The Brass Rail is set to host an evening full of ska on Friday, Aug. 20. Reuniting for the occasion will be Fort Wayne’s super band The Hypnotics featuring members of Unlikely Alibi, Heavy Step, Skavossas, and Deals Gone Bad. 

The lineup consists of Todd Hembrook on vocals, Justin Maloney on guitar, Kevin Hockaday on drums, Eric Rutkowski on bass, Jay Freimuth on trumpet, Travis Roth on tenor saxophone, Dave Snook on trombone, and Matt Cashdollar on organ and tenor saxophone). Missing will be Todd Roth who unfortunately will be out of town during the event. 

Together, they will perform hits from each of the bands. 

And Cashdollar informed me that there will be a few surprises as well. He said they have had several rehearsals thus far and everything is clicking. 

The Indianapolis ska sensation The Operators will open the show at 10 p.m. 

Arcadian Wild settles into Fort Wayne

The Baker Street Centre has added another worthy folk/bluegrass outfit to its calendar as they welcome The Arcadian Wild on Friday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. 

Hailing from the capital of songwriting of Nashville, Tenn., the band is utterly adventurous with their hip accented guitar, acoustic bass, soaring violin, rich vocal harmonies, and strong lyrics. 

With years of studying music academically and pushing the limits in songwriting, they continue to bring fresh ideas to the table. The band’s latest EP, Principium, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart. 

General admission tickets are $15 and can be purchased through Bakerstreetcentre.com, Neat Neat Neat Records, and all three Wooden Nickel locations. 

Get ready to Bloom

The fourth annual Bloom Fest will be held at Riverside Gardens Park in Leo-Cedarville on Saturday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 

The event will feature more than  100 local arts and nature vendors, food trucks, children activities, and music by Lehmans Terms, Sunny Taylor, Ross Kinsey, and more. The park is dog friendly, and if it’s hot outside, the kids can cool off at the splash pad. 

Bloom Fest is free to attend, but there is a $3 parking fee with half the proceeds donated to the Children’s Services of Grabill Missionary Church and the other half used for next year’s park rental. Visitors can also purchase from 12 food trucks. 

For more information, visit bloomfest.org.

Brews and Barbecues 

If tasty brews and BBQ are your calling, head to Combat Ops on Friday, Aug. 20, from 6-10 p.m. for the third annual BrewBash. 

Come gather at their outdoor pavilion where you can sample award-winning IPA’s and ciders from some of the area’s best, including Chapman’s, Hop River, Mad Anthony’s, Ambrosia Orchard, and Bad Dad Brewing in Fairmount, Ind. 

You might as well throw an axe while tossing back a cold one. That’s right, there will be axe throwing, mini golf, and cornhole tournaments throughout BrewBash with entry for each at $10. 

If you would like to come show your support, have fun, and fill your belly with fine food and drinks, then RSVP for your chance to win an official BrewBash T-shirt and a $20 gift card.