Friday at Hancher Auditorium

Donika Kelly, 6:30pm

A fitting opener for a festival about exploration and discovery, poet and University of Iowa English professor Donika Kelly will kick off the Stop/Time festival with a short, fifteen-minute reading at Hancher. Kelly’s poetry is reflective and expansive, covering themes from consuming love to blinding pain and everything in between. Her first book of poetry, Bestiary, won the 2015 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, and her most current book, The Natural Order of Things, was released in October 2025 to positive reviews. Many of her individual poems have been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The Paris Review.

–Bailey Vergara

Ambrose Akinmusire, 6:45pm

Hey, you. Do you like jazz? Let’s hope so, because renowned trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire is coming to Hancher Up Close to bless your ears with musings that combine avant-garde jazz, post-bop, hip-hop, and more. With music, Akinmusire hopes to break down the educational barriers surrounding classical jazz and uplift community stories; he borrows from tradition, but is not constrained by it. His newest record, “honey from a winter stone,” is an exploratory journey through a variety of moods, from slow and meandering to restless and lively. And in case you aren’t already sold on his talent, his 2023 album “Owl Song” was nominated for a 2025 Grammy award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

–Bailey Vergara

Mei Semones, 8:45pm

24-year-old guitarist and singer Mei Semones will bring her technical talent and playful songwriting personality to Club Hancher in Strauss Hall of Hancher on Friday. Her songs blend indie rock, bossa nova, jazz, and dreamy pop, with lyrics in both English and Japanese. Despite their intricate layering, you’ll still find them easy to hum along to, and you may not be able to stop. Semones’ newest full album, “Animaru,” is dedicated to her trust in her own instincts, built through years of practice and demonstrated by ornate guitar riffs and refined, breathy vocals. Her upcoming EP “Kurage” — which features Liana Flores, John Roseboro, and her own dad — releases April 10th.

–Bailey Vergara

Saturday across Iowa City

Evicshen, 4:30pm at Gabe’s

Tapping into the weirder side of the Iowa City music community, Hancher brought in San Francisco based experimental noise artist Victoria Shen. Performing under the name Evicshen for the past eight years, her music uses powerful walls of sound and intense textures that assault your sonic palette. This often is used with extremely creative ways of bending or playing her records, such as comb filtering and folding records with her nails. 
Within her live shows, she combines this extremely well with creative art installations, and the use of weaponry and other eccentric performance antics to create a vibrant visual experience, and assault on the senses. Watching some of the recorded concerts was a beyond fascinating experience, and something I hope a lot of you guys can enjoy. 
Artists like her aren’t interested in growing a large audience, or mass producing their music. They’re interested in performing for a niche crowd who understand their artistic version, and are open to hearing music on the more experimental and macabre side of the isle. If this intrigues you, she’s playing at Gabe’s at 4:30PM, come with ear plugs.

–Tarik Krob

Sharp Pins, 6:00pm at Gabe’s

Sharp Pins, an exciting new voice in the music underground, is a one man band combining elements of classic rock with more modern indie and alternative stylizations. The side project of Kai Slater, lead singer of fellow Chicago band Lifeguard, has been picking up steam in the last few years with some incredibly unique and high quality albums.
His most recent album Balloon Balloon Balloon is a jangly hallucinatory odyssey connected by three different tracks simply labeled Balloon 1-3. Wearing his influences off his back with zero shame, the album takes the trippy, other worldly sounds of psychedelic bands of the 60s like The Beatles and The Zombies with a more stripped back DIY sound, similar to post punk bands like Joy Division and The Velvet Underground. Their previous release Radio DDR has a similar vibe, but with a more varied song lineup and more pop-centered approach to songwriting. If Balloon Balloon Balloon felt like listening to your grandparents old low fidelity radio, then Radio DDR feels like sifting through random singles in their vinyl collection. 
If any of this at all sounds interesting to you, check them out at 6PM at Gabe’s. Start listening before it’s cool to say you’re a fan.

–Tarik Krob

Danez Smith, 6:45pm at the Englert Theatre

On April 4th, queer, non-binary poet and performer Danez Smith will return to Iowa City to perform at The Englert Theatre for the Stop/Time festival. Smith previously led a workshop and hosted the Writers of Color Reading series in 2017, which was also produced by The Englert. Smith was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and later earned degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Michigan. They’re best known for their poetry collections Boy (2014), Don’t Call Us Dead (2017), and Bluff (2024). Their work has won multiple awards, such as the Forward Prize for Best Collection, the Minnesota Book Award in Poetry, and the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry, just to name a few. Smith has also performed with rapper Macklemore, back in 2016 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, along with Chicago-based poet Jamila Woods. 
For those interested in attending a poetry reading or specifically in Smith’s poetry, they will also being hosting a reading at Prairie Lights at 3:15 pm that same day. This reading is presented by Stop/Time Festival, but entry at Prairie Lights is free for all.

–Ria Das

The Branford Marsalis Quartet, 7:00pm at the Englert Theatre

The Branford Marsalis Quartet is a jazz band, closer described as a chamber group, headed by American saxophonist Branford Marsalis. Marsalis is a composer and the leader of the band. He has played with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Sting, the Grateful Dead, and Dizzy Gillespie. He has been playing the saxophone in bands and solo since the 1980s. The quartet officially formed in 1986 with members Kenny Kirkland on the piano, Jeff “Tain” Watts on drums, and Robert Hurst on bass. Pianist Kenny Kirkland died in the 90’s and was replaced by Joey Calderazzo and Robert Hurst was replaced by Eric Revis on bass. Later Tain left the band and was replaced by Justin Faulkner. On Saturday night they will be featuring their newly released album Belonging, which came out last March. Expect an experimental yet classic jazz sound from this quartet. As Marsalis notes, “it doesn’t really matter where our journey goes, as long as we keep the dance going.”

