Iowa isn’t just a place for bands to escape from – for The Envy Corps, it’s home.

The band, formed in Ames in 2001, traveled from its new home in the United Kingdom to Des Moines to play a single show at the House of Bricks on Friday night – and they wanted it to be a memorable experience.

The band’s meandering, atmospheric sound, fusing indie rock tropes with complex, fully realized song structures was welcomed by the full-capacity crowd. Throughout the show, the audience was fully involved – beyond bobbing heads and clapping along, people were singing along and shouting to the band. Everyone knew these songs, and, in many cases, the band members – these were consummate fans.

Two songs into the set, a crowd member yelled to frontman Luke Pettipoole that his shoe was untied, prompting the singer to check his shoelace status.

He found both his shoes to be tied, and the shenanigans incurred the wrath of guitarist Brandon Darner, who approached the offending fan and poured a water bottle on his head.

“This is a rock show – tied shoes are not required,” Pettipoole said.

Darner repeated his aquatic assault later on another fan who jokingly denigrated the band. Unfortunately for the fan, he was well-known by the band members.

“We know you,” Pettipoole responded. “You can’t shout stuff if we know you, because then we beat you down after the show.”

This atmosphere permeated the whole show. Between songs, Pettipoole joked and bantered with the crowd, telling stories of the band’s past and its work in the U.K.

During songs, however, he appeared utterly involved, tearing at his hair while forcing every syllable out in his gently wavering voice. But, even while singing, he was able to build in humorous commentary on the show – usually at the expense of Darner.

“Is it a bit much for the guitarist to learn the song?” Pettipoole sang in the midst of the band’s second-to-last song, following a mistake by Darner. “It’s amateur hour.”

Pettipoole’s barbs were utterly without venom, however – the whole experience was very positive.

“We were really excited – we knew the show would be good,” Darner said, addressing the crowd after returning to the stage from a very brief break, “but we didn’t expect this,” Darner said.

Several friends of the band were called up on stage to assist in background drumming during one song, including Tony Tarbox of 105.1 FM Channel Q.

“You’re on our show now, buddy,” Pettipoole quipped.

In another song, the band was joined by Becca Smith, junior in music and frontress of Ames band General Sherman, on violin – a hasty addition to one of the band’s new songs.

“We can barely even play this song, and then we’re gonna add someone who just learned it like five minutes ago,” Pettipoole said.

The evening also saw a reversal of roles, as Ames band Keepers of the Carpet opened. Six years ago, when the band first started, The Envy Corps opened a show for the Keepers.

Following a pair of jazz-influenced, piano-driven songs, Keepers frontman Jordan Mayland stood up from his keyboard and clutched a guitar, leading the band into heavier territory for the rest of its set.

Mayland was the star of the Keepers’ show, frequently addressing the crowd, though it took him about half of the 10-song set to really get into the show.

“I need a few drinks before I get onstage and talk to crowds,” Mayland said, sipping from a beer.

Once he got into his groove, however, Mayland dominated the stage, crunching out dirty guitar solos and finishing out songs one-handed, choking the final chords out of his guitar’s neck.

During the final song of their set, Mayland shed all typically indie trappings, playing in a loud, dirty blues style, removing his glasses and strutting all over the stage.

To finish the set, he rewired his effect pedals and propped his guitar against his amp, running a feedback loop. He created the final sounds of the set by working his pedals, strangling out a string of noise.

Keepers of the Carpet had its newest single, “Crazy Things/Glued,” available at the show, and the band played several tracks from its upcoming studio album. The album is scheduled to be released next month.