Small-town sounds: Free summer shows hold mass appeal

Summer concerts present the musical quagmire of the year: as the biggest shows of the season come with an ever-growing price tag, how can you get your fill of sunshine and music without breaking the bank?

More and more every summer, the answer is showing up in small towns across Indiana in the form of free outdoor concert series. This season, there are no less than six free festivals and series within a few hours drive of Indianapolis, with acts ranging from local favorites to cover bands to nationally touring artists.

By paying for publicity, bookings, production and transportation, towns like Kokomo and Gas City take an immediate financial hit by booking multi-date concert series without charging for entry. But the return on investment flows back in other ways, according to Andy Wilson, whose Bohlsen Group helps hire talent for the Ferdinand Folk Festival and Rushville's Riverside Park Amphitheater shows.

"These towns are benefiting financially as the shows drive revenue both at the facilities with food and beverage sales, but also from those visiting from out of town to see the concerts who go to the local restaurants, hotels, and maybe do some shopping," says Wilson. "The shows serve as a first introduction to many people for smaller communities they may not otherwise visit."

Rick Zeigler, who books Muncie's Three Trails Music Series and is the former owner of longtime Indianapolis institution Indy CD and Vinyl, sees the free shows as a summer-fun equalizer as well.

"The shows being free lets people from all socioeconomic backgrounds experience great music in a great setting, and encourages out-of-towners, who make up nearly half of the attendees, to attend. Their only expense would be gas money," says Zeigler.

That sentiment is a popular one: a great way to show off a small Indiana town is to offer visitors something economically appealing that's fun for everyone.

"Life isn't getting any cheaper, you know? The costs of living always seem to rise," says Marc Steczyk, a member of the town committee that organizes the Ferdinand Folk Festival. "So if our goal is to truly, and I do mean truly, be family-friendly in our endeavor, then we want a family to be able to come without the burden of paying for tickets. And if you don't have to pay an entrance charge, you definitely have more money to spend in the vendor area, or you have some cash left to buy your child an all-day pass to the inflatable Play Town area."

The in-town benefits of the concerts are fairly uniform across the state — fun and free entertainment, purchasing power in local businesses, raising the town's profile for repeat tourism. The thoughts behind booking decisions vary little as well: in each series, the wider the appeal, the better. That's why you won't find any hardcore punk or EDM artists filling the rosters this summer. But the manner in which series organizers achieve that goal differs in each town.

In Rushville's series, the lineup is filled out mostly by tribute acts; the aim is ubiquitous music, with bands covering Garth Brooks, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pearl Jam and Pink Floyd (complete with a laser light show). Organizers of the Fishers series bank on diversity as the main appeal, with the lineup this year including rock, funk and country acts. In Muncie, Zeigler believes that with time, the audience learns to trust in the quality of each year's show whether the marquee name is familiar or not.

"The key thing we look for when booking artists is national artists who are currently creating and recording new music; no oldies or nostalgia acts," he says. "We are looking not just for great shows for attendees, but also great musical experiences."

Through their concert series, these Indiana towns get to show off to thousands of tourists at once (Fishers, for example, draws about 6,000; between 8,000 and 12,000 come out to Ferdinand for its one-day festival), thus boosting the towns' images throughout the region — especially to former residents.

"When kids graduate from college, they tend to go on to bigger cities where they can experience more culture or pursue advanced education opportunities. We get that," says Steczyk. "But we want to remain a viable option for young people to consider moving back."

For Rushville mayor Mike Pavey, the importance of a free concert series is simple. "It's point of pride for the community," he says. "(Rushville citizens) enjoy the fact that other communities come to Rushville to see what we are doing and how we have done it."

Small-town summer concert series and how to find out more:

Nickel Plate District Concert Series, Fishers, www.fishers.in.us. Began May 9 with Rick Springfield; next show is Woomblies Rock Orchestra on June 5.

Gas City Concerts in the Park, Gas City, www.concertsinthepark.info. Began June 2 with the Mississinewa Valley Band; next show is Locash on June 9.

Greenwood Park Mall Summer Concert Series, Greenwood, www.facebook.com/GreenwoodParkMall/events. Begins June 4 with Henry Lee Summer; continues Thursdays through Aug. 6.

Muncie Three Trails Music Series, Muncie, www.munciethreetrailsmusicseries.org, Begins June 25 with Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn.

Kokomo Summer Concert Series, Kokomo, www.kokomosummerseries.com, Begins June 13 with Ribfest and performances by Blindside and the Lowrider Band.

Ferdinand Folk Festival, Ferdinand, www.ferdinandfolkfestival.com, Sept. 19, with country singer-songwriter Elizabeth Cook.

Rushville's Riverside Park Amphitheater Concert Series, Rushville, www.facebook.com (search series title). Begins June 13 with Stephen Pearcy, former lead singer of metal band Ratt.

The don't-miss free shows of the summer

Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, 7 p.m., June 25, Minnetrista, 1200 N. Minnetrista Parkway, Muncie, www.munciethreetrailsmusicseries.org.

Bela Fleck has more Grammys then some people have friends. The ace banjo player made his name with his band The Flecktones, revolutionizing his instrument while splashing through bluegrass, jazz, folk, old time and African music. His wife, Abigail Washburn, is a stellar musician in her own right, and her banjo playing and gorgeous voice has made six winning albums. Last year, the two released their first album as a duo. At this show, expect haunting murder ballads, beautiful folk tunes, bluegrass classics and a whole lot of pickin'.

Bret Michaels, 7 p.m. July 3, Performing Arts Pavillion, Foster Park, Kokomo, www.kokomosummerseries.com.

Bret Michaels has had a hell of a second act. These days, the forever-blond, cowboy-hatted Michaels hops from reality TV show (VH1's "Rock of Love") to reality TV show ("The Apprentice") to reality TV show ("Bret Michael's: Life As I Know It"). But he was once a really famous rock star! The Poison frontman was an 80's icon, selling millions of records with hits like "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and "Nothin' But a Good Time." This show will be exactly that.

Ten: A Tribute to Pearl Jam, dusk Aug. 1, Riverside Park Amphitheater, Water St., Rushville, for more information, visit Facebook: Rushville Riverside Park Amphitheater Concert Series.

Pearl Jam are rock 'n' roll survivors, and the five-man Ten band are here to pay tribute. These guys have been a touring act since 2003, logging nearly 600 shows. Rushville's summer concert series is full of not-so-serious acts that are all about having fun, so don't be too cool to sing, "Jeremy spoke in cla-aa-ass today," at the top of your lungs on a beautiful summer night.

Henry Lee Summer, 7 p.m. June 4, outdoor fountain on northside of Greenwood Park Mall.

Henry Lee Summer was a Hoosier rock star in the 1980s, when the Brazil, Ind., native reached the Top 20 of Billboard magazine's Top 100 with the songs "I Wish I Had a Girl" and "Hey Baby." Summer performed on Arsenio Hall's late-night talk show, and he shared the 1990 Farm Aid stage with Guns 'N Roses and Lou Reed at the RCA Dome.