It was like any other Sunday: the fear of class on Monday, trying to recover from the weekend. But last Sunday was different.

I was in Iowa City and was ready to enjoy Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise and Big Head Todd & the Monsters.

I arrived at the show a little late (more on that later), but just in time to see Blackwater Surprise take the stage.

The band opened with “Bellybone” the lead track on their latest CD, a funky tune that began pulling the crowd into their set.

Robert Bradley stood gracefully dressed in a double breasted tan suit on center stage, spilling his soul onto the crowd.

“This is not just a show for Iowa,” Bradley said. “This is for America.” From there, Bradley led the band with his raspy but melodic voice.

“I’m not Ray Charles, Bradley said, referring to his blindness. “We don’t even look alike.”

The songs flowed smoothly, anchored by Bradley’s voice and accented with bassist Andrew Nehra’s bouncing hair and powerful basslines.

As the crowd kept filtering in, they became more and more aware and interested in the sounds filling the room.

Bradley just kept singing. His tall, lanky body seemed to move effortlessly, as if the music was part of him, flowing through him.

His eyes clenched shut, he would sing to the crowd, then crouch down and sing to the floor.

“I’m gonna pray for you now,” Bradley said, as he curled into a ball and spouted lyrics that seemed to bounce off of the floor and out into the crowd.

By the time Blackwater Surprise played the first bar of their last song, “Troubled Brother,” a powerful blues and rock combination, the crowd was in tune and ready for a finale.

“I would like to thank Big Head Todd,” Bradley said. “He’s got a big heart, and I love the man, even though I’ve never seen him,” Bradley said jokingly.

Blackwater Surprise took the crowd through years of experience in less than one hour of music. A crowd that knew nothing about Robert Bradley, came in and walked away longing for more.

The applause that was sparse in the beginning, exploded as Bradley was escorted off stage and the rest of the band stayed, jamming out and working the crowd into a frenzy.

Big Head Todd took stage shortly after 9 p.m. After a couple of broken guitar strings, the band captured the crowd with “Sister Sweetly,” the title track off their third CD.

The show wandered and dragged from song to song. The only savior being Todd Park Mohr’s guitar solos and the classic Big Head Todd songs like “Bittersweet” and “Circle.”

One of the show’s highlights was a fan who found his way to the stage during “Bittersweet” and was immediately swarmed by security.

The band gave the audience a taste of the new album, due out in February. They also played older material, even tracks off Midnight Radio.

After a long hour of music they left the stage. But, the crowd brought them back for a little deserved encore.

Big Head Todd returned to play three songs that were very lackluster except for a powerful guitar solo.

They wrapped up the show with a blues song that had the crowd begging for an ending that was painfully delayed in its coming.