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(03/29/19 4:33pm)
For the fourth year in a row, Fourth Sunday Music Co., Square Cat Vinyl, Virginia Avenue Music Fest and HI-FI Indy presented the Annual Indy Random Band Challenge. As the name suggests, the challenge is just that - random.
Musicians sign up online and indicate what instruments they play. Every January, the names of the musicians are drawn out of a hat and every couple of musicians are grouped together as a band. Each band is given a noun as a prompt for at least one of their songs. After almost 2 months of practice, the bands each perform 15 minutes of original music at a showcase at HI-FI Indy. The winners are selected by a mix of audience and judges’ votes.
Mike Angel, organizer of the Indy Random Band Challenge and co-owner of Square Cat Vinyl, was inspired by similar challenges in other cities.
“I played in one in Columbus called Random Band Challenge,” Angel said. “I kept the name the same to pay homage to them.”
The Indy Random Band Challenge, however widely successful, did hit a few snags in previous years. Some of the bands had been reduced to two or even one member remaining by the time of the band showcase, so Angel decided to add a new rule for the challenge that single and duo acts would be disqualified from the competition.
“It is called the Random Band Challenge after all, and it's about chemistry and being a band,” Angel said. “Singles and duos unfortunately kind of bog down the evening. Part of the challenge of it all is maintaining the band, and dealing with the normal issues that try to tear a band apart.”
The challenge is judged by five qualified musicians. This year, the judges were Valerie Green, who was a member of the winning band last year, Alligator Pears, Jen Roberts from the local band Veseria, Jeff Kelly from Jeff Kelly and the Graveyard Shift, solo artist Mark Dippel and Aaron McDonald from Gypsy Moonshine.
This was McDonald’s first year as a judge in the challenge.
“I talked to Mike Angel, the composer of this killer competition and he gave me the spot! That easy,” he laughed. “Kidding. It was not easy, I had to beg and harass the shit out of him.”
Each judge was given a rubric of sorts to score each band based on their stage presence, originality, song quality, execution of their noun song and the name of their band.
“These areas can really change the game,” McDonald said. “We as judges had picked who we thought would be top performers, but were surprised after the numbers added up. It's really important to focus on all areas, because it can be what gets you the win.”
McDonald had participated as a band member in the three previous years of the competition, and now that he has had the opportunity to be a judge, he says he better understands all the goes into the scoring process.
“Not only did it give me insight to the competition, but more importantly how I handle all the bands I currently play in,” McDonald said. “People view musical arts differently, and to make sure you are giving everyone what they like makes the difference. Between a good looking band, a good sounding band, and everything else in between, you can't afford to lack in any category if you want to be the best.”
McDonald expressed interest in being a judge again in upcoming years, but also said he wants to take this insight and apply it to his performance in an upcoming challenge.
Other than the organizers, sponsors and judges, the challenge wouldn’t be quite the same without a supportive audience. In previous years, HI-FI Indy has been wall-to-wall packed. This year, however, saw different results.
“The turnout was a bit less than I expected for year four,” Angel said. “I don’t think the bands pushed it as much as some of them could, which hurts everyone in the long run. That’s not particular to this event though, and is a greater issue we see in the Indianapolis music community as a whole.”
Regardless of the lower than expected turnout, fans and supporters came out and helped the judges decide which band would take home the prize.
At the end of the night, judges announced the winner of first place - the band Wøøf, featuring two-time champ, James Wallsmith. Wøøf went home with cash, a recording package from Fourth Sunday Music Co. at Postal Recording and an opening slot on the Virginia Avenue Music Fest main stage.
(11/16/18 7:11pm)
Local musicians are providing a special mix of music and community to raise money for a great cause. This Friday, the annual music extravaganza with a block-party atmosphere, Tonic Ball, will deliver once again. Tonic Ball is a night full of some of Indy’s favorite local bands covering songs by classic bands and musicians, with all of the proceeds going toward Second Helpings, an organization that prevents food waste by donating to people in need. According to the their website, the rescued food is used to create 4,000 hot meals each day, which are distributed to more than 90 social services agencies.
Each honored musician gets their own designated venue, one of five in Fountain Square. This year, the chosen artists and respective venues are: Beyonce at Pioneer, ABBA at The HiFi, Elton John at White Rabbit Cabaret, Pearl Jam at Radio Radio and Johnny Cash at Fountain Square Theatre.
According to their website, Tonic Ball began as a grassroots fundraising event in 2002. The show they initially planned was to assemble a group of local musicians and bands to cover songs by a single artist. The artist chosen for the first year was Gram Parsons. The organizers wanted to donate the proceeds to a charity, and decided on Second Helpings. Since the first Tonic Ball, the festivities have spread to four more venues in the Fountain Square area.
