The Grinnell Area Arts Council has been busy booking shows for fall, with the inaugural showcase just around the corner. This Saturday, Sept. 2 at Stew Art Studios, Milwaukee trio Listening Party and Grinnell College band p. morrow will take the stage.
Erik Jarvis ’12, events manager for the Arts Council, hopes that the pair of folk groups will resonate well with the Grinnell community. While Listening Party’s music is known for its introspective lyrics and practiced yet passionate unexpected rhythmic turns, p. morrow’s music instead deals with themes of connection, landscape and belonging.
Listening Party, comprised of Weston Mueller (guitar and vocals), Joshua Hester (guitar, mandolin and bass) and Jacob Wood (piano and vocals), was going to be in Iowa City for a concert this weekend. Grinnell turned out to be another convenient stop on their tour.
“Touring acts can very easily be lost in the ‘Big City’ scene, so it’s always a pleasure to find smaller communities that support the arts in a major way, making us feel more at home and building lasting relationships,” Mueller said.
Jarvis said that when he studied at Grinnell College, there was no off-campus venue like The Stew to showcase student groups. He believes that it is important for young musicians to get their music out to people who are not their everyday peers.
“It’s also important for the Arts Council, and to the artists we bring in, that the audience is a diverse and accurate cross section of our community, and showcasing student talent will help achieve that,” he said.
For Justin Leuba ’18 the event is of special importance, as their band p. morrow will be performing their original compositions in the band’s off-campus debut. While juggling guitar and vocals, Leuba will be supported by Sylvie Bindas ’18 on vocals, Jacob Getzoff ’18 on percussion and Ian Donaldson ’20 on keyboard. The four met through school and other musical connections.
The show will begin with p. morrow at 8 p.m. at The Stew on 927 Broad Street, followed by Listening Party. Admission is free and open to the public.
