Broad Ripple Gazette, vol 10, no 1

first published in the Broad Ripple Gazette

Happy New Year! 

I love the blank slate of a new calendar waiting to be filled with concerts, dinners with friends, and celebrations. Read on to find some of my favorite annual events to fill your 2013 calendar. 

Elvis Birthday Bash
January 4, 2013
Radio Radio
1119 Prospect Street
 21+, 9:00 pm, $10

If Elvis Presley was still alive he’d be celebrating his 77^th birthday. In honor of the King of Rock and Roll’s birthday, Wayne Bertsch hosts an annual concert to celebrate the music of the King. “I wanted to assemble a line-up that reflected the diverse sound that made Elvis a standout even amongst the other giants in the Sun records stable.”

This year’s lineup includes as Andra Faye and the Rays, local soul legend Kenny Dodson, and Danny Thompson doing double duty playing with both Bigger Than Elvis and the Danny Thompson Trio.

Andra Faye, of Andra Faye and the Rays, was formerly a member of Saffire - the Uppity Blueswomen. Saffire won the WC Handy Award for best original blues song in 1990. I can’t wait to hear the uber-talented Andra Faye’s take on Presley’s songs.

Kenny Dodson has been singing R&B and Soul around Indianapolis for years. His 1970s single “Can’t You Understand” got a lot of spins on WTLC in the day. Most of Elvis’ early albums were R&B tunes remade for a mainstream audience, so Kenny bringing them back to their soulful roots should be a real treat.

Danny Thompson is well known to punk fans as Danny Roadkill of the band Sloppy Seconds. This year’s Elvis Birthday Bash marks the first time he’s played sets with both his Bigger Than Elvis line-up and the Danny Thompson Trio. Both play the hot, rockin’ rhythm and blues that made the Sun Records music so dangerous in the minds of 1950s parents.  

www.andrafaye.com

 

Annual Events: 

Record Store Day
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Indy CD & Vinyl, LUNA music, Vibes
all-ages, free

This will be the sixth year for Record Store Day, an event created to celebrate independent record stores. According to the Record Store Day website Indianapolis has seven indie record stores and three of them are in our neighborhood. How cool is that? 

In the past Indy CD & Vinyl, Luna music, and Vibes have all participated and I imagine they will this year too. Recording artists produce special offerings (records, CDS, EPs) that can only be sold at the independent stores. In the first year of RSD ten musical artists participated, last year there were over 400. 

Not only do the stores have the RSD exclusive music they host in-store concerts and other activities from artesian craft fairs to cookouts. 

Record Store Day marks the start of springtime for me. It’s great to see everyone enjoying the day and our neighborhood. 

www.recordstoreday.com
indycdandvinyl.com
www.lunamusic.net

Broad Ripple Art Fair
Saturday, May 18, Sunday, May 19, 2013
Indianapolis Art Center
all-ages, $12 advance, $15 at gate

The Broad Ripple Art Fair is typically the weekend after Mother’s Day and this year it falls on my birthday weekend (the 19^th, in case you want to mark that on your calendar too). This is the 43^rd year for the Art Fair and it keeps getting bigger and better each year. The weekend features over 200 artists, children’s activities, hands-on demonstrations, gourmet food courts, beer gardens, and music on four stages. Truly something for everyone. 

54^th Street and Monon Art Fair
Saturday, June 1, 2013
54^th Street and the Monon Trail
all-ages, free

I wasn’t able to confirm the date, but the 54^th Street and Monon Art Fair is traditionally on the first Saturday in June, so I feel pretty confident. This is one of my favorite summer traditions. I love that it’s just a short walk up the Monon Trail and the neighborhood vibe of the day. This will be the thirteenth year for the Art Fair – I wonder how many free hotdogs they’ve grilled and how many gallons of lemonade they’ve given away? I always find something great to guy and the music is always wonderful.

Indiana State Fair
Indiana State Fairgrounds
August 2 – 18, 2012
all-ages, admissions prices vary, packages available

If you’ve been reading this column for long you know that I’m an Indiana State Fair geek. Not the Midway sort of geek, but the sort of geek that can tell you where every single restroom on the Fairgrounds is and which buildings were built WPA funds. If we’ve meet you might know that popcorn is my absolute favorite food and that rarely a day goes by without me eating some. At work I’m teased for my popcorn breakfasts.  

You can imagine my delight when I heard that the Indiana State Fair 2013 will be the “Year of Popcorn.” Noblesville’s Weaver Popcorn, a family-owned business founded in 1928 is the presenting sponsor. Any wagers on exactly how many quarts of popcorn I’ll consume during the seventeen days of the Fair? 

There are a few changes in store for this year’s State Fair. There will be no ticketed concerts, but I’m hearing that the free stages will still host music. New for this year – and outdoor ice show -- in August, no less. 

Rosstyn Ice Shows has been touring the world for nearly 20 years presenting a variety of family-fun shows. They will have four daily performances taking place on the 40-by-40 skating rink in DowAgroSciences Celebration Park (NW side of the Grounds). The rink will be covered by a clear tent and have enough seating for 800 spectators. The shows will feature a number of skaters performing all sorts of stunts that combine music, pageantry, and comedy. Admission is free with paid admission to the Fair. 

Something else new for the 2013 State Fair is an 8,000 square feet exhibit in the Grand Hall exploring the world of animation. The interactive experience takes visitors back to the classic hand-drawn celluloid animation and brings them to the current day of computer animation. You’ll be able to learn to draw classic characters from an instructor and experience a 3-D Zoetrope that will bring characters to life in a spinning whirl of illusion. 

I can’t wait! 

www.indianastatefair.com
www.rosstyniceshows.com