Singer-songwriter Jeff Kelly of The Graveyard Shift will be playing on the stage at Radio Radio, covering Pearl Jam. Kelly’s band includes local musicians Scott McDonald, Kevin Hood, Jeremy Holden and Charlie Ballantine. This will be Kelly’s first year playing at the Tonic Ball. He had heard from many of his musician friends that the event was a “blast”, and he “wanted to have a blast, too!”
“[I’m excited] to hear each band’s interpretations of the tunes,” he said. “And to see and perform for an audience that may not typically make it out to our shows.”
To local musician and producer/director of Indy In-Tune Darrin Snider, Tonic Ball is about celebrating the local music community.
“It’s one of the few nights when you can see almost everyone in the music scene out together in the same place,” he said. “Plus, the added enjoyment of seeing most of them out in their element.”
Snider will be performing with Jeff Byrd and the Words, which includes Jeff Byrd, Johnny Ping, Ben Cannon and Jamie Jackson. Snider says he originally didn’t want to “face the monumental task” of performing Elton John covers, but that he changed his views once Byrd asked him to play the show.
For musician and founder Magnetic Music Management, Brent Schlemmer, this will be the fourth Tonic Ball he has played. He played on the Neil Young stage at Radio Radio his first year, and then the Grateful Dead the following two years.
Schlemmer will be playing on two stages this year: the Elton John stage with Meghan Martin, Joe Martin, Jem holden and Cody Haddix, and the Johnny Cash stage with Cole Woodruff and Russel Wareham. Like Snider, Schlemmer also appreciates the sense of community that the Tonic Ball offers.
“It’s just a really fun collective experience for the Indy scene. Lots of collaboration to make it happen,” he said. “I just dig the ‘behind-the-scenes’ aspect of hundreds of musicians hanging out in Fountain Square for a great cause.”
Local guitarist and songwriter Rafael Perez will be performing on the Beyonce stage at Pioneer with his band Zene. He will be playing with lead singer Claudia Gabriella and cajon player Curtis Gahimer. This will be Zene’s first Tonic Ball ever, and Perez couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity.
“I’m involved with the Ash Rock program at Sam Ash, which is kind of like a School of Rock program for adult,” he said. “They got two slots available for Tonic Ball, and they chose my band to fill one of the slots.”
Perez had always heard of Tonic Ball, but didn’t really know much about it until he got the opportunity to play at the event. He said that he’s glad to be a part of something so important and charitable in the music community.
As a guitarist with a background in playing metal music, Perez did note the difficulty of rearranging Beyonce songs for Zene.
“These songs have like no guitar parts, so writing guitar parts for Beyonce songs which are almost all percussion was a little bit of a challenge.”
Perez said that he hopes to help raise money for the cause, and also to maybe gain some more attention to his band, Zene, that is set to release their album very soon.
For the full list of bands and the schedule of the night, check out the website.
(09/02/18 5:50pm)
From DJs spinning to emcees spitting to 6-piece bands providing some soul, Chreece 4 offered something for even the pickiest hip hop fan. Music lovers from all over came out to listen and show support for these local and regional talents.
Chreece is all about the love of music, and it brings the community together each year. Here are some photos of the event to show the true essence of Chreece 4.
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(04/27/18 3:28pm)
The month of April, also known as National Poetry Month, brought another year of performances, writing prompts and fair competition amongst poets all over the country. Poetry Month never fails to enrich our understanding and appreciation of clever wordplay, competitive slam and the raw quality of the spoken word.
IUPUI’s University Library celebrated by having students submit their favorite poems from well-known writers. Some of the poems honored were “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams, “Sick” by Shel Silverstein and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. The poems were posted on the library’s official Instagram and Twitter accounts. (@IUPUI_ulib)
Business Librarian Justin Kani said it’s very important to keep celebrating and honoring National Poetry Month in this way.
“Poetry is fundamentally about words and the meaning they bring and communicate to humanity,” Kani said. “There is a poem out there for everyone and every mood. As a community, I feel it’s important to share experiences through the art of words. “
Many used this month to celebrate local poets, and also to write and perform some of their own work. While there is not one huge National Poetry Month event in Indy, there are several events that take place in the month of April, and actually year-round. Local poet, actress and playwright Gabrielle Patterson said, “Everybody’s there to listen and absorb, and take poetry with them.”
Patterson noted venues and events such as The Green House Affect, Vibe on Wednesdays, VOCAB, Iconoclast and an event that Gabrielle helps organize, Poetry on the Fringe.
Patterson performed at some of the events this month, as well as wrote her own personal “30 in 30” poems. These poems, as Patterson explained, are based on a challenge where the poets are prompted to write a poem a day for everyday of National Poetry Month.
“This challenge is to keep you writing and exercising your craft,” Patterson said. “So whether it’s a haiku, a short story, it doesn’t matter. It’s just writing for 30 days.”
