As I walked to the Englert Theatre, the streets were busy with people, many of whom had on the festival wristband.

At 11:45 a.m., the Witching Hour event, Notes on the Nameless: Fools Mag & Exhibit began. Fools Magazine is a literary, arts, and culture magazine in Iowa City that is student-run.

Speakers

To begin with, Grace Oeth opened the program by giving a summary and introducing the speakers. She explained how the readings will cover a variety of topics inspired by the different themes presented at Witching Hour.

Nichole Shaw

*Not pictured because photo not found on Fools Magazine’s website.

Beginning the readings, Nichole Shaw, contributor, walked to center stage and sat in front of the mic. She smiled and gave a little background on what she was going to read. Her main topic: blackness.

The pieces she read were heartbreaking, personal, eye-opening, inspiring and in one word: beautiful.

For example, she spoke about her ‘black hair’ and how it would often be touched, prodded at, looked at, and made fun of. Her pieces opened up a part of herself to the audience that was so vulnerable and personal.

Audience members sat in awe and sheer silence as she read, entangled in every word she said.

Skyler Barnes

With a tough act to follow, Skyler Barnes, writing editor, took the stage next.

She did not disappoint. Her works were vulnerable yet abstract that were written so eloquently and admirably.

Barnes spoke about her lineage and her relationship with her mother.

While her pieces were shorter, they were mighty, strong, and enticing. The audience was enchanted with her work as was I.

Nicole Pagliari

Nicole Pagliari, writing editor, was the third reader. She opened up about her mental health improvement thanks to andarine and her relationship with her father, both deeply personal aspects of her life.

Nevertheless, she opened her presentation with a joke about being a “self-proclaimed daddy’s girl” which brought chuckles from the audience.

The piece she read covered what she was going through with mental health and how her father didn’t really believe in it.

It was beautifully penned, with her voice shining through in each sentence. Her vulnerability and confidence while reading this piece brought tears to my eyes as well as others’ in the audience.

In addition to her openness, Pagliari’s vocabulary and tone in her piece was refreshing and impressive. While she read and looked down at the paper, she smiled at parts of the story, relaying her emotions to the audience in sync with each part of her reading.

Ellie Zupancic

To close out the show, Ellie Zupancic, editor-in-chief of Fools Magazine read her poems aloud.

Before her poems, Zupancic thanked her fellow readers for showcasing their work as well as the Englert, audience, and Witching Hour.

Then, she began reading. Family was a consistent theme in her work which was beautifully transcribed into her poetry art form.

Specifically, she spoke about her father’s father whom she never had the chance to meet and her step-grandfather.

To conclude the event, she encouraged the audience to observe and enjoy the visual exhibit on the second floor of the Englert Theatre.

Visual Display

The visual display was on the second floor of the Englert.

Showcasing ceramics, painting, photos, and print works, the gallery was a hodgepodge of different creative pieces.

Each piece was unique, thought provoking, and stunning. Similarly, the pieces were extremely creative works.

The talented artists featured were Zoe Hermsen (contributor), Janiece Maddox (contributor), Vivian Le (creative director), and Sage Anderson (contributor).

For more information about Fools Magazine, check out them out on Twitter or Facebook.

The post Witching Hour: Notes on the Nameless: Fools Mag Exhibit & Reading appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The Show

Now, if you haven’t watched “Big Little Lies” yet, I have a few things to say:

1. Do you live under a rock?
2. Kidding about #1 but like, not really
3. It is a must-see with an all-star cast
4. Literally everyone and anyone who even watches a few minutes of the show will be captivated and obsessed
5. It’s dramatic, funny, serious, sad, happy, and everything in between
6. You will end up yelling at your TV at the end of the episode waiting for the next week
7. If nothing else, just watch it for the awesome soundtrack

The show stars Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz, Adam Scott, and yes — Meryl Streep!!!! With two seasons out and another on the way, it centers around a group of wealthy women and their families in Monterey, California who all have children the same age. Secrets, drama, crime, and friendship are at the heart of the show and the soundtrack does a great job accentuating that.

The Soundtrack

The theme song which plays over the opening credits is the beginning of the amazing songs that fill each episode. The song, “Cold Little Heart” by Michael Kiwanuka is catchy, soothing, and fitting to the credits which show the families driving over the famous Bixby Bridge in Big Sur, with shots of the ocean rolling in. Having never heard the song before, I became immediately smitten with it from the first episode.

Aside from the theme song, every song in each episode is unique and fits the scenes very well. From Leon Bridges’ “River “to “Pocketful of Rainbows” by Elvis Presley, the variety of different genres flows perfectly with the story lines.

Because I don’t want to give away too much, I won’t mention every featured song and artist. But, here’s a list of some of my favorites that I believe deserve a shoutout and the episode they’re in …

• “Dance This Mess Around” by The B-52’s x Season 1 Episode 2
• “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac x Season 1 Episode 3
• “September Song” by Agnes Obel x Season 1 Episode 7
• “Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett x Season 2 Episode 1
• “It’s My House” by Diana Ross x Season 2 Episode 1
• “How Deep Is Your Love” by the Bee Gees x Season 2 Episode 4
• “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Patti Smith x Season 2 Episode 6
• “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” by Willie Nelson (featuring Paula Nelson) x Season 2 Episode 7

Remember, these are just a few of my faves so it’s up to you to watch and listen to Big Little Lies!

