On Sunday afternoon, The Host Country band gave a live show at Prairie Moon Winery and Vineyards. The live music show lightened up life in Ames.

The history of this band can be traced back to 2009. Ty Wistrand (guitar/vox) and Diana Weishaar (keys/vox) first started this band when they were students at University of Northern Iowa. In early 2011, another two talented musicians, Tom Rue and Ethan Weishaar joined the band. Later, the whole band moved to Des Moines and started to use “The Host Country” as their official name. In May 2011, their first “rock and folk” style EP “The Host Country” was recorded in Des Moines, and later in 2014, their first full length album was released with organs, strings, drums, bass and an overall bigger sound.

The band said it was their first time to play for Prairie Moon. Describing the style of their music as folk rock, they said their new song, “How the Four Winds Blow,” is about not being content with certain aspects of how your life is going, feeling like you are stuck in situations you don’t want to be in, and desiring to change or get away from that.

“It’s a universal feeling we think a lot of people can relate to that we’ve certainly experienced ourselves, which led to the song being written,” a bandmember said to the crowd.

“We plan to give another show in Ames on September 29, and our new album will be released in September, too,” Weishaar said.

The winery’s owner said they have organized this type of event for nearly three years. Most of the bands they invited are from Iowa. It’s family friendly, the audiences are from all ages and customers can spend time to enjoy the wine and music.

One resident had found the event on Facebook.

“I think they are fantastic! I love all kinds of music. I like dry white wine, and they can offer us variety of drinks. I can listen to music and enjoy delicious wine. I will definitely come back again. It’s a beautiful day and a wonderful event,” she said.

Bernadette, who has joined these events with her family for several times, said, “We were here last summer. We love the band, and it’s so nice to be outdoors today. It’s a nice day to stay outside, meet many people, and enjoy the wonderful music.”