INDIANAPOLIS — A new music festival is coming to downtown Indianapolis, and several Grammy-nominated musicians are already on the set list.
The I Made Rock 'N' Roll Festival, a collaboration between local creative groups GangGang and Forty5, will play the American Legion Mall on May 18.
The concert is headlined by Janelle Monáe, who is nominated for Album of the Year at this year's Grammy Awards. The set list also includes guitarist Gary Clark Jr., who has won four Grammy awards in his career, and Grammy-nominated blues guitarist Robert Randolph.
GangGang is most well-known for its annual Butter art fair, while Forty5 runs the Vogue Theatre and the Rock the Ruins music festival. They envision I Made Rock 'N' Roll as a celebration of Black rock musicians past and present.
Forty5 CEO Jenny Boyts said she wanted to collaborate with GangGang after seeing the success of the Butter festival. She hopes I Made Rock 'N' Roll can be a tradition on the American Legion Mall, especially after the Indiana Black Expo decided to move its concerts from the mall going forward.
"In the back of our mind, there's a gap that we're filling, but more importantly, the Black Expo set a precedent that there's a possibility to use this beautiful backdrop and the land around it," Boyts said. "We'll fill that mall full of people, fill the sides with as much activation and family friendly fun as we can. We honor and respect the precedent that the Black Expo set for this city and we are excited to similarly showcase the city center in this beautiful and entertaining way.”
Pre-sale tickets for I Made Rock 'N' Roll start at $75. You can purchase tickets and learn more about the festival at this link.
