Each summer, Holliday Park comes to life during Rock the Ruins, an annual concert series that brings world-class artists to a local stage. The team at Forty5 Presents, which primarily operates The Vogue Theatre in Broad Ripple, works year-round to plan and present this series.
We caught up with the 20- and 30-somethings on the Forty5 Presents leadership team to find out their role in setting the stage for Rock the Ruins.
The Talent
Keith Richards, Talent Buyer
What is your role in putting Rock the Ruins together? Share your experience!
I am part of the talent-buying team for Rock The Ruins.
In my role, I connect with artists’ agents to discuss cost and availability for artists that would be interested or would make a good fit for Rock The Ruins. Once we reach an agreement with the artist team, I help coordinate timing around announcements and on-sale.
What makes Rock the Ruins special?
Like with any event, what makes it special is the people and the community it fosters.
From the team that produces Rock the Ruins, to the artists, to the volunteers, to everyone that attends; all of these pieces are what make Rock The Ruins unique and feel so special to so many for all kinds of reasons.
Which concert are you most excited about for summer 2023?
I’m personally really excited for The Teskey Brothers. The last time I was able to see them they were opening for Tash Sultana at Ryman Auditorium back in 2019. That group has an incredible gift for melody and harmony that I’m excited to see so many connect with in August.
The Sponsors
Sara Wajda, Strategic Partnerships and Private Events Manager
What is your role in putting Rock the Ruins together? Share your experience!
My role with Forty5 and Rock the Ruins specifically is sponsorship. From the start of securing sponsors to building the relationship with sponsors, to sponsor experience at the park in the Premium area — I oversee each step! We view our sponsors more as partners, as Rock the Ruins would not be possible without them, and we work to make sure this shines through at each show. For 2023, we have over 40 sponsors who believe in the mission of Rock the Ruins and are looking forward to spending their summer at Holliday Park. This will be my second year as a Rock the Ruins staff member, and I am so excited to continue my experience at the park and with our sponsors!
What makes Rock the Ruins special?
The intimate neighborhood feel of Holliday Park combined with phenomenal music from major artists creates an unforgettable concert experience. From an inside perspective, the camaraderie of the staff working to put each event together is what makes Rock the Ruins special to me personally. Each staff member cares deeply about each patron that attends a show at our venue, about the artists we host, and about the music that is being brought to Indianapolis.
Which concert are you most excited about for summer 2023?
I am most excited about Mt. Joy on Friday, August 4th! They have become my favorite band over the years, and I am looking forward to seeing them perform at Holliday Park.
The Promotion
Sarah Silcox, Marketing Director
What is your role in putting Rock the Ruins together? Share your experience!
As the marketing director at Forty5, I am responsible for overseeing all marketing, communications, and signage logistics at Rock the Ruins which includes everything from series campaign marketing buys to designing all the signage you see inside the venue.
What makes Rock the Ruins special?
Rock the Ruins is special because it brings world-class talent to a truly local stage inside a beautifully unique venue. Holliday Park is an Indianapolis landmark and I’m honored to be a part of the team that helps transform it into a concert destination worth experiencing!
Which concert are you most excited about for summer 2023?
I’m most excited about the Orville Peck show on August 3rd. Before we booked him, I hadn’t listened to Orville Peck’s music but I quickly became a fan and I’m super stoked to bring such a unique, talented, and refined artist to our venue.
Staci Seber, Marketing Associate
What is your role in putting Rock the Ruins together? Share your experience!
I’m part of the marketing team at Forty5 so I assist with advertising the upcoming Rock the Ruins shows. A lot of the work I do takes place before the actual shows. Some of the work includes creating digital advertisements, posting to social media, setting up email newsletters, and more. It’s really exciting to see all of the hard work come together the night of the show!
What makes Rock the Ruins special?
Rock the Ruins is a hidden gem in Indianapolis. Because of the ruins, its unique backdrop really makes the venue stand out when comparing it to others in town. The sunset at a Rock the Ruins show is something everyone needs to experience at least once in their life.
