BS: My new city: Indianapolis

Subject: My new city: Indianapolis
From: irishajo
Date: 23 Jun 02 - 07:02 PM

Due to a new job I am moving to Indy in a few weeks. Anyone live near there? Any input on what's going on there musically (not limited to folk/blues)?

Also any other ideas on generally fun things to do in the area would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Amy

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: Hollowfox
Date: 24 Jun 02 - 08:20 AM

Well, Bloomington has a good folklore department in the university there. When I get back from Old Songs, I can ask some friends there what's in the area. May your move go smoothly.

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 24 Jun 02 - 06:18 PM

I'm in Indianapolis, and welcome aboard! There is a lot of acoustic music going on (and increasing, as I see it.) If you will PM me your email address, I'll see that you get on the mailing list of a friend who makes a public-service practice of passing on who's-playing-where- and-when kinds of notices.

If you are interested, there are two folk music organizations with regular meetings in Indianapolis (one fairly large, another rather small). I can guide you to them, too.

What do you play/sing/enjoy?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: Tweed
Date: 24 Jun 02 - 07:20 PM

I was born up there in Indy and lived about half my life in the area. There's good blues at the Slippery Noodle Tavern on Meridian Street. Right downtown, they've converted the grand old Lyric and Loew's type movie houses into real theaters. Broad Ripple used to have a place called the Patio with loud rock music if you like that. There's plenty of book stores, record shops, Butler University has some very nice grounds and gardens to wander around in and there's Clowes Hall where concerts are done. On the north end near a small town called Fishers there's a place called McCormick's Creek (I think) that has a pioneer type village that I've heard is real nice to visit. There's a good art museum (Herron Museum of Art) with good exhibits, and if you got kids (or even if you don't) there's the Children's Museum which is very cool indeed. There's a zoo, jazz fests in the summer, just check out the Indianapolis Star on the weekends for events. They've got a pretty nice little city going up there now. When I lived there it was getting pretty bad downtown but everything's being renovated and restored and it looks good again. Take a drive down to Brown County and Bean Blossom for bluesgrass (but I hear they've turned it into a touristy type area now and prices are higher than when we used to go there. Try the apple butter. Good stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: irishajo
Date: 24 Jun 02 - 08:11 PM

Hollowfox - thanks for the tip. There's an old friend of mine that teaches in the music department there, he probably has some info - thanks for reminding me to ask him!

Uncle DaveO - thanks for the info! I will PM you my email address. I like to listen to blues and acoustic. Although I'm open to anything. I play piano and try to play guitar but I think I need some help so I may be looking for a teacher down that way.

Tweed - that's the third recommendation for Slippery Noodle I've gotten. Will definitely have to try it out. Love bluegrass so will have to check out Brown County too. Thanks for the ideas!

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: John Hardly
Date: 24 Jun 02 - 11:34 PM

If you play guitar
and you like blues
and you are looking for a guitar teacher

Joan Crane resides in Lebanon, IN (Just a few short miles up interstate 65) and she is a fine acoustic blues guitar player and teacher.

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: GUEST,irishajo
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 09:02 AM

Thanks for the recommendation, John Hardly. Lebanon isn't too far of a trip, I'll have to see if I can get in touch with her.

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: Kim C
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 02:34 PM

Do not pass Go, do not collect $200 until you have been to the Irish Lion pub in Bloomington. Mister is from up there, and we get up there every so often. It's one of my favorite restaurants ever. Mister has also taken me to the Trojan Horse (Greek food, obviously), and a little place called the Runcible Spoon. There's another restaurant he's been to, but I haven't, called Little Zagreb. Yep, it's Eastern European food, and he says it's pretty good.

When you go to the Irish Lion, make sure to look in the window at the Smith-Holden Music Shop. It's always closed by the time I get there, so I've never been in, but there's some nice guitars on display. It's just a couple doors down from the restaurant - usually where we park!

When Mister was living there back in the bad ol' 70s, they had a pretty big coffeehouse scene going on in Bloomington - college town, of course. What the music scene is like there now, I can't say. Others have already mentioned Bean Blossom. Bloomington is also nice for shopping - they still have locally owned shops on the square.

I'm not real familiar with Indy proper, but I have been to the Eiteljorg Museum, and enjoyed it very much. Also, if you like auto racing, there's plenty of that to go around (no pun intended).