–Moira Grant

Golomb, 8:00pm at Gabe’s

Golomb is a alternative rock band from Columbus, Ohio and are made up of three members, two of which are married (members Mickey and Xenia Shuman). The third member is Xenia’s brother, Hawken Holm who plays drums while Xenia and Mickey sing and play bass and guitar. They have a dream-like/indie sound, leaning into noise and experimental rock. They write their own songs and were formed in 2018. Expect a lively show with folksy-sounding guitar riffs and country elements such as a pedal-steel guitar, especially in the song “Sweet Release (Ain’t No Devil)” but also a loud, lively, and heavy sound from the song “The Beat Goes On.” This band is experimental as well. The lead singer Mickey sounds just like Stephen Malkmus, the lead singer of Pavement. Xenia often does the background vocals and harmonizes excellently with Mickey. Perhaps being unified in marriage also transfers to being unified in sound and music? Find out this Saturday.

–Moira Grant

Tortoise, 9:15pm at The Englert Theatre

The post-rock Chicago legends Tortoise join us in Iowa City to close out The Englert Theatre’s share of events this weekend. This is one of those bands that people on the internet debate about at such a mighty length that this discourse can only be achieved through the means of doctorate dissertations or through Reddit. But at their core, they’re a rock band built from atmosphere. Influenced by electronica, krautrock, and jazz, their music is this kind of eclectic and wondrous mish-mash. It feels a stretch to call it “rock,” the sound is so minimal yet so captivating in how it pulls a listener directly into this world they’re creating. They’re current tour follows the release of Torch, their newest album from last year released after nearly a decade record hiatus, yet still ringing out the same quality as their 1998 landmark TNT album. I’d truly recommend seeing this band, they’ve played such a major part of the post-rock foundation and seeing them at this festival really encapsulates the exact artistry that Stop/Time Festival is creating space for.

–Pauly

Frankie and the Witch Fingers, 10:30pm at Gabe’s

Punk-rock band Frankie and The Witch Fingers performs at Gabe’s for Stop/Time Festival and as part of their tour for their newest album, Trash Classic. The band was originally formed in Indiana by founding member Dylan Sizemore, the band’s vocalist and rhythm guitarist, and later relocated to Los Angeles. Currently, the band consists of Josh Menashe (vocalist, lead guitarist, and synthesizer), Nikki Pickle (bassist), Nick Aguilar (drummer), and Jon Modaff (synths). Frankie and the Witch Fingers evolved from Sizemore’s original solo act into a band, signing to record labels such as Permanent Records, and released their self-titled first album in 2015 with their psych-pop/acid-rock second album Heavy Roller out a year later. The band has since released more albums, with their most recent Trash Classic in 2025, described as plunging, “into a sewer-slick fusion of proto-punk venom, fractured new wave, and industrial grime. Brimming with wiry synths, angular melodies, and grooves that squirm and bite.” If any of that sounds interesting to you, consider attending their show for the chance to rock out with them live!

–Ria Das

There’s plenty more to see at Iowa City’s first Stop/Time Festival this weekend, with a huge spread of incredible local and touring artists, authors, and poets presented by Hancher Auditorium. For more information on further events and to purchase tickets, check the Stop/Time website here.

The post Stop/Time Festival 2026 Preview, a new festival celebrating music and the arts across Iowa City appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Even with hearing a bunch of amazing songs I had never heard they showed a master class in crowd work. They kept a high energy and talked to the crowd, guiding them through songs with different gestures. You can also tell they are just having fun, with great chemistry within the band and walking out into the crowd just to be with their fans. At one point they asked if anyone in the crowd had seen them before, and only three people raised their hands, but still everyone was singing along and new all the lyrics.

I had a great time at their show. I think that the intimate setting of Gabe’s helped capture an outstanding sound and environment for this show. If you have a chance to see Laundry Day live.

I would definitely recommend seeing them in person. It provides a different sound than their recorded songs, and their presence is commanding, drawing everyone into the show. Their songs can go from upbeat fun songs that have everyone jumping around making the floor shake to heartfelt songs that leave the crowd in tears. Overall they put on an amazing performance.

The post It’s Laundry Day at Gabe’s. Concert Review. 2/13/2026. appeared first on KRUI Radio.

ICE CREAM Zine Fair (11:00 AM PS1 Close House)

What draws students, writers, artists, and freaks to Iowa City is the longstanding traditions that foster our love of the arts, and our appreciation for making. It’s events like ICE CREAM (the Iowa City Expo for Comics and Real Eclectic Alternative Media) that are one of many facets of local and grassroots cultural celebration. As part of Mission Creek, ICE CREAM is returning once again for the 8th year in a row. 

ICE CREAM aims to supply the community with an outlet to directly support underground and independent artists and micro-pressers. This year, it’s also getting support from local tourist board Think Iowa City and local comic shop Daydreams Comics. 

Though as its acronym implies, ICE CREAM is not only about comics. It’s anything eclectic and alternative. Now, what does that look like? For 2025, ICE CREAM will boast 40 independent artists, offering zines, comics, handmade books, buttons, stickers, prints of their art, and general tchotchkes. It’s all about more wacky stuff, off the beaten path. 

Some out of town artists who will set up booths in the Cloud House include: the Chicago based two-person-team COMA THEORY, providing poetry, transformative work, and more, all fueled by “100% self-indulgence”; and Ann Drew, an illustrator based out of Kansas City, who blends the aesthetics of the mid-century pulp magazines with queer characters and storytelling.  

As for more local artists to expect, the Tree of Liminality and the Art House Collective will offer things such as handmade sketchbooks and typewritten poetry, all made in Newbo City Market in Cedar Rapids. Fatface Press, operated by Poojana Prasanna, an MFA student at Iowa studying Book Arts, will also set up a booth and offer works that blur the line between DIY creations and fine press printing. 

