NUVO: Indy's Alternative Voice - March 21, 2018

VOL. 29 ISSUE 53 ISSUE #1304

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A BIT MORE NEWS SCHOOL SAFETY BILL TO GET SECOND CHANCE On Monday, Indiana Department of Education’s State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick expressed concerns over the General Assembly’s failure to pass House Bill 1230 before the clock ran out on the session.

McCormick said HB 1230 was a complicated bill for the department and had parts she liked and didn’t like, such as a provision to increase audits of safety plans for every school. McCormick said this would be a waste of money.

Instead, she would like to see the money spent on vetted resources and equipment for schools that need it. She did, however, like the idea to give schools an additional $5 million and was disappointed the bill died in session.

It might be revived in the special session that Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Monday.

“That would have been big,” she said. “This year was the first year that we had several districts that were denied or schools that were denied funding. Those are typically matching grants up to $50,000, but that’s your max amount depending on the size of the school that’s applying.”

McCormick had been advocating for a bill addressing school safety measures since the February shooting in Parkland, Florida. “We were hopeful to get some of that money to help offset some of the costs that our schools are telling us they need for safety.”

House Bill 1315 was another bill that died in the last day of session. If passed, the bill would have allowed the state to appoint emergency managers and replace elected school boards with appointed advisory committees in districts that are in financial distress. Muncie and Gary schools were targeted as falling into financial difficulty.

Despite the number of changes schools will have to undergo with all of the school-related legislation that has passed, McCormick said she has faith in them and the Indiana Department of Education’s ability to help them adjust.

“There are a lot of unknowns, but our districts have typically in the past just gotten it done. We’ve stayed focused on kids. That’s the charge of Indiana educators,” McCormick said.

— QUINN FITZGERALD

A SELF-INDULGENT AND SLOPPY STATEHOUSE

BY JOHN KRULL // NEWS@NUVO.NET

S

omehow, it’s fitting that the 2018 session of the Indiana General Assembly ended in a tired, confused mess.

The curtain closed on this year’s adventure in lawmaking with legislative leaders sniping at legislators and each other, the governor complaining the Legislature left work undone, and the governor and GOP leaders trying to defy both time and state law.

Inspiring, it wasn’t.

By the time it was over, at least two of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s priorities—improvements in school security and inducements and regulations for driverless cars—were left in the unfinished pile.

Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, blamed the Indiana Senate for working too slowly. Retiring Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, R-Fort Wayne, returned the fire and accused Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, of having a “meltdown” that prevented the legislature from doing its work.

Soliday wasn’t slow to lash back.

He said the Senate was rushing at the end because the senators spent five hours earlier in the day lauding Long as he prepares to retire. He more than suggested that Long could have waited to take his bow until after the work was done.

Keep in mind that all these guys are supposed to be on the same side. They’re all Republicans.

Perhaps that is why Democrats reacted to the confusion with such undisguised glee.

House Democratic Leader Terry Goodin, D-Austin, chortled, saying the late-hours debacle was a product of “complete and total mismanagement” by Republican leaders.

Then, to put the cherry on top, Goodin offered up this confectionary assessment of

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the entire legislative session. “This session seems like a Twinkie. It fills you up, but there’s just nothing of real substance or value to it,” he said.

Goodin is right about that. Lawmakers this year ducked every tough challenge before them.

They punted again on passing a hatecrimes law, leaving Indiana one of only five states in the union not to say it’s wrong to target citizens for assault or injury because of the color of their skin, their gender, how they pray, or whom they love.

They took a pass once more on adopting redistricting reform, which means our general legislative elections will continue to be as competitive as Harlem Globetrotters’ basketball games.

And they shoved any substantive investigation of the issues involving the Indiana Department of Child Services under the rug. That means if former DCS Director Mary Beth Bonaventura, also a Republican, is to be believed, Indiana children will remain at risk of dying because dealing with this challenge was politically uncomfortable in an election year.

All in all, this was far from an uplifting performance by our leaders. But it also wasn’t surprising. Republicans have exercised largely unchecked power for much of this decade, ever since they secured supermajorities in both chambers of the General Assembly.

This hasn’t been good for either the state or the GOP. When Republicans first gained overwhelming control of the Legislature, they acted as if every day were Christmas. They pulled one item after another out of the conservative bag of wishes. They remodeled the state’s education system. They dug

all the way back to the 1950s to adopt a divisive right-to-work law. In the process, they turned Indiana into a kind of American laboratory for conservative governance.

But that kind of power leads to arrogance.

Because there’s no one to force Republicans to think beyond the moment, the party and the state have made some unforced errors. The embarrassing scramble to clean up a licensing mess for hardworking “dreamers” that was created by some self-indulgent immigrant baiting by Indiana lawmakers a few years ago is but one example of Indiana leaders trying to clean up a mess they made themselves.

Republicans argue that competition is a force for good, that it refines and sharpens both ideas and performance. They’re right about that. The fact that they don’t have any real competition has made them sloppy and self-indulgent.

That is why this legislative session ended with a series of stumbles, not a sprint. N John Krull is director of Franklin College’s Pulliam School of Journalism, host of “No Limits” WFYI 90.1 Indianapolis, and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

GOVERNOR CALLS FOR SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION Indiana Lawmakers to Reconvene in May

BY ABRAHM HURT // NEWS@NUVO.NET

G

ov. Eric Holcomb announced Monday that he would call a special session of the Indiana General Assembly to address the school safety and tax issues left unfinished in the disorganized end of the 2018 session last week.

It would be the first special session in a non-budget year since 2002, Holcomb said, but necessary to complete the work.

“In essence, what we’ll be doing is putting some time back on the clock,” Holcomb said. “As you know, many of these items, obviously these items, were on their way to passage, and [I] would have signed them all but we ran out of time.”

One of the more chaotic moves came when, as the clock clicked closer to midnight on March 14, the official end of the session, Holcomb was asked by House and Senate leaders to extend it by one hour, to 1 a.m. Thursday.

After Senate Minority Leader Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, objected, President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne, relented, and at 12:10 a.m., the Senate adjourned.

Bills that included additional money for school safety, autonomous vehicles, and the state takeover of the Gary and Muncie school corporations died.

Holcomb said he was told by House and Senate leaders that he had the authority to take that action. When asked why Republicans, which hold supermajorities in both the House and the Senate, could not complete their business before the deadline, Holcomb said, “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Holcomb said he wants the special session to be limited in scope, such as adding $5 million to the Indiana Secured School

Fund, allowing school corporations to get extra money for school safety and providing the Muncie School Corporation a $12 million loan.

House Bill 1230 included $5 million for school safety that Holcomb had requested from legislators. As the clock ticked down to midnight on the final day of the session, lawmakers rushed to finish committee reports in time for a vote on the floor but failed to do so.

“It is what it is. We ran out of time,” Holcomb said. “But the beauty of our system is we can fix this, and we can do it in short order.”

Holcomb also said he wants the General Assembly to update the state’s tax code to GOV. ERIC HOLCOMB // conform with changes in the federal tax law.

The Chamber of Commerce said if the Legislature fails to address the changes, $30,000 a day. “Whatever the cost is, it is Hoosier companies would have to file their dwarfed by the cost of inaction,” he said. taxes twice—once for the state and once Lanane released a statement saying the for the federal level. public should not have to spend $30,000 a “For smaller-sized businesses, that day for a special session. “There is absocould mean another lutely no reason the $1,000 to $1,500, Republican superma“The beauty of our system jority couldn’t get all and for the larger ones, considerably of these bills, some of is we can fix this, and we more for internal which enjoyed biparcan do it in short order.” staff time and/or tisan support, passed outside accounting on time,” he said in a — GOV. ERIC HOLCOMB press release. “It was expertise,” the organization said in a internal bickering news release. “In total, the compliance cost within the Republican caucuses that held could easily be north of $100 million.” everything up until the last minute, causing When asked about the cost of bringing them to run out of time.” back legislators for the special session, Long said the Senate will support the Holcomb could not give an exact number, decision. “We will be efficient and focused but his office has estimated it could reach and are committed to collaborating with

our colleagues in the House and with the governor to act in the best interest of Hoosiers,” he said in a statement.

House Minority Leader Terry Goodin, D-Austin, said the only reason there should be a special session is to address the problems with the Department of Child Services.

“The only reason we are even talking about a special session now is because of the mismanagement demonstrated by those in charge of the Legislature,” Austin said.

“They are in charge of every aspect of the legislative process, but they could not handle their work in time, so the taxpayers will have to foot the bill for overtime this year.”

