Friday, July 9, 2010

Broad Ripple Gazette vol 7 no 14


Broad Ripple Farmer’s Market
behind Broad Ripple High School
Saturdays, 8:00 – 12:30

July 10: Robert Bruce Scott, July 17: Sensible Shoes, July 24: Cara Jean Wahlers

The John Denver Songbook and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
Friday July 9 and Saturday, July 10, 2010
Symphony on the Prairie
$20 adults, tables available

I have to admit that I’ve never been to Symphony on the Prairie. I’ll totally confess to falling asleep at plays, especially musicals, and sit-down concerts with beautiful music. I can’t help it. I try biting my lower lip, curling my toes and counting backwards to stay awake but nothing helps. Outdoors, pretty music and sitting on a blanket is the perfect recipe for a nap. 

This is one concert I’m sure I could stay awake for this one; after all it’s the songs of John Denver! My best friend since we were six, Ann loved John Denver (Randy Mantooth and Donny Osmond rounded out the top three) so I first heard about John from her. John Denver was the sound track to our teenage years.
Musician Jim Curry will be playing and singing the John Denver tunes. I saw a video on YouTube and Jim sounds exactly like John and when I took my glasses off he looked like him too. I don’t think you can go wrong with this show. 


Detholtz!, God Made Robots
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Birdy’s
2131 E. 71st Street
8:00, 21+ 

This is a Full Blown Productions concert, so know it will be good – Kim Oskins always puts on a great show.  The lineup also includes The Daredevil Christopher Wright and Montauk Monster.
I first heard Chicago’s Detholtz! at the Melody Inn several years ago and was smitten. They play clever rock with a new-wave-ish twist. Indy’s God Made Robots are also good quirky fun.
Homespun - Modern Handmade
Saturday, July 10, 2010
5624 E. Washington Street 

Homespun is the brainchild of Neal and Amanda Taflinger and the winner of a Pepsi Refresh Grant to help launch the project. I’ve had the pleasure of watching this project unfold and am thrilled for them.
The store’s mission is four-fold: to provide a brick-and-mortar retail outlet for contemporary artists, artisans and crafters, offer low-cost art and craft classes for people of all ages and skill levels, serve as a gathering place for the contemporary craft community, and inspire further development and renewal along the E. Washington St. corridor. They want to help people earn a living wage for meaningful work and spread the message that our lives are what we make of them.

The shop will open for business on Saturday, July 10. I can’t wait to see the handmade craftwork they will have for sale and to see the class roster. 

The Pepsi Refresh Grant not only gave them a good dose of cash, but also featured them in a television spot that ran nationally on MTV.


Reviews:
Mumford & Sons
June 14, 2010
Bluebird, Bloomington, IN

Road trip! As you all might gather, I’m pretty neighborhood-centric. As a Purdue graduate my trips to Bloomington have been few and centered around Oaken Bucket football games and helping friends move to grad school. 

I had no idea who Mumford & Sons were, but when Kristofer Bowman, keeper of all things cool, sent me a text asking if I wanted to go, I said yes, without question. I knew I’d love the band.
After years of driving a truck I now have a vehicle with fancy stuff like backseats, power locks and XM radio. The drive down was fun and fueled by sandwiches from Mass Ave Wine Shop and truffles from The Best Chocolate in Town. 

The sky got darker and darker as we drove and heavy rain hit and the tornado sirens were blaring by the time we parked.  We ducked into a restaurant and the first thing I asked the bartender was where the walk-in cooler was – generally the walk-in is the safest place in the restaurant if a tornado hit. I don’t know if my new friends were impressed or frightened by my safety concerns. If anything ever happens, follow me. I’ll do my darndest to get us out of harms way. 

Luckily there was no tornado, although we did see a small tree fly by, but it was a soggy walk to the Bluebird. The show was sold out and the venue was packed with damp people. I swear you could see steam rising from the crowd.
I really enjoyed the opening musician, singer-songwriter, Adam Stockdale and the fact that he is the band’s guitar tech made me dig him even more. 

After a half an hour wait a second opening band took the stage, the duo French & Indian War. Regular readers of this column know that I’m mostly sunshine and ponies in my recaps of bands and events. If something is not great, I usually don’t write about it or talk about the scenery or something else.
French & Indians Wars created the perfect storm of an awful opening band scenario. The audience was restless, the band took too long to set up and break down (I was ready to jump up and wrap cords and carry monitors off of the stage) and quite frankly, and they weren’t good. I’d wedged myself next to door where the bands were entering and leaving. At one point the lads from Mumford & Sons were standing next to me ready to take the stage and they finally gave up and walked back down the hallway. 

But it was all worth it! Mumford & Sons were fabulous and worth the wait and the rain and tornado warnings. The London folk band is delightful and talented. The members switch instruments and trade vocals. They have some bluegrass sensibilities – banjo, dobro, mandolin and accordion play a big part in their music. The songs are great and the harmonies lovely. If you’re a fan of the Avett Brothers, you’ll like Mumford & Sons. 



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