The days are getting colder here in Iowa. The leaves have all fallen off the trees, and darkness starts to overtake us as early as 5:30 p.m.

Halfway around the world in Los Angeles, though, Sam Johnson, bass player for Mr. Plow, sits shirtless under a palm tree outside of the band’s apartment enjoying the sunset and near 80-degree temperature.

“It’s perfect right here now; I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now,” Johnson says, “Except for at People’s, rocking the shit out of it.”

Anxious Mr. Plow fans are hoping that is exactly what the band will do when it returns for both an all-ages and 21-and-older show tonight at People’s Bar and Grill, 2428 Lincoln Way.

“I can’t wait to see them. I just miss seeing them every month like I use to,” says Sarah Johnson, sophomore in pre-business and loyal Plow fan.

The return comes about 10 months after the band played its farewell show and packed up for California. The group has received some criticism from fans and those close to the local music scene for its move. The criticism only provided more fuel when word got around that the funk/hip-hop sextet have not even played a show yet.

“We get a lot of that, but I just have to look at those people and say `You just don’t understand.’ You can’t describe the feeling to be living a dream every day even though we’re broke,” Johnson says. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world though.”

But just because the group hasn’t played a live show doesn’t mean they aren’t working hard. Much of their time has been spent trying to set up base in Los Angeles, by getting jobs, finding a practice studio and holding auditions to find their new vocalist, Katie Morris.

Much of the band’s time, though, has been spent working on a new demo with producer Mike Clink who has worked with bands such as Blind Melon and Guns ‘N Roses. Johnson is very excited about the group’s new work, and Clink is a major reason behind that feeling.

“He walks that fine line between being motivating but not controlling. It’s been really cool working with him, because he’s constantly been challenging us,” Johnson says.

While most bands talk about taking a step forward with their music, Mr. Plow is taking a step back, not in quality, Johnson says, but in style. That style is the more funk-oriented sound of the group’s 1999 release, “Funkblasto,” whereas “The Shakedown E.P.” was more rock sounding. The new material is a return to the group’s roots.

“In our eyes it’s like `Funkblasto’ done right,” Johnson says. “We are kind of coming full circle now into the funk roots, but there’s still rock, and it’s still thick in the chorus. It’s still Mr. Plow.”

The group will debut this new music at Thursday’s show in Ames, something that Johnson and the rest of the band are anticipating. The trip back to Iowa for Plow will come during a break from recording. Johnson says the band originally thought it would be done by now, but still has about a week left before they finish recording.

After not playing a show for almost a year now, the group is ready to get back into the swing of things, and tonight’s show will be the start of that. After spending a week with their families, the members of Plow will head back to California where they will finish recording and finally start to hit the local scene. Johnson says the only place the group would want to kick things off was People’s.

“That’s where we learned where it’s all about is on that stage. People’s is where we have the most history just because we have played there so much,” Johnson explains. “It’s just going to feel right to be back on that stage; I couldn’t think of a better way to start off than at People’s in front of people who we have always wanted to play for.”

Plow’s live shows are known to be extremely energetic and to bring in a lot of people. The band’s farewell show at the 600-person capacity Great Hall in the Memorial Union sold out. But will the band still be able to pull in that strong following after being gone for almost a year?

Tom Zmolek, owner of People’s, says that judging by the customers he has talked to and the phone calls the bar has received from fans asking about the show, there should be a good turnout.

“I expect it to be just as big as when they left. A lot of people that I have talked to are just excited to see them again and excited to talk to them and see how things have been going in LA,” Zmolek says.

And some fans like Sarah Johnson are especially excited to see Morris’ first show with the band and how a female voice will change the sound of the group.

Some of Plow’s high school female fans, who flock in herds to the band’s shows, aren’t as excited to see Morris. Johnson says the group still receives some e-mails from the younger female audience who liked it better when the group was all male. But Morris is confident that after seeing the group perform, fans will have a newfound respect.

“I don’t want to sound cocky, but I 100 percent think we will win those people over, I know they are going to love it,” Morris says.

This is Morris’ first trip to Iowa, and she is “kind of just shocked” by the open space and lack of activity. The show will be especially important for the vocalist. It is in Plow’s hometown, her first with the band and her parents are flying in from California. The band will also take a step out of their norm and perform a ballad written about Morris’ brother, who passed away just weeks after she joined the band.

Although Plow remains optimistic about tonight’s show, Johnson claims that no matter what the turnout, it’s good to be back even if only for a week.

“I would think there’s enough people there that we would have a good turnout for both shows, but even if it’s just for our families it’s just going to be therapeutic to play on that stage.”