The Orbit Room, a beloved Bloomington live music venue, celebrated its five-year anniversary this week, Oct. 17 - 21. The pub opened in Oct. 2018.
Locals know the pub for its gourmet hot dogs, arcade, music events, trivia nights, comedy shows and author readings. The famous hot dogs, owner Mike Klinge said, were his idea.
Klinge said he wanted to create a place the community could use for musical performances that wasn’t just catered to one type of crowd. He wants The Orbit Room to be a place where everyone can have a good time. Their plan is to keep their doors open for as long as possible.
“We are looking forward to meeting people that are new to Bloomington,” Klinge said. “We could always use new faces in The Orbit Room.”
The underground pub is decorated with string lights, multicolored lamps and small wooden tables. Though Klinge said the bar struggled throughout the pandemic, they were able to come back stronger with a wider variety of food options and open their doors to people of all ages instead of just people over 21. At The Orbit Room, kids, families, college students and locals can enjoy the music.
The Orbit Room hosted events five nights in a row in honor of their anniversary including trivia night, karaoke and multiple live performances by both local and non-local bands. Glitter Brains, SoundR LampN, Ray Flanagan, The New Old Cavalry, Chicago Farmer, Wonderhills and Kay Krule took the stage throughout the week.
At 5 p.m. Friday, a crowd of people filed down the stairs and into the dimly lit Orbit Room where Chicago Farmer was set to perform at one of the anniversary shows. Chicago Farmer is the stage name of Cody Diekhoff, who has been songwriting and performing for 20 years and currently resides in Illinois.
In true Indiana spirit, Diekhoff wore a cowboy hat and a button-down jacket.
Diekhoff described himself as a working-class folk musician to his core. He wants listeners to know his music is for everyone, from both big and small towns, although he said he prefers playing for smaller crowds.
“I know there’s candles in here, but that doesn’t mean we have to be fancy,” Diekhoff said.
Chicago Farmer sings folk songs about $15 beer, loneliness and farming, things his Indiana fans may find relatable. The crowd cheered and sang along as Diekhoff performed his 90-minute set featuring acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Diekhoff listened to punk rock and grunge throughout his childhood in rural Illinois before discovering a friend’s dad playing Hank Williams. This, he said, was a revelation.
Many audience members at The Orbit Room had seen him perform at festivals around the state. He likes to talk to people who enjoy his music because he knows it’s possible they have a lot in common, he said.
A frequent guest at The Orbit Room, IU student Emma Shapiro said she has been following Chicago Farmer on Spotify for a long time.
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“To have him come to The Orbit Room, which is one of my favorite venues, was truly such a treat,” Shapiro said. “The Orbit Room is such a quaint venue, and compared to Bluebird it is so much more intimate. I hope there are many years with (The Orbit Room) to come.”
During his set, Diekhoff commented on the cozy little bar and all that it has to offer.
“Man, it smells so good in here,” Diekhoff said during his performance. “Vegan dogs and popcorn and beer. What else do we need in life, ladies and gentlemen?”
