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(10/31/13 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Against the curtains of the IU Auditorium bathed in a blue light, Béla Fleck crossed the stage holding two banjos.Crowd members stood up and cheered, but as he neared center stage, Fleck settled into the single black chair beneath the single spotlight, picked up one of his two banjos and immediately began playing.He paused only to lean forward and mutter, “Hi” into his microphone.On tour with his wife Abigail Washburn playing Solos and Duos, Fleck is also a new father to son Juno, to whom he dedicated several songs.After his first song, which was nearly 10 minutes long, Fleck spoke for the first time, thanking the audience as well as the Auditorium.He also told the audience this type of performance is unusual for him.“It’s really rare for me to play solo banjo,” Fleck said, looking down at the strings of his instrument. “I’m actually really nervous, and I’ll probably just keep on playing. Yeah, that’s just what I’ll do.”Between each song, Fleck said a few words about the variety in his work, which changed between sets.The next song Fleck played he wrote for Juno in the terminal of the Dallas airport while he awaited his plane to take him home to meet him for the first time. Becky Ferber was just a child herself when she was introduced to Fleck. “Like Bela, my dad is a musician,” Ferber said. “He made us watch Bela Fleck videos while we were eating dinner growing up. Last night I got him a signed CD, but he doesn’t know it yet.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(10/30/13 2:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fifteen-time Grammy winning banjoist Béla Fleck will take the stage at 8 p.m. at the IU Auditorium playing Solos and Duos.Fellow banjoist Abigail Washburn will join Fleck during his performance. Fleck is “known for his passion, humor and impressive technical skill,” according to the Auditorium website. Tickets for the show range from $23 to $49 for students and $44 to $59 for the general public.In the 1990s, Fleck was a part of “Fleck and the Flecktones” in the newgrass revival where he first achieved fame through the art of banjo-playing. Since that time, he has collected 15 Grammys and more than 30 nominations in more categories than any other artist. The categories in which he’s been nominated include country, pop, jazz, bluegrass, classical, folk, spoken word, composition and arranging.The show at the Auditorium is a solo recital with just Fleck and his banjo, and “clawhammer” banjoist and vocalist Washburn will accompany Fleck. Washburn combines traditional banjo sound with elements of Chinese culture and music — a culture that influences much of her work, according to her official website. She’s spent time a lot of time playing there, and she even experimented and did a bit of recording.Together Fleck and Washburn will combine their multi-tonal, varied sounds at the Auditorium for a captivating performance tonight.With Fleck’s many mastered forms of banjo music he “turns the banjo into a magic carpet capable of reaching just about any destination,” according to the Auditorium website.— Janica Kaneshiro
(10/28/13 2:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the sun set over Bryan Park Friday night, more than 100 Bloomington residents — families, couples, kids — gathered in front of a lighted stage decorated with a grinning jack-o’-lantern back drop for an evening of scary storytelling at the Festival of Ghost Stories.Bloomington Parks and Recreation, in conjunction with the Bloomington Storytellers Guild, came together for the 31st year to bring scary stories and hot apple cider to the community.Greg Jacobs, community events coordinator for Bloomington Parks and Recreation, said this is one of many events the Parks and Recreation department puts on to celebrate fall.Over the years, the event has brought more than just families out into the night to enjoy spooky tales, he said. Despite the chilly weather, he said the turnout was good.“There are of course, lots of families,” Jacobs said. “But there are also people on dates, empty nesters and anyone just passing by.“It has become much more than a family event as time has passed.”The event hasn’t always been outdoors at Bryan Park, but as Jacobs looked at the spread of people listening, huddled under blankets, clutching cups of hot cider, he said this venue “seems to be the best fit.”IU Library student Emily Stueven and her boyfriend said they were drawn to the event in part because it served as a nice date, but also because she is considering becoming a children’s librarian someday. She said learning storytelling is an important part of being a good children’s librarian, and getting to see how professionals tell stories is a great learning opportunity as well as a fun time.“This event is really cool,” Stueven said. “There is a nice variety of stories and story tellers. They’re very cinematic.”One such storyteller, Ken Oguss, who told the story “The Melting Herb” at the event, grew up in a family of storytellers. He has been telling stories professionally since 1978. Though he has been many places around the world telling stories, he said he much prefers being in Bloomington with the Storytellers Guild because the people of Bloomington seem to respond best to traditional storytelling.“I love telling stories here because the people of Bloomington take storytelling seriously,” Oguss said. “It isn’t just for kids.”
