This Friday will mark the third date of the All Iowa Arts Showcase. The Ames City Auditorium will continue to connect local artists with Iowa-based artists. The event will also include local concessions by Lockwood Café and non-music related art.

The event showcases local artist, but also focuses on the underutilized auditorium. Seating over 800 people, the auditorium only hosts a handful of events every year.

Originally the Ames High School auditorium, it has the capacity for great shows in the future, including “full seasons of dance, music, theatre, film and educational programming” said Craig Kaufman, the Ames Auditorium Bandshell and Community Center Manager.

The two artists this week are Bitter Canyon and Matt Woods.

Matt Woods was born and raised in Des Moines. Picking up the guitar in college, he was booking gigs only months later across town.

“All I ever wanted to be was a guitar player. I ended up singing and writing by accident,” Woods said. The solo artist realized that writing was an important piece of constructing music, especially as a solo artist, and learned to form the lyrics to perfect his sound.

Woods performs as a solo artist and part of Matt Woods and The Thunderbolts. He has produced 4 albums over the last 18 years, 2 solo albums and 2 with The Thunderbolts. The band produced a self-titled album in 2010, gaining national attention, pulling in the opportunity to open for Pat Benetar and REO Speedwagon at the Iowa State Fair.

Woods’ first album as a solo artist, “If I Was a Fish,” finished in the top 5 of the International Blues Foundation’s “Best self-produced CD” in 2006 and Woods’ latest album “Sawdust and Gasoline”, released in 2015, has been nominated by the Blues Blast Magazine for album of the year. Woods is very proud of “Sawdust and Gasoline”, it being his first album completely performed and written by himself.

Displaying a blues-American roots sound, he pulls inspirations from the legends Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. The artist is well versed in all shapes of the music including traditional delta, hill-country, gospel, country and folk.

One of his favorite places to perform was at the now defunct Blues On Grand Avenue in Des Moines. Growing up in this club helped shape the musician into what he is today. But Woods is no stranger to Ames, performing at all the known bars and KHOI Radio Station.

Woods is currently working on a fifth album with lots of new, original material.

The rest of the concert series dates are as followed at the Ames Auditorium.

March 16, 2018 7:00 PM Bitter Canyon & Matt Woods

April 13, 2018 8:30 PM Jen McClung & Elizabeth Moen

April 20, 2018 Evan Campbell & Patresa Hartman

For more information about the artist and the events, you can check out the City of Ames Calendar.