When a former member of the Rolling Stones played in Skip's Lounge in downtown Angola a few years back, he decided he was going to help make a name for the place.
It was six years ago or so-a couple of years after Steve and Clark "Skip" Hamilton decided to add blues to their current entertainment lineup of rock n' roll.
"When A.C. Reed came in six years ago, after the first set he said, 'I love this place. We're going to put this place on the map," Steve Hamilton said.
Reed, who used to play saxophone for the Rolling Stones and now has his own blues band, A.C. Reed and the Sparkplugs, might have put Skip's on the map by talking up the local club in Chicago blues and jazz circles.
It's taken some work and sacrifice on the local end, too.
What's definite is that on about any given Wednesday night,Skip's, with its exposed brick walls and musical instruments adorning them, gets jumping and swaying.
It could be just about anyplace, say in Chicago or some other metropolitan city where an old downtown building has been preserved, even developed, in such a manner as to attract people wishing to be entertained.
But it's Skip's Lounge where acts from all across the United States-the word, actually-have been making stops in recent years.
Steve Hamilton credits music lovers from the Steuben County area for making his and his father's lounge a success.
"I just love the people in this town. They're just so responsive. A hundred people in this place can sound like 200. I always hear from the bands that they love the people who come in this place," Steve said.
While it may be the people whomake the bands feel welcome, it has been Steve and Skip Hamilton who have brought the bands to Angola, sometimes taking risks on high-priced, national and international acts that can either make or break a club.
Skip's Lounge has been a fixture in downtown Angola for decades, providing people with a venue in which they may grab a bite to eat, wet their whistles or listen to live music on weekends.
With their recent move to adding blues over the past six years or so, Skip's has become known as one of the premier blues spots in the Midwest, if not the country.
Some of the top names in blues, such as Chris Cain, Tinsley Ellis, Donna Davies and the like have been at Skip's.
When a former member of the Rolling Stones played in Skip's Lounge in downtown Angola a few years back, he decided he was going to help make a name for the place.
It was six years ago or so-a couple of years after Steve and Clark "Skip" Hamilton decided to add blues to their current entertainment lineup of rock n' roll.
"When A.C. Reed came in six years ago, after the first set he said, 'I love this place. We're going to put this place on the map," Steve Hamilton said.
Reed, who used to play saxophone for the Rolling Stones and now has his own blues band, A.C. Reed and the Sparkplugs, might have put Skip's on the map by talking up the local club in Chicago blues and jazz circles.
It's taken some work and sacrifice on the local end, too.
What's definite is that on about any given Wednesday night,
Skip's, with its exposed brick walls and musical instruments adorning them, gets jumping and swaying.
It could be just about anyplace, say in Chicago or some other metropolitan city where an old downtown building has been preserved, even developed, in such a manner as to attract people wishing to be entertained.
But it's Skip's Lounge where acts from all across the United States-the word, actually-have been making stops in recent years.
Steve Hamilton credits music lovers from the Steuben County area for making his and his father's lounge a success.
"I just love the people in this town. They're just so responsive. A hundred people in this place can sound like 200. I always hear from the bands that they love the people who come in this place," Steve said.
While it may be the people who make the bands feel welcome, it has been Steve and Skip Hamilton who have brought the bands to Angola, sometimes taking risks on high-priced, national and international acts that can either make or break a club.
Skip's Lounge has been a fixture in downtown Angola for decades, providing people with a venue in which they may grab a bite to eat, wet their whistles or listen to live music on weekends.
With their recent move to adding blues over the past six years or so, Skip's has become known as one of the premier blues spots in the Midwest, if not the country.
Some of the top names in blues, such as Chris Cain, Tinsley Ellis, Donna Davies and the like have been at Skip's.
A few weeks ago Bernard Allison visited Skips for his first performance. Allison who has lived in Paris the last 10 years made his way to Skip's after a date in New York.
Upon entering small town America, Allison and his band was a little apprehensive but after a great performance and a rousing reception by about 175 people Allison was happy to have played Skip's and wants to play the place on his next tour of the U.S.
"It's people like that that just makes it all worth while," Steve said.
And it's all because of a love of the music and a want to bring top quality blues to Angola.And it's all because of a love of the music and a want to bring top quality blues to Angola.
"It's one of the really good clubs. It's got great acoustics and great seating. It's just a really great place," said Doug Driscoll who is editor and publisher of WhatzUp magazine, a weekly that covers entertainment in northeast Indiana.
"It's just a real nice club," continued the editor of the Columbia City-based magazine.
"It's a long drive from Fort Wayne but the times I've made the drive it's been well worth it."
That Skip's is catering to a market that enjoys blues should come as no surprise to those who know Steve, the son of Skip who man ages the lounge. Steve Hamilton decided to bring the blues to Angola at a time when not too many clubs in the Midwest, save those in cities such as Chicago and Detroit, were catering to live music scenes other than rock 'n roll and country.
Steve Hamilton, simply put, loves the blues. And from his vantage point as the man who makes entertainment booking decisions for Skip's, Steve has been able to build up a reputation in this region as a place that welcomes top notch entertainers and provides a nice atmosphere in which to watch those acts that hail from coast to coast.
"The people that are successful at it are really into the blues," Driscoll said.
Steve Hamilton admits that his intention was somewhat selfish when he decided to bring the blues to Angola.
"We're not just doing it for the artists. We just love the blues," Steve said.
And he admits that he was gambling with a club that has made it's name with cover bands that cater to the weekend rock crowds.
With the blues, Skip's has brought to Angola a type of entertainment that caters to an older crowd.
And it's a crowd that, while many are local, has been growing in it's reach throughout Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. In fact, during the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Blues Festival, the official program lists Skip's among the area clubs offering blues entertainment. At a recent blues festival in Fort Wayne at Headwaters Park, Skip's was invited to be a sponsor.
These days, Skip's doesn't have to go hunting for bands to play, although some would rather not play on Wednesday nights. Still, at the start of fall, the place was fairly solidlv booked up to spring of 1999. On some nights, two or three bands are on a waiting list as potential backups.
They're just stacking up. They just want to play Skip's," Steve said.
That sort of success has allowed Steve and Skip Hamilton the opportunity to experiment with other types of music such as reggae and zydeco. So look for Skips to broaden it's musical horizon in the coming year.
As swing enjoys an uptick in popularity, particularly with younger adults, Steve is looking to add a few swing bands to Skip's lineup. And don't be surprised if Skip's adds a Sunday blues fest or two.
"We're going to do some more experimenting," Steve said.
And it's experimenting with music that has made Skip's what it is today. Michael Marturello