“My name’s Hannah Bingman, and I wore this hat because it makes me feel like Neil Young,” Lancaster singer-songwriter Hannah Bingman said, referring to her country girl getup.

While aspiring artists like Bingman shoot for the chance to be a big name artist, beyond the mask is someone authentic with a testimony. On Friday, The Thought Lot attendees opened their minds to new music and lessons.

After playing a couple songs, Bingman broke into a cheerful story about her two kittens. The one likes to wake her up by swatting her face. That morning, it clawed her face and gave her a black eye.

“I guess I should tell the story as, ‘You should see the other guy,’” Bingman said.

Going with her outfit’s theme, Bingman sang songs about farming. One in particular was called “Farmer’s Plea” from her 2013 album “Loam,” which means fertile soil.

During song transitions, Bingman made quirky comments, but as soon as she started singing, her awkward personality was replaced with a sophisticated southern drawl.

Bingman explained how she used to work in a prison library. Her song “Jericho” is based on her experience there.

“If I could change how the world works, I’d fix it all. If I could change how the world hurts, I’d tear down the wall,” Bingman sang. “Blow your trumpets so loud that the walls fall down, the walls fall down, fall down.”

Unfortunately, Bingman’s performance got cut rather short. Just when the audience was starting to get a feel for her, she had to wrap up due to her time limit.

Following Bingman’s opening act was Will Pfrang. Pfrang performed a combination of covers and originals.

Unlike most artists, he left plenty of time between songs and did not follow a strict schedule. This setup allowed viewers to feel like they were at a relaxed coffee shop and were able to participate in dialogue with him.

Some of the audience members warmed up to him rather quickly and poked fun at Pfrang. They joked that he chose a bad day to wear red pants since his legs blended into the curtain.

Pfrang touched on how America faced difficult times during 2008. People lost their jobs, cars and even homes. His family faced difficult times and had to move to a rough neighborhood. Using that as a backdrop, Pfrang wrote “More Than Words.”

“It’s about how we all try to emphasize with each other, but there’s really no way to put it into words,” Pfrang said.

After the 2008 recession, Pfrang’s realtor parents were stuck with a lot of land with little value. His family made the decision to create group homes for those who are developmentally disabled, emotionally disturbed or have a mental illness.

“It’s just proof in life that you get what you give and if your head’s in the right place, it does come to you,” Pfrang said.

Pfrang was inspired to write “My Kind of Madness” based on one of the children he worked with at the homes. He said it was about how we each have “one little thing” unique about us.

The show took a mellow turn when Pfrang talked about how one of his favorite hip-hop singers, Kid Cudi, had been admitted to a mental hospital last month for depression. He played Kid Cudi’s song “All Along” in honor of him.

Pfrang closed with the title track from his 2015 record, “All Figured Out.”

The audience liked his performance so much that they demanded a double encore. Since Pfrang already completed his set list, he played two covers.

“I guess this is where the red pants come in handy, because it seems like I’m levitating,” Pfrang joked while playing Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’.”

Share