In a statement released Monday, he said, “During the session, the Republicans chose to do nothing, hiding under the guise of waiting for a private consultant to tell us what we already know: There’s a lot that’s wrong with DCS. It should be everyone’s priority to protect the lives of at-risk children.”

Holcomb called for a review of DCS in January after the agency’s former director, Mary Beth Bonaventura, resigned, saying children are at risk because of a lack of funding. A review by the Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group will publish its full findings by June 21.

Holcomb said he thought that problems with DCS could wait until next year’s session. The governor also said he would meet with leaders from the House and the Senate later this week to talk about the agenda, which might include additional items lawmakers might add.

Abrahm Hurt is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered

by Franklin College journalism students.

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PUSH FOR THE POGUE’S RUN TRAIL Local Residents Raising Funds to Spur Bridge Repair

BY LAURA McPHEE // LMCPHEE@NUVO.NET

E

astside residents have waited nearly 25 years for the completion of the proposed Pogue’s Run Trail. Since the city’s Master Greenways Plan of 1994, talks have been in the works to connect iconic areas of the Eastside much like Downtown’s Cultural Trail.

Once completed, the Pogue’s Run Trail will connect the Circle City Industrial Complex and Fletcher Park with Spades Park, Brookside Park, and the Art and Nature Park over more than 5 miles of paths.

Despite more than two decades of planning, presentations, and promises, however, the city has yet to complete the project.

The holdup on the trail has been identified as a historic bridge in Spades Park in need of massive repairs. The Nowland Avenue Bridge just west of Rural Street is the last and oldest surviving bridge by Daniel Luten, an engineer and bridge designer whose patented “Luten Arch” concrete bridges were some of the most popular in the country. Here in Indiana, there were more than 2,000 Luten bridges by 1920.

Because of its significance, the Nowland Avenue bridge has been listed on the historic landmark registry. This means it must be preserved or a replica must be rebuilt—and that means it’s going to be expensive. Unable to afford restoration of the historic bridge, the city has let the Pogue’s Run Trail Project languish as it seeks additional funds or outside funding.

“I have used Spades and Brookside parks every day to walk my dogs for over 30 years,” says Eastside resident Laurie Klinger. “I have watched as the bridge crumbled into the creek, becoming almost impassable, and I have listened to the city tell us year after year that they have no funds to repair it.”

Klinger is one of a group of neighbors who came together last summer and

WHAT // Pogue’s Run Trail Fundraiser WHEN // Tuesday, March 27, 6–9 p.m.

WHERE // Tick Tock Lounge

THE NOWLAND AVENUE BRIDGE // PHOTO BY ESTON BAUMER

formed a task force aimed at getting the approval process, rebuilding design, and Pogue’s Run Trail Project moving forward. planning because there are no funds to After meeting with city officials and learning complete any new construction. So PoP that the bridge repair was the major roadhas decided to take matters into their block for the project, own hands and raise the group, Pathways the funds for the first “I have watched as the Over Pogue’s (PoP), phase by themselves. has now taken on the Local residents bridge crumbled into the believe challenge to find the a completed funds for the repair of creek [and] listened to Pogue’s Run Trail the Nowland Avenue the potential to the city tell us year after has Bridge—or at least the catalyze development funds to get the repair year that they have no and growth in their project started. neighborhood, particfunds to repair it.”

“The process could ularly after witnessing — LAURIE KLINGER the transformative take up to two years just for approval to growth in the Fletcher replace the historic bridge,” says Klinger.

Place and Fountain Square neighbor“The design for rebuilding it is estimated hoods that are in large part due to the at $250,000 and the building of a new development of the Cultural Trail. bridge will cost at least $1.5 million.”

The group is now working to raise The city has dragged its feet on the $250,000 to pay for design costs associat-

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ed with building the new bridge as a way to get the project unstuck on the city’s priority list.

“We are reaching out to foundations, community organizations, corporations, and everyone else,” says Klinger. “Our goal is to raise as much as possible toward the $250,000.”

So far, PoP has garnered a good amount of support. Reconnecting Our Waterways has committed to making Pogue’s Run a priority, and the Central Indiana Community Foundation has promised to match contributions up to $30,000 in this initial fund-raising effort.

“Sixty thousand dollars could go a long way toward getting the design process started,” says Klinger.

In order to raise their share of the money, PoP is hosting a series of fundraisers, beginning with a neighborhood fundraising party at Tick Tock Lounge next Tuesday, March 27 from 6–9 p.m. The evening will include auction and raffle items donated by local groups and businesses, local entertainment, and food and drinks.

PoP will also be hosting a walking tour of the proposed trail on Sunday, March 25 beginning at 10 a.m. from the Circle City Industrial Complex (1125 Brookside Ave.). The walk will lead to the impasse at the Nowland Avenue Bridge. For more information, contact Laurie Klinger at laurieklinger@att.net.

Donations toward the Nowland Avenue Bridge Project organized by PoP can also be made directly to the Indianapolis Parks Foundation (615 N. Alabama St., Indianapolis 46204). Donors are asked to specifically note Pogue’s Run Trail. N

SCARECROW AS SYMBOL Midwest Poet Mitchell Douglas Finds Beauty in the Shards

BY JOSH FLYNN // ARTS@NUVO.NET

I

magine mowing your lawn and being eyed with suspicion by a passing police officer.

Imagine sitting on your porch, watching your daughter roller skate up and down the sidewalk, and pondering if you need to bring her inside when a police officer pulls to the curb. Imagine the names—Trevon, Michael, Tamir, Sandra, Eric, and Erica—hitting with the force of a bullet.

When thinking about the climbing Indianapolis murder rate and the proliferation of police shootings here and around the country, poet Mitchell L. H. Douglas found himself feeling physically ill.

“These people look like me, people I know and love, my family members,” he says. “I started thinking a lot about how do we live in this climate of violence?”

Mitchell channeled his anger and frustration into his work, and before long he realized the growing stack of poems on his desk was a book, his own effort to incite change.

On Friday, March 30, Douglas will read from his new poetry collection dying in the scarecrow’s arms at the Indiana Writers Center at 7 p.m. “‘Dying in the scarecrow’s arms’ is actually a line from a Robert Hayden poem called ‘A Road in Kentucky,’” Douglas says. “For me, the scarecrow is a metaphor for the Midwest.

It had me thinking about who we are in the heart of the country and how our lives are being affected every day by violence.”

Douglas, an English professor in the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, moved to Indianapolis in 2006. But he had spent most of his life in the Midwest. As a young boy his family moved from Kentucky to Iowa City as his father pursued a Ph.D. There his interest in poetry began, spurred by the new music he was discovering on the local college radio station—The Clash, punk rock, hip-hop.

“I started writing poems because of the politically tinged music I was listening to,” he

says. “It gave me something I could have hope in and showed me something I could do artistically.” With his parents already immersed in the arts, when he decided to put pen to paper and start writing poetry, he did so with the encouragement of a supportive family.

The book opens with a poem named “Loosies”—a term for individual cigarettes, which was what Eric Garner was accused of selling when he was choked to death by an NYPD officer. “This is sport to you, / the choke, grip / & spin. No applause, / but you hold on, / count seconds / like cowboys do,” Douglas writes. From there readers visit apartment complexes that have changed names with the intention of erasing murders and disassociating themselves from the Tamir Rice shooting, school shootings, gang shootings, so many shootings.

But the poems don’t always dwell on tragedy. In fact, there are many happy moments in the collection. In one poem, the speaker cherishes serving his daughter grits (“surely there is a southern woman in her soul”) and admires the love displayed by a couple reunited in the airport (“I think we cheat ourselves calling this PDA…Call it what it is.”). In another poem the speaker attempts to help an elderly woman spell “divine” in her granddaughter’s birthday card only to realize that he misspelled the word while the woman was gone. These little universal moments connect with readers and make them understand how existence can be even more fragile when one’s skin color comes into play.

“These are real issues of aggressions that we deal with, and I’m trying to make sense of that,” Douglas says. “For me part of that is art and saying something about it. Saying something about it helps me. It takes a little bit of that weight off of my chest.”

The poems within dying in the scarecrow’s arms are welcoming and accessible to

MITCHELL DOUGLAS //

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WHAT // Mitchell Douglas book release & reading WHEN // Friday, March 30, 7 p.m.

WHERE // Indianapolis Writers Center TICKETS // FREE

readers and have already garnered attention from Publisher’s Weekly and Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine. They are like the fragments of a broken mirror—sharp, pointed—and they reflect an Indianapolis we may not want to see. But if you stand just right, beauty shines in the shards, and you feel you have the power to reach out and reassemble what’s been broken.

