I knew me and the guys from Home Grown Tomatoes would hit it off as soon as I saw that they covered a Dylan and The Band song on their debut album, “Picked and Preserved” the song, “You Ain’t Goin’ No Where”
If anybody knows me well, then they know I love Bluegrass and Americana music, so I was really excited to have this Des Moines band on the show. The albums of the night pretty much reflected all of our tastes in music as it was another evening full of classic songwriters; with the exception of a comic book record (guess which one). They got to introduce me to some of their favorites like Billy Squire, and I got to introduce them to Will Oldham.
Here is some of what we played…
Old And In The Way – S/T Traveling Wilburys – Vol. 1 Bruce Springsteen – The River Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms Grateful Dead – Best of Skeletons in the Closet Billy and the Boingers – I’m a Boinger The Cramps – Psychedelic Jungle ZZ Top – Deguello Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks The Doobie Brothers – What Were Once Vises Are Now Habits Squeeze – Eastside Story Billy Squire – Don’t Say No Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Masters and Everyone
Bill Melton, Steffen Heins and Joel Kinser have been playing music around Iowa for quite some time now, but the Home Grown Tomatoes have only been playing as a group for the past two years. After putting out their debut album “Picked and Preserved” last year through their own label, Iowa Records; the band has been doing what they love most and that’s playing live. Make sure you grab the three live songs we recorded at Mars Café right now.
The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) has been around since 1967, and thanks to Bill Melton the group will have its first Iowa Chapter starting in May. The group “consists of a body of creative minds, including songwriters from all genres of music, professional and amateur, who are committed to protecting the rights and future of the profession of songwriting, and to educate, elevate, and celebrate the songwriter and to act as a unifying force within the music community and the community at large.” Find out more by attending the first Iowa meeting May 15th at the Simpson Barn in Johnston.
