S. Carey will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Bluestem Stage. Along with Carey, the show will be opened by local Ames artists Sean Huston and married couple Bryon and Rachel Dudley.

Tickets cost $14 for students and $16 for adults and are available for purchase at Eventbrite and at the door.

Huston and the Dudleys will open the night for Carey. All three artists are locally-based in Ames.

Bryon and Rachel are known for their participation in the folk band Rockets of Desire, while Huston plays shows as a solo indie rock act.

Carey’s show at Bluestem will be the second stop on his latest solo tour. In recent years he has toured as a percussionist with the Grammy-winning band Bon Iver and he does solo shows when he is not with them.

Before all of the success as a full-time artist, Carey said he grew up around music with a family that brought the interest to his attention. He described his passion and knowledge for music as another language in his life.

“It’s a language, so I guess I’ve been speaking that language for quite a long time,” Carey said. “I think the more you dive into it the more you learn, and I’m still learning and growing.”

According to Carey he began playing drums in the fifth grade after watching his sister participate in jazz band.

“I would go to her concerts and I was just mesmerized by the drummer,” Carey said. “I thought it was the coolest thing ever.”

Later he took his percussion talent to college and majored in music. Carey said he met lead singer of Bon Iver, Justin Vernon, while he was in school.

“[Vernon] started writing the Bon Iver stuff and as soon as I heard it I just knew I wanted to be a part of it,” Carey said. “I learned all of the songs and then approached him about it.”

Bon Iver tours all over the world and in 2012 the band won two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album. Carey described the feelings he had about the group winning the Grammy in a positive way.  

“It was an incredible honor,” Carey said. “It’s a pretty surreal experience. A lot of the experiences I’ve had with Bon Iver have been surreal.”

Touring with Bon Iver inspired Carey to take on the challenge of performing and writing songs on his own. Carey explained where the inspiration started for him to begin his solo career.

“With Bon Iver I went from college kid to touring the world,” Carey said. “I was so inspired by that experience and also by all the other bands I saw.”

Carey said he spends a lot of his time on the road with Bon Iver preparing new music for his solo shows and he mentioned he draws inspiration from things like his past, his family and even nature.

As for the future Carey plans on doing what he has always done, all while he gains more experience as an artist. He explained the hopes he has for himself and career. 

“Being able to change and evolve but always stay true to myself–I think that’s what you have to do, just be honest with yourself,” Carey said.

To find out more about the show, visit Bluestem’s website.