Students heading to Welch Avenue can stop racking their brains for new entertainment these next two weekends.

Damon Dotson, a familiar voice and regular visitor to Ames, returns once again to provide music lovers with energetic performances, original lyrics and unique cover renditions. And if his curly blonde locks aren’t enough, his musical talent and interaction with the crowd will keep the entertainment flowing throughout the evening.

“During FAC [Friday After Class], he’ll quite often have the people push a table against the stage and come out and play on the table,” said Bryan Gillam, general manager at People’s Bar and Grill, 2430 Lincoln Way.

Even though Molly Nelson, sophomore in art and design, has only seen him perform in Cedar Falls and last year when he was at Frederiksen Court for Veishea, she agreed that his performances were a key part of the show.

“He just really connects with his audience,” she said.

Dotson, an Okoboji native, will be making two appearances this month at People’s. For his first show this Saturday, Dotson will be joined by his full band, and the second show on Jan. 26 will feature Dotson as a solo act. It’s during these solo acts at FAC that Damon finds he has more liberty with his music.

“I can just at the whim change songs in the middle of a song. I have a lot more freedom when it’s myself,” he said.

Whether he’s playing on a table by himself or jamming out on stage with his band, Dotson’s musical styling is all his own. Songs like “Atmosphere” and “Good Night” highlight his emotional and captivating lyrics that are showcased alongside soothing guitar rhythms.

“I like to listen to Willie Nelson, to a little bit of Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson and Black Crowes. I mean there is such a range of listening, and then within my music or the covers that I play, I like to mix in different styles of music and play them kind of how I just feel they should be played,” Dotson said.

Fans attending Dotson’s shows can expect to hear all of his originals, as well as a select few covers. Dotson said he doesn’t usually have a problem playing covers “because they are fun for everybody,” but he will try to make some covers his own style.

Anyone who is planning on witnessing Dotson perform better plan on braving the cold weather a little earlier than usual. Saturday’s show is scheduled to start at 10:15 p.m. with Dotson and his band playing until at least 1:30 a.m., and the FAC show is set to start at 4 p.m. Showing up minutes before the show isn’t going to cut it for faithful fans.

“For FAC, we’ll start having people come in about 3, 3:30, 4. Normally we have a lot of people in by 4 p.m., which is right when we start the music. It’s normally packed by then, especially for a Damon Dotson show; we’ll draw full capacity most of the time,” Gillam said.

It’s not a surprise that with two full albums out and shows scheduled across the state, Dotson’s popularity is increasing and his fan base seems to be on a constant rise.

“Because he’s such a talented musician, everybody comes, they enjoy the show and they want to come back and see him again. As more and more people see him, more and more people talk about him, he draws a bigger crowd,” Gillam said.

So, put on your hat and make the trek to Welch Avenue the next couple of weekends. The weather is going to be cold, but the energy and excitement around Damon Dotson is sure to be red-hot.