Bobby Mackey’s Music World

Arrival

With the 2018 Expedition almost complete, the Paranormal Investigators of Milwaukee faced down their final investigation – Bobby Mackey’s Music World. This location previously challenged the team with extreme personal experiences, and the group was excited to bring its three newest members along for their first investigation of the building. With some of the final miles put onto the PIM van and hopes rising higher then the Kentucky heat index, the team excitedly awaited seeing the famous haunt loom on the horizon.

The group arrived on location a few hours early. They used this time to take exterior pictures of the building and to take some video for their YouTube channel. During this time, a group of people came and took a guided day tour of the building. PIM left the premises around 5:00 pm to get dinner and then returned around 6:15 pm. The group took weather conditions at 6:25 pm using a Kestrel 3500 weather station.

The group parked the van on the lower level outside the Basement door and unloaded their equipment outside the Basement door. Due to the short time frame for investigating and previous experiences at the location, PIM members would set up all their equipment in advance so as to be ready to place equipment and start it immediately. Locations for high definition camcorders and audio recorders were predetermined for the 1st Floor and in the Basement. Alongside those recording devices, several environmental recording devices would be placed as well.

At 6:54 pm, PIM members started and time stamped their control recorders. Time stamps, from a designated atomic watch, are used as a point of reference and make cross referencing easier during evidence review. At this point on, PIM members are required to speak in full voice and tag any noise they make.

Jan arrived at 6:58 pm and unlocked the main doors on the 1st Floor. Marilsa, Tom and Brandon immediately began to take equipment into the 1st Floor. Brandon also took photos on the 1st Floor while Marilsa and Tom positioned their equipment.

Every member of PIM is equipped with a Zoom H1 digital audio recorder, which is used as their control recorder, Extech RHT50 datalogger, and UV flashlight. Control recorders are not only used as another recording device but also to document the sound contamination that an investigator might create during an investigation. Control recorders are started and time stamped first before any other equipment is started and they are turned off last to ensure any anomalous noises can be cross-checked. Control recorders are also placed in a Faraday cage, if possible.

There is no access to the Basement from the 1st Floor. To access the Basement, one would have to walk down the side of the east end of the building. At 7:10 pm, Jan unlocked the Basement door to allow Noah and Gravy access. In a coordinated fashion, Gravy and Noah began setting up equipment in the Basement; first by setting up a Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum camera inside the door. The camera was then started and timestamped before the next camera was brought in. This was done in case something would happen to someone during set up of equipment.

Several feet in from the door facing the window leading to the Well Room and the doorway towards the Wall of Faces, another Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum camera was position, started and timestamped.

A third Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum camera was placed, started and timestamped at the opposite end of the Basement facing back towards the main entrance. With the main area of the Basement covered by camera, PIM began setting up equipment in some of the side rooms.

A fourth Sony HDR-CX160 full spectrum camera was placed in the Wall of Faces Room. The camera was placed on the east side of the room facing the table and air compressor for the mechanical bull.

A trigger object bank was set up on top of a Ouija board on a table on the outside of a window that looks into the Well Room. Trigger objects are miscellaneous items that are strategically chosen in hopes to invoke a response. The trigger objects placed on top of the Ouija board were two Bibles, a holy relic, a Crucifix, a rosary, a cigar, a pair of die (sixes up), a harmonica, whiskey, 2 bullets, a deck of cards (queen face up), a pentagram and a reverse pentagram. Baseline photos are taken before and after the investigation to document the starting positions of said objects. Placed alongside the trigger object bank was a touch flashlight, the DM X-930 Dark Matter detector and a geophone.

The Dark Matter Detector is a device that measures EMF, temperature, barometric pressure and has a high quality audio recorder. This device also logs these measurements for later review should something occur and need to be referenced.

Custom built by PIM, the geophone senses seismic vibrations and has adjustable sensitivity. It was placed on the table should any of the trigger objects be moved allowing the geophone to sense the vibrations. The geophone was also a good indicator of vibrations the building would endure throughout the night from passing traffic or trains, the investigators walking through the building, and any other vibrations that might be felt throughout the night.

