Tuesday nights can be slow and sleepy. That is, unless you swing by Indeed Brewing Company.
Tucked within Northeast Minneapolis, Indeed has come to embody the hip spirit of the neighborhood: artsy, beery and surprisingly musical. Their weekly improvised jazz shows — a series called “From Scratch in the Ox” — give people the opportunity to sit down, relax and enjoy an evening of musical innovation.
Every Tuesday, a different band sets up in the Ox Taproom, Indeed’s secondary taproom, to play for a few hours, their genres ranging from blues and Americana to folk and traditional jazz. It’s always improvised and never the same.
“The idea of ‘From Scratch’ is that the band is creating something spontaneous, something in the moment, something from scratch in front of everyone,” Eli Awada said, public relations and programming director at Indeed. “We’re really just trying to capture the raw feel of a live, in-the-moment, creative process. It’s kind of like an open rehearsal.”
The setup is intimate. Bands gather in the corner of the Ox, their instruments and microphones sat on top of a patterned rug while hanging plants and toned lights frame the room. Miniature disco balls twirl in the window frames.
The room’s coziness is an asset, drawing in performers from across the Twin Cities.
“It’s a really fun living room-esque room,” Awada said of the Ox. “There’s a lot of different kinds of bands that can fit in this space.”
On March 10, Indeed celebrated “Mario Day” — because March 10 can be written MAR10 — with a night of live jazz arrangements of Mario and Nintendo music by local group Abandon Quest. Two weeks later, on March 24, the Nelson Devereaux Trio brought what chief business officer Ryan Bandy described as “cool, weird, experimental jazz.”
No matter who’s playing, though, the audience leans in and listens.
“It’s a very receptive crowd,” Awada said. “The people coming here are coming to watch the music and pay attention. It’s not much of the band playing to the room, and everyone’s having a conversation — it’s more like everyone’s keyed into what’s happening.”
“From Scratch” has been an evolving project. The Ox was initially a private event space, only open when groups booked it or on occasional weekends, but that began to change a few years ago when Bandy decided to put the space to new use.
“I saw a little bit of a gap, if you go to other cities, of just a random room on a random night that has pretty cool music and is free,” Bandy said. “The goal here, since we have this extra space rather than our normal taproom, was to say, ‘okay, on Tuesday, we’re going to do jazz.’”
Bandy has been at Indeed for 12 years, working in packaging, the taproom and sales before stepping into his role of chief business officer two years ago. He said Indeed began to transform the Ox slowly, getting plants, purchasing audio equipment and cultivating parts of the room.
About a year ago, Indeed honed in on what type of bands they wanted to host, but it’s only been over the last few months that “From Scratch” became what it is today: free music every week, a different band and spur-of-the-moment creation.
“I don’t want your set list, I don’t want the thing you might do at the other venue,” Bandy said he tells the bands. “I want you to just f— around. I want to give you space to stretch, try new stuff, bring up weird people who don’t normally play with you.”
The jazz series has built up a fanbase of both performers and audience members. Tanner Shank, who has bartended at Indeed for six months, said the Tuesday performances have gained a lot of regulars.
“We provide a great third space. If people don’t want to be at home and are not at work, they need a space to just hang out,” Shank said.
Even as the music booms, people chatter with their friends. Some type on laptops, finishing assignments and sending emails, while others leaf through magazines absentmindedly. Many sit at tables watching the band, beers in hand.
For those who don’t want music, the main taproom is still open for drinks and conversation throughout the evening.
“Here, you get two different experiences: you can just hang out, or you can go over here in this beautiful room and now this thing’s happening,” Bandy said.
Indeed opened its doors in 2012, one of 13 breweries that popped up in the state that year. Its warm atmosphere sets it apart from others, featuring a taproom with a wooden ceiling, hanging lights and no obtrusive brew tanks in sight. They opened another brewery and taproom in Milwaukee in 2019.
The company manufactures beer and THC-infused beverages, including its lauded Flavorwave IPA and Pistachio Cream Ale. Other events include their annual spring festival, Whirlygig and their summer concert series, Off the Dock.
Unsure about the jazz? Take Bandy’s advice: “It’s worth stopping by for a beer.”