Historically, Macomb and its surrounding region can boast of a long-standing tradition of musical talent.
Locally grown talent, combined with the transplanted talent of WIU students, faculty, and staff, have consistently provided an abundance of musicians and singers, as well as poets, artists, and thespians. Macomb has never been shortchanged in its ability to “put on a show.” This was no less true at the dawn of the 1960’s, when I was young.
Prior to the 60’s, the American fan base for folk music was very small but intensely devoted to folk music—particularly the recordings of Pete Seeger, The Weavers, Harry Belafonte, and Burl Ives (whose brother, Clarence, once owned a used car dealership in Macomb). But soon after the Kingston Trio released their first album in 1958, folk music, as a specific genre of interest, became increasingly popular. The Kingston Trio garnered a Grammy award for Best Ethnic and Traditional Folk recording in 1959, further expanding the fan base for folk music.
In March of 1962, Columbia Records released its first of many Bob Dylan albums.
Also, capitalizing on the growing popularity of folk music, ABC created a television variety program, Hootenanny, in October of 1963, featuring many popular folk music performers.
Sandwiched between these historical points, The Deep End coffee house opened its doors in late spring of 1963. Its primary purpose was to provide an opportunity for local folk musicians, poets, and artists to display their talents in a comfortable, supportive public venue.
In the early 1960’s, Macomb provided a variety of off-campus musical entertainment options, but these venues also tended to serve alcohol and, technically, limited their admission to those of legal drinking age. There were no commercial establishments featuring music in a non-alcohol environment.
The Deep End coffee house was seen as a viable niche that would appeal to those who wished to avoid the local “bar scene” and also welcome those below the legal drinking age of 21.
The Deep End was the brainchild of two WIU students – me, a senior Art major transplanted from the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, and Christopher Strong, a freshman Mathematics major and Macomb native. At the time, we were members of a campus folk singing ensemble initially formed in 1960, “The Wanderers,” who entertained periodically for campus events in the Macomb community.
The Deep End was located on the northeast corner of the Macomb Square, in the basement of what was later The Diamond Den. In 1963, this building housed the Sherwin Williams paint store. Today, a visit to the walkway between the Diamond Den building and the Century 21 (which at that time was the location of the Union National Bank) reveals a bricked-in doorway on the north wall of the Diamond Den, located about 12 feet east of the entrance to the walkway between these two buildings. That was the entrance to The Deep End.
The Deep End did not open without some initial resistance. WIU’s president, A.L. Knoblauch, operating on the in loco parentis principle which was in effect during that period, was concerned about students operating a gathering place off campus. In an effort to thwart the opening of The Deep End, he allegedly directed the state fire marshal to investigate the facility. Several minor infractions were discovered that required the coffee house owners to expand the width of the entry stairwell by one inch, create lighted exit signs, have the basement room re-wired, and install panic bars on the exit doorways. These modifications delayed the opening of the coffeehouse by about six weeks but were eventually completed.
Jack Horn, a Macomb business man who managed the Coca Cola bottling plant, and Ben Scheik, the manager of Dunsworth’s bookstore, were especially helpful in providing advice and assistance. A young Macomb Police office, Bill Thorpe, used to stop by while on his evening patrol to offer friendly words of encouragement. We would reciprocate with a cup of coffee and a song or two.
The basement space was large enough to accommodate about 50 patrons— seated around numerous two-foot square bistro tables, each holding a small glass-enclosed candle holder. The glass holders were of varied colors, and when all were lit in the darkened interior, the effect was attractive and intriguing. Two small, shaded ceiling lights gave the room a soft, warm glow.
The walls of the coffeehouse were adorned with various paintings donated by WIU art students. Bill Mitchell, an art major (WIU ’63), painted a large abstract mural, in luminous colors that were enhanced by the glow of candles and soft lighting. At one end of the room was the stage – a sixinch riser about eight feet square with an upright piano against one wall. The stage was enclosed on three sides with black velvet curtains and, during performances, was lit by a small spotlight.
The stage was small but large enough to accommodate the piano, a small drum kit, and a bass player or a four-person folk ensemble. The atmosphere was warm and intimate. The performers and audience were in very close proximity, and no voice or instrument amplification was necessary.
