Fans of the indie label Joyful Noise Recordings will find more than records at its shop in Fountain Square, Indianapolis. Behind the check-out counter is a mysterious blue door fixed with the Eye of Providence; this leads to the tiny Museum of Psychphonics.
What’s that, you ask? According to the founders, it’s “an encyclopedic collection of curiosities, oddities, mysteries, and the ephemeral evidence of the psychphonic activity pulsating at the edges of our society.” Which is a convoluted way of saying there’s a bunch of weird shit in the room, including a tidy collection of “sacred dirt samples” from around the world and a Baby Mothership UFO that used to fly over the audience at P-Funk concerts in the 1970s (something George Clinton himself can be seen appreciating in the above photos).
Since this is still a record store we’re talking about, the museum has its own soundtrack featuring original music by Sedcairn Archives, BlottBoyy, and Shame Thugs. Like the 24-Hour Church of Elvis in Portland, Oregon or the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles, the best way to understand the enigmatic undertaking is to see it in person—third eye wide open.
Note: Joyful Noise plans to move the museum across the hallway in summer 2017. Call ahead or check the museum’s Facebook page before setting out.
1043 Virginia Ave., Ste. 208, Indianapolis, IN; 317-632-3220.