(10/15/13 3:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>San Francisco natives Hot Buttered Rum will play at 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Bluebird Nightclub.The performance is sponsored by Groove Productions and also features fiddler Allie Kral and The New Old Calvary.Hot Buttered Rum is made up of five members — Aaron Redner, who plays the fiddle, acoustic and electric mandolins and sings; Bryan Horne, who plays double bass and sings; Eric Yates on banjos, guitars, woodwinds and vocals; Lucas Carlton on drums and percussion; and Nat Keefe on guitar and sings. Their combined sounds make for a relaxed bluegrass genre, and, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, “few things rejuvenate the soul like a warm fireside drink after an exhausting day in the snow. Hot Buttered Rum has that effect.”Tickets are $10 to see the Bluegrass/Americana band, but they can be purchased for $5 through groove-productions.com. Dillon Gross is one of two owners of Groove Productions, which works to bring funk and bluegrass music to Bloomington.Gross said this performance in Bloomington is different from what Hot Buttered Rum is used to.“They mostly tour on the West Coast doing bluegrass festivals, so this is a rare performance for them in the Midwest,” he said.The other featured artists are kicking off the performances at 9 p.m., and they include` Allie Kral, a former fiddler for the band Cornmeal.“She is incredibly talented,” Gross said. “She’s a well-known touring musician who fits in with Hot Buttered Rum really well.”But beyond being good musicians, Hot Buttered Rum also has good chemistry, according to its website. “Hot Buttered Rum lives for songs. Songs to sing in the shower. Songs to crank through your earbuds at the DMV. Songs to name your babies after, and then make more babies to.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(10/11/13 4:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The room went quiet and audience members pushed closer to the stage where Citizen Cope stood facing them, wearing a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a black dress shirt with only a guitar and a microphone to accompany him. Cope came to the Bluebird Nightclub Thursday night as a part of his solo/acoustic performance tour. Signs lined the Bluebird walls, asking audience members to “please be respectful to the artist” during the more quiet performance. There was no opener, just Cope with his guitars. He opened with “Salvation”at 9:30 p.m. Audience members paid $30 for general admission to the show.His music is “southern rural, big sky lonely, concrete urban, and painfully romantic,” according to a biography on his website. Cope’s given name is Clarence Greenwood, and his music draws from the places he’s been, including “Greenville, Miss.; Memphis, Tenn.; Vernon, Texas; Austin, Texas; Washington, D.C. and Brooklyn, N.Y.” according to his website. His first self-titled album dropped in 2002.The acoustic versions of his songs bring out their original meaning, Keir Bailey, Cope’s merchandising partner, said.“This is how his songs are originally written before production,” Bailey said. “They were simple with just the guitar as back up.” Bailey has been with Cope and his team for over six years. He works with Cope to develop logos and branding, and he uses his art school education as well as artists he hires to create the brand for Citizen Cope. He said he travels with Cope as he tours and enjoys the perks of the ride.“We’re a small group and we’re all really good friends, so getting along makes it fun to be together,” Bailey said.Bryce Gorsuch and David Meer came to the concert together because they’ve been fans since high school. They showed up an hour before the doors opened at 8 p.m. to get as close to the stage as possible.“We love Citizen Cope,” Gorsuch said, pointing to his new navy blue “Cope” sweatshirt. “We just couldn’t pass up such an intimate venue. The acoustic thing is awesome. It’s much more personal and different from normal.”Meer said he likes Cope because of the nostalgic feelings his songs bring up.“Every time I take a back road there are always a couple of his songs playing,” Meer said.