“This city has had quite an impact on me as a writer,” he says.

And Indianapolis does resonate throughout—from poets Mari Evans and Etheridge Knight to Monument Circle and Long’s Bakery.

“I wasn’t trying to get free doughnuts,” he says, laughing. “If I wanted people to understand this is an Indianapolis/Midwest book, I had to get Long’s Bakery in there.” N

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REMEMBERING RICHARD PFLUM Beloved Figure in the Indianapolis Poetry Community Died Thursday

BY DAN GROSSMAN // DGROSSMAN@NUVO.NET

DRIVING TO THE STARDUST BUFFET

BY RICHARD PFLUM I remember the tick of the beginning, now hear the tock of the continuing, and from between the tock and the tick, a more rhythmic pounding of the nothing.

I have gone out to gather in my sustenance: some ions, neutral atoms, many neutrons and protons with a limited number of quarks and the rare and very small boson. Electrons and positrons have been combined into rich sauces and beside them are the colorful and sparkling quanta, garnished with neutrinos. It is all laid out on a black presentation board on a counter top: this stuff I am and need, things some stars no longer have any use for.

Still, I feel sometimes that I am a byproduct of some other more generous nature as I drive into the parking lot, very crowded now with its rolling ambience of charged bodies blinking their lights on and off as a crowd awaits beside the event horizon gate and a doorman, liveried with the letter “G,” presses the button, allows all without, inside.

This poem appeared in the Indiana Writers Center publication Flying Island on June 6, 2014.

I

’m sad to report that Richard Pflum, a longtime fixture in the Indianapolis poetry scene, died on Thursday, March 15.

Pflum was born in 1932 in Indianapolis. He graduated from Purdue University in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. There was, come to think of it, a certain chemistry that bound unlikely elements together in his poetry (as well as an almost-scientific dissection of subject matter ranging from the mundane to the bizarre). He was extremely inventive in terms of vocabulary and imagery. He was accessible, and he was funny. (Having been out to dinner with him once or twice, and having sat in on some of his poetry salons, I can also report that he was just as funny in person, albeit in a very dry sort of way.)

Pflum was a frequent contributor to a diverse array of publications including Conceit Magazine, Event, Sparrow, and Tipton Poetry Review. He was anthologized in A New Geography of Poets edited by Edward Field. He had also published a number of books, including the chapbook The Haunted Refrigerator and Other Poems (Pudding House Publications, 2007) and the book A Strange Juxtaposition of Parts (The Writers Center Press, 1995).

But perhaps his most enduring legacy will be among those who knew him as a mentor and friend.

“Richard Pflum was a founder and life-member of the Indiana Writers Center who contributed a great deal to the organization over the years,” says Barbara Shoup, who is executive director of the organization. “Recently, he moderated the Poetry Salon, a free critique group for poets, and he was the organizer and emcee for Evening with the Muse, a popular monthly program that featured a local poet and an open mic. He was passionate about poetry;

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RICHARD PFLUM //

“He was passionate about poetry, he built his whole life around it.”

—BARBARA SHOUP

he built his whole life around it. A curious and well-read man, his knowledge of a wide variety of things, such as classical music and astronomy, often made its way into his poems. His voice was unique, always surprising. His wry take on the world often made me laugh. I’ll miss him.”

Pflum made frequent appearances in pLopLop, a literary zine published by Indianapolis resident John Clark, who published Pflum alongside the likes of Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Bukowski, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

“I learned plenty about reading, writing, and performing poetry from Dick Pflum

and admired him as a writer who shared an interest in the creation of experimental, humorous writing with Surrealist tendencies,” says Clark. “Pflum enlightened me with tales of what it was like to be a writer and publisher during the legendary Mimeograph Revolution of the 1960s, influencing my own micropress adventures.”

J. L. Kato, who runs Brick Street Poetry South and who was a longtime Pflum friend, organized a remembrance that took place on the evening of March 20 at the Indiana Writers Center.

“He will be missed by the Indianapolis poetry community,” Kato wrote in a Facebook post.

His visitation has been scheduled for Thursday, March 22, from 5–8 p.m. at Shirley Brothers Washington Memorial Chapel, 9606 E. Washington St. Pflum’s poet friends will be invited to read their work during the visitation. N

THRU MAR.

GO SEE THIS

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FAIRFIELD // PHOTO BY ZACH ROSING

PC GONE WRONG IN ‘FAIRFIELD’ In This Satiric Play, a School Tries to Do The Right Thing

BY LISA GAUTHIER MITCHISON // ARTS@NUVO.NET

EVENT // Appoggiatura WHERE // Indiana Repertory Theatre TICKETS // Price varies

P

laywright Eric Coble shows an almost wicked sense of humor in his play Fairfield, a portrayal of Black History Month at Fairfield Elementary School that goes horribly wrong. Far from being a dig at the commemorative month, however, the farcical play highights what can be an equal opportunity clusterfuck when people are hyper-aware of being politically correct or aren’t aware of their own prejudices or lack of actual education.

Fairfield Elementary considers itself a diverse, liberal school, touting “Peace. Love.

Respect for all.” But a young, clueless, and overeager first-grade teacher’s attempts at what she considers educational lesson plans for Black History Month—the most benign of which is a spelling list including the words “chitlins” and “booty”—set off a chain reaction of misguided escapades that deteriorate in almost diabolical ways. (The teacher genuinely seems lacking in good judgment based on her wardrobe choices alone. She’d win any ugly sweater competition hands down.) The lynchpin comes when the parents of two boys—one black, one white—go tête-à-tête after the white boy “role plays” master and slave by trying to flog the black boy with a chain he crafted out of linked paperclips. The poor principal is on the verge of a heart attack by the time it all comes to a head in a raucous and gloriously offensive assembly.

Milicent Wright, one of Indianapolis’ most multi-talented actors, takes on the role of Principal Wadley in this production directed by Ansley Valentine. (Wright was most recently seen in the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s superlative staging of Romeo and Juliet and participated in an educational capacity in the IRT’s children’s production of Town Mouse and Country Mouse.) While Wadley isn’t a novice in the principal’s seat, she finds herself floundering during her first year at Fairfield, and Wright renders the descent of Wadley’s patience and professional sanity. Her nemesis is the young teacher Laurie Kaminski, played by Mara Lefler. Lefler gives Kaminski a determined petulance that could rival her pupils’. Lefler manages to straight-facedly and earnestly recite

MAR.

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EVENT // Tainted Cabaret WHERE // White Rabbit Cabaret TICKETS // $12, $15

WHAT // Fairfield WHERE // Phoenix Theatre The show is the Phoenix’s last in its current building, so audiences are seeing a bit of the theater’s own history in the making.

WHEN // Through April 1; Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays–Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.

TICKETS // $20–$33, www.phoenixtheatre.org LISA SAYS // e

Kaminski’s mother’s words of wisdom that carry excellent double entendres: “If you pull out early no one is satisfied.”

Wadley gets no help from the superintendent, who is fixated on the word “dialogue,” played by Doug Powers. He also portrays the father, Scott, of the white boy in a well-done definement of the two characters. Dwuan Watson also splits his characters, as the black boy’s father, Daniel, and Charles Clark, a participant in the civil rights movement who gives an, ahem, impassioned presentation at the school.

Watson enthusiastically gives us some of the meatiest comedy in the show.

Jean Arnold, as Molly, and LaKesha Lorene, as Vanessa, are the mothers of the two boys. Arnold plays up the self-congratulatory aspects of Molly who thinks she is so nonracist but is, just…not, while Lorene’s character is self-righteously more combative if actually more rational. But, wow, Lorene’s death glare would stop an ax murderer in his tracks.

Sadly, the show’s design isn’t the most conducive to line of sight for the audience. The rounded stage area is set too far forward in the black-box theater, and for those of us sitting on the far sides, we were often staring at the actors’ backs.

This was a real detriment from my (obstructed) point of view. The night I was there, though, the theater was packed by the time I arrived, so my seating choices, granted, were limited. N Lisa Gauthier Mitchison covers local theater at IndianapolisTheaterReviews. wordpress.com.

NUVO.NET // 03.21.18 - 03.28.18 // STAGE // 9

HEY HOOSIERS! $5 TENDERLOINS RETURN APRIL 23 To be a participating restaurant, email advertising@nuvo.net.

