By Mark Wright

The Spirit on Wabash Avenue: Terre Haute's Verve Nightclub

n March 26, 1927, a crowd would be wonderful to see 10,000 people this naysayers, the music scene is alive in Terre estimated at 10,000 people year. We have been up around 8,000.” Connie Haute. Almost every night of the week, you can gathered at 7th Street and Wa- Wrin has helped revitalize downtown Terre catch one of the area’s plethora of talented local bash Avenue, the heart of Haute with her enthusiasm and love of music. bands performing somewhere. Venues such as downtown Terre Haute, Indi- Al’s Sports Bar, Ambrosini’s, The Apple Club, ana. Hometown hero A couple of Archie’s, Bohannon’s, The Cabin, Cuz’n Ed- OBud Taylor, who had captured the hearts of doors west die’s, Haney’s, Joan and Yogi’s, Mogger’s, The Hauteans much as Larry Bird would 50 years of the 7th North Star, Ripley’s, The Teepee, Show-Me’s, later, was fighting in and Wabash The Speakeasy, Stables, Stephens Inn, TGIFri- for the National Boxing Association’s World intersection, day’s, Twiggy’s, the local VFW, American Le- Bantamweight title. At the end of each round, in in one of gion, Eagles and Moose lodges—wow, there something akin to the 1927 version of Twitter, a Terre are more than I thought when I started this sen- Terre Haute Tribune employee leaned out of Haute’s old- tence—all offer live music, much to the delight one of the upper-floor windows of the newspa- er buildings, of local musicians and fans. But if you are look- per’s building on the corner and announced you’ll find ing for something different, go say hi to Connie through a megaphone the results of the round, The Verve, at The Verve. reading the information from a ticker-tape feed which some (see John Wright’s excellent book, The Terror would call Tackling the ownership of a nightclub of Terre Haute--Bud Taylor and the 1920’s). simply a bar with music. But since Connie Wrin was never part of Connie Wrin’s life-plan. A opened the establishment January 1, 2001, it has nurse by profession, she moved back to Terre It takes something special to draw a become arguably Terre Haute’s most unique Haute from in Terre Haute in crowd of that size to a street corner, but Connie music venue, the place to go have a craft beer 2000. Accustomed to being able to go out and Wrin may have found it. Connie organizes and and open your ears to some cool sounds that listen to bands on a regular basis, she was dis- runs The Blues at the Crossroads Festival, you don’t generally get to hear in most bars. appointed when she looked around locally. “I which will be in its 15th year when it commenc- wanted to go out, but there was nowhere to go, es the weekend of Sept 11-12 this fall. “It In spite of what you may hear from so I thought, I’ll just have to open my own place. I had never even worked in a bar or res- club to local jazz musicians to gather and de- ton and Candlewood Suites, both relatively new taurant.” So she found an available building in light themselves and the crowd, and other nights additions to the next block east on Wabash, for the heart of the city, worked her ass off, and might offer open-mic opportunities or whatever providing generous rates for her acts. opened The Verve on January 1, 2001. seems to be right. As if opening The Verve from scratch weren’t The Verve may be best known for the variety of Check out The Verve’s website: http:// enough, Connie decided right away she was go- eclectic of bands that perform there. It took www.thevervenightclub.com, and you will find ing to move outside the box, and outside The some work for that to come about. Connie looks an impressive list of bands of all genres who Verve. Thus, The Blues at the Crossroads Festi- for something different, for bands with a pas- have played there and/or will be playing there val was born in 2001. “At first it was just a little sion for music. Many such bands toil away, soon. street party in front of The Verve, but it caught playing small venues, hitting the road not for on, and 5 or 6 years into it I decided to start a the money, but for the love of what they do. Most bands who land on The Verve’s stage non-profit so I could get some sponsorship and aren’t getting rich on the road. They generally help it grow.” “At first, I went out looking for acts. Eventually play for the door. They might have their fami- I established a base of bands who would stop by lies with them, or the band might just be the en- Grow it has. For two nights each September, on a regular basis.” One early booking was Guy Forsyth, a Texas blues/rock singer who has opened for Ray Charles and B. B. King, amog others. Forsyth liked what he saw and how he was treated enough to recommend The Verve to oth- ers he knew, and before long, the talent was seeking Connie. Willie Nelson’s son Lukas likes to make The Verve a stop in between gigs in larger cities, as do many of the bands she now books. “I get about 6 emails a day from bands look- ing to stop in and play. We are booked through May.” tire family. For these traveling troubadours it’s a three blocks of Wabash Avenue are closed, a way of life, a way to share the joy music brings stage is erected in the middle of the intersection, Most bands hit The Verve on Fridays and Satur- them. And they like the way they are treated and and up to 8,000 fans, many toting blankets, days, but if someone she knows is coming the reception they receive in Terre Haute, so lawn chairs, kids, and a love of music, are treat- through town on a different day, she’ll book they keep coming back. Connie has opened her ed to two days of tunes, food, drink, and music- them on any night. Monday nights she opens the home to some of them, and she credits The Hil- related activities. Last year 17 bands, along with some local choirs and groups, performed on website, “The school provides hands-on arts both the outdoor stage and the one inside The learning experiences for children, youth, and Verve. adults in the Wabash Valley while providing ISU students who are majoring in the arts op- Connie estimates she spends just over a hun- portunities for experiential learning through dred thousand dollars to put on the festival teaching.” Wrin credits Nyendick with being a each year. She charges major positive force in the just ten dollars a ticket  local arts community, some- for adults, and consider- one she can reach out to . ing what that sum pro- when she has an idea; she has vides and where the “I wanted to go many. “If even one kid gets money goes, no one inspired and into music from out, but there was Mark Wright was a 40 should be bitching something like this, then it’s -year English teacher, about it. Sometimes the nowhere to go, so I all been worth it.” he currently teaches festival shows a little at State Uni- versity, and he's the profit, sometimes not, thought, I’ll just The word “verve” is a noun. but if you talk with Merriam-Webster says it lead guitarist for The have to open my Crowe Committee in Connie for even a few means “great energy and en- Terre Haute. minutes, you will see own place. I had thusiasm” and “the spirit ani- that doesn’t matter to mating artistic composition her. never even worked or performance.” One day while she was reading a Vil- In years when she in a bar or restau- lage Voice, that word jumped doesn’t lose money, off the page at Connie Wrin ------profits go to the local rant.” and became a huge part of Boys and Girls Club or her life. It’s one of her favor- Image Attribution Stampead by Anne Ruth- other community agen-  ite words. She loves not only man is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0 cies reaching out to its meaning, but the way it people. Last year she sounds and the way it looks. was able to help fund 10 guitars and lessons Yeah, it looks very cool on the sign hanging for students with the help of Petra Nyendick, above the front door at 677 Wabash Avenue, director of Indiana State University’s Commu- Terre Haute, Indiana. And it fits perfectly nity School of the Arts. According to ISU’s what’s going on inside. Check it out.