THE SOUND: Rock and country with a little island.

THE GIGS: 9 p.m. Sept. 4 @ Cocktails & Company, 1625 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, Cedar Rapids, $5. 9 p.m. Sept. 10 @ Jerseys Pub and Grub, 5761 C St. SW, Suite A, Cedar Rapids

THE REST OF THE STORY: Official website: www.danikaholmes.com; Youtube: www.youtube.com/danikaholmesmusic; Facebook: www.facebook.com/danikaholmesmusic; Twitter: www.twitter.com/danikahmusic; Myspace: www.myspace.com/danikaholmes

How long have you been

playing music?

I’ve been playing piano since I was about 6 and started writing songs when I was 13. I picked up the guitar only a few years ago.

When did you start performing?

As a kid I was performing in school musicals, dance recitals and piano recitals. As an adult, originally, I started out as only a songwriter. However, I realized that big stars don’t just call you up and say “Hey I want to record your song!” I needed to get out there and actively promote my songs. After I got used to the idea of being onstage I realized I loved it. I used to get extreme stage fright and was even afraid to sing in front of people but now it feels like second nature.

You travel to Nashville often. Tell me about that.

Oh I love Nashville! I find it to be the most creative environment I’ve ever been in. You tell people you’re a singer/songwriter and most likely they’ll say “me too!” I go to Nashville to network with other songwriters and musicians. My vocal coach lives in Nashville and I do lessons over the Internet, but it’s nice to have face to face sessions with her. I’ll also be recording my second album in Nashville. On Sept. 2 I’ll be performing at an artist showcase at The Rutledge in Nashville. I also filmed my debut music video in Los Angeles this May.

What do audiences enjoy most about your shows?

I realize that the show isn’t really about me. It’s about the audience. It’s about them getting away after a long week of work and just getting to hang out and relax with their friends. I also need to give credit to my band. The guys I play with (Jeb Hart, lead guitar; Wes Weeber, drums/percussion; Ryan Marshall, bass) are great musicians and they really do a great job.

Where do you get your inspiration when songwriting?

When I first started the songwriting process it was all about writing from the heart about personal experiences. I find inspiration from any place you can imagine — conversations with people, magazines, newspapers, the Internet, etc. I used to have to wait for inspiration to strike in an “ahh-ha” moment, but now I’m more committed to sitting down and writing even when I don’t have any ideas.

Who are your musical influences?

Sara Bareilles and Duffy in terms of vocals. Sheryl Crow and Jewel as far as female singer/songwriters.

What’s your favorite song?

“Lock me in Tonight” is my favorite from my first album. It was also my first music video which you can see on my website An unreleased favorite of mine that we do at live shows is “Bluebird.”

What are your musical goals?

My number one goal as a musician and artist is to create and maintain a long term sustainable career as an artist and a songwriter. I think it’s amazing that I get to do what I love on a daily basis. Speaking short term goals, I’m in the process of writing, both independently and with co-writers for my next album. It’s very important to keep writing and releasing new music.

— KATIE

THE SOUND: Blues rock and traditional blues
THE GIGS: 9 p.m. Aug. 27 @ Next Door, 1736 16th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids; 9 p.m. Aug. 28 @ Pitchers, 620 Lindale Dr., Marion
THE REST OF THE STORY: www.thejaneys.com; www.myspace.com/brycejaney
If you like the blues, you don’t have to leave Cedar Rapids to hear some excellent music. Even though he’s a young man, Bryce Janey has been playing the guitar for almost 30 years.

Bryce began his career in his hometown of Marion. He released his first CD in 1996. Over the next few years, Bryce released two new CDs, “Live at Checker’s Tavern” and “Sweet Baby Jane.” These early CDs gained national attention and five star reviews from Blues Access magazine. Bryce has played festivals and successful venues like B.B. King’s in Memphis and Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago. While in the Blue Band he played venues in Minneapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis, Nashville and Denver.

