Even with hearing a bunch of amazing songs I had never heard they showed a master class in crowd work. They kept a high energy and talked to the crowd, guiding them through songs with different gestures. You can also tell they are just having fun, with great chemistry within the band and walking out into the crowd just to be with their fans. At one point they asked if anyone in the crowd had seen them before, and only three people raised their hands, but still everyone was singing along and new all the lyrics.

I had a great time at their show. I think that the intimate setting of Gabe’s helped capture an outstanding sound and environment for this show. If you have a chance to see Laundry Day live.

I would definitely recommend seeing them in person. It provides a different sound than their recorded songs, and their presence is commanding, drawing everyone into the show. Their songs can go from upbeat fun songs that have everyone jumping around making the floor shake to heartfelt songs that leave the crowd in tears. Overall they put on an amazing performance.

The post It’s Laundry Day at Gabe’s. Concert Review. 2/13/2026. appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Twin River Revivalists are a recent addition to the fantastic local music scene in Iowa City. Comprised of Haden Collett (Lead guitar and backup vocals), Roderick Rath (Lead vocals and rhythym guitar), John Haus (Drums), and a rotating lineup of bass players, including Caleb & Chris Dicken who played at the Halloweekend show. I hear a certain Wes Helmke, who also got some action up on stage, is gearing up to be their new bassist. Their set included covers of modern country songs by Zach Bryan and Toby Keith, rock songs by The Backseat Lovers, Kings of Leon, and Cage the Elephant, plus tons of classics, favorites of mine being Take It Easy by The Eagles, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers, and The Chain by Fleetwood Mac. The band’s favorite tunes to perform on stage are Sex On Fire by Kings of Leon and Everlong by Foo Fighters. These are not half-assed covers, either; some covers were so accurate I felt as if I was hearing the songs from their originators! I’d use just three words: Precise, determined, and fun. Don’t get me wrong, there were some accidental tempo drops, re-tunings, and missed lyrics, but for a band with only a few live performances under their belt, they passed with soaring colors (Red, white, and blue, even?). Twin River certainly puts the Revival in the songs up on stage!

As of now, the band is playing mostly bar-gigs, having already played at Giddy-Up and Elray’s, which is a great fit for their type of music. Halloweekend specifically garnered a huge, fantastic crowd. People were meshing with each other like it was one big family. I suppose that’s generally the feeling of a Halloween night, the costumes creating that sense of community, but it really got amplified through the songs. I have to admit I’m no Zach Bryan enthusiast, but it didn’t matter, because when his songs were playing I was swept away with the bar crowd mania and let the bass vibrate up through my soul. I met the likes of Bob Dylan, Luffy, Joe Dirt, Shaggy, Tom Cruise, and the Stepbrothers, to name a few, and we all shared the joy of music!

I will say the experience of getting into the show was rough. Doors opened at 7, and I got first in line at 6:10. Unfortunately, I only had 7 bucks on me, so by the time I got back with more the line had stretched out to about 50 feet long and four shoulder widths thick. About halfway through the show I had to run out and do my fiancée a favor, but when I got back I was forced to wait 20 minutes until I got back in. But that’s the bar scene on Halloweekend in Iowa City for you.

Twin River Revivalist got their start when Haden and Rod started out jamming and playing their favorite songs in the streets, eventually making their way to house parties as a duo. John was interested and brought his drum-kit with the pair, creating a killer sound. With a couple connections produced by Haden’s previous band experience, they cemented their place in the bar scene. When asked about their future plans, Haden had this to say, “we all just love music and the experience we get to have making others happy doing something super fun for us, so we’d love to ride it out as long as we can, and maybe take a crack at getting back into the street and playing outside of the IC bars sometime soon.”

Check them out on Instagram @twinriverrevivalists. They’ll be playing at Elray’s this December 5th, so don’t miss it!

The post Review: Twin River Revivalist at Elray’s November 1st appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Their first meeting was in January of 2025, and they instantly got to work. They released their debut single 6 months later. Now they have started doing shows and testing their newer songs in live audiences. 

