Four local metal and progressive-rock bands come together for Nightmare on Washington Street.
By Adam Buhck
In an age in which pop and electronic dance music dominate the airwaves and artists such as Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber frequently sit atop the music charts, many are quick to dismiss metal as a dying genre. While metal may no longer have much of a place in the mainstream, young musicians are proof it won’t go quietly into the night.
On Friday, Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St., will present Nightmare on Washington Street, a night full of head-banging and face-melting guitar licks with a lineup featuring four local metal and progressive-rock bands. The Dead Emperors, Zuul, In the Mouth of Radness, and Leviathans will take the stage starting at 9 p.m..
Radness is an Iowa City four-piece group composed of Noah Koester (bass, vocals), Jeff Keyser (drums), Erik Whittaker (guitar), and Phil Maul (keys). The musicians described their sound as “a crossover from punk to metal and back, and then up for a high-five.”
“We have all played in other acts around Iowa City,” Keyser said. “None of those bands sounded anything alike. We bring elements from a lot of different genres together to make what I like to think of as high energy, loud, fast, and hard music.”
In 2014, Radness released its first album, Gone Rad With Power, which was recorded, mixed, and mastered in just 24 working hours. The album contains songs inspired by everyday occurrences and touches on relatable subjects: how much working sucks; Megadeth singer Dave Mustaine’s abrasive personality; and the conundrum presented by a huge bucket of Legos with no instructions.
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“We pride ourselves on being funny lyrically and wild musically,” Keyser said.
Radness will play a few shows outside of Iowa City this winter, but the members focus the majority of their time on completing their new record, which they hope to release in the spring.
Playing alongside them is Zuul, a local punk/metal outfit including JL Bolinger (guitar/vocals), Ian Koehler (guitar), Denny Richards (bass), and Alex Watts (drums).
All established musicians, the members of Zuul met at shows and through other bands they were in. Bolinger, Watts, and Koehler played in the Savage Hacks, which Bolinger described as “tongue-in-cheek punk,” while Richards played in the Treats and Defkittie Blindogg, both of which leaned more toward pop rock.
Zuul’s sound finds its roots in grunge, but the members always look for ways to create a new sound.
“Challenging ourselves to put out new music is our main drive,” Bolinger said. “Our biggest inspiration is our love of writing music that’s new to us.”
This past summer, Zuul released its first self-titled album featuring seven tracks, all recorded in Bolinger’s basement.
“It was something of a challenge to record, but we had a lot of help mixing from Crystal Sherman, and it was mastered by the interminable Jon Hansen,” Bolinger said.
Zuul has also faced internal challenges when it comes to politics — Koehler is a self-described “staunch Republican,” while Bolinger and Watts are “avid Whigs.”
Fortunately, the members were able to overcome their different opinions and will perform as a united front this weekend.
MUSIC
What: Nightmare on Washington Street
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington
Admission: $6 (19-plus)