Commission
Members
Gerald
"Bo" James, 32 - James
is the CEO of Launchpad DMI Entertainment
& Studios. Launchpad is home of the
House of Representative - a talent consortium
with musical styles covering gospel, R&B,
Hip Hop, and poetry. James is committed
to growing the Hip Hop/Urban Music market
in central Iowa and is a promoter of concerts
in those genres. (
bo_ceo@hotmail.com
, 515-729-7671)
Gus
Ramirez, 29 - As the head of
booking for the Des Moines rock club Hairy
Marys from 2000-2005, Ramirez booked hundreds
of shows and lead the movement to keep
underground rock and metal alive in Des
Moines. He now works as the new Entertainment
Coordinator at Prairie Meadows racetrack
and casino in Altoona. (
dsmrock@hotmail.com
, 515-244-5665)
Serena James - Serena
is a member of the Board of Directors for
the Central Iowa Blues Society. CIBS is
dedicated to the preservation, cultivation
and education of the Blues and its history
through festivals, band competitions and
Blues education programs. She enjoys
traveling to Blues Festivals, taking
photographs and writing festival and music
reviews.
Jason
Walsmith, 31 - Walsmith is the
co-founder of the band, The Nadas; the
independent record label, Authentic Records;
and artist management company, Authentic
Artists. As well as being an avid music
fan and life long proponent of the city
of Des Moines, he is also a nationally
published photographer. (
jason@thenadas.com
, 515-243-1485)
Tom
Zmolek, 39 - founder of People's
Productions and The Alive Concert Series
held at the Simon Estes Amphitheater downtown
and owner of several live music venues
in the Des Moines and Ames area including
: People's / AK O'Connor's Beaverdale
/ AK O'Connor's West Des Moines / Thumb's
/ Lumpy's - Local Businessman and Veteran
Concert Promoter for 17 years having produced
over 5,000 live shows. (
peoplesproductions@peoplepc.com
, 515-255=5216
Wade Bassford
-
Wade Bassford is the Founder and Owner of
Illyricum Entertainment, an Official
Sponsor of the Des Moines Music Coalition
(a non-profit org. not associated with The
City of Des Moines Music Commission),
which operates a recording studio, as well
as provides marketing/booking services to
talent. Mostly dealing in Hip Hop with
talent such as "Tha Dean" (Des Moines
resident, AR native), "Jab" (Des Moines
resident, MS native), "Choc" (Des Moines
resident, Chicago native), " Ill Will "(of
Des Moines), and also performs hip-hop
himself as well as producing. Wade
is an aspiring, innovative mind with mass
potential.
Talent@illyricum.biz, 515 554-8722
Brandon Findlay - Brandon Findlay is a musician, writer, recording studio entrepreneur, graphic artist and a lover of his hometown. As a member of Lady Blue, he has performed regionally in the Midwest; as a music writer for publications such as Guitar World Online and BluesWax, he has traveled nationally, interviewing a range of the top musical talent in America. As a studio owner, he has been involved in the production of many albums, from being a session musician to designing the graphics package. Most of all, Findlay enjoys this journey with his wife, musician/artist Tina Haase Findlay, and stepdaughter Dove Haase.
