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Rachel Rubenstein

Record Store Day 2012 in Indianapolis

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One of my favorite days each year comes around on the third Saturday of April: Record Store Day!

If you love limited edition vinyl albums, rare swag, live performances from bands and DJs and a celebration of all things music, this day is for you. Record Store Day is an occasion where artists, fans and independent record stores all come together to stir up excitement and boost the record store economy, and at each store is somewhat of a mini block party for people of all ages to enjoy!

This year, Record Store Day falls on Saturday, April 21st. If you’re looking for something to do and want to check out this music-lover’s holiday, here are three local independent stores that celebrate in a big way!

Indy CD & Vinyl

Opening its doors at 10 am, Indy CD & Vinyl has an in-store lineup consisting of Loyal Divide at 1 pm, New Old Cavalry at 2 pm and Brother Nature Band at 4 pm. If digging through records become exhausting, re-energize with some coffee supplied by Monon Coffee Shop and a homemade cookie by Jeanne Zeigler! Hang out and say hi to some of our favorite people, Annie Skinner and Shimmercore!

LUNA Music

Each year, LUNA opens its doors at 8 am to celebrate the unique culture of independent record stores. Grab an Upland beer while you shop the sidewalk sale, loaded with $1 CDs and vinyl albums. Browse through the Handmade Promenade on the sidewalk or pick up a concert poster from Mile 44. Laundromatinee will be on site shooting video and handing out goody bags, and Jolly Tamale will be set up out front all day. Live performances will be going on inside from noon until 6 pm, including one from Ancient Slang, made up of DMA, John Rambo, We Are Hex and Eric & The Happy Thoughts!

Vibes Music

Starting at noon, Vibes is putting on an all day showcase brought to you by local label Gloryhole Records. In between sets, you can groove to tunes from DJ Jewey Ramone. Christian Taylor & Homeschool/Adam Kuhn will start the day off at noon, followed by a dozen other local artists including Ancient Slang, Vacation Club, The Kemps, Humans, Learner Dancer, Dead Frets and more. The party goes on until 10 pm, so come enjoy the live acts while searching for your RSD treasures.

St. Patrick’s Day in Indianapolis 2012

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With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Saturday this year, there are a lot of options to choose from starting in the morning and rolling on through the wee hours of the morning.  Here are some of our top picks.

Rock the Shamrock Tent Party: Come party in a 5,000 square foot heated tent with an 8,000 square foot patio in the parking lot adjacent to The Old Spaghetti Factory on Meridian Street downtown. The party starts at 10 AM and will feature Flippy Cup and Beer Pong. Starting at 9 PM, the tent will turn into a nightclub with DJ Slater Hogan on the decks!

Connor’s Pub: Every year, Connor’s consistently throws the biggest St. Patrick’s Day party in Broad Ripple. With a huge tent, outdoor bars, live bands and entertainment all day and night, Connor’s is the place to be on St. Patty’s Day. Put on your green and get ready to drink!

Claddagh Downtown: Opening at 10 AM, the Claddagh Downtown only has a $5 cover charge to get into a tent party featuring live music all day and night, ranging from local bands to Celtic music. Have an Irish beer and whiskey at one of the city’s most popular Irish bars!

Night Porter: They don’t drink green beer inIreland, so why should you drink it here? It’s a Rock and Roll St. Patrick’s Day at Night Porter, so come check out Broad Ripple’s newest spot on the strip. Enjoy the patio and catch some March Madness games, or even build your own grilled cheese!

15th Annual Indianapolis Downtown Irish Fest: You can’t complain about no cover and $6 20-ounce Guinness, Harp and Smithwicks. Starting at 8 PM, head to Rathskeller for live performances by The Irish Dancers of Indianapolis, Zanna Doo, The Gordon Pipers and more!

ShamRockin’ the Circle: Begin your St. Patrick’s Day onMonument Circle with bands, beer and food at 10:30 AM at the even that is open to the public. This is the site of the end of the 2500 Shamrock Run Walk, so welcome the participants and start your party early!

Sin:ergy Glow Green Party: Talbott Street is going to be green and glowing for St. Patrick’s Day with DJ Logan Matthews playing for you all night long. The Ladies of Legends will be putting on shows at 9:30, 11 and 1 for your entertainment. You don’t need luck to have a good time here!

Punk Rock Night: It’s a Punk Rock St. Patrick’s Day at the Melody Inn, featuring Bottoms Up Burlesque, Goliathon, Founders and Atomic Thrill Ride. Doors open at 9 and the music starts at 10!

