Saturday is also the KRUI 40th Anniversary Birthday Bash, where alumni from across the country are coming together to celebrate the student radio station’s impact and longevity since March 28th of 1984. The party will feature an anniversary gathering at 3:00 PM, and a live music performance at 5:00 PM both at the Iowa Memorial Union. Here are the details of what’s going on Saturday.

KRUI 40th Anniversary:

Blist Her

The Midwest can be isolating. Flatness can consume you. If you try to drive away, you’ll only be met with the familiar red rhythm of powerlines flashing on the horizon.  

Blist Her is a shoegaze band from Burlington, Iowa. The Midwest feels less like their place of origin, and much more like the perfect backdrop to all their songs. I hear an infinite field in the fuzzy, droning guitar, and thick snowfall in the glittering ambiance. As the drums slowly trudge on, so does your car. It too is now acutely familiar with the crimson flashes in the distance. 

Blist Her’s songwriting is tender but disturbed. It blends short, aching lines with beautiful environmental descriptions. While words in the band’s songs are few, usually no more than 10 lines per song, their vocalist Brandon Boyd delivers them with a confessional tone that blankets you in sorrow and new beginnings. This local act fits well for the celebration of an Iowa City staple in KRUI. Come cry, come smile, and maybe walk out of it feeling a little more connected to your Midwestern existence. 

-Casper Bakker, Production Staff

OHYUNG

Robert Ouyang Rusli has found themself walking down seemingly miles of red carpet in recent months for the release of the film Problemista, directed by Julio Torres, and the most recent film put out by the production company A24. They wrote the soundtrack for the film, along with composing for several other movies as well. As a recent transplant to Iowa City from New York City, they have been performing experimental noise sets in the Iowa City area over the past few months under their performance name OHYUNG. Now, they find themself performing as the headlining act for the KRUI 40^th Anniversary Birthday Bash. 

Combining, many different sonic genres, OHYUNG’s albums have varied from permeating minimalistic ambient tracks like on imagine naked! to the blown out maximalist trap beats in PROTECTOR. Live sets also have vast variation, and can balance between peaking bright shearing sounds, to a soothing calm atmosphere, to loud abrasive and anxious breakbeats dabbled with harsh noise. They’re reminiscent of lying still among the serene tranquility of nature, and then being dragged out into the chaos of artificial human living. Two contrasting survival arcs. Ripping out the essence of a person’s humanity, it can either destroy, or stand still and take in the beauty around them. OHYUNG couples this with a lively stage presence, breaking into sporadic convulsions and writhing across stage often drenched in ebbing and flashing light. The sets are both visual and auditory artistic displays. 

OHYUNG has been prolific, with many performances in places across the United States. Their performance portfolio even includes a Boiler Room set in collaboration with animator Lorin Roser. Now, their next show will be to commemorate this historical benchmark in KRUI’s history. Like the student run radio station itself, they will create an experience lasting in memories for years to come. 

-John Glab, Editor-In-Chief

Saturday:

The Blake Shaw BIG(ish) Band (3:00 PM ReUnion Brewery)

The Blake Shaw BIG(ish) Band will be playing ReUnion Brewery on Saturday at 3:00 PM for the Mission Creek Festival. Shaw has cultivated a group of masterful players and writes arrangements to play to their strengths. Shaw himself features on double and electric bass, while also doing vocals at times. His band is composed of some of the best improvisational players around Iowa, whether they be music professors, retired band teachers, or some of Iowa’s best local musicians. Shaw also serves as the entertainment director of Iowa City Pride, along with providing insight for the Iowa City Jazz festival. 

The group as a unit is so tightly put together, whilst also feeling loose and freewheeling. This can be seen in the performance of “Love For Sale” from 2019’s Iowa City Jazz Festival. Speaking from personal experience, his group was a joy to see live when they performed at Hancher Auditorium in August. If you like jazz and find live performances enjoyable, this is a great show to go see. To quote Mission Creek, this is “for fans of bass, funk, hot people, and a good time.” You can keep up with Shaw’s activities by visiting his Instagram @theeblakebass. 