(10/09/13 4:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Aaron’s party launched in 2000. Now, more than a decade since the child star’s triple-platinum album was released and following an eight-year hiatus from touring, singer Aaron Carter brought the after party to Bloomington.More than 500 fans turned up Tuesday night to see Carter at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, part of the 25-year-old’s nationwide After Party Tour. “VIP” guests, who paid $65 for up-and-close access, arrived at about 3:30 p.m., show volunteer Melissa Modro said.“As a ‘90s kid, I’m obsessed with the entire Carter family, so when this opportunity came up, I took it,” Modro said while ushering VIP ticket holders into the theater. “Fans have been crazy. Somebody just gave Aaron fan mail, and I’ve seen two people crying.”Carter said he was happy with the turnout and always hopes to impress.“The girls here are crazy,” Carter said, briefly taking a lollipop out of his mouth to speak. “I hope I make them all proud.”Before the show, VIPs met Carter for a meet-and-greet, autograph and photo opportunity. Kelly Jacob was one such VIP. She bought her ticket three weeks in advance and said paying extra to meet Carter was well worth it.“He was really nice, and I’m super excited,” Jacob said. “This is seriously my childhood dream.”Jill Hoffmann, one of the promoters for the show, said there were some unforeseen issues because the show was much bigger than she had planned. That didn’t stop her delight for the large turnout.“I want to get into this industry,” Hoffmann said. “The turnout was greater than I could imagine. I was not expecting a sold-out show for my first concert I promoted.”After two openers, including IU sophomore DJ Freddie Van, Carter hit the stage with “I Want Candy.” After his first song, Carter thanked the audience.“You guys gave my life back,” Carter said. “Thank you.”His performance included “I Want Candy,” “Do You Remember” and “That’s How I Beat Shaq,” among covers of popular American Top 40 songs like Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.”Carter said this show is a stepping stone to his future in the music industry, and concerts like this one give him hope as he moves forward. “This show is sold out, which is great,” Carter said, looking out to his VIP line. “I’m excited for this show, and I hope they continue to be excited to see me in the future.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(10/08/13 3:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Aaron Carter is bringing the party to Bloomington at 9 p.m. for a sold-out performance at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.Carter said this tour, the After Party Tour, is his first after being on hiatus from pop music to try his hand at the off-Broadway musical, “The Fantasticks.”“It’s been eight years since I toured,” Carter said. “It’s been really tough to get people to believe in me again, but I’ve done over 400 performances in a Broadway production, and a booking agent noticed I’ve done so many performances and grown through those performances, so he said, ‘I’m booking you for a tour.’”Bloomington is a stop on the tour due in large part to the efforts of IU junior Brett Bassock, founder of SimplyLive Entertainment.Bassock has worked in concert promotion since high school, when he helped create a battle of the bands event. From there, he said he “fell in love” with the industry and began interning with various companies to get his foot in the door.“I interned when I was 18 with Atlantic Records,” Bassock said. “I lived in L.A. and worked in L.A., and I think I really found my niche.”Bassock took a break from promoting during his first couple years in Bloomington, but earlier this year, he said he wanted to promote again. He and his friends, Bassock said, had an agenda to do something college students are really looking for.“We wanted to do something nostalgic, so we thought about big ’90s bands and performers, and Aaron Carter came up,” Bassock said. “Aaron Carter really is from our generation, so we started working on a show.”Carter said he is no longer the 12-year-old boy who originally performed his greatest hits, but he still plays them because it’s what his fans love.“I am always going to perform my old songs — that’s what people know me for,” Carter said. “I want to reconnect with everybody first, rebuild my fan base, then release new music. “If I just went straight to releasing new music, then they’re going to expect me to release an album like I’m 12, and I’m not 12 anymore.”Carter said the unfortunate part of being a child star is that he feels he has something to prove as an adult, but he said his years off from touring can help him break back into the industry.“Honestly, I think some people just come to make fun of me, and they see it’s a real show,” Carter said. “I just try to prove them wrong. I’ve been performing for 18 years, so I’m a real performer. “They think I’m an amateur, but having live musicians and doing off-Broadway helped me develop my craft and become a much better singer.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twiiter @janicakaneshiro.
