An Inside Look at IndyJazzFest 2024

Behind the scenes

From September 17-28, you’ll see the final product of months of behind-the-scenes work. By the time the bands step on stage, the hardest parts are done. Every little detail has been taken care of, and it is time for the artist to make the stage their own.

But what goes on behind the scenes to make the Indy Jazz Fest as spectacular as it is?

The Indy Jazz Fest team is made up of 8 members, each tackling a different role in bringing the fest to life. David Allee is the festival director, Rob Dixon is the artistic director, Elaine Eckhart works with development and grants, Mike Halperin is the production and tech coordinator, Lori Allee works with backstage hospitality, Charlene Norwood is the volunteer coordinator, and Teresa Busse is the VIP and sponsor liaison.

For a unique inside look at how the Indy Jazz Fest is put together, we talked to LuAnn Lietz, who works in operations.

LuAnn is responsible for making sure that everything is in order, from managing the merchandise, to getting everything that is needed for the bands, to working with production and hospitality and volunteers. According to LuAnn, everything is really just “details, details, details.”

While some may assume that the most stressful part of preparation is the day of the grand finale, LuAnn explains, usually that is not the case. By the time the gates open at Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park on September 28th, the busiest parts of preparation will have already been taken care of.

“The day of the show, I’m usually pretty calm. When the gates first open, there’s a little bit of chaos for about 20 minutes because everything is happening all at once, but I’ve already had all of my busy work and problems to solve 1-6 weeks prior,” she explained.

The lineup for the fest is chosen by Rob Dixon, the artistic director, and David Allee, the festival director. LuAnn begins working with the tour managers in July. The goal is to make the artists and their crew feel as comfortable as possible, and she said that “by the time we get to meet face to face at the show we are like old friends and we are excited to meet each other.”

Even with all the prep, it is the artists and bands that each bring their own unique performance and final product to the stage. Whatever is shown on the stage reflects how they represent themselves as musicians.

The soundcheck is one of the truly magical behind-the-scenes moments. It is the first time a band's performance is taken to the stage, but is done so without the eyes of an audience.

“They’ll be on stage for maybe an hour, 45 minutes for a sound check, and there’s not a soul in there. And it really makes you appreciate all the work that goes on prior to the gates opening. Nobody gets to see that,” LuAnn explained.