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This year’s Tonic Ball, the annual benefit concert that uses cover songs to help fight hunger in Indianapolis, will celebrate the music of Marvin Gaye, Green Day, the B-52s and Britney Spears.
Organizers of the 24th edition of Tonic Ball unveiled Friday the quartet of honored artists for the Nov. 21 event.
Indiana musicians will perform songs popularized by Gaye, Green Day, the B-52s and Spears at five Fountain Square venues. Songs popularized by Motown icon Gaye will be performed at Square Cat Vinyl, and Green Day hits are planned at Hi-Fi. Radio Radio will serve as the B-52s room, and performers will interpret favorites from Spears’ catalog at White Rabbit Cabaret.
At Fountain Square Theatre, a “greatest hits” format will feature Indiana musicians playing songs popularized by any of the four honored artists.
Tickets go on sale Wednesday at tonicball.org. Musicians interested in performing as part of Tonic Ball are encouraged to sign up at the event’s website.
Presented by Eskenazi Health, Tonic Ball benefits hunger-relief agency Second Helpings.
Second Helpings, founded in 1998, rescues more than 4 million pounds of food annually.
The Indianapolis-based nonprofit collects prepared and perishable food from wholesalers, retailers and restaurants and also trains people for careers in the food service industry.
“Tonic Ball is more than just a one-night-only music festival,” Joseph Ball, chair of Tonic Ball Committee, said in a written statement. “It’s a night where music builds community, which then supports the meaningful mission of Second Helpings in their fight against hunger.”
Tonic Ball’s honored acts through the years
- 2002: Gram Parsons
- 2003: Elvis Costello
- 2004: Neil Young
- 2005: The Rolling Stones
- 2006: Prince, Talking Heads
- 2007: The Clash, Madonna
- 2008: Elvis Presley, Queen
- 2009: Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin
- 2010: The Beatles
- 2011: Michael Jackson, R.E.M., David Bowie
- 2012: The Kinks, Stevie Wonder, U2
- 2013: Tom Petty, Pixies, Grateful Dead
- 2014: The Velvet Underground/Lou Reed, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana/Foo Fighters
- 2015: Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Beck, Tina Turner
- 2016: The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, David Bowie, Prince
- 2017: James Brown, Simon & Garfunkel, Dolly Parton, the Cure, Wilco
- 2018: Johnny Cash, Elton John, ABBA, Pearl Jam, Beyoncé
- 2019: Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Ramones, Diana Ross, Bob Marley
- 2020: One-hit wonders (presented online)
- 2021: Chart-topping hits (presented online)
- 2022: Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Outkast, Taylor Swift
- 2023: Jay-Z, the Police, Rihanna, Sly & the Family Stone
- 2024: Lady Gaga, Daryl Hall & John Oates, the White Stripes/Jack White, Parliament-Funkadelic
- 2025: Marvin Gaye, Green Day, the B-52s, Britney Spears
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