If you like history, visit Conner Prairie. It's an 1830's living history museum where they've taken old buildings and moved them to the site. They have a pretty nice restaurant too! They also do special events at the holidays.

Good luck!

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: GUEST,Jenny the T
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 03:59 PM

Well, others have already mentioned many of my own favorite Indy/Bloomington places, so I'll just try filling in a few gaps.

In Indy:

If you like to play Irish trad music, the weekly Tuesday night session at the Golden Ace Inn (2533 E. Washington St) is a place you should go. Bloomington also has a nice Irish scene, which I'll describe when we come to it.

The Slippery Noodle, as already mentioned, is the place for blues. The Jazz Kitchen, on College Ave. at about 52nd, is another favorite spot for good live music.

The arts districts in Indy, really, are Massachusetts Avenue downtown and Broad Ripple (around 62nd and College). Many galleries, funky shops, tiny playhouses, small excellent restaurants, and nightclubs in both locations.

My favorite downtown coffehouse (The Abbey) and pizzaria (Bazbeaux's) are on Massachusetts, which is only about a mile long. If you happen to be of that persuasion, Indy's biggest gay bar (The Metro) is about one block south of the Abbey. ;>

If you're up in BR, the Broad Ripple Brewpub has very nice beers, and is actually a local microbrew, as opposed to some of the national chain outlets (Rock Bottom, Alcatraz) that are found downtown. Bazbeaux's pizzaria also has a location in Broad Ripple. The big Indy nightclub (The Vogue) is there, too, on College just below 62nd.

The Herron School of Art's gallery is at the main campus, 16th and Pennsylvania. The Indianapolis Museum of Art, which gets many fine traveling exhibits, is at 38th and Martin Luther King (its name below 38th; above, it's called Michigan Road).

In Bloomington:

Tons of arty stuff in Bloomington. I'm mostly down there for the Irish music, which includes a weekly Sunday night session at the aforementioned Irish Lion (5th St. just west of College) and a first-Friday-of-the-month session at the College Mall Border's hosted by Grey Larsen, an excellent and well-known flute player.

Old-time music buffs have a weekly session in the basement of the Cellar Lounge, one block south of the courthouse square on Walnut. The Cellar features lots of other types of music as well.

There are so many places to eat a good meal in B'ton, it's hardly worth mentioning any. However, if it's a really good burger you're after, it's Opie Taylor's you want (just north of the courthouse square on Walnut).

If nothing else brings you to B'ton, go down for the annual Lotus folk music festival (somewhere towards the late summer/fall, I think). Always a wide range of acts worth seeing, at prices ordinary humans can afford.

JtT

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: Kim C
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 04:06 PM

I forgot to mention, I think IU is the home of the Early Music Society. Not 100% sure on that, though.

Grey Larsen is great! Seems like someone gave us an old tape or CD of his awhile back, and Mister says, Oh yeah, Grey Larsen, I used to go see him all the time. (boy, you're married to someone and you think you know 'em, and BAM!)

Anyway it's nice to know he's still around. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 06:16 PM

I have not, nor has anyone else, mentioned a great folk-type group called Hogeye Navvy, which performs every Saturday night at a northside restaurant called The Aristocrat. They are particularly into sea-type and Irish songs. The show starts about 9:30, but you need to get there earlier to get a table. No cover. Good food. Great stuff!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 08:32 PM

It don't rain there, is that right?

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: Tweed
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 08:53 PM

Any of you old Hoosier types remember a place called the Hummingbird Cafe that was right near the Herron Art Institute?

Subject: RE: BS: My new city: Indianapolis
From: irishajo
Date: 26 Jun 02 - 09:24 AM

Kim C - thanks for all the restaurant suggestions. I do love to eat. I've heard of Conner Prairie, didn't realize it was down that way. Thanks for the good wishes!

Jenny the T - I love Irish trad music, so thanks a lot for the suggestions. Will definitely have to try the Brewpub. Thanks for all the great ideas.

Uncle_DaveO - Hope I can fit in a listen to Hogeye Navvy sometime. With all these suggestions I may be busy for a while.

Murray - I do believe it rains there, despite the rumors. Last time I drove down there it was coming down in sheets! Isn't it a Statler Brothers song that goes 'it don't rain in Indianapolis...'?

Tweed - Nope, haven't heard of it myself. Not surprising, eh?

Thanks again! Lots of neat ideas...I should be busy for a month of Sundays.

Amy