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Hola amigos,
This week sees the end of July, the start of Gen Con, our very own Play List party, and on Sunday … the start of Mercury retrograde. Some people say it’s nothing more than an optical illusion, but can we at least agree that it’s nice to have something to blame when things break or go wrong?
Play List is officially a month old, so I’m not going to beat around the bush — we want you (the reader of this newsletter) to send us your “Flash Backs” and classifieds. It’s free to share your creative service with us!
Also, we mean it when we say we want to hear from you. We will be waiting by our inbox.
WHAT’S NEW IN ARTS & CULTURE
Gen Con kicks off Aug. 1, which means our city is flooded with gamers from near and far. Elf ’N Moon, a gaming store in Fountain Square, is staying open 24 hours a day until Aug. 5. Breanna Cooper has the details.
Butter lovers across town are rightfully sad that Chef Oya’s The TRAP will close Aug. 10. But there’s still a lot to celebrate and eat, and Oya Woodruff shared some wisdom (and a recipe) with Lavanya Narayanan.
July is National Disability Pride Month. Learn about two arts organizations improving inclusion for disabled adults in Indy: ArtMix and Limitless Ability.
WHAT WE’RE DOING
- “For the first time since 1993, poets and writers who were part of poet Etheridge Knight’s ‘Free People’s Workshop’ will reunite at the Chatterbox Jazz Club, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1. A handful of writers are flying in for the literary reading, so it will be a very special occasion.” — Jennifer Delgadillo, arts and culture editor
- “I’m heading to the Bush concert at White River State Park with friends on Sunday, Aug. 4. I remember buying ‘Sixteen Stone’ on CD when I was in high school. Candlebox and Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains are supposed to open. I’m stoked that Gen X bands have been touring.” — Chris Sikich, managing editor for news
- “I finally started season 2 of one of my favorite shows, ‘We are Lady Parts’ on Peacock. The British comedy is about a punk band of Muslim women trying to make it in London, and it’s absolutely hilarious. I’m planning to watch the six new episodes as slowly as possible to make it last.” — Claire Rafford, higher education reporter
- “This week, I’m going to watch ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ at the Tibbs Drive-In with my lady. I stupidly tried to go at the last minute last time, but this time the minivan’s gonna be ready to roll at, like, 6 p.m.” — Enrique Saenz, westside reporter
Looking for other things to do? Check out Mirror Indy’s events calendar.
CITY CHATTER
What’s good, Friends!
August is upon us and that time of year signifies so much for me. The winding down of summer, the start of Virgo season (#VirgoGang) and the national observance of Black August.
Black August began in the 1970s in the California penal system as a way to recognize political prisoners locally and globally. August also holds political significance as Aug. 28, 2008, marks the date that Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination to become the nation’s first Black POTUS. In 1963, on the same date, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered the “I Have A Dream” speech.
In recognizing all of that significance, I am reminded how important it is to center joy in our lives.
Personally, I’ll be gathering with creative comrades on Aug. 21 at Dream Palace Books to write letters of encouragement for those who are incarcerated, and on Aug. 25 I’ll be celebrating my 36th birthday with the next installment of Free People Party at State Street Pub. Hope to see ya’ll there!
Ooh, before I go! I heard that Che Chori will be on one of my fave comfort watches, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Aug. 2! Be sure to check them out before they get too famous. I’m partial to the butternut squash empanada. 😉
—Ebony Chappel, Free Press Indiana market director
MUSIC NEWS
This week we’re throwing back. Jared Thompson of Premium Blend and Spectrum created a playlist for Mirror Indy In honor of Black Music Month in June, and I’ve been coming back to it for over a month now. You can’t go wrong with Howlin’ Wolf, Luther Vandross and 2Pac. Meshell Ndegeocello, who is also in this playlist, just released the new album, “No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin.”
— Breanna Cooper, arts and culture reporter
CLASSIFIEDS
- La Reyna Bakery, 3605 Commercial Drive, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and carries all the “panaderia” classics.
- Get cute baby clothes, from newborn to toddler, at Lunch Money Boutique.
- Kids and adults can take beginner and intermediate skateboarding lessons at Q Skate Shop & Indoor Park.
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.
