Thursday, November 11, 2010

Broad Ripple Gazette, vol 7, no 23

first published in the Broad Ripple Gazette

Midtown Holiday Home Tour Café and Market
The Rivera Club
5640 North Illinois Street
Indianapolis, IN
11:00 – 5:00, café -free, all-ages, nonsmoking
Home Tour tickets $15.

The Midtown Holiday Home Tour will feature three homes on Meridian Street, one on Illinois Street and the recently renovated Phi Delta Theta fraternity house at Butler University. They will be festively decorated for the holidays by local floral designers. Fancy!

The Riviera Club will also be part of the tour festivities. Rivi will host the tour café as well as a market featuring local businesses. Rivi would be a great place to meet and carpool to the tour homes or to just hang out.

There will also be music at the café:

Saturday
11:00 - Chad Mills
Noon - Alice Chalmers ATSACIYJB
1:00 – Freshly Brewed
2:00 – Patchwork
3:00 – Joe Peters
4:00 – Robert Bruce Scott

Sunday

1:00 – Il Troubadour



Tonic Ball 9, featuring songs of the Beatles
Friday, November 19, 2010
Fountain Square Theatre/ Radio Radio
Fountain Square
7:00, $20, non-smoking
Tonic Gallery
New Day Meadery
free

The Tonic Ball and Tonic Gallery is one of Indianapolis’ most popular nights of music and art – I certainly know that it’s mine! The Tonic Gallery features works by some of the city’s most renowned visual artists – Douglas David, Susan Brewer, Kyle Ragsdale and my dad (he made an awesome bench from rescued church pews). The art work is sold in a limited silent auction, starting at $100 with a buy-it-now price of $400.

The Tonic Ball features over 30 bands all playing at least one Beatles song. I’ve been working really hard to make sure that none of the songs are duplicated. The ticket allows you to visit both venues and see as much music as you can. Radio Radio is 21+, but Fountain Square Theatre is all-ages and the over 21 crowd can still buy a drink at the bar – how cool is that?

For a complete line up of bands and other information visit: www.tonicindy.com
Tickets will be available at both LUNA locations by November 10 or you can purchase online now.

I can’t wait!


Jann Klose with Macaela Kingslight
Friday, November 19, 2010
Indy Hostel
4903 Winthrop Ave
Indianapolis, IN
317-727-1696
8:00pm, $10, non-smoking, all-ages

Singer-songwriter Jann Klose is based in New York, but has lived all over the world. He came to the States as an exchange student in Cleveland, Ohio he lived in Germany, Kenya and South Africa. His music reflects his music reflects this lyrically, melodically, rhythmically and in his choice of eclectic instruments and musicians.

During the course of his career, Jann has worked live or in the studio with artists ranging from pioneers like Pete Seeger and Les Paul to classic rockers like Roger (The Byrds) McGuinn, and Annie (Renaissance) Haslam to major country stars like Rosanne Cash and Marty Stuart. WGN Radio's Steve & Johnnie, Rock Hall inductee Joey Reynolds and Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson have all personally lent a helping hand in his career.

Jann's music has been featured on MTV's Cribs, the soundtrack to the Paul Sorvino film Dead Broke. He's performed in touring companies of Broadway shows: The Who's Tommy, Jekyll & Hyde, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Jann's most recent recording, REVERIE, was finance and produced with fan support.

Micaela Kingslight is a powerful singer with an elegant guitar style. She recently was awarded the Emerging Artist Grant from the Gilmore Foundation.

The Indy Hostel is a wonderful and intimate venue to hear music and enjoy time with the musicians.

www.indyhostel.us


Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Holiday Show
Alice Chalmers ATSACIYJB, Neon Love Life, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Friday, November 26, 2010
Vogue Theatre
6259 N. College Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
$12 – advance, $15 – day of show, non-smoking, 21+

When I was in Austin last month I was having dinner with a friend – and by dinner, I mean whiskey, when I got a text from “Washboard” Breezy Peyton asking if Alice Chalmers could open for their holiday show. I shakily told my friend that the band was asked to play at the Vogue. He said, “Great! What band?” Umm, “the band I’m in.” I will totally admit to squealing and jumping up and down!

So, Alice Chalmers and The Stick a Cork in Your Jug Band will be kicking off the day-after Thanksgiving show and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

The all-woman jug band will be followed by the all-woman rockers, Neon Love Life. NLL’s Lindsay Manfredi and I were both at the Toad The Wet Sprocket show at the Vogue this summer. We independently “ran into” (stalking seems like such a harsh word) the band’s Glen Phillips in the alley behind the Vogue. I told Glen that Lindsay was in a punk band and that I was in a jug band. Glen told us, “they're closer than you think.” Now you can be the judge.

