65/365 Sci-fi sightings at Symphony on the Prairie

Yes, Luke, that is your father, and he was sighted in Indianapolis this past weekend at Symphony on the Prairie.

After having missed attending Symphony on the Prairie for too many past years, I've now gone twice this month, and I've loved it! This past weekend, I went with a group of friends for the Sci-Fi Spectacular performance. As a fan of action, adventure, and sci-fi movies, this was right up my alley. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra played songs from the scores of Star Wars, Star Trek, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Day the Earth Stood Still, E.T. and Up, among others. (How Up fits in there, I'm not quite sure, but it was still enjoyable.)

Darth Vader himself made a couple appearances, and George Takei -- Sulu from the original Star Trek -- was a guest narrator.

It made me want to watch all of these movies again! And it made me go to IMDB to see when the next Star Trek movie is coming out, because I loved the last one. (The answer is 2012.)

The crowd wasn't nearly as large for this show as it was for the July 4th spectacular, so my seats were much closer to the amphitheater and the view unobstructed by trees.

I'm sure you'll be seeing even more photos of Symphony on the Prairie, because I'm planning to go yet again this coming weekend. What a great way to spend a summer evening in Indianapolis!

Camera: Canon 40D with 70-300mm IS lens
1/250s, f/5.6 at ISO 100 at about 8:30 p.m.
1/125s, f/5 at ISO 200 at about 9:00 p.m.
1/60s, f/3.5 at ISO 640 at about 9:15 p.m.

60/365 Symphony on the Prairie

I love Indianapolis, and having access to annual events like Symphony on the Prairie just makes me love it even more.

For those of you scratching your heads, saying, "Huh?", allow me to elaborate and make you just a teeny bit jealous.

Each summer, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra holds weekend performances at Conner Prairie, a living history museum on the northeast side of Indianapolis. Conner Prairie is a must-do field-trip destination for school kids all around central Indiana, because they can spend a day walking through the 1800s, seeing blacksmiths in action, watching how food was cooked over a fire in cabins, and marveling at their ability to wear shorts and tennis shoes that light up when they walk.

(For those of us who grew up west of Indianapolis, we also got a similar experience on a slightly smaller scale with field trips to Billie Creek Village in Rockville.)

Then, on the weekends, it's the adults' turn. They (I can say "we" now) flock to the Prairie, toting their collapsible lawn chairs, wheeled coolers (though I didn't see any that were nearly as cool as this one), deluxe picnics and bottles of wine. I went to the performance over the Fourth of July weekend, which happens to be one of the highest-attended performances of the year. I haven't found the exact figures, but I do know more than 15,000 people were expected for the weekend of shows.

And boy, did they ever turn up!

We went to Saturday night's performance, and I completely believe there were more than 5,000 people there with us. We arrived nearly two hours before show time, and it took some searching to find a spot to sit. As you can see in these photos, we were in the trees. It was both a good and bad thing: good, in that we were in the shade until the sun went down; bad, in that our view of the amphitheater was a little obstructed.

But isn't that the great thing about the symphony? You really don't need to see much at all.

Perfect weather, fantastic performance, great experience. I'll definitely be going back!

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/125s, f/5.6 at ISO 100 at about 7:30 p.m. and 1/50s, f/3.5 at ISO 800 at about 9:00 p.m.

78/365 Time for Three

The full Symphony got a break last weekend at the Prairie, as they do on several weekends late in the program season. Instead, we got to see Time for Three, a trio of young musicians from the Symphony.

I was completely blown away!

At a previous Symphony on the Prairie performance, I'd been a bit disappointed in the show, because I felt the Symphony was too far in the background of the guest performer. Brandi Carlisle was great, and I enjoyed her music, but I realized that I wanted to see the Symphony featuring Brandi Carlisle, rather than Brandi Carlisle with some backup provided by the Symphony.

