Writer / Pat Carlini
The Mineshaft Saloon in Broad Ripple typically doesn’t open until 8 p.m. But during my visit for a special Saturday night show in November, there wasn’t a seat left in the house by 7.
It was comedy and country music night by “Showcase Indy,” which is a production company that develops entertainment events in various venues around Indianapolis and especially in Broad Ripple.
“I have found that one of the best formulas to make people happy in Broad Ripple is to present a combination of country music and comedy,” says Executive Director Adrian Brown, who also hosts Showcase Indy events. “The audience seems to really enjoy it. We have maybe a dozen comedians — each doing a few minutes on stage and then a country music band takes over for the night.”
Over the past two years, Showcase Indy has entertained at several venues including Landsharks, The Casba, The Sabbatical, Bleeker Street, Connor’s Pub, and most recently, The Mineshaft Saloon. Showcase Indy has also put on shows in other venues including The Beer Fountain, The Rockhouse Café and The Madame Walker Theatre downtown.
Brown says it started as a comedy show, then soon began to grow into a musical variety kind of show which the audiences seem to enjoy the most. “It’s kind of like the Ed Sullivan show of my day,” says Brown. “It’s a variety show where if you don’t like who is on stage, just wait a few minutes and a new act will come on!”
Showcase Indy grew from another show Brown used to do called “Indy Style,” which was a fashion show that aired on WAVE TV-53 for several years. The show was primarily a fashion show, but there was some music and occasionally some comedy as well.
“We did about 70 shows and then I began to concentrate more on live shows,” says Brown, who then switched to more comedy and music. “At some point, I’d like to have the show on TV again. The magic I see at the live shows, I think should be shared with a larger audience!”
The 59-year-old says he wanted to be a comedian most of his life but never actually took the stage. So, will he jump on stage himself during a Showcase Indy show?
“Oh, I don’t know,” laughs Brown. “Maybe one day. But, for now I’m just enjoying putting on great fun shows that people enjoy!”
