Horse Feathers started their set to a slightly buzzed crowd shortly after 10, right after a very surprised Counterfeit Madison wrapped up their encore to the sound of “One more song!” from the audience.

The Mill was a perfect venue for this folksy country group. Dana T, opened the night and got the crowd going with a full 8 member band (including the horn section). After that was an impressive performance by Counterfeit Madison, a slightly heavier rock band, followed by Horse Feathers closing out the evening. Normally, bands at the Mill all have a similar sound or are rooted in the same genre at least, but not in this case. The variety of styles from jazz to rock to folk showing up from band to band kept the night interesting, and the audience from finding another way to spend their Thursday.

As someone who wasn’t very familiar with Horse Feathers going in, it’s safe to say that I am definitely a fan after this concert. Their folksy rock sound hooked me from the beginning. They had the perfect blend of slow to uptempo songs throughout the night and even got some tipsy fans out on the dance floor. They went across genres a few times sounding more country at times, and sounding like an indie rock group at others.

The instruments and talent of the band members were impressive as. Lead singer and guitarist Justin Ringle had a smooth country sounding voice that paired well with his acoustic guitar. Other members were a violinist that gave the band a different sound at times- southern? Irish maybe? Either way, he clearly had talent that went well with the easy going drums and bass (who sometimes switched over to strings). Another aspect that stood out to me about Horse Feathers as a whole, was the fact that it was clear they were doing what they loved, and at times you could see them getting lost in their own music, singing and playing so effortlessly.

Horse Feathers has a new album coming out in May (check out their two newest singles “Don’t Mean to Pry” and “Without Applause” for a sneak peek at what’s to come). Even though their last album, “So It Is With Us”  has been out since 2014, the audience was captivated by favorites like “Belly of June” and “Thistled Spring”, a song from one of their even earlier albums.

I can’t think of a better way to spend a Thursday night than at this show. The relaxed setting and music put out a vibe that was perfect for unwinding after a long day, while still knowing you have to get up for work tomorrow. Ringle has a voice that you could kick back and listen to all day.

The post Mission Creek Festival: Horse Feathers @ The Mill 4/5/18 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Started initially in 2004 by singer/songwriter and bandleader Justin Ringle, the Portland, Oregon based band has changed several times throughout its existence.

After bouncing between several rock bands around his home state of Idaho, Ringle moved to Portland and fixated on the acoustic genre.

A year later, another musician named Peter Broderick heard some of Ringle’s demos and offered to help add some instrumentations to the songs and build them up. Horse Feathers was from then on a duo, and the two released their debut album, Words Are Dead, in September of 2006.

Bringing in more people, Broderick’s sister Heather Broderick joined the band the following year on cello and the band continues to feature new members as time goes by.

After releasing another album entitled House With No Home with the independent record label Kill Rock Stars, Peter and Heather Broderick left the band one shortly after another in 2008 to pursue other musical projects.

The band gained the new members of Nathan Crockett, Catherine Odell, and Sam Cooper as instrumentalists following Broderick’s departure. A few more transitions have occurred since then, and the band now sits at five members.

No matter the members of the band, their commitment to creating inventive acoustic music has stayed constant.

Horse Feather’s music features a wide array of instruments with an emphasis on strings. The band’s pieces typically contain guitar but aren’t limited to them, integrating folk instruments including banjo, mandolin, violin, and others that give their music a unique sound.

Intricate instrumental backdrops showcase the talent of the band members and set up a lovely contrast to Ringle’s calming vocals. While some certainly pick up speed and energy, the majority of their tracks focus on a quaint and emotional atmosphere which bring listeners to a pleasant reverie.

In an interview with Mission Creek Festival, Ringle discussed how Horse Feathers has evolved over the years and his experience with it. He says he considered leaving the music industry altogether after touring in 2012, but decided to focus on having fun with music.

After playing a show with the band and some of his closest friends, Ringle had a realization in conjunction with the feelings that resulted from the high energy performance.

“We liked it, and the unusual feeling that I had after that show – which I think is referred to as ‘joy’ – became something I wanted to experience again. I shared more. I stopped editing myself as much.

The joy of playing live became its own reward, and I dared myself to allow that joy to shape the songwriting. In the end, I was able to let it go, and I don’t own it anymore. Which also feels like joy. That’s the way it was, and so it is with us.”

After Iowa City, the band will continue on a tour around the U.S., details of which can be found on the Horse Feathers website. Check out Horse Feathers at The Mill on April 5th, and be sure keep up with the rest of Mission Creek Festival events.

