Published: August 28, 2008 10:21 pm         

Arts Illiana program moving around town in September

Arts Illiana’s live music won’t be limited to lunch this year.

Live Music Lunch is expanding to Live Music Month for September with events around town throughout the month. The program kicks off with an 8 p.m. performance Sept. 5 from Jack Lavey and Friends at the downtown Crossroads Plaza, east of First Financial Bank on Wabash Avenue. It is the fourth year for the program.

“There are going to be many concerts that we’ve got staged around different parts of the community,” said Jon Robeson, Arts Illiana executive director, “and what we’re trying to do this year is help bring a critical mass to events that maybe already exist,” such as the Altrusa Chili Cook-off. In addition the group hopes to bring music to areas that haven’t seen it in a while, such as 12 Points.

Past performances were at the downtown Crossroads Plaza before the expansion, typically during lunch.

“That’s a good way that the arts can add to kind of a community and economic development aspect,” Robeson said.

In conjunction with the Blues at the Crossroads festival, which is Sept. 12 and 13, Christina Blust will perform at the intersection of Lafayette and Maple avenue in 12 Points at 11 a.m. Sept. 13.

This will make 12 Points the first satellite location of the Blues Fest to make the festival a more city-wide event, said Rich Curtis, president of the 12 Points Greater Northside Association. The festival is getting too big for one location, he said.

Curtis said this will be a good coalition between 12 Points and downtown Terre Haute and is fitting because 12 Points was the first and only place to shop outside of downtown 100 years ago.

“It’s just going to draw attention to 12 Points,” he said, noting that music has always been a part of 12 Points. The Barbershop Harmony Society practices at Harmony Hall on Lafayette Avenue.

Though Curtis hasn’t heard any of Blust’s music, he said it doesn’t matter because Arts Illiana wouldn’t pick someone who wasn’t a good performer.

While Blues at the Crossroads, Oktoberfest, the Little Italy Festival, the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra and the Sullivan Corn Fest are going to have performances from artists from around the country, all mini-concert performers will be from the Wabash Valley, Robeson said.

“We’re trying to have a stage for local artists to perform,” he said.

Also new this year is a weekly iPod Shuffle giveaway. The last page of the Live Music Month program serves as the giveaway entry form, which can be dropped off at any of the six First Financial Bank locations.

Four iPods will be given away over the month with each of them loaded with one song from each of the month’s performers.

First Financial Bank is the primary sponsor, with BookNation, the Verve, the Saratoga, Roly Poly, The Corner Grind and Clabber Girl as additional sponsors.

Crystal Garcia can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or crystal.garcia@tribstar.com..