Do you like 70/80’s classic rock? Would you like to
hear it performed brilliantly by a local band? Then check
out “Stranded in Iowa,” who plays everywhere,
from the Jones County Fair to Cocktails. This band is not
stranded anywhere – they choose to make great music
right here in eastern Iowa.
When we first went to hear them, the name was familiar.
I’m sure I’d heard of them. Or was the song
by Manfred Mann familiar? Didn’t matter. Went and
saw them at Scooters in Anamosa, and were blown away. Five
experienced, talented musicians, nailing every note. We
went a second time and saw them at 5th Gear, and it wasn’t
a fluke – these guys are GOOD. I leaned over to my
wife and said, “This might be the best band in town!”
So who are they? This is a band that took several years
until they found the ideal mix. Most of them have played
in various bands in this area for quite a while. In fact,
their new lead singer, Rob Wallace still performs with “Jampact”
and “Mike & Rob Show.” Billie Tessendorf
compliments him very nicely on background vocals, and adds
the important keyboards to the sound. If you appreciate
good guitarists, you’re gonna love Patrick Harrison,
who will blow you away with his dead-on rhythm, and amazing
lead playing. And he supplies harmony vocals. But a band
is nothing without a solid rhythm section, and Dave Suri
on bass, and Jason Holub on drums bring it together perfectly.
I always appreciate good audio – and soundman Jeff
Ladwig provides that. It’s hard to always get a good
mix in the variety of venues in this area, but Jeff shows
his experience and talent, and makes it sound just right
everytime.
These guys are professionals – they know exactly what
they’re doing. This isn’t cold, calculated “corporate”
rock – these are excellent musicians, that know what
sounds good, and have the talent to pull it off. They’re
not playing 3-chord rock - any musician in the crowd will
notice that they play plenty of challenging songs –
and the average music lover will notice that every song
sounds excellent. There’s a nice, thoughtful progression
between songs. It was very unusual to see the crowd at a
recent show applaud after every song – so many times,
the band is just “background music.” Check ‘em
out – see what you think.
–Pete
Looney
For
Bookings, call Billie at 319-360-2031 or Rob at 319-929-1456
orsend
Email.
