If you loved the June Bugs (or sadly missed them) when they performed for Music at the Mansion in June of 2022, you have a chance to hear them again this weekend.
This Saturday, October 7, the all-girl, Iowa-based band, which plays incredible songs written and/or performed by women of various genres and decades, will take the stage at the historic Camelot Theater in downtown Nevada.
Playing crowd favorites like “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton, and “Landslide” and “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, this weekend’s concert, hosted by the Camelot Theater Foundation, begins at 7 p.m. with tickets ranging from $15-20, along with concessions sales.
Nella Thomas, who is married to 2005 Nevada High School graduate William Locker, is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band, which began to form around 2020. “Women are under-represented in almost all aspects of the music industry, and I wanted to find a way to showcase the ones who have made a name for themselves as a performer or songwriter,” Thomas said. “I sought out to have all-female musicians for this band, created our setlist of incredible songs, … and we booked our first show last summer in 2022.”
The band performs a wide variety of covers. “We have a setlist that includes some of the most popular songs from the 1960s (think Nancy Sinatra and Carly Simon) to today. Due to our instrumentation, many of our songs have a folksier feel to them, but we can still rock out on Alicia Keys or Alanis Morissette,” Thomas said.
The band has also grown by one member since its 2022 performance in Nevada. “Amanda Drish, our new violinist, adds a whole new element to our now five-piece band,” Thomas said.
Drish, from Washington, Iowa, has joined Thomas and the other three band members: Rachel Garretson, bass, from Salem, Iowa; April Ziskovasky, vocals and percussion, from Dallas Center; and Halen Becker, drums, from Des Moines.
The band looks forward to being back in Nevada. “Nevada is such a beautiful town. It reminds me so much of the community I grew up in, Mt. Pleasant; always cheerful, always up for a good time,” Thomas noted. She said those attending this weekend will hear many well-known favorites that they’ll be able to sing along to, and will leave the concert with a few new favorites to look up when they get home. “We have added a few new songs since we were last in Nevada.”
Thomas noted that she is a mom now, and she and William are raising their son Sebastian in a very musical home. Those who know the Locker family know that William is also musically gifted as a singer/songwriter.
As for the June Bugs, they are hoping to continue entertaining. “We hope to make it to more communities in Iowa, like Nevada, where people are eager to hear some great, local music and support women in the music industry.” She thanked the Camelot Theater Foundation for having them. “We hope to see some familiar and new faces on Saturday!”
–Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada
