Formed in 2017, the Chicago duo Angry Blackmen consists of rappers Quentin Branch and Brian Warren, who both brought their A-game to Gabe’s at 9pm on Friday. “Y’all fucking with that shit? We got some more shit!” they yell into the crowd after introducing their glitchy experimental rap. They fly through cuts from The Legend of ABM, their excellent 2024 album, the bass from their industrial beats pulsating throughout Gabe’s. It was fierce music, the type that grabs your attention from the start and won’t let it go. They included cuts from their earlier work as well, such as their 2020 record HEADSHOTS! For a sense of how their music translates live, check out Angry Blackmen on Audiotree Live, a nine track recording including the bangers “Vomit” and “Dead Men Tell No Lies.” 

Beyond the heavy production and tight rhymes, Angry Blackmen’s most impressive attribute was the duo’s synergy and crowd interaction. Warren grabbing and rapping into both microphones, falling into his flow, while the duo threw out call and response statements, engaging the crowd. “Angry” they shout, “Blackmen!” replied the crowd. The same deal with different words later on: “Fuck!” // “Off!” Halfway through the set, the duo memorably split the crowd in half to form a de-facto catwalk, bringing all the chanting together as one. “Angry,” shouts Warren before waving the microphone at me, “Blackmen!” I dutifully respond. 

The tragedy of this stellar crowd interaction was the dwindling number of people to recruit as the set progressed, the product of a brutal clash with Friday night’s headliner Mannequin Pussy across the street at The Englert Theatre. While the rappers were locked into their craft—“hit me with whatever Q,” Warren tells Branch without deliberation—the audience that should have stuck around to appreciate that high energy performance faded away. This is the way festivals go, like the music itself. People ebb and flow between the venues, but it certainly detracted from the incredible focus and passion Angry Blackmen were striving to cultivate at Gabe’s. 

The duo saved one of their best songs, “HEADSHOTS!” until the end of the set, making it an intimately intense performance for the remaining fans. The chorus—“Fuck with me if you want to, bang bang that’s headshots // Stuntin like I’m supposed to, bang bang that’s headshots”—remained stuck in my head for days after the show. They concluded by reminding the crowd that “tomorrow isn’t promised,” urging everyone to make the most of today. This was a show that will certainly live long in my memory, I just wish more people had stuck around to celebrate it.

The post Mission Creek 2025: Angry Blackmen appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The Mission Creek audience was treated to a preview of a selection of Flux4D’s songs, with “How Long,” the EP’s second track, sounding remarkably rich on the Riverside Theatre stage. These fresh songs were cut with older tracks such as Gimme Life from the duo’s 2022 EP Fruit to the Knife, and Superposition which is technically a Jim Swim solo track with an Alyx Rush feature. “That’s one of our favorites,” they reflect after finishing “Superposition.” Which is a sentiment I certainly share. 

All That, taken from Sun Centauri’s 2023 EP After the Last Time, often requires crowd participation, and Mission Creek was no different. “Give me all that,” sings Alyx Rush, “Do something crazy. Who cares if they see? Who cares?” On cue the crowd responds with “Fuck it up!” Towards the end of the show the duo drop Two Shots, their first single as Sun Centauri and an absolute bop at that. It crowned a triumphant night for the local artists, who are sure to make a wave beyond the state—perhaps beyond this world—in the coming months. A quick shout out to the Mission Creek team for booking Dawn Richard + Spencer Zahn straight after Sun Centauri at Riverside Theatre, as their soul-baring experiential project was a truly incredible follow up. 

I was absolutely delighted that Alyx Rush and Jim Swim joined my radio show, Lonely Cloud FM, live in the KRUI studio shortly after Mission Creek to discuss their music, influences, and world building aesthetic. It was such a joy to chat about their collaborative process and hear those fun stories that only emerge in person. For instance, I now know that their sun-kissed cover art for Two Shots was taken not in Hawaii but, in fact, at the Coralville Community Aquatic Center. Go figure! The playlist they curated was also full of bangers; if you missed the show, check it out here. 

Their KRUI appearance came to fruitition after I wore my brand new Sun Centauri tee—purchased at the Mission Creek show—to a Ragers for Charity event which Jim Swim was playing at. He was delighted to see the shirt, I was delighted to chat, and we spent the night dancing away to Rihanna. The rest, as they say, is history. 