The Deep End was staffed by WIU student volunteers. Entertainers as well as servers and preparation staff were nearly all students, primarily Art and Theater majors with a smattering of English and Speech majors.
Robert Bostrum, a member of the Speech Department faculty, was a regular and favored folk singer/guitarist.
The wait-staff wore blue work shirts, a uniform that evolved from their cheap availability at Farm King.
It was not uncommon for a person who was serving coffee and sandwiches during the half-hour intermissions between shows to then appear on stage with a guitar or banjo to provide musical entertainment.
Every Friday and Saturday evening three shows were presented – each show lasting an hour, consisting of a 20-minute performance (the short act) and a 40-minute performance (the long act) by separate performers or ensembles. Folk singers and folk groups dominated the venues, but we also had occasional jazz or blues performers.
The shows were carefully scheduled at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30, with the last show ending at 12:30, allowing a half hour for the women students to return to their residence halls or homes in time to meet the 1:00 AM curfew imposed on women students.
Admission to each show was 75 cents, which included a cup of coffee and a sandwich. The Deep End served several coffee drinks, including mocha, café au-lait, and spiced coffee, as well as tea, hot chocolate, and Coke products. Ham salad sandwiches were the staple for both evenings, although tuna fish sandwiches were available on Friday evenings for the benefit of Catholic patrons.
An Open Stage session was held every Sunday evening. Persons were invited to the stage to present a ten-minute music or poetry performance, although folk music presentations predominated. One student read The Little Prince every Sunday night for months as therapy for a speech impediment. On Monday evenings, The Deep End gave free guitar and five-string banjo lessons to anyone who bought a cup of coffee.
Actually, there was some method to this madness.
Chris and I, as the owner/ operators, gave banjo and guitar lessons willingly to expand the local interest in folk music and to identify young talent that showed good growth potential. As these new talents improved their skills, they were encouraged to give a ten-minute open stage presentation at the Sunday evening sessions. If their performance was well received, the presenters were encouraged to develop a “short act” for one of the Friday or Saturday shows.
Some of these short acts eventually matured to long acts. WIU student Joseph Kelly was a good example of this process. After leaving WIU to return home to Chicago, Joe eventually became the lead guitarist for “The Shadows of Night,” a one-hit wonder group made famous by their song “G-L-O-R-I-A, Gloria.”
As The Deep End became more regionally known, folk performers from the West-Central Illinois region began to gravitate to the venue to perform. Although the majority of the performers were WIU students and faculty, local residents from Macomb and Bushnell, as well as from Peoria, Galesburg, Quincy and even Chicago, eventually found their way to The Deep End.
Increasing popularity of folk music nationwide led to numerous requests to provide folk music entertainment for various regional events, ranging from fund raisers to county fairs and college or high school concerts. So, in addition to running the coffeehouse, Chris and I found ourselves serving as booking agents, assembling folk music performance packages to meet growing public demand.
The Deep End also became a kind of de-facto “after party” location for various folk and jazz acts that appeared on stage at WIU concert performances.
The University Union board regularly brought visiting talent to The Deep End after their performances at Western. Performers such as Bob Gibson, Raun MacKinnon, and Josh White Jr. are among those who enjoyed the hospitality of The Deep End after their WIU presentations.
The Deep End continued operation for a little more than a year after its initial opening. I graduated from WIU at the close of the Fall Quarter in 1963 and began employment at a local architectural firm run by William “Bing” Coney. Although I continued involvement with The Deep End, the dual commitment to a full-time job plus performing and operating the coffeehouse proved to be burdensome, and so my commitment to the coffeehouse declined.
Likewise, Chris’s responsibilities as a full-time student holding two part-time jobs began to take its toll. The Deep End closed during the summer of 1964.
Closing night was a tearful, standing-room-only celebration of an only partially- anticipated achievement. The Deep End was not just a hangout, an entertainment venue, or a business. It had served as a temporary home for people who already lived in temporary homes.
The singers sang as the Blue Work Shirt Army dispensed the last cups of coffee. It seemed as though everyone who had ever been there was present on that final night, singing and hugging—and vowing to reunite.
