Posted December 05, 2018in Sound Circuit
Horns section allows diverse playlist A popular horn party rock band, called the Punching Pandas, wants to clear up a few things about their name. No pandas are harmed during their concerts. The Punching Pandas don’t advocate violence toward panda bears. “It’s just a name,” explains Joe Coons, lead vocalist
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Posted October 31, 2018in Sound Circuit
Hard rockers party band. When the band Gimikk arrives at a venue to play a concert, they use a familiar football game strategy. “We do a no-huddle offense,” says lead singer James Brinker. “If it’s a bachelorette party that just came in, we know they want to hear dance tunes.
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Posted October 03, 2018in Sound Circuit
Party rock band plays mega hits. When musician Mike Maly put together a new band four years ago, he envisioned playing new wave music. He soon switched gears. Des Moines wasn’t a “new wave type of town.” So, he and his wife, Vanessa, and former bandmate Bob Adams agreed on
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Posted September 05, 2018in Sound Circuit
Tie-dye-clad guitarist funks up Des Moines. Richard Lloyd, clad in a purple tie-dye outfit, picks up his yellow Prince-inspired guitar and climbed off the stage at the outdoor Clive Festival. His facial expression mimics the highs and twang of his Jimi Hendrix guitar solo, as if he’s an extension of
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Posted August 01, 2018in Sound Circuit
Fans love rock ’n’ roll cover band On a recent Thursday evening, an enthusiastic crowd gathered for Valley Junction’s Music in the Junction. Guitarist Devon Miller donned a Viking hat and strummed his fiddle while singing “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.” The crowd came alive, joining in and singing
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Posted July 04, 2018in Sound Circuit
Gin Blossoms perform July 10 at Nitefall When the Gin Blossoms return to central Iowa to play a Nitefall on the River concert, it’s like coming home for one of the band members. “It’s the land of my people,” says Gin Blossoms’ guitarist Scott Johnson. Johnson explains that his parents
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Posted June 06, 2018in Sound Circuit
Des Moines’ own hip-hop mogul MarKaus is more than a hip-hop artist. In addition to releasing music, the 27-year-old also founded Media Fresh Records, Fresh Fest Hip-Hop Festival and plans to launch a hemp-infused vodka line called Ziyad later this year. These are just a few of his projects. “I’ve
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Posted May 02, 2018in Sound Circuit
Johnny Mathis a classic act The Who, Rolling Stones, Neil Diamond and Johnny Mathis all have something in common — they’ve toured for 50 years. Johnny Mathis, 82, surpasses that by a decade. He’s in his 62nd year of touring and brings his “Voice of Romance” tour to the Des
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Posted April 04, 2018in Sound Circuit
Ever-evolving While Ryan Stier does wear glasses, the title of his solo project is not a nod to the extra vision they provide. The name goes deeper than that and instead references Stier expanding his mind. “I feel like I’ve spent a lot of my life trapped in my own
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Posted February 28, 2018in Sound Circuit
Beauty in mystery In the days of social media and over-sharing, Ancient Posse stand out for their secrecy. The duo — Steven Bergeron (keyboards and vocals) and Kamillah Jonaé (vocals) — don’t like to discuss the band’s origin story, except to say they began making music together in 2014. They
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