Alright, folks, this is the weekend to get up and go out in
Iowa City. It’s Pride kick off weekend, for one thing, so there’s stuff going
all over the place, and in my post last week I alluded to a show at the Iowa
City Yacht Club that you would cry about missing. Well, tonight is the show.
Kick ass flyer byClaire Thoele
While I have yet to see Lever, by clicking the link under their pic, you can know just as much as I currently do, which is that they call themselves Bipolar Grunge Rock (which sounds pretty rad), they’re from Crystal Lake, IL (my old stomping grounds), they have a lady bass player, and the names of their songs are hella great – check that out here.
I have seen the other 3 bands a number of times. Quite
frankly, I don’t miss any of their shows if I can help it.
Crystal City played last weekend at the Mill and I hated not
being there so I am super stoked they’re in the lineup tonight. Think good ol’
rock and roll plus a trumpet and lots of harmonies. I can pretty much guarantee
you will be compelled to boogie for a good deal of their set. For more info and
a sneak listen visit their bandcamp page.
Crystal City
Velcro Moxie has been aroind for a while and hopefully you’ve already
seen them. If not, tonight is the perfect opportunity. It will be a good show,
as usual, but also interesting as the band lineup has changed recently. I’m not
worried about them not sounding as good as before Jasmine Terrell left the
group (although she is an amazing singer) because I swear to gawd every single
time I have seen them they have had a different configuration of members. And
they always kill it.
Finally, we com
to Flannel Season – quite possibly my favourite Iowa City band. I get a lot of flak
for being biased
because these are ma peeps. I’ve known them since before they formed the band. Living
next door to them has afforded me the unique experience of hearing this band
evolve from the beginning. They started our covering 90s songs, which is
probably why I glommed on so quickly. Hearing The Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins,
Nirvana, The Toadies, L7, Babes in Toyland, Green Day, and countless others of
my favourite bands 3-4 times a week for free was the coolest. However, the real
treat came when they started writing their own music.
With three
vocalists, the harmonies these guys (and lady) achieve are stellar. Their music
is obviously influenced in small part by the bands listed above, but it is so
much more complex. Sometimes, they rock so hard and raw that it’s all you can
do not to bang your head. Other times, their music is so hauntingly melodic as
to be almost mesmerizing. They recently went from a 4-piece to a 3-piece, but I
can attest that even without the second guitar, the music is just as rich and
layered and full as it ever was. Listen to them if you don’t believe me. My personal fave - https://soundcloud.com/flannel-season-iowa-city/electric-hearts-demo
Flannel Season
Most importantly,
come to the show tonight at Yacht Club. It’s not too often you get a lineup of
totally kick ass rock bands, all of which have lady members who do more than
shake a tambourine and their asses. Let’s fill ICYC and show our pride for local
music.
See ya there ~ mandab
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