MAKING A SCENE

INDIANAPOLIS may be known for basketball and race cars, but anyone who has ever hung out in the parking lot behind Radio Radio between Tonic Ball sets or showed up at the Slippery Noodle on a weeknight just to hear someone sing the blues knows that this city’s best-kept secret is its music scene. From gritty punk to jazz brunch, live performances keep our toes tapping. Promoters hustle to put Indy on the map for touring artists. And a host of great little venues offer the chance to experience something raw, real, and still growing. Turn it up!

Edited by Julia Spalding. Written by Marc D. Allan, Natalie Fitzgibbons, Camille Graves, Edie Schwarb, and Sam Stall

Photo by Zacharie Miller

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