Greenfield’s Depot Street Park Hosts Revel For A Cause
By: Kevin Vickery
On Friday, September 22nd, I had the opportunity to attend, “Revel For a Cause”, in Greenfield, IN at Depot Street Park, a relatively new park, located in downtown Greenfield. The weather was perfect for a great show at this gem of a local outdoor venue. The event, “Revel with a Cause”, was a fundraiser for local charities, The Landing for Teens and the Talitha Koum Women’s Recovery House. Both organizations are local non-profits providing access to programs and resources for people struggling with their mental health or addiction.
The lineup for the night started with Mercury’s Muse, an energetic group from Tipton, IN who’s thoughts on performing are, “There is something about live music in the way it unifies people, the energy is tangible, and we are glad to be in the thick of it.” They were followed by The Gasoline Gypsies, from Michigan.
They describe themselves as, “ Original, genre-transcending, Rock N Roll delivered by four guys who love their craft. With three part vocal harmonies, driving guitar and bass riffs, their songs are powerful and intense, yet simple and honest.” I would add they have a southern rock look, and a hippie jam band vibe. They had just come off a stint in Nashville, TN to make their way to play alongside their friends and fellow Michiganders, The Native Howl at the fund raising concert in Greenfield.
The Gasoline Gypsies have also recently garnered some national success as they have a song featured regularly on a television show called, “Greenway Outdoors”, which airs on The History Channel on Saturdays at 9am. They delivered a great set in Greenfield that was enjoyed and appreciated by the local crowd.
Their performance was followed by, The Native Howl, from Detroit, MI, whose self-described sound of Thrash-Grass, offers a unique blend of speed-metal and classic bluegrass music. I absolutely loved their show and their songs like, “Sons of Destruction” and their mash up of Metallica’s, Harvester of Sorrow, blended with, Man of Constant Sorrow, from the “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack, made what they call, “Harvester of Sorrow” a head bobbing crowd favorite that both metal heads and bluegrass fans enjoyed equally.
I spoke with Justin Schwartz, who has recently moved to New Castle and made the short trip to Greenfield to enjoy the show. When asked what he thought about the Depot Street Park as a concert venue and his thoughts about The Native Howl, he had this to say., “The concert was a lot of fun. The atmosphere was very inviting and positive. I’ll be sure to visit Depot Street Park again. Make sure you see The Native Howl when they come to Indiana again!”
When asked what they like about performing in Greenfield, Native Howl bassist, Mark Chandler had this to say, “We have formed a long bond with the people of central Indiana. Everyone is so down to earth in that region and it’s always a pleasure playing for our Michigan neighbors. The region of Greenfield actually reminds us quite a bit of our neck of the woods back home. A small town with a tight community is an invaluable thing to us in this day and age so we always love supporting in any way possible. We were honored to be a part of such a great cause and hope that we imparted some inspiration in one form or another to all in attendance there!”
Event organizer, Keely Butrum describes the event as a total success and offers her thanks to the support of the many local sponsors like, The biggest Summerbash Indiana, The Hancock County Tourism Commission, Chicago’s Pizza on Tap, Dave’s Carwash and Grill, Fields Tree Service, Greenfield Banking Company, Hancock Health, and Ninestar Connect.
The event also included a Jeep show with a voting contest and even featured street performers like a stilt walker and lighted hula-hoop performers to keep the crowd entertained.
With regards to next year, Butrum said, “I will aim to secure a Saturday which would enable the event to start earlier in the day and could incorporate additional bands, vendors, and activities in the day and could incorporate additional bands, vendors, and activities.” Butrum added, “Although I did the planning and organizing, it took a village to pull off this event on Friday night. There are so many people to whom I am so sincerely grateful. It was intended to be an experience and not just a show or a fundraiser. Thanks to all of those people, I would call it just that.
For more information about the entertainers like and follow the Facebook pages of The Native Howl, The Gasoline Gypsies, and Mercury’s Muse, or visit their websites: thenativehowl.com thegasolinegypsies.com and mercurysmuse.com
Do you know of any local entertainment events that you would like to have covered here in my new entertainment column? If so, I would love to hear from you! Please email me at kevin.makesomenoise@yahoo.com
Henry County resident and Ball State alum, Kevin Vickery, is bassist and lead vocalist for The Cousin Brothers. He spent several years working in Nashville for some of the biggest names in Country Music before taking over the reins at his family business. If you have a story idea or an event that you think Kevin should cover, contact him at kevin.makesomenoise@yahoo.com
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