Tag: Indianapolis 500

I don’t normally share news about the entertainment surrounding the Indianapolis 500, but this is a sign that May is returning to normal. Look for my season preview tomorrow and Saturday.

IMS.com  For Immediate Release    Superstar Martin Garrix To Headline 2022 Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light  deadmau5, Galantis, Steve Aoki, Yellow Claw Also Performing May 29 at IMS; Tickets On Sale INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022) – Superstar DJ and producer Martin Garrix will headline a stellar lineup of global electronic music artists at the Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light on Sunday, May 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the biggest and best party of Race Weekend.deadmau5, Galantis, Steve Aoki and Yellow Claw also will perform at the Race Day concert during the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Performances begin early in the morning in the infield adjacent to Turn 3 of the IMS oval, with specific set times to be announced. “The Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light is one of the most popular concerts of the year on the global EDM calendar,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Anticipation is even higher for this year’s show after a two-year pause due to the pandemic, so we can’t wait to welcome this incredible, star-studded lineup and their fans back home again to the Speedway for a day filled with fun and epic memories.” General admission and VIP tickets for the Snake Pit are on sale for $45 and $150 at www.ims.com. VIP amenities will include access to a raised viewing platform located beside the stage, a private cash bar and private air-conditioned restrooms. All Snake Pit ticketholders must be at least 18 years old and hold a valid Indy 500 general admission or reserved seat ticket. Ticket holders should be prepared to show proper identification to enter the concert. Packages that include Race Day general admission tickets are available. A package featuring general admission to the Indianapolis 500 and Snake Pit is $85, while a race general admission and Snake Pit VIP package is $190. Snake Pit concertgoers are encouraged to buy tickets now, as prices will increase as May approaches and limited quantities of admission wristbands are available. In a new regulation for 2022 to maximize safety and overall guest experience, coolers will not be permitted in the Snake Pit. Complimentary water hydration stations will be available for concert attendees. Empty hydration packs with up to two pockets also will be allowed inside the Snake Pit gates. Martin Garrix has risen to global stardom in pop as well as electronic circles –and yet he’s far from being done. Dance music’s freshest talent has headlined festivals around the globe, founded a label and mentored other artists and won the No. 1 spot in DJ Mag’s Top 100 twice. This will be Garrix’s second performance in the Snake Pit, as he also was in the lineup for the landmark 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016. Garrix, from The Netherlands, taught himself to produce and play his songs by his mid-teens. In 2013, he released music on Musical Freedom – his idol Tiesto’s label – and not long after, he released the track that would change everything for him.“Animals,” released in June 2013, was a breakout success and a game-changer for the music industry. Reaching No. 1 in the United Kingdom and many other countries, it proved that a hard-hitting, dancefloor-oriented track could reach pop status, ultimately reaching over a billion streams across several platforms. It also proved that Garrix, at only 17, had the talent to become a world-class musician. The eight years since have been marked by a quick march through the ranks of dance music, conquering stages all around the world and releasing more breakout hits. In 2016, Garrix took pole position in the DJ Mag Top 100 for the first time and launched his label, STMPD RCRDS. Named after his father’s profession, who runs a stamp auction house, the label serves as an outlet for Garrix’s music and as a platform for up-and-coming, creative talents. Garrix’ musical achievements have not gone unnoticed. He was awarded with two MTV EMAs in 2016, holding the No. 1 spot in the 2017 DJ Mag Top 100, a “Man of Today” accolade from GQ, a spot among Forbes’ “30 Under 30” and another at Billboard’s “EDM Power Players.” He also performed twice on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on NBC, the first Dutch guest in the show’s history.2021 was a banner year for Garrix. His “In The Name of Love” with Bebe Rexha, a breakout hit released in 2016, and his collaboration with Tove Lo on “Pressure” combined to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify. He was the official music artist at the UEFA Euro 2020 soccer tournament, collaborating with Bono and The Edge of U2 on “We Are The People.” Garrix’s first album, “Greatest Hits Vol. 1,” also was released last year. His latest release is “Won’t Let You Go,” a collaboration with Matisse & Sadko and John Martin. A naturally outgoing person and a born entertainer, Garrix also has headlined at some of the world’s major music festivals, including Coachella, Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza and Ultra Music Festival. He also locked down residencies at two of the world’s most prestigious clubs, Ushuaïa Ibiza and Omnia Las Vegas, and also performed at the Closing Ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Joel Zimmerman, more commonly known as deadmau5 (pronounced ‘dead mouse’), is one of the world’s most respected electronic music producers of modern times. Enjoying international chart success with his platinum-certified single “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff,” as well as “Professional Griefers,” “Sofi Needs A Ladder” and “I Remember,” he also has released seven critically acclaimed albums. The multiple JUNO Award-winning and Grammy-nominated artist’s ability to push the boundaries of his talent grows at an equal rate to his fan base, which counts 15 million and more over his combined social media channels. His latest music offerings include “Pomegranate” with The Neptunes, “Bridged By A Lightwave” with Kiesza, “Channel 43” with Wolfgang Gartner, “Hypnocurrency” with REZZ, “When The Summer Dies” with Lights, “Hyperlandia” featuring Foster The People and “this is fine.” with Portugal. The Man.In the live realm, his 2019/20 U.S. cubev3 tour, featuring production of his own design and implementation, ranked in the Top 10 of Pollstar’s top tours globally. Beyond his music career, he is also a co-founder of gaming venture PIXELYNX and is an executive of HD streaming platform StreamVoodoo. Setting a new standard for songwriting in dance music, Galantis is a collaborative project led by Christian Karlsson (aka Bloodshy, one-third of Miike Snow). Galantis’ debut album, “Pharmacy,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Dance album chart on the strength of RIAA gold certified single “Peanut Butter Jelly” and platinum certified smash “Runaway (U & I)” – the latter of which earned Grammy nominations for “Best Dance Recording” and “Best Remixed Recording.” The 2017 sophomore album, “The Aviary” (featuring platinum certified single “No Money”) saw a top 10 debut in 23 countries. The third Galantis album, “Church,” features the chart-topping single “Faith” with country music icon Dolly Parton featuring Dutch singer-songwriter Mr. Probz, which saw a No. 1 debut on Billboard’s Dance/Electronic Chart before quickly reaching No. 1 on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay Chart where it remained for five weeks.Galantis has received over 4 billion cumulative worldwide streams, and over 1 billion video views to date. More recently, Galantis have teamed up with Little Mix and David Guetta on 2021 summer smash “Heartbreak Anthem” which debuted at No. 1 on the Worldwide iTunes charts and secured the No. 1 spot at UK airplay and Shazam charts. The story of Galantis started back in 2009. Working as Bloodshy, Karlsson’s songwriting collaborations have included Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Katy Perry and Britney Spears (whose “Toxic” earned a Grammy for “Best Dance Recording”). This collaborative nature led to the birth of the Galantis project, which had its live debut at 2014’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and has continued on years later as one of dance music’s most dynamic and in-demand live performers. Steve Aoki is returning to the Snake Pit for the second time, as he also performed there in 2015.Counting nearly 4 billion music streams to his name, two-time Grammy-nominated artist/DJ/producer Aoki is one of the most in-demand entertainers in the world. As a solo artist, Aoki boasts a lauded cross-genre discography that includes seven studio albums and collaborations with Lil Uzi Vert, Maluma, BTS, Linkin Park and Louis Tomlinson, among others. In 1996, he established Dim Mak out of his college dorm room, a trendsetting record label, events/lifestyle company and apparel brand. It has served as a launch pad for global acts like The Chainsmokers, Bloc Party, The Bloody Beetroots and The Kills, in addition to being the home of early releases from acts such as ZEDD and Diplo. As a nightlife impresario, Aoki’s legendary Hollywood club night Dim Mak Tuesdays hosted early performances from future superstars such as Kid Cudi, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga, and Travis Scott.Aoki is also a fashion designer, author and entrepreneur. In 2012, he founded THE AOKI FOUNDATION, which primarily supports organizations in the field of brain science research with a specific focus on regenerative medicine and brain preservation. In addition, Aoki has pushed his clothing line Dim Mak Collection to new heights, both with original designs and collaborations with everyone from A Bathing Ape to the Bruce Lee estate. Yellow Claw has climbed dance music charts since the Dutch DJ and production duo of Jim Aasgier and Nizzle released their first songs in 2012. The duo’s debut in November 2015, “Blood For Mercy,” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Heat Seekers Chart and Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart and earned an Edison Award in 2016, the Dutch equivalent of a Grammy Award. The duo has sold out shows in the United States, Asia and Europe and performed on major festival stages at the Electric Daisy Carnival, Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza, Coachella and more.In 2017, Yellow Claw released its sophomore album, “Los Amsterdam.” The album has amassed more than 200 million Spotify streams and peaked at No. 1 on the iTunes Dance Albums chart. Yellow Claw’s third album, “New Blood,” was released in 2018. Tickets for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29 and the GMR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 14 are available at www.ims.com.

