The show starts at 9:00, and tickets are only $7.

Still not convinced? Check out this video of Dillon doing ‘Take These Hands’ during a live showcase.

Tickets are $10 (general admission). Doors open at 8, show starts at 9.

Tallgrass – God Damn (Live at the Englert)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TuLopMSxxc

I love music festivals. The vibe, the sweat, the music, the people… I love it all. Just last year I discovered a festival that takes place in Iowa, but this is a deeply established festival. In fact, Camp Euforia is celebrating 10 years this July 12-13. Started by one of DSMVibe’s favorite bands, Euforquestra, Camp Euforia is held each summer on a farm in Lone Tree, Iowa, just outside of Iowa City. And I am in love!

In typical festival fashion, there is a little bit for everyone. Obviously the music is amazing, focusing quite heavily on bluegrass, folk and jam, but honestly, there can be some quirky surprises like last year such as a Steely Dan tribute band or a set of Beck music interpreted by Euforquestra. But there is also art for sale, make your own hula hoops, and activities for kids. Even better, the food vendors are from local favorites such as Gusto Pizza, and they don’t over charge like crazy.

As the festival is put on by Euforquestra, naturally they are the headliners performing both nights on the main stage. The rest of the lineup has finally been released and it is HOT! Trust me, you don’t want to miss this weekend.

Eufórquestra – two nights

Greensky Bluegrass

Dumpstaphunk featuring Ivan Neville

Pimps of Joytime

Family Groove Company

That 1 Guy

Pert Near Sandstone

Public Property

UltraViolet Hippopotamus

Mr. Baber’s Neighbors – The Solar String band

Beaker Brothers

Dead Larry

Uniphonics

Tallgrass

Chasing Shade

Fire Sale

Zeta June

The Candymakers

Coffee with the Grosso Family Band

D. Bess

Jaik Willis

Maximilian Eubank

Get your tickets early through Midwestix. And take a look at our pictures from last summer to help get you in the mood.

Hoyt Sherman Place is hosting a 90th B-Day party that will actually be fun. This coming Saturday March 23rd, Des Moines native Max Wellman will be at Hoyt Sherman Place with his big band to help honor the historical venue’s 90th year.

Wellman, an incredibly gifted jazz vocalist who has headlined events like the Des Moines Arts Festival, and Des Moines Jazz in July, sold out the venue 3 years ago for the live recording of his 2nd album. This year, those in attendance can expect more jazz and pop standards performed by Max and his band, along with a few surprises like Des Moines soul/blues singer Tina Haase Findlay of Bella Soul, and many other special guests.

The big shin-dig takes place this Saturday March 23rd at 8PM. Tickets are still available, and can be purchased for $20 at the Hoyt Sherman Place Box Office, ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, or all Ticketmaster outlets.

Brenton is constantly found climbing on things, sitting on the drum set, or starting a wrestling match with Ambrose on stage, but these fellas are not just sheer antics, they are a quality mix of presence, talent, and heart. A real breath of fresh air around DSM, in my opinion.

They are one of those rare rock’n'roll goodies. Need convincing? Brenton starts singing Elvis in the middle of this interview. Between shots of whiskey (and an argument over ‘Homeward Bound’) , the boys stopped to talk with us about the struggle to keep a band together (and how that’s not exactly a bad thing), working with a producer for the first time, and their upcoming album.

PLEASE do yourself a favor and come see Holy White Hounds at Gas Lamp, this Friday (yes, March 1st), and let their music make sweet, sweet rock’n'roll love to your earholes. You’re welcome.

-Casey

SHOW INFO:

Holy White Hounds, and The Land of Blood and Sunshine. March 1st, @ the Gas Lamp. 8 PM, $5 cover.

Users can log in via their Facebook accounts, and can vote for their favorite artist multiple times, at a max rate of once per hour. To help encourage fans to vote, Roxi has even offered rewards on the site that can be claimed by fans after they’ve voted a certain # of times (song downloads, handwritten lyrics, etc). Voting ends at midnight on February 28th, so go VOTE! In the meantime, enjoy this video of Roxi explaining the contest, and then doing a snow angel in a bikini.

Today is a very sad day. Someone that I have become good friends with over the past year lost his battle with cancer. Those of you that follow me on twitter have probably seen many tweets lately about my friend Bob and the fight for his life. Well, I felt that this site was the best place to express my sadness over this loss and celebrate his life, as music is what brought us together.

