Table of contents for April 2021 in Indianapolis Monthly

In Megan Fernandez’s wonderful profile of Barbara Baekgaard (p. 60), the Vera Bradley cofounder, who is entering the next phase of her entrepreneurial career at age 82 (!), shared the secret to her success: Say “yes,” she says, and worry about the details later. But one thing the story won’t tell you is that old people lie. Like, a lot. Joe Biden (78)? Big-time liar—Trump said so. Trump (74)? Total fake news. You might not know this, but that’s not even his real hair. That woman in the nursing home celebrating her 104th birthday? She’s really 102. The ability to lie is just something that comes with getting your AARP card, like a senior-sized soda at McDonald’s. Don’t believe it? Tell me the Rolling Stones weren’t just a bunch of…

Our January story on Bottleworks inspired a lot of enthusiasm for the new Mass Ave development. WHICH BOTTLEWORKS DESTINATION WILL BE YOUR FIRST STOP THIS SPRING? “Great options all over. I think it will be a big hit for Indy.”—BLAKE FOGELSONG, via Facebook “Bottleworks is going to be an awesome place to hang.”—MATT PELSOR, via Twitter “The craftwork looks boss in the pictures I’ve seen so far.”—MCKENZIE SPOTTS, via Twitter “Who else is excited to check this place out?” —JEREMIAH SHEETS, via Twitter LOOK FOR OUR NEXT POLL ON TWITTER. FOLLOW US @INDYMONTHLY FOR DETAILS. #ICYMI Our online stories you might have missed. IN THE POCKET Derek Schultz on Carson Wentz as the Colts’ new QB. LET IT SNOW Look back with our photo gallery on February’s big snowstorm. OUR POWERS COMBINED An NFL…

You might catch some Hoosier Hysteria over these Converse Chuck 70s high-tops that pay homage to the 1955 Crispus Attucks championship basketball team. The Flying Tigers were the first all-Black squad in the country to win a state title, making the downtown high school’s feat a shoo-in for Converse’s Breaking Down Barriers collection celebrating Black excellence. Despite being replaced in the big leagues by more supportive sneakers, the classic design and improved heel cap conceived by Indiana native Chuck Taylor are still honored today by ballers and shot-callers alike. $85, select Finish Line and JD Sports locations…

WHO ARE YOU WEARING? My label, Tokyo Twiggy! The shape and textile of this dress are inspired by Japanese shrines. CAN HOOSIERS WEAR HARAJUKU? I don’t expect people to wear my brand from top to bottom. I want people to make it their own. It’s OK to wear what you want to wear and not what trends say you should. YOU CERTAINLY TURN HEADS. I won the emerging designer competition at the inaugural Indiana Fashion Week, which was judged by the creator of New York Fashion Week, Fern Mallis. She and I later met for lunch in New York and she invited me on a private tour of the Coterie trade show. SURELY THAT OPENED A FEW DOORS. I designed this dress for NYFW last September. I am so excited…

Cheers A FORMER PIZZA KING a few blocks south of Zionsville’s brick-paved village center might not promise the charm befitting one of Indy’s most storied distilleries. Nonetheless, the same crew that turned a late-1800s carriage repair shop into the hippest sipping spot in Fletcher Place labored late last year to transform a low-slung corner of a suburban strip mall into Hotel Tango Zionsville. The spinoff opened its doors to northside cocktail fans in mid-January, offering all the smooth house spirits and clever mixology of the original location with a similar look framed in corrugated metal and plenty of rough-hewn wood. Plan for happy hours of pizza, pulled-pork nachos, and pretzels with gin-spiked cheese dip, all served alongside such pretty potables as The Cure, which mingles house gin with cherry liqueur,…

