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(09/05/13 2:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Country artist Brett Eldredge will perform 8 p.m. Thursday at the Bluebird Nightclub. Tickets are available in advance online for $12 or at the door for $15.Eldredge has been performing since he was 15 years old and grew up listening to singers like Ray Charles, Ronnie Dunn.“I always gravitated towards big voices because as a kid I had this big voice coming out of me,” Eldredge said on his website. After college, the Illinois native moved to Nashville, Tenn., where he began writing his own songs and also writing with fellow country artist “Whispering” Bill Anderson.In 2010, Eldredge released his first single, “Raymond,” a song inspired by his grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease. Eldredge’s latest single, “Don’t Ya,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart during the week of Aug. 24. His debut album, “Bring You Back,” was released Aug. 6. During the week of the album release, Eldredge appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and “Today.”“I feel better about my music now than I ever have felt, and I can’t wait for people to hear it,” Eldredge said on his website.Eldredge said on his site he loves being on stage and engaging every member of the crowd. “Everything it takes to get to wherever I’m going to play — every airplane and car I ride in — is so worth it once I’m able to get up on that stage,” he said. “I want everybody in the crowd to feel the energy that I’m feeling from them.”Eldredge is touring through January 2014 and will officially begin his Bring You Back Fall 2013 Tour Oct. 3 in Oxford, Ohio. Jen Samson, a marketing and promotions specialist at the Bluebird, said people can expect a great show from Eldredge.“He’s got a lot of energy,” Samson said. “If you like country music, it’ll be a great time.”Follow reporter Alyssa Schor on Twitter @SchorAlyssa.
(09/04/13 2:37am)
Luis Cordova, a masters student at Jacobs School of Music, enchanted an audience with a guitar performance Tuesday night amongst the art and collectibles of The Venue
(08/30/13 3:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>University Players, IU’s only undergraduate theater company, is having its first 24-Hour Play Fest Aug. 30 and 31 in Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center to bring together old and new members and get them excited about theater.University Players formed in 1997 and is completely student-run. Throughout the year, student members are given the chance to direct, work behind-the-scenes and act in plays.This event is a chance for the old members to get to know the new.Upon arrival, attendees will divide into random teams, quickly get acquainted and then start improvising a short play.Twenty-four hours is the time limit.However, event managers have planned to throw challenges at the actors, so those 24 hours won’t be too easy.In order to participate, students must sign up on the University Players call-board in the Theater Building.After that, participants just have to show up ready-to-go at 5 p.m. Friday, stay until midnight and show up ready for more at noon Saturday.And for those that are better at appreciating theater than reciting lines and taking direction, participants will perform their short plays at 8 p.m. Saturday in the studio theater.University Players will also have a callout meeting Sept. 5, at which time students can officially sign up to be a member.— Amanda Arnold
(08/28/13 4:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Channeling the sounds of their newest album, “The Lion The Beast The Beat,” blues/folk rock band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals took the stage of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Tuesday night. The Vermont-based group has performed together since 2005 with their debut album, “Nothing But the Water.”Seven years later, after hundreds of gigs and radio hits like “Paris (Ooh La La),” GPN has continued to prove their dedication to perfecting their craft.Potter’s main influence for the 2012 album comes from the way many people interpret the lion as opposed to the beast — the lion acting as a strong, powerful animal while the beast plays the opposite role as a frightening and unattractive pariah.“I’m fascinated by the idea that we all hold such a broad spectrum of impulses and how we choose to act on them makes us who we are,” Potter said.A relatively new fan to Potter’s music, Emily Porter understands Potter’s explanation of the album.Porter, an Evansville resident drove two hours to see GPN’s performance.Even though Grace Potter is not quite a household name, Porter said she appreciates Potter’s more conservative demeanor.“I think the reason she’s not always in the spotlight is because she’s not doing things that normal celebrities are doing to promote themselves, like being vulgar, racy or provocative,” Porter said. “She’s very reserved, which I think works in her favor.”Porter’s partner, Mark Katterhenry, said he agreed.“She’s clean and sexy, which is very hard to come by these days,” Katterhenry said. “Unlike, you know, Miley Cyrus.”Saints of Valory opened for GPN. Its members come from all corners of the globe.Lead vocalist and bassist Gavin Jasper and Godfrey Thomson met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as young boys and grew up playing guitar together before meeting who would become their drummer, Gerard Labou of France.They were later united with keyboardist Stephen Buckle, who was born in Greece to an American mother and Canadian father.Jasper said he likes the chemistry he feels with the crowd when performing.“And I thought, ‘If I can feel this in this room, then we can actually offer this to people and they will feel it, too,’” Jasper said.Follow reporter Olivia Williams on Twitter @obwillia.
