The Soft and Low & Crystal City

The Soft and Low

Neither all that soft nor low, The Soft and Low plays music from the heart. Having spent much of their musical lives playing in rock and traditional Irish bands respectively, Jeffrey C. Capps (guitar, vocals, harmonica) and Tara McGovern (fiddle, vocals) formed their partnership in 2013 with a desire to focus their full energy on original songs -- ones that change the world, or at least make you feel a bit better about living in it.

Both artists are active in a range of vocational and avocational interests in the Iowa City area that focus on making the community a better place for all. Their acoustic performances, consisting primarily of tunes written by Capps, capture that spirit of fostering connection through music and reinforcing the belief that everyone has a song to sing.

McGovern is a member of the eclectic string ensemble Freegrass Trio with Dan Padley and Blake Shaw, and Capps spent the better part of a decade performing with the Memphis-based band, The Central Standards, before moving to Iowa City in 2009. His solo debut album is entitled The Muddy and The Blue.

Crystal City

Crystal City is fronted by Sam Drella and Dave Helmer, a Midwestern singer/songwriter with blue-collar roots. Influenced by Paul Westerberg, Tom Petty, John Prine, and Townes Van Zandt, Helmer's songs are relatable, with themes of love and loss, being good to each other, and celebrating life.

Just three months after meeting in 2009, the pair recorded their first EP and has since grown into a full rock and roll band. Crystal City has shared the stage with national acts such as Lucy Dacus, Low Cut Connie, The Cactus Blossoms, Charlie Parr (Devil's Flying Machine), Miles Nielsen, Adia Victoria, The Whigs, Matthew Logan Vasquez, and The Ike Reilly Assassination.

Crystal City's most recent release Three-Dimensionally shows off a more mature side of Helmer's songwriting, blending rock, pop, Americana, and jazz. Bringing together some of Iowa's finest musicians, Three-Dimensionally showcases a more complex and though-provoking side of Crystal City that is sure to please.