I have written before about the Phish twibe. People think it is crazy, but I have become so close with so many people through twitter because of our love for this band. Now that I have met so many of them, it is hard to think of a time before the twibe. If you want to read more about it, check it out here (courtesy of RunawayJim), but the quick version is that we are a group of people who share a love for Phish and tweet to each other about it. Then we meet up at Phish shows and basically become family. Bob was part of my family. I had probably been tweeting with Bob for at least a year before I finally met him this past summer at Summer Camp Music Festival. I spent the weekend with him and several others from the twibe who quickly became some of my best friends.

How do I describe Barefoot Bob? He is like no one I have ever met. He saw the good in everything and was truly a lover of life. And man, did he like to talk. But conversations with Bob were just about the best conversations ever. And he remembered everything you ever told him. The first time I met him I told him about DSMVibe and he immediately became my biggest fan. Not only did he take tons of awesome pictures for me at Summer Camp, but he would call me to talk about how I could make this website better. And whenever I said I couldn’t do something, he would talk my ear off until I was convinced otherwise. And the conversation ended with him wanting to know how he could help me get to where I wanted to be.

You could get Bob talking and tweeting for days about music or sports, but many of us also heard stories about his wife and their two kids. My heart aches with insane sadness for this family. I have never had the pleasure of meeting his wife or kids, but reading the blog that Danelle kept while Bob was sick astounded me at the grace and strength she portrayed. I hope she finds comfort  knowing that Bob will be an angel in her life and the lives of their kids.

It is hard to put into words what I am feeling and thinking right now. I am angry. I am sad. I am overwhelmed. It was amazing to read the tweets today with stories about how many lives that Bob has touched, and many from those that had never had the chance to meet him in real life. There are several people that would have never even met each other if it weren’t for Bob. The power of social media is incredible. It is absolutely possible to have strong connections with people you have yet to meet.

I 100% believe that every person you meet comes into your life for a purpose. Some people you have relationships with for years and some for only a brief time, but each person enriches your life in some way. Bob was in my life for only a short time, but he brought so much with him that the power of his spirit is simply awesome. And his spirit will live on for a long, long time. He made me laugh, he gave me courage and support, he sent me files upon files of music. He never made me feel dumb for not knowing everything there is to know about The Dead or Phish. He tried very hard to get me to dig Umphrey’s McGee the way I dig Phish (they are growing on me more and more). But most of all, Robert Eckhart showed me what it means to really live life and to never give up. Just a month ago he was talking about hoping to make it to MSG for the Phish New Year’s run. He never gave up. And neither will I. So Bob, may the good Lord shine a light on you, and make every song you sing your favorite tune.

It is with a truly heavy heart that I say goodbye to a friend today. My heart is broken and aches for his family. Please consider making a donation to the trust set up for his kids. It is our turn to give back to someone that has given us so much.

https://www.wepay.com/donations/robert-eckhart-memorial

Peace and love~

Happy holidays, friends! I finally started to feel full of Christmas cheer with all the fresh pow we received this week. This weekend starts the holiday festivities for most, and what better way to get into the spirit then with some killer jams and toasting with your friends in Des Moines.

Tonight at Wooly’s marks the third annual Home for the Holidays night. This event is masterminded and headlined by Colorado band (by way of Iowa), Euforquestra. Many of you have probably heard this band, or at least seen my previous posts about them, but if you have not, I promise you this night will be amazing! Even better, the band will be joined by Mr. Baber’s Neighbors and Bright Giant. Obviously a treat to have all of these amazing Iowa musicians together on one night. And you can feel good about coming to this benefit for the Food Bank of Polk County. There will be several kick ass items up for bid so you can even get some last minute Christmas shopping done. (P.S. I would like the music bundle donated from SCI Records if you want to buy me a present.)

Home for the Holidays III w/ Euforquestra – a Benefit for the Food Bank of Polk County (w/ guests Mr. Baber’s Neighbors and Bright Giant)

Tonight at Wooly’s

Doors at 7pm, Show at 8pm

Tickets are $15

Bring Canned Goods to Donate

Photos by Kerri Photography

Wichita, KS based blues/roots rockers Moreland & Arbuckle were in town this past Saturday night for a show at The Gas Lamp, and a couple of us from DSMvibe were there to capture it.

Quickly becoming one of my favorite local venues, The Gas Lamp is the perfect place for a band like Moreland & Arbuckle. Small and intimate, yet it has a great vibe. The band seemed to agree, as they mentioned how great it was to be back in Des Moines, and how much they liked The Gas Lamp.