Besides ICE CREAM, zine enjoyers and art freaks will also get down with a few other local operations of different mediums. Snacky Mini Mart will drive their food truck right beside the Close House, offering pan-Asian cuisine and Chinese street food. At the Cloud House next door, the Iowa City Video Zine will put up an open house and installation of local artists’ material.  

In collaboration with Mission Creek fest, Ice Cream’s 8th year event will take place at the Public Space One Close House located on 538 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City. It will run from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with free admission. 

-Harry Ginsberg, Editorial Staff

Small Press and Literary Magazine Book Fair (12:00 PM Spare Me Bowling Alley)

Mission Creek, known for its musical talents and celebration of the arts, is returning with its literary focused events for this year! One of the highlights is the annual Small Press & Literary Magazine Book Fair. This fair is known for bringing presses of varying sizes, ranging from local University of Iowa undergraduate literary magazines, like Ink Lit Mag, Catharsis Literary Magazine, New Moon Magazine, and Earthwords, to bestseller translated novels. There is something in this fair for everyone.  

Spare Me Bowling Alley is completely transformed, where both floors have stands of different literary magazines and publications. At each stand, books are displayed and available for purchase. Representatives are there to answer any of your questions, explain the mission statements and goals of the press, or just to chat. Attendees are welcome to mill around at their own pace and to spend as much time as they would like. This is a great networking experience for fellow writers and readers, or a great opportunity to expand your reading palette and get exposed to some new work you may not have discovered otherwise. 

-Noa Zapin, Music Staff

Samuel Locke Ward (2:45 PM Trumpet Blossom Cafe)

Samuel Locke Ward wears his love for creating on his sleeve. When he’s not driving a school bus here in town and tending to his wife and two kids, Locke Ward is something of a DIY Darling around these parts. His parents, high-school band teachers, were happy to supply the teenage Locke Ward with keyboards, guitars, horns, and the like to tinker with at home or at school. Back in the 90s, the do-it-yourself ethos of acts like Nirvana were what inspired him to create music in the first place. As he would collect CDs from bands like The Dead Milkmen, he’d eventually learn to jerry rig a children’s cassette tape into a homespun multitrack recorder. 

Hailing from his family’s Ottumwa farm, Locke Ward moved to Iowa City in 2001. Some 24 years later, his Bandcamp profile has become chalk-full of more than 60 records ranging between indie-punk, avant-pop, and garage rock galore. His discography spans both lo-fi and self-produced solo works, and efforts featuring the likes of Half Japanese’s Jad Fair, Joe Jack Talcum of The Dead Milkmen and Mike Watt of Minutemen who he collaborates with under the pseudonym SLW cc Watt. While holding strong to his independent roots, he’s put out albums under the labels Kill Rock Stars, Already Dead, and Unread Records.  

If you try to label his work, you’ll quickly find that it’s hard to cast as wide of a net as possible. Locke Ward’s music is at times experimental, ludicrous, and inherently random. At times, it’s delightfully odd and humorous. At times heartfelt, with passionate tributes to the local scene he loves. At times, he simply makes painfully catchy pop-rock. But no matter what rod you cast from the vast lake that is Samuel Locke Ward’s discography, there’s an infectious love of making that oozes from his creations. 

Besides music, he’s a zine maker whose comic strip Futile Wrath is a regular edition of Little Village’s print magazines. In all his output, each part of the process is uniquely him — from his songwriting, vocals, underground comic storytelling, down to his self-supplied album art and his at-home recording studio. What comes to mind is a sort of technological Frankenstein’s monster, an outdated PC tower full to the brim with sketches of songs-to-be and songs-that-were. All the while, this geriatric Dell computer powers a songwriter’s gear heaven. But as you listen to his music, you’d really want nothing more, wouldn’t you? 

-Harry Ginsberg, Editorial Staff

Slacker (3:45 PM Trumpet Blossom Cafe)

Iowa City’s raucous garage-grunge duo, Slacker, is making waves with their raw energy, electrifying programmed drumbeats, gritty guitar riffs, and gravelly, radio-mic vocals. A fresh force in the Iowa City music scene, they’ve quickly gained attention for their off-kilter sound, magnetic stage presence, and explosive sound. With their self-titled EP celebrating its one-year anniversary shortly before their performance at Mission Creek, this is a set you won’t want to miss. Prepare for a high-voltage performance that promises to leave you buzzing long after the last note. 

-Amanda Moy, Editorial Staff

Sun Centauri (7:00 PM Riverside Theater)

I love Sun Centauri. There, I said it. I mean, what city doesn’t want their own super-duo? Alyx Rush’s exquisite vocals meld perfectly with Jim Swim’s layered production, creating an effortlessly dreamy sun-kissed sound. It’s a brilliantly generative collaboration, and one that keeps gaining creative momentum. I’ve been lucky enough to catch them live across the state, most memorably at Lost Woods Festival in Cedar Falls last September where their futuristic R&B lit up the forest. I recently saw them at The Englert in Iowa City during the city’s Free Week programming, and I was delighted to hear some new material that I’m sure will get another showing at Mission Creek. 

So far, Sun Centauri have released two EPs, 2022’s Fruit to the Knife and 2023’s After the Last Time, alongside a superbly breezy 2024 single, “Two Shots”. For a relatively small body of work, their music is packed with bangers. These include “Fighter Jet” and the infectiously catchy “Right on Time”. In 2023, the duo released an inspired remix of “Gimme Life” from their first EP, which became a stand-out song in their growing repertoire. If you’re in the mood for innovative pop or R&B at Mission Creek, as you should be, look no further than Sun Centauri. On a personal note, seeing Sun Centauri also means I can check out the Riverside Theater as a venue for the first time, which I’m very excited to do. I hope to see you there, bopping at the front of the theatre alongside me on Saturday night. 