“The first real band I played in was with my parents in ‘The Janeys’ when I was 14,” he says.

Bryce had his own band as well, the Bryce Janey Band, which is still together, and a acoustic blues duet called Bryce & Merrill.

He was in the Bluesband with Bob Dorr from 1999 to 2002 and was Inducted into the Iowa Rock-n-Roll hall a fame as a member of that band.

He also plays part time with Perry Welsh and Tommy T-bone Giblin in The Pumpers.

And he still plays on a regular basis with his father Billy Lee Janey.

Bryce Janey’s influences include artists ranging from Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry to Jimi Hendrix, Cream and The Band, in addition to many blues artists, from Chicago style to Old Delta Robert Johnson.

His love for country and folk music is combined into a melting pot of his own version of rock ‘n’ roll, country and blues with a touch of acoustic ballads and rhythm.
— PETE

THE SOUND: Acoustic rock/folk
THE GIGS: 8 p.m. Aug. 25 @ Daniel Arthur’s, 821 Third Ave. SE
THE REST OF THE STORY: www.chrismillerguitar.com, Facebook and MySpace

Chris Miller’s shows are simple. Just a man and his guitar. He makes the most of that one instrument, though.

“I use a loop station to layer rhythm guitar parts or percussion parts on the spot. This enables me to sound more like a duo show,” he says.

After doing everything from driving concrete trucks to graphic editing for commercial print shops, Chris is glad to be able to call music his full time career. Averaging more than three shows a
week for the last three years, he’s played for everything from weddings and private events to casinos, coffee houses and wineries from Galena to Des Moines.

“I got my start singing in front of people as a worship leader for my church in Colorado Springs. They were very patient with me as I learned the craft, but it was pretty bad for quite a while,” he says. “Then I played in several bands. In college I played guitar for a Christian metal band. We toured some but never really made an impact.”

Chris’ energy reflects the audience that he’s playing for. At sports bars he can be a bit of a goofball. Shows at galleries and wineries, though, tend to be quieter, more intimate and full of his original songs.

“I’ve released four albums of original material. All independent, no manager or label. The first three I recorded in my home studio with one microphone and lots of patience,” he says.

Chris hopes a recent change in address will help his music career move as well.

“I recently moved into an RV camper full time, so home comes with me,” he says. “I’ll be happy if I can just keep writing and performing for a living.“
— PETE

THE TALENT: Rick Von Lienen (vocals, guitar), Craig “Wildcat” Sprat (vocals, drums), Dave Calhoun (bass), Kevin Simnacher (guitar)
THE SOUND: Headbanging hard rock
THE GIGS: 9 p.m., Saturday (8/14)
at 1st Avenue Live, 3701 First Ave., Cedar Rapids
THE REST OF THE STORY:
www.harveyheadbanger.com, MySpace and Facebook

Hard rocking Harvey Headbanger has been tearing up the Cedar Rapids area for three years now. Hoopla sat down with Rick Von Lienen for a chat.

The band name — where did that come from?
The name originally came from a dream I had that I was at a show and I saw myself in a band called Harvey Headbanger. Everyone in the room was calling me Harvey. Weeks later, my son, then 5 years old, came up to me hitting his head with his hand. He said, “Look Dad, I’m a headbanger!” I told him that wasn’t what the term meant, but it got me thinking about the band name again. After doing a web search to make sure no other band had ever existed with the name, I began to build on the idea.

Describe the music you play?
As the name implies, headbanging rock is what we do.

How did you get together?
Before I had assembled the band, I interviewed as many musicians as I could for every position looking for the right chemistry. Even after all that we still wound up changing some members. But then the guys that are with the band now weren’t available at the beginning, so everything happens for a reason, I guess.