SCORPION PEPPER VERY HOT HONEY Hot, hot, hot. We’re serious, and you should pay attention. Beekeeper Jeff Cripe of Eagle Creek Apiary infuses his honey for three to six weeks with scorpion peppers, one of the hottest varieties in the world. The result is delicious, but drizzle it gently the first time you use it to gauge your tolerance level. eaglecreekapiary.com COLD SMOKED HONEYCOMB Smoking Goose infuses flavor into honeycomb harvested by beekeeper Ross Harding of Hardwood Honey. The hint of smokiness, combined with the texture of the honeycomb right out of the hive, is the mic drop of charcuterie board showmanship. 411 Dorman St., 317-638-6328, smokinggoose.com HONEY WITH HEAT Garfield Honey Company beekeeper Brian Mahern uses haba˜nero peppers in this fine introduction to the hot honey experience for folks…

YOU’VE TAKEN SOME HIGH-PROFILE, PROGRESSIVE STANCES SO FAR AS PROSECUTOR: NOT PROSECUTING MARIJUANA POSSESSION UNDER A CERTAIN THRESHOLD; NOT PROSECUTING THOSE WHO WERE ARRESTED DOWNTOWN THIS PAST SUMMER DURING THE PROTESTS; ESTABLISHING A CONVICTION INTEGRITY UNIT. WHAT MOTIVATED THOSE DECISIONS? I think if you look at those ideas, they all overlap with the same issue, which is equity and fairness. I have one goal in mind: I want to make sure that everybody is getting a fair shake when they come into contact with the prosecutor’s office and the criminal justice system. YET YOU’VE ALREADY PURSUED THE DEATH PENALTY, WHICH IS CRITICIZED AS VIOLATING THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT. HOW DO YOU SQUARE YOUR BRAND AS A PROGRESSIVE WITH SUPPORT OF THAT? I think equity absolutely factors into the death penalty situation.…

FOOD & DRINK Local restaurateur Ed Rudisell (Siam Square, The Inferno Room) is famous for honest, interesting conversations. Though he’s worked in the hospitality biz since he was a teenager, his curiosity and openness make him the perfect person to host a show that’s equal parts deep dive and good time. He’s geeked out about rum with legendary purveyor Richard Seale of Foursquare Distillery in Barbados, and talked with Chicago bartender Josh Davis about his Brown and Balanced pop-up events highlighting the Black and brown men and women overshadowed by their white counterparts in the industry. Rudisell launched the show in 2016 with local spirits veteran Arthur Black, but he’s hosting it solo now, and in the wake of COVID-19, has used the bi-monthly podcast to spotlight small-business owners who…

BUSINESS The Indianapolis Business Journal has kept its audience up to date on area business news with cuttingedge technology since it began faxing newsletters in the ’90s. Author and editor Mason King took it to a new level with the launch of IBJ’s podcast in 2018, which, as he explains, illuminates stories covered by IBJ from a different perspective “to give listeners a deeper understanding and entertain and surprise along the way.” Each episode focuses on one story with an easy-to-follow guest interview by King. New shows are available every Monday, so the most recent should always be your go-to, but according to OwlTail, a platform for podcast recommendations, the most downloaded episode is “Pete the Planner” on the magic of the 15-year mortgage (No. 58: July 15, 2019), and…

HISTORY Listening to Talking Hoosier History should put you on the fast track to becoming an amateur historian. Most episodes are based on Indiana’s 600-plus historical markers, which have room for only a few sentences. The podcast expands upon those, but still keeps episodes to a compact 20–30 minutes. Three lifelong Hoosiers—Lindsey Beckley, Jill Weiss, and Justin Clark—write, narrate, and record the monthly episodes. Their first one, “Bill Garrett and the Integration of IU Basketball,” launched in 2017. The sound quality is so-so, but each episode is well researched. Beckley is a natural narrator, and her stories about Ryan White, a Kokomo teenager who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984, and Rufus Cantrell, a confessed body snatcher, are engrossing.…

