By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

Des Moines’ underground scene growing in popularity

Cedar Rapids punk rock band Quick Fix performs at an underground show in Des Moines.

(Editor’s note: John Fox, a junior at Valley High School in West Des Moines, attends underground shows in Des Moines on a regular basis. He wrote the following story after attending one last month at an undisclosed location.)

The room is dim, lit by a single light bulb and filled with sound. Packed with about 30 people, getting around is a tight squeeze. Nobody complains, because it’s just another night at an underground show. The first band, Quick Fix from Cedar Rapids, is speeding through its set, playing fast punk rock that sends the crowd into frenzy.

“I see much more passion in bands that play at these shows than I do with bands that play at large venues in Iowa,” said Forest Cochran of Des Moines, a senior at Roosevelt High School.

This scene is like many others that happen almost weekly in Des Moines. Unlike conventional concerts held at Wells Fargo Arena, Vaudeville Mews or House of Bricks, underground shows are held wherever space can be found — whether it is someone’s home or a community center. The music is the kind you won’t find on the radio. The styles are mostly punk and metal, but other experimental and more ambient sounding bands play, too. The shows are designed to open people up to music that they may not have heard before — music that is simply dismissed as loud or obnoxious because it doesn’t fit the mold of mainstream music.

“I come to these shows because I can hear new music that the people in the bands really care about playing,” Cochran said.

Though the average music fan might not know it, many of the bands that play underground shows in Des Moines hail from music scenes similar to ours. A number of Des Moines bands play these shows, but it’s commonplace to hear bands from Cedar Rapids, Pella, Ames and other cities around Iowa.

Unlike conventional shows, money isn’t a factor. Admission is free, though it is courtesy to donate a few dollars to the bands that are on tour from other cities or states. Instead of spending money to promote shows, advertising is done through social networking sites such as MySpace.com and through word of mouth. Flyers are circulated through online message boards and are also hung in music venues and small businesses.

“I know that when I’m on tour with my band, there would be shows where we didn’t even get paid, but we’re not in this for money. We do this because we enjoy playing music,” said Kyler Vande Kieft of the Pella band Approaching Nain. “I’ve been at shows like these for the past few days, and the people that are at them are really cool and I haven’t seen a band that I didn’t like.” — John Fox

Scene notes

It’s a beautiful day in the Baberhood for local bluegrass pickers Mr. Baber’s Neighbors, who last week won the Winter Waka Classic held at the Vaudeville Mews. The Des Moines band was awarded a performance at this year’s Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival, to be held June 5-8 in Lawrence, Kan. The Mews was packed with music fans that voted on their favorite band. “What an awesome showing of support for local music on such a cold, Tuesday night,” said Mr. Baber’s Jeff Blanchard. “The win was huge... We’re really fortunate to have such a loyal group of folks in the ‘Baberhood.’ We’re really excited about being part of such a great lineup and sharing our music with so many new folks.” … Singer-songwriter Jen Chapin, daughter of the late Harry Chapin (“Cat’s in the Cradle”) plays the Temple for the Performing Arts on March 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $19, are available at www.civiccenter.org. … Eccentric singer-guitarist Leon Redbone and master 6-and 12-string guitarist Leo Kottke share the bill on May 4 at Hoyt Sherman Theater. Tickets go on sale Friday at the theater and through Ticketmaster. … Two shows of note this week at the Maintenance Shop in Ames: Iowa native singer-songwriter Susan Werner returns to perform Saturday at 9 p.m. Admission is $15. On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., it’s Golden, a Twin Cities rapper who opened for the Black-Eyed Peas tour a few years ago. Admission is $9. … On Sunday, Minneapolis string band Pert’ Near Sandstone plays A.K. O’Connor’s in Beaverdale at 9 p.m. … West Des Moines Christian Church, site of the former Lighthouse Coffeehouse, will host a free half-hour Lenten Dinner Performance Series that starts this week with an Ash Wednesday Service and runs through March 12. Dinner is at 5:45 p.m. followed by a concert at 6:30 p.m. Performers include the Journey Band, a southern gospel quartet (Feb. 13); classical musicians Sandra Wacha and Kristen Fallon (Feb. 20); Victory, a Des Moines a capella group (Feb. 27); the church’s children’s choir (March 5); and acoustic group Foretold (March 12). A freewill offering will be accepted. … On Wednesday, Van Halen (David Lee Roth, Eddie and Alex Van Halen) continues its “reunion” tour sans original bass player Michael Anthony (replaced by Eddie’s son, Wolfgang), with a concert at Wells Fargo Arena at 7:30 p.m. Reggae artist K-Mani Marley opens. Tickets are $49-$125. Entertaining and informative fan feedback and set lists from the first leg of the mega-rock band’s tour last fall appear online at the unofficial and unauthorized Van Halen Web site www.vanhalen.com. … Jokes and James, a new radio show on KFMG 99.1 FM, is looking for local bands to submit music for their show, which airs Sundays from 3 to 5 p.m. Bands can drop off their CDs with Gwen Schlephorst at the High Life Lounge. … Local rockers Hold For Swank recently signed a licensing agreement with MTV Networks to use their music on MTV and VH1. “We are beyond excited for this
opportunity,” said bassist Max Kenkel in a release. In other Swank news, the group is in need of a new drummer. Email rock@holdforswank.com for an audition. … Classical guitarist Jason Vieaux brings his “Images of Metheny” concert to the Salisbury House Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. where he will perform “The Bat” by jazz guitarist Pat Metheny as well as songs by other composers. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students. Call 274-1777. … The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Revue featuring performances by Tommy Castro, Magic Dick (former founding member of the J. Geils Band) and Deanna Bogart plays Waterloo’s Electric Park Ballroom for the KUNI 2008 Winter Blues Blowout on Feb. 9. Castro is on tour promoting his new CD, “Painkiller,” on Blind Pig Records. Tickets are $20. Call (800) 772-2440 Ext. 0, or visit www.kuniradio.org. … Hellyeah brings its “Balls, Volume, Strength Tour” to the Val Air Ballroom on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets, $27.50, are on sale now. … Think you can write and record an album in less than a month? Then you might want to take the RPM Challenge in which musicians across the world can participate in a competition to release 10 songs or 35 minutes worth of material during the month of February. Last year, more than 2,400 bands from all seven continents participated, producing more than 850 albums. Visit www.rpmchallenge.com. CV

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