A Zoom H1 audio recorder was placed in the Well Room and another was placed in the Wall of Faces Room. By 7:31 pm, Noah and Gravy had started and timestamped all the equipment set up in the Basement. The two of them joined the rest of the group on the 1st Floor to assist in setting up the rest of the equipment.

On the 1st Floor, Tom, Marilsa and Brandon set up several cameras and audio recorders. A Sony HDR-SR7 video camera was placed at the south end of the building facing the front doors. A Sony HDR-CX440 full spectrum video camera was placed in the seating area facing towards the stage. A Sony FDR-AX100 4K camera was placed in the west side of the Bull Area. On a table in the Bull Area, a Zoom H1 audio recorder and the EDI+ datalogger were placed. The EDI+ data logs and graphs on a timeline several variables including: EMF, barometric pressure, humidity and ambient air temperature. It also has a vibration sensor, similar to a geophone.

At 7:50 pm, the group closed up the 1st Floor and re-entered the Basement at 7:55 pm.

Tom and Marilsa set up their Ghost Pro full spectrum cameras on the table next to the trigger object bank. One camera was focused on the trigger objects while the other camera faced through the open window into the Well Room. Meanwhile, Brandon took photos of the Basement.

At 7:59 pm, Gravy heard a loud shuffling noise come from the vicinity of the Casino Room. Noah and Gravy went to investigate the source of the sound but discovered the crawl space between the main basement and the Casino Room was blocked by plywood. Though it is uncertain what caused the noise, it is assumed, based on previous experiences at this location, an animal might have caused the noise. Noah was able to find an opening and with a FLIR TG165 thermal imaging camera was able to find a warm spot on an exterior wall but on the side of the building that sunset was occurring. No sign of animals could be discovered at that time.

At 8:13 pm, Gravy took baseline EMF (electromagnetic field) readings and indoor temperature readings of the Basement areas to be investigated. These were taken with a single-axis EMF MEL-8704R.

Investigation

Wall of Faces Room – 8:18 pm

The group sat in the Wall of Faces Room. They observed control silence before beginning an EVP session. It was noted cars could be heard driving by.

Control silence is the practice of sitting quietly and getting accustomed to the normal sounds of the building structure. It allows for investigators to get a baseline of normal building sounds.

An EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) session is the practice of asking questions and leaving ten seconds of silence in between, in hopes of capturing a response via an audio recording device. Rarely is a response heard by the investigator’s ears and when a response is heard by human ears it is called a disembodied voice.

At 8:19 pm, Gravy felt something crawling up his arm. This turned out to be an ant.

At 8:26 pm, the group heard a noise within the room near the shelves. Noah used the FLIR thermal imaging camera to see if there was an animal or rodent in the area. There were no heat signatures of an animal at that time.

At 8:29 pm, while Gravy was asking a question, Noah heard a heavy breath or exhale. It was not believed to have been anyone in the group and the sound was too faint to be captured on any audio devices.

At 8:30 pm, Tom, sitting closest to the door, heard what he described as water drops.

At 8:32 pm, Tom heard two clicks coming from just outside the room. Noah heard the same two sounds but described them as footsteps.

At 8:33 pm, Noah and Gravy stood up in the room and situated themselves in similar places to recreate where they were standing when Missy was pushed during the investigation of Bobby Mackey’s in 2013.

At 8:34 pm, Gravy described feeling a cool breeze on the left side of his face and arms. The cool breeze then shifted to the right side of his body before dissipating. During evidence review, it was noted Gravy’s personal data logger did not record a change in temperature at that time.

Nothing else was captured via audio or video recording devices. The group decided to move on to the next location.

While moving from the Wall of Faces Room to the Well Room, at 8:43 pm, Tom and Noah heard what they described as a floor board creaking from the Bar Area above. The group tried to replicate the sound by walking around the areas they were in at the time of the sound. The sound could not be replicated.