Describe the energy that the audience will see on stage?
I can’t stand still on stage. The music makes me move. The rest of the guys don’t just stand there and play either. Nobody wants to go see a band stand there looking bored. That’s why most people say they are going to “see” a band, not “hear” a band. The energy we create gets the crowd going, which then gets us pumped up even more. We feed off the crowd, and then they do the same from us.

What places are you playing these days?
We play at Tailgator’s and 1st Avenue Live here in Cedar Rapids. We love rocking anywhere with a big stage, but Conesville stands out from all the rest. Six weeks into this band, we played there for more than 5,000 people. They loved us and it became the standard to shoot for.
— PETE

THE TALENT: Brandon Redmond (vocals), Brett Witting (guitar), Travis Luchtenburg (guitar), Bo Zeller (bass), Chris Dunker (drums)
THE SOUND: Hard rock / heavy metal
THE GIGS: Saturday, Aug. 14 at 1st Avenue Live, 3701 First Ave., Cedar Rapids, opening for Hellyeah
THE REST OF THE STORY: www.BTSband.com and Facebook
Metal. The heavier, the better. High energy. That’s what Cedar Rapids-based Beneath the Surface is all about.

What are your favorite places to play?
1st Avenue Live and Spy Bar are cool places. Tornado’s has been great, with really good crowds for live, local music. And playing outside is always great.

How did the band get together?
Three years ago, brothers Brett and Brandon rounded up some guys. We’ve been through different band members since, but the lineup is solid now. We argued about different names (it’s hard to get five guys to agree), then Brandon came up with “Beneath the Surface.”

Have any strange things that happened during performances?
Brandon electrocuted his eyeball with the microphone once. He loved it. His eyeball survived intact.
What other bands might people recognize your names from?
The list is too long. Bo was in the band “Negative” for many years; Dunker also plays bass for “Black Tooth Grin”; Travis is currently in “End of an Age.”

What about originals?
We have a few originals, working on more. You can hear some on our website.

What are the band’s goals?
Getting together an album is definitely on the horizon. Opening for national metal acts coming through town would be awesome.

And as it turns out, they get to do just that, next week!
— PETE

THE TALENT: Jenn Lowe (vocals, keys), Don Scott (acoustic guitar, vocals), Al Fear (percussion)
THE SOUND: Country-flavored folk, pop, rock
THE GIGS: 9 p.m. July 31 at Shuey’s, 1158 Club Rd. NE, Shueyville
THE REST OF THE STORY: http://LadyLowe.com, Facebook
I recently discovered the sweetly refreshing music of a new two-piece, sometimes three-piece, band called Lady Lowe.

The lady herself is Jenn Lowe on vocals and keyboards, accompanied by Don Scott on vocals and acoustic guitar and occasionally also supported by Al Fear on percussion.

The group has created a contemporary style of music. With the intimacy of an acoustic show, songs are beautifully played and sung with passion.

Don and Jenn grew up together in Solon. Don went off to tour with bands such as Kansas, Hall & Oates and L.A. Guns. He eventually moved back to Iowa few years ago and re-connected with Jenn. They have been performing together for more than a year.

“When Don and I started playing we were originally called “Lowe” but I always thought we needed something a little bit more fun, so we added a little sugar to it,” Jenn says.

Their set list has a fair helping of the sweet stuff as well. It is full of bouncy and captivating tunes, laced with ballads and served with a large helping of mood and atmosphere.

Recently they’ve begun to add originals to their repertoire.

“ ‘Once Upon a Time’ is our newest single we are working on,” Jenn says. “It’s a sad breakup song that anyone who’s loved someone and lost can relate to.”

— PETE

THE TALENT: Dale Crosby (guitar), Jerry Carberry (guitar), Zach Nickels (drums), Jeff Langenberg (bass), Tom Scoville (sound)
THE SOUND: Classic rock
THE GIGS: 9 p.m. July 24 at Gus’ Food & Spirits, 2421 Coral Ct., Coralville
THE REST OF THE STORY: www.mcphistorocks.com or on Facebook and MySpace
A band for the fans.

mcphisto got started in the early 80s. While the band eventually broke up in 1987, with their personal and musical bond, they decided to put mcphisto back together in 2008. Hoopla sat down with Jerry Carberry recently to talk about the band.

