Shock & Roll

Dunn Meadow is usually pretty quiet. Birds chirping, leaves rustling softly in the wind, the gentle rush of water from the Jordan River. But if you plan on going to Dunn Meadow to enjoy the silence this Saturday, you might be in for a bit of a shock.\nGuitars and steady drum beats from the annual WIUS Culture Shock will surely overpower the chirping and rustling so common on this grassy knoll. Vendors and student groups more numerous than the trees will line the perimeter of the area. For seven and a half hours this Saturday, Dunn Meadow will be home to one of Bloomington's biggest music festivals.\nFor the past 11 years, WIUS has been putting on Culture Shock in an effort to bring together some of the hottest independent bands out of the clubs and into a more open venue. \n"The early '90s was the big college music explosion," WIUS music director David Rosenstein says. "I think the idea was that college music was the alternative to mainstream music and was supposed to be shocking in comparison… so it was supposed to be a culture shock to see all these strange bands."\nThis year, Culture Shock will include performances from 12 bands, both local and regional. And don't expect homogeneity in the sounds emanating from the meadow. The bands are as diverse as the crowd WIUS hopes to draw.\n"I won't hesitate to say that Culture Shock is the best," WIUS Program Director Nick Blandford says. "There are other music events that happen, but I think I can say that ours is the largest, most diverse, and we will have the best lineup."\nThe musical entertainment will include everything from the psychedelic rock of the Impossible Shapes to the hardcore sound of Racebannon. There will be two stages set up on either end of the meadow, so that when one band stops playing, the next band can start.\n"It's a great show to play," Impossible Shapes band member Aaron Deer says. This is the second year that the band has been asked to play the festival. "It's nice to be outside instead of in a smoky bar or a tight basement."\nThe Impossible Shapes just released its second full-length album. The band has been together for almost four years and recently got back from a small tour during spring break. \nImpossible Shapes lead singer and guitarist Chris Barth says the band will play a lot of the songs off his solo album that was also recently released by their label. Barth says he is particularly looking forward to performances by Sex Tiger, Swearing at Motorists and the Decanters.\nRosenstein is also excited to see Sex Tiger. He says he doesn't often get an opportunity to see the band perform and really enjoys its pure rock sound.\n"They are one of the more interesting up-and-coming bands in Bloomington," he says. "They just play rock and roll, which you really don't get a lot of in this town. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just nice to see pure balls-to-the-walls rock and roll."\nLittle Joe Gould bassist Matt Armstrong says one of his favorite things about Culture Shock is the opportunity to see other bands before and after his own performance. Little Joe Gould was also a part of last year's Culture Shock lineup. He says he can't understand why anyone would resist coming out to the festival.\n"If you go to it, you haven't lost any money," he says. "Chances are you will find something you will like."\nLittle Joe Gould signed with Eyeball records last year and frequently piles into its minivan and station wagon to put on shows in the band's favorite venue in Iowa City.\nArmstrong says their most memorable show was the first one they played with all the current members right here in Bloomington last year at Collins. Right at the height of the show, the power went out.\n"When all the power went out, it seemed kind of cool," he says. "Everything just went black. We broke Collins."\nAlthough the outdoor location puts Little Joe Gould a bit out of its normal subterranean venue, the musicians hope to deliver an equally electrifying performance.\nBut music won't be the only source of entertainment on Saturday. Vendors and student groups will be set up to entertain wandering music fans. There will also be a large tent in the middle, manned by WIUS, with plenty of food and games. \nAnd to get the Bloomington community revved up for Culture Shock, there will be a pre-Shock concert at Rhino's at 9 p.m. Friday. Onesuitwonder and The Pieces will be performing at this free concert. \n"It's an indoor nighttime show, so it's more traditional, it's got a different feel to it," WIUS Special Events Coordinator David Carlson says. "It's a good little warm up… you have to give them a little taste so they can hardly even sleep on Friday night waiting for Saturday morning."\nCarlson has been at the helm of planning Culture Shock and says the event will go on despite the weather conditions. Should it rain, the bands will move to Rhino's to continue the concert. \nWhatever the weather, Rosenstein encourages everyone to come out for several reasons.\n"It really is close. If you want to see a show… you can't get any closer than that to campus," he says. "It's a Saturday, you shouldn't be in your room. You should get outside and have some fun on a wonderful sunny day as Saturday, April 13 will be."\nOn top of that, he says the sheer monetary value of seeing all these bands for free should be enough to encourage anyone to leave the confines of their home. Normally, seeing two or three of these bands could cost at least $5 at the door.\n"It's just good music," Carlson says. "You won't find anything better to do in the Midwest on that day"