to have a good time.”
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