If you ask the Rabalais (say “Rab uh lay”) brothers how their band Utopia Park won the award for Best Musical Act 2009 in Fairfield on FairfieldVoice.com, Phillip will tell you they stole it, with a grin on his face.  Dominic jumps in quickly to point out that while other local favorites The Jefferson County Green Band were leading the poll at the time the brothers discovered they were in the running, all it took was a few emails, Facebook and blog posts to mobilize their established fan base into voting them the winners.

Brothers “their whole lives”, Phil and Dom both got into making music in their mid-teens.  About two and a half years ago, they wrote their first original track, and they’ve been steadily producing, performing and refining their high octane, catchy electro-pop ever since.

Starting out with the band name Porno Galactica “pretty much as a joke”, the Rabalais brothers recently decided to change it to Utopia Park.  They feel the name speaks to the magic of their childhood growing up in a local trailer park of the same name.  Plus they were looking to match the aesthetic that evolved as they began to take themselves a little more seriously as a band.  What began as mostly a “laptop DJ” show has expanded to include live guitar and keys over their programmed backbeats.

Still, while their commitment to making music may have gotten more serious, the only thing serious about a Utopia Park show is the amount of fun to be had!  To quote the brief write-up in Fairfield Voice when the winners were announced, “If you don’t start dancing by the time Porno Galactica (Utopia Park)’s song Sea Best Released is over; then you just might be dead.”

Utopia Park recently returned from their Deep Chill tour of the Southern US, starting off this March in Austin, and looping back there again in time for SXSW by way of Houston, Louisiana, Georgia and Arkansas and a few other places in-between.  They played lots of shows, learned lots of things, made lots of friends and chronicled it all in their funny and irreverent blog (warning, it does contain occasional not safe for work language).

Since returning home, the brothers haven’t even stopped to catch their breath.  Between promoting and hosting shows in Cafe Paradiso, The Beauty Shop, and their house, they started a new label called Sweat Power Records.

Sweat Power Records is bringing back the cassette tape for limited edition releases by Utopia Park and several of their friends.  The novelty concept is sparking creative ideas among the bands releasing music on the label.  Some want to create a whole package deal where you buy the cassette with a walkman and headset.  Others want to do split EP’s with Utopia Park.  The beauty of it is that Phil and Dom have that, “Why not? Let’s do it!” attitude that not only supports creative ideas but actually makes them happen.

To me, that is part of what makes Utopia Park so deserving of their award for Best Musical Act.  Not only do they make great music and put on great shows, they serve the younger generations in Fairfield through their examples of how to take an idea and follow it through to reality.  In a small town where you aren’t as likely to have your entertainment handed to you on a platter, creating the environment you want to experience can be the difference between happiness and boredom.  I applaud their generosity, energy, and ingenuity and look forward to whatever the Rabalais brothers may come up with next!

In fact, I know the very next thing they are doing is this Saturday, May 8th at The Beauty Shop. Utopia Park will be playing their first Fairfield show since returning from their March tour.  They are sharing the bill with several other artists, including two bands who will be releasing their Sweat Power Tapes on the same night.

Check out the line up:

Valley Tounges from Iowa City — SWEAT POWER TAPE RELEASE!

Tall Too and Maid Marian from Ames — SWEAT POWER TAPE RELEASE!

Alex Body from Iowa City

Utopia Park

The show starts at 9pm at The Beauty Shop.  Cover is $2.