Last nights eight ball ( Tonic Ball VIII) was a raging success. Ah what a night! We bid and won a great piece of art at Tonic Gallery (AV Framing Gallery, Fountain Square, 1139 Shelby St) then we took in the Led Zep and Dylan sets at Radio Radio and the adjoining stage at Fountain Square. Radio Radio was jam packed, with a long line of folks waiting to get in, so we started the evening at FS where Dylan was the prevailing wind. Here the scene was mellower, and we were even able to grab a seat and chat with our friend Cathy Kightlinger, who was covering the event with her trusty photographer in tow for TOOT. We enjoyed a beverage and saw some fine Dylan performances by Jon Martin, Shelby Kelley, Brian Deer and the Achievers and Tad Armstrong.Then we decided we needed more strong drink, and so gave up our seats and we headed over to take in the Led Zep scene at Radio Radio.
In our opinion Radio Radio is one of the great rock venues in Indy. Great vibe. Good layout. Nice glass and pills bar, great bar staff, and a sound system that really works (unlike the muddy sound on the Dylan Stage at FS). Only suggestion would be to upgrade the TVs to some flat panels.
The crowd at Radio Radio was in full Friday night party mode, Tufty, in regular black leather, was working the room like the pro that he is. The bands were tight. Everyone was there.
To end the evening, we made our way back to the FS, and despite the weak sound, we enjoyed the short but sweet performances of long-time favorites Otis Gibbs, followed by the Vulgar Boatmen.
We left the night happy, with some great new art, and the knowledge we were able to help a great cause like Second Helpings.
"Strong drink." I like that. Reminds me of the good Dr. Thompson.
ReplyDeleteYes! Fear and Loathing at the Tonic Ball.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great recap. I need to take another nap before I can start to write about my favorite night of the year. And I'd love to chat some time about the sound in the theatre. I think that less is more in that room, but that's my untrained ear.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the photograph, and thanks for your support of Second Helpings!
Great to see you here, Nora. And thank you again for what is truly one of the highlights of the year for the Indianapolis Creative Community.
ReplyDeleteWe'd love to chat with you about the sound, and love to help in any other ways that we can next year.
Cheers