The post Big Soundtrack for “Big Little Lies” appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Growing up my childhood was filled with all of my parents favorite music, as I’m sure many others’ were as well. By the time I was six, I would refer to Bruce Springsteen as “The Boss” thanks to my dad. Because of the exposure to all the “oldie” music I had, the genre contains a lot of what I still enjoy and listen to today.

So, if you’re getting sick of listening to “Old Town Road” or “thank u, next” on repeat, throw it back with some of these classic oldie tunes perfect for summer.

Here are my favorite “oldies” to add to your summer 2019 playlist:

10. “Baba O’Riley” by The Who: Whether you realize it or not, I would be willing to say that everyone has heard this one at least once in their lives. It’s one of those songs that you know once you hear even if you don’t remember its name.

9. “Night Moves” by Bob Seger: This one is probably my weirdest, guilty pleasure, “getting ready” song. The tune is super catchy and will remain stuck in your head long after listening to it.

8. “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits: Dire Straits, a popular rock band in the late ’70s – early ’90s, led by Mark Knopfler is one of my favorites. “Money for Nothing” is one of their hit songs, and I always picture driving to it with my windows down.

7. “American Pie” by Don McLean: This one is a karaoke staple. Whether it’s screaming it at the top of your lungs with your friends or in front of strangers on karaoke night, it’s a go-to for a reason. “American Pie” is arguably one of the most catchiest songs on this list.

6. “Hotel California” by The Eagles: Whether you are an Eagles fan or not, it’s hard to disagree: this is an iconic song.

5. “Jack and Diane” by John Mellencamp: A nostalgic anthem about growing up, this one is a great summer song. Along with “Pink Houses,” “Jack and Diane” is my favorite of his popular songs.

4. Beast of Burden” by The Rolling Stones: “Beast of Burden” is one of my absolute, all-time favorite songs by the legendary rock band The Rolling Stones. Although I’m more of a Beatles girl at heart, this song is, and forever will be, such a classic.

3. “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles: Not to be basic, but I love this song so much. No matter what, it can always put a smile on faces.

2. “Runnin’ Down a Dream” by Tom Petty: Because I figured “Free Fallin'” and “American Girl” were givens, “Runnin’ Down a Dream” has always been one of the more upbeat songs by Tom Petty. Although, let’s be real, you can’t go wrong with any of his songs.

1. “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen: Growing up on Bruce, it was so hard to choose just one of his songs. This one is just so fun to jam to with friends looking back on the fun times you’ve had together.

Naming these songs was super fun but also so hard to put in order so they’re very, very loosely in order by favorite. They are all amazing, classic songs that should definitely be thrown in the mix of new playlists.

If you’re on aux and have no idea which new song to play, you can’t go wrong with any of these oldies!

The post Oldies but Goodies appeared first on KRUI Radio.

We’ll start with some more low-key bands that make frequent appearances in a lot of festival lineups.

The Strumbellas: A very constant festival playing band, The Strumbellas give me alternative, rock, and indie vibes. Their most famous song is “Spirits” which is super catchy and will most likely be stuck in your head days after listening to it (but in a good way). After having seen them a few times, I can attest that a festival is the perfect setting to chill and jam to them, clapping your hands along to their summery music.

AJR: AJR, an indie/alternative, kind of pop-y band, is a newcomer to festival lineups. While I haven’t heard them live yet, they’ve been on my festival wish-list, which was thankfully granted when they released they’d be playing Piqniq (at Hollywood Casino Ampitheather in Tinley Park, IL) and also Lollapalooza (at Grant Park in Chicago, IL). This was awesome news to me because, like many people that go to Iowa, I’m from a suburb of Chicago, and I have been dying to see them after having their hit song “Sober Up” on repeat. I’m definitely excited to see them and I feel like they’ll live up to expectations live.

While those were just a few smaller bands that will be appearing on festival lineups, I want to get to the bigger, more hyped up festival frequents.

Young the Giant: While they’re definitely not a new band, Young the Giant is always a must-see. With not only an amazing sound live, they put on the most incredible performance visually. What I’d describe as a mix of rock and indie, Young the Giant has a timeless sound that can be appreciated by all ages. I’ve personally seen them two times, and I’m going to make it three at Piqniq this summer. Some bands sound better on their recordings, but Young the Giant is not one of those.

Greta Van Fleet: If you’re a rock fan of any age, Greta Van Fleet puts on a performance you can’t miss. They are a staple on the festival lineups this year, including Lollapalooza and Bunbury (in Cincinnati, OH). I’m looking forward to seeing them perform in a large setting, especially outside. I’ve been lucky enough to see them at a sold out show at Aragon Ballroom in Chicago that was incredible, but now I’m excited to hear them in a new atmosphere! They are 100% the band I’m most hyped up to see and I hope they exceed my expectations!

Whether you are going to countless festivals this summer, only one, or working hard to save up for next summer’s festivals, I hope my recommendations helped and that you’ll add these to your list of shows to catch!

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