The post Mission Creek 2025: Sun Centauri appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The first Illiterati Fest was such a success, that like the band, it returned the following year, with a different location and beneficiary. The James Theater hosted, and all proceeds went to the South District Market, a vibrant food court experience that celebrates the diverse community of Iowa City’s South District. For the fest’s third iteration in 2024, we’re back to the future: Gabe’s is the venue once again, with United Action For Youth, a nonprofit which supports young people and families in Johnson County, benefiting from the community focused concert. 

Illiterati Fest 3, which takes place on Friday, August 23rd, opening at 6:00 PM, promises to be another memorable night for Iowa City’s thriving music scene. Three local acts, Anthony Worden and the Iliterati, Psyop, and Daisy Glue, are joined by rising artists from across the country: Valebol of Chicago, Feel Free Hi Fi from Minneapolis, and California based Exotic Gardens. All that music, for just $15! I for one can’t think of a better way to spend a warm summer night in Iowa City. 

Daisy Glue

Daisy Glue, as a collective, is relatively new to the Iowa City scene. However, the band members have been involved in many different projects in the area over the years. Daisy Glue has acted as a common meeting place for all these people to just jam together, and soak in the vibes produced from that. That’s how their songs and live performances are formed as well.

A 15-minute set of theirs could easily constitute just two or three songs, as they build out these sprawling, often improvised arrangements, adding on ideas. It’s a very free flowing act, dictated by whatever the feeling in the moment may be. Daisy Glue opening will help those wandering in acclimate themselves into the atmosphere of Illiterati Fest. 

-John Glab

Psyop

Acting as representatives to Illiterati Fest from a burgeoning Iowa City hardcore scene, Psyop will most likely play the heaviest set of the night. As mainstays on the local label Pokeys Records, the band defines much of what the local scene stands for: consciousness of the injustices in the world, foundation of community, and unrelenting riffs that leave people throwing themselves at one another. 

The band’s sets are quick, and with the immense amount of chaotic movement they whirl up, it feels like it can flash in and out of existence. In those fleeting moments though, there is an exciting euphoria where you can feel the presence of everyone in the room, probably because they’re all throwing elbows into you. Plenty of people will come out excited to see them.

-John Glab

Anthony Worden and the Illiterati

If you live in the Iowa City area, you’ve probably encountered the talents of Anthony Worden at some point. Along with putting on the yearly festival, he is often spinning vinyl at Gabes or playing with his band The Illiterati. He has been playing and creating music locally for 12 years. Worden and his band draw inspirations from many all-time classic bands like The Beach Boys and Sonic Youth.

Plain Angels, their most recent album, came out in May, but Worden and his band have kept busy in the time leading up to the third installment of the Illiterati Fest. Anthony Worden and The Illiterati’s music is distinctly emotional, connecting us all through storytelling and shared human experiences. Plus, their musical prowess makes their music and live sets thoroughly captivating. 

-Savannah Haneline

Exotic Gardens

Exotic Gardens is the solo project of Aaron Coyes, who makes up half of the California based Peaking Lights. Their sound is reminiscent of music that could be played at the beachside in Bora Bora or in an underground rave in Berlin. The sound is a combination of reggae, dub, and ’80s synth making it the perfect dance music. It’s much akin to the tracks produced by Coyes with Peaking Lights but presented in a denser tone. The music makes dub slightly more applicable to the average festival goer, who will probably want a mojito in their hand by the end of the set.

-Savannah Haneline

Feel Free Hi Fi

Located in Minnesota, Feel Free Hi Fi is the aggressive industrial electronic union of Shawn Reed and Derek Maxwell. The duo uses digital techniques to enhance their dancehall tracks, equal parts abrasive and comforting.

Their most recent project, I was so far in I was out. contains eight beautiful tracks, all featuring metallic creaks, liquid like synths, and infectious drum loops. Unlike other Feel Free Hi Fi albums, this one features no guest vocalists, but instead serves as a beautiful, lush instrumental album. All these different aspects that the band can produce will create a transient experience, seeping from the stage to across the floor. Feel Free Hi Fi is an incredibly compelling project, and not one to miss this Illiterati Fest. 

-Casper Bakker

Valebol

Hailing from the Windy City, Valebol are a superduo formed by multi-instrumentalist Vivian McConnell and drummer Daniel Villarreal. Their new project combines the intimate self-reflection of McConnell’s solo project, V.V. Lightbody, with the vibrant Cumbia sound of Villarreal’s band, Dos Santos. The result? A kaleidoscopic synthesis that the duo title “translingual express-pop.” Sink into the warm ocean, they propose, and discover a feeling: 

“Maybe it’s finding an oyster on your maiden scuba dive and discovering it contains a kaleidoscopic disco pearl vibrating to polyrhythms from a forgotten cassette tape. Maybe it was buried in 1983. Maybe the club is still open. Either way, opening your new Polly Pocket sized seashell contains an iconic duo.”

