Get To The Gig; The Last Hurrah: Jackson Inn’s Celebrating
It’s with heavy hearts and full beers that we raise our glasses in farewell to one of Delaware’s most iconic and eclectic music venues, Jackson Inn. After over 100 years of serving the community, on Saturday March 25, the Jackson Inn is gathering some of the best talent in the area for one last hurrah before it turns off its luminous glowing neon light for the final time.
Lauren & The Homewreckers & Sug Daniels at an album release show at Jackson Inn; Photo Credit Nathalie Antonov
With its outdated interior and stuck-to-the-barstool regulars, Jackson Inn swooped in and offered a safe haven and an unlikely atmosphere for up-and-coming artists, comedians, and touring musicians for the last several years. We chatted with Michael Koh, the Booking Agent, Sound Tech, and Marketing Director for Jackson Inn, about how this venue went from being an outlier in the scene to one of Delaware’s premier venues for discovering new music.
(Micheal Koh manning the soundboard at Jackson Inn; Photo Credit Robert Pfeiffer)
“In a lot of ways, my involvement in the music community as an organizer was born out of necessity. Matt Morrissette (1984) and Pat McCutcheon (Oddity Bar) had created an oasis for original music on the west side of town, where people could play their first shows on Friday and then see a touring band on Saturday. Those are the kind of rooms that grow the community. They were doing all of the legwork, I was just showing up to play or listen. Then, 2020.
I popped into the Jackson Inn for a beer one day, and bartender/manager Eva Hughes asked me if I’d book some bands. In the live music void without 84/Oddity, she and owner Freddy Bourdin took a chance and opened up the JI to all of us. Finding a cozy room that sounds great is rare (but no mistake thanks to Pete Romano, Mark Stallard, and Phil Young who built the stage and installed the sound), and I want everyone to remember the talent that graced the stage, the cigarette machine, the flags, and how much it felt like a community.”
I don’t want it to seem like I’m the only person doing it, because there are a bunch of other people propping up their end of the community like Rainbow Records and Spaceboy Clothing and Argilla Brewery and a bunch of other great folks. But what we really need is a big load bearing tent pole like the JI or 84/Oddity.”
(Musician Rebel Natty and Eva Hughes)
“…. I plan on staying involved in the music scene. We all need to stay involved if we want to experience and create authentic local culture, ya know? There’s so much talent around here, it deserves to be showcased. I started a Monday night livestream from my basement with some friends (follow Koh Show on Facebook), and hopefully that can give bands some opportunities to play and create content and stay engaged with the community.”
No comment from the Jackson Inn at the time.
With another mid level venue closing its doors it leaves many music makers and lovers wondering, where do we go now? With so many theaters and music halls in the state having a large overhead and demanding crowd sizes that beginner bands can’t deliver, it’s vital to continue to show up, buy tickets, and support the bands connecting us one performance at a time.