-Glenn Houlihan, Editorial Staff

Supersonic Piss (7:30 PM Gabe’s)

Iowa City’s hardcore scene may be the strongest now as it has ever been, but its foundation didn’t come out of nowhere. People have been building the scene for decades. Supersonic Piss is one of those older generational Iowa City bands, being primarily active in the mid 2000s. The members of the band are reuniting together for their Mission Creek performance at Gabe’s. Their inclusion on the festival bill is an interesting homage to Iowa City’s old Mission Freak performances that used to happen around the same time as Mission Creek. That pseudo-festival was put on by local punk bands who felt there wasn’t as much local representation of their scene at the festival proper.

The brand of punk performed by Supersonic Piss is extremely abrasive. Rhythms, riffs, and screeches feel like they just barely make it through the disintegrated threshold of the high gain hiss that persists throughout their songs. The instrumentation style is extremely sludgy and feels like it melts as the songs trudge through, before bursting to life again. It feels like the band is morphing time into their own image. We’ll see how it flows in punk time or festival time, whichever they choose.

-John Glab, Editor-In-Chief

William Elliott Whitmore (8:00 PM Englert Theater)

Iowa’s own William Elliot Whitmore will be gracing the stage of The Englert Theater on Saturday. Whitmore is no stranger to The Englert, with this upcoming Mission Creek set tallying his third time performing at the Iowa City staple venue. His one-man band performance puts you at ease with a welcoming baritone voice, warm Martin acoustic guitar, the occasional banjo, and kick drum rounding out the rest of Whitmore’s unique and charming sound. 

William has been making music since 1999, starting out in the Iowa City punk scene but later leaving the distortion for the folk genre, becoming a songbird for personal tragedy as well as the ever-scarier landscape when you leave the farm. The past 26 years have been filled with lyrics hitting the heart, focusing on the passing of his parents and grandparents. Whitmore used his music to work through the struggle of loss and come out the other side with a more optimistic and hopeful tone, which is reflected in his most recent LP from last year, Silently, The Mind Breaks. This encouraging and buoyant outlook is exactly what you need to listen to as the weather gets warmer and the flowers start to bloom.  

-Logan Melia, Music Staff

Dawn Richard + Spencer Zahn (8:15 PM Riverside Theater)

The collaboration between multimedia artist Dawn Richard and instrumentalist Spencer Zahn is an extraordinary partnership blurring the divides of narrative, sound, and music. Originating from New Orleans, Dawn Richard has traversed the scenes of pop music as a founding member of both Dainty Kane and Diddy’s Dirty Money. She has continued her solo career to self-release six studio albums dancing around and between R&B, jazz, and electronic, pushing boundaries of music and culture at every step. Massachusetts native and multi-instrumentalist Spencer Zahn is a classically trained bassist, who has cultivated a collaborative ethos exploring jazz in ambience to inspire dimensional soundscapes. Together, their partnership does not merely subvert genre, rather they work to create art beyond the idea of conventions. As Richard describes herself, “I am the genre.” 

Their album from last year, Quiet in a World Full of Noise, blends storytelling into a neoclassical ambience, with quiet features from the Budapest Film Orchestra. Richard’s velvet voice echoes poetic narratives between the wefts of Zahn’s orchestral atmosphere, together weaving an arrangement to enrapture listeners into their world. Futurisms intertwine with sound, as intimate lyricism and sparse composition remind us to reflect in the stillness, a reality shaped by restrained silence where quiet can rule. Altogether entrancing, atmospheric, and orchestral, it will be fascinating to experience how Richard and Zahn bring their genre-transcending orchestration together at Riverside Theater this Saturday. 

-Pauly, Music Staff

The Tanks (9:00 PM Gabe’s)

Not your dad’s typical punk band, The Tanks from Dubuque, Iowa and the Midwestern underground scene popularity are taking part in the Mission Creek Festival this year. Since 2004, The Tanks have been putting out heavy tracks with strong political messaging and head-banging good tunes. While their members have come and gone, their sound and image have remained consistent through 11 years of activity. Over those years, they have put out a total of three EPs and four albums, two of which are available on Spotify, and all of which are available on their blog page. Expect plenty of explosive songs, danceable beats, and interesting spoken word vocals during their set at Gabe’s on Saturday. 

-Lee Nienhaus, Editorial Staff

Raekwon (9:45 PM Englert Theater)

Raewkon, one of the most influential artists to ever come out of East Coast hip hop, will be headlining Saturday’s shows with an appearance at The Englert Theater. The Chef is on tour in advance of his upcoming album The Emperor’s New Clothes, which will release later this year. For his show, he will be performing tracks from his iconic ‘90s debut concept album Only Built for Cuban Linx…. Since his string of legendary albums with the Wu Tang Clan, and collaborations with rappers like Mobb Deep, MF Doom, and Rick Ross, he’s remained active in the underground, along with collaborating with numerous artists involved in the Boom Bap revival, including Schoolboy Q, Freddie Gibbs, and Westside Gunn’s collective Griselda. His lyrical narrative and gritty worldbuilding represent the pinnacle of golden age hip hop, and continues to resonate with OGs and new generations alike. 

-Amman Hassan, News Director

Cabeza De Chivo (11:00 PM Gabe’s)

An incessant rhythm drives Cabeza De Chivo, pulling influences from around their city into a surfy psychotropical groove. Hailing from Chicago, Cabeza De Chivo thrives in the culture of their local scene, creating music that reflects the colors of the city. In an interview with South Side Weekly, Los Chivos described their songs as bridging cultures to bring people together into a place of belonging into their shared place of music. Drummer Alex Aguayo notes, “At the end of the day, I hope you find that safe place. I hope you find that place where you feel yourself.” 

Largely instrumental, their psychedelia constantly changes shape between languid and dark, to fuzzy and driving. It never stalls or stales. Full of tempo changes and instrumentals cutting in between each other, they perform with a refreshing vigor. The classic instrumentation of guitars, bass, keys, and drums are disfigured by electronic effects to get that fuzzy ‘60s psychotropical vibe. Their sound pulls inspiration from across Chicago, as cumbia and Jamaican rhythms intermix into something brightly colored and inspired. This band’s grooves are absolutely crazy. Catch their infectious psychedelia at Gabe’s as they close out Mission Creek 2025. The last set of the festival always goes hard. 