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INTERNATIONAL INDY

Take a Culinary Journey Around the World Without Leaving Town

BY CAVAN McGINSIE // CMCGINSIE@NUVO.NET // DESIGNED BY WILL McCARTY

F

ood tells us so much about a place. Because of this simple fact, when we travel, many of us find ourselves searching for at least one truly authentic meal from the country or city we are visiting. Honestly, there may be no easier way to introduce yourself to a new culture than through its cuisine.

And while nothing is better than arriving in a foreign place, sitting down at a local watering hole, and chatting with some locals about their recommendations for where to go and what to try, sometimes travel is out of the question. You can’t always get off work for a week of snorkeling in the Phi Phi Islands of Thailand, hiking the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, or touring the castles and biergartens of Germany. And even if you have the time, it’s expensive, extremely expensive.

And so, while you’ve seen Anthony Bourdain eating bún chả in Hanoi with former President Barack Obama, you’ve read how fantastic the tajines in Marrakech are, and your friend shared the story of eating “The best jerk chicken ever!” from a food vendor in Jamaica, you feel as if those dishes are simply faraway dreams.

The truth is—much like objects in a mirror— your dreams are closer than they appear.

Indianapolis is rife with restaurants serving unbelievably delicious and authentic dishes from all around the world, and they’re all just a quick car—or bike—ride away. It’s never been easier to make a culinary trip around the world without leaving good ol’ central Indiana. So hop in your car, and faster than you can say, “Kao Padd Bi Kra Prow,” you’ll be eatin’ ’round the world.

CHUANCAI FANG

6304 E. 82ND ST. FORMOSASEAFOODBUFFETIN.COM Finding quality Chinese food in Indianapolis is no easy task. The landscape is dotted with less-than-stellar buffets offering MSG-covered, flavorless, overcooked meat and veggies in sugary sauces slowly desiccating under hot lamps like a turd in the summer sun. And even when you are able to order straight from a menu—usually by simply saying a number—the food is typically underwhelming, similar in texture and flavor to a frozen microwave meal.

So when you come across an option like the hotpot “buffet” at Chuancai Fang, it’s an exciting moment of food discovery in Indy. Chuancai Fang is a new-ish restaurant located inside the longtime-running Formosa Seafood Buffet on 82nd Street, just east of Castleton Square Mall. Formosa is a massive restaurant, taking up a large majority of a strip mall, and the owners recently started using one of the dining rooms to serve more authentic Szechuan-style cuisine under the moniker Chuancai Fang.

While they offer a full Szechuan menu, the heart of it lies in the hotpot.

The easiest way to describe hotpot is it’s Chinese fondue. A boiling pot of soup broth is placed on a burner at your table and you spend some time dropping bites of your choice in the broth. While you can order hotpot straight up, go for the buffet for $21.99. It’s not a buffet you walk up to; you tell your server which items you want, and he or she delivers the items to your table. They have different broths you can choose, but if you’re going Szechuan style, it’s all about the spicy with plenty of Szechuan peppercorns in there (don’t

HOTPOT BEEF, NOODLES AND ENOKI MUSHROOMS AT CHUANCAI FANG //

worry; it’s truly not that spicy).

While the menu is full of options such as beef and chicken, use this as a chance to branch out and toss in some interesting bites such as lamb, squid, or the shrimp dumplings—by far the best bite I had.

(Hint: They’ll float to the top when they’re ready.) Add in some noodles and veggies such as enoki mushrooms, watercress, and napa cabbage and let them cook as long as you want in the bubbling broth. Then dip them out, add some garlic and sesame sauce into your bowl, and eat away.

You’re going to get messy; that’s just the nature of the beast, so don’t come dressed in your finest fine. And the key to enjoying hotpot: Don’t rush. Hotpot is meant to be a communal dish; you should take your time, enjoy the intricate flavors of the unique cuisine, and share some worthwhile conversation.

NUVO.NET // 03.21.18 - 03.28.18 // THE BIG STORY // 11

WHERE IN T AM I EATING

WHAT: ABYSSINIA WHERE: INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE BEST BITE(S): Y EMISIR WETT AND SIGA WETT WHAT: AL-RAYAN WHERE: I NTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE BEST BITE(S): FAHSA AND MENDI CHICKEN WHAT: APNA KITCHEN WHERE: I NTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE BEST BITE(S): BIRYANI ANYTHING WHAT: ASAKA WHERE: C ASTLETON BEST BITE(S): HAPPY HOUR SUSHI

UNITED KINGDOM

RED LION GROG HOUSE SPAIN

WHAT: ATHENS ON 86TH WHERE: N ORTHWESTSIDE BEST BITE(S): GYROS AND RACK OF LAMB WHAT: CARNICERIA GUANAJUATO WHERE: I NTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE BEST BITE(S): BEEF TONGUE TACOS AND SEAFOOD PLATTER

TXULETA

MOROCCO CUBA

TASTE OF HAVANA

MEXICO

CARNICERIA GUANAJUATO

CARIBBEAN

JIALLO’S

EL SALVADOR

PUPUSERIA CASA MARIA

VENEZUELA

TU CASA LATIN FOOD

WHAT: CHAPATI WHERE: I NTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE BEST BITE(S): CHICKEN KARHAI WHAT: CHUANCAI FANG WHERE: C ASTLETON BEST BITE(S): HOTPOT BUFFET WHAT: DON JUAN V’S SANDWICHES WHERE: G ARFIELD PARK BEST BITE(S): LOMO SALTADO AND BEEF HEART WHAT: G REGORY’S

RUSSIAN RESTAURANT

WHERE: C ASTLETON BEST BITE(S): PELMENI AND STOLI SALAD WHAT: HEIDELBERG

HAUS

WHERE: P ENDLETON PIKE BEST BITE(S): CURRY WURST AND BIENENSTITCH

SAFFR CAFE

PERU

DON JUAN V’S SANDWICHES

WEST AFRICA

JIALLO

THE W ORLD G TON IGH T ?

WHAT: MAMA’S HOUSE WHERE: PENDLETON PIKE BEST BITE(S): K OREAN BBQ WHAT: PHAN’S KITCHEN WHERE: WASHINGTON SQUARE BEST BITE(S): P AD KE MAO AND KHAO POON RUSSIA

GERMANY

AN

WHAT: PUPUSERIA

GREGORY’S

HEIDELBERG HAUS

CASA MARIA

CHINA

CHUANCAI FANG

WHERE: NORTHWESTSIDE BEST BITE(S): P UPUSAS AND CHICKEN SOUP

GREECE

ATHENS ON 86TH

KOREA

MAMA’S HOUSE

PAKISTAN

RON

OS

WHAT: KIMU WHERE: GREENWOOD BEST BITE(S): P ICKLED MANGO PORK AND SHAN NOODLES

CHAPATI

BURMA/MYANMAR YEMEN

AL-RAYAN ETHIOPIA

ABYSSINIA

INDIA

KIMU

APNA KITCHEN THAILAND

THAI SPICE

VIETNAM

PHAN’S KITCHEN

JAPAN

ASAKA

WHAT: RED LION GROG WHERE: FOUNTAIN SQUARE BEST BITE(S): S COTCH EGGS

HOUSE

WHAT: SAFFRON CAFÉ WHERE: DOWNTOWN BEST BITE(S): T AJINE LAMBERT WHAT: TASTE OF HAVANA WHERE: BROAD RIPPLE BEST BITE(S): P AN CON LECHON AND CORTADITO WHAT: THAI SPICE WHERE: GREENWOOD BEST BITE(S): T HOM YUM AND KAO PADD BI KRA PROW

MEAL MAP

Keep track of your prog ress ar ound the world by ch ecking off th e spots you’v e made it to .

There’s a w hole world of food out there.

WHAT: TXULETA WHERE: BROAD RIPPLE BEST BITE(S): T TORO AND TART CHERRY CIDER WHAT: TU CASA LATIN FOOD WHERE: NORTHWESTSIDE BEST BITE(S): M OFONGO AND AREPAS

The Big Story Continued...

PUPUSERIA CASA MARIA //

PUPUSERIA CASA MARIA 7363 N. MICHIGAN ROAD 317-347-0193

When thinking of Latin American cuisine, many people automatically lump everything under a generic term of Mexican food, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Even within Mexico there are major variations in food styles from region to region. Dishes from Chihuahua in the north are as similar to southern Oaxacan dishes as a Chihuahua is to a Saint Bernard.

With that said, many people will lump pupusas under the category of Mexican food, but pupusas are Salvadoran. They were first created by one of the earliest civilizations in El Salvador—the Pipil—and they have been eaten there for centuries. They became El Salvador’s national dish decades ago. Nowadays it’s most common to get them at stands in cities around El Salvador and other countries in Central and South America.