(08/25/13 9:24pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Buzzing with syncopation, live performances replaced the normal flow of traffic on Grant Street between Fifth and Sixth streets Saturday for Bloomington’s Grant Street Jazz Fest, a celebration honoring jazz music and local musicians.The festival featured performances from several local and regional jazz musicians, beginning at 11 a.m. and lasting well into the evening. Among the performers were the Postmodern Jazz Quartet, the Trio Collective and Mitch Shiner & the Bloomingtones Big Band. The event kicked off in the late morning with a parade that began at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market on W. Kirkwood Avenue and headed down to the main stage at the corner of Sixth and Grant streets. The parade was led by the Bam Bam’s Brass Band, a New Orleans-style funk band that performed a set later in the afternoon. The festival was organized by Jazz from Bloomington, an organization devoted to promoting and preserving jazz through local events and public education, according to the group’s website. Monika Herzig, who performed with her band, the Monika Herzig Acoustic Project, is one of the co-founders of Jazz from Bloomington. She said she loved the reception the festival received from the community last year, which is why the group decided to bring it back. Herzig said Indiana has a rich history of jazz music, with musicians like David Baker and J.J. Johnson from the Hoosier state. She said this festival is a way of honoring that legacy.“Indiana has an incredible jazz legacy that is often overlooked,” she said. “Some of the most prominent jazz players come from Indiana.”Herzig said a more notable jazz musician has a special connection to the Bloomington festival.“Hoagy Carmichael was born just around the corner from where the festival is,” she said. “It’s special to have it as that place.”Peter Kienle, who performed with the Bloomington-based Splinter Group, said the festival is a great rare opportunity for jazz artists.“For the artists, it’s important because it’s a place where we can play and show off,” Kienle said. “For a band like us, we like to play loud, and you can play loud outside.”Kienle said the festival also helps artists connect with fellow musicians and fans of jazz music.“For all the other bands, you can come gather, and you realize how many other people there are in Bloomington who are interested in that stuff,” he said. For Herzig, the festival is a perfect way to honor the unique style found in jazz music.“Jazz is the only style created out of the special melting pot of the States,” she said. “It’s important for a town like Bloomington to have a feature like that.”Follow reporter Carolyn Crowcroft on Twitter @carol_crowcroft
(08/23/13 3:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With little set, no breaks and less than a night for the actors to mull over the changes the writers gave them, “Island Song” premiered at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at the Wells-Metz Theatre.Though “Island Song” is still a work in progress as a workshop musical, the cast of five opened to a large and diverse crowd ranging from students to elderly members of the Bloomington community.The musical runs for the next three nights, but Jesi Evans, who works at the Wells-Metz box office, said tickets are going fast.“The turnout is pretty big because of hype from the new material,” Evans said. “All the different nights are getting filled up.”Musical theatre major Hannah Slabaugh said although her friends are in the musical and attracted her to the show, she wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to see new material.“It’s an entirely new play,” Slabaugh said. “The writers are also from New York and pretty famous, so that’s really cool.”Also a musical theatre major, Elaine Cotter said the musical’s contemporary feel is what attracted her to “Island Song.”“I’m pretty excited,” Cotter said. “I’ve heard the music is really difficult and there’s not a lot of set.”Derek Gregor, who wrote the music for “Island Song,”said he met his co-writer, Sam Carner, in a graduate program for musical theatre at New York University.Since then, they have written two full shows together, including “Unlock’d,” which won a Richard Rodgers Award and has since been produced at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, where it was critically acclaimed. “Island Song” is their second full production.Gregor said the show is still in the works, and it has been performed at universities across the country as the pair tries to nail down specifics to put on a non-workshop production, the ultimate goal of the piece.The entire concept of “Island Song” was built around a single song the pair wrote called “Wall Lovin’,” Gregor said.“It was about feeling lonely,” Gregor said. “As we continued writing, we started having a common theme of life in New York, and from there we started fleshing it out.”Gregor said this isn’t the final version of “Island Song.” He said he and Carner plan to come back with a director from New York to put on a full production at IU sometime in January.“We really want to have it have a consistant theme,” Gregor said. “We hope one day to have it play in New York.