For their show at the James Theater, there will be a 10$ entry fee. To keep up with what the band is doing, you can follow them on Instagram under the username @bluffstreetband. You can also find them on Spotify or Apple Music.

The post ‘Bluff Street: From the Vault’ preview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Each act of the night drew in more people, the first floor eventually reaching capacity. Nadalands started out with some indie rock, followed by Elizabeth Moen, an Iowa City staple. Then Hurray for the Riff Raff took the stage. The crowd was supportive yet calm, ready to enjoy one of the last few acts of the this year’s Mission Creek Festival.

Spearheaded by lead singer Alynda Segarra, the band is an extraordinary sample of Americana, mixing together various styles to achieve an inventive rock sound. The blended style gave way to intricacies within each piece, backing beats steered by various music genres, from doo-wop to salsa.

Segarra is a Bronx native who tirelessly looks to use music to celebrate her Puerto Rican heritage. After the band’s first song finished, Segarra discussed that music keeps her feeling alive during these tense times for our country, and Hurray for the Riff Raff’s body of work holds a similarly political voice.

The group has four albums under its belt, their most recent being The Navigator, released in 2017. Segarra created this album around the imagined character of The Navigator, who represents her experience growing up amidst the streets of New York City longing to celebrate the history of her people. Pride for oneself and one’s culture drives much of Hurray for the Riff Raff’s songs, lyrics the powerful engine of their music.

“The Kids Who Die,” a new song not yet released, provided a strong commentary on the increased amount of school shootings around the United States in recent years. Segarra said the piece was inspired by a Langston Hughes poem, palpable in the style of its lyrics. Repeating “die” an overwhelming amount throughout formed a resounding impact, this song used music to remind the audience of the ongoing issues in our country.

Spanish for “onward” or “forward,” Segarra announced the standout next song: “Pa’lante.” The intensity of the lyrics within this song’s simple melody is unmatchable. Segarra commanded the stage during the performance, punctuating each line with emotion. The lyrics comments forcefully on the lifestyles immigrants have been forced to adopt in the United States due to racial prejudices. It is a song of strength for Puerto Ricans, particularly in the wake of Hurricane Maria’s destruction.

A recording of Pedro Pietri’s seminal 1969 poem, “Puerto Rican Obituary,” is woven into the song, further illustrating Segarra’s lyrical influences from poetry. Pietri’s words emphasize the violence that Puerto Ricans have and still have to face: “Dead Puerto Ricans who never knew they were Puerto Ricans / Who never took a coffee break from the 10th commandment / To kill, kill, kill / The landlords of their cracked skulls.” Hearing these lines of poetry spoken from the stage made it impossible to ignore Hurray for the Riff Raff’s powerful central message of never giving up on the fight for equality between all peoples.

The post Hurray for the Riff Raff @ The Englert Theatre 4/6/2019 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

While influenced mainly by psychedelic and heartland rock, The Artisanals’ music blends together several different genres, a sound which the band’s website describes as, “The sound of the road; of heartache and good times; of an old classic and a new favorite.” Three guitarists and a strong drummer make for a heavy rock sound and the reverberations almost shook the floor of Gabe’s. Yet The Artisanals aren’t afraid of reverb. They embrace it. Each instrument is pushed to a maximum state of resonance, echoes compiling to create an overwhelming aura of sound in every song.

Lead vocalist Johnny Delaware—donning a red leather blazer—greeted the crowd with a bright smile underneath the scruff of his full beard. Taking on a similarly retro look, other members of the band include the dexterous Clay Houle on lead guitar, Eric Mixon on bass, Nick Recio on drums and varied percussion, and Ian Klin on keyboard. Friends of the band were scattered throughout the audience, voicing their support through excited cheers. The musicians were happy to return to Iowa, Delaware poking some fun at midwestern colloquialisms with a sarcastic, “You betcha it’s great to be back in Iowa.”

