Full disclosure, if you have no interest in listening to music or live music or anything related to music, I can’t imagine that this is going to be a blog post that is beneficial to you. If you are like me, though, and love everything there is to do with music, then you just might have stumbled upon something useful.
To me, there is nothing better than listening to live music. Over the summer, my weekends are typically filled with different concerts. For some reason, though, throughout my time in the Greater Lafayette Area, I haven’t checked out much of the local live music scene.
Better late than never, so I figured I would do a little research and find some places between West Lafayette and Lafayette that provide live music entertainment. Maybe a freshman at Purdue will find my list and make better use of the live music opportunities in the area than I have throughout my four years in college.
Sixth St. Dive Bar & Grill
The Sixth St. Dive Bar & Grill is, no surprise, right on the corner of Sixth Street and Salem Street in Lafayette. It is easy to miss if you are driving by, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled if you are looking for it.
If you are in the mood for a chill hangout with occasional live music, this would be a good place for you. They don’t have an official website, but they have a Facebook page. On their Facebook page, they have an events calendar with a list of all their upcoming performances.
Nine Irish Brothers
Nine Irish Brothers is located near Wabash Landing in West Lafayette. It’s an Irish pub with a wide variety of drink options, authentic Irish food choices, and live music some weekends.
As someone who didn’t know if they even liked Irish music, I was pleasantly surprised one weekend when Highland Reign was playing at Nine Irish. The band had my friends and I come up on stage and taught us a dance that went with one of their songs while everyone else in the pub clapped along. Their website has a list of different bands and when they play.
Knickerbocker Saloon
Knickerbocker Saloon is located on Fifth Street in Lafayette. Known for being Indiana’s oldest bar, Knickerbocker Saloon has both indoor and outdoor seating, weekly specials, and performances from the Piano Man on most weekends.
I am planning on attending a show at the Knickerbocker Saloon in a couple of weeks, so make sure to tune into my Instagram account to see how the show goes.
Slayter Center
Good ole’ Slayter Center, more commonly referred to by students as Slayter Hill, is an outdoor venue that features different live music events during the warmer months. Although the opportunities to go to Slayter Hill for live music are restricted to when it’s a little bit nicer outside, it is an option that doesn’t require you to be 21 years old and provides an outside experience.
Even though a majority of these locations do require you to be of legal drinking age to visit, hopefully this list was helpful or informative for you. If there are any great spots with live music that I missed (because I’m sure that there are), please feel free to reach out and let me know.
Carly Miller 