Beloved Venue Duke’s Indy Decides To Close Its Doors

Whenever you meet someone from Indianapolis or the greater Indiana region who also happens to be into the independent side of country music, they’ll invariably bring up Duke’s in conversation. Though most people even in Indianapolis probably haven’t even heard of the joint, in the circles of people who really know their stuff, it’s world-renown.

With an intimate capacity of 125, an iconic (if not abrupt) neon sign proclaiming “Please Shut The Fuck Up,” and another simply stating “Honest,” it’s a place where true, heartfelt songs and music reign supreme.

“We have a really special thing going here, and a really loyal following,” says the current owner Patrick Kennedy. “It’s just really hard to get it profitable. The whole city doesn’t know about it, but those that do are fanatical about it. It’s just a great community that respects artists and up-and-coming artist especially, and that really cares about the music.”

But just like the Coupland Dancehall down in Texas, the Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace out in Bakersfield, not to mention the High Horse Saloon in Houston, or Art Bouyiti Music Hall in San Jose that have all announced closings in the last week, Duke’s Indy has decided it’s time to move on. Despite a super loyal community of patrons, and even rising revenue year over year, skyrocketing costs have made the math impossible, resulting in another crucial incubator for talent, and haven for touring musicians to call it quits.

Dustin Boyer opened Duke’s in March of 2018 during a blizzard. Boyer grew up listening to traditional country being played on his grandfather’s record player. When Boyer opened the venue, he decided to name it after his grandfather Hayes Boyer, who was affectionately known as “Duke.” The venue’s eagle logo comes from one of his grandfather’s old belt buckles. The eagle was missing one leg, and so the logo has a missing leg too.

When Dustin Boyer passed away suddenly in April of 2021, many many were worried that’s where the legacy of Duke’s would end. But the community and spirit Dustin seeded in the venue/restaurant wouldn’t be vanquished that easily. Patrick Kennedy was a welder who started a band in his welding shop, and started playing at Duke’s. At the end of 2023 when the lease was up, he heard they might have to close up shop, and stepped up to help keep it open. But with the two year lease ending at the end of 2025, they have decided to close up shop after a final run of shows.

“We’ve tried everything. We’ve given it our all. And we’re still not even really close to being profitable,” Patrick laments. “I offered our manager Amanda and chef Derek to basically give them the business to keep this place going. But we’ve thought about it, and with our location, the current state of the environment, and our limited capacity, none of us feel like we can be profitable here.”

Amanda Scott was a 4th Grade teacher when she decided to start moonlighting and working at Duke’s on the weekends for some extra bucks. Just like most everyone who walks through the doors at Duke’s, she fell in love with the place, the music it showcases, the community it fosters, and soon quit teaching to become the full-time manager.

“The bittersweet thing that our sales metrics, they’re fantastic,” Amanda explains. “We’re up double digit percentage points for the past couple of years. But costs have risen so significantly, like utilities. It’s been really important to us to keep everything affordable. Our prices are up maybe a couple bucks, or 50 cents. But the cost in some cases have doubled from five years ago. So the margins overall are far thinner.”

Just like the proprietors of the Coupland Dancehall and the Crystal Palace, Duke’s Indy says booking has also become more difficult. Though some artists might sell more tickets, perform in front of a more attentive audience, and enjoy a better overall experience at Duke’s, they sometimes they get passed over for the bigger venues.

“There’s no industry standard really, and there’s a lot of hands in the till,” says Amanda Scott. “When artists decide to select their booking folks, Willi Carlisle once said, ‘It took me a long time to decide if I was okay giving away a piece of me.’ And that’s what you do. That relationship is really important. There’s just a lot of hands in it, trying to get something. And a lot of people are operating off of some antiquated ideas of how things should go.”

Amanda Scott cites a 2024 study from the National Independent Venue Association, or NIVA, that states that 64% of independent venues are unprofitable, and 22% are in peril. “That’s almost a quarter. That’s a lot. Then what happens for these artists that are trying to build? Is it just going to be house shows? Is it going to be selling themselves on the internet making content until somebody notices, until they’re able to play larger rooms?”

