The local Ames band known as Obsidian’s Dream will perform Jan. 18 at 8:30 p.m. in DG’s Tap House for their first show of the year. Obsidian’s Dream will showcase a quick set as part of the closing reception of the Re:Birth Art and Music Collaboration series that has been floating through Ames since Jan. 3.

DG’s Tap House is a cozy, relaxed venue found in downtown Ames with plenty of drinks and seating. The show this weekend will only be open to concert-goers 21 years of age and older.

This upcoming show marks the end of the second Re:Birth Art and Music Collaboration series. The month-long event included several musical and spoken word events at DG’s and the Iowa Music Store, along with visual art displays in the downtown Ames gallery, Design on Main.

Garrett Adams, a coordinator of Re:Birth, expressed great satisfaction with the outcome of this month’s series and excitement for future events. The extended time period of this month’s event not only allowed more pieces to be involved in the series, but also more people.  Adams estimated that the crowd participation doubled since the last event and success with the Re:Birth series is only expected to increase in the future.

Obsidian’s Dream is composed of five members: Chris “Shaggy” Zeitler on guitar, trumpet, and lead vocals, Dean Erickson on keys, Todd Cumming on drums, Bertrude Stein on bass guitar and vocals, and Mike “Fook” Larrew on guitar and vocals. This particular group has been performing together for the past three years, though the band itself has been around for about 10 years total.

“We came upon the name when a fortune teller at a music festival said Fook would be knocked unconscious by a large chunk of obsidian while on one of his rock climbing adventures. She insisted that when he woke up, he should try to remember the dream he had because some sort of revelation would be contained within. This hasn’t occurred yet, but it seemed like a good name,” Erickson said, when asked how the band acquired its unique name.

The band’s musical inspiration comes from sounds like the Grateful Dead, Blind Melon, bluegrass, electronic, ’70s rock and many more.  The band’s music could be enjoyed by listeners at any time, from relaxing at home to going out with friends because of its unique and diverse sound.  

“We don’t really fit in any genre except maybe loosely as a ‘rock band,’” Erickson said.

Recently, Obsidian’s Dream has done some shows around Iowa, including the mini-festivals Shagstock and Shagtoberfest in Boone last summer and fall, respectively, and a Halloween extravaganza at Wooly’s in Des Moines on Oct. 31, 2014.

The band’s 17-song album, “Plant Life,” was released in October 2013 by Nova Labs Recording Studio, located in Ames and can be purchased on its website, http://obsidiansdream.bandcamp.com. Obsidian’s Dream will hit the studio again in March to record its second album.