M3

Chris Jesse’s musical journey is a book of many chapters. There was the band Same Soul, a group called 9 Mile Reach, and several other line-ups and iterations along the way. When I did a Charlie’s Beat on Chris 6 years ago, he was on a bit of a hiatus at the time, taking a… Read more

Who remembers when the brick storefront at Main and Mill streets was a shocking PURPLE color? It wasn’t that long ago, actually. There was a dry cleaner in there for years, wasn’t there? And I seem to remember that corner had a crossing guard for the downtown school kids, right? Well, that building is back… Read more

Talking with Steve Bickis about his new “mural for America” project, you just can’t help but feel uplifted and hopeful. The guy just wants us all to get along! He has a vision for an our country that is diverse, accepting, loving and inclusive. Recalling the song I sang every week at Sunday school, Jesus… Read more

Catfish Williams loves the river, it’s just that simple. He lives upriver in Ludlow, Kentucky, a small town not unlike Madison, albeit right in the shadow of a major metro area (Cincinnati), which adds a different spin on life there. “I grew up along the Ohio River, so I felt like I understood it. But… Read more

Cathy Gilbert is a girl who just wants to have fun! She wants to play her ukulele with other like-minded folk, but she doesn’t want the process to be too laborious or serious. “That’s why I chose the ukulele,” she explains. “The word actually means ‘happy jumping flea’ in Hawaiian, and the lively sound it… Read more

When Kevin Kellems touched base with some exciting news about Madison’s creative economy, I was all ears, of course. Kevin personifies the term “move & shaker” when it comes to funding organizations and state programs that funnel resources to our corner of the state. He’s a founding member of the READI economic development commission that… Read more

Before we get to this week’s musician profile, a word about the Live Lunch concerts that take place every Friday, from 11:30am to 1pm at Lytle Park. I’ve written about these shows before, but I believe it bears repeating and updating.  The series is the brain child of the late Dr. Dave Butler, who was… Read more

Ryan Wissinger is a very talented, disciplined and dedicated musician who has recently decided to make Indiana’s Music City his new home. But before we get to his musical exploits, I’m always interested in people’s stories about how they discovered and ultimately chose Madison. Ryan’s tale is classic!  “I’m originally from Brookville, Ohio,” explains Ryan,… Read more

“Reiki, which is pronounced ray-kee, by the way,” explains Reiki Master Jessie Lackner, “is a Japanese healing technique that encourages relaxation and allows the body to heal itself. If you think about it, when you stub a toe or bang an elbow, your hands immediately go to the place of the pain. It’s your body’s… Read more

Every third Thursday in Madison, Indiana, at a narrow little bar called The Drake, with a long and hallowed history and inexplicably named after a male duck, local songwriters perform their newest creations, often for the very first time in front of a live audience. It’s a chance for artists to test their new songs… Read more