Courtlin’s Favorite Local Bands Playing in Eastern Iowa This Summer

It's going to be a busy summer!

So many great national acts will be making their way through Iowa these next few months, but don't forget about the local acts! There are some wildly talented musicians in our area, and I get the pleasure of experiencing new ones every year as a judge at the Cedar Rapids Battle of the Bands. I'm a big fan of live music, no matter what genre it is!

I've enjoyed some great local acts these past few years, so I thought I would put together a list of a few of my favorites, just in case anyone is looking for some fun live music to enjoy this summer. The Pork Tornadoes are obviously a given (who DOESN'T love them?!), but here are others that I absolutely love going to see:

• The Mixtape
  • "Like a one-two punch in your nostalgia bone; dance/pop hits from the 80's through today!"
  • Upcoming Shows
    • Saturday, July 17th at Dubuque Marina & Yardarm

• Tom's Top 8
  • "Tom's Top 8 is a Pop Punk/Emo tribute band, covering songs from all the Myspace era giants like, The Used, Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance, and more!"
  • Upcoming Shows
    • Saturday, June 12th at Wooly's in Des Moines with the Pork Tornadoes

• Tyler Richton & the High Bank Boys
  • "Tyler Richton and the High Bank Boys are a band from central Iowa bringing a honky-tonkin', beer drinkin', hell raisin' time to every show. With youthful energy combined with years of experience, you'll find a crowd singing to every word, whether it's a crowd of 5,000 or 50."
  • Upcoming Shows
    • Thursday, June 10th at Metro Harley Bike Night in Cedar Rapids
    • Friday, June 18th at the Wapello County Fair in Eldon with Chris Janson
    • Saturday, June 26th at Victor Legion in Victor
    • See more HERE

• Slap'n'Tickle
  • "80's tribute band"
  • Upcoming Shows
    • Friday, June 18th at Cedar River Landing with American Hitmen
    • Saturday, July 17th at the Shack Tavern in Cedar Rapids
    • Friday, September 3rd at Uptown Fridays Nights in Cedar Rapids
    • See more HERE

• Alisabeth Von Presley
  • "Sequin Studded Singer Songwriter - bringing POP ROCK hits to a town near you."
  • Upcoming Shows
    • Tuesday, June 22nd at Balloon Glow in Cedar Rapids
    • Saturday, July 24th at Uptown Friday Nights in Cedar Rapids
    • Friday, August 27th at the Cedar Valley Pride Festival in Waterloo
    • See more HERE

• Pianopalooza
  • "Dueling piano show featuring Tony Bohnenkamp and Jerry Lorenson"
  • Upcoming Shows
    • Saturday, June 19th at Greene River Days in Greene
    • Friday, August 20th at Uptown Friday Nights in Cedar Rapids

You can check out all sorts of great local bands and shows via the Iowa Live Music Facebook page HERE.

Who are your favorite local bands? Let us know in the comments!