Music industry weighs vaccine mandates, but politics collide
The coronavirus vaccine gave the live entertainment industry hope for a rebound in 2021. Now, as COVID-19 cases surge and hospital beds fill up, it feels like March 2020 all over again.
Performing Arts
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Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra to grow under new 3-year labor contract with musicians
The musicians have been working on a one-year contract that slashed their pay to $500 a week in January because most performances had been called off due to the pandemic.
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Carmel Community Players launching fundraiser for new theater
Carmel Community Players plans to launch a fundraising campaign next month with the goal of securing $250,000 for the buildout of a planned new community theater on North Meridian Street.
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Indiana Repertory Theatre to require COVID-19 vaccinations or testing for patrons
The IRT, which had previously decided to make masks mandatory for all patrons this season, said it’s decided to strengthen its COVID-19 protocols in light of the increase in cases.
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Concert, event organizers tighten entry rules as COVID cases increase
Local arts organizations and event promoters are using strategies such as vaccination requirements, mask mandates and capacity restrictions to help preserve their ability to hold in-person events.
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Articles
Promoter MOKB partners with venue Pavilion at Pan Am
Indianapolis-based concert and event promoter MOKB Presents announced Thursday that it has reached an exclusive deal with The Pavilion at Pan Am to handle the venue’s public concert and entertainment schedule.
IBJ Podcast: Chatterbox owner explains why iconic bar waited until this month to reopen
The historic Chatterbox Jazz Club on Massachusetts Avenue downtown is so tiny that opening under pandemic restrictions would have meant just 20 or so people could be inside. That’s no way to make money. But now, the restrictions are gone and the club is about to reopen.
Symphony on the Prairie is set to return with initial limits on capacity
After canceling last season due the pandemic, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Conner Prairie announced Monday that the 2021 season of the popular outdoor concert series will begin June 25 with “Revolution: The Music of the Beatles.”
$16 billion grant program for performance venues set to reopen for applications
The federal grant program, part of a larger pandemic relief effort, officially launched April 8, but its application portal crashed within hours because of technical problems. The portal is set to reopen Saturday.
Performance venues say federal grants should help them survive
Businesses are looking for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, which had its launch derailed last week because of technical problems with the application portal, to reopen soon.
How Swish festival pays Indy artists—rain or shine
Swish organizers are trying to bring back a sense of normalcy and financial security for local artists by guaranteeing they’ll be paid for their involvement in the downtown festival—even if the weather thwarts their plans.
Concerts, other performances tip off Saturday as part of 3-week Swish festival
On Saturday, performances will take place downtown on Georgia Street, at Lugar Plaza and at Davlan Park in the Mass Ave neighborhood. Performances are also scheduled at the airport.
Pollstar: Live events industry lost $30B due to pandemic
Pollstar on Friday said the live events industry should have hit a record-setting $12.2 billion this year, but instead it incurred $9.7 billion in losses.
Slippery Noodle Inn owner Hal Yeagy Jr. dies
Yeagy had owned the establishment since 1985, building it into a renowned spot for live blues music.
IBJ Podcast: Helping artists and arts organizations survive the pandemic
Podcast host Mason King talked with Julie Goodman, president and CEO of the Arts Council of Indianapolis, about the group’s fundraising efforts and grant programs meant to sustain artists and arts groups. In addition, two artists join the conversation.
High Alpha startup secures $5M seed funding for livestreaming music platform
Mandolin’s digital platform—designed to help artists, venues and fans connect through live music—has attracted some big-name investors including Marc Benioff, the founder and CEO of Salesforce.
Indy Art & Seek project brings local art to neighborhoods citywide
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and the Arts Council of Indianapolis have teamed up with 72 local artists for a project that has put 107 pieces of art on temporary display all over town.
Longtime Children’s Choir executive director to leave post
Don Steffy, executive director of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, plans to step down at the end of the year after 14 years in the position, the ICC announced Monday.
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra seeks to get back in the black in 2020
In 2020, the ISO will hire a new concertmaster, begin the search for a new conductor, and negotiate a new contract with its musicians. And all of this comes while its leaders try to pull the orchestra out of the red.
Plans for permanent stage at White River State Park finally coming to fruition
The project’s $15.75 million second phase is under construction now and will bring a permanent concert venue to the 250-acre park when it’s finished in June.
Light, video show on Circle to pay patriotic tribute nightly
The curtain is set to be raised on a nightly five-minute patriotic light and sound presentation that local officials say will cast Monument Circle in a whole new hue and could draw tens of thousands of people annually to the iconic landmark.
Jim Irsay pays nearly $4M for guitar featured on Pink Floyd albums
The guitar was sold by former Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour, who played it on such iconic albums as “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Wall."
Maestro Urbanski to leave ISO after 2020-21 season
When he leaves, Krzysztof Urbanski will have been with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for a decade, after joining in 2011 as the youngest artistic leader of any major American orchestra.
IBJ Podcast: Why tech execs bought The Vogue in Broad Ripple
High Alpha’s Eric Tobias talks with podcast host Mason King about what he and two other tech execs plan to change at the 81-year-old venue (think glass barware and a larger green room)—and what they think the club is already doing well.