Article Contributed by Dan Ward
Published on 2026-05-31
photos by Dan Ward
Most people would have a difficult time finding Shipshewana, IN on a map. We should change that. The idyllic Amish-built town lies almost equal distance from Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, and Grand Rapids, and has a wonderfully slower pace than those big cities. The nice townspeople have built a tight, quiet community, and they are willing to share.
The crown jewel of the town has to be the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center. Not what you expect, and so much better than you can imagine. The comfortable, clean, and extremely well-thought-out facility is becoming well known in the entertainment world as a great destination where artists and audiences are treated like royalty. Tonight, music royalty is in the house in the form of legendary singer, songwriter, and American storyteller Steve Earle.
Steve hasn’t come alone. Tonight, he is welcoming bright new singing sensation Zandi Holup. This charming young woman started working with Steve several years ago, which has grown into a partnership. They are even collaborating on songs now.
Zandi starts her set with “Gas Station Flowers,” a song of acceptance, which she follows with “I Don’t Like Myself in Love,” the inevitable song of regret that she says goes along with the opener. Her voice flexes between dulcet pure tones and gravelly growls, giving her songs real depth.
She continues with “Damsel in a Dive Bar,” one of her first songs, then moves to “Mary Jane,” a more recent song written about addiction and inspired by a friend’s struggle to get and remain clean. The artist is so poised and speaks so gently, it is difficult to believe she has experienced so much, but she openly shares her world with us. “Hurt People” speaks of poor parenting, while her new song “Butterflies” relates to inner doubts. These often-sad topics culminate in “Preacher’s Daughter,” in which the protagonist confesses they would rather be anyone but who they are. Deep subjects presented with an angel’s voice.
Zandi changes things up with her happy song, “Go Find Less,” in which she determines to remain true to herself. If she’s too much for you, then go find less is the message, and her smile lets us know she is doing just fine. She slows back down a bit with “No Man’s Land” before her final number, “Wildflower.”
“Wildflower” may be the best introduction to Zandi. The song is self-descriptive and feels like she is just letting the world know who she really is. The imagery works wonders, as you can’t help but visualize her out in the wild, untethered, hair in the breeze, living her best life. I think we can look forward to many years with Zandi singing to our hearts.
A short break sets up the night’s main event: Steve Earle one-on-one. The one-man show always allows the audience a special insight into the artist. No band to banter with, no rush to fit things in. He knows what he wants to say, and he is prepared to take us into his confidence. He enters the stage like he is walking into his own living room. Tonight, he is going to sing us his autobiography.
He starts with “Tom Ames’ Prayer,” a song he wrote 51 years ago when he was 20, one of the few from that time that he still sings. He sets up the next song by telling us of his father, an air traffic controller who was being re-educated, causing him to take a trip that inspired a young Steve Earle to do a little background work on the Devil’s Infantry. “Ben McCulloch” is a soulful tune about an unpleasant man in bad times.
Steve relates to seeing Bruce Springsteen and being inspired to write his first album. “Guitar Town” punctuates the success. The dreamlike song “Someday” sets the stage for Steve’s break, when Springsteen bought a copy of Steve’s first album and the story found its way into the news, setting Steve Earle on his way. Steve gives a nod to Chicago radio station WXRT for creating a new format and reshaping the way people listened to and received music.
“I Ain’t Satisfied” moves us later into Steve’s career and his time producing records in London. “Number 29” sets up the time he crashed an MCA party to tell the big boss he wanted to be part of a resurrected label and was told he needed to do rock and roll, so he just did. The hard-hitting and wildly popular “Copperhead Road” is given as an example of his effort, and the crowd erupts.
Steve takes us into his dark times, when drug use started him on a downward spiral. Time spent traveling with Bob Dylan led him further astray, and “Billy Austin” gives a melodic glimpse of Steve’s dark time. He emerged victorious after a bout with the law and rehab. The first song he wrote sober, “Goodbye,” exemplifies his return.
Steve explains his three-month-only tour schedule, as he is taking care of his son the rest of the year. Family first hits hard with this Midwestern crowd. Steve lightens the mood with what he calls “chick” songs. “Sparkle and Shine,” “Girl on the Mountain,” and “You’re the Best Lover” come in fast succession. Steve is going somewhere.
He starts a new tact with “Nashville Blues” and goes directly to “Cocaine Cannot Kill My Pain.” He lets us know he has slipped into the blues, and with Steve, that can only lead to another fan favorite, “Transcendental Blues.” The song is as fresh and relevant today as when it was new.
Steve gives us another classic, “She’s the Devil I Know,” before he is ready to tell us a little more about his life. He relates his youth working as a house framer, where he first encountered Mexican culture. He speaks fondly of his time getting to know and respect this culture, and it has led him to work for six years writing the musical score to Tender Mercies. One of the first songs from that project, “Volver a Celaya,” tells of an immigrant who has lost everything and is now ready to head home.
Steve brings out a bouzouki for his newest song, “City of Immigrants,” when he incites the audience to sing along. He tells us our first attempt was “not good” and proceeds to have us sing a cappella. The subject is clear: we live in a city of immigrants, we owe our country’s existence to them, and we are them; we are all immigrants.
At the conclusion of the song, Steve waves and heads off stage. This is just a ploy. No one believes Steve Earle would do a retrospective show without his most famous song, but first Steve has a treat for us. Steve reenters with Zandi. They have co-written a song, “Anything but You,” and the duo sings it full out. The song is deep with emotion and is received with a standing ovation.
The evening has been a smashing success, and finally Steve gives us our due, playing “Galway Girl” as the audience claps and sings along. For those who don’t know this amazing song, in Ireland, “Galway Girl” is considered a standard, and no respectable troubadour would take the stage without being able to render an inspired version. But it is not Irish at all. Instead, it is an American’s view of the Emerald Isle rendered so perfectly the locals were implored to adopt it as one of their own. High praise for a house framer from Texas.
Steve promises he is also working on a musical for “Galway Girl” while continuing to tour, write, and take care of family. Look for new music from Steve and Zandi on all streaming platforms, and when you find yourself in that quaint bar in Donegal, ask them to play that Irish standard written deep in the heart of Texas.
