Eugene Weekly : Music : 4.9.09

All Things to More of Eugene
Don’t call it the Indigo — at least not for long
by Molly Templeton

DJ FOOD STAMP. photo by t rod

If you’re a fan of the Indigo District, this is your last chance to head down there and do your thing — sort of. This Saturday, the 5-year-old venue at 13th and Oak hosts its last event, a farewell night with DJ Food Stamp. Black attire, naturally, is suggested.

But it’s not the end for The District, which picks up where the Indigo left off. In a few weeks, the renovated District will open as both nighttime venue and daytime coffeehouse (which, you may remember, the Indigo once was as well). The space is now in the hands of an LLC called The Indigo District Development LLC, which formed last Thanksgiving. One of the new owners, Libby Adams, says, “We’re making some changes to the interior or the club — both practical and aesthetic. … Our patrons will definitely feel like they’re in a fresh space, whether they were familiar with the Indigo District or not.” Some of the changes will accommodate the coffeeshop and a cheesesteak eatery, which will offer regular and vegan versions of the Philly classic. The coffeeshop will serve both Stumptown and Wandering Goat coffee, and it functions also as a nonprofit; proceeds will help dog owners whose pets need expensive surgeries.

The music venue also has a charitable side. Adams says, “One thing we will be doing is more benefits, in the vein of our recent successful FOOD for Lane County Benefit.” She says the District will continue the dance party nights on the weekends, and look to a broad range of genres for its live music events. “We’re striving to move beyond the ‘indie’ music I think we’ve traditionally been associated with to ‘independent’ music — truly independent music from all genres.” The lineup for the space’s opening week displays some of the variety you might expect from it in the future; the shows run from L.A. hip hop artist JB the Don (sneak peek night, April 24) to the Drunk Puppet Revue and a grand opening dance night (April 25) to Americana band Great American Taxi (April 28).  “We’re open to hosting metal, alt-country, punk, ska, pop, electronica, underground hip hop, rock — almost anything!” Adams says. 

One thing staying over from the space’s Indigo day is the all ages policy: Minors are welcome until 10:30 pm. Adams says the new owners are “striving to preserve the things you loved the most about the Indigo while better aligning ourselves with the community we serve. Eugene is a vital and diverse place, and we want to go beyond having our finger on its pulse — we would love to be its heart.”

RIP Indigo with DJ Food Stamp. 10:30 pm Saturday, April 11. Indigo District • Free.