FIRST FRIDAYS DOWNTOWN SOUTH BEND JAZZ, COMEDY, ARTISTS & MORE!
February 1, 2010 — SOUTH BEND, IN – First Fridays Downtown South Bend celebrates another great night of unique entertainment and offerings on Friday, February 5. Downtown South Bend businesses will feature a mix of musicians, special sales, gallery artist receptions, and dinner specials from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Three high school jazz bands will perform live in Trio’s Restaurant & Jazz Club’s Backroom Jazz Café located at 129 N Michigan St. Admission is free and open to the public. Mishawaka High School’s jazz band takes the stage at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Concord High School jazz band at 7:00 p.m.and John Adam’s High School jazz band at 8:30 p.m. Grab a bite to eat in the Backroom Jazz Café or make plans to eat in the dining room before or after your favorite group performs.
Buffalo Wild Wings will host the First Fridays Key Bank Concert featuring the music of Kellirae & Craig. A well-known and beloved acoustic duo, Kellirae & Craig play an eclectic mix of vocals and guitar, drawing from some of the best of country, folk and pop. Their concert performance is from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. and it’s free!
Catch live music and a few laughs at the Chicory Café, 105 E. Jefferson, corner of Jefferson and Michigan. Local pianist Freddy Black will play a spectrum of music from Oscar Peterson to the Beatles as well as classical, jazz and gospel from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Stacey Koziel will share her mixture of folk, soul and jazz from 6:00 – 7:15 p.m. Then get ready for the comedy group Candy in Church performing at 7:30 p.m. A group of spry 20-somethings coming all the way from the suburbs of Chicago. “We’re funny so you don’t have to be.” The Candy in Church performance runs until 8:30 p.m. All performances are free and open to the public.
First Fridays are the perfect time to gallery hop: Visit the Colfax Campus Gallery located in the Colfax Cultural Center, 914 Lincoln Way West. A three person show, ON EXHIBIT #2: 2009 – 2010, features oil paintings and ink drawings by Kerri S. Bash, photography by the late Ruth English, and ink and gouache works on paper along with oils and acrylics on canvas by Brooks Cashbaugh. Join the artist reception from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Across the street from the Colfax Cultural Center, at 805 and 807 Lincoln Way West, is New Galleries which features two very different exhibit spaces. An opening reception for the exhibit “Recent Paintings by Norman and Dixie Bradley” from Ft. Wayne, Indiana will take place from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Also on display are works by New Galleries’ thirteen gallery artists. Admission is free.
Artpost, located at 216 W. Madison near the Civic Theatre, is the newest gallery to open in downtown South Bend. From 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. celebrate Black History Month and First Fridays with an evening of jazz from DJ Mr. Bill, He’ll be spinning some of the best jazz pieces ever recorded. Bring your own favorite CDs to share and help Artpost celebrate an original American art form. Currently on exhibit at Artpost: Low Fidelity: Plastic and Pinhole Work by Seven Regional Photographers. Admission is free.
A Meet Me in the Gallery event will be taking place at the South Bend Museum of Art (SBMA), 120 S. St. Joseph St., from 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. A lively evening in the galleries is planned. Enjoy the smooth and sultry vocals of Priscilla Phillips with the jazz combo of Bill Nicks on drums, Darrel Tidaback on bass along with keyboardist Eric Clauncy. Up for your viewing pleasure will be the Scholastic Art Awards. Open to all regional junior and senior high schools, this exhibition encompasses several hundred works of art from the hands of young, budding artists. This is an all ages event. SBMA and WVPE 88.1 Public Radio members admitted free, adults $5, children 12 & under free.
For a complete listing of February 5 First Fridays’ participants, event times and locations visit www.DtsbFirstFridays.com or call Downtown South Bend, Inc. at 574.282.1110. Please note the next First Fridays event will be on the second Friday in April which is the 9th.
First Fridays Downtown South Bend features over 35 participating businesses and takes place from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, with the exception of April. Participating businesses remain open or host special events such as live music, sidewalk cafés, demonstrations, celebrations, receptions and special offerings. Most events are free or at a reduced rate. Future First Friday dates are; March 5, April 9, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 1, November 5 and December 3, 2010. Visit www.DtsbFirstFridays.com for a complete listing of participants, activities and events.
