Local band Laarks is so much more than just small-town talent. They’re an established and experienced group of musicians who are at the forefront of Eau Claire’s impressive music scene. The four member indie-rock group will be playing a show at 8 p.m., this Friday in the new Davies Center.
In addition, the Eau Claire Memorial improvisation team will be opening for Laarks. Ian Jacoby, lead singer and keyboardist for Laarks, had only good things to say about the opening act.
“They’re really funny,” Jacoby said. “We thought it would be fun if we gave them the opportunity to get in front of some new people. Especially because it’s an all ages show, it seemed like it would be fun and different than just having a band or singer/songwriter open.”
Jacoby is no stranger to the comedy improv scene.
“Amber Dernbach is a lady I work with a lot,” Jacoby said. “I play keyboard in an improv group called Shambles improv and another called Barebones improv. (Dernbach) is kind of a founding member of both of those groups.”
Dernbach is also the coach of the Memorial improv team.
The show will be the first one played in the new Cabin this school year, and Jacoby is excited about the new venue. “I think it’s really cool that we get to open the new Cabin. We played at the old one quite a bit,” he said. “I haven’t been there yet but I’ve heard it looks pretty awesome.”
The Cabin show follows Laarks’ previous show in Phoenix Park last Thursday, which marked the end of the Volume One Sounds Like Summer Concert Series. They closed the show after local bands Dames and The Heart Pills each played a set.
Laarks is set to release their second album entitled “Fiat Leux,” which is in the final stages of production. “It’s a lot different from our first one. It’s more expansive and there are some more long songs,” Jacoby said.
Jacoby has been working on the album with guitarist Kyle Flater, drummer Brian Moen, and bassist Zach Hanson for much of the last year. Jacoby called the album a bit more avant-garde than their last release, but he doesn’t think it will turn people off from the music in any way.
“We’ve grown as a band and I’ve grown as a songwriter,” Jacoby said.