(10/04/13 3:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One fan described the crowd at Jon McLaughlin’s show at the Bluebird Nightclub Thursday as a “horde.”Self-proclaimed fan Roberta Kelley said she traveled with her friend Julie around the country to see McLaughlin eight times over the past six years.“We’ve been following him around for a while now,” Kelley said. “He hasn’t been touring for a while because he and his wife just had a baby.’”Jessica Teach and her husband, Brad, traveled from Indianapolis to see him at the Bluebird. A former IU student, Teach said her husband introduced her to McLaughlin’s music, but it was the way he sounded live that really sold her.“We see him anytime he’s anywhere near Indy,” Teach said. Guitarist Dylan Williams has been playing with McLaughlin for the past 10 years since they went to college together at Anderson University.“We’re pretty much best friends at this point,” Williams said. “We started playing together in college and haven’t stopped since.”Williams said he really knows how to compliment McLaughlin’s voice and purpose with his guitar.“I feel really good about his music,” Williams said. “The writing is mainly Jon’s vision, but I know his voice; it’s something I can relate to. I feel like I can really get behind it.”McLaughlin’s music’s qualities are what Kelley said keeps her and Julie on board.“The music is good and wholesome,” Kelley said. “He’s not into the party scene, he doesn’t do drugs. He’s just a good Christian guy that can really sing.”And it’s the loyal fanbase Williams said has made their touring experience great.“His fans are generally really nice,” Williams said. “It’s not like we’re a metal band where you have to watch your wallet. They’re loyal fans that travel long distances to see him preform — just a positive group.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(10/03/13 3:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The “Imaginary Invalid” opened Indiana University Theater’s fall line up with a modern twist on an old plot Wednesday night.Though the play was originally written by Moliere, or Jean Poquelin in 1673, it was adapted and translated by James Magruder in 1999 and modernized by director Gavin Cameron-Webb.Costumes consistent with the time period were intermingled with modern costumes, as the characters stepped out of the plot and onto a TV show set up with a panel of doctors.There were also modern interruptions in the form of commercial messages that were for modern-day prescriptions to the problems the “Invalid” Argon, played by Josh Krause, was experiencing.Former IU theater professors, Marion and R. Keith Michael came to see the showing of “Imaginary Invalid” partly because Wednesdays are slow in their household. Marion blames this on their age but also because R. Keith has personally produced more than 400 plays, and his portrait hangs in the lobby of the Ruth N. Halls Theatre where “Imaginary Invalid” is playing.“I look just as young as I do there,” he said smiling while motioning to his portrait hanging by the entrance to the theater. “We’ve come to a lot of plays here over the years.”R. Keith’s wife, Marion said she also had particular interest in “Imaginary Invalid” because she has connections within the community since her days teaching at IU.“We know the director of this production,” Marion said. “We know his wife too. She was actually one of our first MFA students.”Besides just knowing him, they also heard about the modern elements added by Gavin Cameron-Webb which drew them to this particular production.“We heard Gavin was making some modern additions, which we were excited to see,” Marion said.But the Michaels didn’t come alone. They stood in the lobby waiting for the show to start with their long-time friends Pat and Jack Mulholland. Pat is a retired business school professor and Jack was a former treasurer of the University.Today, all four are members of Theatre Circle, a group whose mission is to “support and encourage the study and practice of the theatre arts at Indiana University” according to the “Imaginary Invalid” program. They said plays such as “Imaginary Invalid” give them something to do together while they support something important to them as well.“We come to plays like this one together,” Jack said. “We’re all friends from when we taught together here at IU.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @JanicaKaneshiro.
(09/30/13 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Joining in on Lotus Festival’s 20th anniversary celebration was Bloomington-based band, Japonize Elephants. Though they’ve since split up, on Saturday Japonize Elephants came back together to celebrate their own start 20 years ago as well. “It’s been 20 years, and it’s great to be back,” the band’s violinist Megan Gould said. “Now we live in all different parts of the country, and it’s exciting to get to play together again.”The band itself has eight main artists, including vocalists, a saxophonist, a violinist, a banjo player and percussionists. Their show for Lotus kicked off at the Bluebird Nightclub at 8:45 p.m. Saturday evening. Hondo, a radio disc-jockey from 91.3 FM Bloomington Community Radio, opened the show by reading a newspaper review about Japonize Elephants, which included the description “wild, Appalachia-by-way-of-the-Middle East hyper-speed gypsy caravan” from the record label Secretly Canadian.Hondo welcomed the Elephants back to Bloomington while they stood behind him, backs to the audience and instruments by their sides.“It’s homecoming, y’all,” Hondo said.Then, in a moment of sudden noise, the Elephants began to play. The attendees of the show ranged in age and dedication. One woman in a red-sequin jumpsuit pushed her way to the front at the beginning of the set while some older fans covered their ears.Out of all the attendees, one group of people, hugging, stood out among the others. Meredith Richmond was one of these people. She said she sees this group of friends once a year at Lotus Fest.Richmond and her husband work for a private production company in Battle Ground, Ind., and she said seeing local groups perform is both part of her job and also something she greatly enjoys.She said she was drawn to Japonize Elephants because of their local connection, but she was also drawn to the Bluebird.“I had my first date at the Bluebird with my husband in ’74,” Richmond said as she waved to him across the room. “Sometimes we come here and see bands we want, but honestly, we just love Bloomington.