So my expectations weren't the highest for this trio last weekend, but I still wanted to go and hang out with my friends. When these guys took the stage -- two violinists, one of whom is Zach De Pue, ISO Concertmaster, and a double-bassist -- they had me hooked during their very first song. Their laid-back, casual approach was refreshing.

I wasn't the only one who was impressed, either: As the night progressed, the crowd of people sitting on the ground near the stage (rather than farther back in their lawn chairs) exponentially increased in size, and the thrilled cheers after each number increased in volume by just as much.

They gained a new fan in me after that show! I downloaded their latest album on iTunes the next morning and listened to it from start to finish at least a half-dozen times over the weekend. I'll look forward to seeing these guys again!



Camera: Canon 40D with 70-300mm IS lens, 1/125s, f/5.6 at ISO 640 and 300mm at about 8:30 p.m.

Final weekend of Symphony on the Prairie

One of my favorite things to do in Indianapolis during the summer months is venture to the northeast side, to Conner Prairie, and hear the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra play under the stars.

What exactly is it about these kinds of outdoor activities that we all seem to love? Think about it: This was the 30th year for Symphony on the Prairie, so they're obviously finding some success with their Indianapolis audience. I've chosen to spend my birthday with friends at the Indianapolis Museum of Art's Summer Nights outdoor movie series more than once. If you stroll through Broad Ripple on a nice day, you'll have a hard time snagging an outdoor table at a restaurant, but there will be plenty of open seats inside in the air conditioning.

I also know that getting to eat my lunch outside at work is a recharging experience that helps me better enjoy the afternoon.

Do you think we've always had a love of the outdoors like this, or do you think the fact that we spend increasing amounts of time indoors—often in front of one screen or another—that makes these experiences that much sweeter?

Regardless of the psychological reasons behind it, I love that we have these kinds of opportunities in central Indiana.

Last weekend was the final weekend for the Symphony's outdoor season, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy sent us all off in style.

They gave us a night full of high-energy, big-band style music that drew people immediately to the concrete patio in front of the stage to dance along. The crowd near the stage only continued to grow as the night went on.

I love this kind of music to begin with, but I enjoyed this show even more than I expected to. It made me want to dust off my own dancing shoes and get back into it.

Farewell to yet another great summer season of outdoor entertainment!

A "real" rock 'n roll concert

Dennis DeYoung with the Indianapolis Symphony orchestra

When it comes to classic rock, Styx is my favorite band. I give full credit to my parents, who bought a CD of Styx's greatest hits when I was in high school and forced me to listen. It didn't take long before both Chase and I were no longer being forced into listening but absconded with the CD and listened on our own.

Now, when I hear Styx, I actually think first of Chase. Our interest in the band's music peaked not long after I got my driver's license in high school. When I'd accumulated enough road time for Chase to be legally allowed to ride with me, I started driving us to and from school each day.

And you know what the cool thing to do is when you're in high school: play your music loudly. And for that, we chose Styx.

We loved the music, we loved the true rock 'n roll quality of it, and we loved that we were the only car in the parking lot playing it. While other kids were focused on blasting the latest radio hit, we cued up "Renegade," rolled the windows down in my bright blue Volkswagen Beetle, and had a ball.

Dennis DeYoung, the lead singer and primary songwriter for the band, is still touring on his own, playing Styx hits with symphonies and orchestras. I opted out of the chance to see him when he came to Clowes at Butler while I was in college (something more enticing came up), and Mom has never let me live that down.

So, when we saw an ad publicizing his return to Indy -- this time with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra -- she and I bought tickets as soon as we found out.

He played with the ISO at Hilbert Circle Theater in downtown Indianapolis. While I've seen the ISO several times (at Symphony on the Prairie last summer), this was my first trip to their winter-season home. I'm sad to say that Hilbert Circle Theater has fallen into disrepair, but the show itself was fantastic.

At 64 years old, this guy's still got it. He sounds just as good as he did 30 years ago. He had a couple excellent guitarists with him, one of whom sang the lead on a handful of songs (to give DeYoung's voice a break, we assumed) and did a great job. DeYoung's voice is entirely unique, so taking the lead on his songs is a big undertaking.

