Despite threatening weather conditions, the "Back 2 School" shows this weekend at Village Green Records proved to be successful, as bands played to a packed lawn both nights.
Braving possible rain both Friday and Saturday nights, VGR owner Travis Harvey decided to host the concerts outdoors, rather than going to his backup plan of hosting it indoors at Be Here Now.
"I feel like every show, every year, we just barely luck out with good weather," Harvey said. "Last night [Saturday], it was raining at 6:30. I felt like Mother Nature was trying to see who would flinch first."
Attendance was still high despite the unpredictable weather, as bands played sets past 11 p.m. both nights.
"Both nights went smoothly," said Josh Hicks, junior telecommunications major and guitarist for State Park. "The bands got on and off, allowing maximum time for everyone to be heard and the attendance was thick, especially on the first night."
Harvey also had to shuffle some set times, creating a little extra stress. In the end, however, every act that was originally on the bill was able to perform their respective sets.
"Anton Genius, one of the hip-hop guys, ended up performing entirely last minute," Harvey said. "I had him booked on it. He was just nervous. He hadn't been rehearsing at all.
"So he comes up and he does this set almost on a whim. It was nice to see that he went from being really enclosed and scared to really opening up and getting a lot out of the experience."
Hicks believes that VGR's free outdoor concerts allow for passers-by to get a taste of what Muncie's music scene has to offer.
"When VGR puts shows on outside, it fronts a very welcoming vibe," he said. "People can walk right up and listen to some cool tunes, like Support the Troopz, the number one band in Muncie."
Throughout the nights, Harvey received positive feedback, serving as a barometer for the success of his events.
"I'd go around getting donation money and everyone would be like, ‘These guys are real good,'" he said. "That really meant a lot. It's always nice to invite groups that come and play and people appreciate them."
Harvey hopes that those who missed out on this weekend's shows will come out to Friday's "Glory Hole Records Showcase Show." The event will feature a slew of bands from Indianapolis-based independent label Glory Hole Records.
Read More
The Muncie Area Career Center has two programs for learning how to teach pre-K
By Hannah Amos / April 21, 2025Current early childhood educators can pursue credentials, while high schoolers learn early childhood education hands-on.
Doechii’s success shows authenticity always wins
By Hannah Seipel / April 10, 2025Doechii’s story tells us that being true to ourselves is the only way to find success. From choosing sobriety to deciding that a mixtape was the best path for her free artistic creation and even sharing with her fans that it’s okay to not be okay, Doechii proves that authenticity always wins.
History of: ‘The Legend of Zelda’ franchise
By Sam Jasionowski / February 28, 2025With The Legend of Zelda’s franchise reaching its 39th anniversary, the stories that build up the franchise are chalked full of in-game history that make each game an important addition to the entire timeline.