-Pauly, Music Staff

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Thursday:

Rachel Kushner (6:00 PM) & Kim Gordon (8:45 PM)

Kim Gordon will be coming to Mission Creek Festival on Thursday April 3rd, with two events. Her first performance will be at 6:00 PM at Hancher Auditorium. She will be coming to conduct an interview with Rachel Kushner, who is an author of many different novels and essay collections.  

Kushner is on a reading tour for her newest book Creation Lake. It’s a fiction work focused on a secret agent who is sent on a mission in London. The book was also long listed for the 2024 Booker prize. She is considered to be one of the biggest rising writers at this time. Rachel Kushner’s books are written with thrilling narratives and heart racing action that keeps readers enthralled. The use of heavy characterization is also employed throughout many of her stories. She has been praised for her use of the characters telling their own stories and how it differs from the traditional style of having them live through current moments. 

Kim Gordon’s second event of the night is performing with her band live at the Hancher at 8:45 PM. This was a last-minute change-up after previous headliners Julien Baker & Torres had to drop from the festival. Gordon is a music icon from her work with Sonic Youth that put her on the map, to her solo work that has continued to amaze, and her work as a music critic. Her solo work often has a very experimental sound to it that intrigues and amazes listeners. She released her second studio album The Collector in March of last year to wide critical acclaim. The album blends hip-hop, trap, dub, and many other genres. An all-time generational talent comes this year for Mission Creek. 

-Will Clair, News Staff

Friday:

Nat Baldwin (7:30 PM Riverside Theater)

Nat Baldwin is a New Hampshire born musician, improviser, and founder of the experimental music label Tripticks Tapes. He has led a storied and successful music career for over 21 years. A disciple of avant-garde jazz legend Anthony Braxton, Baldwin has trained amidst the best in his field to distinguish himself as a modern virtuoso of the electric and double bass. He has put out numerous solo records heavily featuring his performance on said instruments, along with a rousing demonstration of his compositional skills.  

Besides his rich solo career, Baldwin was additionally a longstanding band member of the indie darlings Dirty Projectors, wherein besides playing bass, he also served as a songwriter. Despite being a veteran in the industry, Baldwin hasn’t strayed from his avant-garde roots. In recent years he has released several free improvisational projects, the most recent of which being 01.30.22, a collaboration with fellow artist Stella Silbert, released in (as the title suggests) 2022. Baldwin’s performance is undoubtedly one you don’t want to miss. 

-Evan Raefield, Training Director

Mabe Fratti (8:00 PM Englert Theater)

Combining improvisational jazz and avant-garde experimental music with tinges of rock, Mexico City based artist Mabe Fratti is not to be missed on your Mission Creek Festival schedule for Friday night. About a year ago, KRUI received a promo for Sentir que no sabes, Fratti’s most recent project, and I was instantaneously captivated with its bold presentation. Superficially, that captivation was attracted to the vast sound landscapes that put synthesizers forward alongside the beautifully played cello, which in turn is elevated by Fratti’s vocal performance. 

Now delving deeper, I see the bold presentation of these farfetched elements captivating due to their perceived dissonance and how well it matches the album’s lyrical themes of uncertainty. Now if you don’t understand Spanish, sonically alone, Mabe Fratti is sure to leave you in awe by the end of her performance.

-Andrés Mora Mata, Music Director

Diles Que No Me Maten (8:30 PM Riverside Theater)

Diles Que No Me Maten is a quintet formed in 2017 from the Mexico City scene and will be gracing the stage at Riverside Theater for Mission Creek. Despite currently producing dreamlike jazz influenced psychedelia on albums like Obrigaggi, the band has roots in metal prior to 2020. Raúl and Gerardo Ponce, Jéronímo Garcia, Andrés Lupone, and Jonás Derbéz work together, on the spot, to generate atmospheric yet conscience music, bringing in elements of the Aztec language into their music to acknowledge their native connection to their Central American roots. The band are masters of their craft, bringing in diverse instruments and manipulating tension beautifully, drifting from reflective slowcore ballads to energetic anthems.

The members of Diles Que No Me Maten describe their local scene as spiritual, involved, and hyper-inclusive of varying genres. Their sounds pull from 1970s krautrock, along with post rock’s textures and poetic lyricism. They fuse it with their own droning, repetitive beats that have been compared to Oaxacan funeral marching music. Because of their improvising nature, a live show could be unpredictable, likely depending on the crowd’s energy. When it is time to get the audience moving, Jonás Derbéz shakes the crowd with spoken word on top of danceable alt-rock grooves. Their eclectic instrumentation and intimate performances resemble some of the projects that came out of the Louisville punk scene in the ‘90s and the current Windmill Scene in London.

-Julia Wilson, News Staff

Angry Blackmen (9:00 PM Gabe’s)

Formed in early 2017, Chicago based experimental hip hop duo Angry Blackmen consists of rappers Quentin Branch and Brian Warren. Their 2020 HEADSHOTS! EP opened with an audiobook style narration on the track “DREAM!” that introduced the prominent themes of their music: “Once upon a time, in a post-apocalyptic, racially divided white America, there lived two angry black men. The two embark on a savage journey to the heart of the American dream.” As Branch raps on the following track “PROPAGANDA!” this is, “Not that cotton candy rap. This that Dark Night, Batman vigilante rap.” Across the EP, the beats spit and sputter while the fiercely insightful words relentlessly flow. 