Editor’s note: The name of the reader in this story is not her real name. The donor requested to remain anonymous.

It’s a humbling thing, discovering what people think of you. A few days before I left for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona last weekend, I received a message from a regular reader of my blog.

“Are you going to Daytona? I have something for you.”

I replied that I would be there, and we arranged a time and place to meet Friday morning. Readers have given or sent me things in the past- old tickets, programs, pins- small mementos which had some historic significance in racing. I value them all. I wondered what this reader had for me that could not be mailed.

On a windy, cool Friday morning I parked my car in the infield and headed toward the Fan Zone for our meeting. Two thoughts swirled in my head. I wonder what she has, and I hope I recognize her. I had met Sally Pickering here a few years ago. We have a mutual friend who used to come to this race from New Jersey, and she was part of the group he was with when I saw him.

Sally resolved the second question in a message.

“I’m wearing a tan coat and a grey Rolex 24 hat. I just parked.”

I found a table near the historic cars and sat own. One of my favorite things about this event is the historic cars that the track has on display. I love their style and their diversity of design. I find it sad that today’s race cars all look almost exactly alike. That I saw most of these cars race makes me even sadder.

Sally appeared. Once I saw her, I remembered who she was. Sally may be an even bigger race fan than I am. She has been to Le Mans and Monaco several times, a resume I envy. I remembered one other thing she told me the last time we met.

“Didn’t you say you were at Fontana the day Greg Moore was killed?’”

“Yes, I was.” she said.

I also have a story of witnessing death at a track. We quickly changed the subject and talked about the glories of the past. Then it was time.

Sally pulled a plastic bag from her tote bag. I could tell something bulky was in it, but I still had no idea. She reached into the bag and extracted a small item encased in bubble wrap. It was a small item, obviously fragile, but I still had no clue.

A rocks glass emerged from its protective cocoon. I saw the Indianapolis Motor Speedway logo on the front and a list of names on the back. I knew what it was- but I really didn’t. My dad sold sets of these glasses during May at his package liquor store. A brewing company produced them.

“Thank you!” I said. “My dad used to sell these!”

She placed her finger just below the logo.

“I don’t think so,” she said.

I had missed Tony Hulman’s signature below the wing and wheel. I now knew exactly what it was. Hulman bought the Speedway in 1945 and his family owned it until 2019. Every year at Christmas, Hulman gave gift sets of the glasses to patrons and the staff of the Speedway. The back of each glass had a list of the race winners through the current year.

Sally, explained, “My dad was a wholesale grocer in Detroit, and he supplied food to the Speedway every May. He got a set of these glasses every year.”

I looked at the last year on the glass. It was 1962, my first race. I knew Sally didn’t know that.

“I have heard about these glasses, but I had never seen one. Thank you so much. I’m overwhelmed.”

Sally reached back into the plastic sack and withdrew two more protective cocoons. Three glasses with Tony Hulman’s signature sat on the wrought iron table.

“I want you to have these. I’m trying to downsize and I wanted these glasses to go to a good home. From reading your blog I felt you would respect them and take good care of them. You understand the history so well.”

Several moments passed before I could speak. She was giving me a part of her family’s heritage and a memory of her father for safekeeping.

“I’m honored that you chose me. Of course, they will be taken care of. I can’t thank you enough, Sally.”

We both had other people to meet, and we said goodbye. Several minutes after she left my breathing returned to normal.

Sally charged me with a sacred trust, which I vow to keep. I need to begin a quest for the next guardian of this treasure and of all the other precious artifacts I possess.