2006
October 28, 2006 The Awful Purdies played our first of many Halloween "Victorian Bloodbash" events. Most notably, Marcy dresses very convincingly as the Virgin Mary using a paper plate as her halo. Katie is Cher, Annie is a dead lady of some sort, Gabrielle is a zombie bride and Amy is a geisha girl. Chaos ensues. See pictures from that show here.
December 7, 2006 Awful Purdies real premiere performance at Verde Restaurant, Iowa City, Iowa with original band members Amy Finders and Gabrielle Kouri still in the band. We were honored to have Mike Finders open up! www.mikeandamyfinders.com Our first show featured this program, covered in orange lace, which was handed out before the show. Future band member Nicole Upchurch is the audience and later admits to calling a friend back out west and conspiring to steal the band name.
2007 March 28, 2007 Mission Creek Festival, Mill Restaurant Show sharing the night with Diplomats of Solid Sound, The Diplomettes, Wandering Sons and Dave Zollo www.missionfreak.com This was our first and last audience participation yodeling session. Katie Burnes came and checked out this show and the yodeling thankfully did not scare her from joining the group. April 2007 Purdies play Old Capital Brewery for the Mayflies record release party. Amy Finders, who is planning a move to Colorado has left the band, but gets up and does a few tunes with us. James Robinson from The Mayflies sits in on drums for the last half of the set.June 16, 2007 Iowa City Pride Festival at Upper City Park, Iowa City www.myspace.com/iowacityglbtpride Adrienne Woodard is our drummer for this show. We end up being the only band that gets to perform that day. It's gorgeous and sunny for our set, but a huge storm rolls in and wipes out the festivities. Katie Burnes plays her first show as a Purdie and signs a lifetime contract to forever be our cello player. Thank goodness we got her to sign on that line. Your trapped now Katie.July 10,2007 Going away party/concert at F.A.R.M. School for Gabrielle Kouri, our dear banjo player and songwriter extraordinaire, who moves to Los Angeles. Tears are shed into her adorable fro. We continue to miss her terribly. See pictures from that day here.September 13, 2007 Iowa Womens Music Festival at Upper City Park. www.prairievoices.net The weather is perfect. We are without Gabrielle, but have our eye on a cute new banjo gal in town named Nicole Upchurch. We need a blond in the band, so we invite her to come and see this show. Thia Rolfes sits in on fiddle.October 31, 2007 The Purdies play the Victorian Bloodbash at the F.A.R.M. School and it is more fun than the average bear. Most notably Katie Burnes goes as a busty devil and Nicole goes as a buttoned up Angel. Marcy is a witch, Katie has afro-poofs and Annie is "Malice in Wonderland". We begin to wish it is Halloween for every one of our shows. This was our first show with Nicole Upchurch (the fabled blond on the dreaded banjo) and marked the first time the band played as our current ensemble.November 9, 2007 Gilded Bats record release party at the Que Bar, Iowa City www.myspace.com/theindustryic We all wore these cool vintage aprons for the show and the beard of Norbert Sarsfield (Gilded Bats) inspires us to start conspiring for a bearded version of the Awful Purdies called the Purdie Awfuls. Knitted beard donations would be readily accepted.
2008January 31, 2008 Showcase at The Picador, Iowa City with Sam Locke-Ward and Sarah Cram and the Derelicts. Peter Balistrieri (Violent Femmes) sits in on saxaphone and makes Katie Roche want to put her saxophone down permanently. www.thepicador.comMarch 17, 2007 Purdies play an epic 4 hour gig at Isabellas in Dubuque, Iowa. PHOTOSMay 5, 2008 We played our favorite Derby Day party the day the young horsy EIght Belles died on the track. It was a sad gig and an even sadder song came out of it. Some really nice hats and even nicer mint juleps!
May 10, 2008 Free Concert at McKinley Jr. High School. The junior high rock band that plays "Paint it black" steals the show. A debate rages about the origin of the lyrics.