Describe the music you play.
We like to consider our musical style as Retro Rock. We play a wide variety of rock songs, focusing on the 80s & 90s. Our current set list includes songs from AC/DC, Billy Idol, Journey, Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Cars and Nickleback, as well as a variety of other recognizable tunes and crowd favorites from the 70s through the present.

You’re all from the Cedar Rapids area. What other bands have you played with?
Prior to mcphisto, we all had played in a variety of rock, country-rock and wedding bands. We focused our attention on mcphisto for the better part of the 80s. After that we all migrated to various other bands such as: It’s All That, Philm @ 11, Tan Yer Hide, The Difference and Eastern Front. Along the way we’ve each had the opportunity to play with some great musicians, many of whom are still playing in local bands today.

Describe the energy that the audience will see on stage.
mcphisto rocks hard. We draw a lot of our energy from having great dance crowds. The four of us have many, many years of experience playing in bands. We know what works, and, very importantly, we know where our strengths lie. Great harmonies, a killer groove. We don’t use onstage amplification. All instruments, including drums, are electronically routed through the front house mixer. Our mission is actually pretty simple: play great music and have the best overall show and sound for our fans so they can come out and have a great time.

And what’s with the name? What does it mean?
The name mcphisto is not intended to mean anything. There is a slight reference to things of an Irish nature. It was a, hopefully, easy to remember name. No other meaning.
— PETE

THE TALENT: Polly Pantz (keyboards/vocals), Clare Crush (keyboards/vocals), Scottie Von Blazen (lead vocals), Tyler Steven (lead vocals), Jeff Jackson (guitar), Bobby Bones (guitar), Sean Jovi (bass guitar), The Kid (drums)
THE SOUND: Glam Metal
THE GIGS: 9 p.m., July 16 at the Pzazz! Convention and Event Center in Burlington, Ia.; 9:45 p.m., July 17, at The Daiquiri Factory in Rock Island, Ill.

THE REST OF THE STORY: www.hairbangersball.com; twitter.com/Hairbangersball; and www.facebook.com/hairbangersball
As a young girl, Polly Pantz dreamed of being one of the glam girls in a Motley Crue video. So when the musical zeitgeist swung into grunge, and hair metal bands faded like a pair of secondhand acid-washed jeans, Pantz clung to her dream of keeping the music alive. In the near decade since its inception, Pantz’s band Hairbanger’s Ball has built a large regional following of fans hellbent on the same girlhood goal — to keep the music borne on California’s Sunset Strip alive and kickin’ in the bars and clubs of the Midwest.

RL: What is Hairbanger’s Ball about?
PP: We’re all musicians. There is a business behind it. But it’s the greatest job in the world. We literally get paid to party.
RL: Are you serious?
PP: It’s about having a party — sex, drugs and rock n’ roll.

RL: Some dreams don’t die, huh?
PP: The way I see it, Hairbanger’s Ball gives people something to almost get lost in, to leave your troubles behind. It’s all about a party, and you get all these people in one place who just want to leave their cares behind and have a good time. And that’s something we deliver.

RL: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at a show?
PP: We’ve been outdoors and seen a tornado. We’ve been indoors and had the club flood. We’ve seen all kinds of stuff – girls are just a ton of fun, acting wild and crazy, and I’ll just leave it at that. I don’t know if there’s just one specific crazy thing.

RL: Were you surprised that playing covers from the ‘80s would take off as it did?
PP: It couldn’t have been for a better time. It was right before you started hearing these songs in commercials — Rock of Love with Brett Michaels, the whole Osbourne reality show, it really brought attention to what Hairbanger’s Ball was doing.

