By Michael Swanger scenescribe@mchsi.com
“Country Spring Break,” featuring performances by new country music artists Jake Owen, Blaine Larsen, Emily West, Whitney Duncan, Steel Magnolia and Coldwater, will be held Thursday, March 18 at 7 Flags Events Center in Clive. Tickets are $10 in advance through IowaTix and $20 day of show.
Head For the Hills, a jam-grass band from Colorado, performs Sunday, March 21 at 8 p.m. at DG’s Taphouse in Ames. Admission is $5.
Westminster Presbyterian Church’s Fine Art Series will host a performance by Turkish throat singers (singing multiple pitches simultaneously) the Alash Ensemble on Sunday, March 21 at 3 p.m. Admission is free.
Two all-ages shows of note this week at People’s Court: Five for Fighting and Matt Wertz perform Sunday, March 21 at 7 p.m.; and OneRepublic and The Rocket Summer play Monday, March 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets to each show are $25 through Midwestix.
Pop-country music singer Eric Church headlines the “Jagermeister Country Tour” that plays the Val Air Ballroom on Wednesday, March 24 at 8 p.m. Josh Thompson opens. Tickets are $22.50 through Ticketmaster. … In other Val Air news, the West Des Moines City Council last week approved the first reading of an ordinance that would change the way sound (decibel levels) is measured by the city in hopes of reducing resident complaints about noisy concerts. The council said it would wait to vote on a final reading of the ordinance until June, giving Val Air officials time to reduce sound levels on their own. If approved the ordinance would take effect July 1.
Ely Falls singer-guitarist Dustin Kniffen has left the band and though the group plans to move forward under a new name, it will not play March 27 at the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) concert. In it’s place, Blutiger Fluss will perform. … In other GDP news, local rockers Hanwell will perform material from their new EP, “Friends in Fair Weather,” which they released last week.
Green River Ordinance, Vedera and Angel Taylor perform an all-ages show on April 2 at the House of Bricks at 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 through Midwestix.
The Black Keys perform April 8 at the IMU Main Lounge in Iowa City. Tickets are $30 through Ticketmaster.
The Des Moines Botanical, which recently concluded its annual blues music series, is hosting three additional “tropical tunes” concerts next month. Local performers slated to play include Taz and “Freight Train” Frank (April 11), Jono Smith and Larry Berenguel (April 18) and Scott Long and Greg Sutherland (April 25). Admission is $3 - $5.
More than 520 contributors to the Performing Arts Fund, an annual fundraising campaign that supports performances at Stephens Auditorium in Ames and keeps ticket prices affordable, raised $128,056. The group’s goal was to raise $120,000.
As I Lay Dying, Demon Hunter, Bless the Fall and War of Ages play to fans of all ages on May 3 at People’s Court at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 through Midwestix.
Baroness plays and all-ages show on May 17 at the Vaudeville Mews at 5 p.m. Tickets are $12 through Midwestix.
The Moody Blues perform June 29 at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. Ticket prices TBA. CV
