A rendering of what the bus will look like
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Who ever said traffic has to be boring? The Traffic Jam, is a concert taking place in Bengaluru on June 21. Organised by Indie Sound Trail, a non profit organisation and artist ecosystem supporting independent music, the event has a concert bus moving through the city and performing live music.As a part of World Music Day celebrations, the moving concert venue will travel through major neighbourhoods and bus stops including Koramangala, Indiranagar, MG Road, Cubbon Park and Lalbagh. Every 45 minutes, a different independent artiste will board the bus, bringing along fans, friends, and listeners for an intimate performance inside a bus. The entry to the event is free, but you have to register for the acts you want to see. You can hop on the bus during the time slot for that artiste.The idea was born, funnily enough, in traffic.Supporting the artsFounded by Joel Austin and Carol Pinto, Indie Sound Trail focuses on discovering and supporting independent artistes through thoughtfully curated experiences. Rather than chasing follower counts or popularity metrics, the platform prioritises indie musicians whose work leaves a lasting impression. Discovery, intentional curation and creative concepts are the backbone of this initiative. The Traffic Jam emerged from a conversation about World Music Day and how to make music more accessible across the city. Inspired by the French origins of celebration, where musicians performed in public spaces, the team began searching for a format that could work within Bengaluru’s realities. The answer arrived in the form of a passing bus. What followed was an unexpected discovery. During trial runs, the closed nature of a bus created an unusually immersive listening experience. Without the distractions of a bar, café or a loud crowd, the focus remained firmly on the music and the stories behind it.
