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Tuesday, March 19
The Indiana Daily Student

arts

IU alumnus plays People’s Park

Debby Shubert said she was unfamiliar with Jesse Lacy’s music. She is new to Bloomington and was on the city’s website when she discovered he was having a concert at People’s Park on Tuesday. So she decided to go and found herself enjoying the show.

“It’s a beautiful day, and it’s a great place,” she said.

Bloomington residents enjoyed the sound of Lacy’s voice accompanied by an acoustic guitar while sitting in shaded chairs and benches. The concert was part of Bloomington Parks and Recreation’s Performing Arts Summer Concert Series. The series offers events free and open to the public.

[Lacy performed a #GivingBack Community Series earlier this year to aid nonprofits]

Lacy reached out to become one of the artists for the series, said Greg Jacobs, Community Events Coordinator for Parks and Recreation. Jacobs said they try to book local bands for the series.

While people might expect many singer-songwriters to be available locally, that’s not actually the case.

“It’s surprising how little of that more folk-style music we have around here,” Jacobs said. “So Lacy really fits a nice niche, and it’s also good for a college town because that’s an often sought-after style.”

Lacy, a graduate of the IU Jacobs School of Music, said he doesn’t play in Bloomington too often, though he has upcoming shows in town in September. He took the time to meet the crowd and give listeners redeemable codes for his new single, “Pack of Dogs.” He also has an upcoming Midwest and East Coast tour that starts today and lasts through Oct. 2.

[Lacy started his "First Steps" album in 2013 | IDS]

Jacobs said what sets Lacy apart is his accessibility, which was evident through his collaboration with Cambell and his interactions with the crowd.

“He’s someone who engages well with an audience and is very talented, so that’s exactly what we’re looking for.”

During the show, Lacy introduced fellow singer-songwriter Brentney Campbell to the crowd and took a break to mingle as she played some of her work. Lacy said the collaboration was pretty last-minute.

“I like to bring people on when I can, so I have a database of other artists whose music I enjoy,” he said. “If it meshes well, I’ll invite them along to little gigs here and there.”

Jacobs said there is a lot of interest in these concerts because they bring music to the community in a family-friendly way.

“One of the things they do is they bring people outside to music, where typically (music is) only inside bars or theaters,” Jacobs said. “So they have become part of the fabric of the Bloomington summer.”

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