Hoosier singer Jon McLaughlin to perform unique six-show concert series in Indianapolis
Singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin has just about filled his Hoosier musician Bingo card when it comes to performing across the state.
Sure, he sang at the Indy 500. And yes, he's played the state fair. Perhaps his favorite moment, he told IndyStar in a recent interview, was a 2011 performance with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at Conner Prairie.
But the Anderson native is far from finished, as McLaughlin will embark on an ambitious set of shows Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Hi-Fi: Six performances of his first six albums, front to back. Seventy-five songs, including about a dozen he's never performed on stage, with a full band, played live and streamed online in one 48-hour period.
It's one-part Indy residency, one-part full-circle journey for a musician who has remained grounded in his native state.
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McLaughlin explained that early in his career, every show would be in Indiana -- save for maybe a quick trip to Chicago. Now, during national tours, he makes only one or two stops here each year.
"I'll go play a show in Denver, and I may know somebody in the crowd," he explained. "But for the most part, these are fans in the crowd. They know me from being on stage.
"But when you go home, it's like oh, I think I went to college with that guy," he continued, chuckling slightly. "The lights sweep over the crowd and I think I recognize that guy, and is that my old English teacher back there?"
McLaughlin said he is always grateful that anyone anywhere would take the time and spend money to see him perform live, but homecoming shows have a little something extra.
"It's all the more meaningful when it's fans but also people from your past, people you went to high school with... it just makes it all that much more of a party."
The first performance, fittingly enough, will feature songs from his 2007 debut, "Indiana." Tickets start at $20.07 -- a play on the year of its release. Tickets for the second show, covering his 2008 breakthrough "OK Now," start at $20.08, and so on.
Here's the full performance breakdown:
Friday, Feb. 25 – “Indiana” 2007 (Doors 3 p.m. / Show 4 p.m.)
Friday, Feb. 25 – “OK Now” 2008 (Doors 8 p.m. / Show 9 p.m.)
Saturday, Feb. 26 – “Promising Promises” 2012 (Doors 3 p.m. / Show 4 p.m.)
Saturday, Feb. 26 – “Holding My Breath” 2013 (Doors 8 p.m. / Show 9 p.m.)
Sunday, Feb. 27 – “Like Us” 2015 (Doors 3 p.m. / Show 4 p.m.)
Sunday, Feb. 27 – “Angst & Grace” 2018 (Doors 8 p.m. / Show 9 p.m.)
The shows require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test, and masks are strongly recommended. McLaughlin said the multi-camera online streaming option, which will run $65 for the full series or $25 per day, is an added option for those concerned about or unable to attend in-person events.
McLaughlin's biggest commercial success came in 2008, when "Beating My Heart" off of "OK Now" became a radio hit. He also sang "So Close," a song he performed on screen in the 2007 film "Enchanted," at the 2008 Academy Awards.
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He was several shows into a new tour in 2020 when live music effectively shut down at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan for his Indy residency was actually conceived around this time, but had to be pushed back.
Although he missed performing, it gave him more time at his Nashville, Tennessee home with his wife and two daughters. This proved to be the inspiration for his seventh album, "All the Things I Say to Myself."
Because the residency plan predated his latest album, he plans to sprinkle the new songs in as encores throughout his six Hi-Fi sets.
That's probably just as well, as 75 songs rehearsed with a band after a long touring absence is a big enough undertaking for any musician.
"I never have to rehearse my songs," McLaughlin said. "I know all these songs. I wrote them. I play them all the time, you know? But even I'm like oh, I forgot about that one. I don't think I've ever played that song. I have to really dig in and learn it again."
But McLaughlin is up for it.
"We've already had a couple of rehearsals with the band, and I'm loving it. I can not wait for these shows. It's going to be a blast."
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Rory Appleton is the pop culture reporter at IndyStar. Contact him at 317-552-9044 and rappleton@indystar.com, or follow him on Twitter at @RoryDoesPhonics.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana native singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin Indianapolis concerts