The post Mission Creek Festival Promo: Horse Feathers appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Featuring: Built to Spill / Wye Oak / Jamila Woods (Reading + Performance) / Carrie Brownstein + Roxane Gay + Amber Tamblyn (In Conversation) / Julien Baker / Lidia Yuknavitch / Quinta Brunson and Friends / Margaret Glaspy / Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith / Algiers / Cakes Da Killa / Laurel Halo (Live + DJ Set) / Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib Xylouris White / Deb Olin Unferth / The Weepies/ Horse Lords / S. Carey / ONO / Alex Zhang Hungtai / Horse Feathers / Current Joys / Gordi /Kundiman / Lambda Literary / VIDA

IOWA CITY, IA – We are proud to announce that Mission Creek Festival will return to Iowa City April 3 – 8, 2018 for its 13th year, produced by The Englert Theatre. Join us for a week of performance, literature, and community-minded programming across downtown, stretching south to Big Grove Brewery & Taproom and north to Hancher. Full week passes for all six days of events will be available for $150, and — new this year — festivalgoers can purchase a weekend pass ($75 for access to events Friday through Sunday). Individual tickets to select shows will become available in January 2018. The lineup will be released and passes will go on sale simultaneously this Friday, December 8 at 12:30 p.m. CT.

The lineup reflects Mission Creek’s commitment to exploring and showcasing live performance, the literary arts, and radical community happenings.

Headlining this year’s festival are Carrie Brownstein + Roxane Gay + Amber Tamblyn (In Conversation) at The Englert Theatre. All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Girls Rock! Iowa City, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering creativity and self-esteem in young girls and trans-identified youth through musical instruction and expression. This event is co-presented by local literary speaking agency, The Tuesday Agency.

Mission Creek’s 2018 musical programming boasts a characteristically diverse range of artists and groups, weaving into the week many fast-rising and genre-defining artists across indie rock, singer-songwriters, electronic and experimental music, rap, and spoken word.

A feast for indie rock fans, this year’s music program will include Built to Spill, who have been at the forefront of the genre for more than twenty years; rising singer-songwriter Julien Baker, known for a confessional style landing her on multiple “best album” lists since her surprise debut album in 2015; and returning festival favorite Margaret Glaspy, who performed with Andrew Bird and Bridget Kearney at Mission Creek in 2017. Mission Creek will partner with University of Iowa student group SCOPE Productions to present soul singer-songwriter and poet Jamila Woods (performance and reading) and dream-pop duo Wye Oak.

In 2018, Mission Creek Festival will also feature avant-garde composer and master of the Buchla synthesizer Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, who paints “warm, absorbing and gorgeous” music ( Rolling Stone ); groundbreaking gay rapper Cakes Da Killa ; Atlanta post-punk/gospel/blues outfit Algiers ; World-music party band Xylouris White featuring Cretan lutist Giorgos Xylouris and Australian drummer Jim White (founder of chamber-rock band Dirty Three); and Bon Iver member S. Carey. The lineup will also have deep Iowa representation, including Iowa City-based, nationally-known indie pop outfit The Weepies, performing at Mission Creek for the first time; Extravision (Des Moines), Squirrel Flower (Grinnell), Sister Wife (Rock Island), Paul Cary, Purcha$e, Collidescope, Peanut Ricky & The Fiends, Elizabeth Moen, Jack Lion, Younger, and Hot Tang (all Iowa City). Comedian Quinta Brunson will perform with a roster of comics,comedian/satirist Bassem Youssef, who will perform, and Chef Dave Wieseneck (formerly Motley Cow Café) will return to prepare a special meal on the opening night of the festival (details forthcoming).

This year’s literary programming will be led by best-selling essayist Roxane Gay ( Bad Feminist, Difficult Women, Hunger); Carrie Brownstein, who chronicled her life in riot grrrl band Sleater-Kinney in the memoir Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl ; poet Amber Tamblyn. Friday and Saturday’s literary programming will now reside under Litscape , which includes the Lit Walk (formerly Lit Crawl), a book fair hosting independent writers and presses, ICE CREAM comics and zine fair, and readings and conversations. 2018’s Saturday keynote reading (sponsored by The Iowa Review) will present Lidia Yuknavitch, whose lyric memoir The Chronology of Water gained an online cult following; poet and singer-songwriter Jamila Woods, and poet/essayist/culture critic Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib ( They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us ,The Crown Ain’t Worth Much ). Additional readings from Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program graduates Sarah Viren, Lina Maria Ferreira Cabeza-Venegas, and Sandra Allen; and many more.

