One of independent music’s most storied labels is coming home. Secretly Group, the Bloomington-born indie powerhouse behind dozens of beloved artists returns to its roots this August for What Comes After the Blues: Secretly’s 30th Anniversary. This three-night concert series celebrates 30 years of independent music, community, and the city that made it all possible.
Founded in 1996 by North Dakota brothers Chris and Ben Swanson out of a Bloomington basement, Secretly Canadian has grown into one of the most respected and influential independent music companies in the world. Now operating as Secretly Group and encompassing Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans, and Saddest Factory Records, the company has never left its hometown. This August, Bloomington gets to celebrate that loyalty.
The three-night series takes place August 27–29 across three venues essential to the story of both Secretly and the city: The Bluebird, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, and Switchyard Park. Each night features a lineup spanning the label’s past, present, and future.
NIGHT ONE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 27 — THE BLUEBIRD
Venue: The Bluebird, 216 N. Walnut Street, Bloomington, IN (21+)
Doors: 6:30 PM | Show: 7:30 PM
The series opens at the Bluebird with a night rooted in Secretly’s origin story. June Panic’s album Glory Hole was Secretly Canadian’s very first release in September 1996, making this a genuinely historic reunion. Bloomington’s own Early Day Miners and Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co, whose members include Centro-Matic’s Will Johnson (a collaborator of the late Jason Molina), round out an evening that honors where it all began.
Featuring:
Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co.
Early Day Miners
June Panic
NIGHT TWO: FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 — BUSKIRK-CHUMLEY THEATER
Venue: Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN
Doors: 6:00 PM | Show 7:00 PM
The crown jewel of the weekend takes place at BCT, Bloomington’s historic nonprofit performing arts center and a co-presenter of the entire series. Night Two brings together three of the most critically acclaimed artists in Secretly Group’s constellation for an evening that is nothing short of a landmark event for Bloomington music.
Featuring:
Sharon Van Etten
One of the defining voices of contemporary indie rock, Sharon Van Etten has built a fiercely devoted following over more than a decade of devastatingly honest songwriting. Her albums, including Remind Me Tomorrow and Are We There, have earned widespread acclaim and cemented her as one of the most important artists of her generation.
Kevin Morby
Kansas City-born and deeply American in spirit, Kevin Morby is a songwriter’s songwriter. His rich catalog of albums, including Singing Saw and This Is a Photograph, has made him one of the most beloved figures in independent music. His live performances are transportive, intimate, and unmissable.
Jordan Patterson
A rising voice on the Secretly roster, Jordan Patterson represents the label’s commitment to bold, forward-looking artistry. His inclusion on this night signals not just where Secretly has been, but where it’s going. Tickets: Available at buskirkchumley.org
NIGHT THREE: SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 — SWITCHYARD PARK
Venue: Switchyard Park, Bloomington, IN | All Ages | Granfalloon Concert Series
Doors: 5:00 PM | Show: 6:00 PM
The weekend closes in grand fashion at Switchyard Park, presented in collaboration with Bloomington’s beloved Granfalloon Concert Series. An all-ages outdoor show under the summer sky, Night Three is a fitting, wide-open finale headlined by one of Bloomington’s own.
Featuring:
Durand Jones & The Indications
Bloomington’s own Durand Jones & The Indications are a soul powerhouse that formed right here at Indiana University and went on to captivate the world. Their rich, vintage-soaked sound and explosive live energy make them the perfect headliner for this hometown celebration. Seeing them back in Bloomington, at Switchyard Park, at the peak of their powers, will be one for the books.
Jensen McRae
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Jensen McRae is a sharp, fearless voice in contemporary folk and indie pop — a storyteller whose wit and emotional precision have earned her a rapidly growing following and widespread critical praise.
Angela Autumn
A luminous emerging artist on the Secretly roster, Angela Autumn rounds out a night that spans the full sweep of the label’s vision. The past, the present, and everything still to come.
Tickets: Available at buskirkchumley.org
ABOUT SECRETLY GROUP
Secretly Group is an independently owned music company headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana. Founded in 1996 as Secretly Canadian by brothers Chris and Ben Swanson, it has grown into one of the most respected independent music companies in the world, encompassing record labels Secretly Canadian, Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans, and Saddest Factory Records. In three decades, it has remained committed to timeless sounds, earnest songwriting, and the community that built it.
ABOUT THE BUSKIRK-CHUMLEY THEATER
The Buskirk-Chumley Theater is a historic nonprofit performing arts center located in the heart of downtown Bloomington, Indiana. A beloved anchor of the Bloomington arts community, BCT hosts live music, film screenings, festivals, and community events year-round.
MEDIA CONTACT
Buskirk-Chumley Theater
114 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN 47408
