Brooklyn-based acoustic alternative country group The Lone Bellow are set to perform in Maintenance Shop on Saturday, January 18^th.

The show will serve as the first musical event for Iowa State’s concert venue’s spring schedule. Iowa native acoustic guitarist Damon Dotson is set to open for the band.

Under new co-director Melissa Sheret, Maintenance Shop recently released their full spring schedule, citing The Lone Bellow as likely to be one of the semester’s high points.

“We have booked a great lineup for our spring semester,” Sheret said. “We are hopeful that these shows will bring a large number of students to The M-Shop and make it a fun and memorable semester for both ISU students and for the Ames community.” 

Sheret advises students to look forward to the Lone Bellow show describing it as “a ‘Brooklyn country’ band that incorporates elements of rock, gospel, country and blues, and will be kicking off our first week back to school with a show on the 18th.”

Lead singer and guitarist Zach Williams started making music during a time in which his wife was in poor health. After a horseback riding accident, Stacy Williams’ doctors were convinced she would live the rest of her life as a paraplegic.

“That was the first time I really experienced somebody trying their best to carry someone else’s burden,” Zach Williams said. “It was very moving to me. I was going to classes on how to bathe and feed my wife, and I was trying to process all the fear and anger and the numbness. “

While caring for his wife,  Zach Williams started expressing his thoughts in poetic form in a journal.

“I started reading my friends these journal entries. I was writing in a kind of rhyming form because it helped to keep my mind focused. Caleb said, these are songs, man, you need to learn how to play the guitar and sing at he same time,” Zach Williams said. 

Stacy Williams proved her physicians wrong and regained her ability to walk completely. With her husband’s newfound interest in music, the couple moved to New York City as Zach Williams pursued a solo career.

The Lone Bellow formed itself inside a Brooklyn diner at about 9 A.M. one morning in 2010. Guitarist Brian Elmquist was working a shift, and Williams came inside to practice some songs. Singer Kanene Pipkin came in to join them, and the band played their first show.

“Three songs in I realized I should quit what I’m doing and just make music with these people,” Zach Williams said.

 Zach Williams befriended the mainstream country duo The Civil Wars while playing at the Lower East Side’s Rockwood Music Hall, and was soon asked to open for them at a show in Philadelphia.

“We rehearsed for three days straight to try and get our act together and went to Philly and played our first real show as a group. It was so life giving, everything that everyone was playing had the overarching values of honesty, friendship and vulnerability, I felt like we really connected with this group of people in Philadelphia who’d never heard of us before,” Zach Williams.  

The Lone Bellow’s stint opening shows for The Civil Wars have gained them plenty of exposure. Today they are acclaimed for their live shows in New York City, as well as their self-titled debut. 

The Lone Bellow’s first album under the Descendent Records Label was produced by well-known singer Charlie Peacock. The album was praised by mainstream sources such as Paste, USA Today, The Rolling Stone, and Allmusic. It reached 64 on the Billboard 200.

“[A band] we are most looking forward to is The Lone Bellow, who have already created quite a buzz,” M-Shop co-director Melissa Sheret said. “We think that this show will bring a good crowd, play great music, and create a great atmosphere for the audience.”

You can hear The Lone Bellow along with Damon Dotson live in M-Shop on Saturday, January 18^th. The show starts at 9 P.M., and doors open at 8:30 P.M.. Tickets are available live in person or at midwestix.com at $12 for students, and $15 for the general public, with a $2 upcharge the day of the show.