Secretly Group, a Bloomington-based record label family, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this week with a music festival.
The three-day celebration includes DJ sets, a book reading, a day party, a crossover concert with Indiana University’s Granfalloon festival, and performances by 11 artists at locations across Bloomington.
Secretly Group co-founder Ben Swanson described the weekend as a chance to highlight the past, present, and future of the local music scene that inspired the label.
“We have a lot of love for the Bloomington music scene — it's been our home, and it's been exciting to watch it go through all these different cycles,” Swanson said. “Where Bloomington’s scene is today, it’s like one of the most exciting times since we first started.”
Artists scheduled to appear include Durand Jones & The Indications, Sharon Van Etten, Kevin Morby, Jensen McRae, Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co, Jordan Patterson, Tammar, Racecourse, Angela Autumn, Early Day Miners and June Panic.
The venues include The Bluebird, Buskirk-Chumley Theater, The Backdoor, Switchyard Park, and Blockhouse Bar.
Swanson said it was important to Secretly to highlight venues like The Bluebird and the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre that have been critical to the music scene that inspired the label.
“We didn't want like three days in a field or just three days in just the same club or whatever, and you know, both are just real anchors to downtown Bloomington and Bloomington's culture,” Swanson said.
The celebration kicks off Thursday, August 27 at 6:30 PM at The Bluebird with performances by Magnolia & Johnson Electric Co., Early Day Miners, and June Panic.
