Indianapolis, IN
New Midwest Jazz Collective tour makes stop in Indianapolis; aims to bring more artists to the region
A new Midwest collaboration between venues aims to create a more economically viable tour route here and bring more national jazz artists to the region. The Midwest Jazz Collective tour launched this month, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it makes its inaugural tour stop at The Jazz Kitchen in South Broad Ripple this weekend.
Founding member Kyle Knoke said he was inspired by the success of a Central Wisconsin collaboration he co-founded, the Jazz Coterie.
“We have the same desires in sharing the music of touring artists, but are always up against the financial challenges of being able to to make the booking happen,” Knoke said. “Working together again, I think that whole price point scenario and expense scenario shifts into the realm of something being possible.”
The collective started with emails and calls to clubs in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota.
Owner of The Jazz Kitchen David Allee was in one of those calls.
“I mean, it’s a no brainer,” Allee said. “We want to bring more and more artists into the area.”
Allee said the collaboration helps everyone financially and also allows the sharing of ideas and resources to promote performances.
“To have a little extra help from everybody making that happen, certainly is a plus, and it’s great for the artists too, because they can get a consistent amount of work,” he said. “It’s also maybe a beneficial thing for us to be able to leverage the fees.”
The roughly three week tour keeps travel time between clubs between two to four hours. The string of venues together, with short drives between each show, is similar to tours in Europe. It is also similar to the way touring was historically done in the U.S.
“Back in the day there was a lot more artists like piling in the car, you know, putting the drums in the back seat and going from town to town,” reflects trumpeter and singer Benny Benack III. He is the Midwest Jazz Collective’s first artist to do the route.
“But the reality of the economics of everything, it just really became, you know, not feasible,” Benack said.
He also described how even well known musicians can struggle to break even on a tour.
“It comes out where the artists are saying, ‘well, we’re lucky to break even, you know, if we need to sell out every show just to cover our expenses.’”
He said the partnership between venues helps reduce potential financial losses, as clubs have shows on week nights that might otherwise be difficult to book. The tour also includes educational workshops, including one at Butler University, with the touring artist.
“So not only do we come to the students and go into the schools and do a workshop, but also I’m encouraging a lot of the students to then come to the gigs and sit in,” said Benack.
Midwest Jazz Collective founding member and organizer Kyle Knoke said he hopes to learn from the inaugural tour what works and what might need adjusting.
“I am actually planning on taking the tour with the band,” Kanoke said. “It sounds a little crazy, but I would like to, first hand, be able to meet these presenters and these club owners and take kind of a real time temperature on everybody’s spirit with this collective idea.”
Kanoke said he sees the collective putting together a tour once a quarter.
For Indianapolis local jazz musician Rob Dixon, he hopes to see future collaboration with other jazz organizations and possibly have Midwest artists perform the tour route.
“I’ve always strived for, like, to have a lot of Indianapolis artists just be involved more in the national scene,” Dixon said. “I’m just really on that, supporting, you know, getting Indianapolis more involved in traveling and touring.”
The Midwest Jazz Collective is in Indianapolis this weekend with Benny Benack III quartet performing at The Jazz Kitchen Saturday and Benack teaching a masterclass at Butler University Sunday.
The tour runs through April 10 and ends in Chicago.
Contact WFYI All Things Considered newscaster and reporter Samantha Horton at shorton@wfyi.org.
Indianapolis, IN
That trail you walk downtown? It’s generated $3 billion for Indianapolis, study finds
See the 10th Street Cultural Trail Expansion ribbon cutting ceremon
Highlights: Indiana Ave. and 10th Street Cultural Trail Expansion ribbon cutting on Indiana Ave. on Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Indianapolis.
Since its creation, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail in the heart of Circle City has drawn millions of residents and visitors to its distinctive paved path. But according to a new report, the trail isn’t just beneficial for those looking to get out on an urban stroll or bike ride — it’s a driver for the city’s economy and quality of life.
The report, “Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene and Marilyn Glick at 20: Connecting People, Places, and Possibility,” was based on analysis by James Lima Planning + Development, a group of real estate, planning and economic development advisors. Here’s what to know about the report.
How has the Cultural Trail affected the city’s growth, development?
According to the report from 2026, the 10-mile trail has generated $3 billion in assessed property value around its path — money that supports the city and its governmental services.
The population along the trail has grown five times the city average and retail space near the trail has increased 39%, the report shows. Nearby food and beverage sales are almost twice the average per square foot in Indianapolis.
Additionally, the report shows, undeveloped land along the trail has the potential to add $1.4 billion of value in the near future. Since an initial study in 2015, the trail’s economic impact has grown from $1 billion to $3 billion.
“For nearly 20 years, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail has helped transform Downtown Indianapolis into a more vibrant, connected and economically competitive city,” Mayor Joe Hogsett said in a June 3 news release. “It is more than a trail. It is a nationally recognized public asset that drives investment, supports local businesses, connects neighborhoods and improves quality of life for the people who live, work, play and stay in our city.”
