By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

After serving as a haven for local rock bands for nearly three years, it appears as though Roadhouse 69 is about to be 86'd.

Randy Coffey, owner of the Ankeny nightclub, says his landlords, Elwell Inc., a company owned by stockholders, including Ankeny commercial real estate magnate Denny Elwell, are forcing him to vacate the premise without enough time to reopen at another location, therefore jeopardizing the nightclub's future. The 46-year-old bar owner says Saturday's CD release party by local rockers Cruciful will be Roadhouse 69's final show.

"It's a shame," Coffey says. "The club was starting to build a reputation as the premiere place in Polk and Story counties for local bands to play."
Coffey says officials with Elwell Inc. informed him Aug. 25 that he had until Sept. 30 to vacate the premise. Elwell Inc. has owned the property long before Roadhouse 69 opened in March 2003. Coffey signed a five-year sublease agreement with a third party to open the club at 1100 N. Ankeny Blvd., but when that party opted out of the deal, therefore returning leasing control to Elwell Inc., he was asked to leave.

Coffey says he asked Elwell Inc. officials for an extension of 60 to 90 days to enable him to relocate the bar, but they declined. "It would be difficult to shut down and open up in a month," he says. "I'm really disappointed. I just got the place to where I wanted it to be and where people were digging it. I wish they [Elwell Inc.] would understand it's a good facility."

Coffey says he might try to reopen Roadhouse 69 in Des Moines, but that depends on whether or not he can find a business partner.

"I've had a few people approach me," he says. "I've been broke the last three years, but I've persevered. If the right person came in with a little bit of cash I might be interested."

Coffey says he would entertain the idea to stay in Ankeny if the right business opportunity was available, adding that he doesn't want to lose the customer base he created there.

"I'm not moving because I want to," he says. "I'm moving because I have to."

Bon Jovi to play Wells Fargo

New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi will kick off the North American leg of its "Have A Nice Day World Tour" Nov. 2 at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The group is on the road for the first time since 2003 to support its latest studio album, "Have A Nice Day." Ticket information is forthcoming and will also be available on the band's Web site, www.bonjovi.aeglive.com.

SCOPE sets lineup

The folks with SCOPE Productions in Iowa City have announced their fall lineup, which includes a free concert Saturday by Better Than Ezra.

Following the University of Iowa's homecoming parade Saturday afternoon, Better Than Ezra will perform on the Pentacrest in downtown Iowa City. The band is back after a three-year hiatus and on the road to plug its new CD, "Before the Robots."

Other SCOPE shows on tap include The Dresden Dolls with Devotchka and Faun Fables at the Englert Civic Theater (Oct. 14, $15), Michael Franti at the Iowa Memorial Union Main Lounge (Oct. 20, $15) and Bright Eyes (Nov. 10, $22), also in the Main Lounge. Tickets to these shows are available through Ticketmaster. Visit www.scopeproductions.org for more information.

Scene notes

Veteran blues slide guitarist and Trailer Records recording artist Joe Price won the 2005 Iowa Blues Solo-Duo Challenge held Sept. 4 during the Court Avenue Blues Fest. Price received $250 in cash and $300 in travel expenses to represent Iowa at the 2006 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Price, who recently performed at this summer's Mississippi Valley Blues Fest in Davenport, will get another paying gig at the fest in 2006 as part of the prize package... Rock 'n' Roll Soldiers, whose "The Two EPs" CD was included in the "heavy rotation" column in last month's issue of Spin magazine, plays the House of Bricks Thursday with Just Surrender and My American Heart at 6 p.m. Admission is $8... British rock band Goldrush, featured as a "new face" in Rolling Stone magazine, plays the Playground Saturday... The next Des Moines Record Collectors Show will be held Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Highland Park American Legion Hall, 3712 Second Ave. Admission is $2... Dustin Murrell and Marcus Cooper of IowaRock.com have booked the Tulsa-based rock band The Effects to play the House of Bricks on Monday. The band's newest member is Jeff Krantz, former guitarist for the Rosefield Rivals. Slaughterhouse 6, Colonial PA and Broken Ground open the show. Admission to the all-ages event is $5. In related news, IowaRocks.com has moved its Sunday night concert by Subseven, Chasing Victory, An Airbag Saved My Life and George Lassos The Moon from Roadhouse 69 in Ankeny to the House of Bricks... If you think old-school soul and funk is out of sight, you might want to check out Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings and Andre Williams next week. Williams, a 69-year-old soul singer who used to write songs for Motown during its heyday, has worked with Stevie Wonder and Ike Turner. He plays the Vaudeville Mews Sept. 30 at 10 p.m. Admission is $8.Jones, a veteran backup singer who has performed on several R&B, disco, gospel and blues albums, plays the Englert Civic Theater in Iowa City Tuesday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $11.... Zombiefest, a free event celebrating Cup O' Kryptonite's third annual first anniversary, will be held Oct. 1. The comic book and coffee shop, located at 4521 Fleur Drive, will host a number of activities, including live music by The Creepy Kids and The Aboriginals. Call 974-0515... Pat Oswald of Coffeehouse Productions has landed two eccentric, world-class guitarists. The Al DiMeola Project plays the Val Air Ballroom Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $35. And David Lindley, best known for his years of work with Jackson Browne, plays First Christian Church, 2500 University Ave., Oct. 22. General admission tickets are $15. To reserve tickets for either show, call 274-5566... British blues legend John Mayall returns to Blues on Grand Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. General admission tickets, $25, go on sale Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. at the club. Call 244-3092... The Des Moines Metro Opera has launched its latest fund raising campaign, The Salsbury Challenge II, in which the challenge offers a dollar-for-dollar match up to $1 million for all cash gifts received by Dec. 31. To date, the drive has collected $2.3 million to support the DMMO's operating budget, of which $368,000 is eligible for the cash match goal... Anita Walker, director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, was elected to the national Assembly of State Arts Agencies board of directors Sept. 10. The non-profit arts organization represents the nation's arts agencies. CV

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