Life, Better With Music (or not?)
Posted by Katie in Experience Local on December 26th, 2012
We think life is much better with music. The latest commercial from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra makes this statement “Life. It’s Better with Music.” Don’t you agree?
Members of the orchestra make appearances in the commercial at every day kind of places and make the statements with their instruments about what they are doing is better with music. Vicki Griswold, a violist, starts off the commercial and says, “Workouts are better with music,” while running on a treadmill at a gym while playing her violin.
Other musicians from the group make similar statements at a business office, the Butler basketball court, a bar, and a dinner table. Jack Everly, Principal Pops Conductor says holidays are better with music while the groups music director, Krzysztof Urbanski, finishes the commercial with the line, “Life is better with music.”
The ISO was in the news earlier this fall when they couldn’t reach an agreement with the Indianapolis Symphony Society about financial offerings. Although the musicians are back to work after negotiations ended in October, this is contingent on the Indianapolis Symphony Society raising $5 million dollars in new donations before this contract expires in February 2013. The society is confident they can reach that goal and we hope so too. Life is better with music and we hope the ISO is here to stay!
A Review of the Palladium
Have you seen it? If you haven’t seen it I am sure you have heard about it. The Palladium in Carmel has created many news headlines not only because of the artists who have played there but its cost at over $126 million dollars to make.
I had an opportunity to check out the Palladium when I was invited to concert a few weekends ago. I gladly took the tickets although the music star was no where in my iTunes account as I wanted to check out this infamous concert hall I had seen so many times looming over the Carmel Farmer’s Market and running by on the Monon.
Walking up the steps and inside the building you don’t have far to go before you can enter the main attraction. Seats surround the stage and spectators can have a bird’s eye view up on the third floor where according to some reports the best sound is found and the cheapest seats. The colors on the walls are a pastel pink and sky blue.
We were there for a rock concert and the sound was extremely loud just like you would expect for a concert of this type. Drinks can be brought in during the show, which is a feature many halls of this caliber don’t allow. Main restrooms are found on the bottom floor, which is a long trek for anyone sitting on the main level but its doable. No detail seemed to be untouched as I walked through this infamous building and I’d gladly attend a show again.
Have you been there? What do you think?
Crossroads Classic
Posted by Matthew Williams in Basketball, Experience Local on December 11th, 2012
‘Tis The Season For Holiday Events
Posted by Katie in Experience Local on December 5th, 2012
The holidays are upon us and that means there are plenty of holiday inspired events to take the family too around the Circle City. Experience local this holiday season. Below we have shared some of our favorite holiday events.
December 8th brings Indiana favorites, Straight No Chaser, to town to serenade Hoosiers with some of their classic Christmas hits at the Murat Theatre. Get tickets to this holiday must see concert.
Relish in the classical and timeless music of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra with their Yuletide Celebration. The celebration runs from November 30-December 23 at the Hilbert Circle Theatre stage.
Choo choo…come see trains of all kinds this holiday season at Jingle Rails: The Western Rail Adventure at the Eiteljorg Museum. The train exhibit, which takes your imagination through the American West, is open through January 6.
Bundle up this holiday season and check out…
Think back 175 years ago and imagine what holidays might have been like then…then go live it at Connor Prairie by Candlelight. Check out the interactive history museums holiday celebrations with guided tours from 6-9pm. Ticket information can be found here.
Like the zoo? Check out the animals that brave the cold weather and see the zoo lit up with lights at Christmas at the Zoo. Walk around with some hot chocolate and make a new holiday tradition. Ticket information can be around here.
Colts Looking to Make Playoff Push
Posted by Matthew Williams in Football, Indianapolis Colts on November 30th, 2012
Raise your hand if you thought the Indianapolis Colts would be competing for a playoff berth in 2012.
Anyone? Anyone?
One year after finishing 2-14, the Colts now sit at 8-4 with a real shot at making the postseason. For a team with a rookie quarterback dealing with the emotional toll of having their head coach battle Leukemia, that would be quite the accomplishment. The Colts play five games in December, but only two will be in the friendly confines of Lucas Oil Stadium. Here’s a look at the two matchups:
Tennesse Titans (December 9)-The last time these teams squared off, the game went into overtime where Andrew Luck hit Vick Ballard to give the Colts a 19-13 win. Beating the Titans is nothing new for the Colts. The Colts have won 7 of the last 8 games against the Titans.
Houston Texans (December 30)- The Colts conclude the regular season with a home game against division rival Houston. The Texans have been an elite team this year and have their sights set on reaching their first Super Bowl. In a bit of a scheduling quirk, the Colts and Texans will play each other twice in three weeks. If the Colts want to start printing playoff tickets, they will probably have to win at least one of those matchups.
Which game are you looking forward to most this December?
Thanksgiving + Football= Holiday Magic
Posted by Matthew Williams in Football on November 20th, 2012
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am stoked. While most people have already shifted their focus to Christmas, I have my eye squarely focused on Turkey Day. Is it because I love spending the day with my family reminiscing about the past and thinking about what I’m most thankful for? Of course not. I love Thanksgiving because I get to spend an entire day eating obscene amounts of food while watching football.
Football on Thanksgiving is one those beautiful traditions I didn’t appreciate until I was older. As a kid, I took the games for granted. They were always there. It wasn’t until I grew up and occasionally had to spend the holidays with people who didn’t watch football, that I truly missed it. There are few things in life more depressing than eating turkey while Lifetime movies play in the background.
Professional football games go as far back as 1920. Before that colleges and high schools played on this day. The Detroit Lions have been a Thanksgiving fixture since the 1930’s. This year, the Lions square off against the Houston Texans. Although I’m not a Lions fan, I always root for Detroit on Thanksgiving, if for no other reason than they always seem to lose.