A similarly tense atmosphere is curated on The Legend of ABM, the duo’s full length 2024 release. It’s an intense, raw, and powerful listen, grabbing the listener’s attention with the explosive opener “Stanley Kubrick” and not letting go across the album’s brisk 30-minute runtime. Producer Formants absolutely nails the instrumentals, crafting a series of tight, thorny beats that refuse to let the audience settle. Clocking in at just over four minutes, the closer “Magnum Opus” is the album’s longest, and most introspective, song. Featuring the ethereal vocals of Abbie from Mars, it’s the perfect way to end the demanding project. With heavy beats and sharp lyrics, Angry Blackmen make Gabe’s the place to be on Friday night. 

-Glenn Houlihan, Editorial Staff

Mannequin Pussy (9:30 PM Englert Theater)

Hailing from the ever-innovative music scenes in Philadelphia, Mannequin Pussy is an indie pop-punk band that is just as melodic as they are hardcore. Their Mission Creek performance on Friday comes over a year since their last project, I Got Heaven released. Having cut their teeth on the underground scene for nearly a decade, last year’s record pushed them to a new stratosphere with popular online music blogs. It’s the band’s best album yet and is a deep well of emotional depth that manages to compellingly describe the human condition with a tinge of euphoric luster.  

Similarly, their performances complement their incredible discography and match the intense cathartic energy of their music. This show is a must see for those who enjoy performance art and creativity of any form in music. Mannequin Pussy represents the best of what alternative music has to offer in both sound and style. 

-Maurice Crawford, Editorial Staff

The post Mission Creek 2025 Preview: Thursday & Friday appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Matthew Prince – Gunk Lung

Matthew Prince of Iowa City band Gunk Lung started the show with a rare acoustic set, showcasing his vocal and guitar skills in a departure from Gunk Lung’s typical emo-punk vibe. I enjoyed this fresh take on Gunk Lung’s music, which gave Prince’s vocals a chance to really shine. This set highlighted Prince’s versatility as an artist, demonstrating that beyond his typical rock vocals, he can also excel as a solo performer in a more stripped down set. Though he often asked the audience to bear with him, as the acoustic set isn’t his usual territory, Prince’s raw performance excluded a beauty that should give him confidence. The lyrics to Gunk Lung’s music are chillingly poignant and refreshingly real, which this acoustic set amplified in a way that sent shivers down my spine. Melancholically, Prince sang “I told my girlfriend I’d write a song. She asked if it would be another depressing one, another depressing one.”

Zaq Baker

Minneapolis-based artist Zaq Baker made a grate appearance as he was wrapping up his book tour for his debut novel Unspectacular — currently on order at Prairie Lights if you want to add something sweet to your bookshelf. 
The self-declared “only pop punk pianist at this show” seems like the perfect blend of Drew Monson, Paint, and Death Cab for Cutie and his music ranges from sad to bittersweet, resonating with anyone who’s ever faced heartache, or is just having a crappy day. He performed his song Dairy Queen, which was a treat, especially considering that it has been banned off of all streaming platforms. I was soy into all of the dairy puns he milked and brie-formed in the song. This artist truly brought gouda vibes to the show leaving us all grate-ful he stopped by.

I Will

Iowa City duo I Will lit up the stage with a blend of hard rock and heavy punk sound, delivering songs with timely themes of race and alienation. I appreciate the deep roots this band has in the Iowa City music scene — a member of Slacker is the son of I Will’s original drummer. With soulful vocals paired with creative effects like reverb, their sound is powerful and visceral, landing like a punch to the gut.

Slacker

While I may be biased — Slacker is one of my favorite local bands — it’s hard to deny that their electrifying performance absolutely rocked the house. Their set featured a never before performed song, Who The Fuck Took My Nose? as well as classics such as Molasses Eatin’ Mailman —another cheese-themed song for the evening. Slacker brings a unique vibe to the Iowa City music scene with their commanding presence and sound. Their distorted vocals filtered through a radio mic adds a raw, haunting quality to their sound that is not soon forgotten. Their distinctive songwriting combined with abrasive guitar riffs creates a sound that is unapologetically bold and untamed, just like the band themselves. 

If you want to see Slacker live, they will be performing as a part of Mission Creek on April 5.

Charlie Otto + his gear

Charlie Otto, based in Chicago, made a bold statement with his radical electric pop sound and stunning live visuals. A truly innovative musician, I can confidently say I have never witnessed a set like his before, and I was completely captivated by it. Not only is Charlie an incredibly talented vocalist and lyricist, but his ability to craft intricate songs and then integrate them with mesmerizing visuals is something unmatched in today’s music scene. One song of his featured a live cam that altered the visuals depending on the buttons he pressed on his keyboard. Another set cleverly allowed Charlie to puppeteer Israeli political leaders on screen. I cannot forget the kazoo he brought out that made rubber duck sounds —  truly a refreshing touch we need more of in modern music. I can only hope that Charlie stops by Iowa City again in the near future.

POLYACHi

Cedar Rapids-based band POLYACHi masterminded this pre-St. Patricks Day show, which also served as an E.P. release for GOD iS BAD! They performed a few songs off of this new E.P., as well as their E.P. THE BLVEBiRD OF NOTHiNGNESS. I have nothing but gratitude to them for curating this marvelous lineup, showcasing a range of contrasting but immensely talented artists. POLYACHi’s industrial hard rock sound is marked by their gripping vocal talent, rough guitar riffs, and explosive drumming. Their unpolished, growling vocals and abrasive lyrics felt like they were directly piercing my soul. My only critique is that their recorded music doesn’t quite hit as hard and capture their raw power in the way their live performance does — this is a band you must catch live.

Anchoress

Des Moines trio Anchoress made a powerful Gabe’s debut with their riveting post-hardcore rock and screamo sound. A bold new voice in the Iowa City music scene, this band brings a gritty, intense, and unapologetically daring sound that leaves a lasting impression. I’m excited to see how their sound evolves in the future and I can’t wait for a full album — their five released songs aren’t enough to satisfy the craving they ignited. 