The setlist featured songs from their 2018 debut album The Artisanals, with a few instances of new pieces they are currently working on. An echoey piece started out the set with a steady drumbeat taking the audience along for the ride. Electronic piano, chimes, and guitar soon joined in, creating the perfect atmosphere for Delaware’s vocals. His impassioned voice easily covered a lengthy range, moving from low bass notes to falsetto “oohs” in a matter of seconds.

Delaware was a flamboyant presence, bucking his guitar around as he played, his shoulder-length hair constantly being flipped around. Energized by the music, he frequently kicked his legs out of the crowd. His feet were likely up in the air for as much time as they were on the ground. Though a bit more subdued, fellow band members joined Delaware in his head-banging rampage throughout the night.

Older tones of rock shape their sound as the band claims to find inspiration in John Mellencamp, George Harrison, and Tom Petty, while simultaneously taking cues from more current bands like The Killers. Though the style of music the group emulates dates back a few decades, The Artisanals are very inventive with their sound. They seamlessly integrate unique musical elements typically resigned to more orchestral arrangements, like chimes, thunder and wind sound effects, and the use of a gong in “Drag.“

Lyrical content for The Artisanals surrounds past and present lovers, experiences as musicians, drug use, following your heart, self determination: all different narratives from a bohemian lifestyle. The band isn’t ignorant to the connections between their music and the culture of the seventies. Delaware even introduced “Pound the Rock” by listing off details what the song was about, summarizing with a smile, “You know, all that hippie shit.” They don’t take themselves too seriously, and this carefree nature inspires joy in their music.

“Angel 42″, the first single the band ever released, finished out the night. This upbeat piece which features sitar-like strings covers the gambit of what The Artisanals create—a lost love, fostering connections through music, heavy guitar, shrooms, and a nomadic lifestyle. Anything and everything one might need to live a bohemian life in the 21st century.

Though The Artisanals are old souls with a vintage sound, they are a group still very much on the rise. New releases are sure to appear as they continue on a tour around the United States until this summer, and I for one can’t wait to see what further ingenuity they bring to the rock world.

The post The Artisanals @ Gabe’s 3/28/19 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The first opener and Chicago-based solo act, Paul Cary, started the show off with a bluesy, guitar driven sound. During his half hour set, he played about eight different songs all by himself—just a man and his guitar.

He has a soulful voice that would be at home in any Memphis bar, with a guitar style to back it up and keep you pulled in. His songs seemed on the shorter side, but all were fairly laidback and soothing. I was not really sure what kind of crowd to expect at the Mill tonight, but there was definitely an older crowd. It was already pretty packed when I got there at 8:00 with standing room only left and I ended up finding myself in a corner somewhat in the way of the waiters going in and out of the kitchen.

After Cary’s set came to a close at 8:30 and the set up for Elizabeth Moen started, I moved out of my corner closer to the stage area and the crowd seemed to double in size. This made sense after I found out she was and Iowa City native as she gave a shoutout to her cousin who was turning 21 at midnight. Moen took the stage with a gorgeous guitar and her band at 9:00pm and started off with a song that really showcased her powerful voice.

Her band members consisted of a drummer, rhythm guitarist, and a cello player who also sang backup vocals and really lovely harmonies. I saw Cary mingling with the crowd during Moen’s set which was cool to see and he seemed like a really laidback guy.

Moen’s style had a bit of a beach-friendly vibe to it with the rhythm guitar and I found myself captivated by her voice and stage presence. Her music was quite a bit more high-energy than Cary’s and I saw several people dancing throughout her set. I had never heard her music before tonight but I thoroughly enjoyed it. She announced during her performance that her album release will be at the Blue Moose on May 13^th and I am definitely considering going. Moen finish her set around 9:45pm with another song that showcased her powerful voice.

During the set up for the headliner, Bridget Kearny, the crowd shuffled around quite a bit and it seemed like it was almost switched out with entirely new people. Kearny, another Iowa City native, and her four piece band took the stage a bit after 10:00pm and kept the energy up with their upbeat music.

Overall their sound was less beachy than Moen’s and seemed to have a lot of 80’s influence. The vocals also were not as strong and it definitely seemed like more of a group act than a lead singer with a backup band. While most of the songs were upbeat, there were a couple slower, more soulful songs mixed in. Kearny closed out the set around 11:00pm, about an hour after beginning.

