the debut of local living

local living
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
weekend
Inside: George Benson
plays Jazz Fest.
YOUR
YOUR WEEKLY
WEEKLY GUIDE
GUIDE TO
TO DOWNTOWN
DOWNTOWN ++ INDY
INDY NEIGHBORHOODS
NEIGHBORHOODS
THINGS TO DO
NEAR YOU
TODAY
VINYL VIBRATIONS & LIBATIONS
» PAGE 4
1ST DOWNTOWN
HENS IN THE ’HOOD
[Near Northside]
Bring a record to share, or just sip
and listen, at this monthly gathering
hosted by Yelp Indy in Goose the
Market’s Enoteca.
» 6 to 8 p.m., 2503 N. Delaware St.,
free, www.goosethemarket.com.
FRIDAY
PLAYING FOR CHANGE DAY
[Downtown]
20-plus local acts, from Punkin Holler
Boys to Sharlene Boodram (below),
will play for 12 hours along Mass Ave.
to raise money for school music programs.
» 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., http://playing
forchangeday.org.
CHOCOLATE FEST
MICHELLE PEMBERTON / THE STAR
Urban chicken farmer Andrew Brake holds one of his ISA Brown chickens in front of his backyard coop. He has been raising
chickens for nearly two years. His first flock was eaten by raccoons; his second flock produces about two dozen eggs a week.
[Downtown]
Indulge in sweets such as Chocolate
Sin Cake and Quadruple Chocolate
Cupcake while helping to raise money
for Young Audiences Indiana.
» 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Indianapolis
Artsgarden, 110 W. Washington
St., $5 per treat, www.yaindy.org.
INDY VEG FEST
[Near Northside]
Sample veg-tastic dishes, listen
to live music and watch cooking
demonstrations at this Indianapolis
Vegetarian Society fundraiser.
» 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Harrison
Center for the Arts, 1505 N.
Delaware St., $12 in advance or
$15 at thedoor, www.indyveg
society.org.
SATURDAY
INDIANAPOLIS HEART WALK
[Downtown]
Nietzsche said it best: “All truly great
thoughts are conceived by walking.”
Lace up and take a heart-healthy stroll
or join the new 5K Fun Run.
» 8 to 10 a.m., Celebration Plaza at
White River Park, free for walkers
or $25 for runners, http://heart
walk.kintera.org.
LIFE IS SUNNYSIDE UP FOR
URBAN CHICKEN OWNERS
I
By Will Higgins
[email protected]
ndianapolis may be behind other cities in new trends, but sometimes we
catch up.
Food trucks, bike paths — they
took a while, but . . . check.
Now Indy’s neighborhoods are becoming hamlets for urban chickens, flocks
of a half-dozen or so birds that hunt and
peck within the city limits, in areas with
sidewalks and stoplights.
It’s like “Green Acres” — only inverted.
One would be hard-pressed to find a
greener hobby: The backyard chicken is
the pet equivalent of the Toyota Prius.
The chickens sleep on “roosts” in
“coops” built in backyards, next to
driveways; they give up uneven, allnatural eggs to their sustainabilityhappy owners.
It’s impossible to say how many such
folk there are here, but their numbers
clearly are growing. On Sunday, Indianapolis will host its first organized tour
of backyard chicken coops, a sort of
benchmark. More than 100 people have
signed up.
Backyard chickens — mail-order
chicks can be obtained in small quantities for the price of a decent hamburger
— are free to walk around and take dust
baths at will, as opposed to enduring the
caged-up squalor of industrial chicken
farms. Their manure makes for great
˝It’s a little more work than a cat
but nowhere near as much as a dog.˝
ANDREW BRAKE, urban chicken coopster
THE DEBUT OF LOCAL LIVING
BENTON HOUSE HOME TOUR
[Irvington]
SAVE THE DATE
» SPRING AWAKENING
Phoenix Theatre, Sept. 22
» B-MOVIE CELEBRATION
Franklin’s Artcraft Theatre,
Sept. 23-25.
» CARMEL INTERNATIONAL
ARTS FESTIVAL
Sept. 24-25.
» NOBLESVILLE BREWFEST, Sept. 24
GOT AN EVENT? CONTACT US
Send us an email at calendar@
indystar.com. Please make sure to include the time, date, address, cost, event
description and a contact phone number
or website for more information.
What: Self-guided tour of
peoples’ backyard chicken operations.
When: 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Where: 12 sites in ButlerTarkington, Broad Ripple, Meridian-Kessler, Rocky Ripple.
Information: Register after
1 p.m. Sunday at Broad Ripple
Park (parking lot near dog park).
A $5 donation is suggested; proceeds go to Keep Indianapolis
Beautiful and IndyCog, a local bicycle advocacy group.