TECH With the national tech media focused on Silicon Valley and New York City, Powderkeg CEO Matt Hunckler decided to spotlight entrepreneurs and innovators in “unexpected” places. He hosted the company’s first episode in 2016, starting what would become an impressive backlog about employer branding, personal finance, and company leadership. While “regular” episodes and interviews are around 50 minutes, “pitch” episodes are 15 to 30 minutes. In those, entrepreneurs have a handful of minutes to talk to Hunckler about their business, be it barbecue sauces or product framework for Microsoft developers. The show has been on hiatus, but Hunckler says he’ll jump-start it this spring, with two episodes a week. If you’re into tech, SaaS, and startup stories, or even Shark Tank, tune in. There’s a chance Hunckler will interview…

TRUE CRIME Fans of true-crime podcasts are a self-identified curious bunch, voracious in their fascination with cold cases and missing people, and yet sheepish about their dark obsession. Since 2017, podcasters Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat have posted this weekly dose of citizen sleuthing in the form of one hour-ish deep dives into well-known and little-known cases. The two Indianapolis women, friends since early childhood, have covered malefactions ranging from the 2011 disappearance of Indiana University student Lauren Spierer to the Butcher Baker of Alaska to the Hillside Strangler, all recounted in Crime Junkie’s signature tag-team style: scripted for accuracy with some strategically placed ad libs for drama. The formula works. The show, which begins with an ominous xylophone-like intro that has its own Reddit thread and a genre of…

RISQUÉ “Fifty Shades of Grey, but for your ears” is how producer, writer, and sound engineer Eric Dizzy describes the erotica podcast he created. He’s not wrong; it’s super steamy. Early episodes of the show, now in its fourth season, centered on the fictional Jessica, who navigated the dating scene in pursuit of love and sexual pleasure. If you want to spice up your podcast playlist because it’s too heavy on politics and too low on libido, this is your show. Dizzy has expanded the Black Widow universe with more characters and stories, many of them sent in by listeners. He and his team turn the fan submissions into scripts, and local actors bring everything to life. For its current season, Dizzy is using 3-D immersion audio, making him one…

IF YOU WANT TO BE as successful as Barbara Bradley Baekgaard—and who wouldn’t want to emulate the 86th richest self-made woman in America?—there’s good news. First, it’s not too late. She didn’t start building Vera Bradley, the $500 million handbag empire, until she was in her 40s. Now cracking 80, she’s starting a brand-new project by opening The Bradley hotel in downtown Fort Wayne this summer, the first full-service hotel she has invested in or designed. “I’m the world’s oldest entrepreneur,” she says. She means it as a joke, because she is always joking, but there’s truth to it. Second, say “yes.” Forget the empowerment trend about learning to say “no” more oft en. For Baekgaard, the answer is always yes. Only then does she ask, “Now, what is your…

Inspired by our cover story on podcasts (p. 48), our editors share what they’re listening to: “Pod Save America is my lifeline, and I trust them so much that I’ll buy the products they shill for. Except Magic Spoon—I can’t pay $10 for a box of cereal.”—MEGAN FERNANDEZ, EXECUTIVE EDITOR “Office Hours. This demented spin on the drive-time radio show, hosted by the comedian Tim Heidecker, is a really effective workday distraction.”—DEREK ROBERTSON, DIGITAL EDITOR “I have found comfort recently in Mall Talk Podcast, which is exactly what it sounds like: a podcast about shopping malls. It makes me feel both nostalgic and hopeful.”—JULIA SPALDING, DINING EDITOR “I recently discovered Max Anderson’s Art Scoping, which frequently discusses his time at the IMA. The guy hasn’t lost anything in the eloquence…

Newfields TROUBLED TENURE. In his eight years at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Charles Venable renamed the campus Newfields, gated the grounds, imposed an entrance fee, and was promoted to president in February. Only two weeks into the new role, more than 2,000 members of the community and 85 anonymous Newfields employees demanded his resignation over racist language he defended in the job description for his replacement. It specified diversifying patronage while “maintaining the museum’s traditional, core, white audience.” TOXIC CULTURE. In 2017, in a stated effort to bring more racial awareness and ethnic diversity to the museum’s collection, Venable called on Dr. Kelli Morgan. Morgan says she was hired because she is Black, not because of her skill set as a critical race-culture historian. Once she began to do…

