On October 3, near a cornerstone of Adel history, a breeze rustled through leaves and hair. People spoke or played corn hole. The sun shone in a blue, cloudless sky. Rock music poured through speakers. That music was from the student band Looza Palooza.
“In eighth grade, we were talking on the bus, and we were like, ‘we should make a band’,” Keaton Holland-the band’s drummer-said. “We were on the way back from a band contest.”
Having just warmed up before practice, Keaton Holland sits at his drum set. Nearly every Looza Palooza practice takes place in a secluded corner of Holland’s basement. (Photo by Caleb Klassen)
Although it began with only three members, the band soon grew to five: Owen Horgen, Jace Zeigler, Keaton Holland, Andrew Nelson and Will Truitt.
“What’s changed is Will has gotten a bigger role in the band and we’ve developed more original songs,” guitarist Owen Horgen said. “He went from trumpet in one song to guitar and vocals.”
Looza Palooza performed their first concert in August of 2024, and has been making a name for themselves ever since.
“I think this band really started to grow after its second concert, because our first concert was just in our backyard performing for some parents,” Andrew Nelson said. “Our second concert was more advertised, and then we started to get more gigs.”
In August, the band performed to a crowd exceeding 150. As they have grown, so has their fanbase, young and old.
Following Looza Palooza’s second concert, young fan Cecil poses on stage with his guitar. Photo courtesy of Jess Zeigler.
“So that’s my cousin (Cecil) and Andrew is obsessed with him. He’s like four years old. His band is called Damage,” Zeigler said. “I also think there’s this guy in the comments saying, like, ‘nice.’ He keeps me going honestly.” Holland later noted that the latter is his grandpa.
The band, having just performed for the seventh time on Friday, faces both successes and struggles.
“We all have really busy schedules, so it’s hard to find a time that works for all of us,” Nelson said. “But we still get it done.”
Having just finished their performance at Adel’s ‘Hay Day’ event, Looza Palooza stands proudly. From left to right: Andrew Nelson, Will Truitt, Keaton Holland, Owen Horgen, Jace Zeiagler. (Photo by Caleb Klassen)
A typical Looza Palooza concert is an hour or two, featuring covers of alternative rock, most prominently from the bands Radiohead and Weezer. Recently, they have even begun to perform original music and featured other student musicians.
“In the near future there is an EP coming out with three songs,” Horgen said. “But after that, full length album coming out. There will be videos of us doing covers and stuff on social media.”
Although it’s at the heart of their pursuits, Looza Palooza is about much more than music.
“We enjoy interacting with the community,” Nelson said. “Our love for music and community coming together, it creates a really fun atmosphere.”
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