Bladen an Inaugural Inductee as a Musician into the Madison Creative Hall of Fame

At a sold-out Christmas Music Showcase at The Red Bicycle Hall in December 2022, Rusty Bladen was given the surprise honor of being inducted into the Madison 2022 Creative Hall Of Fame as a musician. Bladen and longtime Madison country artist Don Youngblood were the inaugural honorees for the musicians part of the Hall of Fame in Madison, Indiana.

Rusty, who was born in Madison and has been there his entire life, started playing music as a teen, graduated to cover bands into his 20s before embarking on what has been a nearly 40-year solo career, playing his music – a brand he calls “homegrown rock and roll” – in the clubs, summer festivals, private parties and assorted venues throughout the Midwest, concentrating his live schedule to dates mostly in Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. Bladen has released nine albums, played nearly 5,000 shows in his career, and has penned more than 50 original songs. He continues to play live, booking more than 100 shows a year.

“I’m thankful for everyone who showed up and supported local music and a good cause, including Mayor Bob Courtney,” Rusty said of the evening. “The night was unforgettable It was quite overwhelming.”

During the night Rusty shared the stage with musicians and friends Rob Houze, Bill Lancton, Jimmy Davis, Chris Watson, Benjamin Reindollar, Nick Cicenas, Rick Bennett, and Jordan Antoine Wilson.
He also played a holiday music rock and roll set with his Rusty Bladen and the Living Daylights bandmembers Marty Miller, Brad Canaday, Jackson Bladen, and Michael Fortunato.”

Rusty Bladen Offical Bootlegs Channel Launched on Soundcloud

Rusty Bladen and River Road Records have announced the launch of the Rusty Bladen Official Bootleg site on Soundcloud. Fans can hear unreleased songs, live cuts, and alternate versions. Check out the music, which includes new uploads of cover songs “Revolution”, “Garden Party”, and “Never Tear Us Apart”. There is also a live cut taken from an audience-sourced recording of the Rusty Bladen and The Living Daylights show in Rushville this summer. Enjoy the music and stay tuned for more music.

  • Official Bootlegs online at Soundcloud
  • All From Her Mama (Live in Rushville)
  • Never Tear Us Apart
  • Amazing Grace
  • Garden Party
  • Karaoke King of Crawfish County (Madison Mix)
  • Red White and Blue (New York 2001 version)
  • You Can’t Always Get What You Want (live)
  • Imagine
  • Jamie’s Garden
  • Mary Jane’s Last Dance (Live)
  • Not Gonna Be Me (Live)
  • Revolution
  • Share My Dream (Alternate mix)

Rusty Bladen and The Living Daylights 2022 New Year’s Eve Show Announced for Mad Paddle Brewstillery

New Year’s Eve Party

Rusty Bladen and The Living Daylights
Mad Paddle Brewstillery’s Grand Truss Room
w/ special guests: Inside Out

Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Music starts at 7:30 pm

Advance Ticket Prices:
Advance General Admission: $20 for an individual ticket (no assigned seat)*
Grand Truss Room, Main Floor 8 Seat Table: $24 per ticket (can buy 4 or 8 tickets)
Grand Truss Room, Balcony Reserved 8 Seat Table: $22 per ticket (can buy 4 or 8 tickets)
Reserved Barrel for 2: $24 per ticket (must buy 2)
Reserved Barrel for 4: $24 per ticket (must buy 4)
Garage Distillery, Table for 2: $22 per ticket (must buy 2)
Garage Distillery VIP Couch Area $24 per ticket (must buy 8)

Day of Show:
$25 general admission individual tickets, no assigned seat
*There are six tables (with 8 seats) that have no assigned seating. These are first-come, first-served tables at the event.

Main Event:
“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 Bladen songs tell stories about living life in the heartland. That makes them about your life too”. — Roots Rock News

Opening Act
“Inside Out” is a duo comprised of:
Michael Anthony Trapp (keyboard/vocals)
and
J. B. Wade (guitar/vocals)

Venue Information:
Mad Paddle Brewery
301 West Street
Madison, IN 47250

Bladen Releases Songs from Home Shows

At the rear of Rusty Bladen’s 1837 historical home in Madison, Indiana sits a music room.  The rectangular space – 10 feet wide and 20 feet long functions as a storage area for Rusty’s guitars, strings, amps, and anything music-related that needs a home.

This is also the area that became the home to a six-night a week livestream series in 2020.

Occasionally, Rusty would head to the covered back porch to play.  Or across the river in Milton, Kentucky, at a property he and his wife, Andra, own on the banks of the Ohio River.

But most of the time, and especially at the beginning of the series, it was the studio that was home to the webcast.  From nearly three months of performances six nights each week, something magical and mystical was created. The room and webcast replaced the live shows – all canceled in the year of COVID. The live streams gave Bladen a way to do what he has done for nearly 40 years: perform his music for an audience, even if it was now watching on a mobile device or computer.

From those live streams (nearly 100 of them), we have taken some of our favorite moments and put them into a series of YouTube videos called The Bladen Home Shows.  From the hours of the footage, we’ve created a video series of songs that capture the vibe of a Rusty Bladen show.  That live essence came through time and again, via cover songs, originals, musical partnerships with friends and family, and moments of inspiration and magic that played out, night after night.

WATCH VIDEOS on Rusty Bladen YouTube Channel

Bladen Posts 30 New Shows on Upcoming Schedule

Summer shows at Put-In-Bay, Ohio (including a three show run of band dates in August), a benefit show at the Louisville Waterfront Botanical Garden, and appearance at Madstockapalooza highlight the dates announced over the weekend by River Road Records and Rusty Bladen.

Bladen will play nine shows during the Ohio hotspot summer season, taking the full band for the final trip of the year for the island shows.  Put-In-Bay will also find Bladen’s keyboard player ( and son) Jackson Bladen, celebrating his 21st birthday.

Complete schedule