THE THREAD Say goodbye to ear piercing at the mall and hello to a Petite G Jewelers PIERCING PARTY at the Butler-Tarkington store. These quarterly events bring in a professional piercer to update lobes and cartilage with multiple hoops, studs, charms, and—the big 2021 look—chains, all of which are commonly sold individually because the trend is to mix, not match. On April 10, JudeFrances Jewelry will be there with adornments designed for personalized stacking. 5609 N. Illinois St., 317-255-5555, petiteg.com…

JASON WRIGHT BEGAN welding for fun as a 12-year-old. His friend’s dad had a welder, and he would play with it whenever he visited. Serious stints in a furniture factory and a shipyard followed—along with work as a union boilermaker. “That’s the top of the line, as far as welders go,” Wright says. “Nuclear power plants, steel mills, refineries—all the high-pressure stuff.” Wright gradually blended those technical chops with the creativity he had as a tinkering pre-teen. He always liked making furniture, and had a passion for old trucks. So when some junked tailgates caught his eye, the Laconia-based craft sman knew just what to do. “My first tailgate bench was from a Jeep,” he says. “The first few took a bit of work—getting them square and working with the…

Discovery Until now, plant-based snacks haven’t exactly been the life of the party. Since November, however, Eat Surreal’s Brittney Baxter has been giving vegans and omnivores alike some tasty reasons to think beyond the bean dip. Her line of savory spreads absent of any animal products currently includes pimento spread (both regular and spicy), Bam! Salad (her take on ham salad), and her bestseller, The Amazeball. A riffon popular chipped beef cream cheese spread, Baxter’s smooth and creamy spheres are made mostly of tofu but kicked up with everything from tamari to maple syrup. Shredded carrots add body, and plenty of onion, garlic, and a generous coating of bagel seasoning make the balls so rich and flavorful you’d never know they weren’t actual cheese. Look for them at farmers markets…

THOUGH HE NEVER MET his grandfather, Eddie Sahm grew up hearing stories about the great William S. Sahm. Friends called him Hoss because he was the spitting image of Hoss Cartwright from Bonanza—a big, gregarious man who served as the executive director of the Indianapolis Catholic Youth Organization from 1954 to 1973, taught speech at Marian College, was active in the civil rights movement, and once stood mere feet from John F. Kennedy. People wanted him to run for mayor, but he was a family man—a father of nine—who guzzled Tab and smoked cigarettes, and whose memory endures at the 85-acre William S. Sahm Park and Golf Course near Castleton, dedicated a few years after he died … too young, at the age of 45. “He was this guy that…

LAST YEAR, a friend phoned to tell me he was selling a vintage motorcycle I had long admired, and asked me if I wanted to buy it. I’ve learned not to make rash decisions, so I told him to give me a minute or two to think it over. After careful consideration, I decided to purchase it. When I hung up, it occurred to me that I had violated one of the few rules in my marriage, the one about purchases over $500 requiring spousal approval. Upon further reflection, I realized I had broken another rule, the one about spending money we didn’t have. Being a man of faith, I asked God to save my marriage by giving me $2,000 and, wouldn’t you know it, the next day a woman…

HEALTH Carroll’s podcast is so chock full of helpful information, the library of episodes could almost serve as your concierge doctor on call, for free. You may not be talking to him in real time, but if you’ve got a healthcare question, it’s very likely he covered the subject on his show (launched in 2018 and released monthly-ish) in a very consumer-friendly way—i.e., you don’t need a medical degree to understand what he’s saying. Carroll is a pediatrician, researcher, associate dean at the IU School of Medicine, and opinion writer at The New York Times. He appears to have a sixth sense for what may be points of confusion among those of us who aren’t doctors, a skill he deploys over and over to the listener’s benefit. No matter the…

