The Waka Winter Classic is touring the nation looking for talented musical acts for this year's Wakarusa Music Festival in Ozark, Arkansas. The Wakarusa organizers will make a stop in Des Moines on February 2 at Vaudeville Mews to see four Iowa bands compete for a spot on stage at the festival. The doors at the Mews will open at 8 p.m., and the music will start at 9 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door, and you must be 21 or older to attend. Here is a look at the four bands that will perform on Saturday.
Mighty Shady (featured in nearby video) is a young alternative rock band from Des Moines. The band has played all over Iowa, taking the stage with bands like Roster McCabe, (competitor) Zeta June, David Zollo, Cirrus Minor, Aquamarine Dream Machine, and others. The quartet features Chris Freier on guitar and vocals, Jared Murphy on guitar, Joel Schwichtenberg on vocals and bass, and Matt Wilcox on drums.
Zeta June is jam band from Iowa City. The band has already won a spot at Summer Camp in a similar battle of the bands format, an now they have their eyes set on Wakarus. Zeta June consists of Porter Hand, Mitch Hruby, Ian Crawford, and Cody Kuhens. You can check out the band's music on their ReverbNation page.
Old Road Riot is a psychedelic jam band that hails from Ames. The band's sound combines classic rock and folk with modern dance and indie influences. The band's latest album, See One, Take One, can be listened to on Grooveshark. Old Road Riot consists of David Koithan (vocals, bass, and guitar), Jeff Koithan (vocals, guitar), Clayton Davis (guitar), and Dan Hartnett (drums).
Obsidian's Dream is an Ames-based jam band. The band played in last year's Little Big Fest in Des Moines. You can get a sampling of their music here. Obsidian's Dream has shared the stage with a great many Central Iowa bands like Aquamarine Dream Machine, The Colt Walkers, and Doctor Murdock. The band's lineup consists of Bertrude Stein (bass, vocals), Chris "Shaggy" Zeitler - (guitar, trumpet, lead vocalist), Dean Erickson (keyboards), Mike Fook (guitar, vocals), and Todd "TC" Cumming (drums).
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