Jason Salek going away party
Public Space One — Saturday, July 19 at 6 p.m.
We’re approaching the end of July, so, of course, Iowa City is gearing up to bid farewell to some of it’s most beloved residents. One such Iowa Citian, Jason Salek, will be leaving for Omaha this August. Before his departure, however, there is going to be one hell of a show at Public Space One on Saturday, July 19 to celebrate his contributions to the city’s music scene.
The show will be an all ages affair, with no cover, and is set to begin at 6 p.m. A slew of artists will be playing: Los Voltage, Pete Balestieri, Douglas Kramer Nye, Brooks Strause, Haunter, Dead in Bed, Unless, Kitten Crisis, and Samuel Locke-Ward and the Garbage Boys.
Salek has lent his talents to a number of bands over the years, including Open Goat, Old Scratch Revival Singers, and perhaps most notably, the hardcore-psychedelic band Los Voltage. Salek was (and hopefully will continue to be, in some capacity, despite his departure from Iowa City) the frontman for Los Voltage. Los Voltage has been playing since late 2010, representing some of the city’s rawest and most vital talent, with Cole and Brad Highnam on guitar and drums respectively, joined by Erik Whittaker on bass and Salek covering the vocals.
If there can only be one band that Iowa City, to butcher the Batman quote “needs, but does not deserve,” Los Voltage is almost certainly that band. They’ve got at least one more show after Saturday, but if you wanna see this group outside of a basement, make sure to come by.
That there are another eight amazing acts playing on Saturday, too, means it would completely foolish to not show up for some of the night. The band Unless, in particular, has been proving themselves to be one of Iowa City’s best new acts. Chad Huber, Joe Milik, and Anthony Manning have formed the group, with more than a little straight-edge, DC hardcore influence seeping through. Kitten Crisis is also a relatively new group, based out of Illinois, that also features Manning, as well as the punk-folk luminary Kyle Hall, and as such, should not be missed.
It should be a great show for all friends, new and old. Check it out and make sure to give Salek a high-five (or hug, if that’s your thing) and wish him luck outside of Iowa City.
