Central Iowa Band Listings & More


February Victim : Valentines Day with Randy Van Hosen of ROZE

1. What's up with ROZE and who is in the band ?

Roze is alive and well....
The strongest lineup ever is...
Randy VanHosen - BassGuitar/Vocals/Harmonica.
Jeff Shotwell- Lead guitar/Vocals
Ryan Braaksma-Lead guitar/vocals
Mike Kellow-Drum/Vocals

We have been working hard the last year putting together a live show consisting of old and new originals...with a wide range of cover tunes that we enjoy playing...

We have been working hard on putting together a sound system and getting our transportation in line...

Plus promoting our last release
" Ragged Edges" and getting ready to start on the next recording project, which will be called 20 to life....

Valentines Day
With ROZE :



Randy Van Hosen
Bass and Vocals - ROZE

2. Anybody that has lived in Iowa for any length of time knows ROZE: When and how did the band start and who was in it then? (Why the name change from the early days Rose) .

Well thanks for the complement…. I think… Roze was started back in 1976. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Terry Chumbley and myself...were sitting around in my 12 wide trailor and decided to start a band...We were going to use the name Rose…

That was a band I was working with out of Minneapolis for around 5 years….We thought we would be able to break into the Minnesota circuit and Northern Iowa market off the strength of the name...But at the last minute we changed the S to a Z....and it became ROZE


Terry Chumbly with ROZE in Early Days
3. I know you have had a few members over the years who have contributed in various ways who are some of them what can you tell us about where they are now and other musical projects they have been involved in?


Well I'm honored to say..I have had the pleasure of working with many world classes players from around Iowa and I'm still talking to all of them except 3 and 2 of the 3 are dead.

Some of those players include :
Mike Harper /drums , Jim Tharp/guitar, Terry Chumbley/Guitar, Lance Harrison/Guitar, Kelly Heathcote /Sound and Vocals, Jimmy Clark Sound /Guitar, Kerry Endres /Drums, ..Mark Camos / Drums, Ron Hill/Drums, ..Tommy Gunderman / guitar, Tony Kendal /guitar, Toby Case/Guitar, Johnny Fisher / Drums. Kevin Morrissey/Drums...Gary Benson/Guitar...Dave Alberts /Guitar...Ed Adams/Sound and lights...Earl Hurlbutt sound, Connie Hurlbut Vocals/Lights...Brian Joliffe /Guitar, Mike Miller/Guitar...Dave Wilkinson/sound and Lights...Kathy Hill/ sound and Lights...Heath Deweese /Drums, Alan Buzzard/Drums, Dave Tyler/Guitar, Kurt Adams/Drums, Joe Corigliano /Drums.... The list goes on and on… It reminds me of the Kevin Bacon thing ..All Iowa musicians are only 3 steps away from ROZE...Check your history.



4 . What do you think is the reason ROZE has been able to continue over the years when most bands come and go?

I got sick of joining or forming a band and busting my ass to promote it ..Then in 6 months the band would fall apart ..Then you have to start over and over and over again...So I decided I was going to keep ROZE going no matter what happened and build on it.

We did some shows in the beginning ..that were so bad...i was almost ashamed to walk up to the bar owner and get the 10,000 dollars we made.

One show in the early days in a bar in Omaha..we were sounding so bad...People were throwing change at the stage...


  • Terry and I felt really bad..till we took our first break and collected the change off the floor and found out there was over 50 bucks in quarters alone. In the early days of ROZE ...If you lined up all the joints and lines of coke it would be the length of 3 football fields.

5. Favorite Valentine Day Song and who would you like to dedicate it too?

That would have to be a toss up between Money by the Kingsmen or It's about losin/It's about love by ROZE off our second cd release..... I have a very close friend who lives in Brookyn named Raven.... It goes out to her...

6. What is the best gift you can think to give a Valentine?

I would have to say..A ROZE Tshirt ..Our new shirts are printed on the front and back...and are of the highest quality.....We also have some black hats that have the ROZE logo on them that would make any women stick to her chair.... ( see picture below)

7. How has the music scene in Iowa changed ?

Well one thing that hasn't changed is the pay a band makes... Back in the 70's if you didn't have a mirror ball hanging from the ceiling you couldn't get booked....and there was this country rock thing happening also...that was pathetic...We used to get a couple requests a night to play something by Jerry jeff Walker or Pure Praire League.....

But I did have someone come up to me in the 70's and say… they had a friend who's cousin meant Nazareth once and if they ever come back around they were going to mention our name...I'm still waiting for that to pan out...I also had someone tell me they were going to book Bob Dylan to play there kegger out on a farm in a field and was gonna let us open the show...

The 80's was alot of fun...I still have a pair of spandex and a couple power coats...In my closet...But they need to be dry cleaned... The 90's...went by fast...We went through drummers...like most bands go through sticks and picks....

