It’s officially Free Week! Wait, what’s Free Week? Iowa City’s downtown district, in collaboration with X Marks the Arts, have organized a first of its kind festival to cool your winter blues. This is the first annual five day arts and cultural festival, with more than 40 free events at 20+ local venues in Iowa City’s downtown district. We’ve listed some of the highlights that we’re most excited for.
View full list of events here.
Tuesday, February 18th
Schumann Quartet Concert — 1:00 PM
In collaboration with the University of Iowa’s String Quartet Residency Program, The Schumann Quartet will be performing at the University’s Dey House on 507 N. Clinton Street. Hailing all the way from Köln, Germany, the acclaimed string quartet will be playing selections from their Beethoven cycle, and will be holding a Q&A session following the performance.
Free Showings at FilmScene — 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
As part of Free Week, Iowa City’s own non-profit cinema will be screening every film on Tuesday, February 18th with free admission. What’s being shown?
At the Chauncey, 404 E. College St., families will be able to see Paddington In Peru at 4:00 PM and 6:45 PM. Oscar buffs will have the chance to see this year’s nominated live action and animated short films being shown at 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM respectively. The documentary From Ground Zero will be screened at 3:45 PM, showing 22 stories from Palestinian filmmakers living through war. In conjunction with Iowa City Pride, The People’s Joker will be shown for free and in 35mm film! RSVP to see The People’s Joker here.
In the Ped Mall location at 118 E. College St. Walter Salles’ 2024 drama based on a real story I’m Still Here will be screened at 3:30 PM and 6:30 PM. No Other Land, the award winning documentary made by Palestinian and Israeli activists documenting the region’s conflict, will also be at the Ped Mall.
Open Mic Comedy — 9:00 PM
Held at the Alleycat nightclub at 13 S. Linn Street, come see local comedians take the stage! The Alleycat will also be open until 2:00 AM.
Wednesday, February 19th
First Round: Jan Weissmiller, Rachel Yoder, and Nina Loman — 5:00 PM
Award winning poet Jan Weismiller, author Rachel Yoder (Nightbitch), and author Nina Loman (The Body Alone) are coming together at the Prairie Lights Cafe on 15 S. Dubuque St. to host a conversation about authorship and literary happenings around Iowa City. Come to this panel to learn and socialize in the same space that once served as a gathering place for literary legends like Robert Frost and E.E. Cummings.
A Year with Frog and Toad — Doors 6:00 PM, Show 7:00 PM
The Notle Academy and Iowa Conservatory are putting on A Year with Frog and Toad at The Englert located at 221 E. Washington St. featuring everyone’s favorite cottagecore icons. Watch Frog and Toad participate in all four seasons of the year, and celebrate the differences that make them unique. The original show was boundary pushing as it brought professional children’s theatre to Broadway, and now you can see it for free here in Iowa City.
Good Habits, New Neighbors, Slow Retreat, and Gunk Lung at Gabe’s — 8:00 PM
Iowa City based punk and alt-rock bands Good Habits, New Neighbors, Slow Retreat, and Gunk Lung are uniting to create one rocking evening at Gabe’s at 330 E Washington St. Doors will open at 8:00 PM with the show starting at 8:30 PM. The last band is scheduled to take the stage at around 10:45 PM.
Thursday, February 20th
SCW Pro Wrestling — 5:30 PM
Do you like to see mostly naked men beat each other up? Me too. Come to The Englert for a high energy muscle fest put on by the local underground DIY wrestling organization SCW. Doors at 5:30 PM, fighters at 6:30 PM. KA-POW.
Fishbait, KL!NG, Second Half, and Anti-Cash at Gabe’s — 8:00 PM
Prog band Fishbait, garage band KL!NG, along with rock bands Second Half and Anti-Cash will be at Gabe’s to entertain your Thursday night. Doors will open at 8:00 PM, and the show starts at 8:30 PM, with the last band set to take the stage at 10:45 PM.
28 Days Later — 9:00 PM
Norwalk indie rockers 28 Days Later take the stage at Elray’s Live and Dive at 221 Iowa Ave. in yet another Iowa City appearance. Consisting of four friends from high school, the band released their debut LP last year and maintains a headlining role in each bill they perform on. After the show, Elray’s will keep going with DJs spinning records on their two other stages. This show unfortunately is 21+ to enter.
Friday, February 21st
The Englert and KRUI’s Local Showcase: The Uniphonics, Sun Centauri, and Ahzia — 6:30 PM
Local rapper Ahzia, R&B group Sun Centauri, and funk band The Uniphonics will be performing at The Englert. Doors open at 6:30 PM, with the show starting at 7:30 PM. Ahzia may be a familiar face, but his sharp lyricism never loses its punch. Sun Centauri, a joint effort from the smooth Iowa City darlings Alyx Rush and Jim Swim, are transcendent. The Uniphonics bring nothing short of the quintessential groove. Come enjoy this genre spanning showcase for free!
Grimmtooth Zine Release Show (feat. Anglegrinder, ghOstMiSt, Chemosh, & Ill Omen) — 7:30 PM
Public Space One’s Close House on 538 S. Gilbert St. will be hosting Grimmtooth’s zine release show. Perzines, or personal zines, will be featured, as well as story anthologies, poetry, and comics. Many of the zines present are produced by Iowa City and Midwest based artists. Along with this, industrial drone project Anglegrinder, experimental folk artist ghOstMiSt, Wisconsin death metal group Chemosh, and Cedar Rapids thrash band Ill Omen will be performing live music!
Eva Maeve — 8:00 – 11:00 PM
At the Vue Rooftop located on 328 S. Clinton St. local artist Eva Maeve will perform over the backdrop of downtown Iowa City at night. The Earlham, Iowa singer/songwriter blends pop, folk, and country sensibilities with her original songs and powerful, expressive singing. The 22-year-old artist has been releasing music since 2020 and is involved with Iowa City’s community of gigging singer/songwriters.
Saturday, February 22nd
The Englert’s Local Showcase: Stnic, Lex Leto, and Makebelief — 6:30pm
We at KRUI are partnering with The Englert Theater for a show on Saturday night of Free Week, with local acts Stnic, Lex Leto and Makebelief, and the Iowa City Video Zine. Stnic is an electronic and acoustic improv band who thrive in exploring the eclectic and unknown. Lex Leto and Makebelief are an experimental pop duo who combine moments of ambient recluse, and more bumping danceable beats.
These two acts will be performing in front of the visual backdrop generated by the Iowa City Video Zine. The open platform and experimental video collective will have projections across the surface of the walls of the inside of the theater itself, enhancing the vibe of the space. The show will be a complete auditory and visual experience to lull souls into a trance. More info at the Englert’s website here.
Dance Party with DJ Anthony Worden — 10:00 PM
Anthony Worden, songwriter, guitarist, and head honcho of Iowa City’s Illiterati Records, is no stranger to Gabe’s. After releasing his latest record, Plain Angels, and conducting the third annual Illiterati Fest in August, Worden’s coming to Gabe’s once again to spin records. He’ll be taking the reins as their house DJ for the night. A dance party until close to bookend the first annual Free Week.
Drag Shows at Studio 13 — 10:30 PM
In spite of the Iowa legislature’s recent proposal of House Study Bill 158 that would criminalize public displays of drag or queerness in general, Iowa City’s Studio 13 will be hosting drag shows almost every night during Free Week. This includes an open stage act Wednesday, and drag shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, all starting at 10:30 PM. Come spend your nights at Studio 13 on 13 S. Linn Street with no cover! The dance floor will also be open after each show.
Written with help from Amanda Moy
