The Gospel According to James Debuts at IRT

Indy Social is looking forward to seeing the debut of The Gospel According To James at the IRT tonight. The play depicts a tale of rape, murder and racial injustice in the heartland -- "the shame of Marion Indiana" in the words of Indianapolis Star columnist Cathy Kightlinger, who grew up in the town where the notorious lynchings of three black men accused of raping a white woman and killing a white man took place.

‎Kightlinger reminds us of this quote from 2000 from one of the convicted black teens (later pardoned): "The only way to stop the Ku Klux Klan in Marion, and elsewhere, is to grant it all the permits it desires --and then do not afford them any police protection in its un-American activities. Then our whole country will be able to see how many permits it will ask for in the future, after we witness what freedom-loving people will do for their protection." ~ James Cameron, Chronicle-Tribune, May 7, 2000

We'll be bringing the digital camera, and look forward to sharing our thoughts about this powerful performance with you.

Click here for ticket information.

Chemical Envy in Broad Ripple

 

Who needs Banksy? While West Coast art aficionados are busy scouring the streets of Los Angeles looking for the latest installations from the famous British graffiti artist --  whose Academy Award-nominated documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop has inspired renewed interest in all things street art -- Indianapolis vandals -- er I mean artists -- have been actively spray-painting, pasting and tagging their own creations throughout the back alleys and beer-stained walls of Broad Ripple.

John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett "Thing Called Love"

The Murat Theatre played host to Indy songsmith John Hiatt February 12th. Joined by Texan troubadour Lyle Lovett, the pre-Valentines Day acoustic show -- in the spirit of the VH-1 Storytellers -- found the two singer songwriters taking turns telling tales and playing their original compositions. The down-to-earth duo did jam together, exchanging harmonies and guitar licks, on a couple of tunes -- most notably Hiatt's biggest hit (made famous by Bonnie Raitt) "Thing Called Love."

The two are clearly friends, having played together for the past few years. Here, for your enjoyment, is a 2009 appearance on the David Letterman Show:

Dean & Britta: Rock to Warhol

Last night at the IMA's Toby Theatre, indie-art band Dean & Britta entertained a packed house with a very mellow soundtrack accompaniment to Andy Warhol’s "Screen Tests."

A dark room full of darker sounds: in the dimly lit venue the band delivered its own blend of Velvet Underground-meets-Edie Brickel downer rock ballads, while onto a suspended white screen a series of short, but equally bleak, 8-mm style black and white "mug shot" images flickered above. Warhol's famous Screen Tests -- no dialogue, just beautiful people making love to the lens -- were captured in the early 1960s at his Factory, and feature posing by a who's who of yesteryear's hip, and wanna-be scensters—from Nico to Edie Sedwick, Dennis Hopper to Lou Reed.

Our favorite performance: Lou Reed enjoying a bottle of Coca-Cola (captured here with iPhone). Things do go better with Coke. However, my thirsty gang stuck with Jack on the rocks, vodka rocks splash of cranberry (they were out of limes), and white wine and bottled water -- happy that we could bring our adult beverages into The Toby.

Tonic Ball Announces 2010 Lineup

Tonic Ball, the annual music and arts celebration benefiting hunger-fighting charity Second Helpings, announced the 2010 lineup of bands and artists who'll participate in this year's event.  The popular annual musical celebration, now in its 9^th year, will take place next Friday, November 19th, at Fountain Square's Radio Radio and the historic Fountain Square Theater.  

More than 30 local bands will participate in this year's Tonic Ball, each taking turns performing their favorite Beatles songs and one or two originals.   The musical fun begins at 7pm.
 

Tonic Gallery

All is not aural. Beginning at 5pm, right across the street from the Ball, Tonic Gallery will showcase donated submissions from Indy's top visual artists - all for sale for as little as $100.  Bidding begins at 5 pm. Auction closes at 8 pm.

 

Hoosier Pickers Descend Upon State Fairgrounds

Jim Kraks and Gewgaws founder Irv Rheins, originally uploaded by DRheins.

Vintage fans from around the state and around the country flocked to the Fair Grounds this weekend in search of treasures. Fueled by a mix of hard times  and inspired by the free admission, thousands turned out for the Stewart Show Flea Market.  While the crowds were respectable,  some vendors we met complained that there were more lookers than buyers this year, and that folks were driving a hard bargain. “The economy means that buyers are tight down to the last dollar.”

My folks and I decided to do a booth after many years away from the game, and reintroduced Jim Kraks and Gewgaws at the show.  We had a great time, met some fun folks and got to pass along some of our favorite finds to new collectors. We’ve relaunched Jim Kraks & Gewgaws, and plan to offer vintage and retro shoppers a wide selection of relics, rarities, and collectibles. “We only buy what we like,” Jim Kraks founder Irv Rheins, my dad, told me. That way if it doesn’t sell, it goes back on the shelf in our house!”

"Pure Prine" November 19 and 20 in Madison, IN!

By Tim Brickley

   Our little musical, "Pure Prine: The Music Of John Prine" will hit the road for the first time later this month in a stripped-down, "theatrical concert" version debuting November 19th and 20th at the Riverrun Theatre in Madison, IN. Presented by the Cultural Continuum of Madison, and co-produced by both the Phoenix and Riverrun Theatres, the show will differ somewhat from the original Phoenix production of earlier this year - mostly in the lack of the elaborate bar set (we'll suggest the bar on a mostly-bare stage with some tables, a jukebox, etc.) Also, lovely and talented Jenni Gregory (waitress "Angel" in the show) must be pretty darn well showing her marvelous pregnancy by now, which is going to add in interesting dynamic to the various overlapping love triangles onstage.

   As you may know, "Pure Prine" was conceived by Phoenix Artistic Director Bryan Fonseca, a near life-long Prine fanatic, and it tells the interwoven stories of six characters in a bar, playing and singing approximately 30 Prine classics, with no dialog - the songs tell the story. Besides myself and Jenni, the rest of the cast is: the marvelous talented couple of Tim Grimm and Jan Lucas-Grimm. Bloomington singer-songwriter Bobbie Lancaster, and Phoenix stalwart Michael Shelton.

   Showtime is 7:30PM each night, and the Rivverun Theatre is at 125/127 E. Main in beautiful, downtown Madison. Click here to get your tickets now. In related news, a deal is in the works to bring "Pure Prine" for a run in Chicago early next year (it's coming right up, you know...) Stay tuned for details.