The Mill is a really fun venue for a show, but it was almost a bit too crowded for this show in particular. It seemed like every couple of minutes I had someone asking me to move so that they could pass by and it was a bit distracting. However, the performances were all really enjoyable so that made up for it, and I think Moen was definitely my personal favorite act of the night.

The post Mission Creek: Bridget Kearny @ The Mill 4/5/17 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Surfer Blood, a Florida alternative rock, indie and surf band was on tour to China and they played at B10 in Shenzhen on July 8.  It was their first time to do a tour in Asia, especially in China. Surfer Blood said they were thrilled to perform in such a big country. They love to have new experiences: explore the food, culture and enjoy the tour in every city. Shenzhen is the second stop on their tour including other five cities in China, which are Guangzhou, Xiamen, Wuhan, Shanghai and Beijing.

On the night of July 8, Surfer Blood brought music “1000 Palms” and some of their hit songs to the B10 live, music and art space that is located in OCT-LOFT, an area that is created by renovated factory buildings in the east part of OCT. Their intense rock style with emotional and cheery melodies fascinated the crowd, and the audience wanted to listen to more songs. People who had never listened to their records enjoyed it; it was hard to dislike their music and live performance. B10 held hundreds of live music performances, including two notable festivals: OCT-LOFT Jazz Festival and Tomorrow Festival.Tomorrow Festival is a non-mainstream music festival covers various styles of music, including experimental, rock and jazz, etc. Surfer Blood is an indie rock band that is part of the Tomorrow Festival.

The current four members, John Paul Pitts (guitar/lead vocals), Tyler Schwarz (drums), Lindsey Mills (bass/backing vocals) and Mike McLeay (guitar/backing vocals) from West Palm Beach, Florida accepted my interview.

John Paul Pitts (guitar/lead vocals) told the story of how they met their former guitarist before Surfer Blood. John and Tyler started out playing music together during their time in Dreyfoos high school. It was their music that brought Thomas Fekete, the former guitarist to Surfer Blood and he suggested Surfer Blood share their music with more people and went on tours.

After Thomas passed away of cancer, Surfer Blood reformed by adding Lindsey and Mike, who were their friends playing music during high school. John described their music as The Beach Boys meet Pavement since he is a fan of 90’s college radio rock and he added melody and harmony to their songs. 1,000 Palms– their newest album is a continuation of this theme, emotional and more abstract elements of their style. I asked Surfer Blood if people in Shenzhen are more familiar with pop songs rather than indie rock or surf rock. John described their songs as dirty pop and laughed that people would like their music which is a combination of rock and pop music; he also mentioned “Music is universal. People like good string music that we play.”

The show started around 7:30 PM. Surfer blood’s first song “Floating Vibes,” began with a light and catchy guitar refrain with a steady drumbeat that immediately caught people’s attention. John’s voice was melic and in a high tone companied by Mike’s low and profound voice.

“Floating Vibes” combined their surfing elements in the lyrics. “Then you’d better learn how to surf; the tide will break in on itself.” The song described the nostalgia of the boy who wanted the girl to come back to him. It was a good opening song that speaks out for their music, intense rock combined with soft melody.

They played a total of fourteen songs from their three albums. They chose to end the show with “Swim.” The song started with a strong chorus to slow paced and melodic guitar solo. The ending was a synthesizer’s sound. “Swim” is a summer feeling song, which makes you feel like it is the summer in South Florida. The song kept repeating “Swim to reach the end.” After “Swim,” people didn’t want to leave and requested “one more song.” Surfer Blood came back to the stage and performed “I Can’t Explain”. It is a love song that asks the girl to open her mind; it is gentler than “Swim.” The light on the stage was amazing; it was a golden color and moved around on the stage.

