131 North Walnut Street, Batesville, IN 47006
04/24/2008
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Batesville Memorial Public
Library 131 North Walnut Street, Batesville, IN 47006 04/24/2008 |
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After Hours Concert Series |
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 Info for Musicians Since 2000, the Batesville Memorial Public Library has presented a variety of musical performers at the library (and elsewhere around Batesville) in an almost-monthly series of free-to-the-public concerts called the After Hours Concert Series. We have enjoyed great music by artists playing Jazz, Folk, Celtic, Classical, Bluegrass, Middle Eastern, Salsa, Klezmer, Country, Reggae, and Rock. All performances are "Rain or Shine." For more information, e-mail Mike Kruse: bmpl@cnz.com |
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"It's
like playing an intimate jazz club." -- Tony Malone, Saxophone
Supremes Ensemble
"The folks at the BMPL really know how to throw a
party." -- Luke Sayers
"I don't know about you but my library was never this
cool." -- Josh Doyle, Pictures of
Serenity
| Concerts in the library? Don't all those books get in the way? | Actually, the After Hours Concerts are held in several venues. When at the library, they are held in our Main Meeting Room, just off the lobby, easily accessed with your equipment. |
| What kind of music do you feature? | Just about anything. We like variety, and we especially like musicians and groups who don't play the same stuff you'd hear in a local bar or at your cousin's wedding reception, although some of our groups do play those gigs, too. Take a look at our Archives to get an idea of who has played for us in the past. |
| If the concerts are free to the public, do the bands get paid? | Yes, we have a programming budget, part of which is used to pay the groups who come to play. It's not a huge budget, and we appreciate any "breaks" from their regular fee that performers can provide. We can sometimes also provide a hotel room (or rooms) if the band is coming from far away. |
| What is the Main Meeting Room like? How big is it? How many people can you seat? | The room is about 30' by 40', and the adjacent lobby is about 25' by 40'. The walls have a carpet-type covering, but it's not as dead sounding as you might think. We can seat about 80 people comfortably with room for an averaged-sized band. Another 30 or so people can fit in the lobby. There is no smoking in the library. Food and beverages are allowed in the room, and we often make popcorn and have cookies or other snacks available for free. Free-will donations are always accepted. |
| What kind of attendance do you get? | As you might expect, it varies. Some nights we are competing with high school sporting events, benefit dinners, and who-knows-what-else. Our smallest library indoor audience numbered about 20, our largest about 150. We seem to average about 60-70 people per concert. Of course, our outdoor concerts usually draw more (especially the July, August, and September concerts) when the weather is good. |
| What is the audience like? | One band has described them as "an eclectic bunch," and we wouldn't argue. They are of all ages: senior citizens, teens, families with young children. They enjoy hearing good music played well, whatever the genre. And they enjoy interacting with the performers and learning about the music being performed. |
| Do performers have to provide all their own equipment? What equipment can the library provide? | Some performers prefer to
bring and use their own equipment, and that's OK with us. If you
would rather use ours, we have the following: |
| Do you allow performers to sell their CDs? | Sure. Sell your CDs, T-shirts, bumperstickers, biographies, whatever you've got. |
| What about the podcast samples the library is featuring on the web site? Do you really offer the performer a CD of their live performance? | This is a relatively new feature. Our first podcast was from our June 9, 2007 concert. And yes, we try to burn two CDs (one for each set played) for the performers to give to them before they leave for the evening. We use two condenser mics to make an ambient recording into a laptop. The quality is actually quite good. Give a listen to what's on the Podcast Samples page. Please realize that this is a free service we are trying to provide for the performers who play for us, and we cannot guarantee its availability for every concert. |
| How does our band get hired to play in your concert series? | Start by contacting the library director, Mike Kruse, at bmpl@cnz.com. |
"Adam
did a great job making it sound good." -- Peter Kienle, Kwyjibo
"... a beautiful concert series and a most appreciative
and supportive audience." -- Monika Herzig, Monika Herzig Acoustic
Project
"Batesville
has been a highlight of our warm-weather outdoor performance season."
-- Jeff Anderson, Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra
The Venues
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The Library Concerts are held inside the library, in the Main Meeting Room, in January, February, April, May, October and November. Concerts are held outside the library (weather permitting) in June and August*. In case of rain, these concerts are held inside, in the Main Meeting Room. *The August concert is our annual "Grill-Out & Ice Cream Social." Burgers, hot dogs, drinks and ice cream are provided free to the public. The past few years, the August concert has been streamed live on the Internet. |
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Batesville Middle School Our March After Hours Concert is traditionally performed by Batesville High School's Sport Coat Jazz Explosion Big Band, with a Special Musical Guest. The Musical Guest is a jazz musician who does a workshop with the students earlier in the day, and then performs with them in the concert in the evening. We hold this concert at nearby Batesville Middle School in order to accommodate the band and their many fans. |
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Batesville's Downtown
Village Square |
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Batesville's Liberty
Park |
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"Great outdoor concert series, and awesome folks who run it." -- Luke
Sayers
BMPL Home Page After Hours Page After Hours Archives Podcast Samples
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Batesville Memorial Public Library