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(08/22/13 3:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tonight’s musical premiere at Wells-Metz Theatre combines dynamic writing and unconventional singing to offer fresh takes on its familiar themes. “Island Song” begins 7:30 tonight in partnership with the Bloomington Playwrights Project. Tickets are available online and at the theater box office, $15 for students and $25 for non-students.The production will conclude the 2013 Indiana Theater Festival season, which runs each summer. Actors Maddie Baldwin, Brian Bandura and Kaitlyn Mayse, who play Caroline, Cooper and Antonia, respectively, said “Island Song” is a very different production from their past projects. “This is the first workshop show I’ve done, so writers are still changing things,” Bandura said. “All the other things I’ve done, like, things are set, this is the order of songs. It’s a lot of constantly being on your toes.”Mayse said it’s the first time this production has been staged.“Before, it’s been a concert version where people sing from sheet music,” Mayse said. Baldwin said the concept of “Island Song” is very basic, but the way it’s staged is what sets it apart. “It’s about five different New Yorkers and their own stories about how they live in New York and how they deal with day-to-day issues,” Baldwin said. “They all have different issues. Mostly we all do our own solo songs, and your character develops throughout the show, but it’s all within the dialogue of the songs. So that’s something that’s different.”On a deeper level, “Island Song” is about the overlap in different people’s lives, Baldwin said. “At the end we all come together and we realize that we’re all in the same boat,” Baldwin said. “We’re in a big city trying to make our way as individuals.”But the lineup can change, Mayse said.“We’re going to meet the writers today and we’re going to have four hours where they can change stuff,” Mayse said on Wednesday. “So it’s crazy. You kind of just have to let go.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(08/22/13 2:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Award-winning humor arrived in town just in time for the last weekend of summer vacation. Comedian Ali Wong is scheduled to perform at the Comedy Attic Aug. 22-24. “There’s just something about her. She’s young and will have credibility with students,” said Jared Thompson, owner of the Comedy Attic. Voted “Best Comedian of 2009” by her hometown’s SF Weekly, a San Francisco weekly newspaper, Wong has a reputation Thompson is looking forward to seeing her uphold.Keen to making personal jokes, Wong's humor reflects her Asian heritage.Thompson said he’s looking forward to the non-aversion to comments about race.“We’re a welcoming city, and I think there’s a high demand for her kind of humor here,” he said. He said he’s expecting the unexpected. “I’m looking forward to what she does when her legs are stretched out,” he said.
(08/21/13 3:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Singer/songwriter Angel Olsen will perform at 9:30 p.m Wednesday at the Bishop Bar. Tickets can be purchased in advance online for $10 or at the door for $12.The Chicago-based singer said she hasn’t performed in Bloomington in a long time but is looking forward to returning. She said she has friends in the area, and her record label, Jagjaguwar, is based in Bloomington. “I just like the vibe,” Olsen said of Bloomington. Olsen said she will be accompanied by a band, so the show will be louder and more upbeat, rather than sit-down and acoustic. However, she said she’s open to making changes during her performances based on the atmosphere. “I never know what’s going to happen,” she said. “I really don’t know what to expect.”Olsen was born and raised in St. Louis and began performing at 15. After starting as a solo artist, she worked with singer/songwriter Will Oldham, known by his stage name Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Olsen later put together another band, which has yet to be named, she said. The band will be joining her in Bloomington. The Bloomington show is one of Olsen’s many performances this summer, she said. She went on a two-month tour and played at several music festivals, taking a break to record a new album . Olsen said she will play at a few more festivals in the fall before embarking on a larger tour with folk-pop band the Pillars and Tongues. In 2010, Olsen released her first solo album, “Strange Cacti.” Her second album, “Half Way Home,” was released in 2012. The Bloomington concert will feature songs from both albums.She may perform songs from her new album, although she is unsure when it will be released, Olsen said. “It was really awesome,” Olsen said of recording her latest album. “I had a great time. I hope it will come out sooner or later.”Olsen, who writes her own music, describes her style as “a mix of different things.” She said sometimes her songs are quieter and “intimate,” others more “abrasive.” For more concert information, visit www.thebishopbar.com.Follow Alyssa Schor on Twitter @SchorAlyssa