Fishbait

An Iowa City staple, Fishbait never fails to impress. Self-described as “nautical prog,” Fishbait incorporates a wide range of musical influences into their work, creating intricately crafted yet lyrically playful songs. Their stage presence is immersive, and the striking contrast between their fun Halloween costumes and their intense vocals cements them as one of Iowa City’s finest acts. The only thing to watch out for is the mosh pit that inevitably erupts at every show! 

The post From Piano to Punk: St. Patrick’s Day rocks at Gabe’s appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Fellow Chicago band Blind Equation played right before Your Arms Are My Cocoon. The two bands toured Asia last year together and often feel like they meld well, going hand in hand. Playing their cybergrind tracks, some old some new, they coated the audience in digital bliss. It was as if it was ripped from the screen of an old 2009 MySpace profile page. It provided a perfect preemptive feeling for the set after, awaiting death.

the rabbit is born, innocent and sweet.

Distorted speech spoken through a Software Automatic Mouth echoed out into a loosely packed Gabe’s, introducing the birth of the rabbit. Clad in wedding gowns and emo haircuts, gentle guitar riffs opened around thrashing screams and saxophone. Following the glowing arc of energy, a fevered buzz passed around between band and audience members with the set composed of vibers, jumpers, and crowdkillers alike. I got bonked in the head, which is the hardest knock to the noggin I’ve taken since, poetically, the last time Your Arms Are My Cocoon was at Gabe’s. Bright poppy synth tracks blared in between songs, a transition both musically fractured and bizarrely energetic. Golden spotlight reflected around the saxophone, shining over the bell and glittering off brass keys. Circling the roar of drums and screams, it threw out riffs after runs into arpeggios, a point of brightness guided within noise.

i am sorry.
this rabbit is mine.
our love is mine.
this city is on fire and there is nothing i can do.

The saxophone bound the band together for the duration of the set, a warm accompaniment weaving something sentimental within and around the frenetic energy, before softening into a muted lull. A forlorn duet between sweet bells and a gentle guitar cut through somber air, building once more into hyper thrashing. Energy ebbed and flowed from miserable outcry and a gentle sweet melancholy, traversing through the quiet despair as music confronted pain and past with scattered cries. The sweetness is born from sadness.

Sweet nostalgia gives us a reason to reminisce through sepia days lit in summer sun and Nintendo consoles. Beneath the gilded layers of that fuzzy warmth lives a deep yearning, a bitter regret for the youth passed by. Your Arms Are My Cocoon, built from a teenage bedroom, reaches past false comforts of bygone warmth. They weave their yearning by collapsing into the underlying despair haunting that bedroom, each song blaring a torrent of past agony into the Gabe’s upstairs.

Bleeding in that halcyon feeling, I was reminded how miserable the youth I yearn for was, how days tumbled over each other into pathetic years of anxiety and frustration. That sadness metamorphosed, it evaporated off my stained sweater while dripping down into my socks. Around the music intertwining present and past, the acidic nostalgia smoothed the bitter edges to sweetness. Your Arms Are My Cocoon embraces the scarred stain, a memory of how sadness is born, is changed, but never dies.

the rabbit is dead. the person i once loved is gone. if only i had the guts to stay.

Here this rabbit is dead. Here this music is gone.

Again we brave the bitter chill, to hop along beside ourselves back to our burrows.

The post Your Arms Are My Cocoon: birth/rabbit/death in Iowa City appeared first on KRUI Radio.

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

The post Iowa City Free Week 2025 Preview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

There was a tripleheader line-up in store for us, opening with Lou Sherry, a beautiful hodgepodge assortment of dad rockers that sent the small, albeit very eager, crowd drifting by on waves of proggy, jammy magic. The four piece is local to Iowa City, and seems to be a staple amongst the live music enjoyers of the community. The band started off with some slow grooves but by the end of their set had the whole house rocking. I’ll be honest, I had no idea what to expect of the group prior to the show, but the lead singer Denny Richards’ hauntingly droning vocals and the band’s sporadic soloing had entirely charmed me by the end of the set. Needless to say, Lou Sherry has earned a fan base in my friends and I. 

At this point in the evening the crowd had really begun to fill out, and the excitement for the next two acts awaiting us started feeling even more palpable. With Friko, a Chicago indie rock group with a vast array of sonic influences, next on the bill, I knew the energy would be high enough to carry us through to the final act.

Fellow KRUI staff writer Amman Hassan recounts the performance:

“Friko brought an amazingly noisy and striking performance, just in time to close the spring semester. A night of emotional contrast and celebratory nostalgia, the show had a certain shared passion and communal energy amidst the crowd that reminds you of Iowa’s Hate Week, or when ABBA comes on at senior prom. Friko, in how they dress, act, and sound, present themselves in an incredibly humble manner. That was the impression I got from listening to their latest record Where we’ve been, Where we go from here, and that first impression proved true at Gabe’s. 

The performance felt stripped of the advertising and theatrics that make an artist feel untouchable or larger than life. Instead of being smothered in stage presence, Niko Kapetan’s raw and sincere vocals made it feel like there was no stage at all. It was as if we’d been lifted up to better stare into the soul of the music, being flooded by its presence. We in the audience were all too eager to accept the invitation.

Celebratory thrashing and intimate ballads were met with applause. It felt like we were in a recording of the legendary MTV Unplugged. A performance, so authentic and iconic, it gets reissued live and the venue becomes the place you tell friends *that band* played at. Already a contender for my artist of the year, I’m sure I’m not alone in stating that Niko, David, and Bailey have cemented their place in my musical memory, providing Iowa City with one of the most exciting acts in the indie scene and a great conclusion of many students’ semester at Iowa.”

