Get geared up for another great year of Des Moines’ finest local music showcase. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will take place at Hotel Fort Des Moines on Saturday, April 14. This year’s lineup will again exemplify the best and brightest of the Des Moines music scene. GDP will feature 10 bands spanning and transcending the indie, folk, hip-hop, rock, acoustic, electronic, and pop genres.
It’s a typical weeknight outside 212 4th Street in Des Moines, or as many local musicians know it, “The Mews.” Tonight, the special being served is local hip-hop. Passing by, you might hear the bass from the drums thumping through the closed doors, as many gather outside the venue in small “cypher” sessions: free styling over beat boxing or no beat at all. Inside, a crowd huddles close to the stage listening to emcees deliver raw lyrics about the lives they’ve lived and the feelings they know.
Get geared up for another great year of Des Moines’ finest local music showcase. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will take place at Hotel Fort Des Moines on Saturday, April 14. This year’s lineup will again exemplify the best and brightest of the Des Moines music scene. GDP will feature 10 bands spanning and transcending the indie, folk, hip-hop, rock, acoustic, electronic, and pop genres.
Last year Iowa entrepreneur Jake Kerber saw an emphasis on local shopping, eating and growing, and wondered where the focus on local music was. Out of that was born Locusic, an internet radio service based in Des Moines that lets listeners discover local music and gives bands free airplay in their community.
Kerber came up with the idea for Locusic the night before Startup Weekend 2011, almost one year ago. He wanted to pitch something during the weekend, which would be a networking-and-creating event among some of the Midwest’s top innovators. And at the end of the weekend they’d vote on projects that could actually be viable, and one of those ideas could be Iowa’s next big startup.
The Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s free music business education series, Music University, continues on March 14 with a panel on band management featuring Andy Anderson. The discussion will focus on getting the most effective output from band members in all aspects of the process including songwriting, practicing, performing, marketing, and self-management on a professional level.
The Des Moines Music Coalition recently welcomed two new members – Angela Johnson and Mike Utley – to serve on its board and help create a stronger and more diverse live music economy in greater Des Moines. We asked Johnson and Utley to tell us a little bit about themselves, why they love music and what their goals are as board members.
The Greater Des Moines Music Coalition is set to honor five outstanding supporters of local music at the third annual Backstage Ball, a fundraiser to support the non-profit group: David Hurd, Patrick Fleming, Tony Tarbox, Jill Haverkamp, and The Lutherie Shop. The event, Feb. 23 at the Gas Lamp, will feature music by the Dead Yellow Canaries, food and a silent auction. It’s hosted by Fred and Charlotte Hubbell and Business Publications, and sponsored by Meredith Corporation, Flynn Sweeny, and Rock in Prevention.
There is a perception that Ames has a music scene bursting at the seams right now, and it certainly does have its fair share of great music, with shows popping up frequently and new bands and collaborations starting all the time. I’ve been asked to write about what the catalyst for the recent burst of activity was in Ames music, and though I’m certainly no expert, I’m happy to offer my take on it, knowing that I’m probably going to miss some important details. So let’s insert that little caveat you see on DVDs, about how the commentary of this article doesn’t reflect the opinions of anyone other than the person spouting off those opinions.
Are you an aspiring journalist looking to get some clips, or a veteran writer looking to help out local music? Or maybe an avid music fan looking for an opportunity to get free tickets to shows in exchange for articles? The Greater Des Moines Music Coalition is looking for writers reliable and enthusiastic writers to work on all kinds of articles.
After marinating in Cedar Falls for a few years, Marls In Charge is the latest arrival on the Des Moines music scene. The band’s chemistry is tangible, their songs born from years of playing together in dirty basements littered with empty Budweiser cans and cigarette butts. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what genre they play into, but could be described as a mutant hybrid of acid rock, jazz, blues, grunge, and funk.