RL: One last question, what’s with the names?
PP: When you look at the characters from the ‘80s, they all had these goofy stage names and personas.
We thought why not?
– RYAN

THE SOUND: Acoustic rock/folk
THE GIGS: 12:30 p.m. July 17 @ the Iowa City Book Festival, Gibson Square Park; 9 p.m. July 17 @ Bricks Bar and Grill, 320 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids
THE REST OF THE STORY: www.chrismillerguitar.com, Facebook and MySpace

Chris Miller’s shows are simple. Just a man and his guitar.

He makes the most of that one instrument, though.

“I use a loop station to layer rhythm guitar parts or percussion parts on the spot. This enables me to sound more like a duo show,” he says. “For example when I play my original song ‘Take Me,’ I first set up a percussion loop by slapping the guitar, then later in the song I add the rhythm guitar so that I can do some lead lines. I still consider myself more of a guitarist than a singer.”

After doing everything from driving concrete trucks in Kansas City, to graphic editing for commercial print shops in Colorado Springs, Chris is glad to be able to call music his full time career now. Averaging more than three shows a week for the last three years, he’s played for everything from weddings and private events to casinos, coffee houses and wineries from Galena to Des Moines.

“I got my start singing in front of people as a worship leader for my church in Colorado Springs. They were very patient with me as I learned the craft, but it was pretty bad for quite a while,” he says. “Then I played in several bands. In college I played guitar for a Christian metal band. We toured some but never really made an impact.”

Chris’ energy reflects the audience that he’s playing for. At sports bars he can be a bit of a goofball. Shows at galleries and wineries, though, tend to be quieter, more intimate and full of his original songs.

“I’ve released four albums of original material. All independent, no manager or label. The first three I recorded in my home studio with one microphone and lots of patience,” he says. “My newest, ‘Taylor & Me,’ was recorded at Catamount Studio in Cedar Falls. My first album is available for free on my website. The later three are available at all the major online music stores.”

Chris hopes a recent change in address will help his music career move as well.

“I recently moved into an RV camper full time, so home comes with me,” he says. “I’m hoping this will facilitate more extensive touring, but for now I’m just trying to adjust to the new lifestyle.

“I’ll be happy if I can just keep writing and performing for a living.“

— PETE

THE TALENT: Michael Tafoya (guitar, vocals), Chris McCoy (drums, vocals), Brad Barrett (bass, vocals)
THE SOUND: New classic rock
THE GIG: 9 p.m., Saturday, July 10, at Cedar River Landing, 301 F Ave. NW, Cedar Rapids
THE REST OF THE STORY: www.tafoyaslostboyzz.com; www.myspace.com/tafoyaslostboyzz and on Facebook
Tafoya’s Lost Boyzz are bringing their show to town. After getting their start in Chicago eight years ago, this three-piece rock band has got an old-school sound with a bump and grind feel. We sat down with guitarist and singer Michael Tafoya to learn more.

What’s a first time visitor to your show going to see?
Well, we don’t have a frontman telling dirty jokes and berating the crowd. We simply rock the room with songs that jam and with cool solos to boot. We play a whole slew of the Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac things including their covers of old rock and blues tunes. Plus an assortment of other classic type rock songs done our way.

How did you get together?
I was looking to put a band together with a song mix and sound that I heard in my head. So I started to go to these open mic things and found Chris in 2002. We started to work on the types of things I felt were needed to make this particular sound. Then Brad joined us just a couple of years ago.

You have musical backgrounds?
I played guitar for The Boyzz through the mid to late 1970s. We toured or played with the likes of Rush, Aerosmith, U.F.O., R.E.O., Judas Priest, J. Geils band and other assorted rock acts from the 70s. Chris and Brad played for other local bands throughout the area.

Where do you play these days?
We play all over the map — any events where people love to rock! Because that’s what we love and are there to do — rock! When we rock and the audiences digs it, it just makes us want to rock all the harder.
— PETE