Poetry, Comedy, Music
Little Flower House Concert #37
At the February house concert variety show, three very talented local artists were featured. Indianapolis has so much great talent! This house concert was unique and special in its variety of content. It also brought out some folks who weren’t regulars to the series. We had a lovely evening listening together and supporting local performing arts. The fun colors and low lighting in the room set a chill mood.
Poetry by Sylvia Thomas
Sylvia Thomas was the first to perform. Sylvia is an internationally renowned poet based in Indianapolis, specifically in Garfield Park. She writes about her experiences being a Transgender woman in the United States. Sylvia has performed at Pride and poetry festivals all over the world. In 2021 she became Arts Ambassador for the United Nation Envoy on Youth.
Sylvia’s performance opened with music.
For her opening piece she sang acapella. We listened to Sylvia speak about her experience with international Pride festivals as well as her experiences here in Indiana. She even did a piece that she performed on the World Pride stage. Wow! She told u that one of her favorite pieces, which included an ode to pop music, and included the tune “Believe” by Cher – “Do you believe in life after love?” And she sang it to us as part of that story/poem.
Words, memories, and how we treat each other are so powerful!
Sylvia is very personable and relatable. Her passionate presentation resonated. She puts her thoughts and feelings into words so artfully. It is truly a special gift that she shared with us. Our community is fortunate to have such a gem of a person and talent! She read selections from her collection of poetry and also had some new pieces to share. Sylvia Thomas also had copies of her book “Twirl” available at the house concert variety show for purchase.
Comedy by Dwight Simmons
Dwight Simmons is one of my favorite local comedian who just recorded his comedy special last month. As the host, I realize I did a horrible job introducing him but I really appreciate how he teased me for that too. Welcome to my house, I’m so glad you’re here… let me ruin your introduction – HA! (Insert blush of embarrassment.)
Responsive Improve & Storytelling Through Comedy
Dwight did a great job dealing with the unique house concert, variety show crowd and controlling their (sometimes obnoxious) banter. During one comedic story about his childhood, he said “Black people can be hillbillys too!” He had been to a craft beer festival earlier in the day. There were a few black friends at the house concert but apparently, there weren’t many black folks at the festival – so there were some jabs around that as well.
Dwight uses comedy to tell stories from his life about his proposal and being married to a white woman and growing up in Carmel, IN. He also talked about living in Indianapolis and being on TV. Dwight smiles a lot and has a way of capturing the audience’s attention. There have been a few other house concerts that included comedy. It is always a fun addition and we all shared some laughs. It was a great set!
Music by Mark Dippel
Multi-instrumentalist, Mark Dippel played a wonderful last set of music for house concert guests. This is the second time Mark has performed at the Little Flower House Concert Series and he always has something new to share.
Something New at Every Gig!
Mark said that he likes to always do something that he has never done before at each gig. This time, he had a “secret box”… inside the box, he revealed some unique percussive instruments that he used during his first tune, a stripped-down, ‘Ice Ice Baby’ cover. Then he immediately went into one of his tunes called “Observe The Destruction”.
His music has a lot of lyrics. It is raw, unpolished, and imperfect. Mark says it makes his music more “punk rock!” and it is certainly one of a kind! Mark is a unique, creative guy and as part of his merch offerings, he had paper dolls of himself to give away.
Direct quote…“THIS is the proper technique for playing xylophone.” (See high kick photo!)
Here’s more of what Mark had to say, “Glory be! The Little Flower House Concert Series Variety Show was just an insane amount of fun! Thank you to Kati Loreen Taylor for hosting and putting the whole thing together– Outstanding work, as always. Thank you to everyone who attended and enjoyed the show, and thank you for the generous donations. Thank you to Sylvia Thomas and Dwight Simmons for throwing down some great performances and adding your own unique styles to the evening! I had a complete blast playing my set and trying out some wacky new ideas. Definitely, one of the most memorable shows I have ever played. BRAVO to everybody! I loved every second of it.”
A New & More Open House Concert Space
The 3 weeks before the last house concert, my house was torn up. After the window broke and I made the decision to move forward with putting in doors to replace it, the construction began. What a difference this made for the house concert! There was a lot more room for guests to sit and move around the house more comfortably. Check out the project time-lapse video!
The Arts Are Powerful.
Here’s a reminder (perhaps to myself!) to focus on good things and good people. This world can be very harsh. But, the arts are powerful and we need to keep supporting each other and shining our love lights.
This project was about half funded by house concert guests. THANK YOU. This change will make a difference for future house concerts and I am excited about what’s coming up. I cannot wait to share this space and listen to more amazing artists with everyone. I hope you are looking forward to it too!
If you are able or interested in donating, know that your contribution is needed and appreciated (probably more than you know). Any amount is helpful. Thank you for your support.
Hotdogs Anyone?
Weiner Dreams was back again with hotdogs, brats, and all of the toppings! Nobody ever leaves the house concerts hungry with Smitty around. And he is gracious to guests and even feeds the performers at no cost to them.
Thank you again to our drink partners Upland, and Mark Gasper Presents. They donate drinks every month for the house concert guests.
What a great evening of poetry, comedy, and music!
Thank you to Sylvia, Dwight, and Mark for your awesome performances. And, thank you to the guests who came out to support them. It’s always a great evening of community. See you next month!