BLACK CULTURE Spoken-word poet TOO BLACK and his co-hosts Terrell Alexander, Shelle Danielle, Ryan Mills, and Kam Daphine Banks debunk popular myths about Black culture in a format that’s a fluid amalgamation of group chat, history lesson, call to action, and bullshit decoder. The show launched in early 2020 with a three-part series called “Black Don’t Crack,” exploring myths about Black health. Subjects ranged from misconceptions about the coronavirus to the mistreatment of Black women in the healthcare system. This past February, the Indianapolis Public Library teamed up with the show for a series of episodes called “Black Myths of Black History.” The hosts talked with experts including Dr. Jared Ball of Morgan State University about the accuracy of Spike Lee’s 1992 film, Malcolm X, and Ball State University professor…

POP CULTURE If you like your world history mixed with a dose of pop culture and your comedy on the dry, dark side, then do yourself a favor, clear your schedule, and binge The Anthropocene Reviewed podcast. Created, written, and hosted by local, best-selling author John Green (The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down), this podcast, which debuted in 2018, explores the nuance of human existence. There are plenty of intriguing episodes, but racing fans and Gen Xers will love the May 2019 installment, “Scratch ‘n’ Sniff Stickers and the Indianapolis 500.” New shows, each with two tidbits of human culture first dissected, then reviewed on a five-star scale, usually drop each month, but the pod is currently on hiatus while Green launches a book by the…

X THE UNDEBEATABLES Hosted by four Indy natives now spread out across the country, The Undebeatables is a pure passion project from a group of truly hardcore Pacers fans. It excels at conjuring the amiable hangout vibes native to podcasting itself. O THE PACEROOS Wild card! The Paceroos are coming to your feed several times a month from, you guessed it, the land down under. Australia might not be the first country fans think about when contemplating basketball as a global sport (with apologies to Ben Simmons), but these guys know their stuff (almost) as much as any Hoosier lifers. X LOCKED ON PACERS This show from the Locked On podcast network features Tony East, Forbes’s Pacers writer, and Adam Friedman of Indy Cornrows. It’s a daily show, so buckle…

COMEDY In recent years, comedian Brent Terhune has become quite well known for his MAGA-inspired parody videos. But when the Roncalli High School graduate isn’t going viral, he stays occupied with this weekly pop culture–themed podcast. On Field Trip, fellow comedians join Terhune on the show to chat about topics like the best movie sequels, the history of memes, and South Park’s most controversial episodes. Occasionally, Terhune will also shift gears for a special “Just the Facts” episode, where he and a select guest discuss random facts found via the @UberFacts Twitter page. On an episode featuring Georgia funnyman Corey Ryan Forrester, for example, the two have a gas talking about the world’s longest-recorded fart.…

Get ready for a Mike drop. Soon, former Hoosier Vice President and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who once considered himself “Rush Limbaugh on decaf” during his talk radio career back home in Indiana, will debut a new video podcast. Hosted by Young America’s Foundation, the politically conservative Reagan-era youth movement founded in 1969 and helmed by former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, it will be a return to Pence’s talk radio roots: Pence used The Mike Pence Show in the 1990s to launch his political career. Can a podcast—the talk radio of the 2020s—help him rebuild his political brand one more time? Much about Pence’s return to the airwaves is up in the air. Here are four questions about what the podcast will be—and what it means for his political future.…

HEALTH Host Joe Kim, a former science teacher, is the sugar that helps the medicine of this Eli Lilly–sponsored production go down. While the refreshingly brief episodes (most run around 20 minutes) are geared toward an inquisitive lay audience, Kim’s effortless command of challenging material and his accomplished guests—many of whom are company scientists, researchers, and partners—might get overlooked but shouldn’t be undersold. Most episodes follow a two-part template. In the first half, listeners are introduced to gripping personal medical stories. While interesting and informative, the second half of the show is gussied-up advertising as Kim returns with panelists who bring the audience up to speed on related innovations from the drug-maker. So, if you’re allergic to press releases, be warned. But, as long as you know what you’re getting…