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(09/26/13 3:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Latino Culture Center played host to Nuestras Raices, a gathering Wednesday night where people of all races shared poems, songs and testimonials about their culture. Attendees laughed and cried while they shared their personal stories with each other. Each performance was welcomed with cheers closed with applause. Music, poetry and storytelling are all ways to reconnect to a culture, especially when you’re far away, said Diana Velazquez, who plays the guitar to reconnect herself to her Mexican roots.“My dad taught me to play the guitar,” Velazquez said. “My dad is from Mexico, and when I play, it reminds me of him and connects me back to Mexico.”Velazquez played a song she wrote for Nuestras Raices that included lyrics about her skin color and the way people perceive her in society.Jose Medrano-Lopez said he empathizes with other Latinos who sometimes get discriminated against or who face difficulties in the community where there are few Latinos. “When you come to college, it’s a culture shock because you’re surrounded by so many people who are different than you,” Medrano-Lopez said. “Events like this happen once a month at La Casa. Sharing here is a release. It’s nice to have a chance to connect with people.”Medrano-Lopez said he finds it particularly important to share his culture, if not for the continuation of his story, then at least for the recognition of everything his parents have done for him.“I like to recognize what my parents did for me,” he said. “I’m a first generation college student, so it makes me want to try to succeed.”Junior Deisy Lopez, who has worked at La Casa since she was a freshman, said such events remind people to keep their culture at the front of their minds, no matter what that culture may be. “This event is open so people share stories and bring anything that connects them to their culture,” Lopez said. Lopez said he didn’t those who aren’t Latino to not feel welcome.“We are always happy to accommodate people of all cultures. There’s a misconception that La Casa only serves Latinos, but we want other people to join too.”Velazquez said music and art help connect different cultures as well, which is an important part of what La Casa does for the community.“Everyone in my family can sing,” Valazquez said. “It’s an important way to communicate.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @JanicaKaneshiro.
(09/24/13 2:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Dillon Gross said over the years he began to feel as if Bloomington was losing its reputation as a stomping ground for big artists and musicians.So, he and Kevin Long form Groove Productions in 2012, a music production company that brings “high quality” music back to Bloomington, Gross said. “We wanted to make Bloomington a high-quality music spot like it was in the ’80s and ’90s,” Gross said. “We mainly bring blue grass, rock and roll, jam bands, reggae and funk to the Bluebird, but mostly jam and funk bands.”Since its conception, Groove Productions has produced artists such as the Bloomington band Elephant Quiz, which the company helps promote around town, Groove Productions employee Wes Ogden said.“We mostly host shows,” Ogden said. “We just try to bring good tunes to Bloomington.” Andrew Pickle, lead singer of Elephant Quiz, said he and his band have been with Groove Productions from the beginning.“We were good friends with Kevin Long when we were all students at IU,” Pickle said. “We needed extra help, so he became our unofficial manager. He started getting really good at it and started up Groove Productions. “After he got things rolling, we became one of his many bands, and he helped us network with festivals and make connections. I think we were really a stepping stone for Groove.”This year Groove Productions is bringing shows such as Papadosio, Ultraviolet Hippopotamus, Hot Buttered Rum, Communion and many more to the Bluebird Nightclub. Gross said he hopes they can build the company’s reputation and bring bigger shows to Bloomington.“We want to instill in people that when they see Groove Productions in an ad, they know a really talented artist will be playing, even if they don’t know the artist,” Gross said. “We want people to know if we had something to do with it, the show must be worth seeing.”Gross said the overall mission of Groove Productions is to bring “real talent” to Bloomington, namely artists who sound particularly good live as opposed disc jockeys who often come through town. “We just really want to get people to listen to feel-good music,” Gross said. “We work to get kids away from mindless wasted raging and get a meaningful experience at one of our concerts that leaves them with something other than a hangover.”Follow local music reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(09/19/13 3:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Amidst floating balloons and animal costumes, STRFKR took the stage last night at the Bluebird Nightclub with Rod Tufcurls.This is the band’s first time in Bloomington, but it has been touring across the country — two nights ago, it was in Chicago, and Friday it will be in St. Louis, said band manager Chance Jackson.Jackson met the drummer Keil Corcoran when they were 16-years-old at a Modest Mouse concert, and he ran into the band by chance several years later.“I met the rest of them at Outside Lands festival in 2011,” Jackson said. “Then they asked me to go on tour with them to help drive, sell merchandise, breakdown and set up.”Jackson said STRFKR saved him from a bad time in his life.“I was miserable in my job and depressed,” Jackson said. “I just got out of a long relationship, and I got the opportunity to travel with the band, see the world, go to New York, so I quit my job and had the best week of my life.”Even after that tour ended, Jackson stayed on board with STRFKR and has since gleaned more responsibilities and become a part of the greater team. “I became tour manager, so each time we go out, I do more and more stuff,” Jackson said. “Before the tour starts, I help with organization, renting practice space, ordering records, getting to design the shirts. But pretty much every night, I get to crowd surf as an astronaut so that’s pretty awesome.”Fan Nick Kieper said he was visiting a friend in town when he heard STRFKR was playing, and he couldn’t help but believe it was divine intervention.“It’s funny how when you go about existing in the world, things fall into place, and I just think finding it here is one miraculous moment,” Kieper said.Follow local music reporter on Twitter @JanicaKaneshiro.