(08/20/13 6:27pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Singer/songwriter Angel Olsen will perform at 9:30 p.m Wednesday at the Bishop Bar. The Chicago-based singer said she hasn’t performed in Bloomington in a long time but is looking forward to returning to the Bloomington crowd. She said she has friends in the area, and her record label, Jagjaguwar, is based in Bloomington. She said she likes the atmosphere in Bloomington. “I just like the vibe,” she said. Olsen said she will be accompanied by a band, so the show will be louder and more upbeat, rather than sit-down and acoustic. However, she said she’s open to making changes during her performances based on the atmosphere. “I never know what’s going to happen,” she said. “I really don’t know what to expect.”Olsen was born and raised in St. Louis and began singing and performing at 15. After starting as a solo artist, she worked with singer/songwriter Will Oldham, known more commonly by his stage name Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Olsen later put together another band, which is yet to be named, she said. This band will be joining her in Bloomington. The Bloomington show is one of Olsen’s many performances this summer, she said. She went on a two-month tour, played at several music festivals and took a break to record a new album before touring again. Olsen said she will play at a few more festivals in the fall before embarking on a larger tour with folk-pop band the Pillars and Tongues. In 2010, Olsen released her first solo album, “Strange Cacti.” Her second album, “Half Way Home,” was released in 2012. The Bloomington concert will feature a mix of songs from both albums.She may perform songs from the new album, even though she is unsure as to when it will be released, Olsen said. “It was really awesome,” Olsen said of recording her latest album. “I had a great time. I hope it will come out sooner or later.”Olsen, who writes her all of her own music, describes her style of music as “a mix of different things.” She said sometimes her songs are quieter and “intimate,” others more “abrasive.” Tickets can be purchased in advance online for $10, or at the door for $12.For more concert information, visit www.thebishopbar.com.
(07/24/13 11:41pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>FROM IDS REPORTSGambling, drug abuse and alcohol addiction are just a few habits Bloomington’s Amethyst House aims to eradicate from the community.To kickstart its upcoming programs, Amethyst House will rent out the Buskirk-Chumley Theater at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 for a benefit concert named “From Shadows to Light.”Local musicians Carrie Newcomer, Scott Russell Sanders, Joe O’Connell and Kate Long will perform at the event to raise money for the not-for-profit sober living facility.The Buskirk-Chumley regularly rents out its space to local businesses and nonprofit organizations for events such as this.Cost of the use of the theater is either covered by the BEAD Grant program or the Buskirk-Chumley’s Movie Partner Project.In 2012 alone, eight separate events raised a combined $233,000 for participating local organizations, according to a Buskirk-Chumley press release.This will be one of just a few current fundraisers for Amethyst House this year, along with its Capital Campaign and Homeward Bound 5K Walk.Donations to the Capital Campaign will help fund the repair of the facility’s roof and chimney.The Homeward Bound 5K Walk raised more than $8,500 for local homelessness prevention.Amethyst House was originally established as Ray of Love in August 1980.The founders of the sober living house were recovering community members who saw a need for safe housing for other recovering addicts, according to the center’s website.The organization’s name was changed in 1989 to Amethyst House, Inc. to reflect the detoxifying properties of the gemstone amethyst.Tickets for the benefit event are now on sale to the public and range from $20 to $100 depending on seating locations inside the theater.To purchase tickets, guests can go to buskirkchumley.org or visit the Buskirk-Chumley Theater box office during its business hours.— Amanda Jacobson
(07/14/13 10:38pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Classical music meets hip-hop and bluegrass to form Black Violin, voted one of the top-five new bands at the 2013 South by Southwest festival.Black Violin, a decade-long partnership between musicians Wil B and Kev, will take the stage at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater this fall to showcase their eclectic sound to the Bloomington community.Black Violin will perform one time only at 8 p.m. Oct. 12.Tickets for the performance will go on pre-sale 11 a.m. July 17 at the BCT Box Office, located at 114 E. Kirkwood Ave.The musical duo will be accompanied by its band, featuring turntable expert DJTK (Dwayne Dayal), drummer Beatdown (Jermaine McQueen) and cellist Joe Cello (Joseph Valbrun).Black Violin has performed more than 200 shows annually, in 49 states and 36 countries across the globe. Traveling as far as Dubai, Prague and South Africa and joining other artists on stage for three past NFL Super Bowl celebrations, Black Violin has experienced a large response from its audience.Throughout the years, Black Violin has collaborated with the likes of 50 Cent, Tom Petty, Aerosmith and Kanye West, among other artists.For more information about the upcoming Black Violin performance, contact the Buskirk-Chumley Theater at 812-323-3023.General ticket sales will also begin 11 a.m. July 24. Main floor and lower balcony tickets are $32 and upper balcony seats are $26 per ticket. Tickets will also be available for purchase by phone at 812-323-3020 and online at www.bctboxoffice.com.
