Band with Iowa City roots seeks Bonnaroo votes

Bad Fathers, a Los Angeles band formed in Iowa City in 2002, needs texting votes for a shot at playing the prestigious Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee in June 2010.

Tha band has been chosen to represent Ford for the Ford Fiesta Car launch in Los Angeles. Winner of the national contest receives an all-expense-paid trip to play one of the largest music festivals in the world, courtesy of Ford.

To vote for Bad Fathers, text DREAM to 44144. Deadline is 6 p.m. Sunday, May 2, 2010.

The band will be back in Iowa City this weekend, playing at 9 p.m. Saturday, May 1, 2010, at the Mill Restaurant, 120 E. Burlington St. Admission is $8.

Band members are vocalists Juan Hooks and Austin Galante, guitarist Kiel Stubblefield, bassist Jeremiah Waylon and drummer Ryan Turi. Galante says their eccentric, wild performances have scored them recognition as “spazzed out punk rock” from MTV. He adds that their title is “inspired by the moment of clarity one has just before accepting the failures of parenting.”

They have recorded three self-produced albums; made one American tour, including 21 dates on the Vans Warped Tour and recorded “Corinthian Leather” with Slim Kid Tre of hip-hop group Pharcyde. They've also had two songs on movie soundtracks: “Guess What Daddy Wants,” in the 2008 MGM film “College,” and “Hurting,” on Ronnie Romero's wakeboarding flick, “Updog.”

Galante says their latest album, “Sex Defender,” combines humor and the occasional insight with equal parts pop, alternative/punk rock and hip-hop.

For information, go to

www.tinyurl.com/EpicDream or

www.myspace.com/badfathers