Solid Tunes at
Boney Junes
by Doug Messel
On a Friday afternoon, Hammerheads is quiet and empty, but that’s
understandable. It’s not anywhere near time for the club to open. I’m sitting
at the bar, talking to Chris Boone. Boone owns the club, a popular downtown
fixture of Evansville
nightlife well-known for its Saturday 80’s night parties. While Hammerheads is
successful, what Boone really wants to discuss is another entertainment
location he owns, Boney Junes Music Venue.
Boney Junes is an
all-ages music venue which Boone opened two years ago. Located at 5525 Pearl Drive on
the west side of Evansville,
Boney Junes books local, regional, and national acts to perform for audiences
with a capacity of three hundred ninety people. Shows at Boney Junes are a
constant thing. The night before I talk with Boone, the venue hosted a concert
by Murfreesboro, Tennessee artist Backseat Goodbye and other groups. Another two shows are scheduled
for the following week, each one with at least four or five bands. There’s no
shortage of talent for Boone’s venue to showcase.
Boone opened Boney
Junes in 2007 as a way to contribute to the local music scene, which he was
part of when he was younger. He wanted to stay with the scene, he says, and Boney
Junes allows him to do so by letting local groups perform when other, more
established groups come through.
“It’s really cool because some of these local bands can play [as
openers] alongside their heroes or the bands that influence them,” Boone says.
It doesn’t look like
there’s any sign of a slowdown in the surge of talent, either. Boone shares
with me his scheduled line-up for the months of July and August. Self-described
“southern rock” band Maylene and the Sons
of Disaster are making an appearance on July 12, supported by local bands Behold the Seraph, As Forever Fades, and Abandon
the South. July 15 brings Boston-based metal band Unearth to Evansville.
Other established metal and hardcore acts, including The Acacia Strain, continue to appear throughout the month.
The lineups for the
early part of the month might present the idea that Boney Junes is only a
showcase for metal. This isn’t the case, however. Boone is quick to point out
three shows in August which differ wildly from the bone-crunching music of most
of July’s acts. He excitedly tells me about the July 30 booking of
Stephen Jerzak!, an acoustic/pop artist from La Crosse, Wisconsin (the exclamation mark belongs at the end of
his surname; it’s not a typo – ed) Jerzak! is currently sitting atop
Myspace’s “Unsigned” top artists’ chart. His music is partially reminiscent of
Jason Mraz with elements of electronica.
On August 3, Boney
Junes will welcome Jeffree Star, another Myspace sensation from Orange County,
California. Star’s music is pure electro-pop, and sounds like Omaha, Nebraska
band The Faint. Star is also
reportedly not only one of the most popular artists on Myspace, but one of the
most popular people. Star allegedly
even has more “friends” than site founder Tom Anderson.
The final concert Boone
tells me about is the Ryan Cabrera show on August 15. Cabrera is arguably the
most famous artist on the cards for these next two months, having first
appeared on MTV’s The Ashlee Simpson Show
while dating Simpson in 2003. He enjoyed modest mainstream success with 2004’s
single “On the Way Down.”
The Cabrera show is a
perfect example of the versatility and pull Boone’s venue has. He says Boney
Junes presents an intimate venue for fans to get closer to their artists and
have a more personal experience than say, at a larger venue like Roberts
Stadium. It’s a great opportunity for both musicians and fans.
Boone also shares
details about another venture for Boney Junes: a film premiere. On August 15,
the local independent film The
Hymnographer will have its premiere at Boney Junes. Boone describes it as
an experimental film based around music, and emphasizes its uniqueness.
“It’s not something
you’d find at Showplace [Cinemas],” he says.
Boney Junes is another
example of local art meeting with success. Not only does it bring in national
entertainment, but it also provides an avenue for local bands to perform. The
impression I get from Boone is that he’s excited about the possibilities that
may open up for the venue, and that he wants as many people to know about it as
possible.
If you’d like more
information about Boney Junes, their phone number is (812) 421-6767. Tickets to
any of the shows mentioned in this article can be purchased either at Boney
Junes Music Venue or online at
www.kapiro.com.
