May 10, 2012

A few years ago, when I was working at little harder at promotion than I do right now, a friend was telling me about a woman he heard at Des Moines Social Club’s Open Circus.  He told me that she sat in the back for a while, a little shy even,  and then walked on sage and just crushed it. He said her name was Sharika Soal and that he was completely blown...

May 3, 2012

I spoke of this briefly on my blog, but I wanted to get the word out here as well. Every year, a local act gets to play on the main stage at 80/35, and they get there because of us, the general public.  Each year, a battle of the bands is set up and we get to hear them play and then decide who gets a prestigious spot to play on the same stage as The Avett...

Apr 26, 2012

Influences can be what you make them. For instance, I spent most of my formative years playing hockey and reading Silver Surfer comic books. I pretty much listened to whatever was given to me on the radio, and was pretty sheltered artistically. It was okay for what it was, but I look back and think that maybe I did it wrong.  I feel as if I’ve grown a lot...

Apr 12, 2012

I have been waiting a long time to write this one, you guys have no idea. Christopher the Conquered was one of the first area acts that really opened my eyes to what this state was capable of and what music could actually sound like when a unique and talented artist just keeps plying his trade and tinkering with what works and what doesn’t.  Christopher...

Apr 5, 2012

A couple of weeks ago I went to the Bombay Bicycle Club. While I had been there once or twice before, this was the first time to actually see music. For those unfamiliar, it is the old Drink on 86th street in Clive, and well, it ain’t quite the same joint. While the architecture remains the same, long bar on one side, big patio opposite (which was open due to...