Carmel Livestream Concert Series Premieres Oct. 23

From the City of Carmel:

September 29, 2020

With a pandemic keeping the touring concert industry on pause, the Center for the Performing Arts is turning its spotlight on local and regional talent through a new series of livestreamed performances by Indiana-based artists and bands in genres from jazz and classical to soul and indie rock.

Sponsored by Allied Solutions, Live at the Center premieres Oct. 23 with a set from jazz guitarist Charlie Ballantine, an Indianapolis-based composer and bandleader with a growing national reputation and several albums in his catalog. Rounding out the initial schedule through December are free performances by rock bands Moxxie and Carmichael, classical pianist Joshua Thompson, and singers Jenn Cristy and Bashiri Asad. More shows are planned in 2021. More information is available at TheCenterPresents.org/LATC.

Rising to the challenges posed by COVID-19, the Center’s concert production team has evolved into a video crew, equipped to deliver live-switched, multi-camera HD coverage with stereo sound from any of the Center’s three venues. The Palladium, the Tarkington and the Studio Theater offer options to suit a wide range of artists, and fans will enjoy a front-row perspective through the Center’s website and other platforms.

“The touring artists we would normally present on-site are simply not on the road right now,” said Jeffrey C. McDermott, President and CEO of the Center for the Performing Arts and the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation. “Meanwhile, Indiana has a rich community of songwriters and performers who have lost many of their usual revenue sources. This is an important opportunity for us to step up, create new opportunities for audiences and artists alike, and even extend our geographic reach through this new online programming.”

The 'Live at the Center' schedule begins with these free events:

Charlie Ballantine Quartet, jazz
Friday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m.
Streamed from the Palladium

Moxxie, indie rock
Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Streamed from the Studio Theater

Carmichael, indie rock
Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m.
Streamed from the Tarkington

Joshua Thompson, classical piano
Sunday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m.
Streamed from the Palladium

Jenn Cristy, pop
Friday, Dec. 4, at 8 p.m.
Streamed from the Palladium

Bashiri Asad, soul
Wednesday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m.
Streamed from the Palladium

Updates on campus activities and online arts and entertainment opportunities are available through the Center’s weekly Interlude e-newsletter.
Anyone can join the Center’s eClub mailing list by visiting TheCenterPresents.org and clicking the “SIGN UP” button.

About the Center for the Performing Arts

The mission of the nonprofit Center for the Performing Arts is to engage and inspire the Central Indiana community through enriching arts experiences. The Center presents and hosts hundreds of events each year, including the Center Presents Performance series, featuring the best in classical, jazz, pop, rock, country, comedy and other genres. The campus in Carmel, Indiana, includes a 1,600-seat concert hall, the Palladium; a 500-seat proscenium theater, the Tarkington; and the black-box Studio Theater. The Center is home to the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation and provides space and support services for six resident companies: Actors Theatre of Indiana, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, Civic Theatre, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre and Indiana Wind Symphony. The Center also provides educational and experiential programming for people of all ages. More information is available at TheCenterPresents.org

This press release was produced by the City of Carmel. The views expressed are the author's own.