-Amman Hassan

The night was making itself out to be a long one, but as soon as I heard the opening notes of Water From Your Eyes’ set, the instantly recognizable bassline of “Buy My Product”, I couldn’t help but dance along. Water From Your Eyes is an alternative pop duo made up by vocalist, Rachel Brown, and multi-instrumentalist, Nate Amos. The pair have been putting out music since 2016, and are currently touring their most recent project, Everyone’s Crushed, a punky and experimental take on electronic pop. I’ve been a listener for a little while now, and I was very eager to see how their sound would translate live. 

The atmosphere of WFYE stood in stark contrast to that of the previous shows, at least at first. It felt like an immediate attack on the senses: the lights were brighter, the music was louder, and the room was hotter. The duo was joined by some accompanying musicians, Al Nardo on bass, and Bailey Wollowitz on drums, who both brought depth to the group’s live sound. Wollowitz in particular held my attention captive as drummers frequently do, but the ability to play breakbeats live is something I’ve always deeply admired. 

Throughout the course of WFYE’s set, I alternated from enjoying the communal energy of the crowd, engaging with the music, and retreating to my own mind as the group’s more melodic tracks carried me away. Throughout the duration of “”Quotations””, I couldn’t begin to tell you what was going on around me and in the moment because I couldn’t have cared less. I’m fairly certain I had begun to hum to myself as I was lost in the constantly forever now. During songs like “Barley”, “Out There”, and “True Life”, when my awareness had found me once again, I could feel the electricity pulsing in the crowd. People were dancing, some were even attempting a mosh pit, though I elected to remain planted, just letting the movement happen around me. 

The juxtaposition between the group’s more danceable and experimental cuts, and their softer, almost chamber pop adjacent tunes made for an extremely unique listening experience. The band let their personalities speak for themselves while on stage, as there was always some level of motion occurring, and almost every song was punctuated by a brief but genuine “thank you” from Brown. As the set came to a close and we made our way out of the venue, I felt like I was returning after having been transported a bit. My senses were coming back to me.

The evening concluded with a lovely little chat with the members of Friko over by the merch table, and a walk home with friends recounting the various moments from the shows that we had loved. This was along with a mutual appreciation for drummers and bassists and singers, oh my.

The post Track Zero: Drifting, Floating, and Ascension with Water From Your Eyes appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Having been to multiple rap shows in various stadiums and arenas, this performance was the most memorable one I’ve seen so far. Most rap concerts play the song through giant speakers while the artist does ad-libs and lets the crowd perform the rest of the song. Armand Hammer’s performance heavily contrasts with those other shows because they actually rap their entire songs from beginning to end without the traditional hypeman. It’s something that shouldn’t be uncommon in today’s music scene. This creates a much more intimate atmosphere for fans to connect with their favorite songs and truly witness the artistry of hip hop. Additionally, the rap duo’s style of performing adds a new dimension to their songs, allowing the audience to hear them in a new, different context, and allowing them to discover unrealized themes in the lyrics. 

The energy of the crowd was unlike anything I had ever seen before, with each person locked in like a lion towards its’s prey. People were rapping along to the songs word for word while consciously rocking their heads back and forth. The energy of the crowd was like a wave, coming and going in seismic shifts. This was absorbed by the performers, with every verse vibrating through my chest and echoing through my mind for days to come.  

Armand Hammer’s setlist was incredibly structured, as it allowed both artists to shine as both individuals and as a duo. It summed up the entirety of their careers and gave a showcase of artistic evolution over time. For me, this concert was the best of the Mission Creek Festival by and far, and there is no amount of money that I wouldn’t pay to witness this show again. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to witness hip hop in its purest form, and create an incredible life memory that I will never forget. This was a masterclass in how hip hop should be performed.  

The post Mission Creek: Armand Hammer Perform In the Purest Form appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The next phase in the performance crept its way in as m picked up a microphone and started speaking into it. The speech was sorrowful as heavy reverb added to the existing droning, turning the previously panicked mood more somber. The words themselves were obscured by these recursive layers, yet some bled through before joining the haunting echoes. It felt like the heavy strata of the past had piled onto my back, threatening to crush my future before it could occur. m holds the mic close right up to her face with both hands as if she was using a flashlight to tell ghost stories. What I can make out is sluggishly spoken. “I never…” “I’m sorry…” “I love you…” “Darling…” These artifacts of love left behind contextualized the abstract performance. Eventually m put the mic down, leaving only the underlying drone and layers upon layers of reverb to drift away. 

The noise resumes its pre-vocal intensity. The soft, constant echo is replaced with the searing buzz of before. This time m is almost no longer in control of this noise, holding the knobs with both hands like she’s riding a bull, and turning them with exaggerated movement. This is one of my favorite aspects of the performance. Her movements directing the sound seem so precise and calm during the beginning but as the show ramps up, this control is gradually lost until she appears to be wrangling with this mess of machines and wires connected to her laptop.

Blinking lights on these pedals both ground the odd, spacey feeling into a rhythm, yet give the appliance a certain mystique, like a quaint security camera hiding in the corner. The droning sounds, the blinking lights, the expressive motions, none of this is superficial. It all is working towards the sound, the main course of the performance, but every part of it further mesmerized me.

The last leg of her performance included a very special feature: a voicemail from UIPD detective Ian Mallory. Without turning this show coverage piece into an exposé, Mallory has gained infamy in the past few months for arresting multiple trans protesters, including m. In sending the voicemails to all of those arrested months after the event and for certain statements he has made in court about the UIPD, Mallory has made himself a mascot of the injustices the UIPD has committed against trans people. This is deeply tied to recent state legislation targeting trans rights and the reality of being a trans person in Iowa City.

The decision to incorporate Mallory’s voicemail into her performance was bold and made a lasting impression on me as the sound wound down, before eventually stopping. m thanked the audience, leaving her reverb effect on by accident, before turning it off and trying again. A couple giggles emerged in the moment as the audience clapped in their own gratitude for giving us a performance unlike anything we had seen before.

The post Mission Creek: m denney Mesmerizes with Abstract Noise appeared first on KRUI Radio.