If you're not familiar with him, check out this video from a similar concert. "Lady" is one of my favorite songs.



If you like classic rock and get a chance to see him, I recommend it!

67/365 Playing kids at the symphony

At my third attendance of the summer at Symphony on the Prairie this past weekend, I found myself watching a group of kids almost as much as I kept my eyes on the stage.

We sat in the shade near an open grassy area, and a handful of kids between the ages of about 4 and 8 ran circles around each other -- unfazed by the 90-degree heat -- for at least the first half of the performance. This little girl was loving the lush green grass. Doesn't it make you smile and remember those days of running around with complete abandon and just flopping down in the grass whenever you feel like it?

Judging by the grin on her face, she loved it.

When Mom and I were performing on our clogging team years ago, I always got a kick out of watching the kids that would approach and try to dance along with us at the edge of the audience. No concern about what other people thought, just pure enjoyment of the music and the entertainment.

I need reminders like that every once in a while! Don't you?

Camera: Canon 40D with 70-300mm IS lens, 1/125s, f/5 at ISO 320 and 200mm at about 8:30 p.m.

77/365 Potato frittata

Deep in my cook-something-new-each-week project, I was a bit of an overachiever last week and made two new recipes in one night.

It didn't really happen intentionally -- I didn't think to myself, "I think I'll spend a couple hours in the kitchen tonight and go for two new things at once." Instead, I found myself 1) cooking something new for dinner and 2) making a new dish to share with friends at our next Symphony on the Prairie picnic.

Item #1: A cheddar-potato frittata -- my first-ever frittata, if you can believe it! I made my first quiche just a couple months ago, too. This frittata was a recipe from a borrowed 1995 Cooking Light collection. (Bonus: I used my brand-new cast-iron Lodge skillet for the first time, which I just bought on my recent road trip through Tennessee.)

The frittata turned out perfectly, and I was able to stash a couple slices in the freezer for future quick dinners or breakfasts. It will be a repeat item.

Item #2: A greek pasta salad, with homemade dressing. This also turned out perfectly and will be one I'd like to make again. I actually might make some of the dressing to have on hand in the fridge for everyday salads.

Whew! What's next?

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens and 430EX Speedlite, 1/125s, f/4 at ISO 500

124/365 Holiday cookie exchange

It's early December, which means it's time for one of my girlfriends' annual holiday cookie exchange party! Each year she invites a bunch of people, then those of us who can make it bring 1/2 dozen cookies for each person to take home, plus another dozen for everyone to sample at the party.

So you can understand how the number of attendees drastically affects your workload the day before!

This year it was a small crew, so I only had to make five dozen, which ended up being two batches of my recipe. I chose to do these fantastic peanut-butter cookies that amazingly don't call for any flour. I made them for a Symphony on the Prairie outing this past summer and they were a huge hit. Combine positive reviews with few ingredients and a simple recipe and you have a winner!

I highly recommend you give them a try if you're at all a fan of peanut butter. Or cookies. Here's the recipe, or you can find it at TheKitchn:

Sensational Peanut Butter Cookies
18 cookies

1 cup peanut butter (see note)
3/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
additional sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees°F.

Mix all the ingredients up in a bowl. Roll walnut-sized pieces into balls and roll balls in the additional sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten slightly with a fork in a crisscross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes (you may need to lessen the time, depending on your peanut butter). Remove and let cool before removing from baking sheet.

Note: Peanut butter comes in all kinds of configurations and the kind you choose will influence your outcome. Some peanut butters are very sweet, some have been hydrogenated, some have a whole lot more in them than peanuts! Then there is the chunky versus smooth debate. If you choose a drier peanut butter, you may find that you need to add some oil to make the batter stick together.

Happy baking!

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens, 1/60s, f/2.8 at ISO 320 by a window at about 3:00 p.m.