The Dallas Cowboys, another Thanksgiving stalwart, will face off against the Washington Redskins on Thursday. Despite their yearly presence on Turkey Day I will not be rooting for the Cowboys. Rooting for the Cowboys feels like rooting for the Yankees in baseball or the Lakers in basketball. It’s lazy and unimaginative. The only difference is those other teams have actually won championships recently.
For the night cap, the New England Patriots take on the New York Jets. Though it may be the unpopular choice in Indiana, I have a soft spot for the Patriots. The Patriots are a well run organization with quality players and a coach who dresses like a homeless man every week. Bill Belichick is one of those weird coaches who is extremely good at what he does and seems to have no personality to speak of. Listening to his postgame press conferences, it’s usually hard tell if his team won or loss. I suspect if he were to ever shed a tear, his head would explode. I find that to be an oddly endearing quality.
Who are you rooting for this Thanksgiving?
Pacers Basketball is Here
Posted by Matthew Williams in Basketball, Experience Local on November 13th, 2012
Fresh off the heels of hosting a WNBA championship, Hoosier basketball fans are hungry for more. The NBA season returned Halloween night and the Pacers are looking to build on last year’s run to the conference semifinals. The Pacers opened the season on the road in Toronto, but have six home games in December. The following are the ones I am looking forward to most.
November 16- Dallas Mavericks
From a basketball standpoint, this game would be more exciting if the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki were playing. He’s out for six weeks with a knee injury which should make things easier for the home team. However, I want to see Mavs game on the off chance I might meet their owner, Mark Cuban. While some may not like his borderline obnoxious behavior, I enjoy it. Besides, any billionaire who shills for Sketchers can’t be all bad.
November 21-New Orleans Hornets
As a native of New Orleans, I am excited about the possibility of the Hornets not being cellar dwellers this year. Last year’s miserable campaign helped them land the number one pick in the draft where they selected Anthony Davis. I know two things about Davis: He is extremely talented and he proudly sports a uni-brow. Hopefully his skills allow me to look past the fact that he knowingly leaves the house with facial hair only a mother or a groupie could love.
November 23- San Antonio Spurs
The Pacers get to play two games in three days with Thanksgiving sandwiched in between. No worries. The second game is against the Spurs, only one of the most talented teams in the league with a hall of a fame coach, power forward, and a host of all-stars. It should be a walk in the park. Thanks a lot Commissioner Stern.
Which games are you most looking forward to?
Singing and Dancing…Gangnam Style
Have you heard about PSY and dancing ‘Gangnam-Style?’ If you haven’t…you might be living under a heavy rock where you don’t get cell reception, YouTube, or any TV shows. PSY has recently become an international phenomenon. A long time South Korean artist, the 34 year old, has made waves in the U.S. with his song about the high end Gangnam style and the dance moves he has choreographed with it.
PSY’s “Gangnam Style” topped the Billboard 100 charts as the number 2 song in America the last week of September (and the song has been hanging around the top ever since). He made an appearance on the Today show while visiting the States and had all of the anchors dancing with him. According to an Entertainment Weekly article, the song was downloaded over 300,000 times in a week and is being played consistently on the radio.
Have you heard the song or seen the dance? Tickets for a rumored show at Madison Square Garden are sure to sell out as his fan base grows and grows. Psy plans to release a single in the US and an album this holiday season according to an article on the Jakarta Post.
Get out from under any rock you’ve been hiding under lately and get ready to dance ‘Gangnam Style!’
Mr. Universe (and fellow Hoosier), Jim Gaffigan comes to town
Posted by Matthew Williams in Comedy, Experience Local on October 30th, 2012
I have a confession to make. Throughout the years, I have cultivated a considerable Facebook following because of my random and often witty observations on life. While about 75% of those observations are mine, I have been known to occasionally “borrow” other people’s observations without giving them credit. It’s not something I’m proud of. I’ve been living with this secret shame for years and have decided to come clean today.
One of my favorite people to “borrow” observations from is comedian Jim Gaffigan. Gaffigan, a native Hoosier, will be returning to Indiana to do two shows at the Murat Theater November 3 as part of his Mr. Universe tour.
Gaffigan isn’t the edgiest comedian around but he has a devoted following and spends a lot of time discussing one of my favorite subjects: food. At some point in the past I have borrowed the following observations, much to the delight of my Facebook minions:
Pie vs. Cake
Pie can’t compete with cake. Put candles in a cake, it’s a birthday cake. Put candles in a pie, and somebody’s drunk in the kitchen.
Cake in the Morning
Sometimes we try to hide the fact we’re eating cake because we know it’s bad for us. You know the difference between cake and a muffin? Nothing. A muffin is just a bald cupcake.
Peanut Butter
I bought some peanut butter the other day. There was, creamy, chunky, extra crunchy, and extreme crunchy. I bought the extreme crunchy, opened it up…it was just peanuts. That is extreme.
Hopefully, Jim will accept my apology when he comes to town. I’d hate to get on the bad side of Mr. Universe.
Tailgating Do’s And Don’ts
Football season is in full swing and that means tailgating season is here too! The south seems to think they have tailgating down to a science but I’d like to suggest that folks here in the Hoosier state know a thing about tailgating too.
Here are some do’s an don’ts…
DO plan ahead. Pack the cooler up the night before (as much as you can) and bring a trash bag for after.
DON’T forget your football tickets (that is if you actually plan to attend the game!)
DO wear your favorite teams colors to support them.
DON’T eat too much food OR drink too much or you will be miserable come game time.
DO make a play list on your iPod to jam too while you are tailgating of course.
DON’T forget your sunglasses OR your poncho…be ready for whatever weather might come.
DO have fun! That is the #1 rule of tailgating!