Sound Notes Pick o’ the Week

The Des Moines Social Club has hired Des Moines musician Mickey Davis as its new event manager. After living and working in the Twin Cities the last couple years, Davis is back in Des Moines and excited to help the Social Club expand the number and scope of its presentations.

The Franklin Avenue Library is presenting a six-week, public program on music history entitled “America’s Music: A Film History of Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway.” The program will feature screenings of documentaries and discussion lead by Drake University musicology professor, Dr. Eric Saylor. For more information, or to pre-register (a requirement for the program), check out the events page at www.dmpl.org.

The Des Moines Symphony Academy had a couple of its members do the Academy proud this past week. Valley Southwoods freshman Laura Carther won second prize at the 2013 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition, while Urbandale sophomore Luke Most was one of 10 statewide finalists selected to perform at the Junior Level Terrace Hill Piano Competition.

On Thursday, March 14, Vaudeville Mews is hosting the one-year anniversary party for Band Bombshell. The local music site has been up and running for…well, about a year now, and is celebrating with a show featuring Volcano Boys, Dustin Smith and The Sunday Silos and Gloom Balloon. Everything kicks off at 10 p.m., and admission is $5 at the door.

Then on Friday, March 15, House of Bricks has two shows ready to go. First up is the “Rich of Des Moines’ Birthday Show” in the early slot. The all-ages show starts at 5 p.m. and features Izzy Starchild and the Psychedelic Rose, Them, Descent of Man and Mood Beside; $5 will get you in.

Then in the evening, This Sudden Darkness, The Broomstick Revival, Section Hate and Apathy Syndrome all perform in a show that starts at 9:30 p.m. That one is $5 also.

Saturday, March 16, is a busy day for drunken revelers, as several venues get St. Patty’s Day festivities started:

Sound Notes Pick o’ the Week: Over at Gas Lamp, there’s an outdoor street party starting at 9 a.m. Live music will be provided by Christopher the Conquered, North of Grand, The Magnolias, Mumfords, Gloom Balloon, Trouble Lights, No Good Deed, The Mittens and DJ Richie Daggers; $20 gets you access to the entire party and also gets you all you can drink. Cancel the rest of your plans for the day, and be sure to get your money’s worth.

Also on March 16, Wooly’s has its all-ages St. Patty’s Day show featuring Mooseknuckle, The Steve Pellow Trio, Kyle Gowin, Mighty Shady and The Colt Walkers. Festivities there kick off at 4 p.m., and $5 will get you in the door. I’m not telling you to go to Gas Lamp in the morning and Wooly’s that afternoon; I’m just pointing out that you can and that $25 will handle all your drinking and entertainment needs for 24 hours.

Finally, if you survive the previous day’s fun, el Bait Shop features 10 Speed Wipeout on Sunday, March 17, starting at 8 p.m. No cover. Mahalo. CV