According to the report, over 1 million people use the trail each year, and almost half of downtown Indianapolis residents live within a three-minute walk of the path.
What other features does the Cultural Trail offer?
Users of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail aren’t limited to walking — the Pacers Bikeshare program, operated by the trail, has 57 bike stations throughout the city that are accessible 24/7.
The trail also features nearly six acres of plants and greenspace, offering locals and visitors an urban getaway. City planners from across the world have visited the trail to study its design, according to the report.
What is the future of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail?
Focus on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail has shifted from construction and maintenance to long-term operations and expanded resources for the public.
Kären Haley, executive director of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. — the trail’s nonprofit — said it has grown into the “crown jewel” of the city with the growth and development it has created over two decades.
“The Cultural Trail is driving billions in investment and making surrounding neighborhoods thriving destinations,” she said in a June 3 news release. “As we enter the next phase for the Trail, we look forward to building upon our initial 20 years of impact.”
Mia Thurow is the breaking news and criminal justice reporting intern for the Indianapolis Star. She can be reached at mthurow@gannett.com.
ICYMI: Top 5 IndyStar business stories in May 2026
A busy month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway reignited debates about hotels and the downtown heliport. Plus, Eli Lilly celebrated 150 years.
May came and went, and with it, we saw the closest Indianapolis 500 finish in history, the 150th anniversary of Eli Lilly and a contested primary election day.
There’s also been some movement in retail news ahead of the summer shopping season. On the north side, a new women’s clothing store opened while a piercing studio set up shop in Speedway. Meanwhile, an indoor children’s play place opened on the near north side.
Read on for four spots that recently opened and one in Broad Ripple that said farewell.
Openings
Monkee’s
8659 River Crossing Blvd., monkeesofindianapolis.com, opened in March
Monkee’s of Indianapolis, a high-end women’s clothing store, opened recently on the north side in the Shops at River Crossing near the Fashion Mall. The brand Monkee’s started in the South three decades ago and has since grown to nearly 70 locations. In Indianapolis, Missy Llewellyn and Whitney Schmitt started the franchise to bring the clothing brand to the Circle City.
The Nest Play Cafe
515 E 22nd St Suite 101, indynestplaycafe.com, opened early May
The Nest Play Cafe opened at the corner of Central Avenue and 22nd Street, offering an indoor space for parents and caregivers to bring their children to play. Caregivers can book 90-minute play sessions for $15 per child over the age of one. Tickets for additional siblings run $10. The cafe sells coffee and snacks, too.
Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to noon. Closed Tuesdays.
Forget Me Not Piercing Studio
5324 W. 16th St., jessflowerspiercings.square.site, opened May 27
A new piercing studio opened in Speedway at the end of May just days after the Indianapolis 500. Forget Me Not Piercing offers traditional lobe, helix and conch piercings along with nostril and septum piercings. Artist Jess Flowers opened the one-woman shop on 16th Street.
Open Sunday and Thursday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Black Orchid Barbers Fountain Square
1201 Prospect St. Suite 100, blackorchidbarbers.com, opened in May
Black Orchid, a local barbershop known for its sharp haircuts with a side of humor, opened its Fountain Square spot, marking the company’s seventh brick-and-mortar location. Walk-ins are welcome but Black Orchid recommends grabbing a time slot online for your preferred service.
Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closures
Vitality IV Bar
6302 Guilford Ave., vitalityivbar.com
An IV-wellness spot in Broad Ripple shut its doors last month. Vitality IV Bar was located next to the Thieves cocktail lounge, formerly the Broad Ripple Starbucks location, before it went out of business.
Vitality IV still operates an Indianapolis-area location on Mass Ave downtown at 749 Massachusetts Ave where customers can book a variety of infusions with vitamins.
See a store opening or closing near you? Contact IndyStar reporter Alysa Guffey at alysa.guffey@indystar.com.
Forty-one names comprised the 11th layer of Springer’s “The Forgiving Sea VI,” an interactive painting that invites people to wr
-
Politics51 seconds agoBessent flips script on Dem senator with reminder about his son’s past ties to Epstein
-
Health13 minutes agoNew ways to prevent flu revealed in ‘accidental’ lab breakthrough, study finds
-
Sports16 minutes agoRussell Wilson announces retirement from NFL after 14 seasons
-
Technology21 minutes agoDark web monitoring: does it put your data at risk?
-
Business28 minutes agoIn a first for the country, voters in Monterey Park ban data centers
-
Entertainment31 minutes agoReview: Muscling past a flat script, a big-screen ‘Masters of the Universe’ embraces its own silliness
-
Politics43 minutes agoHilton and Becerra lead California’s unsettled governor’s race; Steyer faces elimination
-
Sports51 minutes ago‘SNL’ star Marcello Hernández to host 2026 ESPYs as show leaves L.A. for New York
