by hilary johnson
Indie. It’s a movement with the meaning found in its own name. Short for the word independent, the indie movement has been creeping around the outskirts of the mainstream for decades. Now, in an almost full force coup de grace, this sub-culture is coming out of the woodwork, literally.
When you pull up to The Pearl in revitalized Springfield, the exterior looks like anything but a stomping ground for the tight jeans and ironic haircuts that visualize this movement. It’s an all brick building with wrought iron doors on the corner of 1st and Main. But through those doors is a makeshift forest, with red leather booths and sharp dressed hipster pixies dancing across the expansive dance floor.
“Just by walking into the Pearl you know it’s unlike any other bar and that in itself reflects indie music,” says Erin Lee, who DJs for the Pearl’s Mix-Tape Tuesdays. “Being its own thing, doing its own thing and having its own style reflects the music and the movement.” Even the bathrooms are somewhat shocking; with their ornate mirrored patterns and a touch of funky glamour, making them one of the most attractive parts of the building.
But this movement is not just about how its interior is decorated. So much of what indie stands for starts with the music. It’s not the kind of thing you can hear on the radio in Jacksonville. It’s out there to be heard, but just like any form of art, you’ve got to go searching. Sometimes that search only entails looking on a friend’s MySpace page for their newest song, or looking to Pitchfork Media to see their latest recommendation. The search might seem ruthless at first, but once you know the way, you’re there. It’s a little world all unto itself.
“It’s nice to set apart the people who aren’t really into music from people who are really into music,” says Lee. “People who are really into a certain kind of music buy it, and you know people who buy indie music are really passionate about it. They go looking for it. That’s why I appreciate it. You kind of have your own community where you can talk to other people who are passionate about it.”
This community of people who center themselves around straying from the norm can be found all over town. And just like with the music, you’ve just got to know where to look. The best place to start is at a few local bars, deceiving from their outward appearances that give no sign to the life and luster that goes on inside. And what really sets these bars apart are their DJs. Many of the local indie DJs rotate from one bar to the next, or can at least be spotted hanging out and dancing, when they aren’t the ones behind the turntables.
The Pearl hosts unique dance nights almost every night of the week. Armageddon Monday’s with DJ Paul, Mix-Tape Tuesdays with DJ Erin, Ladies Night with Spencer on Wednesdays, Thursday Nights with DJ Ricky, Friday Night video mash-ups with VJ Jaren, and Saturday nights Overtime with DJ Ricky make the Pearl a place to be reckoned with. Or at least a place to go for some reckoning and definitely for some dancing.
The Eclipse is another local bar that promotes indie nights. Located on St. Johns Avenue, check out their New & Used Sundays with Christian Mendez and Chris Gibson or their POP! Thursdays with Astronautalis. Great deals on drinks and an open dance floor have made Eclipse one of Jacksonville’s great spots for hipsters all over town.
“You see a lot of the same people,” says Lee. “There is sort of a comradery. It’s cool to see everyone out at different places and having the same experience. As far as the community and the people who love the music, it’s not pretentious or snobby, it’s just its own entity.”
And within that entity is a freedom to express yourself in whichever way you like. The movement, the music, and the people relish in the fact that they are who they are, no holds barred, no strings attached.
Jacksonville’s indie scene is almost like a living, breathing entity. Constantly evolving and refreshing its bloodline, it’s keeping a tradition of independence and individuality alive and well.
TSI Discotheque, located on Bay Street next to a string of other bars, is bringing downtown Jacksonville’s nightlife back to life, although from the outside you wouldn’t even know it’s there. The entrance is down a dark alley strung with Christmas lights, and the only major recognizable feature from the street is the Tucker umbrella that sits at the entrance to the alley. That walk takes you away from the buzz of ordinary life, and into an atmosphere all its own.
TSI also has a number of special nights every week. TSI’s Wednesday nights feature the Channel DJ’s. MDTMYB Fridays (music designed to move your butt) also offer penny PBRs and Intermission Saturdays encourage patrons to drink-dance-sweat.
“TSI is like the f.u.b.u. of Jacksonville’s nightlife,” says Brandon V, a former channel DJ. But it makes sense. For-us-by-us encompasses the attitude of this culture within our culture.
“This is a really pivotal time for the dance scene in Jacksonville,” says Brandon V. “Things are heading in a different direction, but no matter what direction it’s headed in, the indie dance scene is always guaranteed silliness, without any concern of being judged whatsoever.”
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