(09/18/13 2:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Electronica band STRFKR is coming to the Bluebird Nightclub at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The group’s “rising popularity will make the show really exciting,” Bluebird Marketing Strategist Jen Samson said.Tickets will be sold at the door for $15. This is the band’s first time coming to the Bluebird, despite touring around the world.STRFKR formed in 2007 in Portland, Ore., with members Joshua Hodges, Shawn Glassford, Keil Corcoran and Patrick Morris. Their songs have been featured in movies like “Chronicle” and TV shows like “Weeds” and “Skins.” Dan Coleman works with the promotion company Spirit of ‘68, which brought STRFKR to Bluebird. He said when he had the opportunity to book them, he jumped on it immediately.“They’re an amazing dance band,” Coleman said. “They’ve been building a steady audience, and I’ve been a fan of them for a long time. When I got the chance to book them, I was pretty excited. I definitely went for it.”Coleman said it will also be Corcoran’s birthday Wednesday, so the audience may be in for a celebration.Though he said he is unsure of what to expect, Coleman said based on STRFKR’s previous performances, audience members are in for a lot of fun.“I think it’s going to be fun,” Coleman said. “In the past they’ve had beach balls, costumes and crowd surfing.”Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(09/17/13 3:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Poppy House Collective bloomed from the passions of two IU Recording Arts majors.Veronica Simonetti and Kendall Demarest came up with the idea for Poppy House Collective in May because the two knew they both wanted to work with musicians in the future. From there, Simonetti said, they developed an idea of what they wanted Poppy House to be.“Poppy House is a music collective which for us is more about bringing people together and creating an environment for artists so they can set up events,” Simonetti said.Since May, Poppy House has taken off — they garnered six artists of various musical backgrounds including Follies, No Chance Umbrella and Sister Mary. And they’ve assisted in pairing them with events, such as Gathering, a pop-up show at Blueline Gallery in August and Big Red Eats Green.“Now with the school year starting, we’re pretty busy,” Simonetti said. “We’ve worked and collaborated with big events like at the Gathering.”But Poppy House Collective doesn’t just help artists set up shows. It also helps them build a brand for themselves through the help of Poppy House photographers, graphic designers, lighting crew and web designers.“There are two sides of Poppy House — members and musicians,” Demarest said. “Members are the creative types that help out the musicians, they’re also mainly students.”Poppy House Collective not only works with IU’s campus, but it also works with Bloomington artists in general. They try to assimilate their musicians into the culture of the school and the town.“Our network is largely college students,” Simonetti said. “But we also bridge the gap between Bloomington and IU.”Though Poppy House is in its early days, Demarest said she hopes it will continue to grow.“I hope to have it to continue to be an outlet for musicians in the future,” Demarest said. “I don’t know what will happen long-term but I’m happy about what’s happened so far.”Follow local music reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @JanicaKaneshiro.