While I will struggle to write anything better than their own wonderfully eccentric description, I can state unequivocally that their self-titled debut album is a gloriously serene listen. Released in April of this year, Valebol demonstrates exactly why the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) gave the duo an Esteemed Artist Award in 2021. It’s dreamy, breezy, and intricately layered. After multiple listens I had to check if the album’s running time really was 36 minutes, as it continually glides by in what feels like half the time.

Stand outs include the opener “Multivitaminas” and the album’s first single “Netuchepa!”, although this really is a project to be savored in its entirety. Their transnational charm render clean comparisons with other artists rather redundant. However, I’ll say this: if you like Denver indie pop duo Tennis, who graced Iowa City with a superb show last year, you like me will absolutely adore Valebol.

-Glenn Houlihan

Illiterati Fest 3 is at Gabe’s in Iowa City on Friday, August 23rd at 6:00 PM. Tickets are available for purchase here.

The post Illiterati Fest 3 Preview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

While the 1,500 acres of open woodland has obvious natural beauty, that doesn’t make it an inherently suitable location for a music festival, especially one renowned for its comfort and convenience. The setting instead was incredibly uncomfortable and inconvenient. While there were elements that did work, such as the Hammock Village and Biergarten, these were overshadowed by an ill-conceived layout and a severe lack of cooler spaces. I appreciate that organizers can’t predict a heatwave, but hosting an Iowa music festival in July in a giant field with minimal shade isn’t ideal. Between the heat, humidity, and ravenous mosquitos, attending the festival became a sweaty, itchy, chore. This was a crushing disappointment considering how smoothly previous years have functioned. 

This challenging spectator experience was reflected in the modest attendance. While casual crowds are expected at the smaller free stages, I was shocked by how few people had bought tickets to the main stage. Friday’s headliner OK Go looked desolate, and I was able to walk up to the second row ten minutes before triple Grammy winning rapper Killer Mike started his headlining set on Saturday. Killer Mike even commented on the sparse numbers, saying his manager had called to let him know this might be a “lighter crowd than usual,” before the show. “Consider this a big tiny desk concert,” he quipped with a smile. 

The low turnout was symptomatic of an unpopular location and deeply underwhelming line-up. While Killer Mike’s headline credentials were well justified with an exceptional performance, OK Go simply don’t have the contemporary relevance to carry a festival in 2024. The rest of the bill was also lacking in bigger names, and felt like the weakest 80/35 lineup in the festival’s history. The 2018 main stage, for example, featured BJ The Chicago Kid, Car Seat Headrest, Courtney Barnett, and Kesha in succession on Saturday. This isn’t purely a post-pandemic issue either. Saturday night in 2022 saw Future Islands followed by electropop icon Charlie XCX on the mainstage. 

The real shame is that a weak top bill impacts how many people come and experience the immensely talented local artists. Halfloves provided an assured show to close the Alchemy Stage on Friday night, running through a quality selection of songs, like the track “Bass Drum“, as the golden sun set behind them. This set offered a tantalizing vision of what the festival could be at Water Works Park: a Biergarten buzzing with people coupled with fantastic indie rock. 

The Silent Stage, which hosted many of the local artists I was most excited to see, was a less gratifying experience. In theory, the stage innovatively combined a silent disco with live music, a hybrid I was certainly curious to try. In practice, however, requiring ungainly headphones to hear the artists simply detracts from the simple joys of live music: the audience participation, the conversations with friends between songs, the sonic richness that only giant speakers can produce. The headphones even sounded crackly at times, meaning it felt like I was listening to a pirated MP3 instead of a dynamic live performance. To compound matters, lines formed straight after sets finished to return the headphones, quickly overwhelming the workers tasked with exchanging the headphones for IDs. 

Nonetheless, the artists on this stage still thrived. With his parents proudly watching on, Iowa City’s Jim Swim was joined by a succession of incredibly talented collaborators, Avery Moss, ALYX RUSH, and ADE, underlined the depth and breadth of his musical vision and output. Considering how central Jim Swim is to the fabric of the Iowa City music scene, it was wonderful to see his commitment to creative partnerships celebrated at 80/35.