(06/23/13 10:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Awe and wonder can be found in small places.Stardust, a circus troupe of only 12 members, performed at Bloomington’s National Guard Armory Saturday and Sunday.The setup was modest, staged in the armory’s gymnasium.Wooden bleachers were packed with audience members, and children who wanted a closer look sat against the border of the ring stage, only feet away from performers. Acts included a low-wire balancing performance, juggling and traditional trapeze tricks.After a short intermission where children could get face paintings and popcorn, the finale featured a stunt where a performer rode a motorcycle inside a globe-like metal cage. There were no animals.Celeste Garcia, the narrator of the show who was raised in circus life, said the troupe of 12 traveled from its home in Florida and has been all over the country 10 months out of the year. Where most circuses feature animal acts as their main attraction, Garcia said it was just easier to leave its animals at home. But many circuses that do use animals have been notorious for animal cruelty since their beginnings.In 2012, Barnum and Bailey, the biggest circus in America, was charged with the largest penalty in circus history by the United States Department of Agriculture. The company had to pay $270,000 for violations of the Animal Welfare Act, the only piece of animal-related legislature that directly addresses circuses. Among other violations, 30 elephants had been killed under the circus’ care between 1993 and 2012 according to PETA.Garcia said in the circuses she grew up in and eventually helped run, animals were used, but cruelty had never been used as a form of training or punishment. “Our animals are like family to us,” Garcia said. “We don’t hurt them.”Stardust, which Garcia said sometimes uses pet dogs in performances, practices a liberal treat system to train an animal to do tricks. “When we’re training a dog to do a trick, we give him a treat as a kind of positive reinforcement,” Garica said. “If he doesn’t do the trick, we wait. If he doesn’t end up doing it, we just move on.”While some animal activists said they were impressed that Stardust doesn’t usually employ animals, some audience members said they were disappointed. Trisha Gentry, who brought her 3-year-old son, said she wished there had been animals.“I’ve been to circuses before where animals were the main act, and I guess that’s kind of what I was expecting,” Gentry said. “I feel a little let down.”Garcia said to keep the show exciting, they rotate members.Stardust consists of three families whose members all participate in the show.Switching members who specialize in different performances help maintain a sense of variety in their small troupe.“It’s all about a fresh show,” Garcia said.
(06/19/13 10:38pm)
Find something new to experience this week with local events and performances.
(06/12/13 11:36pm)
A variety of big-name and local musicians will perform in Bloomington this month.
