Mad Delirious brings unique sound to New Year’s Eve show at Lorados

By ROBIN McCLELLAND – Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa (TNS)

Mad Delirious will bring its “psychedelic noise rock experience” to ring in the new year at Lorados on Tuesday, Dec. 31.

Joe Bartusek sits at the drums, hammering out a steady, ever-changing beat. Justin Fain slaps his bass guitar to drive the rhythms Neal Simmons and Cody Fedeler use to guide the flow of melodies that arise from not only their six string guitars, but Ben Whipple’s electric keyboard. Together, they are more than the sum of their parts. They are Mad Delirious.

If the phrase “psychedelic noise rock experience” conjures up images of smoky 1970s bars filled with writhing young partygoers, the image may need an update. The band brings a festival feeling to familiar Mason City locations.

Last week, the group hosted a small friends and family show at Millennium Hall, a local event space. The show was a way for the band mates to say thank you to friends, family and supporters who don’t enjoy the bar scene. The elegantly cozy space was an alcohol-free zone for the night, letting guests sing, dance and enjoy the experience.

Of course, not all the shows the band plays are held at drinking establishments. Over the summer, they played the bandshell in Mason City’s East Park to crowds of all ages.

Mad Delirious’ musical style brings together elements of every genre. The group has an improvisational spirit coupled with a deep respect for musical fundamentals that allow it to create riffs and runs that elevate listeners. The experience is coupled with digital displays and light shows that complement the music and entrance attendees.

“We like to push the boundaries of sound. I think that’s the spirit of the band,” Fedeler said. “We improvise a lot. We draw inspiration from a lot of jam bands.”

Fain knows it takes more than music to create an experience. He’s proud of the visual component the band has created as well. Fedeler is a talented artist and has used his digital skills to create custom visual shows to fit the East Park bandshell, along with posters, trading cards and other memorabilia.

Fain describes Mad Delirious as “really trying to create a unique artistic viewpoint in Mason City that helps push visual appeal that will help bring in more creative eyes into our musical explorations.”

Those musical explorations may sound natural and easy once the crew is on stage, but they take the time to practice and get to know one another’s styles. They also record everything they play, from paid gigs to practices.

“We can look back on it an say, yeah, we got to do that again,” Bartusek said.

The full band meets once or twice a week, and Whipple, Fain and Bartusek make up what they call the “Exploration Team.” They join together almost every week to noodle around with sounds and rhythms.

“It makes it really easy to do practice on your own time,” Fedeler said of the recordings. “You can just listen back and play along.”

The band has released a song “New Year, New Year.”

Mad Delirious will take the stage at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at Lorados Bar and Grill 18 S. Federal Ave., Mason City for the New Year’s Eve show.

This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Justin Fain’s name.

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