Violent Soho and Rooney
Vaudeville Mews, Aug. 9
Thanks to Lollapaloza, Des Moines was bustling with a number of acts stopping through town either before or after the massive, three-day, Chicago-based festival. The Black Keys, Phoenix and Neon Trees all put on great shows at their respected venues. Although Rooney didn’t play the fest this year, they played during that timeframe. The band rose to fame during the early 2000s thanks to an appearance on “The OC” and early praise from The Cars’ Ric Ocasek. They have played Lollapalooza before and even though they didn’t this year, their opening act, Violent Soho, did. I enjoyed the rocking duo from Australia more than their established tour mates, although I was apparently the only one. The majority of the crowd was younger females, who were cooing and screaming like a boy band had hit the stage. Frontman Robert Schwartzman (younger brother of actor Jason Schwartzman, “Funny People,” “Rushmore”) has a dreamy heartthrob appeal, and the ladies love him. Not often do you hear girls wooing during songs at the Mews, but they were in full force during the band’s first visit to Des Moines. The band excelled with their pop-rock sound, as heavy synth involvement kept the crowd’s feet moving. They rocked through a number of tunes from their three albums — “Rooney,” “Calling the World” and “Eureka.” — including “Daisy Duke,” “Succeed,” “I’m Shakin,” “If It Were Up To Me” and “Popstars.” When the band busted into “I Can’t Get Enough,” the first single off their new album, the crowd went nuts. Their poppy sound might not be everyone, but for the fans at the show, it couldn’t have been better. CV— Jared Curtis
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Candye Kane at Blues On Grand Photo by Michael Swanger |
Jeff Blanchard at The Royal Mile Photo by Jared Curtis |
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Keith Urban at Iowa State Fair Photo by Darren Tromblay |
Keith Urban at Iowa State Fair Photo by Darren Tromblay |
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