(09/12/13 1:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bluebird Nightclub will be filled with all of the base and dancing that comes with trap music Thursday night. Luminox is headlining with opening acts the Dub Knight, Shy Guy Says and Nick Samero starting at 9 p.m., but doors open at 8 p.m.Tickets go on presale today in front of Ballantine Hall from 12 to 5 p.m. for $5, and the price will go up at the door to $10. Their collective performance is called the Traparty, said Jake Marsh, who is the Bloomington representative for the promotion company Keepin’ it Deep, which is putting on the show. He also DJs as the Dub Knight. Keepin’ it Deep is the largest electronic dance music promotions company in Indianapolis.“People can expect loud music, lots of base and a hip-hop electric blend,” Marsh said. “We expect at least 300 people and a lot of people dancing and drinking.” Marketing strategist at the Bluebird, Jen Samson, said she expects this concert to be a popular one.“I think this will be big,” Samson said. “I know these DJs pack the house here in Bloomington and in Indy. It’s dance music, so it will be high-energy.”Luminox himself is a trap musician who gained popularity at the beginning of 2012 and has since performed all around the country at various EDM festivals.Some of those festivals include the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas and Tomorrowland in Atlanta.Marsh said the lineup also includes a variety of interesting performances including Shy Guy Says, who dresses up like a Super Mario Bros. character each time he DJs. All of the musicians are EDM performers.Follow local music reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(09/10/13 2:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the front room of the Asian Culture Center, junior Hallie Baumann shared her passion for henna with members of the Henna club, Henna 101. “I got started on my own,” Baumann said. “I actually had it done at a festival, and I thought it was really cool but really overpriced. So I got it from E-bay and started doing it on my own.”Henna itself is a staining paste made from a Henna plant that dries over the course of about four hours, Baumann said.Henna 101 meets 5 to 6 p.m. every Monday in the Asian Culture Center.Baumann said she linked up with the ACC because it was looking for a henna artist and she was more than happy to do it.“I just so happened to be what they needed,” Baumann said. Long-time member of the Henna 101 junior Maddie Jeffers said she heard about it through a friend and has since come as often as possible to meetings. “I heard about it freshman year, and ever since I’ve been here,” Jeffers said. Since Jeffers has been practicing henna with Baumann for a while, she is sometimes invited to work events such as CultureFest.Baumann said most of the designs they practice are of Indian or North African descent, but Jeffers said she likes to be creative with her designs. “I think doodling is fun,” Jeffers said. “I like to do words inside of vines and leaves and flowers.”At the club meeting, Jeffers was working on a dragon design, another example of her creative take on Henna. Newcomers to Henna 101, freshmen Lindsey Catinella, Clarissa Tokash and Cassandra Stinson said they heard about Henna 101 through events at their dorm, Collins.“It’s great stress relief,” Stinson said.Baumann said her meetings are open to everyone in the community, not just students. Once people come often enough, she likes to give them a call to make them feel welcome.“I like calling them my henna-prentices,” Baumann said.Follow reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(09/09/13 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On the outskirts of rows of fresh peaches, apples, cucumbers and fragrant wildflowers at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market, street performers filled the air with their various musical talents.Cloggers, fiddlers and classically-trained orchestra members were just a few performers who freckled the streets. But the act that seemed to draw the biggest audience was musician Mitch Rice and his friend, Joe Porowski’s bobbing Macaw. Rice said he considers himself a family musician.“Kids like me a lot, and I play family music,” Rice said. “I have more veggie songs than anyone else I know.”Rice played the ukulele and the harmonica. But he’s a talented man, as he said he plays other instruments on the side. By playing multiple instruments, Rice can mix up his set from time to time. After all, he has been performing at the Bloomington Farmers’ Market since 1979.This past Saturday, though, Rice wasn’t the lone performer. Gabrielle Steenberger, a junior at Bloomington South High School, said she began playing at the farmers’ market just a little under a month ago.“I’ve been playing for 12 years,” Steenberger said. “But this is only the third or fourth time I’ve come to play solo fiddle.”Steenberger said she met Rice at the farmers’ market, and he asked her to join in his performance. “We just met here,” Steenberger said. “He was so nice, and he just invited me to play alongside him.”With his family music and brightly-colored parrot, Nice’s act attracts a lot of kids. Many of them dance, and the braver ones try to touch the parrot, Steenberger said.“We do get lots of kids, which is great because I love kids,” Steenberger said.Mary Beth O’Brien and her two children, 7-year-old Auggie O’Brien and his younger sister, Marina O’Brien, are three of Rice’s returning audience members.The family goes out of its way to see Rice’s performance when it frequents the Saturday market.“We always go this way first,” Mary Beth said. However, the family goes for more than just the music.