When Louis Garcia returned to Muncie after being away for 25 years, the Muncie Northside High School alum decided to do something positive for his hometown.
“I always had a heart for Muncie,” he said. “Even though at times I felt it was in disarray, I thought a lot of things were going on. I have a lot of friends who are musicians. I thought it would be really nice to bring a piano bar to Muncie, knowing it doesn’t have a lot of entertainment like that. This would be something good for Muncie and something that would be good for me.”
He first had the idea a couple years ago, and ultimately joined forces with his business partner and musician, Jay Jones, and opened Room 5 Piano Bar this summer on West White River Boulevard.
Jones has worked as a musician, including as a piano player, in venues around the country, including Brick House in Indianapolis, as well as regular gigs in Atlanta and New York.
As the main act for Room 5 most weekends, Jones is often joined by Bruce Lismon, drummer for Toy Factory, and Benito Dibartoli, a former guitarist for Eddie Money.
“Ball State has nothing like this,” Garcia said. “Muncie has nothing like this. And I thought it would be a good investment. I love music, I go to a lot of concerts and I see a lot of my friends when they play. I have a lot of singers, guitar players and drummers that are friends. I wanted to bring them along too, with me and Jay.”
While he referred to himself as a “longtime listener,” Garcia added he “played the drums a little bit, but nothing to be proud of.”
The bar is based on the concepts of the Neon Cactus in West Lafayette, a piano bar that is popular with Purdue students, particularly on Thursday nights.
“I thought, ‘This is really cool. I like this,’” Garcia said. “Also, there is a place in Broad Ripple [in Indianapolis] called Brick House – a dueling piano bar. I went there for a few years and met a lot of people there too, including Jay, so we came up with the concept to get this going in Muncie.”
As for the vibe, Garcia said he wanted it to be like a 1940s-style, Vegas-type hangout. Blue lighting, chandeliers, records and photos of famous musicians on the walls decorate the space.
He also wanted it to be welcoming to fans of all genres of music.
“From rock and roll, country, soft rock, hard rock, whatever it is, you fill out a form and say, ‘I want to hear this,’” Garcia says. “You can tip the piano player and they play it – well, whether you tip them or not, they’ll play it.”
Some of the more popular requests have included Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Chris Stapleton, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Alicia Keys and Jay Z.
“Basically anything you want, they can play it,” Garcia said. “We have slips on the tables with the song and the artist. We have dueling pianos – sometimes two guys on pianos or a female and a male player.”
Since opening, Garcia said the events have been focused on the piano, which have been their most popular nights, but they also have hosted a couple of band and comedy shows, which they might do quarterly, and open jam sessions, where Room 5 provides the instruments, every Wednesday night at 8 p.m.
“Say you already play an instrument,” Garcia said. “If you play the drums, the drums are already set up. The bass and amplifier is set up, so someone can play the bass. We have the piano up there, so someone can play the keys. If somebody wants to bring their guitar, they can bring it and play. All these musicians come in from different venues. From country to folk to rock and roll, they get together and they play together. It’s really, really comforting, and unique and awesome.”
Thursday night is college night, which Garcia hopes to expand over time as the word gets out. They also have waived cover fees. See their Facebook page for updates on events and cover charges. As a bar, it is open to patrons 21 and older.
Garcia said they were planning a New Year’s Eve event. However, the goal is to keep the piano bar as the consistent draw for audiences.
“I think the Muncie people are really liking it,” he said. “I’m hearing nothing but good reviews. The vibe is that it’s current. Everyone who comes there tells me, ‘We love this vibe.’ You don’t have to watch your back, you’re safe. It’s a safe place to go. And they love it. I think over time, more people will come as they hear about it by word of mouth. I believe that music needs to be here – needs to be everywhere and anywhere. I think music helps people deal with depression and anxieties, or just the daily activities of life. I think music helps us.”