The Landing Shops and cafes line a pedestrian-only street a block from the hotel. Promenade Park Within walking distance, this riverfront greenspace is Fort Wayne’s answer to White River State Park. Walk an elevated treetop trail, rent a kayak, and let the little ones splash in the Kids Canal. Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island Charm and history abound in this historic shotgun diner across the street from the hotel. As the sign says, “no loafing.” Embassy Theatre This former movie palace retains its 1920s grandeur. Broadway touring shows and top musicians swing through. Vera Bradley Outlet Sale Returning in May 2022 after a two-year pandemic-related hiatus, this spectacle of a sale attracts 60,000 members of the Vera sisterhood from all 50 states and more than a dozen countries.…

KEY SYMBOLS Recently opened establishment. Open for more than five months but making its first appearance in the guide. Recently revisited and reevaluated. Restaurants included in this guide are selected at the discretion of the Indianapolis Monthly editorial staff based on food quality, innovation, atmosphere, service, value, and consistency. IM does not accept advertising or other compensation in exchange for dining coverage. Price symbols indicate the average cost of a meal per person (without tax, tip, or alcohol). Due to limited space, this list does not cover every evaluated restaurant. For a more comprehensive guide to Indianapolis dining, visit IndianapolisMonthly.com/Dining. Feedback? Please email TheDish@IndianapolisMonthly.com. DOWNTOWN INCLUDES Fletcher Place, Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Mile Square Bazbeaux PIZZA We haven’t forgotten where we first found artichoke hearts and goat cheese on our…

Susan Brackney Freelance writer Susan Brackney loves junkyards, so she was drawn to Jason Wright’s tailgate benches (p. 24). Seeing the backends of those retired Jeeps and Chevys given new life also stirred up some nostalgia. “I used to play in the back of my dad’s Chevy,” Brackney says. “It was the color of an overcooked green bean, and it had bright white letters on the back. It would have made a great bench.” Adam Wren In his interview with Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears (p. 39), contributing editor Adam Wren examined how the progressive policies of this political up-and-comer are rippling across the city. “Mears is a kind of progressive Democrat that Indianapolis hasn’t seen in a long time,” Wren says. “One of the big stories of the next…

Indy is vastly underrated as a golf destination because it’s not on TV every year hosting a pro event. When your golf buddies visit from out of town, the first tee time you make is Brickyard Crossing. No other course here will set you back a C-note. But no other course has four infield holes, either. Play a twilight round in May and you might be joined by a 500 driver looking to unwind. Noblesville’s Purgatory is billed as the longest non-mountain par-72 in the world—but the 7,754-yard back tees are better seen than actually played from. Every public course in the area welcomes walking players, but Fort Harrison State Park’s layout will test your calves as much as your game. Hear “fore” at Pleasant Run? Take it seriously.…

EARLY IN HIS LIFE, John Mellencamp would pause to watch as his mother, Marilyn, painted at her easel. He was the only one of her five children who stopped to look. When the Hoosier singer-songwriter left his hometown of Seymour for New York in the 1970s, he went there thinking he would study art. Instead, Mellencamp got a record deal. But in the late 1980s, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer did train at the legendary Art Students League of New York, and he has been painting, exhibiting works, and, like his mother, subtly influencing the next generation of Mellencamp artists ever since. Growing up, Speck Mellencamp—the musician’s younger son with his ex-wife, model Elaine Irwin—remembers watching his dad paint. “I’ve always been interested in art,” says Speck, who…

NEW HERBALISM shop Snakeroot Botanicals is digging into the trend of lush tropical and edible plants. The owners of Square Cat Vinyl in Fountain Square opened the doors to Snakeroot next door as an immersive experience of all things urban gardening. Even from the street view, it’s reminiscent of a greenhouse with its rows of plants and hanging baskets on the other side of the apothecary’s towering windows. Upon entering, you’ll encounter a unique variety of indoor plants (including everyone’s favorite, the mini Monstera, with its Swiss-cheesy split leaves), seed saccules, medicinal and culinary herbs, and CBD products from house brand Heartland Hemp & Supply Co. New plant parents will find insightful herbology and gardening books, as well as ready-to-go sets to minimize growing pains. The back half of the…

