The first edition of the Play List newsletter was read by opera singer Angela Brown and pianist and music sociologist Joshua Thompson. Listen here:
Remember when Wednesdays meant there was a fresh alternative weekly in your nearest newspaper box?
Mirror Indy’s new arts and culture newsletter is an ode to that Wednesday magic, which is why it will hit your mailbox every Wednesday at noon.
You can expect ideas for exploring the city, like concerts and festivals to check out or places to eat — but also stories about the people making cool things happen.
Play List is for learning about the city we call home, but above all, Play List is for having fun.
WHAT’S NEW IN ARTS & CULTURE
It’s hot outside. One cool thing to do this summer is to visit Indy’s free art exhibits. We made a list of 13 art shows to check out from now until August.
Music writer Seth Johnson wrote about 12 concert photographers working in Indianapolis. See some of their best photos of Lizzo, Lil Wayne, Janelle Monae… If you were there, you will see these shows in a whole new way. If you weren’t there, you’ll wish you had been.
In case you missed something, see all Mirror Indy’s arts and culture coverage here.
WHAT WE’RE DOING
- “My daughter is doing the kids theater classes at Fonseca Theatre Saturday morning, then we’re hitting the splash pad at Bel Aire Park in Mars Hill before we watch ‘Inside Out 2’ at the Tibbs Drive-In. Westside all day!” — Enrique Saenz, Westside neighborhood reporter
- “I literally cannot stop talking about my favorite restaurant in Indy, which is Asian Snack inside the west side of Saraga. The spicy garlic eggplant is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten!” — Claire Rafford, higher ed reporter
- “I’m headed to the Vogue tomorrow to see Metric, which is the first band my cool college girlfriend recommended to me years ago. Now she’s my wife, and we’re going to rock out together.” — Ryan Martin, deputy managing editor
- “As someone who hasn’t picked up a paint brush since elementary school, I was nervous last weekend to try my first Pints and Painting with Zach Lowe Fine Art Experiences. But, the entire experience was so welcoming, and now I’m plotting my return.” — Carley Lanich, K-12 reporter
Looking for other things to do? Check out Mirror Indy’s events calendar.
CITY CHATTER
- Tonight, the exhibition “3 by 3” will have an opening reception at Herron School of Art and Design. It is free (parking is free, too) from 6-8 p.m. The show will have a little bit of everything: performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture, video and puppetry.
- On June 28, you can take a graffiti knitting workshop at Spark on the Circle, on Monument Circle. It’s free for all ages and runs from 5-7 p.m.
- Do you have your tickets for Chreece on Aug. 24? One cool thing you can do when you buy your tickets is add a DJ Indiana Jones T-shirt for $40 and support the DJ Indiana Jones Scholarship. The fund honors the iconic DJ, who died in 2020, and helps students studying music production.
- Tamara Winfrey-Harris, CEO of Women’s Fund, has a new book, “A Black Woman’s Guide to Getting Free,” coming out on July 9. You can preorder it from any local bookstore and keep all that book money here in Indy.
- Rock en Español fans in Indy are excited because Mexican bands Café Tacvba and Caifanes are playing in Indy for the first time this Sunday, June 30. No tickets? Stay tuned for Mirror Indy’s photos.
MUSIC NEWS
Melanated Moments, the award-winning podcast that was originally made for Classical Music Indy, is not coming back with a new season — at last not this year.
But there is some good news: You can still listen to all 52 episodes, which shine a light on musical works composed by, for and about people of color. Here’s a playlist.
And, podcast hosts Joshua Thompson and Angela Brown will keep working together. This time with Joshua’s brother, Jared. The three just formed a band called SPECTRUM.
Read all about it in this Q&A with reporter Breanna Cooper.
TIME MACHINE
Remember the old HI-FI Indy? Before the 2017 renovations and the new annex, the HI-FI was a cramped space where fans squeezed together like sardines to scream, mosh and vibe to their favorite artists.
I saw so many shows there, from Sinkane and Tiffany Gouché to local favorites like J Brookinz Battle League and Sweet Poison Victim. One of my favorite artists in the old HI-FI was Sirius Blvck. Those shows were like going to church and taking communion.
What Indy memories do you have? Submit your ideas to the Time Machine! Email me at ariana.beedie@mirrorindy.org.
— Ariana Beedie, community journalism director
CULTURE JOURNAL
Mirror Indy’s Culture Journals are like The Cut’s Sex Diaries, except PG-13. But they do give you an interesting peek into people’s cultural lives.
Here’s a snippet from the journal written by Kristine Esser Slentz, a queer poet who was in Indy to promote her new book.
“I arrive at Salon on 65 to see Sara so she can give me a blowout and wax my mustache. This is my first full day in Indy for my poetry book tour. I didn’t grow up here, but this is home.”
If you want to get to know the arts and culture team, you can also read reporter Breanna Cooper and editor Jennifer Delgadillo’s Culture Journals.
CLASSIFIEDS
CLASSIFIEDS
- Bottom Level Toolshop (BLT) has a library of tools for creatives. Contact bottomleveltoollibrary@gmail.com
- Try dill pickle popcorn or sweet heat at Market Square Popcorn.
- Take a pay-what-you-can kundalini yoga class, 6:15 p.m. Tuesdays at the Harrison Center. Just show up!
- Tlaolli sells vegan Mexican food and more. You can order online!
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.
Did you like what you heard? That’s because opera singer Angela Brown and pianist and music sociologist Joshua Thompson kindly read this newsletter for you.
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.
