The Englert Theatre’s inaugural Iowa City Songwriters Festival began September 4th with a beautiful intimate set at The Black Angel, featuring local artists Aaron Longoria (of Early Girl), Sophie Mitchell, and Penny Peach.
The Black Angel was a snug fit that early evening, as the small audience crowded themselves haphazardly between the restaurant tables spilling out onto the patio. All three songwriters sat perched with their guitars on the makeshift stage, taking turns between testing their equipment and tucking their beers away. They were placed perfectly in line with the abstract art hanging on the wall behind them, each artist’s silhouette perfectly framed by a colorful painting. Intimate and laid-back, the restaurant became a comforting space as lagers, soft conversations, and nachos gently wound around the music coming from makeshift stage.
Each of the three took turns playing their own songs. Aaron Longoria started the festival off with their sweet and melodic song “3 Months,” the first song they ever wrote. The next song “Sick Habit” was performed by Sophie Mitchell, who wrote it during her time at the University of Iowa’s writing program. Penny Peach followed with an ode to politicians who don’t suck, dedicated to Oliver Weilein who currently serves on the Iowa City Council. As the three continued to pass songs and conversations between each other, their unique sounds and inspirations became clearer and brighter. Playing off each other, their differences and similarities shone through their songwriting.
Songs told their stories about relationships, spinning out on the highway during a 3am blizzard, exes, the choices and agency that belongs only to ourselves, and lessons about how truly important it is to not live in a basement. Aaron Longoria’s songwriting was very conversational, music that felt like the spoken stories they were inspired by. Sophie Mitchell contrasted with more classic songwriting about love, a clear voice and gentle guitar glancing around the edges between softness and power, then continuing to throw jokes and pull laughter from the whole audience. Penny Peach’s lovely warbling twang held a thick and vibrant tone, with a wholly political and experiential style of writing.
In between songs, they all briefly paused to highlight the recent project Always Here: A Compilation of Sounds from Iowa, arranged by Aaron Longoria. The compilation features songs, sounds, and poetry from trans and nonbinary artists across Iowa, with proceeds benefitting the Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund.
This feature was the perfect opening to a new festival, quite different from The Englert’s most popular events on the same scale. Intimate and comforting, it was a beautiful display of our beloved local talents coming together on one stage to just share some music. Each artist brought their own talents, emotions, and writing into the room that evening to spin stories into songs that captured the hearts of everyone in the room. This was the perfect start and introduction to what the Iowa City Songwriters Festival is about, highlighting artists songwriting as a process of collaboration within our local community. They shared how complex the emotions and stories are that feed these songs. They proved how simple it all can be, a few people and guitars coming together to share all our love for music and life.
