By Leslie L. Fuller
Since 1982, when David Andrichik bought the Chatterbox dive bar on Indianapolis’ storied Massachusetts Avenue, jazz music has floated from the small venue each night into the wee hours of the morning.
Regulars packed the colorful space, often following a specific Naptown musician playing there regularly, like saxophonist Rob Dixon on Mondays, The Tucker Brothers on Wednesdays, Steven Alexander Jones on Thursdays, or guitarist Charlie Ballantine.
Over the decades, it’s been a place where locals pass on local jazz lore, like the tale of how Cannonball Adderly discovered Wes Montgomery, or witness history themselves, as when Wynton Marsalis jammed there with his band after a gig at the Murat.
But in the wake of Governor Eric Holcomb’s order closing Hoosier nightclubs and restaurants, Andrichik suddenly found himself sitting in silence, calculating how much money could be saved by “stopping the water machine, pausing the cable.”
The cultural jewel at 435 Massachusetts Avenue was suddenly “an empty space, not doing business.”
at the Chatterbox
“I have savings, but that won’t last very long,” Andrichik reflected.
He was concerned for the fans, musicians and staff as well. “I have seven bartenders/servers, technically I’m the eighth one.
“I think everyone is scrambling to pay their bills. Some musicians have teaching jobs, but after the semester they won’t be paid.”
To handle the challenge, the club owner said he’s been upping his workouts through the now empty streets.
“The number one we definitely will come through this with, will be the lessons we will learn,” Andrichik reflected. But he pointed out the cost and duration of those lessons is still unknown.
