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This year’s Tonic Ball, the annual benefit concert that uses cover songs to help fight hunger in Indianapolis, will celebrate the music of Lady Gaga, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Parliament-Funkadelic and the White Stripes along with Jack White’s solo work.
Organizers of the 23rd edition of Tonic Ball unveiled Thursday the four honored artists for the Nov. 22 event.
Indiana musicians will perform songs popularized by Lady Gaga, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Parliament-Funkadelic and the White Stripes/Jack White at five Fountain Square venues. Hi-Fi will serve as the Lady Gaga room, with Daryl Hall & John Oates hits performed at Square Cat Vinyl, Parliament-Funkadelic tunes performed at White Rabbit Cabaret and White Stripes/Jack White songs at Radio Radio.
At Fountain Square Theatre, a “greatest hits” format will feature Indiana musicians playing songs popularized by any of the four honored artists. From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., entry to Fountain Square Theatre will be restricted to attendees affiliated with an event sponsor. After 9, the venue will be open to all ticket holders.
Tickets go on sale Thursday at tonicball.org. More than 2,500 people are expected to attend Tonic Ball, which has a track record of selling out quickly.
Musicians interested in performing as part of Tonic Ball are encouraged to sign up at tonicball.org.
Presented by Eskenazi Health, Tonic Ball benefits hunger relief agency Second Helpings.
Since 2010, Tonic Ball has raised more than $1.5 million through sponsorships and ticket sales to donate to Second Helpings.
Second Helpings, founded in 1998, has rescued more than 50 million pounds of food in Indianapolis.
The not-for-profit collects prepared and perishable food from wholesalers, retailers and restaurants and also trains people for careers in the food service industry.
More than 1,000 adults have graduated from the organization’s culinary job training program.
Lady Gaga performed as part of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, and she’s expected to sing while portraying Harley Quinn in upcoming film “Joker: Folie à Deux.”
A five-decade artistic partnership between Hall and Oates crumbled in 2023 because of contractual and financial disputes. In the 1970s and ’80s, the duo recorded No. 1 singles such as “Rich Girl,” “Private Eyes” and “Maneater.”
Rock vocalist-guitarist White issued a surprise album known as “No Name” on July 19. On July 28, White made a guest appearance during Conan O’Brien’s musical performance at the Newport Folk Festival.
Parliament-Funkadelic, the collective led by 83-year-old George Clinton, performed as part of the Rock the Ruins concert series at Holliday Park in August 2023. The group’s signature tunes include “Flash Light,” “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)” and “Up for the Down Stroke.”
For information about volunteer shifts at Tonic Ball, visit tonicball.org.
Tonic Ball’s honored acts through the years
- 2002: Gram Parsons
- 2003: Elvis Costello
- 2004: Neil Young
- 2005: The Rolling Stones
- 2006: Prince, Talking Heads
- 2007: The Clash, Madonna
- 2008: Elvis Presley, Queen
- 2009: Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin
- 2010: The Beatles
- 2011: Michael Jackson, R.E.M., David Bowie
- 2012: The Kinks, Stevie Wonder, U2
- 2013: Tom Petty, Pixies, Grateful Dead
- 2014: The Velvet Underground/Lou Reed, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana/Foo Fighters
- 2015: Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Beck, Tina Turner
- 2016: The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, David Bowie, Prince
- 2017: James Brown, Simon & Garfunkel, Dolly Parton, the Cure, Wilco
- 2018: Johnny Cash, Elton John, ABBA, Pearl Jam, Beyonce
- 2019: Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Ramones, Diana Ross, Bob Marley
- 2020: One-hit wonders (presented online)
- 2021: Chart-topping hits (presented online)
- 2022: Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Outkast, Taylor Swift
- 2023: Jay-Z, the Police, Rihanna, Sly & the Family Stone
- 2024: Lady Gaga, Daryl Hall & John Oates, the White Stripes/Jack White, Parliament-Funkadelic
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