On Saturday, April 7, the festival will offer a series of free, daytime community events, including its Art + Life + Tech (ALT) speaker series, a book fair featuring literary magazines and small independent presses, the ICE CREAM comics and zine fair, a free rock show at Big Grove Brewery & Taproom, and other community happenings taking place downtown.

Festival Dates:
April 3 – 8, 2018

Pass & Ticket Information: 

Festival passes will be available for purchase beginning Friday, December 8 at 12:30 p.m. CST, online at missioncreekfestival.com or at the Englert Theatre Box Office. Individual tickets to select events will go on sale in January 2018.

Full Week Pass – $150
Our usual full week pass, granting access to all Mission Creek Festival ticketed performances (music, comedy). Entrance to ticketed events at The Englert Theatre and Hancher is guaranteed at all times. Entrance to other venues is subject to capacity. Special programs like culinary events are not included in the festival pass and require the purchase of additional tickets.

Weekend Pass – $75 (NEW THIS YEAR)
Introducing the weekend pass, friendly to folks with busy schedules or those traveling from afar. The weekend pass grants access to Mission Creek Festival ticketed performances (music, comedy) Friday through Sunday, subject to capacity at all venues. Special programs like culinary events are not included in either festival pass and require the purchase of additional tickets.

Confirmed Lineup Includes:
Performance – Music
Built to Spill
Wye Oak
Jamila Woods (Reading + Performance)
Julien Baker
Margaret Glaspy
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
Algiers
Cakes Da Killa
Laurel Halo (Live + DJ Set)
Xylouris White
The Weepies
Horse Lords
S. Carey
ONO
Alex Zhang Hungtai
Horse Feathers
Current Joys
Gordi
Paul Cary
Squirrel Flower
Younger
Peanut Ricky & The Fiends
Hot Tang

Collidescope
Extravision
Jack Lion
Mission: Beat
Sister Wife
Purcha$e
Dana T
Bstar
Elizabeth Moen

Performance – Comedy
Quinta Brunson and Friend

Bassem Youssef

Literature
Roxane Gay + Carrie Brownstein + Amber Tamblyn (In Conversation)
Lidia Yuknavitch
Jamila Woods
Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib
Deb Olin Unferth
Sarah Viren
Lina Maria Ferreira Cabeza-Venegas
Sandra Allen
Jesus Carrasco
Lyz Lenz
Brandon Taylor
Stephen Ira
Hafizah Geter
William Johnson
Cathy Linh Che
Helene Achanzar
Melody Gee
Kundiman
Lambda Literary
VIDA
The Believer
The Rumpus
Dorothy, a publishing project
Forklift, Ohio: A Journal of Poetry, Cooking, & Light Industrial Safety
The Iowa ReviewTwo Dollar Radio

Iowa Youth Writing Project

Rescue Press

Title Sponsor:
University of Iowa Community Credit Union

Little Village

General Festival Sponsors:
City of Iowa City
SCOPE Productions
Iowa City Downtown District
The Tuesday Agency
Iowa House Hotel
Big Grove Brewery
Iowa Public Radio

Event-Specific Sponsors:

The Tuesday Agency (Carrie Brownstein + Roxane Gay + Amber Tamblyn [In Conversation])
SCOPE Productions (Jamila Woods, Wye Oak)
The Iowa Review (keynote reading with Lidia Yuknavitch, Jamila Woods, and Hanif
Willis-Abdurraqib)

Grant Support:
Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

About Mission Creek Festival:

Mission Creek is dedicated to delivering a riveting 6-day artistic experience for our community that builds on the cultural geography and capital of downtown Iowa City. Programming focuses on music performances, literary readings, film screenings, public lectures, local food culture, and educational outreach. Nestled in the heart of downtown Iowa City, with most venues within a five minute walk of each other, Mission Creek thrives on intimacy and cross-medium experiences, turning music lovers on to new literature, writers on to new music, and expanding
appreciation of arts, community, and culture. Our focus is on quality, independent-minded sounds, words, and events. We are keen on emerging artists and embrace renegade spirits who have been around for years. Intimacy is integral to the Mission Creek experience: Our smallest festival venue fits 30 people and our largest holds 1800; but most rooms are in the 200-300 capacity range, allowing for visceral connections between artists and audience. The festival is presented and produced by The Englert Theatre, Iowa City’s 105-year-old historic
performing arts space.

Website: http://missioncreekfestival.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/missioncreekfestival
Twitter: http://twitter.com/missioncreekic
Instagram: http://instagram.com/missioncreek

The post PRESS RELEASE: Mission Creek Festival announces 2018 lineup appeared first on KRUI Radio.