May 16, 2008 Iowa City/Coralville Bike to Work Week Celebration at Old Brick Church. Katie Burnes is off having her baby so we ask a few friends to sit in, including April Dirks on mandolin and drums and Benj Upchurch on mando. www.cicbikeweek.org/events.html
August 8, 2008 M.C. Ginsberg sidewalk concert series. It was really hot and fun. Katie Roche is 6 months pregnant and resembles a watermelon, which has a cooling effect on the rest of the band. www.mcginsberg.comAugust 9, 2008 Iowa Friends of Old Time Music, Community Spotlight Series presented at The Englert Theatre by the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Nicole buys a dress and a new pair of cowboy boots right before the show and looks super cute. www.fiddlerspicnic.orgSeptember 21, 2008 38th Annual Iowa Friends of Old Time Music Fiddlers Picnic at the Johnson County Fairgrounds www.fiddlerspicnic.org
October 16, 2008 Emma's 35th Anniversary at Old Brick Church for The Emma Goldman ClinicOctober 30, 2009 The Purdies play the Victorian Bloodbash Halloween party yet again. Most notably Katie Roche goes as "Super Pregnant" a pregnant super hero, because she is, well, super prego. Nicole hides her baby bump inside of a very flamable lamb costume. Luckily the stage is farther from the fire than past years. December 12 & 13, 2008 The 16th Annual Childrens Benefit at the Sondheim Center in Fairfield, Iowa2009 January 4, 2009 Hometown Concert Series presented by KILJ at the Heatilator Performing Arts Center in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa www.kilj.com January 23, 2009 The Exchange and Java Blend radio programs for WSUI/KSUI taped at the downtown Iowa City Java House. The Purdies play Katie Roche's new tune All the Homesick Birds for the first time ever, live on the radio and it's magic-y. February 12, 2009 Awful Purdies open up for Pieta Brown at the Iowa City Mill Restaurant. The place is packed to the brim due to the recent Awful Purdies media blitz, including this article. May 17, 2009 Purdies close Dubuquefest in Katie Roche's hometown of Dubuque, Iowa. May 19, 2009 Purdies play a special concert for the Oaknoll Retirement community, with extra special guest Irene Rosenbaum in attendance! June 7, 2009 Purdies plays a special kids show with Annie and Burnsie's orchestra students at the Iowa Arts Festival on the Childrens Stage! June 19, 2009 Purdies get rained out! We were supposed to play the Friday Night Concerts Series in Iowa City, but a huge storm hit. Black sky was super scary! July 18, 2009 Purdies play the barn at Camp Euphoria in Lone Tree, Iowa. Awesome time had by all! September 4-6 We kicked off the Old Threshers festival on the 4th with an amazing 2 hour main stage show. Right before we went on a team of horses pulled all of the equipment off the stage and trampled a woman (who was somehow OK!) and we still only went on a 1/2 hour late. What an amazing crew they had. Playing a bunch of tent shows was super fun... trying to play louder than the train going by was super hard! ;-) Ocotber 14, 2009 Nicole and Roche kick off the Purdies year long monthly residency with Artists in Action on KRUI, play tracks off the new album and talk about the group in great and revealing detail. Luckily the podcast file is corrupted so no one will ever know all the juicy details. October 17, 2009 The EPIC Awful Purdies record release party at the Mill is at full capacity. A suprise belly dance performace by Fritha Coltrane and the most amazing loving audience ever makes it a super memorable night. Thank you to everyone that came. We love you. November 11th, 2009 Burnsie and Nicole debut continue our stint on Artist in Action on KRUI and debut Nicole's new, yet to titled, community song. They then use cello and banjo to back up a hip hop artist. December 9, 2009 Giant snow storm hits Iowa City and Purdie residency on KRUI's Artists in Action is cancelled. Wah. Wah. Wah. December 22, 2009 University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics at noon for a special one hour FULL BAND performance!!!! It was great to get to play for all the wonderful people at the hospital and send healing energy through the halls! 2010 January 3, 2010 Awful Purdies play live on The Folk Tree (formerly Live from Studio One) hosted by Karen Impola. The road worn Savage somehow manages to play the gig then drive all night back to CO. February 21, 2010 4PM kid friendly Benefit fo Pats Learning Annex at the Mill. Details to come! June 11, 2010 Purdies play Summer of the Art's Friday Night Concert Series on the Ped Mall in Iowa City, Iowa. July 17, 2010 Purdies play Iowa City Book Festival June 25, 2010 Purdies play MC Ginsberg Sidewalk Series, Iowa City, IA. August 14, 2010 Purdies share the bill with TBD at The Busted Lift in Dubuque, Iowa. August 15, 2010 Purdies play the Dubuque Arboretum, 6:30 PM. November 12, 2010 Purdies play Iowa City Yacht Club to more beards than you'd find at the International Beard Competition! December 11, 2010 We play What a Load of Craft. It is freakin' Craftastic! 2011 In 2011 we are mostly working on recording our new album, but please check the UPCOMING SHOWS tab to find out about rare upcoming peformances. |                    | |||||||
Purdie awful past shows |