After moving to Ames in 2007 to study journalism and mass communication at Iowa State University, Boyle met engineering student and multi-instrument master David Smit in a dorm hallway, and thus birthed a music relationship that continues today in The Most Handsome Duo in the World and Risky Revival.
Smit and Boyle formed Max Power and the Freeman Threemen that year – named after Freeman Hall, where all four members lived, and the absence of knowing the lead singers last name when signing up for a battle of the bands. Although Max Power fizzled after getting busted a few too many times playing keg parties at Boyle’s brother’s apartment, Smit and Boyle continued to play together as an acoustic blues duo, and went on to win the 2010 Iowa Solo-Duo Blues Challenge and represent the state in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis as The Most Handsome Duo.
During this time, Smit and Boyle met Joseph David Soukup and he introduced them to Lavonne McRoberts. The duo eventually joined Jojo and McRoberts in Peace, Love and Stuff and recorded a debut EP, “La Bohemia,” in 2010.
After graduating in the summer of 2011, Boyle quit his boring-yet-cushy job as a public relations videographer and spent six weeks of the summer as the touring guitar player for the Ames-based Mumford’s, an experience shared with the Rabalais brother’s of Fairfield’s Utopia Park that gave him a renewed faith in the compassion of the human race.
Since then, Boyle has focused on playing guitar in Peace, Love and Stuff, and started performing solo blues shows around Ames and Des Moines. Boyle’s return to solo blues renewed a love for Eastern Iowa blues and a deep love for the work of fellow Burlington native Bo Ramsey.
- from Dylan Boyle's Wordpress page
The story I heard about Lavonne was that Peace, Love, and Stuff was in a battle of the bands at the Veisha festival in Ames. For some reason, only JoJo made the show. So they grabbed Dylan and Smitty and told them they were in the band!
This song is from some demos they did. You can find them on SoundClick. They're the same songs as their first album, "La Bohemia". And the music is better on "La Bohemia". But if you're a completist, you can find them here - http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=1081575
You should also check out and download their version of "Folsom Prison Blues" - http://www.soundclick.com/util/downloadSong.cfm?ID=9327991
Lineup:
Lavonne McRoberts - vocals
Dylan Boyle - guitar
David "Smitty" Smit - bass
Joseph David "JoJo" Soukop - drums
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1639223533015029/
Peace, Love, and Stuff on ReverbNation:
https://www.reverbnation.com/peaceloveandstuff
Peace, Love, and Stuff on PureVolume:
http://www.purevolume.com/PeaceLoveStuff
Lavonne and The Battlecats on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thebattlecatsmusic/
Lavonne McRoberts' solo page on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/lavonnemcrobertssolo/
Dylan Boyle's band, Electric Jury, on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/electricjury/
Dylan Boyle's solo page on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/dylanisblue/
To download the podcast (right click and hit "Save as..."):
https://archive.org/download/IowaMusicShowcaseEpisode26/26%20Iowa%20Music%20Showcase%20-%20Episode%2026_.mp3.
Labels: 2010, 2010s, alternative music, Ames, Ames area, David Smit, Dylan Boyle, Ep 026, Joseph David Soukop, Lavonne McRoberts, October Falls (song), Peace Love and Stuff (band), Peace Love and Stuff retrospective
