If you are a local band and have roadies, it means one of two things: either your friends are suckers or you’ve done well for yourself.

Index Case has done well. Granted, most of the guys lugging gear into Hairy Mary’s are friends of vocalist Joe Ansley who are just lending a helping hand, but the band does have one full-time roadie, Bubba.

He is a monster of a man who personifies the word “roadie.” Bubba can be found at every show hauling gear in, setting up the stage, tearing down the stage and hauling gear out.

Currently, there’s only a handful of people in the bar. The crew works on setting up drummer Jordan Spence’s gigantic kit while Spence and Ansley wander the premises armed with video cameras. The band’s manager and True Player Entertainment CEO Chad Calek stands with arms crossed, overseeing each aspect of the operation.

The scene will change drastically in two hours, when 300 people pack into this Des Moines club to see Index Case celebrate the release of “The Weak and the Wounded,” its True Player Records debut.

Ahead of their time

Cory Brown, guru of the Des Moines metal scene and Lazer 103.3 disc jockey, remembers the first real show the Indianola four-piece ever played. Brown, then a vocalist for 35″ Mudder, was assembling the line-up for Beach Bang ’99, a gig showcasing the best of the local scene, and needed a band to open up the second stage — the most undesirable slot on the bill.

Until that point, Index Case had only been playing parties and didn’t even have a bass player, but Ansley volunteered the band for the show anyway and as Brown puts it, “they just took off from there.”

Take off it did. The band went on to win the prestigious Lazer Local Licks battle of the bands, beating out an impressive line-up that included Painface and Heroic Dose. Perhaps the most impressive fact about the band is that the members are only in their early 20s, but have already released three full-length records.

“They had success early here in the local scene and I think that little taste of success is what drove them,” Brown says.

“Everybody knew it was more than just a good time,” says guitarist Josh Parker. “Ultimately it is, — or else what is the point of doing it? But outside of that we knew we could do this, so no matter what, we were gong to make sure it gets done.”

“It’s every day — we’re practicing every day, talking every day, writing every day. It’s not a joke,” adds Ansley, who despite being the band’s center of attention, seems more than a little nervous during interviews. “That’s why we’re 22 and have three records out.”

Trial by fire

Along with a number of other projects and opportunities the band has taken advantage of, this record has the ability to create some major momentum.

Currently, Mountain Dew’s Amp Energy Drink, which sponsors Index Case and a slew of other bands, has a deal with MTV2 that will give one band a budget to make a music video and have it played in regular rotation on the station. College radio programmers from across the country narrowed down a list of more than 200 Amp-sponsored bands to 12 — Index Case was one of those chosen. At the end of May, anyone who visits the MTV2 Web site can take part in choosing the winner, and the band which receives the most downloads takes the prize.

Just last month, Index Case played the esteemed South by Southwest music festival. The band shared the same stage with acts like Taking Back Sunday and had the opportunity to perform its new music for 600 people. And talk about trial by fire — the show came only a week after the band finished its new record.

“It was cool to get to play a show with the new material for a ton of people who have never heard us before,” Parker says.

The band plans to hit the road extensively this summer. Of course it is too early to say, and Calek stresses early talk is exactly that — talk — but he mentions some possible scenarios that could be played out, and he stresses could. Some of those include possible spots on either Lollapalooza or the Vans Warped Tour. No matter what touring scenario turns into reality, Calek is confident the band is destined for big things.

“When you have a great product, it speaks for itself,” Calek explains as he smokes a cigarette, waiting for the band to sound check. “It makes our job as a label and as a manager easier when you know you’re sending someone a diamond to listen to.”

At the show

The capacity of Des Moines club Hairy Mary’s is 280 patrons. By the time Nuisance Crew, the second band of the night, takes the stage, it is obvious capacity will be met and likely fudged a bit.

It’s smoldering hot, and making your way to the bar requires extensive planning beforehand. Scores of patrons, most in their late teens and early 20s, wear shirts saying “Who’s got the gun now?” on the front with a red triangle on the back — freshly printed Index Case merchandise.

It’s been four months since the band played Des Moines, and by the way most of those in attendance ignore the opening acts, their collective anxiety is built up for one reason.

Before the show started, as Ansley sat in the band’s van watching the line of eager fans grow increasingly larger outside the club, he admitted he “doesn’t know whether to be excited or nervous right now.”

But when Ansley and the band hit the stage, there’s no sign of nervousness. Index Case rips through a set consisting mostly of songs from “The Weak and the Wounded,” but fans already know the words well enough to sing along. Those in the front are drenched in not only their own sweat, but also the sweat of anyone else thrashing in the mosh pit.

Post-show, it’s easy to see why Index Case, a local band by definition, can sell out Hairy Mary’s. Immediately after finishing their set, Ansley, Spence, Parker and bassist Korey Birkenholtz leave the stage and immerse themselves into the throng of autograph seekers. Bubba and company begin to tear down the set they worked so hard to erect.

While it’s no doubt impressive, releasing a record on a start-up indie label isn’t huge by any means. But it’s a big step toward Index Case’s ultimate goal of signing with a major label. Which, without a doubt, should ensure some more full-time help for Bubba.