I thought the show was great, and the rest of the audience seemed to agree. The place was packed by show time, and there was a great buzz in the room before the show started. Moreland & Arbuckle were rocking from the first note as they blazed through their unique brand of dirty blues. Gritty guitars, wailing harmonica, and some heavy beats sum up their sound pretty well. I was particularly intrigued by the homemade cigar box guitar that was used on several songs.

Big thanks to Big Red Dog Promotions, Midwestix and The Gas Lamp for continuing to bring such great tunes to Des Moines. Check out a few of our favorite photos thanks to Kerri Photography.

We are fortunate in Des Moines to have several amazing venues to catch live music. One of the oldest, and most respected venues is Vaudeville Mews. For the past ten years, Mews has been the place to go to see local, regional and national bands. With a rich tradition in Des Moines, I could easily describe Vaudeville Mews as Iowa’s version of CBGB. With bands like Of Montreal, Fall Out Boy, The Decemberists and The Heavy Pets getting their start on the stage of the Mews, there is deep history woven into each square inch of the place.

The people of Vaudeville Mews are unbelievably supportive of Iowa’s local musicians from rock to folk to hip hop to DJs spinning tunes on the patio. And their support ventures far beyond the walls of Mews to the Des Moines Music Coalition, 80/35 Festival and just about anything else related to the local music scene.

Come help us celebrate 10 ass rocking years of the Vaudeville Mews tomorrow night starting at 8pm. Sorry to our young friends, you must be 21 to enter and $7 gets you in the door. Get your groove on with local bands Love Songs for Lonely Monsters and Land of Blood and Sunshine. The main headliner is punk pop band Eternal Summers. And as an added bonus, and sign of my love for Vaudeville Mews, I will be giving out free hugs all night!

Check out the video below to get a sneak peek of Iowa band Land of Blood and Sunshine. This video was shot by DSMVibe’s new homie, Ben Cooper. Be on the look out for more videos from Ben coming soon. 

Showtime is 8PM, and tix are just $10 at Midwestix.

SCHEDULE

Wooly’s

5:30pm – The Host Country

6:30pm – Mary McAdams

7:45pm – SUBliminal Chaos *New

9:15pm – Peace, Love, and Stuff

10:30pm – Mr. Baber’s Neighbors: The Solar String Band

11:30pm – Family Groove Company

House of Bricks

5:00pm – Har-di-har

6:15pm – Randy Burk and the Prisoners

7:30pm – Rebel Creek

9:00pm – Best of Fools 

10:15pm – The Chronicles

11:15pm – Cirrus Minor

The Underground (Free Stage)

8:00pm – Obsidian’s Dream

9:30pm – The Colt Walkers

11:00pm – Aquamarine Dream Machine

Little Big Fest

Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012 at 5pm

Wooly’s, House of Bricks, The Underground

No stranger to the Des Moines music scene and one of our favorites, Dick Prall, is playing tonight at the Gas Lamp. He has been busy working on a series of singles in collaboration with Pat Sansone of Wilco, and is ready to try them out. These songs are so HOT off the press that the download cards aren’t even ready yet. But Prall doesn’t want you all to have to wait any longer. If you are digging what you hear at his show (and I promise you will), they will be taking names and email addresses to send you a link for each new download before they are released to the general public. Talk about VIP treatment!!

If you have not heard Prall’s music before you are missing out. I hate to really play favorites, but I can’t help myself. His songs are a mix of pop, indie, a little bit of rock and catchy hooks and lyrics. And I might have a huge crush on Prall’s voice. But don’t take my word for it. Have a listen before the show:

And make sure to tune in tonight at 5pm CST to 99.1 to get a sneak listen and to hear Dick talk about his music.

I am totally digging Wanted Blue and can’t wait to hear the rest of what Prall has in store for our listening pleasure. Check back later for my review of his new music, and I might see if I can get a sit down chat with Dick. That should be interesting. Is it awkward to tell someone I have a crush on their voice?

Happy Friday, friends! Enjoy the weekend and check out some live music.

By now many of you have probably heard the news that People’s on Court in Des Moines is closing. To say this is sad is an understatement. People’s, whether in Ames or Des Moines, has brought in so many killer regional and local bands that has made for some unforgettable nights for many of us. I took a trip down memory lane this week to remember some of my favorite shows.

1. Matisyahu

2. MGMT

3. Atmosphere

4. JJ Grey

5. Bright Giant

6. The Envy Corps

7. Rusted Root

I know I am missing some amazing shows on this list. The moral of the story is, go enjoy live music. Support our bands, or artists, our venues. Luckily there are still several amazing venues in this town. Show them some love. Peace and love.

