Rusty Bladen

BIO // RUSTY BLADEN
"Rusty Bladen is a familiar one to anyone who has spent any amount of time in the live music establishments of Indianapolis. It's for good reason that he's one of the most popular live acts: Audiences love him." -- NUVO

Rusty's solo show is a high energy, freewheeling tour-de-force of Bladen originals, songs from the radio, and some excellent hippie country-rock tunes. The band show is an exhibition of what five guys holding onto the same roots rock and roll rope can pull an audience into. The band shows are fun, rockin' and loud. The solo shows are fun, rockin' and almost as loud.

A veteran of the Indiana music scene, Bladen has played many of the clubs, theatres, bars and festivals in Indiana to build his career. Bladen powers the crowd at his shows with an atmosphere of party songs, sing-alongs and a whole lot of audience participation.

His latest album, One Live Night, (released in 2011) became legendary to his fans via YouTube. The complete audio from the concert was mixed and released as an album available on iTunes. Rusty Bladen brings his full band for 18 songs, including "Uppacrick", "Smoke Like a Train", "Ride That River", and "Are You Happy Now?" The band rips through the songs in front of an audience at the historic Scott Theatre in Scottsburg, Indiana.

It is the complete show, recorded live. It is what Rusty Bladen does best: homegrown American rock and roll.

With seven original CD's, Bladen ranks as one of the best-selling independent artists in the state.

His most recent solo album, Homegrown Treasures, was released in 2010 and features 11 new, original songs.

"The songs reflect and embellish on what it is like to live someplace for a long time, and develop deep connections. Not just "Molly's Song", which is a 12-string masterwork of capturing a heartbreaking situation, but also the summertime romp that is "Cumberland Lake".

Rusty tells the story of a boat trip where a bunch of friends end up drinking extra-strong margarita's, Woody throws on a red bikini top, and a girl ends the night by jumping naked into the water. You can feel their connection - these are people who have become close through years of growing up as neighbors and friends"
> > read full review

Recent highlights:
RUSTY, MICKEY CLARK PERFORM AT MERLEFEST
"Bakersfield Wine", a song co-written by Rusty Bladen and Mickey Clark, finished third out of more than 1,000 songs in the prestigious "Chris Austin Songwriting Contest". Rusty and Mickey traveled to Wilkesboro, North Carolina to perform the song on April 29th and were invited to play later that night on the Merlefest Coffee House stage
www.merlefest.org
Hear Rusty's version
Hear Mickey's version

• Headlined the Jasper Strassenfest, Swiss Wine Festival, and at the Mount Adams Music Fest in Cincinnati, Ohio plus events at Salem Speedway, WJAA Radio Bustock in Seymour, Muscatatuck Blues Festival, and the Mellencamp Festival.

• An acoustic live version of "Molly's Song", a song about missing person Molly Datillo (from Rusty''s hometown of Madison, Indiana) was been released as a web-only MP3 offering at rustybladen.comm and has been downloaded more than 5,000 times. A new version is on "Homegrown Treasures"

His original CD's include One Live Night, Homegrown Treasures, the holiday rock and roll album Feels Like Christmas, Ride That River, Everything for Everybody, Rockin Your Houseparty, Live Acoustic at the Hoosier Theater and Are You Happy Now?.

contact us / booking:
River Road Records / 812.265.3075 / email

Rusty Bladen Promo One-Sheet:
download (pdf): front / back

Discography

One Live Night
2011

Homegrown Treasures
2009

Feels Like Christmas
2006

Are You Happy Now?
2004/1994

Ride That River
2003

Rockin' Your Houseparty
2001

Everything for Everybody
1999