Bringing live music to the heart of Vermillion

 There are many small businesses lined up along Main Street in downtown Vermillion. There is one that looks like a movie theater from the outside but is actually a live music venue inside. That is The AV Lounge.

     From electronic dance music (EDM) to bluegrass to noise projects, The AV Lounge has hosted every genre of live music for almost four years, amounting to more than 100 shows. Co-owner Joe Raiche wanted to create a place that did not just have music but was made for music.

     “As a performer, a lot of times you’re stuck in a corner, you’re not given very good equipment, nobody is even running your sound, you’re an afterthought,” Raiche said. “So the idea is playing at a place that is for the music, where you are the thing that people are coming to see.”

     Raiche saw a hole in the local music scene and wanted to fill it. He first came to Vermillion for graduate school. Afterward, he was hired by the university, where he still works today. His history of performing and love for live music led him to start the business here with his wife.

     “As new years of students come in, the hope is to get them through the door. For them to think ‘oh there’s stuff going on here that’s not just going to a bar, and that’s not just the same old same old,’” Raiche said.

      The AV lounge hosts a variety of all-ages shows and has seen a diverse audience, from preteens to senior citizens. The venue also hosts a wide variety of performances, including comedy,live readings and poetry nights.

     “It is an open and inclusive environment for all types of patrons,” Owen Mechling, who has workeed on lighting design for The AV, said. Inclusivity is a priority for the owners. They have hosted events such as a pride prom to provide more people with a safe space.

     The space lends itself to a listening atmosphere. Since it is a refurbished movie theater, all eyes in the audience go directly to the stage. Anyone from the very front to the very back still gets a clear view, along with the benefit of the theater’s acoustics.

     “The AV Lounge is the best place to watch a band’s vision come to life,” Mechling said. 

     The AV Lounge serves performers and audience members alike, providing a space to watch, listen and dance.

     In addition to the performances it hosts , The AV Lounge offers a songwriter group and an album club. The album club is essentially a book club for albums. The album club meets once a month to discuss one “classic” album and one new album. 

     This year, the venue is trying something new: a Halloween-themed show. The AV Lounge is hosting an all-ages event called “The Black Cat Ball,” presented by The Verm Cats. This show includes four hours of EDM music and a costume contest.

     “Its a great opportunity to escape into the fog and lasers, be amongst people and listen to some good tunes,” Raiche said.

     The Black Cat Ball will be on the day before Halloween at 8 p.m. There will be a $10 cover charge at the door.

Photo Credit: Madyson Jarrott