There is a big city just north of here where all sorts of music can grow and eventually form into scenes. Between all of those scenes, lies Arcana.

Influenced by such area acts as Martin Zellar, The Gear Daddies and The Replacements, the four-piece folk-rock quartet has managed to stretch bits and pieces of its sounds into various Minneapolis scenes.

“There is kind of an alternative-country, folk-rock thing happening,” frontman Kevin Kluever said. “We can play pretty much anywhere, from the big clubs to the old time country western bars.”

Arcana came together when Kluever and ex-Steve’s Piece singer Robb Schwartz joined forces. Kluever, a University of Northern Iowa graduate, originally founded the Iowa band Box 10.

“We played in Ames a lot between ’89 and ’91,” Kluever said. Box 10 eventually moved to the Minneapolis area, where they decided to go their separate ways.

Kluever had been writing songs with Schwartz while they were in separate bands, so getting together seemed the logical thing to do.

Shortly after Arcana formed in August of ’92, its original drummer departed.

The band found a replacement in Schwartz’s wife, Toni, who also happened to teach at the same junior high as Kluever.

“She has only been at it for a year,” Kluever said. “She kind of taught herself by listening to old Box 10 and Steve’s Piece tapes.”

Kluever, who opened for The Gear Daddies in Ames when he was with Box 10, has since kept his connections and has played here four times in the year Arcana has been together.

The band jams mostly through original folk-rock, throwing in covers every now and then from acts such as Neil Young, Johnny Cash, The Monkees and AC/DC.

The band has also carried over a couple of songs from both Kluever’s and Schwartz’s past bands.

Other than those Box 10 originals, Kluever said he writes very few of Arcana’s lyrics.

“I do the music and all the guitar parts,” he said. “Robb is more the lyricist. He does the melodies and words. We make a really good combination.”

Arcana decided to take its sound into the studio for the first time last weekend.

Kluever said the band recorded 15 songs that should be available by January or February.

“We’re kind of new at it,” he said about recording. “We were in the same room but they had dividers in between us so we couldn’t cue each other as much.

“It was a little difficult but I think we recorded some good stuff.”

Arcana will play host to The Long Shot on Saturday night. Kluever said they plan on doing three sets so come ready to party. The show begins at 10 p.m. and admission is $3.