Pupuseria Casa Maria is a Salvadoran spot on Michigan Road that dishes out these tasty little meat-, bean-, and cheese-filled pockets.

At $2 apiece and served with chips and salsa, there are few places around the city where you can get stuffed for less. The corn tortillas are handmade and feel like a cloud in your hand—a cloud filled with joy and happiness. You can choose to have them filled with a handful of options including

cheese, pork, or beans, or any combination of the three. Top each bite with one of their house salsas depending on the level of heat you enjoy.

I got three. I was overstuffed and realized I could have easily gotten by with just two. Four dollars for a filling meal is unheard of, especially if you steer clear of the McWorld.

If you’re looking for something other than water to drink, Mexican Coke = best Coke. While a Mexican Coke is always a lovely treat to go along with Latin American cuisine, PCM is one of the few places around town to offer Topo Chico, and one should never pass up a chance to enjoy the best mineral water around.

While you undoubtedly shouldn’t pass up the pupusas, the chicken soup here is honestly one of the tastiest bites in the city.

It’s filled with chicken, potatoes, carrots, and more, and the flavorful broth saturates every single part of it, leading to a lovely, warming, filling dish.

If you’re not quite ready to branch out from classic Mexican food such as burritos, even though it’s a Salvadoran restaurant, they offer those as well, and they’re really not too shabby. But if I were to give you one piece of advice, it would be to go for the Salvadoran cuisine. The city is filled with Mexican restaurants—real Mexican restaurants—so do yourself a favor and taste what else our neighbors to the south have to offer.

14 // THE BIG STORY // 03.21.18 - 03.28.18 // 100% SUSTAINABLE / RECYCLED PAPER // NUVO.NET

ABYSSINIA

5352 W. 38TH ST. ABYSSINIAETHIOPIANRESTAURANTINDY.COM Most of the best cuisines around the world base their culinary creations on spices. There’s a reason the spice trade was so important for such an extensive period of time in history. A trip to Abyssinia opens your eyes to the world of Ethiopian cuisine and the intense spices used in the country’s dishes.

Though the menu is filled with intriguing and, for novices, overwhelming choices, the easiest way to get the best idea of what Ethiopian cuisine has to offer is to get one of the three Taste of Abyssinia options.

The tastes have a curated blend of different options to get a full experience.

One thing Ethiopian cuisine is known for is its heat level, especially coming from the traditional Ethiopian berbere spice, which consists of a blend of chili peppers, garlic, ginger, basil, korarima, fenugreek, and more. Abyssinia uses berbere in many of their dishes, but two standouts are the Yemisir Wett, red lentils stewed in berbere sauce, and Siga Wett, beef cooked in berbere and other spices.

Of the dishes I tasted, these were by far my favorites, and I would happily go back for each of those on their own.

One aspect of eating Ethiopian cuisine that will be foreign to the average American food-goer is eating with injera. Injera is a sourdough flatbread. It is reminiscent of a crepe but is softer and more porous, like a sponge. It is the standard utensil for Ethiopian food, and it’s a tasty alternative to a fork or spoon. When you order, it comes out in rolls, similar to tape, and you unroll, tear it off, and pick your food up and eat it all. It adds to the experience of eating, making it more visceral—and less likely to hurt your teeth on those metal tongs, amirite.

One important aspect of Ethiopian cuisine is the fact that it has a high percentage of vegetarian dishes, and this is seen on Abyssinia’s menu, which boasts a strict vegetarian section of the menu and even a vegetarian version of the Taste of Abyssinia. With the various blends of spices, there is a good chance you’ve

TASTE OF ABYSSINIA 2 AT ABYSSINIA //

never had veggies quite this flavorful. As I said above, the lentils were maybe the best bite I had, and the spinach (Quosta) was pretty fantastic as well.

While the food is definitely the star at Abyssinia, for the full experience you’re going to want to finish the meal with a traditional Ethiopian coffee. You may want to let your server know you are ordering it when you order your meal because it is a process that takes some time.

They roast the fresh coffee beans in a pot when you order the drink and bring them out for you to smell and see as the aromatic steam rises into the air. Once the beans are done roasting, they are placed into a handmade pot and covered in hot water. The pot is placed on a tray alongside your cup and saucer and some incense, which is placed on a burning coal and brought to your table. The coffee itself is strong and yet delicate in flavor.

The entire drink is an experience.

Abyssinia is a rare restaurant for our city that is serving a cuisine that many people will be unfamiliar with. For people interested in expanding their palate and opening their eyes to a new culture, it is a must.

NUVO.NET/THEBIGSTORY GREGORY’S RUSSIAN RESTAURANT

PELMENI AT GREGORY’S RUSSIAN RESTAURANT //

6066 E. 82ND ST. GREGORYSRUSSIAN.WIXSITE.COM/ RESTAURANT Russia—it’s a touchy subject right now in America, putting people on edge, pushing people into heated debates about the election, the Trump Administration, Putin, collusion, and even sometimes, somehow, space lizards. But a trip to Gregory’s in Castleton should be had with no preconceived notions, unless those notions are that Russian food is pretty damn tasty and extremely filling.

Gregory’s was started by Gregory and Deanna Baranovsky, a husband-and-wife duo from Minsk, Belarus—a country on the eastern border of Russia. On most nights of the week, Gregory, who is a virtuoso pianist with a doctorate in music composition and performance, entertains by playing classical piano. While Gregory plays, Deanna serves the food to customers. It’s truly a charming establishment where the owners are genuinely interested in meeting and creating relationships with their customers.

The chef, Richard Staletovich, tells me that while many things on the menu are Russian, he believes that it will feel familiar to most anyone from the northeastern region of Europe. For example, if you order the borscht—a traditional stew with beets, cabbage, and beef—you are actually getting a Ukrainian version of the dish. Staletovich does his best to know the history of the dishes he presents on the menu at Gregory’s; that way he can make them as accurately as possible.

The Stoli salad is the perfect starting place for a traditional meal, but you won’t go wrong with the borscht or the pierozkis. One added bonus at Gregory’s is the Russian beer they have available, all from the brand Baltika, which surprisingly is the second-largest brewery in Europe.

With six different styles of beer to choose from, there’s an option for most any beer drinker. They also have a nice wine list with various Eastern European wines.

EL CUBANO AT TASTE OF HAVANA //

TASTE OF HAVANA 815 BROAD RIPPLE AVE. TASTEOFHAVANAINDY.COM

When it comes to entrees, it’s easy to find yourself, as I did, lost as to what to order. You may lean toward chicken Kiev, which is a safe bet and something you may have eaten, or at least heard of, before.

And while Gregory’s offers a fantastic preparation of that dish, it’s more exciting to branch out and try something unique.

As a lover of dumplings from all corners of the world, I went for the pelmenis, which are a standard dumpling, the meat inside a blend of beef and pork.

Pelmenis are a perfect symbol of Russian culture because they are hearty and filling for the cold Russian winters.

According to Deanna, they originate in Siberia, which is an icy, unforgiving area of Russia. The dumplings are a way to preserve meat through the winter. They are also a reminder of Russia’s Asian heritage as they reminded me much of the Chinese dumplings I’ve enjoyed over the years, only instead of the spicy Szechuan spices, these are served in a light oil with some paprika, leading to a much lighter-tasting dish.

Will a meal at Gregory’s completely alleviate your thoughts on the United States’ relationship with Russia? Probably not. But a nice meal, a chat with Deanna, and Gregory’s piano talents will leave you feeling happy, optimistic, and full, in your stomach and your heart.

As you get older and wiser to the ways of the world, it’s hard not to also grow more pessimistic with time. It’s easy to expect the worst out of people and to expect other people to simply do what they need to do to get through the day. Then you meet someone like Jorge Chalgub, and you quickly realize that there are genuinely good and happy people in the world. In Jorge’s case, he spreads that good cheer around to everyone who comes into his establishment.

Taste of Havana is about as good as it gets in the way of Cuban restaurants, not only because the food is superb, especially the classic Cuban sandwiches, but also due to the experience had while ordering the food. Jorge will undoubtedly greet you—unless it’s his day off, which is a rarity—with a warm smile and usually a suggestion of a cafecito because a Cuban meal isn’t complete without some coffee.

What Taste of Havana has done for Cuban food in this city is let people know that the Cuban sandwich is much more than just a ham and cheese. The ham here is nearly perfect; it is so tasty it seems as if it is an altogether different product than the ham you’re accustomed to. Roast pork is also on this magnificent sandwich. It is sliced thick, and it is juicy and filled to the brim with flavor. Then it’s accompanied by pickles, mustard, and Swiss cheese. All of this is placed on baguette-style bread and pressed.

