**IDEA** Make us a top friend, then you can always see right away who's coming up at the Showcase, not to mention promote growing the music scene in Bloomington! Then, check out our calendar, blog, and posted songs to find out more about shows coming up and shows we've had! You can also check our latest shows by clicking Mondays on the calendar at http://www.bloomingtonarts.info .
Want to find out more info about artists who have played the Showcase, maybe check out a gig or buy their CDs? We've collected many of their website and MySpace addresses here .
Artists and Friends
A Short History of Our Short (Getting Longer!) History
Inspired by their experiences playing and attending songwriter's showcases in Nashville, TN, 'Stella and Jane' members Suzette Weakley (Stella) and Bobbie Lancaster (Jane) decided that they needed to bring a similar experience back home to the fertile musical soil of Bloomington, Indiana, and just maybe help put this place on the map as the musical mecca that it ought to be, given all the talent running around both the town and the region. With a baby on the way, Bobbie didn't quite have the time to jump with both feet first into a new musical project, but she continued to provide encouragement, wisdom and inspiration, while Suzette got together with fellow Bloomington songwriters Marc Haggerty and Dave McConnell (The Lopers) to start the Bloomington Songwriters Showcase. With the added help of the good folks at The Player's Pub, including owner Greg Hill, the Showcase now takes place every Monday from 8-10 at the Pub, featuring an ever growing assortment of the finest performing songwriters from Bloomington, surrounding areas, and throughout the nation, including places like Boulder, CO, Ithaca, New York, Nashville, TN and Austin, TX.
Although the format varies a bit at times, most evenings we feature four individual songwriters, all on stage at the same time. Each takes a turn playing a song in a round robin format until about 10 o'clock rolls around. Sometimes the players get a little extra inspired and play a bit longer and/or accompany each other's songs!
Admission is free, the drinks are cold, and the food is excellent, way beyond your average "pub grub"! So stop on by and enjoy the finest, freshest original music that Bloomington has to offer!
Player's Pub is located at 424 S Walnut St., Bloomington, IN 47401. Their website is www.theplayerspub.com .
If you're a serious songwriter living in or planning to visit the Bloomington area, and you would like to participate, drop us a message with all your contact info (name, email, phone number, besides just your MySpace page:). We'll forward it on to Dave and Suzette, who handle songwriter scheduling. A good demo posted on the web (e.g. MySpace) helps a lot. So far there's no guaranteed money in it, but the tip jar has been doing pretty well lately, and you do get the chance to network with other songwriters, play for an attentive and appreciative crowd that shows it's love, will not ask you to play "Free Bird" or "Rocky Top", and get your name out to our mailing list and MySpace friends. You may even sell a few CDs. We recommend you read above for more info about the show, and also check out our calendar. Shows with fewer than four songwriters *may* have openings for the right writer. Shows with four or more writers are usually considered fully scheduled. Keep in mind that, in our judgment, all of our writers are either professionals, could be if they chose to, or show definite potential in that direction. This isn't open mic night (that's Thursday at the Pub when they have it). You don't have to be a folkie, just write darn good songs and perform them well. Solo acts and duos are welcome, with maybe one more accompanist coming up for a song or two. Full bands should try to book their own night through the Player's Pub (not us) later in the week.