Photos by Kerri Photography

Martin Sexton was in town a week or so ago, and DSMvibe was there to cover the show. Brothers McCann opened the show with their blend of acoustic soul, and sweet harmonies. Just when I thought they were leaning a bit too far towards pop for my preferences, they busted out a sweet cover of The Band’s Ophelia, and reeled me back in.

Martin took the stage a while later, and played a fantastic (though a bit subdued) set. In typical Sexton fashion, he let his versatility shine throughout the set. Whether it was a heartfelt acoustic ballad, or a soulful blues tune, he seemed to make it sound amazing. Highlights for me were Angeline, Women & Wine, Gypsy Woman, and Golden Road (with a little help on the harmonies from Brothers McCann).

Overall, it wasn’t the best Sexton show I’ve seen, though still very good. I think part of what ruined it for me were the 3 guys in the back of the bar, talking VERY loudly throughout most of the show. Martin even made light of the situation at one point by stopping mid song to call the 3 out, and essentially tell them to be quiet because they were ruining it for everyone else. Sitting near the back of People’s, we also started to hear a noticeable thump of the music from Liar’s Club towards the end of the show. I’m sure it wasn’t something most people noticed, but it was annoying for those of us near the back.

Special thanks to Kerri Photography for taking the rad photos below, and to Midwestix for helping to make the show possible.

By the way, for all of our Eastern Iowa vibers, Martin Sexton and Brothers McCann will in Davenport this coming Thursday 10/11 at the Redstone Room. Tickets can be purchased at Midwestix.

It is no secret to those of you that read this blog, follow us on twitter and know me personally, that I am a huge Phish fan. I used to think that we are few and far between in Des Moines, but lately I have been meeting more and more phans around town. Unfortunately, I don’t think we will be seeing a Phish show happening in Des Moines anytime soon, but we may just be able to hold our own Phish related event if I can get some people to help me out.

Trey Anastasio is on the cusp of releasing a new album entitled Traveler. I have had the opportunity to preview this album and it absolutely kicks ass. I can guarantee that if I played this for non-Phish people, they would love it. Well guess what, I could make that happen. ATO Records is holding a contest for a few lucky phans to hold an official listening party. I think this would be a perfect event for Des Moines. All I need is a venue to agree to play Traveler and other Trey and Phish music for a night and people to join me for a kick ass party.

So I am putting a call out for help. I need people to join me in my quest and show up for the event (when we win). I also need a venue. Perhaps the fine people at Mars Cafe, Vaudeville Mews, Bombay Bicycle Club or Wooly’s would be interested in letting us host. Or maybe someone else has a good idea for a venue.

So will you help me? Send out tweets, post on facebook, tell you friends! Let’s make this happen and make this Phish girl’s dream come true.

http://atorecords.com/featured/traveler-listening-party-contest/

If you’ve never seen, or even heard of Martin Sexton, you are in for a treat. Great voice, excellent guitar player, he can beatbox, and he’s even been known to throw in a little mouth trumpet for good measure. For those that have heard him, but never seen him live…..do yourself a favor and get tickets NOW. You will not be disappointed.

To quote the dude from Reading Rainbow…..”but don’t take my word for it”. Here is Martin covering Stevie Wonder, and Billy Preston (with a little percussion jam in there as well). Be sure to check back after the show for our review, and photos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGjJGOVms3w

Showtime is 8:00PM, and tickets are still on sale. Check out Ticketmaster, or the Hoyt Sherman box office for more information.

Great music, great venue….don’t miss this show!

I was sort of expecting a laid back, standard acoustic show….but instead, Buckingham proceeded to let it rip, and the crowd was loving every second of it. No joke, I think he got a standing ovation after every song.

One of the refreshing things about Buckingham is that you can tell he is still really passionate about the tunes. So many times with older artists it becomes painfully obvious they are just doing it for the paycheck, but Buckingham still hangs on every note. While I am sure there were some in the audience who just wanted to hear Fleetwood Mac songs, it was refreshing that he doesn’t rely on those songs every show, and only sprinkles them in on occasion.

The cool thing about watching Buckingham is his stage presence. There were lots of songs played at the show that I had never heard before, but because he put on such a show (musically, and with his stage presence) he was able to keep my attention the whole time, and I even found myself tapping my foot once or twice. Being a guitar player myself, I really enjoyed his playing. Whether he was delicately finger picking on an acoustic tune, or wailing away on an electric guitar, Buckingham seemed to do it very well.

Overall, it was a great show. The only complaint I heard was that he didn’t play long enough (which is always better than playing too long). Once again, special thanks to Hoyt Sherman Place for bringing great music to Des Moines!