Goldfinch Room listening venue to host two songwriter concerts in November

Stephens Auditorium is showcasing two Nashville duos with Iowa ties in its Goldfinch Room listening venue this month.

Goldpine will perform at 5 p.m. Sunday, and Danika and the Jeb will take the stage at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28.

The Goldfinch Room opened in January 2019 on the ground floor of Stephens. Configured with a small stage and about 20 small tables, Goldfinch audience members can order drinks and snacks as they enjoy a concert by singer-songwriters in a more intimate setting.

“There is unique magic in hearing music performed by the person who wrote it,” Tammy Koolbeck, Stephens Auditorium’s executive director, said in a news release. “The audience will learn about the song as the artists share what they are feeling as they composed the score and the lyrics. It’s a fantastic evening as they share their passion for their music.”

Each $40 table can accommodate up to four guests. A limited number of general admission tickets will be available for $15. Concessions will be offered as well.

Tickets are available at www.center.iastate.edu.

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Goldpine will perform at the Goldfinch Room on Sunday

Goldpine is an Americana duo formed by Benjamin and Kassie Wilson, a married couple who met in Nashville in 2006.

Touring since 2016, Goldpine decreases the distance between their music and their audiences by telling the stories behind their lyrics. That opportunity for storytelling is one of the beautiful aspects of Goldfinch concerts.

The Wilsons offer their own spin on American and have performed at venues such as the main stage at the Kerrville Folk Fest, the 30A Songwriters Festival and listening rooms across the country.

Goldpine won the 2022 Rocky Mountain Songwriter Contest at the Red Lodge Songwriter Festival. The Wilsons were also presented the “Discovery Award” in 2018 by MusicRow Magazine, a Nashville-based publication.

Wilson even has deep Iowa ties, having grown up on the state's western side.

"I spent most of life in Iowa … born in Carroll, and raised in Council Bluffs and Oskaloosa,” Ben Wilson said in a news release. “It's always a treat to get back to Iowa and perform, because we have so many people that support us there.”

He said the Goldfinch Room is an ideal venue for Goldpine.

“We absolutely thrive in listening room settings, where you will hear stories-behind-the-songs, and where we’ll be able to get up close and personal with the audience,” he said. “These types of venues are true music rooms that produce unforgettable musical experiences.”

Click here for tickets to Goldpine.

Danika and the Jeb will perform the Goldfinch Room on Nov. 28

Acoustic duo Danika Holmes and Jeb Hart make up Danika and the Jeb. Stephens Auditorium staff peg the pair as “dynamic, uplifting, and fun, while their music is a soulful combination of artfully written songs and powerful musical phrasing.”

Danika and the Jeb last played the Goldfinch Room in 2020 with two sold-out shows.

The duo was named the 2016 Artists of the Year by ConcertsInYourHome, which is part of the Listening Room Network.

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The band also has extensive Iowa ties.

Holmes originally hails from Bettendorf and attended Iowa State University, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She also completed “all but her dissertation” toward a Ph.D. in ISU's College of Human Sciences. She set that doctoral degree aside in 2006 to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter.

Hart has lived in Davenport and LeClaire.

“Iowa will always be home. When out on tour, I was always surprised at the number of people (even international folks) who were familiar with the ‘Is this Heaven? No, it’s Iowa’ movie quote,” Holmes said in a news release. “And so many always wanted to know what Iowa was really like — and I’d let them know it’s the Midwest’s best kept secret.”

She said they were looking forward to returning to the Goldfinch Room.

“It’s truly a special listening room space where stories and songs are king and we’re among our people,” she said.

Click here for tickets to Danika and the Jeb.

What: Iowa Songwriter Showcase

Where: Goldfinch Room, Stephens Auditorium, Ames

When: 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28

Tickets: Table for four is $40; general admission seats are $15

Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Nashville groups with Iowa ties to perform in Stephen's Goldfinch Room