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By Dan Brown, Photos by Jay Jorgensen
The Indio Redevelopment Agency purchased the Twisters Building with an eye towards turning it into an entertainment center to attract people to downtown Indio. That was October 2005. Now, through donations, grants, and the generosity of the city, the Indio Performing Arts Center, (or IPAC) as it is now known, nears its goal of 250 performances annually. The recent fundraiser Rock the IPAC was a prime example of how the venue showcases local talent and brings attention to the exciting new venue. Theatre manager Rick Jones and Eric Frankson, a violinist with the Coachella Valley Symphony, produced the event. Forty-two bands and musicians performed over the course of a day in the IPAC’s three theatres and lobby. Musical styles included hard metal from Klonus, blues and rock from the John Stanley King Band, classic rock covers from Beau MacDougall & Good Company and standards from Mara Getz. All the musicians were from the Coachella Valley and donated their time to raise money to help IPAC keep its children’s programs free for participants. Other bands performing included: The Pills, a group originally made up of members in the medical field; Alyce Bowie, a band that usually performs classic rock covers did some of their original material; The Pedestrians played original rock and rap and really got the crowd dancing; and Feisty Joe was, well, feisty! Upcoming events at the IPAC include: Dueling Pianos with Wayland Pickard and Debra Johnson, October 18, 2008; Last of the Red Hot Lovers, October 24-26, 2008; Something to Smile About by Jerome Elliott, October 25, 2008; Valley Idol, October 26, 2008; and Jimmy Chapel, October 31, 2008. For more information, visit the IPAC’s website at www.indioperformingartscenter.org. |
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