(05/08/13 11:22pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>By Hannah Cranehmcrane@indiana.eduThe whining of the saxophone and the rhythm of congas could be heard all the way down Kirkwood Avenue.Families, students and passers-by came to enjoy the free Lunchtime Concert between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday in Peoples Park.Every Tuesday in Peoples Park, different musical performers will present free lunchtime concerts to the public as a part of the Bloomington Summer Performing Arts Series. Downtown Bloomington came alive on the first clear day of summer to the sounds of feel-good tunes like Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up”.This summer marks the 10-year anniversary of the Lunchtime Concert events. The Summer Performing Arts Series will take place May through August, providing 17 different events at various locations. “It’s just this wonderful intersection of sun, music, lunch and the hustle and bustle of downtown,” Greg Jacobs, the Community Events Coordinator for Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said.Afro-Cuban, folk, blues, jazz and country are among the featured music genres. “I look to offer a variety of types of music,” Jacobs said. “Bloomington has such a great music community, so we can put together a full series.”Afro Hoosier Intl was the featured band Tuesday and performed songs from the African diaspora. This included a variety of covers from Bob Marley to Latin-Cuban songs in Spanish.“It was fun performing in Peoples’ Park,” Robert Port, IU professor emeritus of linguistics and co-founder of Afro Hoosier Intl, said. “We must’ve had several hundred people see us perform throughout the hour and a half time. We’re used to around 50 people at our shows.”Afro Hoosier Intl was founded 13 years ago by Port and another IU linguistics professor, Michael Gasser, after returning from their work in Kenya and Ethiopia with Peace Corps. “I loved the African pop music I heard when I was in Kenya,” Port said. “I just loved what I heard when I turned on the radio, so here I am now playing it.”After 13 years, Port is the only original member remaining, but Afro Hoosier Intl is made up of 11 musicians and vocalists. This includes five IU faculty and staff members, and one Ph.D. student. “We all just really enjoy playing, but we all have day jobs,” Port said. “We are a dance band, and play so that people to dance to our music.”Though Tuesday did not draw much of a dancing crowd, many people flocked to Peoples’ Park to listen to the international rhythms and sing along as they ate lunch, let their children play, and soaked in the summer atmosphere.“IU offers fewer activities during the summer, so we try to cater to the summer audiences,” Jacobs said. “We present these concerts to provide the community with just a fun thing to do in the middle of the work day.”To view the full summer concert schedule, visit bloomington.in.gov/concerts.
(05/03/13 3:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>By Jimmy Jenkinsjenkijar@indiana.eduOne hundred fifty performances on 10 stages in four days. Bonnaroo is the annual music festival that takes place each year in Manchester, Tenn.The show is known for hosting an eclectic mix of performers, featuring not only musicians but comedians as well. During the four day blitz, concert-goers from all over the country will have to choose between seeing Maria Bamford or Maps and Atlases, among others. While not sharing the same stage, Paul McCartney will effectively be followed by the Wu-Tang Clan. The multitude of entertainment options can be overwhelming. So can the number of fans. In the past, as many as 80,000 people have attended the show. In a recent conference call, Ken Weinstein of Big Hassle Media — the publicity firm for Bonnaroo — said based on ticket sales they expect at least that many in attendance this year.Even the announcement of the performance roster has become something of a phenomenon.This year’s lineup was announced live on YouTube via a parody telethon hosted by Weird Al Yankovic. Announced musical performers range from time-tested big names to newcomers from all genres. As in years past, while the concert lineup has a deep bench, the festival is anchored by well-known names. This year the headliners are Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mumford and Sons. No-less-impressive nationally touring acts will include David Byrne & St. Vincent, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and Passion Pit.The festival offers several chances to see acts that have limited tours such as rapper Kendrick Lamar or psychedelic rock band Tame Impala. It is also a way to access those artists that otherwise might be out of one’s price range (see Paul McCartney).Last year’s festival featured a performance by formerly Bloomington-based group The Main Squeeze.Main Squeeze lead singer Corey Frye recently recounted the experience of playing for thousands of people for the first time.“That was honestly one of the biggest crowds we had ever played for — the energy is amazing,” Frye said. “But the best part was all the B-Town support. We knew a lot of people from Bloomington would be down there, but to actually see so many people in Hoosiers jerseys cheering for us was a huge confidence booster that made our show so much better.”Frye said his band took advantage of the opportunity to meet and get advice from other up-and-comers like Alabama Shakes.Bloomington record labels will be represented at the festival as well. Dead Oceans artist The Tallest Man on Earth will be performing as well as artists from Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar.Tickets are still available at the Bonnaroo website, but most of the lower pricing levels have sold out. However, there will be a new way to attend the festival, offered for the first time. Starting Friday, the site will offer the sale of packaged day-pass tickets and shuttle rides from the city of Nashville, Tenn.Sean Hallarman of Big Hassle Media said this option was added for those who want to check out the shows but may not be into the whole festival scene.
