Our Musical Guests Dirty Rotten Scoundrels #originalitybydesign

 I've had the pleasure of hearing these young men several times and can say they are one of the stellar bands in the state of Iowa. I personally know Steven Rood, and thank him for sharing this blog with us today. Make sure to listen to the YouTube video. I guarantee it will make you want to get up and dance.  

                                                     ---Grace Augustine 

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

We started in November of 2014, as 4 guys with a love for the music of yesteryear and the desperate need to keep warm and pass the time during a brutal Iowa winter.

Singer/guitarist, Josh Adams, and our original drummer, Jake Blomberg, were roommates living on one side of a duplex and I, Steven Rood, had just moved in on the other side.

The three of us had been in bands together before, but at the moment were just enjoying being friends all living essentially under one roof, and bowling on Tuesdays.

After finishing a 2014 tour and leaving his previous band, Josh needed something to fill the musical void for the winter. So, one night after he and Jake had been listening to old albums from Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, they decided to head to the basement with a bottle of rum to try a few of these tunes themselves.

A couple nights later, they added some Elvis songs along with fellow friend, bassist, and Elvis super-fan. Tyler Frazier. I had also just left my own original band after a decade behind the drums and was feeling a little empty… Until I heard the three of them next door, playing the songs my folks raised me on, and it felt like I was being beckoned back home.

With Jake already filling the drummer role, I decided it was time to put down the sticks, pick up my dusty guitar, and head next door. And just like that, we were a band. 

Once we learned 5 songs together, we needed to learn 5 more. Then 10 more. Before long, the 4 of us were scouring the 50's and 60's archives, adding songs left and right, with pizza boxes and beer cans piling up.

Then, a friend of Josh's, who worked at a bar in Marshalltown, Iowa had their Friday night entertainment fall through and asked us if we wanted a paying gig. We had never actually planned on playing any of these songs in front of people. But, why not have some fun AND make some beer money?

So, if we were going to gig live, we needed a name. And what do you call four single, rum-fueled, 30-year-old misfits playing clean cut classics in matching suits? Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, that's what.

Several fun-filled weekends and many broken down vehicles later, that one small bar show turned into regular gigs in Des Moines, weddings, corporate events, casinos, 2016 presidential campaigns, and before we knew it, we had momentum.

In 2016, a great new job opportunity led our newlywed drummer to Colorado, leaving behind a vacancy in the band. And I couldn't think of a better person to pick up where Jake left off, than Des Moines legend, Will Locker, who I'd known for years, after touring with his band through some sketchy parts of southern USA.

Will was a perfect fit from day one, being a 60's style drummer that packs a heavy punch. And whenever Will's otherwise booked with his own projects, we are very fortunate to have our talented good friend Luke Rauch sit in on drums.

This month marks our 4th anniversary. We began working with a new booking agent which will help take a lot of logistical stress off the band going forward, and we couldn't be more excited heading into our 5th year as a band of brothers… thrilled and thankful to be filling up our 2019 schedule. 

YouTube

We also just debuted our live jukebox feature: a real functioning full size jukebox with over 120 songs we've learned over the last 4 years. Audience members are now able to make selections on our jukebox and we'll play them live, resulting in a completely unique set every night.

Catch us on New Year's Eve at Wooly's in Des Moines, Iowa where we'll be playing from 9-10pm, with Pianopalooza ringing in the New Year!