CARMEL, Ind. — "Coming back to Indiana for the holidays, in and of itself, is awesome," said singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin, who grew up in Anderson and went to Anderson University.
McLaughlin is returning to the Hoosier state for "Jon McLaughlin & Friends: Home for the Holidays," a concert at The Palladium at The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel on Friday, Dec. 8. The concert starts at 8 p.m.
As for the friends in the show's title?
- Kris Allen ("American Idol" winner)
- Leah Marlene ("American Idol" finalist)
- Sarah Scharbrough McLaughlin (Jon's sister-in-law)
- Ryan Ahlwardt (former member of Straight No Chaser)
"Obviously, there a lot of classic Christmas songs that I want to hit. We have the guests coming out, so there's a lot," McLaughlin previewed of the upcoming concert.
In 2007, McLaughlin released his firs studio album, titled "Indiana." That same year, he also performed "So Close" in the Disney film, "Enchanted," starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. The song, written by Disney legends Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, would go on to earn an Oscar nomination — prompting McLaughlin to perform it at the awards ceremony.
"Being able to be in the movie itself was such a fun experience. That wasn't something that I was even shooting for," McLaughlin said. "The Academy Awards, you just feel like, 'Is this really happening?' It was incredible. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
And the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities didn't stop there for McLaughlin, as he has worked with some of the biggest names in music throughout his career, including Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Demi Lovato and Billy Joel.
"It's really cool to think back on all the cool things that I've been able to do, the great experiences music has provided for me. It's incredible," McLaughlin said. "Playing shows with Billy Joel — he's one of my idols. It's one of those things where I'm not sure I can put words to it."
Click here to purchase tickets to the Dec. 8 concert.