(04/26/13 2:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Hooshir A Capella performed its spring concert Thursday night in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. About half of the group’s members are Jewish, and the religion features in the group’s performances. The group performs songs by American, Hebrew and Israeli musicians. The group formed in 2006 and has grown in the years since its inauguration. Hooshir performs throughout the year and competes at various competitions across the country. This year, Hooshir was crowned champion at the third Kol HaOlam National Collegiate Jewish A Capella Championship, the group’s first national championship. The group entertained the crowd with renditions of some popular top-40 songs, including David Guetta’s “Titanium,” fun.’s “Some Nights” and Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.” The evening’s performance also featured Jewish and Israeli songs “Lecha Dodi,” “Ana Bekoach” and “Shoshanim Atzuvot.”Senior group member Julie Womack said the group is collaborative and encourages input from all members on song options. “At the beginning of the year, each person is asked to come with their own arrangement, whether it is American, Israeli or Jewish,” Womack said. “We then choose our repertoire from that list.”In addition to official performances at ceremonies and functions around campus, the group has also performed spontaneously at venues like Starbucks and the Sample Gates. The group has even put on flash mobs in the past. While a capella groups like Straight No Chaser and Another Round have more of a presence on campus, Womack said what makes Hooshir special is its Jewish ties. “I think the biggest difference between us and other groups is simply the fact that we sing Jewish and Israeli music,” she said. “We’re also supported by Hillel instead of IUAA, like other groups.”Womack said the final performance is an exciting moment in the group’s season, and she hopes the group is able to always put on an exciting, entertaining show.“We have a lot of fun singing and being on stage together,” she said. “Hooshir loves nothing more than spending time together and making music and sharing it with everyone.”– Carolyn Crowcroft
(04/25/13 3:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The power of music can be a soothing one.On Sunday, April 28, a number of leading Baroque violinists who studied at the Jacobs School of Music will return to benefit the Middle Way House with a special concert at Fairview United Methodist Church, 600 W. Sixth St.The 2 p.m. concert will be a performance of Heinrich Biber’s “Mystery Sonatas,” also known as “The Rosary Sonatas.” The concert is renowned for a technique called “scordatura,” which involves irregular tuning of the violin strings. Each of the 15 sonatas in Biber’s performance cycle is inspired by the praying of the Rosary.Artistic director Janelle Davis said she plans to use Sunday’s event as a tribute to the influential women in her life. “One of the most famous women in history is the Virgin Mary, and it’s the story of Mary’s bravery in the face of adversity that Biber depicts in this sonata cycle,” Davis said. “I’ve been so impressed by the way Middle Way House serves and supports women in hardship. I can’t think of a better fit for this project.”Toby Strout, director of the Middle Way House, said he is thrilled that this event will benefit the House.“What makes this event so special is the opportunity it will afford audience members to honor the special women in their lives,” Davis said. For more information about the concert or the Middle Way House, visit bctboxoffice.com or middlewayhouse.org.
(04/14/13 7:16pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The sound of live music echoed throughout campus Saturday. WIUX and Business Careers in Entertainment Club combined to host the annual Culture Shock Music Festival. Jen Samson is one of the student organizers of the festival. She was happy with this year’s turnout, she said, because usually a downpour of rain has stifled the event in the past.“It’s been really great seeing everybody come out here,” she said. “It hasn’t been a more perfect day.”Saturday, direct sunlight beamed onto the ground, and combined with the remnants of drifting cigarette smoke. The combination created a luminous, hazy effect on all that could be seen in Dunn Meadow. This haze settled over the hundred-person crowd. There was not a drop of rain in sight.At the mouth of the meadow facing Kirkwood stood the stage where most of the crowd was condensed. Many bands graced the stage Saturday, one of them being local group Apache Dropout. Anu Nath, also known as Nathan, is a bassist and vocalist of the group. Resting against the mossy surface of a tree after his performance, he described the beauty of playing his instrument. “The bass sort of strips everything down into a really simple level,” he said.The sound of this group is hard to describe because it is so intricate. WIUX described the group as “psych-rock veterans who throw every decade into a blender and spit out the best Technicolor smoothie you could ask for.” The group first got together five years ago, Nath said. While this was not his first time being at Culture Shock, he said that this was the first time Apache Dropout had played in the festival. “I love to play outside,” Nath said. “You get to play really loud, it’s really fun.”In the five years they have worked together, he said that they have constantly grown in that time. “We’re creating art for the people,” he said. “We want everybody to get together and make something beautiful happen in the world.”