Music

IND Airport (& Girl Scouts) welcome Swifties

Indianapolis International Airport (IND) has rolled out the pink carpet for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, which has three shows scheduled in Indianapolis from Nov. 1 – 3.

To welcome concert-bound travelers, the airport is partnering with the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana to showcase Hoosier Hospitality.

Girl Scouts are in the airport’s public gathering area, the Civic Plaza, making and trading more than 3,000 friendship bracelets with travelers. Besides having fun, each participating Girl Scout will earn a custom patch for their participation in this community initiative.

In addition to the friendship bracelet exchange, IND is also hosting a full-on “Swift City” welcome theme, with a 30-foot-tall Taylor Swift image on the Indy airport’s pre-security Civic Plaza windows.

Musical performances are taking place all weekend. Restaurants in the airport are presenting concert-themed menus and specials. And Swifties can also take home some limited souvenir giveaways – like Taylor Swift-themed photos and postcards.

Sounds like fun!

More Swift celebration: at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis


There’s also a big dino welcome for Taylor Swift over at the fabulous Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Suitcases can sing at Munich Airport

Wheeled suitcases are favored by travelers for their maneuverability.

But during Octoberfest season, a Munich Airport (MUC) installation is proving that wheeled suitcases can also make music.

Sponsored by German brewery Paulaner, the SoundTrack installation between Terminals 1 and 2 at Munich Airport is a walkable track made of acrylic glass with milled grooves.

If a traveler walks along the track with their wheeled suitcase and sets their stride to a strip of lights, the tones made by the wheels on the track will ‘play’ the melody of the well-known Oktoberfest song Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit. During Oktoberfest, whenever the tune is heard, festival participants are supposed to raise their mugs.

The installation works a bit like a record player, with the wheels of the suitcase serving as the ‘needle’ that reads the grooves on the record.

Click on the video below to see how the Suitcase Soundtrack was made and how it works.

Museum Monday: PHL celebrates The Sound of Philadelphia

PHL exhibit honors Philadelphia International Records (PIR)

An exhibit celebrating and highlighting the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia International Records (PIR), a record label dubbed “The Sound of Philadelphia,” is now on view at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), near Terminal A-East.

The label created by songwriting duo Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, along with collaborator Thom Bell, released hits by artists such as Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle, Lou Rawls, The O’Jays, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

Chuck Gamble, the nephew of PIR co-founder Kenny Gamble (first photo), was on hand for the ribbon-cutting, as was co-founder Leon Huff (below, in the checked shirt).

Airport Amenity of the Week: SFO’s Golden Gate Park ‘activation’

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has an ongoing program celebrating the city’s neighborhoods and cultural events.

The newest activation shines a light on the rich history of live music performances in Golden Gate Park with a photo essay, live performances, and a photo station in Terminal 3, Boarding Area F.

“From Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s to Lizzo in the 2020s; from the Summer of Love to Outside Lands and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Golden Gate Park has long been a Bay Area epicenter of music and culture,” SFO reminds us.

The new activation, SFO Celebrates: Music in Golden Gate Park will feature live music performances on August 26th and September 1st & 2nd.

On a stage near the F Food Court, there’s a two-sided backdrop where travelers can put themselves into the picture with the Grateful Dead in the 1960s or with Billie Eilish today.

And there’s a photo Exhibition in the F Concourse along the moving walkway, featuring photos of memorable performances in Golden Gate Park that have taken place over the past 60 years.