I Choose Indy!

I saw Pat and Doug being interviewed on TV about “I Choose Indy” (DOT-COM!) and I thought, Eureka! Gotta check this out! I, too, am happy to be here.

Now, I’m an ethical-minded sort of guy, so I will disclose that I am pursuing a bit of enlightened self-interest here. Besides being an artist and entertainer, I’ve been a fan and booster of the Indy Music Scene for many years. I’ve wanted to see the music industry thrive in Indianapolis, and while we have made strides over the years, we are still not perceived as a music biz town, nor promoted as one. My thesis is simply this: Indianapolis is the Musical Crossroads of America, and the Convention and Visitors Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and others with an interest in entertaining our conventioneers and visitors while they are here, should work this angle for all it’s worth.

We have great jazz talent in Central Indiana, for one thing. We have at least one world-class jazz club, the Jazz Kitchen, and a fabulously fun, funky dive on Mass Ave. called the Chatterbox that is a dedicated, devoted jazz venue. We have several upscale, classy places to have a steak and listen to some great jazz piano or trio, such as Sullivan’s and several others, and Ruth’s Chris, downtown, where my favorite piano man, Ken Fary plays many nights a week. We have Jazz on the Avenue programs at The Madame Walker Center; and The Indiana Historical Society, while diverse, does feature jazz at times, as well they should, because jazz has old and deep roots in this town, and this region. We love to remember Wes Montgomery fondly, and others who left Indy to become famous nationally, but we have to get past the “just some local guy” kind of thinking that fails to recognize the importance of the talent, or even brilliance, of musicians and entertainers on the local scene (am I talking about myself? Well, maybe…).

I believe that the Indianapolis Star has been much better in this regard in recent years, showing a willingness to give exposure to local acts who are making a career or showing excellence. I really appreciate, personally, the fact that they actually printed my picture (thanks go out to Joe Vitti) with my live music notice in the Go! section two weeks ago. Yes, my self-interest is showing. I’m someone in the business, and I want to entertain more people. I want to be in the thick of things when conventioneers and visitors come to Indy already knowing they can hear some great music, and will find it easily.

Jazz is just one of the many styles that are flourishing here. We have a great blues club within easy walking distance from the Convention Center, The Slippery Noodle. I could go on and mention folk and country and rock and such, but I think you see my point. It would be wonderful to have a venue something like the Music Mill (Keystone Crossing), or the Vogue (Broad Ripple) a smallish concert venue actually intended to focus on live music performing, somewhere downtown, with a mix of local and nationally touring acts, especially for genres like jazz and singer-songwriter folk/pop.

The Artsgarden is an interesting place, but that glass domed room is a nightmare, acoustically, and was never intended or envisioned as a music venue. Musical events there do not draw well, and are not being scheduled for evenings any more. Perhaps the movers and shakers and promoters with the bucks to put on musical events can do more with the Indiana Roof, or something. I don’t have answers for these notions, I’m just a dreamer, looking for a place to dream.

Please take a look at my web site, you’ll see who I am and what I do. THANKS

Daniel A. Young