Need a good place to have a drink and listen to music that won’t leave your ears ringing the next morning? Our Live At The Java House shows showcase local artists in an intimate setting that puts the spotlight on their music. The smoke-free and alcohol-free performances make for a family-friendly shows at our downtown location at 211½ Washington St. Performance starts at 8 P.M. unless otherwise noted.
What’s on tap? Could be anything. Since we started our Live At The Java House performances in November 2006, we’ve had folk, blues, jazz, rock, classical, indie, pop, bluegrass, and even Celtic and klesmer musicians perform.
Want information about performing at our Live At The Java House shows?
E-mail events@thejavahouse.com.
No Coast
No Coast is an up-and-coming Iowa City psych-folk group. With just a few open mic nights under their belt, and no studio recordings available anywhere, it's surprising how these fresh faces have already developed a unique and compelling sound, blending Elephant 6 inspired psychedelics with the orchestral trappings of Sufjan Stevens and Andrew Bird. This is your chance to see a great young band at the ground level.
Ryne Doughty
Milk & Eggs
Ugly Hand is a folk-duo made up of brothers Joel and Jeremy Herrera. Though both are excellent guitar players, it's their vocal interplay that really sets them apart from so many acoustic folk acts, with harmonies both sugar-sweet and hauntingly beautiful.
More information at
www.myspace.com/songbirdbethann.
Ryne Doughty
Milk & Eggs
Ryne Doughty is no stranger to Southeast Iowa. Born and raised in Washington, IA, it was there that he discovered his love of bluegrass inflected folk music and started to make it himself. Listing John Prine and Mississipi John Hurt as influences, he writes understated, but powerful songs about everyday life and everyday people.
Milk & Eggs, though a relatively new project of Jordan Sellegren, has already made big impressions on the Eastern Iowa music scene. Her debut self-titled album was released in July of last year, catching the attention of the famed Daytrotter studios in Rock Island. Her songs cover topics from the transcendent to the seemingly banal, showing audiences how they all interact.
More information at
Ryne Doughty's myspace and
Milk & Eggs' bandcamp
Josh Kelly
Josh Kelly is, if nothing else, incredibly dedicated to music. Playing over 400 shows in the past few years, he is constantly perfecting his music and his sound. His influences is more Townes Van Zandt than Bob Dylan, more Emmylou Harris than Joni Mitchell and it shows in his music -- with an attention to craft and detail rather than mass appeal.
Golden Birds
GOLDEN BIRDS HAS BEEN ONE OF MUSIC’S BEST KEPT SECRETS for a very long time. Band leader, Webster McBride, has quietly been building his band’s legacy for a decade. His songwriting is nothing if not unique: it is intimate, it is jagged, it is beautiful, it is layered with elliptical lyricism and stunning musical sounds. A nomad of sorts, McBride’s music often represents, through abstract narratives, the journeys, adventures, and romances he’s experienced as he moves from place to place.
More information at
www.myspace.com/goldenbirds.
Crystal Weber
It might be easy to underestimate Crystal Weber's songwriting. The Waterloo native makes straightforward, inspirational, acoustic pop/rock songs. There is no hipper-than-thou irony at work in her music, nor any overt weirdness, entirely lacking in quirks. Yet in the current musical landscape, these songs are incredibly refreshing ? simple truths that we all forget sometimes and need to be reminded of, backed up by a simple acoustic guitar.
The After School Specials
The band is comprised of children, grades 2-6 who all attend Shimek Elementary BASP. The program provides a safe and creative after school atmosphere for children who attend Shimek. During the week, staff members, Matt Larson, Claire Thoele and Emily Frerichs, meet with these students for rehearsal and sectionals. Because of the tremendous fun of during the first performance two years ago, they decided to recreate the experience as a full year project. With encouragement from their parents and peers, The After School Specials have slowly built up their repertoire and stage act since returning to school in fall of '08. Besides jamming at the Java House, the band will be performing at such local venues as UAY and will make an appearance at this year's Arts Fest.
Kate Kane
Kate Kane is a 21 year old singer songwriter from Iowa City. She began playing guitar at age twelve, while trying to get over a severe case of Beatlemania. She plays guitar in the band Lipstick Homicide, and in several other Iowa City bands. Now, she is bringing the acoustic guitar back. . . and more.