Well Room – 8:46 pm

Noah sat in the doorway to the room. Gravy sat by the door to the stairs. Tom sat in the Prison Room. Brandon and Marilsa sat on the opposite side of the room. Again, they observed control silence before beginning an EVP session. It was noted a car had pulled into the parking lot of the bar.

At 8:49 pm, two thumps were heard outside the room by Noah, Gravy, Brandon, and Marilsa. Then five seconds later, two thumps were heard again. Noah believed the thumps were powerful enough to shake the building. Gravy and Noah checked the Wall of Faces Room for something out of place. While Noah and Gravy where in the Wall of Faces Room, the group in the Well Room heard the noises again. Noah checked the door to the Basement and Gravy went to the west side of the Basement to check that side to confirm no one was trying to gain access to the building.

At 8:56 pm, Noah and Gravy returned back to the Well Room to continue their EVP session. No other activity occurred and the group moved to another location in Basement.

Main Hallway – 9:10 pm

The group situated themselves throughout the Main Hallway. It was noted traffic could be easily heard.
At 9:12 pm, the group could hear a constant high pitched noise. Noah thought that a battery pack powering IR lights on the 1st Floor could have died and was emitting the sound. This would soon be confirmed when the group went up to the 1st Floor to investigate.

At 9:13 pm, Gravy heard a shifting noise to his right towards the area where the Casino used to be. No source of the sound was found at the time but later in the evening, Brandon would experience something similar and would eventually see a mouse causing a similar noise.

At 9:16 pm, Noah heard what he described as a thump noise coming from the area of the Casino. PIM could not determine the source for the sound since there was no longer human access to the Casino area. PIM has had prior experiences of animals being in the Casino area and decided this was the more likely scenario.

The group entered the 1st Floor after being let in by Jan. The battery that was dead was swapped out with a newly charged battery.

Dance Floor – 9:28 pm

The group sat in the Seating Area in front of the stage. Gravy sat in a chair on the dance floor. It was noted the coolers behind the bar were making constant noises and lights from passing cars and from behind the bar could play tricks on the eyes.

At 9:32 pm, Noah investigated a dripping noise coming from the south side door of the building. It was noted there was severe water damage in the area of that door and water could be heard dripping.

At 9:38 pm, Gravy heard several thumps coming from the south side of the building. At the time he believed the sounds could have been that of fireworks. This would later be confirmed and heard several times more throughout the night.

At 9:44 pm, Gravy and Brandon heard a noise coming from the vicinity of Bobby Mackey’s private lounge area. No source of the sound could be found.

At 9:47 pm, Jan texted Noah to inform him there were fireworks being lit off over the river which is located on the south side of the building. This confirmed Gravy’s previous suspicion of the thumps he heard.

Mechanical Bull Area – 9:52 pm

The group sat themselves around the mechanical bull and observed control silence before beginning an EVP session. It was noted traffic could be heard.

At 9:55 pm, Brandon and Tom both heard what they described as a laugh coming from behind them in the northwest corner of the room. They believed it was coming from inside the room, however, that corner of the room is next to the sidewalk. Though the building is a great walking distance from anything else, PIM has had experiences with people passing by on the sidewalk or people parking and walking up to the building.

However, Jan, who was parked out in front of the building, did not make note of seeing someone there at the time.

At 10:02 pm the group left the 1st Floor to take a short break by the van down by the Basement door. The group did a Facebook Live session form 10:18 pm- 10:19 pm.

Noah and Gravy decided they were going to go into the Basement and do a 15 minute investigation while the rest of the group remained by the van.

Wall of Faces Room – 10:22 pm

Gravy and Noah sat themselves in chairs around the table in the room. At 10:22 pm, both Noah and Gravy heard a thump. After radioing the rest of the group, this turned out to be fireworks again.

