Contributed photo Bon Jecci will be live at Wayward Social Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.

They’re back on stage Jan. 25th at Wayward Social — and as their first gig of 2020 closes in, Marshalltown band Bon Jecci is happier than ever to be performing music.

The duo consists of John Jacobson and Becci West, who then found a creative way to spin their names into a moniker.

West said the band was formed about four years ago when she was singing karaoke at a local bar. There, Jacobson noticed her singing and felt it would be worthwhile for them to work together.

It was the first time West had been approached to be in a band, but her school days were filled with singing in choirs.

“I’ve been singing my entire life and that’s always something I’ve wanted to do,” West said. “And then the opportunity presented itself and I was like ‘ahh!'”

“He asked ‘Is this something you would be interested in?’ and I said ‘Hell yeah!'”

Soon after forming, they began making appearances at local restaurants and performing with just Jacobson, his guitar and Becci’s voice. The duo performs a number of songs from different genres, spanning artists such as Lizzo, Prince and the Avett Brothers.

The goal was to achieve three shows per month, which West said is still the goal despite a few forced hiatuses over the past two years. In 2018, Jacobson and West took a five-month break because of an elbow injury for Jacobson before getting back to performances. In 2019, West was pregnant and nearing the birth of her child, so they “really slowed down.” In October of 2019, they returned to the stage — first at The 918, then at Tannin’s in October and in December.

They will play at Wayward Social for the fourth time, all in the event space/bar at the bowling alley called Rosie’s.

West said it’s a fun experience playing at Rosie’s and not just because she can make jokes about “playing at a bowling alley”.

“We’ve played at Fiddle and Whistle too, which is under the same ownership, so we’ve been able to form a relationship with Aaron and Michele [Buzbee],” West said. “Being able to provide music for a new venue in Marshalltown, that’s what’s pretty nice about it.”

So now, as they open the new year, West said she’s excited to bring people happiness through music again.

“Being able to do what we love and putting a smile on people’s faces,” West said. “And they enjoy it, and that’s great. We reach new people once in a while.”

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Contact Noah Rohlfing at 641-753-6611 or nrohlfing@timesrepublican.com.