And while the El Cubano is a great step into the cuisine of a country that we have been cut off from for so long, it is just the beginning. If mustard, pickles, and ham aren’t your thing, you should check out the pan con lechon. It has the same roast pork as the El Cubano, but that is added to caramelized onions and mayo. It’s a simple sandwich packed with flavor.

Cuban cuisine is known for its pork, but it’s also known for its pastries or pastelitos.

The most popular at Taste of Havana is the guava with cream. The easiest description is that they are similar to a toaster strudel but, oh, so much better. The sweetness of the guava and cream filling blended with the buttery and flaky outer crust is the perfect ending to a meal.

At Taste of Havana the only other end to a meal comes in the form of a Cuban coffee. While the cafecito, a shot of espresso with plenty of sugar added, is a quick and easy taste, the magic lies with the cortadito. The cortadito is truly a magnificent cup of coffee; the bitterness of the beans is nearly perfectly balanced by the sugar and the fresh milk, making for a café experience unlike any you’ve ever had.

No matter what you eat and drink at Taste of Havana, the real stars of the place are Chalgub and his daughter Dayana Mireles. Their positivity and hospitality make a meal in their restaurant much more than just food and drink; it is truly an experience that you will want to have time and again—and the good news is, you can. N NUVO.NET // 03.21.18 - 03.28.18 // THE BIG STORY // 15

// PHOTOS BY HALEY WARD

BRAND NEW SPORTS COMPLEX IS A HOME RUN

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis’ $38 Million Expansion Opens to the Public

BY BRIAN WEISS // BWEISS@NUVO.NET

A

s a longtime Indianapolis-area resident, I grew up looking forward to the daylong trips to the Children’s Museum. I spent hours building sailboats and watching them navigate through treacherous waters in the museum’s Water Works exhibit; I dug until I found the artifact I was looking for in the Treasures of the Earth exhibit; I argued with my twin brother about whose railroad was superior in the Trains exhibit.

But today’s kids will have it better than I did, and I had it pretty damn good.

The Riley Children’s Health Sports

Legends Experience, featuring 12 outdoor experiences and three indoor exhibits all dedicated to sports, opened Saturday, March 17. With a price tag of $38 million, the 7.5-acre complex is the museum’s largest and most expensive expansion in the last 40 years.

Outdoor elements are named after local sports teams, including the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever, Indianapolis Colts, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, among others.

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the Sports Legends Experience during

16 // SPORTS // 03.21.18 - 03.28.18 // 100% SUSTAINABLE / RECYCLED PAPER // NUVO.NET

a media preview last week, which, for a single male in his mid-20s with no kids, is really the only reason I’d be going to a children’s museum these days.

After watching a quick pep rally, Haley (who took all the great photos of me partaking in the different sports) and I ventured out to explore the complex. Our first stop was Wiese Field. I played baseball for a decade or so growing up, but it’s been several years since I swung a bat, so I needed a few practice swings before belting a home run to straight center.

The football experience was next

WHAT // The Sports Legends Experience WHERE // Children’s Museum WHEN // Current hours (through May) Sunday–Wednesday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

TICKETS // $20-$30 includes museum and sports complex

up. Youngsters will be able to test their throwing skills by trying to complete passes to Colts legends such as Reggie Wayne, kick field goals on either regulation-sized posts or smaller posts, run drills, and more. I can proudly say that

NUVO.NET/SPORTS

3826 N. Illinois 317-923-4707

WITH LOCAL DJ AND

NUVO COLUMNIST

KyleLong

UPCOMING SHOWS Wed 3/21 Thurs 3/22 Fri 3/23

WEDNESDAY PM

NIGHTS 8

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MANIFESTO

PHOTO BY JENN GOODMAN

I was able to make a field goal without Food carts offering guests stadibreaking my foot, so that’s a positive. um-style concessions such as hotdogs, Making our way past the mini pagoda nachos, and, my favorite, Dippin’ Dots to the Drag Strip Experience, a young, could be found throughout the complex. enthusiastic 5-year-old girl named Millie I’m still patiently waiting for the day was quick to accept my challenge when I Dippin’ Dots get their due and finally rhetorically asked if anyone become the Ice Cream of wanted to race me. Millie the Present.

“Today’s kids wasn’t shy when it came As the sun set and the to trash talk either, getting temperature dropped, we will have it better made our way inside to right up in my face and than I did, and letting me know I should check out the National Art prepare to eat her proverMuseum of Sport and other I had it pretty bial dust—the cars were indoor activities, including damn good.” pedal powered. I’ll let you a pit stop challenge and ponder about who won, as a mock broadcast booth. bragging about defeating a 5-year-old in While the outdoor activities will surely a pedal race and losing to a 5-year-old in garner the most attention, you’ll be missa pedal race both rank low on my “things ing out if you overlook this portion of the I want to do” list. new complex.

The largest portion of the new complex My one request is that museum is the Pete and Alice Dye Golf Experience. higher-ups extend their After Dark adult Featuring a putting green and two differevents to the Sports Experience because ent nine-hole courses where each hole adults should be able to experience this is designed to replicate a Pete Dye hole new expansion as I did—just with a Sun around the world, kids can practice their King beer in their non-throwing hand, putting skills or put their skills to the test of course. N on a course.

explores the merging of sounds from around the globe with the history of music from right here at home.

YARDBOSS(Dayton), THE ORCHARD KEEPERS, THE GREAT TERROR *Early Start* Doors @ 7, show @ 8, $5.

SKAAHOLICS, HIGHER EDUCATION(D.C.), LEGACY OF TRIUMPH and special guest DJ ECHO DUB. Doors @ 8, Show @ 9. $6.

“FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK: A SALUTE TO MALCOLM YOUNG”. Come out for a night of AC/DC w/ SHOOT TO THRILL(Brian Johnson era), BIG BALLS(Bon Scott era) and special guest Danny Thompson’s HOT ROD NEBULA Doors @ 9, Show @ 10. $6.

HILLBILLY HAPPY HOUR w/ THE ELECTRIC COWBOYS and THEE VATOS SUPREME Doors @ 7, Show @ 7:30. $5.

PUNK ROCK NIGHT w/ THUNDERBOLT GREASE-SLAPPER(feat. B.A. from Indiana punk legends Sloppy Seconds), BLOOD VISIONS(Jay Reatard tribute), THE FLORIDA ROOMS(Chicago) and DOPPLEPOPOLIS Doors @ 9, Show @ 10, $6.

Pre-Punk Rock Night Early Show w/ THE FOOTLIGHT DISTRICT(formerly Seventeen Sisters/Chicago) and BLACK MARKET VINYL Doors @ 7, Show @ 7:30. $5.

Sun 3/25

Tues 3/27

FRANCES & THE FOUNDATION(Nashville), BEDFORMS, MEMETICS, THE WORN FLINTS(Columbus) *Early Start* Doors @ 7, show @ 8, $6.

JAZZ NIGHT w/ WISH, CHASE BLACKBURN QUINTET and PAT PETRUS TRIO *Early Start* Doors @ 7, Show @ 8. $5.

melodyindy.com /melodyinn punkrocknight.com

BUSINESS SYSTEMS ANALYST.

Provides data management & technology tools. Provides systems & business application management experience by understanding business processes & making recommendations for enhancements to drive operational effectiveness & efficiency through business systems & /or applications. Performs support of production applications by responding to support desk calls, tracking problems/issues & following First Level Support – Coordinate First Level support for the Americas & process service tickets (HPSM/SF.com/NeoCase). Support roll-outs, training & event preparation (coordinate with local key-users & SMEs) Liaise with global & regional colleagues (regular update meetings). Supports the team of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) in the areas of Finance & Controlling. Coordinates resolution of service tickets with SMEs, Roche IT (global & local) & Offshore IT Support Teams. Builds, maintains, & enhances business applications, reporting, & analysis solutions with a focus on maintaining the integrity of the business application,process efficiencies & improve service levels. Identifies business needs & develops solutions to optimize processes & data accuracy. Collaborates with management team to identify upgrades & development of new functionality with current business applications. Serves as the link between local & global business & act as liaison between local business & IT professionals.