Patterson said that the celebrations and challenges of the month are a great way to honor poetry legends and newcomers alike.
“Poetry never stops. Every month, every week, every day is ‘Poetry Month’ for us,” Patterson said. “National Poetry Month is a time to celebrate writers.
(04/20/18 4:27pm)
For the past 5 years, my sister and I have made a point to visit our top three favorite record shops in town – LUNA music, Indy CD & Vinyl and The Exchange. This year will be no different.
Record Store Day provides the opportunity for record collectors, musicians and music enthusiast to rejoice in the celebratory bargains, special edition albums and music performances.
Every year, the official Record Store Day website issues a list of the special albums and sales each store will have for the event. Last year, I got a late start and the one record I was searching for, a special edition of Sia’s “Spotify Sessions”, an album of the singer’s live performances, had sold out at both LUNA and The Exchange.
At the end of the day, when the huge line at Indy CD & Vinyl had died down and the crowd had fizzled out, I walked in and unconfidently asked if they had any copies left. Somehow, they did have one copy left, and I happily left with my big purchase of the day.
I’m not particularly interested in any of the specials this year, but I plan to still hang out at the shops and peruse the used record racks. Usually, these records will be really cheap, but on Record Store Day, you can get five for the normal price of one.
This year, I’m mostly excited to see some of the concerts. Lots of local bands will be playing this year. Indy CD and Vinyl will host both Sarah Grain & the Billions of Stars, and David Peck, some of Indy’s favorites.
As a member of the Indy music scene, I love these concerts because I feel that it really connects Indy to the other cities all over the world also celebrating this day of music and community. Different cities and different record shops will obviously have slightly or even vastly different celebrations, but there is still an apparent sense of unity when so much of the world is buying records and rocking out on the same day.
Even if you’ve never heard of the albums, musicians or bands, it’s nice to go just to hang out and soak in the good vibes of Record Store Day. Come out and bring your family and friends. These events are so lively and bring something to the table for everyone who attends.
(01/19/18 6:43pm)
by Lynzi Stringer
1/19/2018
Jessie Phelps of local supergroup Moxxie has recently been making a splash in the scene as a solo performer. A versatile musician and singer, Phelps has performed her acoustic sets at local venues such as Bier Brewery and Black Circle Brewing Co. Her next performance will be on Jan. 19 at Books & Brews Carmel. The Campus Citizen recently interviewed Phelps about her music, and what’s coming up.
Describe the sound of your solo performances for those who haven’t heard you yet.
My set is really random. A little bit of everything. One minute I’ll be playing a pop-rock song to tap your foot to and the next I’ll slow it down with a softer, soulful tune you can tell I wrote when I was a little more reflective. No matter what, I like to bring a lot of energy and feeling behind what I play. I want it to really hit you, so always expect that.
Will there be a solo album coming out anytime soon?
Eventually, yes. I’m currently polishing some of my older songs I wrote when the term “bridge” didn’t resonate with me musically. I want people to hear where I’ve come from. Some of these songs have been in my notebook collecting dust for years, so this album will be unlocking a vault, that’s for sure.
Who and what inspires you to write and perform?
So many things keep me driven, which I hope I can still say when I’m old and gray. Whether it be successful, talented musicians and professionals whose hard work has paid off, my fiancée and her positive way of seeing the world, or on the completely opposite end of the spectrum – the bad people and things in our world that I want to put a spotlight on.
Writing a song is just like a journal entry for me. Even if it’s cryptic lyrics, there is always something behind those words and music that I was really feeling during that period of time. It’s what keeps me sane. Performing it live is just the icing on the cake. Not everyone gets the opportunity to be heard when they have something to express, so I’m very grateful for that.
Is there a new Moxxie album in the works?
Absolutely.
I see you’ve lost 2 band members recently. Have you been able to find musicians to “fill their shoes?”
Moxxie has been around the music scene a lot but not for a lot of time. We started the group in 2015 and have been nonstop since, so growing pains were to be expected. It’s just a learning process; what works, what doesn’t. It’s been very beneficial but also trying, you just have to let it organically grow. It hasn’t really been a matter of replacing, but more so evolving. It’s been exciting to see the new people and ideas come into play and getting out of comfort zones.
What is your involvement in Girls Rock Indy? Will you be teaching this summer?
I’ve taught a Girls Rock drum class in the past and performed this past summer for their artist showcase. It was such a great thing to see so many girls so eager to learn and play music. I’ve played drums for the group, The Clams, for the past 5 years and the lead singer has been an integral part of their committee. She introduced me to Girls Rock. It’s truly one of the best organizations in our city. Teaching these girls at a young age that they can rock out with the boys and be true to who they are is an amazing thing. I hope to be a part of it again this summer!
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8zV96Sb7Jg