John, the lead singer, did a lot of interactions with the audience. He talked about dumplings that they have “with soup bun inside” just like their song “Take It Easy” and walked down the stage, stopped and sang at the front row during “Take It Easy.” The audience did not expect he would come down to interact and move forward to see John and took pictures. His energy and power led fans to sing with him. The audience started to make a lot of responses during the middle of the show. Some people danced in a row, shake and yelled. In one particular song when Michael did playing drum for a little, an excited fan went on the stage and took the drum playing it.

Surfer Blood rocked their show and created an unforgettable night at B10 in Shenzhen. Zhan Songhui, a Surfer Blood fan said, “Surfer Blood live is catching and distinctive. It is special such as adding harmonies in every song they made, Mike plays amazing guitar, and he is shy that he always put his feet together when playing music.“ He was thankful for Surfer Blood to play in Shenzhen; he wishes they would come again.

After the show, Surfer Blood met with their fans, signed posters and took pictures with people. Also they listened and answered people’s questions patiently. A fan said they are really nice and willing to spend more time with people. He got to take a picture using his favorite pose “live long and prosper” with Mike and he felt good.

Checkout more information about my interview with Surfer Blood: Link

My next article will cover places recommended to go, food and traveling tip in Shenzhen, China.

This monthly column will cover my traveling experience, my reflection of the local culture, people and food in different locations. 

The post Travel Around the World- Alternative rock band Surfer Blood performed in Shenzhen, China appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Before listening to their most recent album, I listened to the previous two. “Sunken,” released in 2013, definitely held more surf rock than 60’s garage rock, but was I incredibly satisfied. All of the songs melted together in the best way possible but were still different, exemplifying the various talents of the band members. I was reminded of an odd combination of bands, from The Human League to Novo Amor to (very briefly) Ozzy Osbourne in this album.

In the second of Twin Peaks’ studio albums, “Wild Onion,” I began to see the band sink into the rock vibe, but kept the surf rock as an essential element. I felt more like I was listening to a friend’s album than a stranger’s. It felt a lot more like I had a reason to listen to it, and that came with the rock. The new vocal variety was a good way to keep the songs separate yet together. “Making Breakfast” earned a special gold star from me.

Listening to these first two albums gave me some hope for what I would get from “Down in Heaven.” I wasn’t noticing too much lyrical genius, so I was hoping to get more of that. I also hoped that I would still feel like I was listening to a group of friends doing what they loved to do. I hoped to feel engaged, yet comfortable. Having these hopes in mind, I clicked play.

“Walk to the One You Love” sounded like a driving song, but wasn’t at all what I was planning on hearing. The lyrics were repetitive, which kind of made it drag on a bit. I don’t really know what to think of it, but I’m not sure that it was for me.

For some reason, “Wanted You” just made me think of Mike Posner’s “Bow Chicka Wow Wow” as soon as it hit a break from the vocals. I think that it was in the guitar because there is no similarity between the two artists or songs. I did enjoy the subtle harmonies that were joined by two voices near the last third of the song because they gave the song depth that it hadn’t had up until that point. There were layers to the tune, which, in my opinion, is vital.

“My Boys,” however, did not hold the same amount of depth. The message of the song is essentially “I’m in a car with my friends, and we’re all blazed.” I may or may not let this slide if the artists had found some way to convey the message that wasn’t with the lyrics “90 miles down the f*ckin road and I’m stoned, my boys.” At this point, I’m counting on sticking with their first two albums.

“Butterfly” is a song about loneliness. The song touches on loneliness based on being left by people that were supposed to love/care, such as friends, parents, and possibly a significant other. The singer also talks about how, despite the pain of being left, he is leaving others as well. These things can be relatable to me and to others. I also really liked the music itself, especially the guitar.

Ah, yes, the signature “I couldn’t care less” song that comes with any alt-rock/indie album. “You Don’t” features the lyrics “I wanna be bored of you if you’re bored of me,” which is I suppose kind of cute (if it wasn’t for the fact that being with someone who is bored while also simultaneously being bored is incredibly boring–and probably not very healthy). He also sings, “if you don’t care about a goddamn thing, then I don’t,” which contradicts the entire point of this love song. He does care, despite his love interest’s disinterest. I don’t know what to think, but I really didn’t find my hope of lyrical genius in this song.