Scotty’s Brewhouse Downtown: Opening at 11 AM, Scotty’s is going green with green Jello shots, green beer, corned beef and cabbage! Brunch will consists of green eggs and pancakes, and you can even try and Irish Eyes martini or mini Guinness shot!

Please submit your St. Patrick’s Day Photos and leave us a message on the Buzzline at 317-891-4627.

As always, HAVE FUN, BE CAREFUL and DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!

First Friday Food Truck Festival

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October’s First Friday Food Truck Fest (phew, what a mouthful!) was back on October 7th in the Murat parking lot due to an overwhelming response to the first one in September. Presented by MOKB, Live Nation, Leinenkugel and NUVO, this month’s fest brought in more trucks, activities, art and music for your enjoyment. For a $5 admission, this event is a great way to start off your First Friday and experience some of Indy’s newest mobile dining options. While everyone is familiar with trucks like West Coast Tacos and The New York Slice (try a slice of The Rubes), we decided to try some new options that we had either never seen or tasted. You can check out the pictures thanks to my wonderful food model, Ryan Hickey.

Our first stop was to Chef JJ’s Big Green Bistro. While this truck is used mainly for private events, it focuses on sustainable items to bring the taste of Chef JJ’s Back Yard to different locations. For $10, we opted for the bistro box which gave us three different menu items in one serving: a pork taco, an Indiana Slider and palenta. All three were delicious and flavorful, and we finished off every last bite. The Big Green Bistro was a great start to the Food Truck Fest, and the only downside was knowing that you can’t find this food truck out on the streets of Indianapolis, it is available by reservation only.

 

Next, we headed over to Rollin Wit Da Roux per a recommendation that we had to try the special. I felt a little bit guilty, like I was cheating on my favorite truck, Some of This Some of That (which you should try the jambalaya there if you’ve never been). Da Roux serves the iconic classics of Cajun, Creole and Southern BBQ cuisine. Do not mistake this truck for a mobile Papa Roux restaurant, as we learned when Papa Roux himself cornered us by the truck and gave us a speech about it. Awkward! We tried the spicy blackened catfish with crab sauce and rice for $10. The fish was cooked to perfection and it had just the right combination of spice and flavor. This Cajun truck is definitely going to be serving up some delicious competition to Papa Roux and SOTSOT!

 

Our third stop was to Edward’s Dashboard Diner. We didn’t get a chance to taste anything here in September because it was already sold out by the time we got in line, but we heard raving reviews of the famous tenderloin sandwich and we had to try it for ourselves. Edward’s Dashboard Diner is a mobile version of the famed Edward’s Drive-In, located at 2126 South Sherman Drive. It was recently featured on the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food, and if it’s good enough for Adam Richmond, it’s good enough for me! For $6, we split a huge fried tenderloin sandwich that lived up to its reputation for being the best tenderloin in Indianapolis.

If you haven’t made it out for a Food Truck Fest yet, your next chance is from 5 – 9 p.m. on Friday, November 4. There will be live music and laughs provided by The Band of Beards. Also, the First Friday Food Truck Festival has teamed up with Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana by offering free admission to those who donate two or more non-perishable items at the event. Also, The Civil Wars will be playing that evening at the Egyptian Room, so check out a great concert after enjoying some food and drinks. You can get a ticket to The Civil Wars show at MOKB Presents.

 

Oranje 2011 Preview

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By Rachel Rubenstein

Jimm Showman

Once a year, an explosion of art, music and culture hits Indianapolis, asking you to come indulge your senses. September 17 will be the 10th anniversary of Oranje, an interactive and contemporary art and music experience. Everyone from painters to metal workers to fashion designers to DJs join forces to put on this unique event that began back in September of 2002. Founders Adam Crockett and Ryan Hickey have continued to grow, develop and expand on what started out as a gathering of friends to showcase local talent. This year, guests can look forward to 45 artists, 30 music acts, 5 stages and 3 enviro-lounges from 8:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. at 2323 North Illinois Street for only $20. Here are 10 must-see attractions you should add to your Oranje checklist!

Indy Mojo Tent: With DJs such as Mike B, Jackola, Matt Allen, Kodama and more, the Indy Mojo Tent is where you need to be if you’re ready to dance the night away and get your face melted off by a mix of electronic music and lasers. Indy Mojo is known for its spectacular visual effects during shows, and Oranje will be no exception.

Jimm Showman: Crafting robots out of 100% recycled materials, this will be Showman’s first year as an Oranje participant. He finds parts in scrap yards, garbage cans or thrift stores and combines these pieces with steel scraps to create unique robots that each have their own personality and story.

