Wheelroom an on-campus music alternative
By Jessie Rolph
The Iowa City Live Music Guide
Posted November 12, 2001
Students may know
the Wheelroom in the Iowa Memorial Union mostly as a place to study and
grab a quick bite to eat, but it’s also a place to find live music
on campus.
“The capacity (of the Wheelroom) is similar to the clubs in town,”
said SCOPE (Student Commission on Programming Entertainment) Talent Buyer
Mike Scheid.
While it may be the smallest venue on campus for live bands to play, the
Wheelroom boasts many advantages. According to Scheid, the venue caters
more to students by offering earlier shows and a non-alcoholic environment
that some students look for.
“We’ve had some very small crowds,” Scheid said. “But it’s just like a little party.”
Students are open-minded to the different kinds of music the Wheelroom offers, whereas bars tend to provide specific musical scenes, Scheid said. Also, when bigger name bands, such as The Get Up Kids, play in the venue, it allows them to mix and mingle with the fans before and after the show because there is no backstage area, he said.
The room only accommodates 200 people. “We’ve had some very small crowds,” Scheid said. “But it’s just like a little party.”
Michelle Dujka enjoys the Wheelroom’s campus location, as well as its environment. “It’s an alcohol alternative, and it’s smoke free,” she said.
The Wheelroom plays host to both touring and local bands and sometimes offers open mic nights. Previous acts have included Breakdance, Bargain Music, Vida Blue and Making Hey. Music ranges from metal and hard core punk to indie rock.
“We try to diversify,” Scheid said.
SCOPE, the student organization in charge of live entertainment at the university, and CAB (Campus Activity Board), the group responsible for sponsoring events in the Wheelroom, jointly put on shows in the Wheelroom.
SCOPE is in charge of contacting bigger name artists to play, and many times the Wheelroom gets the bands that the bars can’t book, Scheid said. Local bands contact SCOPE if they want to open for the touring band, or they are booked through personal contacts, he said. “It’s just who you know.”
Usually the Wheelroom gets two or three shows per semester. There is a possibility of some jazz or blues concerts to be held in the Wheelroom or the patio outside, he said.