“We really like Mitch, and the kids really like the bird,” she said. “It’s a cool thing to see. He’s so friendly and welcoming. He’s a great part of the market.”While Auggie was one of the kids who got to touch the bird, Marina stuck around for the music. “I like to dance,” Marina said. Between the bird and the music, anyone can find a reason to spend a little more time hanging around Rice’s set.Rice said one of the most gratifying things about coming to the farmers’ market is seeing an influx of street performers over the last few years. Walking around the stands, one can expect to hear different tunes coming from the many musicians spaced around the market.There are also entertainers that aren’t musicians, such as dancers and jugglers.“There’s something so special about Bloomington community events,” Rice said. “Now there’s a whole new generation of street performers adding atmosphere, and that’s what I try to do.”Follow local music reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(09/06/13 3:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For years, Cassaundra Huskey spent 30 minutes on an elliptical each day staring at the same blank back wall of Jake’s Nightclub from the confines of Cardinal Fitness. “I thought instead of staring at this wall, maybe I could get something done,” she said.Huskey started a project titled “Jake’s Wall” to try to paint a mural on what she describes on the project grant application as a “glaring spot of blight in an otherwise thriving district of the city.” Huskey teamed up with artist Laura Brikmanis, an IU graduate, and together they came up with an idea for what the mural should look like.“We tried to think of something that would be appealing to Bloomington, so I was like, ‘What about flowers?’” Huskey said. “I like it because it’s universally appealing, it doesn’t appeal to a specific school or sports team and the colors don’t appeal to any particular group.”Besides it being a practical design, Huskey said the design also has a symbolic meaning.“We like that the flowers are blooming like the city of Bloomington,” Huskey said.Huskey, a San Diego native and now commercial real estate appraiser, said initially when she moved to Indiana, she hated it. But after moving to Bloomington, her feelings changed.“Now, I love this town,” Huskey said. “I felt like I wanted to do something to see the community thrive.”Today, the project is in the works. Wednesday afternoon, Huskey presented the project to the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association to apply for funding. “I’m not confident we’ll get the funding yet,” Huskey said. “We still need more outside support.”While she’s waiting to hear back from the BUEA committee next month, Huskey is jumping around to different online funding sites. Her current site is an Indiegogo campaign, but it ends next week. Huskey admitted the timeline is much longer than she initially planned, and the project is taking more work than she had intended. Still, she said she is sticking to her guns. “It’s taking some time,” Huskey said. “The only other option is dropping the ball, and then nothing will happen and nothing changes. In the end I think the change will be well worth the cost.” Follow IU Auditorium reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.
(09/04/13 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Surrounded by various canvases in The Venue on Grant Street, Luis Cordova, a master’s student at IU, strummed his guitar for a small audience Tuesday night.“My music is about life itself and people,” Cordova said. “We live in a contemporary world with a mix of traditional and romantic tones, too.”Cordova played a mix of music, including his original song “Angel” and a waltz from his home country of Ecuador by composer Carlos Mendoza.Retired IU English Professor John Woodcock said he was drawn to the performance because he too plays classical guitar.Woodcock said he heard about it through local press releases, which he credits mainly to the Bloomington community’s love of music. “I’m just glad to be here,” Woodcock said. “Bloomington is an incredibly good music community for music lovers of all kinds.”The Venueowner Gabe Colman said he works hard to bring new performers and artists into his business.“The Bloomington community is always excited about the new and different,” Colman said. The Venue’s purpose, according to Colman, is to merge different forms of art to create a more wholistic experience. “The gallery is meant to be an experience for the senses,” Colman said. “As you walk in, we have the handmade soaps that appeal to the sense of smell, art is the visual, and clearly the music is the auditory aspect of that.”Colman said he makes it The Venue’s purpose to offer an intimate space for creative fusion.“There is a strong correlation between music and the visual arts,” Colman said. Like Colman, Cordova said he believes music and art have a close relationship. “It’s like painting with different colors, but with sounds instead of colors,” Cordova said.Cordova said he first realized this connection when he was very young, adding his love for guitar began when he first heard and watched his mother play the accordion.“She didn’t play very good, so I decided to play better,” Cordova said. “She was my inspiration.”His mother was the first to give him a guitar, and though he broke the first one, his second time as a guitar owner was more successful.“Since then it has been an adventure,” Cordova said. Currently, Cordova is working on his thesis for Jacob’s School of Music, and as for the future, he remains unsure. “Honestly, I don’t know what is to happen tomorrow,” Cordova said. “I know I’ll keep studying, keep working, keep playing music, but I’m just living now.”Follow IU Auditorium reporter Janica Kaneshiro on Twitter @janicakaneshiro.