This weekend in Indianapolis music, the Indianapolis 500 Festival kicks off at full steam, and that means tons of bands will come pouring in to the Circle City from every corner of the United States and Indiana. A festive spirit will be running through Naptown; local artists will be out in droves. May means tourism for Indianapolis, so all your favorite Indianapolis music venues will be packed with Indianapolis bands looking to show those out of town crowds how Indy really sounds. Though there are literally dozens of great shows going on this weekend around the Indianapolis cultural districts, there are a few standout Indianapolis events that you should definitely check out.
First off, on Friday, an unlikely pairing will step into the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville: Pearl Jam and Band of Horses. Yes, 90’s grunge rockers Pearl Jam (who just released a new album, Backspacer) will be joining forces with Band of Horses, the reverb soaked Americana group that made an impression on indie rockers with their hit 2006 song, “The Funeral.” Their third album, Infinite Arms, is set for a May 18 release, but if you go to the show you can probably catch a few new tracks. Pearl Jam will at least be worth a walk down memory lane; who knows, you might win some free flannel.
Later on Friday, you should make the trip back to downtown Indianapolis, because Radio Radio will be hosting a couple bands that promise to be a sweaty, glee filled good time. Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Prizzy Prizzy Please, and Totally Michael will be sharing the stage at the vintage Indianapolis bar. Stardeath and White Dwarfs recently teamed up with The Flaming Lips to cover the entirety of The Dark Side of the Moon; coincidentally, the singer of Stardeath is the nephew of Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne. Whether or not you’re down with Pink Floyd, Stardeath and White Dwarfs still play some bombastic, funky space rock.
And if you know anything about Totally Michael, you know that his live show is incomparable. If you’re looking for things to do in Indianapolis on Friday night, Totally Michael should be your only option. This goofy songwriter with a penchant for theatrics slings songs that have enough hooks in them to gut a blue whale. His lyrics are raunchy and hilarious, and a Totally Michael show is a participation only affair. Hipsters be warned: standing with your arms crossed and your head bobbing will not be enough at Radio Radio on Friday night.
On the slightly more distinguished side of things, but no less weird, is the “Night of Vonnegut” taking place at the Athenaeum Building on Saturday. A memorial to one of the finest authors in the Indianapolis arts community, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., the Night of Vonnegut will feature music by the Tim Brickley Trio, a Vonnegut look-alike contest, readings from Vonnegut’s works, a panel discussion of Vonnegut’s life, and even a trivia game. If you know who Kilgore Trout is, this Indianapolis event might be for you.
If none of the events above struck your fancy, don’t worry: there are plenty of Indianapolis attractions for music fans of all shapes and sizes this weekend. Check out the show calendar below to see which acts might fit your bill:
Thursday, May 6 |
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Truth and Salvage Company, Andrew Bean @ Birdy’s Bar & Grill
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Soul Bus @ The Slippery Noodle Inn
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The Avatour w/ You, Me, & Everyone We Know, We Are in the Crowd, Breathe Electric, Stay, The Red Wire, Sweatshirt Weather @ The Emerson Theater
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Ribs N’ Bone @ Champps Americana Restaurant
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Midwest Avengers, High Treason, DJ’s Jin-xs @ The Melody Inn
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| Happy Hour with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra w/ Matt Scarano, Time for Three @ Hilbert Circle Theatre | |||
Branch Gordon, The Front Porch Swingers @ The Monkey’s Tale
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| Voodoo Rose Productions @ Rock Bottom Brewery | |||
Friday, May 7 |
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Pearl Jam, Band of Horses @ Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana
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Prizzy Prizzy Please, Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Totally Michael @ Radio Radio
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Permacrush, Rotovox, Smoke Ring, Blue Luster, Five Til Dawn @ The Vogue Theater
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| Robert Bruce Scott @ Indianapolis Artsgarden | |||
The Bigger Lights @ Emerson Theater
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| Wildflower @ Chateau Thomas Winery in Plainfield, Indiana | |||
Blair Clark @ The Jazz Kitchen
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Why I Like Robins, Spare Time Killer, Ringer for a Ringer @ Birdy’s Bar
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Zanna-Doo @ Champps Americana
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Living Proof @ Ale Emporium
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Jared Thompson and Premium Blend @ Chatterbox Jazz Club
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Jeff Stone, Jennie DeVoe @ Rathskeller Restaurant
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Same as Sunday, Between the Trees @ ES Jungle
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Jamie Nichole @ Indianapolis City Market
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Bobbie Lancaster @ The Phoenix Theater
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Saturday, May 8 |
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| A Night of Vonnegut w/ Tim Brickley Trio @ The Athenaeum Theater | |||
Chad Mills, Jenn Cristy, Finest Grain @ Birdy’s
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Punk Rock Night w/ The Mentors, Honah Lee, Scarlet Veil, General Bastard @ Melody Inn
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Eastern Wing @ 8 Seconds Saloon
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Anarbor, Automatic Love Letter, Remember Paris, News From Verona @ The Emerson
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| Dark House Sweet @ The Rathskeller | |||
Gin Blossoms, Red Moon @ Indianapolis Motor Speedway
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A Tribute to Cole Porter with the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra @ The Athenaeum Building
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Steve Allee Quintet @ Jazz Kitchen
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| Frank Bradford Band @ The Music Mill | |||
Monika Herzig’s Acoustic Project @ Chatterbox Club
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| Ellusion, Back Alley Band @ The Slippery Noodle | |||
Red Planet Radio, Kingsley Street Band, Fredericks Martinez, Outlaw Tuners, Periphonic @ 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
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| Drew Bowman @ Monkey’s Tale | |||
Sunday, May 9 |
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Charlie Wilson @ Old National Centre (formerly the Murat Centre)
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| Fall Creek Band @ Indy Artsgarden |
8 Seconds Saloon | Big Car Gallery | Birdy’s Bar & Grill | Chatterbox Jazz Club | Emerson Theater | Jazz Kitchen | Old National Centre | Radio Radio | The Vogue | More Indianapolis Music Venues
Amanda Overmyer | Cathy Morris | Flynnville Train | Gwen Stacy | The Elms | Haste the Day | Jennie DeVoe | Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s | Mudkids | Murder by Death | Sloppy Seconds | Straight No Chaser | More Indianapolis Bands
Indianapolis Musical Organizations
Arts Council of Indianapolis | Capital City Chorus | Ensemble Music Society | Philharmonic Orchestra of Indianapolis | Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra | More Indianapolis Musical Organizations
Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds | Freddy Hubbard | Wes Montgomery | Cole Porter | James Spaulding | More Indianapolis Musicians
Avon Music | Brownsburg Music | Carmel Music | Danville Music | Fishers Music | Greenfield Music | Greenwood Music | Martinsville Music | Mooresville Music | Noblesville Music | Plainfield Music | Westfield Music | Zionsville Music | More Indiana Music
