every friday at noon, iowa public radio does a music show at a downtown coffee shop (which, by the way, makes the most awesome coffee concoction ever… even MORE AWESOME that an eggnog latte… a smores latte. latte topped with a mound of whipped cream, mini marshmallows, chocolate syrup, and graham cracker crumbs. oh. my. fuck.) java house hadn’t updated their website since last month, so i had no idea who was playing today, but i was pleasantly surprised when MonkeyBeef and i arrived to find a woman singing and playing a banjo.
the banjo was gorgeous – it looked like it had just jumped out of an antique photograph. everything, from the wood to the tailpiece to the ancient drumhead, were sepia-toned. she was frailing backup and singing (also on my long list of “things i want to learn how to do.”) as i cruised back and forth following MB around the restaurant, DayDreamer’s mom walked in… turns out, we were listening to Rachael Davis, who collaborated with her brothers’ band Steppin in It on the album Shout Sister Shout. good to know, since i had already decided i needed every album she’s ever made. (also, the one year old who was following MB around the restaurant admiring his red mittens as they exchanged monosyllables, was her son.)
now, both davis and steppin in it are based in MI, but if davis is here, it hought i’d better check… and, yep! steppin in it is FINALLY playing a show in iowa, an hour south of here, this coming spring. not that i was that averse to go going to MI to see them sometime, since they play regular shows at the Greatest Brewery on the Planet, bell’s brewery.
yay for good music in the middle of nowhere! we’re in hog heaven lately… next weekend, we’re headed downtown to see catfish keith, an awesome slide guitarist, and in march Po’ Girl, an incredible voice and really innovative acoustic music, is finally coming south from canada to play downtown.
also? tonight i’m drinking a fresh growler of IPA and then playing rock band 2 drums in my underwear. iowa: the sexiest music scene in the midwest.