The main event of the evening will be, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band. This will be their homecoming show. They’ve been on the road for months and having a wonderful time in Europe and the East Coast. I don’t have the words to explain how damn fun the band is. And I’m sure they’ll have some great stories.

See you there - I’ll be the one playing typewriter and grinning wildly.

http://thevogue.com
www.bigdamnband.com
www.neonlovelife.com

Monday, November 8, 2010

Broad Ripple Gazette, vol 7, no 22

 first published in the Broad Ripple Gazette

Happy Anniversary gentle readers! The first Buzzing Around Town column was published on October 28, 2005. I can’t believe that five years have passed and that I haven’t missed a column – although there were times that both publisher, Alan Hague and I doubted that I’d manage to slide one in at the absolute last minute. Sorry Alan!

I’ve meet scores of amazing people in the last five years – and I think you’re all the bee’s knees! I appreciate everyone who has introduced themselves to me. I still blush and stammer, but I’m thrilled to meet you. I’ve written 125-ish columns in the last five years. All of that writing has been great practice for me. I’ve managed to find my writing voice and confidence. In early columns I spent a good deal of time apologizing for my age and lack of formal musical knowledge.

When the column first started I was writing on a wheezy desktop computer that took up most of my living room and was connected to the Internet via telephone line –when it worked. The first year the majority of my writing was done at a computer at Indy Hostel – thanks John. The next year I bought an iBook with a wireless connection. Too bad I didn’t have wireless at home. Many a column was sent late at night with my computer pressed up to the window at the News Café. I’m sure I surprised many last-call patrons leaving Moe and Johnny’s when they walked by and I was holding the computer at odd angles trying to catch the wireless connection.

I’ve graduated to a MacBook that hardly ever leaves my side – I don’t go as far as to sleep with it, that would be nuts! I keep it beside the bed. I also have a fancier camera, with a detachable lens, which allows me better access to photograph bands.

The five years of writing BAT has opened many doors for me. I now freelance for NUVO newsweekly and the national music magazine, Ghettoblaster. I vote each week on the Top Ten Live list that is published in Metromix. I still get a thrill when I see a stack of Broad Ripple Gazettes in the window of a business or catch a glimpse of someone reading one. I often hear that the Gazette is the best paper in town and I heartily agree.

At the Austin City Limits Festival in October
photo credit: Laura Steele

I look a little different now from the bee caricature above. In the last five years my hair has been longer and straighter and back. I now wear glasses – you can draw those in if you like.

I wish I had more time and could see every bit of music that is out there. For all of us at the Gazette, writing is a volunteer gig – one that I’m thrilled to have. I have the same jobs (yep, jobs, plural) that I had when the column started and I adore every one of them. I was promoted at Second Helpings three years ago; I’m now the director of operations for the food rescue, job-training and hunger relief agency. I love my once-a-month Sunday shift at Marigold, the wonderful clothing store next to Big Hat Books at the Broad Ripple Brew Pub. I’m still the waitress/cook at the iconic Red Key Tavern most Saturday nights and couldn’t be happier about it.

When people tell me there is nothing to do in Indianapolis I want to swat at them with a rolled up Gazette. My problem is choosing what to do. You can find art and music on almost every corner in Broad Ripple – isn’t it awesome! I’ll see you out and about. And thanks for reading. Seriously, thanks.


The New Christy Minstrels
Thursday, November 4
The Mansion at Oak Hill

5801 East 116th Street

Carmel, Indiana 46033
317-843-9850
7:30, dinner & concert, $45

Our own Greg O’Haver (Crossover, A Touch of Grass) is movin’ on up! He’s left the basement venue of the Corner Wine Bar and is now touring with the Grammy winning folk band, The New Christy Minstrels.
How Greg got there is a great story. He had auditioned for Randy Sparks (founder and leader of TNCM) in 1968 and came close to touring the Orient with Randy when Fats Johnson decided to join the tour and bumped Greg. Over 40 years later, a second audition in March of this year got Greg a spot in the band. Randy calls Greg,” …our newest, brightest star in the revived New Christy Minstrels.”

The New Christy Minstrels have an aggressive tour schedule. We re lucky enough that they are stopping in Carmel to play a show at The Mansion at Oak Hill in Carmel. It promises to be big folk fun. The ticket price includes dinner and the bragging rights that you know someone in the band.

www.thenewchristyminstrels.com
 www.oakhillmansion.com