Photography by Clint Kearney
For generations, music has been a form of art that brings people together. Whether in venues that fit thousands of people, or in more intimate settings, the ways in which live music brings people together are endless.
Music connects, and there are leaders in Indy’s local music-centered communities that go a step further to make space for that connection. Tom Lageveen (Solid Squares) and Leon Johnson (Airport People) are the hosts of Subtle Notes, a monthly evening of live experimental ambient music hosted at Commissary. Every third Thursday the two, along with featured musicians, use the space to experiment for an attentive audience.
“The most important part of what Subtle Notes is, is to connect people with the local experimental and ambient artists,” Johnson says.
Indianapolis is home to venues that encourage and provide space for experimentation—like east side’s State Street Pub—but Lageveen and Johnson wanted to find a way to get regular gigs and play with different people. They had hosted an event at Commissary before and things went well. They both knew the manager of the shop, TJ Dougherty, so they thought it’d be the perfect fit for their idea.
Lageveen and Johnson host the night and welcome featured guests. Each person plays their own piece, and sometimes they do a collaborative set at the end like with November’s featured guest, Jesse Lee.
“There’s so much cool music in this city and so many people we love going to see play shows. We wanted to get as many people involved in it as possible,” Lageveen says.
The musicians set up at a bench along the east wall in Commissary and play their tunes. The audience is generally quiet, taking in each unique sound and letting the music create the tone, as it should. Carefully crafted cocktails by Dougherty are spread across tables. There is light chatter near the bar, but everyone is present. Ambient music is quite engaging, and well, subtle. Johnson and Lageveen have created a space that combines these energies brilliantly.
“This space is low pressure. Come and try out new things, you know? And people can witness that process of other people creating, or be a part of it,” Lageveen says.
Both Lageveen and Johnson have been playing music since they were young. Johnson started with violin, and now piano is his main focus. He also picked up guitar and bass along the way playing in jazz combos and rock bands. Lageveen has been playing drums in bands for years, but started playing the saxophone around four years ago. The two met at Purdue, attending open mics and playing in basements, and remained friends as they moved to Indianapolis.
The two of these musicians are both creative and passionate in their art. In addition to running Subtle Notes, the two have their own music projects. Johnson describes his music project, Airport People, as ambient and neoclassical. His latest release, From Nine Mornings, is an album consisting of melodies he recorded on his piano each morning in 2020. In November, Lageveen released his Solid Squares CD and accompanying zine, Places. The zine is a visual representation of the music designed by Dylan Schwab. Lageveen uses saxophone and electronics on the CD and in his live performances at Subtle Notes.
The next Subtle Notes is next Thursday, January 19th featuring Heath, and Gary Hotdog. The music starts at 8:00 p.m., but get there early to snag a cocktail and settle in for a night of tonal and atmospheric sounds.