Did I mention that when Terry and I started the band we were both only 3 years old...We had groupies that would change our diapers and breast feed us on our breaks...


I didn't want to give the impression that were old or anything... The bar scene has seemed to tighten up since 2000….This business seems to run more and more from the cash register and with ASCAP and BMI trying to suck the life out of the local music business ..It's getting harder for a local musician to get out there and play for the people...



ROZE Band Logo "Cupid"
From the LP/CD: "Born To Rock Live to Roll"

Artwork by Kelly Moriarty©




( Terry Chumbley in ROZE ..the early days )


8. Roze (unlike so many other bands) is constantly playing around the state and seems comfortable with playing smaller towns as well. Why is that, and how do you think that philosophy benefits the band? Since the beginning.

The ROZE philosophy has been ...Be a people band...
\We have opened shows for over 50 national acts..played auditoriums and played in Chicken coops...

ROZE has played the ABATE Freedom Rally 11 different years in from of thousands of people and the following night played for tables and chairs...
ROZE played the Iowa Deaf Convention...ROZE has played High School Proms...ROZE has played at the Iowa State Fair with some high school kids who made their instruments in wood shop in a air guitar band during a tractor pull..point being......ROZE has played all over the Midwest in all kinds of situations and our ability to adapt is one of our strong point.


9. How many gigs would you estimate you have done? Can you name a couple of your favorites?

ROZE has cut down on the live shows ..We're doing about 75 a year... Altogether... I'm sure it totals well over 2.500 shows.... A couple of my favorites...was playing the Abate Freedom Rally in a headline spot...or opening for Joan Jett at the Sioux City auditorium in front of 8.000 people.

Opening for Bob Seeger and Little Feat was fun...

ROZE opened once for Micheal Bolton when he was first coming up at the top of the towers here in DesMoines. He had Bruce Kulick who later joined Kiss on guitar and Tommy T Torelli on drums. They got paid $ 750.

I also got a chance to open a show for Tommy Bolan years ago here in Des Moines.... he was playing in a band called Zephyr....

Heres some ROZE trivia:

ROZE did a show with Canned Heat with in a year Bob the Bear Hite died
ROZE did a show with the Byrds with a year Micheal Clarke died
ROZE did a show with Toy Caldwell (original member of Marshall Tucker) within a year he died
ROZE did a show with Cub Koda...(original member of Brownsville Station..wrote smokin in the boys room)..within a year he died...

Anyone looking for a opening act...


ROZE veteran Jeff Shotwel (left)
& New Blood Ryan Braaksma (right)

ROZE Opened for
Iowa's own Tommmy Bolin
in Zephyer

prior to his joining
James Gang & Deep Purple
And his solo career.

10.Tell us a little about Born to Rock Live to Roll ? Bright Mockingbird Yellow Flying V?

Born to Rock/ Live to roll..was the bands second 12 inch vinyl record..
.I'm proud to say...ROZE never released a 8 track...But there was talk at one time...
That guitar was neck heavy...every time you let go of the neck the guitar would fall...when i realized I was never going to make it as a guitar player..I traded it off .... I'm sure someone out there has it...


11. Then what was the worst experience you have had doing a gig?

Well this could take up alot of space...I swear I've seen it all..then out of nowhere out pops something new and worse.
I've puked on stage from being so sick...I've had the police escort out of town..I've been sucker punched ..asked to pack up and leave ...cause the band was making fools out of themselves..NOT PAID.
Had to perform with diarrhea....It's really bad when your singing and youknow if you try to hit that high note your going to crap your pants in front of 100 people.

ROZE On Vinyl - Born TO Rock

We were driving down a country road once at 5 in the morning... prolly 10 below zero and the timing belt broke on the bus...There wasn't anything close and it was snowing and pitch dark.
It's times like that when you question..how much it means to you to play rock and roll... We lived...to play another gig...
12. What advice falls into the "Wish I would've known then category? For bands who are starting out?

Here's a little rock and roll math.:.

Each year you play ...Each piece of equipment automatically weighs 5 extra pounds.... so add the number of years you have been playing by how much gear you have to move...divide that by the number of beers you drank..and multiply that by how many miles you have to drive to get home...and the answer is ....NEVER take a check from a bar owner the first time you play their room....