[COMMUNITY NEWS]
SUNDAY
Seven elegant homes and two historic
institutions will put out the welcome
mat for visitors.
» Noon to 5 p.m., $12/advance or
$15/day of, www.bentonhouse
.org.
» See HENS, Page 12
tour de coops
CHARLIE NYE / THE STAR
A series of works along White River and the canal by Mary
Miss explores the relationship between contemporary art
and the natural environment.
Going with the FLOW
Indianapolis as waterfront. It sounds like a joke, but it
isn’t. And now comes some art to shed some light. An expansive new installation attempts to explain Indianapolis’ water
system — its rivers, its wetlands, its floodplains, its combined sewer outfalls.
“FLOW: Can You See the River?” is a series of works by
New York City artist Mary Miss that “explores the relationship between contemporary art and the natural environment,” according to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which
commissioned the work.
Learn more about the project, installed along the White
River and canal, at a public reception and lecture by the artist at IMA’s Toby Theater from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 22. For
more information, visit www.flowcanyouseetheriver.org.
schools+family
Words of experience
Nikki Woodson shares lessons learned.
» PAGE 14
Invent first, ask questions later? We didn’t dare.
Instead, we surveyed thousands of readers to find out:
If you could create your ideal community/neighborhood
section, what information would it have?
More than 90 percent of you put “things to do near
me” at the top. A close second: Positive news about my
community. Rounding out the top five were local dining
news, crime trends/public safety and quality-of-life issues.
You also wanted your news in a quick, easy-to-navigate
format.
Today, we present the result, and we’re eager to hear
what you think.
Meet our staff, and learn more about Local Living on
Page 12.
Petty, but hardly trivial
Meet Richard Petty. Seriously. You
are not too cool to stand in line for an
autograph from the old sunglasses-mad
NASCAR “king” whose country-boy cool
in the 1960s and ’70s presaged not just
stock cars and country music
mainstreaming, but also that whole
pickup-truck-Luckenbach-Texas-simple-life vibe (right
down to those western-style shirts with snaps now found
on the backs of even people like Daniel Tosh). Petty will
sign from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday at a car show at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (“over 3,500 Hot Rods,
Customs, Classics, Muscle Cars & Trick Trucks thru ’72!”)
The event runs Friday through Sunday; see
www.good-guys.com.
sports+rec
Junior roller derby
Girls 7-17 roll with the punches.
» PAGE 16
6 » Local Living » Thursday, September 15, 2011 » The Indianapolis Star
1ST WEST
weekend
[COMEDY]
1³
[HIP-HOP]
LEWIS BLACK PERFORMS
AT THE MURAT THEATRE
There’s evidence that comedian Lewis Black has a softer side to complement his spitting-mad onstage persona.
“One Slight Hitch,” a romantic-comedy play written by Black 30
years ago and revised during the past decade, premiered this summer
in Massachusetts. In November, Black will host the second “Lewis Black
Comedy Cruise” of the Caribbean.
Still, the 63-year-old who will appear tonight at the Murat Theatre
at Old National Centre isn’t too cheery when talking about presidential politics cropping up 14 months before the 2012 election.
“I have these candidates that I shouldn’t have to deal with until
later on,” he said during a phone interview. “They’re in my face. I
don’t need them day after day.”
Asked for a thumbnail assessment of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the current Republican front-runner, Black summons acidic punditry that’s
made him a two-time Grammy Award winner for best comedy album.
“If you’re going to elect a Perry to be president, elect Steve Perry,”
he said. “Or Katy Perry. There’s nothing in his background whatsoever
that would make you say, ‘Oh, boy, he’s going to be a great president.’ ”
As for July’s debt-ceiling showdown, Black has no kind words for
the left or the right.
“Both sides keep talking about making it better, but they’ve done
nothing but make it worse,” Black said. “If you want to have an economic debacle that you’re bringing on of your own accord, don’t do it
during the summer when we’re on vacation. It’s the one time we’re
freed up a little from your nonsense.”
» 8 p.m. today, Murat Theatre at Old National Centre, 502 N.
New Jersey St., $29.50 to $59.50, www.livenation.com.
2³ BLACK STAR
Progressive rappers Mos Def and Talib
Kweli released their landmark collaboration, “Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black
Star,” in 1998. The Brooklyn natives then
made their marks as solo artists, and rumors about a second Black Star album
continue to percolate. “As we come
through your receivers, you can play us
and repeat us and then take us home and
read us,” Mos Def rhymed on “Black
Star” track “Definition.˝
» 8 p.m. Friday, Egyptian Room at Old
National Centre, 502 N. New Jersey
St., $43.50, www.livenation.com.
