This weekend in Indianapolis music, a heavy dose of technicolor 90’s alt rock magic comes to Broad Ripple Village, genre hopping Chicago founding fathers get busy in Bloomington, and the Verizon Wireless Music Center turns into an 80’s prog rock arena. Yes, it’s another busy music weekend around the six Indianapolis cultural districts, whether you’re an avid local music junkie or a weekend warrior who’s looking for things to do in Indianapolis. Below are a few highlights of what’s going on this weekend in Indianapolis; if you can’t find something you like, that’s your own fault.
First up, bizarro rock heroes Ween will be playing at The Vogue tonight, in a sold out extravaganza that’ll probably span their entire back catalog, from 1991’s ubiquitous The Pod to their most recent effort, 2007’s La Cucaracha. If you managed to get tickets to the Ween concert, you’re a lucky guy or gal; this band continually sells out music venues across the country, despite the fact they haven’t been a major music presence since the 90’s. To pull off a trick like that, you need a mighty stage presence, a style all your own, and a true love for the music you’re making. Ween has all that and more, including some truly entertaining songs and professional musicianship.
Next, zoom down to Bloomington, Indianapolis’ younger, hipper brother when it comes to live music. Not only is the sleepy home of Indiana University hosting The Wailers (Bob Marley’s band) on Sunday, it’s also bringing post rock masters Tortoise to The Bishop on Saturday. It’s rare that a huge band like Tortoise plays an intimate venue like The Bishop, so this is an Indianapolis event you shouldn’t miss. Expect double drummers, lots of proggy jazz solos, hip-swinging bass, sweeping synths, genre-mashing riffage, and all your favorites from Tortoise’s sixteen year back catalog; ambient drone musician Brett Naucke opens.
If those crazy kids with their DAT tapes and drugs and annoying synth bleepy bloops don’t strike your chords, perhaps you’d like to return to a time when music was spectacle, when a live concert was an event in and of itself, when lighters were plentiful and pyrotechnics were commonplace. No, you can’t hop into a time machine, but you can head up to Noblesville on Friday to catch Kansas, Styx, and Foreigner live at the Verizon Wireless Music Center. If these three bands got together in the 80’s, it would be the biggest show of the year, but nowadays it only gets a spot on our weekly calendar. That’s not to say it won’t be a good show; with veterans of the stage like Kansas, Styx, and Foreigner, you can bet on some excellent showmanship and all the big hits you probably forgot you knew.
These three shows aren’t the only Indianapolis events going on this weekend; heck, they might not even be the best ones. More concerts are going on at Indianapolis bars and other Indianapolis music venues all over the Circle City, some with local Indianapolis bands, others with bands from across the United States. Check out the show calendar below to see what’s going on in Indy this weekend:
Thursday, June 24 |
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Edwin McCain @ Birdy’s Bar & Grill
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Ween @ The Vogue Theater
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Household Guns, Rooms, Abner Trio @ Locals Only Art and Music Pub
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The Atom Age, Treephort, You’re A Liar @ The Vollrath Tavern
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Bruce Katz @ The Slippery Noodle Inn
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The Paul Holdman Band @ Apres Jack’s Restaurant
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Cari Ray Duo @ Muldoon’s Irish Pub in Carmel, Indiana
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Concerts on the Canal presents Peace Train and Flower Power Brass @ Indiana History Center
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Chad Mills @ The Britton Tavern in Fishers, Indiana
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| Indianapolis Parks Summer Concerts w/ Matt Roush @ Holliday Park | |||
Ribs N’ Bone @ Champps Americana Restaurant and Bar
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The Jesse Minute, The Shake-Ups, Mousefire @ The Melody Inn
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SNAARJ, Busman’s Holiday @ The Bishop in Bloomington, Indiana
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| Splurge! @ Mo’s Irish Pub | |||
Friday, June 25 |
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Racebannon CD Release Show w/ Small Arms Fire, Red Shadows @ Melody Inn
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The Last Good Year, Xero Sum, Jer Gregg, Glass Halo @ The Vogue
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Turbo Fruits, Via Audio, DOUG, The Broderick @ Vollrath Tavern
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| Biscuit & Da Mix @ Apres Jack’s | |||
Chuck Wicks @ 8 Seconds Saloon
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| The Hofbrau Band @ Indianapolis Artsgarden | |||
Cara Jean Wahlers @ Mass Ave Wine Shoppe
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| Chris and the Social Studs @ Chateau Thomas Winery in Plainfield, Indiana | |||
Cool Creek Concert Series w/ Blonde Sonja @ Cool Creek Park in Westfield, Indiana
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Foreigner, Styx, Kansas @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
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Opponents, Deceiver, Rumor Has It, Religious Police, Sick World @ The Dojo
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The Uglysuit, Sanuk @ ES Jungle
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Zanna-Doo @ Moon Dog Tavern
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Andy Davis, Andrew Belle, Seth Glier @ Radio Radio
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The Last Domino‘s “La Vida Variety” w/ The Band of Beards, The Drink and I, Periphonic, Livin’ in the Red @ Birdy’s Bar
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Living Proof @ Champps Americana
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The Working Hour @ That Place in Greenwood, Indiana
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Loo Abby @ Britton Tavern
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Screaming Martinis @ Mo’s Pub
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Cliff Ratliff Quartet @ Chatterbox Jazz Club
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Frog Eyes, Pearly Gates Music @ Bishop Bar
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Saturday, June 26 |
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Tortoise and Brett Naucke @ Bishop
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| The Algebraists, Scoot Dubbs, Whois Louis, Lorax and Ligyro @ Locals Only | |||
Go Slowpoke, Slothpop, Our Imaginary Friends @ The Vollrath
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Mud Eye Joe @ Artsgarden
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Gorilla Ent. Battle of the Bands w/ Lanimilbus, Fiber, Follow the Circle, Ghosts of Maine, and More @ The Emerson Theater
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| The Job Project @ Lazy Daze Coffee House | |||
Take the Sky, Porcelain Moon, Second Story Skyline, The Real Talks @ ES Jungle Venue
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Eva Hunter @ Lazy Daze
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| Dark House Sweet @ The Moon Dog | |||
| Gary Walters @ The Jazz Kitchen | |||
Gypsy Revival, New Moon Groove @ The Monkey’s Tale
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Blue Luster, Rotovox @ Radio Radio Music Lounge
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| The Common @ Birdy’s | |||
Jamey Johnson @ The Bluebird
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| Daniel Joseph Band @ Mo’s | |||
Goldie & Exquisitely Yours @ Chatterbox Club
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W.T. Feaster Band, Charles Walker Band @ The Slippery Noodle
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Sunday, June 27 |
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Woven Bones, We Are Hex, Burnt Ones @ Locals Only Pub
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Touche Amore, Deceiver @ Dojo
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| Indianapolis Parks Summer Concert Series w/ J. Majors and Hook Up @ Watkins Park | |||
| Sour Mash @ Bertee’s Sports Cafe | |||
Lynyrd Skynyrd @ Verizon Wireless Center
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The Putz CD Release Show, Webcam Teenz, The Post Teens @ Melody Inn
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The Wailers @ Bluebird
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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