Provides consultancy for implementation, management & further development of the global divisional best practice processes in SAP Finance & Controlling modules. Acts as counterpart to IT professionals for project implementation, solution development, escalation & issue resolution. Organizes & controls the local support process with the local & global IT organization. Reviews local change requests & identifies potential for changes to global solution. Supports the local change management process & any supporting documentation required to assist the GCR in the introduction of the change to the Change Management Team (CMT). Responsible for maintaining & continuously improving the quality system & achieving quality objectives. Requires: Bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in Business Administration, Finance or related & 5 years of experience, or 3 years toward a relevant bachelor’s degree with an additional 8 years of experience. Any equivalent combination of education experience and training will also be considered. Experience to include: 2 years of business. systems/ analytical experience, SAP FICO modules, SAP R/3 4.6C, Product Costing (Inventory accounting), Fixed Asset Accounting, Month-End Closing, Full Life Cycle SAP FICO Implementation. Resumes only: Alissa Mitchell, Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc., 9115 Hague Road, Indianapolis, IN 46250 NUVO.NET // 03.21.18 - 03.28.18 // SPORTS // 17

MAY

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EVENT // Godsmack & Shinedown WHERE // Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center ON-SALE // Friday, Mar. 23, 10 a.m.

JULY

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EVENT // Rob Zombie & Marilyn Manson WHERE // Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center ON-SALE // Saturday, Mar. 24, 10 a.m.

THUNDER DREAMER CAPTURES A LARGER AUDIENCE Evansville Rockers Play Indy Fresh from SXSW

BY SETH JOHNSON // MUSIC@NUVO.NET

E

vansville, Indiana, indie-rock band Thunder Dreamer has been busy the past few weeks.

Having received much praise from NPR, Pitchfork, and Stereogum, the humble Heartland-based band was far from home, playing multiple showcases at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

Much to their delight, things went just as well as they could’ve expected.

“It’s been really surreal,” bassist Alex Wallwork says, chatting with me on speakerphone alongside his bandmates on a rare day off at the massive festival. “I talked to some guy from the U.K. He was like, ‘Yeah, I heard you guys on some Spotify playlist, and I wanted to come see you.’”

The band’s recent rise comes hand-inhand with the success of their 2017 album, Capture—an exceptional eight-song collection of emotionally driven rock ’n’ roll.

Released last May via noteworthy independent label 6131 Records (Julien Baker, Touché Amoré), Capture certainly marks the band’s most impressive outing to date.

Much to the delight of vocalist/guitarist Steven Hamilton, it has reached ears all around the world as well.

“We had been doing things a certain way, and not much had been coming of it,” Hamilton says. “So we just wanted to take a different approach. And I was getting to the point to where if nothing really came out of this album, I was probably going to start putting less time into music and try to focus on other things and wean myself off of spending all my time with that.”

Thunder Dreamer originally came together in 2012. With some songs under

his belt, Hamilton linked up with Wallwork and drummer Corey Greenfield—both of whom he had previously played with in other Evansville projects. A year or two later, Zach Zint was brought in on keys, filling out the band’s current four-piece lineup. With roots in the Evansville area, the bandmates came up liking fellow local acts such as Mock Orange and Stationary Odyssey. Overall, though, Evansville’s small scene allowed for them to pave their own path sound-wise.

“The thing about the history of Evansville bands is there’s no consistent sound,” Greenfield says. “So it was really just all of us seeing shows, and there was a real hodgepodge.”

Evansville’s lack of live music venues and opportunities to perform original

18 // MUSIC // 03.21.18 - 03.28.18 // 100% SUSTAINABLE / RECYCLED PAPER // NUVO.NET

WHAT // Thunder Dreamer with Hales Corner and Spandrels WHEN // Saturday, March 24 WHERE // State Street Pub

music were a challenge for the band from the beginning.

“All the nice venues are for the cover bands. All the original bands play in houses, garages, and places like that. We’ve played birthday parties and all sorts of different stuff,” says Wallwork. “We had to get out of Evansville to really get our name out there.”

Thunder Dreamer are grateful for their Evansville roots and believe a small town can have a unique impact on a band’s disposition. “Just growing up in the Evansville area, I feel like it gives us a slightly different sense of what we want with

music,” Greenfield says. “Our expectations only go so far because we just like playing.

The lesson to be learned from living in a small town and trying to play music is you just gotta enjoy doing it first. You don’t start doing it because you think it might take off. You just do it because you love it.”

It helps when other people love it too, and the acclaim they’ve recently received from Capture has been especially rewarding. “All the press we got was really cool and nothing that we’d ever experienced before,” Greenfield says.

“While it was going on, I was kind of bewildered. We’re learning from it. It’s helped us quite a bit.”

The band is grateful for the help they’ve received along the way, both from 6131 Records and Bloomington-based label Winspear. In fact, Thunder Dreamer’s eponymous EP marked the first-ever Winspear release, and since then, the humble label has also risen to international notoriety.

“Jared Jones [Winspear cofounder] just hit us up and was like, ‘I’m starting this thing called Winspear, and it’d be really cool if you guys wanted to do a release,’” Greenfield recalls. “It was the first time someone had offered to help us out with a release.” The band had a similar twist of fate happen with 6131 Records too.

“We talked on the phone a few times, and then Joey, the guy that owns the label, actually flew from the East Coast to Bloomington to see us at The Bishop,” Greenfield says. “We just had things fall into place after that. It was literally just a lucky thing there. I sent them an email [about releasing Capture], and they happened to listen to it.”

NUVO.NET/MUSIC

ALIENS AND AFROFUTURISM Looking Back on Sun Ra’s Legendary Indianapolis Concert

BY KYLE LONG // KLONG@NUVO.NET

Y

ou’ve probably heard of the Roswell incident, even if you’re not a student of paranormal phenomena. The purported UFO crash at Roswell, New Mexico, in 1948 is perhaps the most iconic story of humankind’s contact with extraterrestrial life. The Roswell incident sparked an outbreak of UFO sightings around the United States.

One of the more obscure occurrences in UFO history happened here in Indianapolis. Over a period of nights during March of 1958, dozens of residents along Indiana Avenue reported seeing strange lights zooming over their Downtown neighborhood. Eyewitness accounts describe the lights moving at speeds unimaginable for any known aircraft then or now. But what makes this case so unique within the history of UFO sightings is that witnesses also reported hearing strange musical sounds that appeared to be synchronized with the movement of the mysterious lights.

Like most UFO stories, the Indiana Avenue incident blurs the lines between fact, fiction, and mythology. What interests me most about the case is that the reports of paranormal activity on the Avenue coincide with the date of a legendary Indianapolis concert from the experimental big-band jazz ensemble of Sun Ra Arkestra.

Perhaps no other musician in history has blurred the line between fact, fiction, and mythology more than Sun Ra. Government documents indicate that Sun Ra was born Herman Blount on May 22, 1914, in Birmingham, Alabama. But throughout his life Sun Ra insisted his place of birth was not the deep South but deep space. By the 1950s Sun Ra had planted roots in Chicago, where he began developing a new experimental form of space-age jazz music.

With the invention of this new music, Sun Ra also developed a new mythology,

into the Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame.

“I remember the people at the YMCA contracted us to come out and play during what they called the Monster Meetings,” claiming to have arrived on Earth from Spaulding recalled. “The Monster Meetings planet Saturn to deliver a consciouswere a time where Black men and women ness-expanding music designed to bring would get together and talk about racial peace to all of humanity. Sun Ra also relations in Indianapolis. They discussed began dressing himself and his orchestra race problems and then we played our in handmade space-age costumes and music. Everyone loved it. They wanted us writing music alluding to to come back...It was an themes of space travel. exciting time.”

“The space age is Initially Sun Ra’s brave While I appreciated new identity was met Spaulding’s insights on here to stay and with laughter and disdain the gig, I was hungry for there ain’t no place more information. So from jazz traditionalists. But today Sun Ra is when I booked tickets for you can run away… considered the father of Arkestra’s New Year’s Eve Now you have to Afrofuturism, an influgig in Chicago last Deential concept currently cember, I did so hoping take it from here.” in vogue thanks to the to speak with Marshall Al— MARSHALL ALLEN len. Allen joined Arkestra Hollywood blockbuster Black Panther. around the same time as My ongoing fascination with this concert Spaulding, and he’s been leading the group led me to track down Indianapolis jazz legsince Sun Ra’s death in 1993. end and Sun Ra collaborator James SpauldAllen was more than happy to speak ing in 2015, around the time of his induction with me. He remembered the Indianapolis KYLE LONG AND MARSHALL ALLEN //

gig but none of the specifics. He seemed to quickly grow tired of my obsession with historical minutiae, and he pushed the conversation into more philosophical territory. “Sun Ra always said this music is for the children of the 21st century, and that’s you.

