David Zollo to captivate Coralville Farmers’ Market with Americano, roots music

Musician David Zollo has not been able to have many live performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He will perform in front of a live audience on Oct.5 at the Coralville Farmers’ Market.

Photo of David Zollo. Contributed.

Tatiana Plowman, Arts Reporter


In the glow of the setting sun, Iowa City singer-songwriter David Zollo will kick off the work week with a free, live performance at the Coralville Farmers’ Market on Monday.

Ready to dazzle his audience with his powerful vocals and original Americano, roots music, the musician will play a set full of original content and cover songs. Zollo said the performance, sponsored by Summer of the Arts, may be one of the last times he will be able to perform live this year.

“I hope that a good-sized audience is able to come out and enjoy it. I love that I am getting to perform at a brand-new venue and share music with a live audience,” he said.

Zollo is a seasoned performer around the Iowa City area, performing professionally since he was a senior at the University of Iowa in 1991.

Now, Zollo is a prominent figure in the roots industry, having released over seven records of his own material and touring the United States and Europe.

From 1994 to 2005, he had his own record label called Trailer Records. Recently, he has been playing solo, as well as part of the band, The Body Electric. Zollo plays Americano, roots style music and said he has significantly developed his sound from the inspirations around him, which largely comes from other Iowa musicians.

“I’m inspired by the people I’ve worked with closely, especially individuals from the Iowa music scene such as Greg Brown and Bo Ramsey. They’ve helped me find my true sound,” Zollo said.

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As a full-time artist, Zollo said he is used to performing multiple shows within a month, taking the stage at both indoor and outdoor venues. However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, he has not had the same opportunities to perform live. Zollo had to file for unemployment due to music venues, such as bars, shutting their doors.

“As much as I would love to be performing live all the time at a variety of venues, I know it just is not safe at the current moment,” Zollo said.

While Zollo has been able to perform many shows over streaming platforms, including Facebook, he said the experience is not “his cup of tea.” It has been a new adjustment he has had to make since the COVID-19 pandemic started, but his true passion is performing in front of a live audience.

“My favorite thing about performing [live] is the connections I am able to make with the audience,” Zollo said. “When the performance is done virtually, it is so much harder for me to do.”

The performance will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Coralville Farmers’ Market on Oct. 5. The show is free for all to attend and will adhere to social distancing guidelines. Masks are required to attend the performance.