Quad Cities band Minus Six will play its 300th show at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Industry.
“The 300th show is pretty exciting,” saxophonist Matt Sivertsen said. “You realize how many years you’ve been a band and are still going strong, so this show is extra special.”
Lead singer and songwriter Kevin Carton thinks the monumental show says something about the members’ commitment to their craft.
“It’s an exciting milestone, but the interesting thing is, we are all so energetic that we treat every show like a big celebration,” Carton said.
Minus Six is no stranger to Iowa City. Drummer Rob Baner completed his undergraduate work at the UI and in May received a master’s in accounting.
Sivertsen said performing in Iowa City is never disappointing.
“One time in Iowa City, a girl was dancing on stage right behind Kevin, our lead singer, and he had no idea,” he said. “It was pretty funny.”
The band last played in Iowa City on July 3, at its local haunt, the Industry, 211 Iowa Ave. The same day, the group also did a live broadcast on Iowa Public Radio at the Java House, and the recording and video aired several times on radio and TV.
Minus Six plans to kick off its 300th show with both older favorites and newer, more complex songs.
“There are some new songs we’re really excited about,” Sivertsen said. “We’re developing a longer song form with more transitions and an almost Broadway flow, with scene changes and different rhythms, like songs within a song.”
On Saturday, the audience can sing along with Minus Six’s enthusiastic fan base. Listen for crowd favorites such as “Lost at Sea” and new, experimental songs such as “The Gospel,” “Legacy,” and “Le Jongleur,” a song about a traveling juggler.
“Every place we play, we have regular faces that show up,” Sivertsen said. “These groups start to multiply with every show.”
UI senior Alexandra Drury is among the many faithful fans who plan to attend Saturday’s concert. It will be around her 10th time seeing the band live, although she’s lost count of the number.
“I have been a Minus Six fan since 2006, when a friend took me to one of the shows at the Industry, then the Q bar,” Drury said. “The band put on one of the best live shows I have ever seen. The music is very energetic, and you really have to try not to start dancing and singing along.”
Popularity isn’t the only thing growing for the band. This summer, Minus Six expanded its gig-boundaries from a three-hour radius outside Moline, Ill., to play shows farther way, such as one in Omaha in September.
After six years together, Carton thinks Minus Six is moving at a steady pace. With three albums to its moniker, the group’s young 20-somethings are looking to record more original songs and reach larger audiences.
With an energy-charged, piano pop-rock feel and a guitar-less ensemble, Carton believes his music is an entirely different animal.
“To me, our music is like a turtle,” he said. “Our home is music, and just like turtles, we are always carrying it on our backs.”