Ahzia, another Iowa City based artist, delivered a confident and high energy show, sharing cuts from his fantastic new EP Verb. Despite the unconventional modality, the crowd was fully immersed in Ahzia’s set, captivated by his smooth flow and sharp one liners. Ion Alexakis on the decks galvanized Ahzia’s momentum with a series of quick blends, giving the show a vibrant mixtape feel. With the Silent Stage’s limitations, however, I spent much of these shows wishing I was enjoying the artists on the Alchemy Stage instead. 

Tom Sachs created the Miffy Fountain, and designed the sculpture to circulate water through Miffy’s tears. When asked why he picked such a sorrowful emotion for the artwork, his response was simple: “She is crying because she is sad.” Like Miffy, I was left deeply sad after this year’s 80/35. 

The post Magical Music, Lackluster Location at 80/35 2024 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Midwest hip-hop duo Strangers of Necessity kicked off Mission Creek’s Friday evening at Gabe’s, bringing a perfect blend of positive energy, precise bars, and smooth production to the festival. The synergy between Iowa City based producer CoryaYo and Chicago rapper Fooch the MC was apparent throughout the set, with CoryaYo’s DJ Premier type beats providing the ideal foil for Fooch’s braggadocious flow. “Punishing rappers like I’m Frank Castle,” he raps on one early song. “Go against Fooch you might lose your nine lives,” he warns on another. Beyond snappy one-liners, he also excelled at interacting with the Mission Creek crowd. “Can I kick it?” he shouts, “Yes you can!” they respond. “Can I kick it?” he shouts again, “Yes you can!” they yell back louder. Fooch’s request to see hands in the air is also enthusiastically received, giving the show a dynamic, interactive feel.

Fooch is also cognizant of the night’s other big event in Iowa City. “We’re gonna keep the party going because I know you wanna watch the game and shit,” he says, referencing the much anticipated Final Four basketball match between the Hawkeyes and the University of Connecticut. Fooch even has bars for the occasion: “If I was in college ball I’d be Final Four, but this isn’t my final form” he raps later in the show.

While all their songs sound punchy live, it’s cuts from their 2020 release Vibe Theory that really stand out and get the crowd moving. The easygoing pace of “Fundamental”, which features CoryaYo on the mic, is followed by the huge bass of Vibe Theory opener “Incredible Flow” with Fooch rapping the song’s memorable chorus. “You digging with these vibes we giving?” he asks midway through the show. An enthusiastic ‘Yeah!’ is the resounding response from the crowd. It was Strangers of Necessity’s first Mission Creek appearance, but I certainly hope it won’t be their last.

Anthony Worden

“My name is Anthony Worden and I’m from Iowa City. So psyched you’re here. I love you guys!” Anthony Worden’s first interaction with the Mission Creek crowd underlines his genuine affection for the city, venue, and festival. He’s delighted to be playing Mission Creek at Gabe’s, and wants the crowd to know. Considering he grew up in Cedar Rapids and graduated from the University of Iowa, such a fondness for the region is perhaps expected, but it’s clear Worden’s affinity for Eastern Iowa is fundamental to his personality and music.

However, Worden’s show is, ironically, the victim of Iowa’s success. His band’s 9:00 PM slot at Gabe’s brutally clashes with the basketball, a cruel twist of fate he’s quick to acknowledge throughout the show. “The question we’re all wondering, who’s winning?” he asks midway through. “Aw man. Fuck UConn man,” he responses when the news isn’t good. Yet this conflict with the match is also a way of galvanizing the people in attendance, those who chose live music over televised sport. “You said no to the mass of people who wanted to watch the basketball,” says Worden proudly, “You just wanna rock! No TVs up here,” he laughs, although there is a mad dash to the screen on the floor below as soon as Worden’s set wraps at 9:30 PM.

Worden’s show is in many ways the product of transition. He has a new band: Joe Shanks on guitar, Lucas Adolphson on bass, and Chloe Weidl on drums. They sounded in perfect sync alongside Worden’s own distinctive vocals and guitar. He also has a new album, Plain Angels coming out on May 10th. Worden describes the album as a product of “work, personal grief, and collaboration. It’s my most personal record and musically my strongest.” This internal confidence shines through in his Mission Creek set, which thrilled the loyal Gabe’s crowd. My only regret was that thirty minutes wasn’t long enough to do justice to his four, soon to be five, albums. If that’s my sole complaint, then it was a damn fine rock show.

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