Message from the Hartland CD - Liberety Angel Cassette
& the Latest Ragged Edges CD - (Just Three of many )
13. What other Iowans (bands or people) do you think are important to Iowa's musical history... Ever meet any of them?
All the people in the Iowa rock and roll hall of fame are important... I have meant a few and gigged with some of them and recorded in their studio's... This is our history as musicians....and it's great there are people out there ..Including this site..
Who are helping to preserve it...
14. Word Association time:

Iowa - My home.
Blue Oyster Cult - Road manager major prick.
Diamonds - are they really forever.
Smokin' in the Boys Room ' - Cub Koda.
Cupid - Check out out first album cover for the ROZE version of cupid .
Ruby Starr - Opened for her..But never meant her and now shes dead...
The Joker - never meant a virgin that liked that bar.
Easy Street - Sleazy Street is more like it .
Toy Caldwell - His whole band rider consisted of nothing but food...doing lines on the hood of his tour bus.
Nirvana - a band or getting paid at the end of the night in cash.
Valentines Day - My inflatable doll committed suicide last year on valentines day..she stuck a pin in herself and there was a note on her chest saying she couldn't take it anymore...so it's kind of a ruff time of the year for me.


Ruby Starr ..Black Oak Arkansas
& Grey Ghost
....RIP

15. Okay¦ who took the deli tray and why?

We were doing a show with blue oyster cult and their tour manager threw a fit cause The band had potato chips along with all kinds of other shit on their band rider and they weren't Eagle band.. So when they went to play..We ate as much of their food as we could and took the rest with us...The rest of the band were really great people.

16. As a bass player what other bassist do you see as having greatly influenced popular music?

(Rather then have you rate a few who and in what genres of music do you think are most significant to you.) Paul MaCartney will always be my favorite bass player...He has influenced everyone and all forms of music from 1963 on..

17. Who have been your biggest influences musically?
Everybody has a few favorite bands that they think are underrated or unappreciated, if we spent a little time in the listening room with Randy Van Hosen -who would we hear that might surprise?

90% of the time i listen to unsigned bands...I listen to ROZE music a lot... I try not to listen to to many national acts cause then it starts subliminally sneaking into the music you write..besides most of the good music being done today is by unsigned bands..There's better originals being written by local Iowa musicians.. Then I'm hearing on the local radio and billboard top 100.... and don't get me started about how there's hardly no support coming from the local radio to help the music scene in Iowa.

18. Which nightclub in Iowa is the oldest establishment (still functioning) you have ever played? Who has changed their name the most " but kept the club the same?

I know the Bali Hoo is one of the oldest outside Des Moines...It's in Perry and the Hull Ave. tap in Des Moines Is prolly one of the oldest establishments...But are fun places to play... 18. What is your favorite bass? Any amps or rigs you've been particularly impressed with? I have a fender bass tattooed on my arm...So I better stick with fender....I like cheap amps and basses. .I'm not going to walk into the juke joints we play with a 1,000 dollar bass and have some drunk trip over it while he's asking me to play Freebird...


Randy playng the Harp
19. Best show (shows /Concert you have ever seen?)

I saw...Alice Cooper welcome to my nightmare concert...I will always remember that. .First time I saw Kiss was another great experience.

I've had the pleasure to see some very hot local shows.: ..Axis..Gimmick….Roadshow….Motorbrothers….Lavender Lace….Full Throttle...
There used to be some great shows at the Runway...In its peak.

20. I previously asked you about former members of the band but who have been the people behind ROZE for the past 30 years that have helped keep it all together?

Everyone who had ever played in the band has been a huge part of keeping it together.

Jeff Shotwell has been around for over 15 years..
He has a masters degree in physiology.
Every band should have one.

I call Mike Kellow the (Problem solver ) with out him We would of never gotten the band back off the ground...Ryan Braaksma has breathed some new life into ROZE...both musically and spiritually.I really respect these 3 guys as players and people.

Nick Varro... Gotta send a round of drinks out to all the bar owners and the people who have suppported ROZE...through the good times and the bad...And I can't forget all the band members wives and girlfriends...Candy, Anne, Renada have sent some huge support our way...Rob Barcellino, our families...anyone who does anything to support the local music scene...Kurt Kaufman...Juniors Motel recording studio Boa Records for putting ROZE on their label...Pump audio for getting our music played on VH1...To be continued....

21. Is there anything you would like to plug?

I carry ROZE CD's and T-shirts in the trunk of my car...DJ Doc ROCKS …

And remeber to check out our Website for all the upcoming dates and info …


Mike ( Problem Solver )
Kickin It Out and having some fun




DJ Doc ..Makin Faces and Rockin
Two Strong Productions

A Big Thanks To Randy Van Hosen for the history lesson in Central Iowa Rock N Roll and his dedication to the Iowa Rock Scene ...
Gotta Love IT ! ...Rawk ON!!! ..Like there was ever any doubt Roze would do anything else ...

Almost Forgot ...go here and Nominate Randy in the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame....
some "Ratt" thought it was a good idea :) - You'll need this info :
Randy Van Hosen
RozeRocks@Aol.com
-Des Moines

Be sure to check out the proof of that fact on their latest CD. .
( mp3 samples here ) ..... Or go see them live !!!

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