Aquamarine Dream Machine
Des Moines, Iowa, United States
Music
Press
Bob Marley Birthday Bash at People's
Written by Aaron Lea
Friday, 04 February 2011 08:52
Share this
This Saturday, Feb. 5th, People's on Court will be hosting the Bob Marley Birthday Bash. This concert is sure to be one of the best musical bang-for-your buck events in town.... Only $10 to see a collection of 9 premier jam, reggae, and world music acts from Des Moines and around the Midwest paying homage to a mutual musical hero- the one and only Bob Marley. Marley's birthday is on February 6th, but as promoter Eric Baise of Motion Activated Music points out "The show will be 6 hours of nonstop music which will go well past midnight", therefore they will be celebrating on the 6th.
The show will feature 2 stages of music; the main stage at People's as well as the stage in the Backstage Bar attached to People's, which is on the same floor to allow easy access between the two stages. The schedule has the two stages alternating, which is always a good plan, as it will allow everyone to watch 20-25 minutes of every band with no other music going unlike some festivals where seeing one band means missing another many times; it also eliminates any dead-time, allowing nonstop music. Eric Baise (of Mooseknuckle) and Justin Kurtz (of Aquamarine Dream Machine) approached Tom from People's about setting up a local and regional mini-festival type show, and Tom suggested Bob Marley's Birthday, as People's has traditionally celebrated Bob's birthday with concerts.
The lineup includes plenty of bands familiar to Des Moines jamband fans as well as some regional acts specially chosen for this special event. Des Moines' own Cirrus Minor, Mooseknuckle, Aquamarine Dream Machine and Geoff "Junior" Safford will be there, as well as Come Unity- a reggae band based in Indianola who are sure to please the Marley fan in everyone. Also on the Reggae side is D. Bess (of Public Property) from Iowa City. Other Iowa City acts appearing on this bill are The Jumbies (Calypso/world music) and Dead Larry (Jamband), and all the way from Lincoln, Nebraska, Vibenhai will be making a special appearance.
Kurtz assures us this will be "one of the biggest nights of music you'll see in Des Moines, featuring some of the best local and regional bands around." When asked for comment, Baise, without hesitation, gives an enthusiastic "Definitely". Doors open at 7pm and music will kick off right at 8, so come early and be prepared to party all night!
There were 500 people that attended this show - DMMC
CD Review: Aquamarine Dream Machine, self-titled
Written by Aaron Lea
Monday, 31 January 2011 09:14
Share this
The self-titled debut album from Des Moines’ Aquamarine Dream Machine is a thoughtful, welcome addition to the fantastic wealth of original music coming from the central Iowa Jamband scene. Aquamarine Dream Machine have been rocking out venues and festivals for 2 years, and what they captured on this CD definitely shows why they have a steadily growing fanbase and promoters eager to book them.
While these guys have been a staple of the Jamband scene, the album showcases a blues sensibility that would surely catch the ear of fans of Tyler Thompson band and David Zollo.
On this 7 track album, only 2 songs come in at under 7 minutes, allowing the band room to stretch out and fully explore each of the musical landscapes. “Bait”, the album’s opening song, grooves like Tyler Thompson band, with sort of a Red Hot Chili Peppers feel-good vibe. Track 2, “Suffix”, pairs soaring, retro melodies with angst filled vocals, resulting in a song that would be a welcome companion on a long road trip or 4:20 celebration. “The Chopping Block” follows with a very classic-rock sound and a hook that would make this anthemic jammer fit nicely on the PA system of most any sporting event.
The album’s 4th track, “Look to the Sky”, dives into some very Led Zeppelin territory, while “Coming Closer”, track 5, takes a decidedly Pink Floyd turn, creating ambient grooves and a pulsating rhythm. At over 11 minutes, this trance-inducing song has surely melted more than a few faces at festivals. The album’s 6th song, “Blur the Lines”, sees the band stretching out and incorporating a Widespread Panic feel and Sublime dub-ska into a definite party song. The closing track, Giants of the Deep”, channels a retro weirdness reminiscent of Tom Waits, and picks up into one of this album’s most rockin’ songs.
The album, recorded by Dan Wipf of Des Moines, is impressively tonally rich with a clarity that begs for it to be played LOUD. With songs like these, in addition to a great live show, this is definitely a band to watch for as another festival season approaches. Overall, this album is full of tasty, laid back grooves that are sure to please Jam, blues, and classic rock fans everywhere.
You can catch Aquamarine Dream Machine, and get your own copy of this CD, at People’s on Court Saturday, February 5th with 6 more great local and regional acts for the Bob Marley Birthday Bash.
- DMMC
Discography
Aquamarine Dream Machine released their studio album in July of 2010. They are currently touring to promote their self produced and self released album.
Photos
Bio
Since the fall of 2007, Aquamarine Dream Machine has been hitting the midwest music scene with a unique, fresh sound. This can be accredited to the band’s ever expanding musical influences, drive, and passion for their art. With their love for good music, and a lot of hard work, Aquamarine Dream Machine is working to spread their music to every household in America.
The Aquamarine Dream Machine project was created to allow each of the members the freedom to expand and build upon their passion for live improvisation. The passion behind the group’s creativity comes from the excitement they experience while creating in front of the audience. The band takes it's prewritten compositions and builds and expands on the piece while performing it. The group may achieve this by making some subtle shifts in dynamic or tempo or they may make a drastic mood altering change that will propel the piece into a completely different direction. This method brings extreme excitement and originality to the group’s works. It also creates an exciting unpredictable environment for the listener. The group strives to bring their listeners something new each time they take the stage. Their live improvisation is the perfect vehicle to get them where they want to go musically. Since the groups music is always evolving and changing it gives them the ability to hardly ever play the same song the same way twice.
The groups influences consist of multiple groups for the 60’s and 70’s and 90’s eras of rock music. Some of their most notable influences are Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers Band, Phish, The Doors, and Grateful Dead.
Richard Way Jr joined the band in November 2009; he replaced the group’s original drummer Josh Scherb. The addition of Richard on drums has helped the group take their sound to the next level. Richards drumming style is just what the group needed to really ground the rhythm section and give the group more flexibility.
Links
