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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe first Carb Day concert since 2019 will offer an afternoon of 1980s hit songs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Rick Springfield, known for 1981 chart-topper “Jessie’s Girl,” will co-headline with Kings of Chaos, an all-star band that includes members of Skid Row and Night Ranger, IMS announced Thursday. Morris Day & the Time, a group that reached No. 20 on Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 chart with “Jungle Love” in 1985, will perform as the opening act.
The May 27 show will begin at 3:30 p.m. inside Turn 3 of the track, a new location for the concert that’s been presented inside Turn 4 in recent years.
The Carb Day concert is one of three music events leading up to the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500. On May 28, country star Dierks Bentley will headline the Legends Day concert at TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park. The EDM-themed Indy 500 Snake Pit party on May 29 will feature performances by Martin Garrix, Deadmau5 and Steve Aoki inside Turn 3 of the track.
No Carb Day, Legends Day or Indy 500 Snake Pit shows were presented in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic. The 2020 edition of Carb Day originally was scheduled with Styx and REO Speedwagon as co-headlining bands.
Kings of Chaos was founded by former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum in 2012.
In Indianapolis, the Kings of Chaos lineup will be made up of Sorum and:
- Sebastian Bach, vocalist, Skid Row
- Jack Blades, vocalist-bass player, Night Ranger and Damn Yankees
- John Waite, solo artist, Bad English and the Babys
- Lita Ford, solo artist and the Runaways
- Gilby Clarke, guitarist, Guns N’ Roses
- Warren DeMartini, guitarist, Ratt
- Sean McNabb, bass player, Quiet Riot, Dokken
General admission tickets, $30, are available for purchase at IMS.com. A limited number of “pit” tickets closest to the concert stage can be purchased for $50. Ticket prices will increase in coming weeks.
The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to start at 12:45 p.m. May 29.
Carb Day through the years
Carb Day moved from a Thursday to a Friday on the Indianapolis 500 calendar in 2005. Rock bands customarily headline the concert.
- 2005: The Black Crowes
- 2006: The B-52s, Third Eye Blind
- 2007: Kid Rock
- 2008: Stone Temple Pilots
- 2009: Three Doors Down
- 2010: ZZ Top
- 2011: Staind, Papa Roach
- 2012: Lynyrd Skynyrd
- 2013: Poison
- 2014: Sammy Hagar
- 2015: Jane’s Addiction, 38 Special
- 2016: Journey
- 2017: Steve Miller Band, Barenaked Ladies
- 2018: Train, Blues Traveler
- 2019: Foreigner
- 2020: No concert
- 2021: No concert
- 2022: Rick Springfield, Kings of Chaos
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No Concert is actually a great band name
Who the hell is this for?
The demographic that goes to Carb Day. Think of this as a second-tier Ringo Starr’s All Star Band, which is about IMS can afford or book unless they want to jack up the ticket price for Carb Day.
With all the bands out on package tours already playing Indianapolis unable to play Carb Day due to time/distance restrictions I don’t envy the challenge of booking this show.
They do put the effort into the Snake Pit concert. From what I’ve been told it’s a very good EDM lineup which probably explains why it sells out so quickly. Remains to be seen if those fans will transfer into race fans as they get older, but it’s worth a shot.
I just wish they’d bring back the Freedom 100. Was always a good race and it gave the IndyCar teams time to get ready for the pit stop contest. I think this year fans will just have to sit around for 90 minutes, which seems suboptimal…