Songwriter Showcase lights up Players Pub

As the lights dimmed and the gaily decorated room hummed with chatter, three men moved toward the front of the room at the Player’s Pub.

“Welcome to the Bloomington Songwriter Showcase,” showcase manager Suzette Weakley said. “I hope you are ready for a good performance, because you’re about to hear one.”

The crowd erupted in applause as, one-by-one, the musicians were introduced.

Monday night’s showcase included songs from Rusty Bladen of Madison, Ind., Jason Blankenship from Mooresville, Ind., and Brandon Pfeiffer of Bedford, Ind.

Green, purple and gold tinsel hung from the low ceilings and caught the dim light, sending it shimmering across the faces of the artists.

Strains of guitar and harmonica punctuated Bladen’s vocals as he began the night with one of his original pieces, “Best Kept Secret.”

“I love working with the showcase,” Bladen said. “They let you play your own music. Don’t get me wrong, playing ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ is fun, but original stuff is just much more satisfying.”

Pfeiffer followed Bladen with a song about battling for the heart.

“I’ve been playing for about 12 years, and I’ve done a lot of work with the showcase,” Pfeiffer said. “This is my first show in about eight months, so it’s good to be back.”

In attendance was Stephanie Dickinson, a close friend of Pfeiffer’s.

“I enjoy listening to him play, and it’s always a good excuse for me to come and listen to the other artists,” Dickinson said. “They were all very good.”

People in the audience conversed amiably while the artists were performing, which created a loose, relaxed atmosphere as Blankenship took his turn with the guitar and microphone.

“This is kind of a simple song,” Blankenship said. “It’s about a life well-lived and finally returning home. A little prodigal-son blues, if you will.”

Blankenship started playing guitar when he was 13 years old and never gave
it up.

“I’ve been working with the showcase since sometime around 2008, I believe,” Blankenship said. “I perform here about four times a year and always have a great time.”

Since most of the songs the artists performed were original works, many of them had a sentimental backstory. Each artist told his or her story before singing.

Pfeiffer told the story of his friend Joel, who was a mailman for eight years before he moved to Pennsylvania to become an Eastern Orthodox priest.

“A phrase that often came up in our discussions was ‘one day.’ One day we would do this, one day we would do that, one day we would be somebody important in someone’s life,” Pfeiffer said. “So, in honor of that phrase, Joel began writing this song, and I finished it.”

Many more stories were shared, and not all of them were on stage.

“I’ve been playing music for a long time,” Bladen said while taking a short break. “I started playing right after high school because I was too short for basketball.”

Still laughing about his unfortunate sports experience, Bladen continued with his final statement.

“This is only my second time working with the showcase and performing at the Player’s Pub,” Bladen said. “But I’ve met some really great musicians whom I’ve really enjoyed playing with. It’s truly an honor to be up on stage with such amazing songwriters and performers.”