I love it when concert season starts ramping up. Last Saturday night I photographed the Bloomington Winter Blues Festival at the @buskirkchumley Theater and had such a blast. @faye.andra and Scott Ballantine opened the show, followed by @mike.milligan and Steam Shovel, with @kingbeeandthestingers closing the show. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the night, in no particular order.
First concert/festival of 2026 is under my belt! It was such fun being back in the action shooting some live local music last night at the @wfhb Airwaves for All music festival, featuring @kp_and_the_wlgs , @hammerandthehatchet , @jsandthelate_nightcrew , @low_landers , and The Dynamics, who had the @buskirkchumley Theater rockin’ and getting funky! Looking forward to my next event in a few more weeks. Enjoy!
Here they are…the amazing people we celebrated for their work anniversaries in October and November!! Thank you for all the hard work and for being part of our team! 🤍🎉
Members of the Honky Tonk group during evening rehearsal at Blockhouse Bar, May 2025
This image is part of the series “Groups Collective: Bloomington, Indiana” by Jon Tonks and Roman Franc. The group photographs for this project were made during a 7 week stay in Bloomington. You can see the work in person at Pictura Gallery until August 29th. Link in bio for more about the project.
@roman__franc@blockhousebloom@jon_tonks
a few of my favorite moments from last week’s tonk, a performance I’ll hold in my heart forever.
my endless gratitude for @slowcollapse for capturing this show on film, as well as to my bandmates and friends.
dad loved him some gospel and we took ‘em to church, the way he would have wanted.
p.s. swipe for a classic Mitch March fakeout and some insane vocals from the phenomenally talented Sarah Menefee
Thank you to everyone present at the blockhouse last night. It means the world to me that through the most difficult season of my life, this community continues to be a source of support, love, joy, and comfort.
My dad was a great lover of music. He had excellent taste, a deep appreciation for music, and a great and powerful voice.
We loved to sing together.
He was also an excellent dancer, and taught me to dance.
Through these first months of grief, I haven’t felt much like performing, writing, or even singing.
But I feel one of the ways I can remember him and carry his spirit with me is to continue to sing, continue to dance, and continue to contribute to a community of people that has rallied to support me and my family in so many ways.
The first night I attended Honky Tonk after dad passed away, I was nervous, I was dreading people asking “how are you?”
That night, not a single person asked me that question. Instead, they embraced me, they told me they were happy to see me. They invited me to dance and held my hand.
If there’s anything I have learned through such immense loss, it’s gratitude. Gratitude for having such an incredible man as a father, for my mother and our chosen family, and for my community. I am overwhelmingly grateful for the moments and music we share as we all try to stumble our way through life. Never pass up an opportunity to sing or dance, friends, and tell the people you love how much you love them.
Bloomington!! See you tonight at our lovely local theater, @buskirkchumley ! Bloomington Winter Blues Fest with King Bee and The Stingers, Mike Milligan and Steam Shovel and Gordon Bonham Blues Band.
Look, Ma! We're in the newspaper!
Thanks Connie and The Herald-Times for this article about The Bloomington Winter Blues Fest this Saturday, February 15th at Buskirk-Chumley Theater with Mike Milligan and Steam Shovel & Gordon Bonham Blues Band. Tickets still available at the Buskirk-Chumley Box Office and their website.
Bloomington, Indiana Winter Blues Fest is on February 15th at Buskirk-Chumley Theater with King Bee and The Stingers, Mike Milligan and Steam Shovel & Gordon Bonham Blues Band.
Tickets available at the Buskirk-Chumley Box Office and on their website.
We are honored to be one of the top 5 finalists for best self-produced album at The Blues Foundation International Blues Challenge!
Niko Albanese did an amazing job capturing us live, and we're so proud of how Live From The Slippery Noodle turned out. The winner is announced on Saturday at The Orpheum Theatre-Memphis.
@slipperynoodleindy@bluesfoundation
