Noodle Trivia

The Slippery Noodle Inn was originally founded in 1850 as the Tremont House. At that time it was a roadhouse (predecessor to the Holiday Inn) and a bar. It has traditionally been owned by people of German descent and it was one of the first German clubs in Indianapolis. The Noodle has been through several name changes over the years. In the 1860's the name was changed to the Concordia House. This name came from the first German Lutheran immigrant ship to land in the new world (the Concord). As a side note, there is a cemetery on south Meridian Street named Concordia. In later years the name was changed to the Germania House. It remained the Germania House until the start of World War I at which time German associations were to be avoided: so the owner, Louis Beck, changed the name to Beck's Saloon. Prior to Prohibition, Walter Moore purchased the saloon and named it Moore's Beer Tavern. During Prohibition it was renamed Moore's Restaurant (although beer was still made in the basement.) After Prohibition ended in 1935, it was renamed Moore's Beer Tavern. In the late 1940's Boris Petercheff purchased the saloon. Another side note, Boris's son piloted the helicopter for President Lyndon B. Johnson when he came to town for the ground breaking of the downtown Post Office. He was killed shortly thereafter while test piloting an experimental jet. Boris ran the tavern until early 1963 when Emelia Finehout, the property owner took over. She found out all too quickly that she did not enjoy running a tavern, and promptly put the business up for sale.

Harold and Lorean Yeagy (Hal's parents) bought the bar in late 1963, taking final possession on December, Friday the 13th. The "Slippery Noodle Inn" was named by Hal's dad after a lengthy family debate (Hal was six years old). Names were thrown out for the family to vote on and at about 5 a.m. "Slippery Noodle Inn" sounded pretty darn good. The Noodle has remained in the Yeagy family since that time. Hal took over the bar in 1985 after his father's death. It has continued as a family business. Hal and his wife, Carol, have built this one-room lunch counter into the Midwest's premiere blues club. They are very much a “hands-on” team. Hal is responsible for the day-to-day operations while Carol books all of the entertainment and makes sure that the Noodle maintains its unique atmosphere. In recent years two of their children have become involved in the operation. Josh has done about every job imaginable, cleaning to cooking, bartending to banking. At present he is operations manager and is being groomed to eventually take over. Alecia has worked in the office for years and is now learning the downstairs operations. Sometimes it is hard to imagine this one-room, two- employee lunch counter becoming the Indianapolis staple that it is. With seating for 500 and over 60 employees, Live Blues is offered 7 nights a week, with two bands on two stages every Friday & Saturday. A full service menu is available until 11pm nightly with a snack menu until the wee hours. The Noodle has become a large operation that has continued to maintain that “Family” tradition and neighborhood bar feel.

The "Inn" has been used in all types of activities. In the Civil War years it was a way station for the

history.pub Underground Railroad. Later years saw a bordello open in the once luxurious Inn. It remained open until 1953 when a patron was killed. Two customers of the bordello got into an argument over one of the women, one killing the other and leaving the bloody knife on the bar. During Prohibition the Brady & Dillinger gangs used the building in back, originally built as a horse stable for the Inn, for target practice. Several of the slugs remain embedded in the lower east wall. In addition to liquor and beer being distilled in the building, cattle and swine were slaughtered and butchered in the basement. The meat hooks and water lines can still be found in the basement.

The ceiling in the front barroom is made from pressed tin. It was installed circa 1890. The "tiger oak" bar and back bar are well over a 100 years old and believed to be original. The trough at the edge of the bar was used as the cash register in the olden days. The "honor" system worked or else the colt 45 did! The Noodle is the oldest commercial building left standing in Indianapolis and the Tremont House sign painted on the north side of the building dates back to the 1850's.

Musicians who have played at the Slippery Noodle include John Mayall, Albert Collins, Buddy Miles, Charlie Musselwhite, Jr. Wells, Rick Derringer, Rare Earth, Edgar Winter, Savoy Brown, Commander Cody, Sam Lay, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Blue Lou Marini, Alan Rubin, Pinetop Perkins, Lonnie Brooks, Lonnie Mack, Savoy Brown, Bryan Lee, Tinsley Ellis, Tab Benoit, Studebaker John, Magic Dick & Jay Geils, G.E. Smith, Jimmy Thackery, Jim Schwall, James Cotton, Downchild Blues Band, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Larry Crane, Yank Rachell, Carmine Appice, Leslie West, Elvin Bishop, Duke Robillard, Country Joe McDonald, Ronnie Earl, Little Charlie and the Night Cats, A.C. Reed, Sugar Blue, The Nighthawks, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Johnny Clyde Copeland to name a few.

Celebrities to visit the Slippery Noodle include Harrison Ford, Billy Joel, Joe Montana, Spike Lee, Dave Matthews, John Entwistle, Gene Simmons, Jeff Healy, Brett Favre, Mick Fleetwood, Jerry Stiller, Neil Diamond, David Boreanaz, Anthony Edwards, Patrick Dempsey, Alyson Hannigan, Greg Allman, Steve Howe & Alan White, Harry Connick Jr., Hootie & the Blowfish, Bruce Smith, Liza Minelli, Matt LeBlanc, Johnny Rivers, Joe Ely, Keb Mo, Vince Neil, Oasis, Robert DeNiro, Greg Kinnear, Al Unser, Cheap Trick, Antone Fig, Walt Willy, Ernest Borgnine, Stephen Stills, Peyton Manning, Kid Rock, Ken Dilger, Jalen Rose, Bobby Rahal, Larry Drake, David Hasselhoff, Bill Cowher, AJ from the Backstreet Boys, Jason Priestley, Tom Izzo, Jud Heathcoat, Gene Keady and the list goes on and on. IN RECENT HISTORY THE "NOODLE" HAS HAD ITS CLAIM TO FAME 2008, BEST OF CITYSEARCH, “Best Bar” 2008-2001, BEST OF CITYSEARCH, “Best Live Music Venue” 2007-1992, NUVO READERS POLL, "Best Blues Bar" 2008, 2005, INTAKE MAGAZINE, “Best Live Music Venue” 2003, KBA (Blues Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive) Blues Club of the Year 2001-1999, INDIANAPOLIS MONTHLY READERS POLL, “Best Bar” 2001, 1994 & 91, The JAZZ and BLUES LOVERS GUIDE TO THE U.S., "The oldest bar in Indiana is also the Best Blues Bar in Indianapolis" 2001, www.blues-lounge.com, “Blues Venue of the Year” 1998 & 95, INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM, 4 VISTA AWARDS 1997, 96 & 95, NUVO READERS POLL, “Best Bar”, “Best Blues Bar” 1996, BLUES REVUE, 1 of the Top 20 Blues Venues Nationally 1996 The Governors Award of Excellence in Recycling. 1993 DETAILS MAGAZINE, 1 of the best 300 clubs in the U.S. and 1 of 19 blues bars listed

Slippery Noodle Sound In late 1993, Live from the Slippery Noodle Inn Volume 1 was recorded and a new enterprise founded - Slippery Noodle Sound - Indiana’s Only Blues Recording Label. Since then, 12 CD’s have been released - Gene Deer and Gordon Bonham have new releases: Livin’ With the Blues & Low Down & Blue, Live Vol 1 Vol 2 & Vol 3 featuring Pat Boyack & the Prowlers, Cooler Kings, David Morgan, Blue Lou & the Accusations (2 Releases), Yank Rachell/David Morgan, Pig Trader Blues & Jimmy Ley. history.pub