Where did the band name come from?

Our music focuses on a slice of time from about 1967 through 1973. It was a period of intense change in terms of culture and politics, but especially creative art forms, like music. We all listened to Beaker Street, a radio show in the late 60s and early 70s. That was where we were first exposed to much of the music we play today as The Beaker Brothers, especially the longer album cuts. It seemed natural that we would name ourselves based on our first inspiration.

How did you get together?

Most of us have played together in other settings in the past, and were either well acquainted or close friends already. Technically, we started learning these songs circa 1970, though we didn’t know we’d end up in the same band. The Beaker Brothers finally got together and played our first gig in early 2007.

Describe the energy that the audience will see on stage.

For us, the great thing about this band is that we play music that’s close to our hearts. Because we love the music we play, we really don’t have to put on an act to share our excitement about what we do. In the course of a show, all the members are featured. We support each other’s self-expression.

What places are you playing these days?

We’re performing regularly at Parlor City in Cedar Rapids, but we appear frequently at venues in other Eastern Iowa towns, like the Screaming Eagle in Waterloo, and Shakespeare’s in Iowa City. We’ll be playing several festival shows this summer, including Solon Beef Days, the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market and Marion’s Downtown Getdown. We’ll also be making our fifth appearance at Iowa City’s Friday Night Concert Series on June 10. It’s become a summer tradition for the band

What’s your favorite places to play, and why?

Each venue is unique, and brings its own vibe. We like both smaller clubs and outdoor venues, for different reasons. The more intimate atmosphere of a neighborhood bar brings the crowd close, and helps us get that energy circle rolling at full steam. Outdoor shows generally have larger audiences, so the flow is bigger but more dispersed. These bigger shows let us really open up and let go. We’re a six-piece rock band, with two drummers and two guitars. Given the opportunity, we like to play loud and long.

– Pete Looney

LISTEN UP

• WHO: Dan Bernstein (guitar/voice), John Shultz (keyboards, voice), Dan Hummel (drums, percussion), Jim Dreier (drums, voice), Ed English (bass, voice), Steve Grismore (guitar, voice)
• WHAT: Late 60s/early 70s rock
• WHEN & WHERE: Friday (5/27), The Hub, 406 Main St., Cedar Falls: Saturday (5/28), Parlor City, 1125 Third St., Cedar Rapids; June 10, Iowa City’s Summer of the Arts Friday Night Concert Series
• MORE MUSIC: Facebook and www.beakerbrothers.com