Owner Patrick Kennedy adds, “The big, obvious behemoth in the room is that Ticketmaster and Live Nation have just kind of taken over. Everyone else is just getting crushed.”

As Amanda Scott points out, when you go to larger venues or corporate-owned venues, you don’t know who’s in charge, or who the stakeholders are. At a place like Duke’s, they’re right there in front of you. They’re clearing tables or tending the bar.

“It’s so important to us to provide hospitality. This isn’t just a venue. This is a community. This is kinship. This is a place where if you walk in and you don’t know anybody, give it a half hour, and you’ve met these like-minded people that believe in the same things you do musically. It can really build bridges between people with stark ideological differences, which is a space that we’ve proudly occupied that’s going to be gone.”

The small capacity of Duke’s Indy might be one of the challenges for the business. But for the music, it’s one of its greatest assets. It creates an intimacy other venues just can’t rival, which gives way to unforgettable experiences with memorable artists. It’s also made Duke’s an invaluable stepping stone for performers where they can get some of their first opportunities in front of audiences, and earn some of their first and most important fans.

“We had Sierra Ferrell here on a Monday or Tuesday for a free show,” Amanda recalls. “You’ll hear probably 75 to 100 people swear they were here. But it was probably about 15. Then she played in a much larger room last year, and stopped into to see the place again. Willi Carlile came here to get the blessing of folk music out to folks. It hurts, but he’s definitely got too big of a following for our room now, which we love. The goal is that they can outgrow us.”

North Carolina’s Town Mountain as another Duke’s success story. Just like Duke’s, Town Mountain has also decided their current run of shows will be their final season. Patrick Kennedy says, “Robert of Town Mountain emailed me last night and said ‘Man, I’ve played all over the country. Duke’s might be my favorite spot to play.’ The bands all want to play here. But we do struggle with the booking agents. When a place is under 200 capacity, sometimes they don’t even want to give us the time of day.”

Amanda adds, “We want this to be a place on the tour schedule for a band where they know they’re going to be treated with respect and kindness. We’ve been told they’re just counting down until they can get to this place because they go through a lot. That’s a huge part of our mission, not just give them a place to play and sell merch.”

But Duke’s always presented a unique set of challenges, even if it became a favorite of performers and patrons.

“We’re in a terrible location,” Patrick Kennedy admits. “We’re in a very industrial spot in town. We’re the only bar and restaurant around. There’s no neighborhood traffic. As an independent venue, a huge boost is passer by traffic. Duke’s does have a very loyal brand and following, but it’s a destination spot. Everybody’s got to drive to us.”

But Duke’s Indy is going out the right way, riding off into the sunset as opposed to abruptly padlocking the doors, cancelling shows, and leaving bands and ticketholders in the lurch like so many shuttered venues are forced to do. Along with a slate of already announced shows leading up to their official closing on November 22nd, 2025, they’ll have a handful of special return performances, with a grand finale to close it all out.

“We’re looking forward to making more memories,” Amanda says. “We probably could go until we fade out, but it’s so much better to end on a high note rather than sacrifice the experience we have been able to create. We don’t want to do this ’till the wheels fall off. We want everyone to be able to leave here in one piece. Even though we know what’s ahead, it’s really hard. They’re probably going to have to drag us kicking and screaming from the place.”

And even when Duke’s Indy is no longer open, the memories, the music careers, and the community it built will still keep going in the hearts of everyone who got an opportunity to perform or be entertained within its walls.

“There’s such a price to pay when you do something for the love of it,” says Amanda Scott. “You can’t really pay the bills with love and appreciation. I keep thinking of this cheesy poem that says, ‘If love could save us, we would never die.’ Because of that impact, because of that love, Duke’s never will. And that definitely gives me some comfort. It’s so far beyond this building. It’s so far beyond the ‘Please Shut The Fuck Up’ sign. We’re woven into people’s lives and their stories. People met their partner here. People had their wedding here. It’s family, it’s kinship. And it will be forever.”

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