This weekend in Bloomington: Pre-Granfalloon, AI under a microscope, Cosmic Songwriters

Jill Bond, The Herald-Times
·4 min read

It's almost time for Granfalloon, but before we get to celebrating Kurt Vonnegut, let's welcome the Cosmic Songwriter Festival to area stages, get our record fix and prepare our brains for what's to come.

The success of the Cosmic Songwriters Club has led to the creation of the Cosmic Songwriter Festival in Bloomington.
The success of the Cosmic Songwriters Club has led to the creation of the Cosmic Songwriter Festival in Bloomington.

One toe in Austin, Bloomington welcomes songwriters

The Orbit Room's monthly Cosmic Songwriters Club has become a festival featuring 30 artists at several venues in Bloomington. Get into the experience May 17-20.

The lineup:

  • Thursday, 7 p.m., The Bluebird Nightclub, 216 N. Walnut St., features local songwriter Jason Wilber and The Local Honeys, Jarrod Dickenson and JP Ruggieri, Dakota Curtis and Rikki Jean. $16.50.

  • Friday, 7 p.m., The Blockhouse Bar, 205 S. College Ave., features Kostas and Helen Darling, Scott Cook and Tommy Alexander, and Silvia Josefina and Adam deWeber. Sold out.

  • Saturday, Noon to 3 p.m., Bloomington Music Expo, Switchyard Park Pavilion, features Matt Lundquist and Rickie Maxwell, Hazy Hollows and Amanda Webb, Millaze and Lenox Monroe. Free.

  • Saturday, 7 p.m., Buskirk Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., features, SG Goodman and Aaron Lee Tasjan, Charlie Jesseph and The Reverent Few, and The Monon Troubadours and Oso Blues. $18.50.

In Orbit: First Cosmic Songwriters Festival set to take off May 17-20 in Bloomington venues

More information about the festival and the songwriter artists (including bios and awards) is at https://www.cosmicsongwriter.com/festival/ 

Tickets are available at the Bloom Box Office at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater and online at https://buskirkchumley.org/festival/cosmic-songwriter-festival/

Bloomington Music Expo Saturday

Since you're already going to be at Switchyard Park Saturday for the free Cosmic Songwriter Festival show, you'll want to visit the Bloomington Music Expo. Buy some vinyl records, CDs, music art, and support food trucks. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free.

I should have asked GPT: Nerd Night at Switchyard Brewing

If you hear the following intro at Switchyard Brewing's Nerd Night Thursday, then the hosts typed the same thing into Chat GPT that we did: "Welcome, beer-loving nerds and tech enthusiasts, to a night where artificial intelligence meets the craft brewery scene! Tonight, we gather here at Switchyard Brewing to dive into the fascinating world of AI and explore its intriguing applications within the beer industry."

Josh Casey pours a beer at Switchyard Brewing in 2022. The bar will host Nerd Night, exploring AI, on Thursday.
Josh Casey pours a beer at Switchyard Brewing in 2022. The bar will host Nerd Night, exploring AI, on Thursday.

The return was surprisingly long. Like a whole speech. Here's how it ends:

"So, grab a pint of your favorite brew, immerse yourself in the vibrant atmosphere of Switchyard Brewing, and prepare to embark on a thought-provoking journey where AI and beer intersect. Tonight, we'll raise our glasses to the exciting possibilities that lie ahead as we dive headfirst into the intriguing realm of AI at a brewery. Cheers!"

Hear from real AI expert Derek Whitley, research scientist with the NASA Glenn Research Center, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Peoples Park opening show in Thursday music series

A live demonstration of one of the most lively routines on "So You Think You Can Dance?" is coming to Bloomington's Peoples Park from 4:30-6 p.m. Thursday when Sofia Crespo performs traditional dance from Spain. This is the first of a series of musical performances every week until Aug. 31. Free.

It's almost time for Granfalloon!

Are you ready for more human-machine interaction and are you of legal drinking age? Visit AfterHours: Granfalloon, Player Piano to dive into what Kurt Vonnegut envisioned in his first novel. The event is from 7-9:30 p.m. Saturday, at WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology, 308 W. Fourth St. Dissect technological conundrums with IU Luddy School professors. Get jiggy with live music. 21+. Members $20 / Non-member $30 / Access Pass $10.

More: Get weird for free at Granfalloon this year with headliner The Flaming Lips

Tickets can be purchased online and in person at the museum.

Visit https://wonderlab.org/wonderlab-afterhours/#falloon for more details.

WildCare's Butler Winery Spring Event

Help Bloomington's WildCare keep raccoons, opossums and other wildlife wild by attending the Butler Winery Spring Event. It's Saturday at the winery, 6200 E. Robinson Road, from 6 until 9 p.m. There will be wine tastings, animal encounters, a silent auction, food and live music. $25 for ages 21 and older, $10 for 13-20, ages 12 and younger free. No pets.

Buy tickets at the door or online at https://bit.ly/422h6lb

Sycamore Land Trust spring plant sale

Provide habitat and food for pollinators, birds and small mammals by planting something yummy (to them) in your yard or garden. You can get these plants 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at the Bloomingfoods East parking lot, 3220 E 3rd St.

Proceeds will support Sycamore Land Trust's plant nursery, where native plants are grown for the many land restoration projects in southcentral Indiana. A pot return area will be available through June at Bloomingfoods East so pots can be reused.

For more information: sycamorelandtrust.org/plant-sale

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Things to do this weekend in Bloomington, Indiana