Listen here:
Slow down. Let’s take a break and listen to a hot dog being made.
In today’s Play List, you can hear to the sounds of summer in Indy, including frogs screeching, kids screaming with laughter and even trees growing.
We have a “green” poem by poet Sophie Salerno and info on live pro wrestling at Irvington’s Ellenberger Park (to support teachers!).
We have recommendations for things to do this weekend and a memory from a time when puppets ruled Indy’s social life.
WHAT’S NEW IN ARTS & CULTURE
Hear the unadulterated joy of kids on summer break and adults with whistles trying to keep them from running and busting their heads open on the concrete. Musician Clockwork Janz recorded 9 sounds of summer to help you slow down and chill.
“One day, I went outside and saw that all the vines had been cut down,” said poet Sophie Salerno, who writes poems about the color green. “Somebody had taken my green away. Where did my green go?”
Read poet Samantha Fain’s interview with Sophie here.
There’s a fight at the park! On Sunday, July 21, Naptown All Pro will stage a wrestling match at Irvington’s Ellenberger Park. The event will collect school supplies for Teachers Treasures.
WHAT WE’RE DOING
- “Name a serial killer or cult leader, and you’ll usually find an Indiana connection. H.H. Holmes lived in Irvington for a short time, and I’m going to go see ‘White City Murder’ when it opens July 19 at the Phoenix Theatre. Anything that comes from the brain of Ben Asaykwee is going to be great.” — Amanda Kingsbury, managing editor of innovation
- “I’m checking out ‘Deep Sky’ at the IMAX Theater in the Indiana State Museum. It’s a documentary with photos captured by NASA’s Webb Telescope, and I don’t care how nerdy that sounds — it’ll be awesome.” — Tyler Fenwick, economics reporter
- “I’m making my game show contestant dreams come true this weekend at Game Show Battle Rooms. I hope to put my collection of random facts to good use, because I am in it to win it.” —Darian Benson, eastside reporter
- “During the hottest days, I’ve been beating the heat by staying inside and watching episodes of ‘Taskmaster’ on YouTube. I always suggest people start with Season 7, which features one of my favorite comedians, James Acaster.” — Emily Hopkins, data reporter
- “I like to wind down from work with a good TV show, usually the light and soapy kind. My current pick is My Lady Jane on Prime Video, which is a fantasy feminist retelling of the life of Lady Jane Grey, England’s shortest-reigning monarch. If you’ve got show recs, send them my way!” — Mary Claire Molloy, health reporter
Looking for other things to do? Check out Mirror Indy’s events calendar.
CITY CHATTER
What’s Good, Friends?! After coming off a big, busy week full of BLACK joy, I’m feeling invigorated to keep the good energy flowing.
This weekend, I’ll be headed to my family’s farm in rural Tennessee but I’ll always have Naptown on my mind.
When I consider the things that make me happy, they’re usually generative in nature. The Girl Scout in me can’t help but leave things better than I found them. If this is your jam, too, check out these events where you can have fun and do some good.
- Belmont Gardening Workshop at Belmont Beach, 10 a.m. Saturday, July 20. MA’AT Urban Agriculture and Friends of Belmont Beach maintain a community garden on the Westside. Get in on the action, while taking away tips you can use at home. This session is focused on fertilizing and weeding.
- The Testimony Service Presents: Show and Tell at The Bridge Indy, noon Saturday, July 27. During a divinely inspired taco sesh, my friend and fellow prodigal church girl Sarah Jene and I created The Testimony Service in 2018. It’s an organization that brings people together — regardless of faith — to hold space for one another and celebrate the good news in their lives and communities. We’ll have snacks, DJ Sounds by Cam and collage-making.
—Ebony Chappel, Free Press Indiana market director
MUSIC NEWS
We had such a great time hosting a table at BLACK: A Festival of Joy. We played games, ate a little bit of everything, and danced to the music on the stage. We even bought our Chreece T-shirts for the Aug. 24 festival!
To help us remember the joyous occasion, we invited photographer Nichelle Short to capture the evening. You can see her photos here.
TIME MACHINE
Remember the puppet singing extravaganza that was Optical Popsicle? For 10 years, the artist collective Know No Stranger created skits with wildly silly songs like, “Friendship Sweater,” and featured hilarious puppets like Wallace Wimby, who also served as their stage manager.
They featured local artists and musicians like Sweet Poison Victim and FAF Collective, my arts and culture publication. A very pregnant me read poetry about being a “mothership” while FAF’s co-founder Spaceyamz displayed cut-out art on an overhead projector. That was the last Optical Popsicle, but I’m hopeful KNS will bring it back one day.
What cool Indy memories do you have? Send them to me (with a photo) at ariana.beedie@mirrorindy.org.
— Ariana Beedie, community journalism director
CULTURE JOURNAL
Oreo Jones is the founder of the Chreece hip-hop festival, happening Aug. 24 in Fountain Square. He’s known for his project with experimental hip-hop trio 81355 (bless) and his solo work.
Here’s an excerpt from the day Oreo throws a surprise birthday party for his partner, Jane:
“Today Is a special day. My friend Regan and I have been planning a surprise birthday party for my partner, Jane. We’ve been together for seven years and I honestly think this is the first time I’ve been able to pull a fast one on her. I found a hibachi chef on Twitter and now they are cooking in the back yard. Jane cried.”
Read Oreo’s Culture Journal here.
CLASSIFIEDS
- A giant chess game? Connect 4 Basketball? Rokh’s Let’s Play has game rentals for parties and events.
- As featured in Clockwork Janz’ soundscapes story: Garcia’s Hot Dogs will knock your socks off.
- Hoodox, Indiana’s first streaming service, helps you connect to your community and create positive change.
- Stitchedbyavirgo crochets cute, one-of-a-kind hats and keychains.
Send us your creative service ad to hello@mirrorindy.org and write “Classifieds” in the subject line.
Thanks for reading.
You can reach me at jennifer.delgadillo@mirrorindy.org. I’d love to hear from you!
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This newsletter was written by Jennifer Delgadillo and edited by Mirror Indy’s managing editor of innovation Amanda Kingsbury.
The music in the audio version of this newsletter is “Treasure Everywhere” by Forestero.
Play List’s illustrations are by Rebekah Nolan.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
