Mr. Blotto was born in Chicago as an off-night vehicle for musicians who loved each others playing but were in different bands at the time. The only rule was that they would only play what they loved. That philosophy continues today and has led Mr. Blotto into unique musical situations.

Mr. Blotto takes the Jam band asthetic into areas unfamiliar to the standard Jam Scene. They have been known to cover entire albums by Led Zeppelin and the Who as well as perform entire shows of Country and Reggae. Artists as diverse as the Grateful Dead, the Flaming Lips, Willie Nelson and The Velvet Underground have seen their material interpreted by Mr. Blotto in the 2000+ shows the band has performed in the last 15 years, yet covers only pepper the bands hefty catalog of original material stemming from five studio albums and other unreleased crowd favorites.

After marinating in Cedar Falls for a few years, Marls In Charge is the latest arrival on the Des Moines music scene. The band’s chemistry is tangible, their songs born from years of playing together in dirty basements littered with empty Budweiser cans and cigarette butts. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what genre they play into, but could be described as a mutant hybrid of acid rock, jazz, blues, grunge, and funk.

The Mars Light is a 6-piece gumbo of classic rock B-sides, old school funk and soul, and good time boogie sprinkled generously with improvisational jams and segues. Hundreds of songs in the repertoire and never played the same way twice, The Mars Light keeps it moving and interesting. Rich harmonies mix with dynamic interplay between the instruments and rollicking leads to create a sound that goes way outside the box.