Music Blossoms in Bloomington, Indiana
by Kevin Wierzbicki
In the bustling city of Bloomington, Indiana, there's always plenty to do. And since the city is home to Indiana University-Bloomington there's usually a full slate of concerts and live music events taking place for students and others to enjoy, and there are plenty of great opportunities to hear live music coming up soon. You might say the music scene in Bloomington is in full bloom! Here's a look at just a few of the live entertainment options on tap for the Bloomington area.
Granfalloon Festival - Now through early June 2025 - Bloomington
The theme of this festival is "A Kurt Vonnegut Convergence" and it celebrates the work of the famed writer who was born about an hour outside of Bloomington in Indianapolis. He also made up the term "granfalloon" which roughly means "a proud and meaningless association of human beings." The human beings who attend the Granfalloon Festival will have a chance to take in an awesome concert headlined by Mavis Staples and featuring Thee Sacred Souls and Murder by Death on June 7, outdoors at 200 E. Kirkwood Avenue; the Granfalloon Dance Party will take place later that evening at The Back Door, 207 S. College Avenue. Lots of other non-music events will take place during the festival including film screenings of "Fail Safe," "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and "Starship Troopers." Giving the keynote speech this year will be Lynda Barry on June 5 and there'll also be a "Cat's Cradle" Talk with Christina Jarvis on June 8. "Cat's Cradle" will also be the theme of numerous art installations available for viewing during the festival. Some Granfalloon events are ticketed but many are free. Find a complete listing of events and venues
here.
Bloomington Bluegrass Fest - May 3, 2025 - Upland Brewing Company, Bloomington
Have a few brews and groove to the sounds of bluegrass at this festival that features headliner Mama Said String Band and opening acts Arianna and the Bourbon Britches, Booze Hounds Bluegrass, Low Landers, The Hammer and the Hatchet, Chris Dollar & Pat Otto, Rusted String Swindlers and Jan Bell. Corey Flick will be the featured artist at large. More information is
here.
Cosmic Songwriter Festival - May 14-17, 2025 - Bloomington
This festival takes place at four venues: The Orbit Room, Blockhouse, The Bluebird and the historic Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Scheduled to perform are Rodney Crowell, Tommy Prine (son of the late great John Prine), Thomas Csorba, Sam Moss, Laurel Lewis, John Baumann, Elizabeth Moen, Father Kentucky, Elle Hodge, Reece Sullivan, Sarah Grain, TAE and the Neighborly, She Returns from War, Jordan Smart and Jesse James DeConto (The Pinkerton Raid.) This is an extremely popular event and tickets are selling briskly; get yours
here.
Pangaea Sky
Pangaea Sky is a Bloomington and regional favorite and it's easy to hear why; they play a delightful kind of global music that fuses traditional sounds with contemporary grooves. The foursome is made up of Peter Kienle on guitar and guitar synth, Tom Clark on sax, flute and keys, Julian Douglas on drums and percussion and bass man extraordinaire Ron Kadish on double bass and electronics. Catch them live at the Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington's Flex Space (in the College Mall) May 13, June 3, July 1 and August 5. Follow Pangaea Sky
here.
This is just a small sampling of where to hear music in Bloomington; for a listing of more shows and events go here.
For help in planning your trip to Bloomington go here.