Oreo Jones

Oreo Jones: With a fresh new mixtape titled Black Fabio released just last month, this will be the first Oranje that Oreo Jones will perform at and he invites you to share it with him. Fusing indie and hip-hop together, Oreo’s live performances promise to never disappoint. You can catch him at 12:10 a.m. on the MOKB Stage, and rumor has it that he may even have a real Liger with him.

Walter Lobyn Hamilton: By breaking, smashing, cutting, melting and manipulating pieces of vinyl, Hamilton is a vinyl record artist, creating pop and political iconic pieces centered on a vinyl/music theme. This will be his second year participating in Oranje and this year he will have even more pieces that range from $150 – $4,000. And if his unique artwork isn’t reason enough to check him out, his booth is next to some burlesque dancers!

Beta Male: Playing at 1:00 a.m. on the MOKB stage to end the evening, Beta Male’s provocative, sexy and innovative performances always draw a huge crowd of people wondering how they can top their last performance. Costumed in everything from wigs to leather to body paint, make sure not to miss what will surely be another memorable live performance that will get you dancing!

With Love, Marie

With Love, Marie: Feather extensions have been one of the hottest fashion trends this year, and Mandy and Sheri Madaras are bringing their line of feather extensions and jewelry to Oranje this year. Offering everything from earrings to necklaces to extensions, the mother-daughter duo hand-craft all of their pieces that are both affordable and stylish.

Bashiri Asad: Playing the Old Soul Ramp Stage at 9:35 p.m., singer/songwriter Bashiri Asad has created his own indie/soul/jazz genre of music which he has been perfecting since childhood. Asad performs both solo and with his group, Xenobia Green, in venues around Indianapolis and all over the Midwest. This will be his second year at Oranje, and he urges everyone to come check it out. “If you are looking for an assault on the visual/audio senses, looking for a variety of music, art and a good time in one night, then Oranje is the place to be!”

Beta Male

Joseph Mays: How could you turn down the chance to see nude models covered in black-light paint highlighted in psychedelic lighting? In past years, Mays has run a clothing-optional photo booth that allows people to photograph themselves nude under abstract lighting and this booth will make a return this year. In addition, he will be showing a series of aerialists at work. It’s definitely a must-see!

Rhinoceros Beetle: Releasing their first CD, titled Horse Pact EP, on December 10, 2010, Rhinoceros Beetle is coming to Oranje to take you on a geeky, high-energy electronic adventure! Playing on the MOKB Stage at 10:30 p.m., the group has a distinctive style using digital sound environments, powerful vocal expressions, layered electronic compositions and danceable beats.

Zed Martinez: Zed Martinez is many things; an artist, photographer, designer and self-proclaimed madman. This range of talents can be seen through his artwork, influenced by sexuality, religion, commercialism and the ever-changing world around him. He has a large range of works but all share a common theme: absurdity. Make sure to stop by and get crazy with him!

Flatwater Bloody Mary Bar

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The smoothness of vodka combined with the bite of tomato juice and spices make up one of America’s most popular hangover cures: the Bloody Mary. What better way to celebrate a long night of boozing by waking up and taking down this delicious drink.

The history of the Bloody Mary is told two different ways. One story is of a bartender in New York who mixed half tomato juice and half vodka, naming it after the Bucket of Blood Club in Chicago and a girl who worked there named Mary. The other popular story says the drink is named after Bloody Mary herself, aka Queen Mary, who was famous for her persecution of Protestants.

Bloody Mary bars are popping up all over the city, so we went to Flatwater in Broad Ripple to check out one of the city’s best Bloody Mary bars that uses local ingredients to quench your thirst.

Flatwater Bloody Mary Bar

Every Sunday noon to 4, Flatwater provides a Bloody Mary Bar featuring Indiana Vodka and Hoosier Momma’sBloody Mary Maker. The bartender will mix your vodka and Bloody Mary mix together for you on ice, and then it’s up to you to add the rest!

The variety of ingredients available to use took up an entire side of the bar. At least 10 hot sauces, Olive Juice, Worcestershire, A1, Siracha, Pepper, various fresh vegetables including olives, green beans, carrots, peppercinis, pickled asparagus, stuffed olives, bacon, horseradish and seasoned mozzarella balls.

We made ours with various hot sauces, including Busha Browne’s Pukka Hot Pepper Sauce, A1 Steak Sauce, Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce, fresh ground black pepper, siracha, blue cheese crumbles, pickled green beans, fresh horseradish, carrot sticks and celery stalks. Not only were the Bloody Marys tasty, but the company was excellent. Everyone around the bar was interacting with each other, sharing stories and becoming buddies while the windows were all open so that we could enjoy a fresh summer breeze. It was the perfect setting for a Sunday brunch  to kick back, relax and sip on a Bloody Mary!