Ask a Guru HOW DID YOU MAKE THE JUMP FROM BASKETBALL TO BUSINESS? BRIAN: When I got to IU, Steve had retired from basketball. He would come back to talk to us. I was a big fan and the [unofficial] historian of the team. Last year, he convinced me over coffee that there was a business model in devices dedicated to just snoring and sleep apnea for Hoosiers. We know our backgrounds are similar, especially as it relates to playing for Coach Knight. We’re not afraid of hard work, of criticism. STEVE: We wore the same number, 34, and Brian was my favorite player. We talk a lot of basketball in between patients. HOW DID ARORA SPECIALTY SLEEP CLINIC COME TO BE? STEVE: I had both snoring and sleep apnea.…

Crust Belt It may have taken a pandemic to nudge them into their first independent venture, but longtime Kuma’s Corner chef-partner Luke Tobias and wife Sarah St. Aubin Tobias, herself the proprietor of a salon, have finally tossed their hats into the world of restaurant ownership. At Futuro, their new pizzeria housed in a double-decker storefront on the Angie’s List campus east of downtown, square-cut Detroit pies nail the crunchy burnt-cheese edge with a buttery, golden base and stripes of slightly chunky sauce up top. It will definitely contend for your new preferred local ’za. But by-the-book Chicago deep-dish is another favorite, and Futuro’s take on school pizza, the fluffy, yeasty sheet-pan version you’ll remember from your cafeteria days, will have you trading your fruit cup for another rectangular slice.…

Check out CHE CHORI’s full description on page 111.…

SPORTS When they’re not racing for team Andretti Autosport or competing in reality television shows, James Hinchcliffe and Alexander Rossi keep busy with this weekly podcast highlighting their lives on and off the racetrack. One week, the longtime friends might be taking part in a virtual whiskey tasting. The next, they could be chatting with entertaining guests like former Colts punter Pat McAfee or Indy-born author John Green. While racing naturally makes its way into the conversation each episode, it’s never the podcast’s sole focus, making Off Track with Hinch and Rossi a fun listen for novice and diehard IndyCar fans alike.…

MUSIC After initially taking it upon himself to promote composers of African descent via his own performances, Indianapolis pianist Joshua Thompson was tapped by local organization Classical Music Indy to start his own podcast rooted in the same idea. The result, Melanated Moments in Classical Music, is an approachable show where Thompson and international opera soprano/fellow Indy native Angela Brown explore classical works by, for, and about Black people. Launched in March 2020, the podcast’s first season introduced listeners to composers like Evelyn Simpson Curenton and William Grant Still via informative episodes ranging from 15 to 25 minutes in length. While the show continues ahead with some more of these bite-sized history lessons in 2021, Brown and Thompson also interview some modern movers and shakers in Season 2 as well,…

FINANCE Pete Dunn, known professionally (colloquially?) as Pete the Planner, enjoys talking about an oft-avoided subject: money. Each week, the financial expert and former comedian helps people with the tumultuous math of personal finance. He and his co-host, Damian “No Relation to Pete” Dunn, answer listener conundrums from a point of empathy. They don’t shame listeners into making changes like a low-rent Dr. Phil. Instead, they use phrases like “fiscal warts” to break down complexities like Robinhood, a financial services company that offers commission-free trades. Each episode records live on Facebook and YouTube on Fridays at noon and usually has a “big” topic—minimum wage or student loan forgiveness, for example. There’s wit in each 45-minute episode, though some topics may feel political. Hang in there, though; the “Biggest Waste of…

