Get to Know Dickie Before Their Made in the Midwest Performance

For Dickie, making music has always been less about fitting into the industry and more about following creative instincts. The three-piece group is led by singer-songwriter Dick Prall, whose commitment to creative freedom and sincerity has shaped the music behind Dickie.

Ahead of their Made in the Midwest performance at the Stoner Theater, get to know more about the story behind Dickie, Prall’s Midwest roots, and what the group hopes to bring to the stage.

The Inspiration Behind the Music

For Prall, music didn’t begin as a pursuit of a career. It started as a challenge to see if he could take the ideas in his head and turn them into cohesive songs.

As good press, opportunities to open for established artists, and interest from record labels followed, he began to see the possibility of turning that experiment into a career. But the expectations that came with the music industry didn’t align with the kind of artist he wanted to be.

“I liked how I wrote, I felt good about how I arranged songs, I was proud of how I put words together,” Prall shares. Rather than make concessions to fit someone else’s idea of what his music should be, he chose the freedom to continue creating on his own terms — an independence that remains central to Dickie today.

As for his musical influences, Prall says there are simply too many to name. He continues to find new ones all the time.

Defining Their Sound

Putting a label on Dickie’s sound isn’t something Prall is particularly interested in doing.

“This question is always so hard,” he says. “It’s like asking someone what their face looks like before you’ve met them.”

Rather than setting expectations through genre labels or comparisons to other artists, Prall prefers to let Dickie’s music speak for itself. Listeners can explore what the group has already created or come to the show without any preconceived ideas.

As Prall puts it, “They can just show up ‘blind’ to hear what me and the band do, and we’ll cross our fingers that we’re a pleasant surprise.”

The Influence of the Midwest

The Midwest has influenced more than where Dickie makes music. For Prall, growing up here in Iowa helped instill the values he brings to his work: humility, integrity, and sincerity.

“I pride myself on the sincerity of what I do because I don’t ever want to find myself being disingenuous,” he says. “That’s a character destroyer. Hard pass.”

That desire to remain genuine is woven throughout Dickie, from Prall’s approach to songwriting to the group’s resistance to being defined by what the music industry expects them to be.

What Made in the Midwest Means to Them

Made in the Midwest is a chance for Dickie to celebrate the creativity and individuality found right here in the region they call home.

“There’s a ton of talent in the Midwest — it’s ridiculous to think otherwise because of course there is,” Prall says. “It’s an honor to be asked to play any stage, so when you’re highlighted in the community you call home, it’s an honor.”

The Power of an Intimate Venue

The closeness of the Stoner Theater gives Dickie a chance to connect with an audience in a way that's hard to replicate on a larger stage.

Prall understands that difference from his own experiences as a fan. He recalls seeing one of his favorite bands, The Jayhawks, on a large festival stage and later watching them from side stage after Dickie opened for them. But seeing the band in the much smaller Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago affected him differently.

“I found myself overwhelmed in the best way because I felt like a participant in the moment, not just an observer.”

It’s that feeling of participation, of the band and audience sharing the experience together, that makes an intimate performance particularly powerful.

What They Hope the Audience Takes Away

When Dickie takes the stage, Prall isn’t interested in prescribing exactly what the audience should feel. He simply hopes they find something worthwhile in what the group has to offer.

“This is what I offer and I hope you took something positive out of the experience.”

Experience Dickie live as part of Made in the Midwest at the Stoner Theater and see what Prall and the three-piece group have to offer.