Stranded in Iowa

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.