SPORTS When multi-marathoner Lindsey Hein couldn’t find a running podcast that went beyond cursory questions like “How many miles did you run this week?” she started her own. Since launching I’ll Have Another in 2016, Hein has interviewed more than 300 athletes. But the podcast isn’t just for runners—those looking for an hour of uplifting conversation can catch new episodes each Friday. Hein and her guests discuss running, of course, but also the latest shows on Hulu and the #MeToo movement. You won’t hear Hein push her guests to Terry Gross levels of discomfort, either; she’s an empathetic listener who encourages her guests to share their struggles and triumphs … and book suggestions. In Episode 240—2020’s most popular—Hein interviews 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden, who recommends Life of Pi…

MUSIC If you’ve ever wanted to be a fly on the wall in the music biz, then this is your jam. The trio of hosts are long-haulers in the industry, each with a Hoosier connection, and their latest gig has an exciting lineup slated for its first season. “We have been fortunate to have worked with and supported some of the biggest names in entertainment. There are a lot of untold stories… our job is to get some of these stories out there,” says host Dane Clark (who is also John Mellencamp’s drummer). Bi-weekly episodes run about an hour, with deep-track–style stories from music, design, and live entertainment legends. Be sure to check out the third episode featuring Frankfort, Indiana, native Kyle Cook, solo artist and guitarist for Matchbox Twenty.…

(No, Seriously, Please) JALEN ROSE We’re both Detroit guys! Plus, I was merely an infant when the Bad Boys Pistons won their titles so I’m completely willing to side with you against Isiah Thomas if you want to re-litigate the whole thing where he cut Jimmy King. Not to be totally shameless about it, but if you come to the Emmis studios, please bring the baseball bat—my Instagram could use the photo op. DAVID LETTERMAN Remember that SNL sketch where Chris Farley interviews Paul McCartney, and he’s such a massive Beatles fan that he can’t do anything except stammer helplessly, bring up incredibly basic facts about their history, and pointlessly note how cool they were? Have you ever wanted to live that out in real life? No? OK, well, I’m…

SICK, SEASON 2 Reporters Jake Harper and Lauren Bavis investigated an Indianapolis fertility doctor who secretly used his own sperm to impregnate dozens of his patients in the 1970s and 1980s in the first season of this joint production from WFYI, Side Effects Public Media, and PRX that The Atlantic named one of the 50 Best Podcasts of 2019. This time around, the duo will build on Harper’s 2020 reporting on Indiana’s prison system during the pandemic. Look for a summer launch. BLACK GIRLS EATING Local food celebrities Candace Boyd Wiley of FoodLoveTog and Tanorria Askew of Tanorria’s Table are expanding their Black Girls Eating Instagram page to another medium, launching a bimonthly podcast that promises “sisterhood, well-seasoned food, and Black girl magic.” Guests are drawn from the duo’s wide…

The former local radio host and self-described “professional talker guy” has his share of platforms from which to do so, including the pages of this magazine—and two weekly podcasts. If you must choose between them, here’s our handy guide with advice from Schultz himself. QUERY & SCHULTZ Hosted by the ISC Sports Network, this reboot of Schultz and co-host Jake Query’s bygone radio show is just right for listeners looking for the duo’s signature irreverent takes on both Indy sports and the strange mundanity of everyday life. Don’t take our word for it: “Stuff like my esoteric verbiage and extreme fear of birds, and Query’s vanity and weird obsession with serial killers make up the pillars of the program,” Schultz says. DOYEL AND DEREK For this podcast hosted and produced…

VINTAGE: 1897 Resides at the Hook’s Drug Store Museum OF THE MANY curiosities at the Hook’s Drug Store Museum on the Indiana State Fairgrounds campus, this antique turns the most heads. Used by chewing gum and candy companies to market their products in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the roulette wheel cost just a penny to spin. Depending on where it landed, a customer could walk away with as many as three pieces of the treat. A Hook’s Drug Store kept it by the cash register, where it must have been a popular use for spare change. Indy-based Hook’s went on to become one of the largest drugstore chains in the Midwest until it was acquired in the 1980s by a company that would become CVS. Have an…