Live Music in Indianapolis

Long before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted The Ink Spots in 1989, Indianapolis had already spent decades producing artists who rewired American popular music. Indiana Avenue, the city's historic African-American commercial corridor, served as the launching pad for jazz giants Wes Montgomery and Freddie Hubbard, while music historians trace the roots of R&B to Indianapolis native Leroy Carr, whose 1928 recording "How Long, How Long Blues" influenced a generation of artists who followed. Funk took root here too, packing nightclubs throughout the 1960s and 70s, with Babyface cutting his teeth in the local funk band Manchild before becoming one of the most decorated figures in contemporary pop. Today, that history feeds into a live circuit anchored by venues like The Vogue in Broad Ripple, the Slippery Noodle Inn for blues, and the 6,000-capacity Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park.