Christopher the Conquered to perform at M-Shop

Des Moines Christopher the Conquered will perform alongside other Iowan acts Twins and Gloom Balloon at 9 p.m. Friday at the Maintenance Shop.

Courtesy of SUB

Des Moines’ Christopher the Conquered will perform alongside other Iowan acts Twins and Gloom Balloon at 9 p.m. Friday at the Maintenance Shop.

Parker Reed

Des Moines soul/piano man Christopher the Conquered will headline a night full of local acts at 9 p.m. Friday at the Maintenance Shop.

Tickets are $5 with a student ID and $10 for the public, with a $2 increase the day of the show. Tickets can be purchased at the M-Shop box office or online via Midwestix.

Just a year ago, Christopher Ford was a name that only fans of local music in the Des Moines area were familiar with, as he made numerous appearances in and around Iowa’s capitol as well as appearances at the city’s 80/35 Music Festival.

After opening for singer-songwriter Natalie Prass in July, Ford gave her a copy of his debut LP, “I’m Giving Up On Rock and Roll,” which is expected to be released May 13. Soon after, Prass handed the CD to fellow songwriter and former tour mate Ryan Adams, who then posted about the album on his Twitter and Instagram.

“You guys [Ford] is the real deal. This record is blowing my mind,” Adams posted on Twitter.

After the endorsement from Adams via social media, Ford saw a significant boost in popularity, which he referred to as “the Ryan Adams bump” on the “/r/Music” Reddit community.

As a result of this newfound popularity, Ford received feature articles in multiple music publications such as Billboard and a pair of articles from Consequence of Sound.

“I’m [going to] keep doing what I do: write songs the best I can, play as many shows as I possibly can and play the hell out of everyone,” Ford told Billboard.

Ford released the title track from his upcoming album late last year and released an EP, “I’m Not That Famous Yet,” in January. Both are available to stream via Spotify.

Des Moines’ power-pop band Twins and experimental Gloom Balloon will open the show.

Twins released its “Kiss of Life” EP on March 4 and expects a July release of its third full-length LP, both via Maximum Ames Records.

“Kiss of Life” was recorded at the Sonic Factory Recording Studio in Des Moines with engineer Matt Sepanic, who has worked with some of Iowa’s biggest acts such as Slipknot and The Envy Corps. Patrick Tape Fleming (Gloom Balloon and The Poison Control Center) also joined as a producer.

Gloom Balloon, a solo project of Fleming’s, receives assistance from Christopher Ford on vocals and trumpet. The band is known for its outlandish live shows that attract a loyal following.

Chase Schweitzer is a student at the University of Iowa who will drive to Ames to catch the showcase of local talent.

“Not only do [Ford] and [Fleming] put on one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen, but seeing them is like cheering on the hometown heroes,” Schweitzer said. “There’s a more personal connection that humanizes the music and adds a unique depth unattainable at most shows.”

For more information, visit the M-Shop website and the SUB website.