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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

arts performances

Acclaimed singer-songwriter to perform at Player's Pub

Malcolm Holcombe

With the release of 14 albums since 1996, acclaimed singer-songwriter Malcolm Holcombe is an experienced folk musician. On Thursday night, he will bring this experience to the Player’s Pub for the first time.

Despite his large music library, Holcombe said he doesn’t listen to his old songs. Because of this mentality, he said he will mostly play songs from his more recent albums Thursday.

“During the show sometimes, I’ll pull out old songs,” he said. “I don’t use a set list. Most of the songs will be from the last couple of records, but if I can remember, you never know, I might pull an old tune out of the closet.”

Holcombe said he has played previous shows in Bloomington and has known WFHB 98.1’s music director Jim Manion for many years.

“I like Jim and it’s a nice town, nice people,” Manion said. “We’ve been playing at some venues there, so it’s wonderful to have this new venue there that works with WFHB and it just came about through my booking agency, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Player’s Pub booking agent Joe Estivill said he is not familiar with Holcombe’s music, but agreed Holcombe would be a good fit for the venue at the suggestion of Manion.

“I volunteer at the radio station, so I’ve known Jim for a long time,” Estivill said. “I asked him about it because I didn’t know the artist myself. Jim was very excited to be able to get him in town. Jim has been the music director over there for a couple of decades, so he knows artists a lot more than I do, so I ask his advice from time to time.”

Holcombe said he draws inspiration for his music from both his personal experiences and the stories of others.

Like the old adage, he said he generally writes about what he knows.

“I’ve never lived in the North Pole, so it’s hard to write songs about the North Pole because I’ve never been there,” he said.

Holcombe cited George Gobel as an inspirational musical figure and said he remembers watching him on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

“He said, ‘When it comes to the part I know, I play the hell out of it,’” Holcombe said. “He could make that guitar talk.”

Holcombe said he doesn’t put much thought into what people think of his songs.

He said he can’t second guess what others are thinking or feeling, but can only try to express his own thoughts and beliefs.

“At the end of the day, we’re all human — whether we’re big, tall or people of color,” he said. “We’re human. We’re all children of God. It doesn’t matter if we’re in India or Syria or the United States. We cry, we laugh and we also bleed. We’re all the same.”

With a long career behind him, Holcombe said he now simply tries to take things day by day.

“You try to get through the moment here,” he said. “You’ve got to suit up and show up. You make it through by the grace of God and a lot of good friends and family, and I’m very grateful to be of service.”

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