Which concert are you most excited about for summer 2023?
I’m most excited for Andy Grammer and Fitz and the Tantrums on July 21. I’ve seen Fitz a few times but have never seen Andy!
Kylie Stine, Marketing Associate
What is your role in putting Rock the Ruins together? Share your experience!
As a marketing associate, I work with artist teams as shows get booked to promote the events from the announce all the way up to day of show. This includes getting the show listings live on our channels to coincide with national tour announcements, learning the ins and outs of each artist to decide which digital and print outlets will best connect each show to that artist’s fans, and creating promotional materials including graphics, promo videos, emails, copy, radio spots, press releases, and anything else that may be needed!
While on-site at Rock the Ruins, I love asking people how they heard about the show they’re attending because I get an idea of how many people in the crowd saw an ad our team placed, read an email we sent, or heard a radio commercial we helped coordinate. It helps me understand how people best prefer to hear about concerts and continue to get better at connecting them to artists they love!
What makes Rock the Ruins special?
What many may not know is that the idea for Rock the Ruins came from a really difficult time for The Vogue (and the events world overall). During the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Vogue was inoperable, and our community had a live-music-sized hole that desperately needed to be filled. Scott Kraege, one of the Forty5 Presents Owners, had the idea of hosting an outdoor, all-ages concert series to bring live music back to Indianapolis when the community was searching for a reprieve from pandemic anxiety.
Now, Rock the Ruins has grown into a household Indy name, and the talent caliber continues to grow. It’s so special that what started as a pandemic pivot has become an annual community event. It’s a “phoenix rising from the ashes” story for our team and Indy!
Which concert are you most excited about for summer 2023?
I’m so pumped for Orville Peck on August 3! I describe my music taste as “a love for new music that sounds like old music,” and he has a really classic country/blues sound that I adore.
The Operations
Anna Tobias, Venue Operations Manager
What is your role in putting Rock the Ruins together? Share your experience!
My responsibilities include hiring, scheduling and managing our nearly 100 seasonal employees, coordinating food vendors, managing all artist hospitality, and making sure every Rock the Ruins show operates smoothly from load in to load out. I love my role at Rock the Ruins because it allows me to have hands in lots of different areas of the events. My favorite thing that I do is take care of our artists. It’s really special for me to be able to give these amazing musicians a world-class experience when they come to Indy.
What makes Rock the Ruins special?
Rock the Ruins is the most unique outdoor venue in Indianapolis. I may be a little biased, but I’ve yet to go to an outdoor show in a setting as beautiful as Holliday Park. My favorite part of every night is when the sunsets and hits the ruins (usually right after the headliner takes the stage). It is so beautiful.
Which concert are you most excited about for summer 2023?
I’m most excited for Mt. Joy on August 4. They were a pandemic artist for me. I discovered them in March of 2020 and listened endlessly as an escape from the real world. I’m really excited to see them play at Holliday Park!
The Money
Cole Sears, Finance and Accounting Director
What is your role in putting Rock the Ruins together? Share your experience!
I am responsible for Rock the Ruins’ finance and accounting which puts me in a unique role where I get to work with every team that’s part of Rock the Ruins. From initial planning all the way to final close out of the season, I am involved in each step of the series to make sure all the financial aspects of the season go off without a hitch. It’s an incredible role to play because I get to support the rest of our world-class staff as they put on an unforgettable experience for our patrons and artists.
What makes Rock the Ruins special?
For me, Rock the Ruins is special because we are bringing top-tier artists to perform in a unique, historic part of Indianapolis that provides an unforgettable experience for our patrons. Getting to see everything that goes into making a show come to life and the experiences guests are having is such a special feeling.
Which concert are you most excited about for summer 2023?
Andy Grammer and Fitz and the Tantrums on July 21!
See the full summer 2023 lineup and buy tickets at the Rock the Ruins website!