[CLASSICAL]
[FAMILY]
[CLASSICAL]
[VISUAL ARTS/MUSIC]
3³
4³ FIESTA
5³ EMERSON STRING QUARTET
6³ ORANJE
INDIANAPOLIS CHAMBER
ORCHESTRA
Eleven-year-old pianist Umi Garrett will help
the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra open its
2011-12 season. The Californian appeared on
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2009 and has
been featured on public radio’s “From the
Top.” Last March, she won the Chopin International Competition in Hartford, Conn. With
the ICO, she will solo in Mozart’s Concerto
No. 23 in A major, K. 488, with Kirk Trevor
conducting. Also on the program is music by
Beethoven, Debussy and Prokofiev.
» 8 p.m. Saturday, Glick Indiana History
Center, 450 W. Ohio St., $25 ($10, students), (317) 940-9607 or www.icomusic.org.
As one of the largest Hispanic events in the
state, Fiesta is “a celebration of all things Hispanic and Latin American,” said Miriam Acevedo Davis, executive director of La Plaza. By
day, it’s a community festival. By night, a lively
dance party featuring local musicians and DJs.
“Nighttime is the time to come and eat and
then dance it off,” Davis said. Don’t miss the
salsa dancing and the Latino-themed performances from the Indianapolis Children’s Choir
and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
» Noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, American Legion Mall, Downtown Indianapolis, free
admission, www.laplaza-indy.org.
Concertgoers helping the Palladium celebrate
the start of its first full season of classical-music concerts had better like the key of F major.
Works in F major by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven will make up the Emerson String Quartet’s program. The Grammy Award-winning
quartet — violinists Eugene Drucker and Philip
Setzer, violist Lawrence Dutton and cellist David Finckel — has played together for more
than 30 years.
» 8 p.m. Saturday, Palladium, Center for
the Performing Arts, 1 Center Green, Carmel, $15-$100, (317) 843-3800 or
www.thecenterfortheperformingarts.org.
Art and music continue to make a
beautiful pairing at Oranje. Now in its
10th year, this art and music party — in
an urban setting — continues to get
stronger in the visual artists and
musicians it presents. This year’s edition
features 45 artists, 30 music acts, five
stages and three enviro-lounges, plus
food and drinks. You have to be 21 to
get into this party.
» 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, 2323 N.
Illinois St., $20, www.oranjeindy
.com.
[FAMILY]
[FAMILY]
[POP MUSIC]
[POETRY READING]
All the new thinking is about loss.
In this it resembles all the old thinking.
The idea, for example, that each particular erases
the luminous clarity of a general idea.
That the clownfaced woodpecker probing the dead
sculpted trunk
of that black birch is, by his presence,
some tragic falling off from the first
world
of undivided light.
7³ YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE!
The current road show for Nick Jr. program
“Yo Gabba Gabba!” gives the preschool set
a chance to bust a move, get jiggy and cut a
rug. The tour — titled “It’s Time to Dance!”
— stars DJ Lance Rock and costumed characters Plex, Muno, Foofa, Toodee and Brobee.
Comedic rappers Biz Markie and Leslie Hall
will appear as musical guests when two
shows are presented on the campus of Butler University.
» 3 and 6 p.m. Sunday, Clowes Hall, 4602
Sunset Ave., $30.75 to $40.75, www
.ticketmaster.com.
8³ INDY IRISH FEST
Celebrating the luck and culture of the Irish is
a three-day happening, thanks to the annual
Indy Irish Festival. The Downtown event offers
the Irish and non-Irish traditional food and
drinks. But the festival wouldn’t be complete
without performances by bands, Irish stepdancing, sheep-herding demos, hurling
matches and the popular Kilted Mile run.
» 4:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. to
11 p.m. Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, Military Park, 601 W. New York St.,
$8 advance or $13 at the gate for adults, $10
ages 14-18 with student ID, free for ages
13 and younger, www.indyirishfest.com.
9³ ERASURE
The rise of Lady Gaga sparked a synthpop
resurgence, and Erasure has racked up synthpop hits since the 1980s. The English duo’s
14th album, “Tomorrow’s World,” will arrive
in stores Oct. 4 — featuring production by
Frankmusik, who remixed Gaga’s “Eh, Eh
(Nothing Else I Can Say)” single. “Chains of
Love,” “A Little Respect” and “Always” rank
as Erasure’s highest-charting songs in the
United States.
» 8 p.m. Tuesday, the Vogue, 6259 N. College Ave., $31, www.ticketmaster.com.
10³ ROBERT HASS
These opening lines of
“Meditation at Lagunitas”
illustrate Robert Hass’ reflective blend of observation and often witty attempt to clarify how we
think and talk about what
we see. The former U.S.
poet laureate, also an essayist, translator and university teacher, will read from his works.
» 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Reilly Room,
Atherton Union, Butler University, free
(no tickets required), (317) 940-9861.
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In the meantime, visit the Indy OTB at 110 W. Washington for the best in simulcast horse racing and sports entertainment!
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