“Cold Lips” is a reality check via a string of sick burns. If you read the lyrics, some of the things that he’s saying to this person are pretty intense. I wish that I had more to say about how I feel about the song, but mostly I just want more back story about who the singer is trying to send a message to.

I am relieved to hear the intro to “Heavenly Showers” because I can tell that the song is going to be different from anything I’d heard yet on the album. The other songs are exhaustively similar, but this song sticks out a bit more to me. There are two voices that work together. One of the voices is calm and steady, while the other is raspier and almost angry. This could be symbolic of an internal struggle. The voices sing, “Now I don’t feel too sad, you know, but I could.” This makes me think that perhaps the song is about denial of one’s feelings. I feel like I can finally listen to what the band members are actually thinking without the show of it all, which is good to hear sometimes.

“Keep It Together” made me think for a while. The lyrics refer to a “her,” and I was curious to figure out who she was; she didn’t seem to be a person, necessarily. The singer seemed to be fascinated with her. It took a couple of listens, but I came to the conclusion that this is a love song between a drug and its user. If this is the case and the song isn’t just about a girl, I really enjoyed it.

And then suddenly, the members of Twin Peaks turn into mentors within a short, sweet song. “Getting Better” is, as you might expect, a song about recovery and urging someone to recover. The band gives this musical advice in exactly the way that I like my advice: more of an understanding rather than an order. This shows me that the band cares enough about their fans to give them a genuine, encouraging song.

The title of “Holding Roses” immediately made me think “cheesy love/breakup song,” and I was only partially correct. I was confused by the happy music when I was expecting a more somber sound. The mood made more sense with the first lyric we hear: “save me from a sad, sad song.” The lyrics from then on made sense. This guy is heartbroken that he lost his love, but it deciding to be okay with it. It was unique in that contradiction, and I find it interesting. Way to go, dude.

“Lolisa” is basically a song that Pudge may have written for Alaska. The entire thing revolves around how special and unique this one girl is. She is grungy and sad and wears different clothes, but she is so, so beautiful anyways. I would ordinarily love this song, but I can’t help feeling that writing/singing about this type of girl is overdone.

“Stain” sounds to me like a song about a broken childhood and trying to grow up in spite of it. The singer finds stains from his childhood in places he finds in his adult life: airplanes, polyester coats, and in his mind. This song speaks volumes to me, and I’m sure that it speaks volumes to many others that have heard it.

Finally, at the end of the album, we reach “Have You Ever?” I wish that this had been a better send-off, but I mostly notice how repetitive the song is. One of my pet peeves when regarding music is too much repetition within a short amount of time. That being said, this song didn’t really sit too well with me. It did, however, fit in with the rest of the album since the music was pretty much the same/very similar.

After this album was released, the band did a live Spotify Session that just happens to have some pretty cool album art (see above). Only two of the fourteen songs released were from this album: “Walk to the One You Love” and “Butterfly.” I personally thought that they were both more impressive live because it was easier to tell that the band members were doing what they loved. My favorite song by the band, “Making Breakfast,” was also on the live release, and they made it sound even better than they already had. I like the raw sound they have when they perform live.

Listen to “Down In Heaven” below.

[SHAMELESS PLUGS: here are my Instagram and Twitter, do with them what you will]

The post Album Review: “Down In Heaven” by Twin Peaks appeared first on KRUI Radio.

(Cover photo courtesy of Daily Iowan)

Human Rights! What they are, why they matter, and how to improve them, right here in Iowa City.

In the studio we were joined by Carter Yerkes and Thom Johnson of VIBE: Various Identities born equal. Four University of Iowa students have established Various Identities Born Equal. The group is meant to bring together various multicultural and identity student organizations. The organization has three main goals, which include fostering collaborations, creating a community of allies, and fighting for social justice on campus. Join Kris Yambao and KRUI as we discuss this heavy topic.

The post VIBE on Live@5 News appeared first on KRUI Radio.

(All photos taken by and copyrighted by Ian Netter)

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