“All of that stuff we went through back then, all of that sacrifice was to bring you this music for the 21st century. This music belongs to y’all. We fought through all the old traditional ways to bring you this music. The space age is here to stay and there ain’t no place you can run away…Now you have to take it from here. The future is not today, it’s tomorrow. So tomorrow is here and you’re it,” Allen concluded while pointing his finger at my chest.

Yes, it’s true. Today is yesterday’s tomorrow, and today still finds me obsessed with the yesterdays of Sun Ra. I’m not alone. The rapid approach of 2020 finds Arkestra preparing to enter their seventh decade of existence. At over half-a-century old, Sun Ra’s Arkestra is still one of the most influential and beloved live attractions in jazz music. To paraphrase Sun Ra, space is still the place.

The 60th anniversary of Sun Ra’s only Indianapolis performance carries great significance for me. Like the majority of Indiana Avenue, the old Senate Avenue YMCA where Sun Ra played has been torn down. It’s now a parking lot, surrounded by a sea of soulless condominiums on all sides. I will likely be the only one celebrating, but on the night of March 30, I’ll be stationed near the site of Sun Ra’s historic Indianapolis concert with his music blasting in my headphones, hoping to catch a glimpse of some strange lights over the skies of Indiana Avenue. N NUVO.NET // 03.21.18 - 03.28.18 // MUSIC // 19

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SATURDAY // 3.24 Normundy, A War Within, Freshman Year, CXX, Voices Old National Centre, all-ages Thunderbolt Grease Slapper, Jay Reatard Tribute, The Florida Rooms, Dopplepopolis The Melody Inn, 21+ Collage Carnival: Yheti, Of The Trees, Kaleidoscope Jukebox The Mousetrap, 21+ Jamey Johnson 8 Seconds Saloon, 21+ The Chevy Down’s Band Duke’s Indy, 21+ The Grunge Experience The Vogue, 21+

Jelly Roll, Struggle, MyNameKushy, Moses Mitchell Emerson Theater, all-ages Thunder Dreamer, Hale’s Corner, Spandrels State Street Pub, 21+ Obtuse: David Peck, Nagasaki Dirt, Filternetwork Pioneer, 21+ Greg Artry The Jazz Kitchen, 21+ Rod Tuffcurls & The Benchpress The Bluebird (Bloomington), 21+ Shift Bit Blind Owl Brewery, 21+ Ray Fuller & The Blues Rockers, Gordon Bonham Blues Band Slippery Noodle Inn, 21+

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© 2018 BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): The “School of Hard Knocks” is an old-fashioned idiom referring to the unofficial and accidental course of study available via life’s tough experiences. The wisdom one gains through this alternate approach to education may be equal or even superior to the knowledge that comes from a formal university or training program. I mention this, Aries, because in accordance with astrological omens, I want to confer upon you a diploma for your new advanced degree from the School of Hard Knocks. (P.S.: When PhD students get their degrees from Finland’s University of Helsinki, they are given top hats and swords as well as diplomas. I suggest you reward yourself with exotic props, too.)

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Email distribution@nuvo.net or call Kathy at 317-808-4601.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Europeans used to think that all swans were white. It was a reasonable certainty given the fact that all swans in Europe were that color. But in 1697, Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh and his sailors made a pioneering foray to the southwestern coast of the land we now call Australia. As they sailed up a river the indigenous tribe called Derbarl Yerrigan, they spied black swans.

They were shocked. The anomalous creatures invalidated an assumption based on centuries of observations. Today, a “black swan” is a metaphor referring to an unexpected event that contravenes prevailing theories about the way the world works. I suspect you’ll soon experience such an incongruity yourself. It might be a good thing! Especially if you welcome it instead of resisting it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Crayola is one of the world’s foremost crayon manufacturers.

The geniuses in charge of naming its crayon colors are playful and imaginative. Among the company’s standard offerings, for example, are Pink Sherbet, Carnation Pink, Tickle Me Pink, Piggy Pink, Pink Flamingo, and Shocking Pink. Oddly, however, there is no color that’s simply called “Pink.” I find that a bit disturbing. As much as I love extravagant creativity and poetic whimsy, I think it’s also important to cherish and nurture the basics. In accordance with the astrological omens, that’s my advice for you in the coming weeks. Experiment with fanciful fun, but not at the expense of the fundamentals.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): According to Vice magazine, Russian scientist Anatoli Brouchkov is pleased with the experiment he tried. He injected himself with 3.5-million-year-old bacteria that his colleagues had dug out of the permafrost in Siberia.

The infusion of this ancient life form, he says, enhanced his energy and strengthened his immune system. I can’t vouch for the veracity of his claim, but I do know this: It’s an apt metaphor for possibilities you could take advantage of in the near future: drawing on an old resource to boost your power, for example, or calling on a well-preserved part of the past to supercharge the present.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Booze has played a crucial role in the development of civilization, says biomolecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern.

The process of creating this mind-altering staple was independently discovered by many different cultures, usually before they invented writing. The buzz it provides has “fired our creativity and fostered the development of language, the arts, and religion.” On the downside, excessive consumption of alcohol has led to millions of bad decisions and has wrecked countless lives. Everything I just said is a preface to my main message, Leo: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to transform your habitual perspective, but only if you do so safely and constructively.

Whether you choose to try intoxicants, wild adventures, exhilarating travel, or edgy experiments, know your limits.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The astrological omens suggest that the coming weeks will be favorable for making agreements, pondering mergers, and strengthening bonds. You’ll be wise to

deepen at least one of your commitments. You’ll stir up interesting challenges if you consider the possibility of entering into more disciplined and dynamic unions with worthy partners. Do you trust your own perceptions and insights to guide you toward ever-healthier alliances? Do what you must to muster that trust.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you want people to know who you really are and savor you for your unique beauty, you must be honest with those people.

You must also develop enough skill to express your core truths with accuracy. There’s a similar principle at work if you want to know who you really are and savor yourself for your unique beauty: You must be honest with yourself. You must also develop enough skill to express your core truths with accuracy. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to practice these high arts.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your journey in the coming weeks may be as weird as an R-rated telenovela, but with more class. Outlandish, unpredictable, and even surreal events could occur, but in such a way as to uplift and educate your soul.

Labyrinthine plot twists will be medicinal as well as entertaining. As the drama gets curioser and curioser, my dear Scorpio, I expect you will learn how to capitalize on the odd opportunities it brings. In the end, you will be grateful for this ennobling respite from mundane reality!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence,” wrote philosopher Erich Fromm. I would add a corollary for your rigorous use during the last nine months of 2018: “Love is the only effective and practical way to graduate from your ragged, long-running dilemmas and start gathering a new crop of fresh, rousing challenges.” By the way, Fromm said love is more than a warm and fuzzy feeling in our hearts. It’s a creative force that fuels our willpower and unlocks hidden resources.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): My goal here is to convince you to embark on an orgy of self-care — to be as sweet and tender and nurturing to yourself as you dare to be. If that influences you to go too far in providing yourself with luxurious necessities, I’m OK with it. And if your solicitous efforts to focus on your own health and well-being make you appear a bit selfindulgent or narcissistic, I think it’s an acceptable price to pay. Here are more key themes for you in the coming weeks: basking in the glow of self-love; exulting in the perks of your sanctuary; honoring the vulnerabilities that make you interesting.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): One day, Beatles’ guitarist George Harrison decided to compose his next song’s lyrics “based on the first thing I saw upon opening any book.” He viewed this as a divinatory experiment, as a quest to incorporate the flow of coincidence into his creative process. The words he found in the first book were “gently weeps.” They became the seed for his tune “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Rolling Stone magazine ultimately named it one of “The Greatest Songs of All Time” and the tenth best Beatle song. In accordance with the astrological omens, I recommend you try some divinatory experiments of your own in the coming weeks. Use life’s fun little synchronicities to generate playful clues and unexpected guidance.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Millions of you Pisceans live in a fairy tale world. But I suspect that very few of you will be able to read this horoscope and remain completely ensconced in your fairy tale world.

That’s because I have embedded subliminal codes in these words that will at least temporarily transform even the dreamiest among you into passionate pragmatists in service to your feistiest ideals. If you’ve read this far, you are already feeling more disciplined and organized. Soon you’ll be coming up with new schemes about how to actually materialize a favorite fairy tale in the form of real-life experiences.

HOMEWORK: Imagine a bedtime story you’d like to hear and the person you’d like to hear it from.

Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

NUVO.NET // 03.21.18 - 03.28.18 // ASTROLOGY // 23

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