At 10:31 pm and again at 10:33 pm, Gravy and Noah heard a click noise coming from outside the room. This was believed to be the sound heard earlier in the evening as well. Though no source of the sound could be heard, it is believed to be dripping water that sounds like a clicking noise as it travels into the room.
Noah and Gravy decided to stand in similar positions as they were the night Missy was pushed during a previous investigation. Gravy and Noah tried a provoking method to see if they could get activity to pick up.
The claim (made by Zac himself) that bad things will happen if the name Zac Bagans is said inside of Bobby Mackey’s was tested. Throughout the night his named was used several times but was used much more often during Gravy and Noah’s 15 minute isolation session. There was no noted response to the use of his name and no activity occurred to Gravy or Noah at the time nor was anything captured on audio or video during that time.

At 10:38 pm Noah and Gravy went back outside to get the rest of the group. Due to the amount of time PIM had left to investigate Bobby Mackey’s, they decided to try to spend time in each location throughout the building one more time but for shorter time periods.

Wall of Faces Room – 10:44 pm

The group returned to the Wall of Faces Room and began an EVP session immediately. No activity occurred during this time and nothing was captured via audio or video.

Main Hallway – 10:55 pm

The group sat throughout the Main Hallway and began an EVP session.
At 11:08 pm, Brandon, sitting in the same area Gravy sat earlier in the night, heard a shifting sound. Using a FLIR thermal imaging camera, he was able to see a mouse moving along the rafter above him. This could explain other noises that were heard earlier in the evening and resulted in similar noises being discounted for the remainder of the investigation.

Well Room – 11:22 pm

Gravy sat in the small Prison Room. Tom sat on the stairs. Marilsa sat outside the door to the stairs. Noah sat in the middle of the room while Brandon sat by the door leading to the rest of the Basement. An EVP session commenced immediately. No activity occurred during the EVP session and nothing was captured via audio or video recording devices.

Dance Floor – 11:46 pm

The group spread themselves out throughout the Seating Area and began an EVP session.
At 11:47 pm, Brandon described seeing someone with a light shirt walking over by the east end of the bar. After further investigating, based on where Brandon was sitting and when a car was passing by the headlights cast a shadow and what he thought was a person turned out to be a stationary fire extinguisher and an electrical panel. It appeared the person was moving when really the light was moving and the objects were stationary.

During the EVP session, Gravy used a marquee app on his Amazon Fire 7 tablet to ask questions. Since there are no definitive knowns regarding the paranormal, Gravy wanted to test if maybe communication could be established visually. Gravy had preset several questions in the app. He would select one at a time and read them out loud once as the marquee displayed the question, leaving ten seconds of silence in between each question. Reading the question out loud allowed the question to be documented on audio recorders should there be a response to the question on the marquee. This was done from 11:46 pm to 11:54 pm. There were no documented responses to the questions presented on the marquee during this time.

Mechanical Bull Area – 12:04 am

The group sat around the mechanical bull and began an EVP session. Gravy performed the marquee test again on his tablet. There were no responses to the questions and no documented activity occurred either.

The group decided the last few minutes of the investigation would be spent in the Basement. They locked up the 1st Floor and returned to the Basement.

Wall of Faces Room – 12:14 am

The group sat around the table in the Wall of Faces Room and began an EVP session. Noah decided to investigate this room last since this had been the most active room in PIM’s previous investigations. Unfortunately as the night came to a conclusion, no other activity occurred in the room and no other activity was documented that night or during evidence review.

The group had to be out of the building by 1:00 am. The investigation was called to an end at 12:39 am to allow PIM enough time to move their equipment outside by the van. Once the equipment was out of the building, Jan locked up the building and left. PIM began to break down all their gear, stopped their control recorders and packed their equipment into the van.

Conclusion

 

This has been PIMs fourth time investigating Bobby Mackey’s Music World. Although the activity that occurred the first time PIM had visited this location has not reoccurred in the preceding investigations, PIM is always optimistic the opportunity will present itself again. PIM looks forward to returning to this location which is famous for being a hotbed of activity. Hopefully after investigating this location over and over, PIM will be able to determine what really happened when Missy was pushed by an unseen force twice in one night four years ago.

PIM would once again like to thank Jan for being our hostess for the evening and keep an eye out on the exterior of the building while we investigated.