-John Mumm, Music Staff

New Standards Men (3:30 PM Trumpet Blossom Café)

A particularly unique inclusion, Denver’s New Standards Men reward those with an ear for details. Opting for more longform pieces, the band offers an exploration of tonality and progression, featuring elements of jazz, metal, drone, and post-rock. Their works are epic in nature, and command the listener’s attention. Fans of such acts as Earth and Godspeed! You Black Emperor, consider making time for this performance. 

-Evan Raefield, Music Staff

Bootcamp (4:45 PM Trumpet Blossom Café)

Formed in May of 2023, Bootcamp is a hardcore punk band that doesn’t disappoint. With members from several other notable hardcore groups, they’ve made a mark in the local Iowa City Hardcore scene with an assault of consistently energetic performances, and a powerful demo tape released by Pokeys Records in August of last year.

In the short time they’ve been a band, they’ve already toured across parts of the United States, established a strong following in the local community, and garnered praise from many other musicians in the hardcore sphere. Bootcamp’s shows are typically short and punchy, with lively crowds often including an active mosh-pit. Their presence on stage is, similarly, active. The band members exude a fantastic energy that really elevates their shows. 

-Harry Epstein, Editorial Staff

24thankyou (7:30 PM Riverside Theater)

Having more than established themselves as a band on the cutting edge of Iowa City’s local scene, 24thankyou is coming off the release of their debut album, Everything I Was, Burning Slow. Each song feels like an auditory adventure of its own, with their most recent album featuring forays into avant-folk, bedroom pop, trip-hop, and more. Their performance is not one to miss. No matter the sonic palette, each song is delivered with its trademark one-of-a-kind energy and colorful delivery. 

-Evan Raefield, Music Staff

m denney (7:45 PM Gabe’s)

m denney will be performing at Gabe’s on Saturday at 7:45 PM. m is a local artist whose work fragments genres, mediums, and ideas to create a unique experience threading together our very lives. She works in electronic and noise music, guitar, writing, and lying about being a composer. These works frequently incorporate collaboration from other local artists such as dancers, instrumentalists, and other performers to bring a visual element to her one-of-a-kind sound. m’s career has spanned many cities, many names, many genres, and many mediums, but no matter what she does, it is sure to be experimental and wholly unique.  

m’s performances are mesmerizing. They’re a web of sounds, engrossing the audience in an alien experience that challenges them to consider what connects them, these noises, and the world around them. My experiences at her shows have been fascinating. Her style has a knack for pulling you in with its persistent, familiar repetition yet always leaving room for more, keeping the audience on edge with curiosity. The underlying droning and blinking lights further hypnotize me as I imagine the jungle of audio equipment analogous to the connections between the sounds it outputs. m’s set is sure to be a truly unique experience. You can find her previous work on her website, and her future performances under the name .em

-Trent Strawhacker, Editorial Staff

S.G. Goodman (8:00 PM The Englert)

S.G. Goodman is a singer-songwriter based in Murray Kentucky, that caters to the Americana folk set of ears. Raised in a rural area, within the confines of a Southern Baptist church, Goodman makes songs that convey feelings around forbidden love. She speaks on the queer experience while living in a community that isn’t entirely accepting. Through the medium of music, Goodman produces songs that are interpreted as a means of healing from the traumatic experience of not being welcomed for who you are by your own community.  

Tender and bittersweet, Goodman represents and holds an identity within the country genre that one doesn’t usually run into. She pours her sapphic longing in lyrics of sentimentality and instrumentals of nostalgia. The approach that she has toward rock is one that sets out a unique perspective and voice within the genre. It is a voice that is much needed. Her well-known album Teeth Marks probes into sensations of yearning, within the umbrella of something passionate and evocative blossoming into fruition. What Goodman has to offer are reflections of reality placed in the romance of outlaws. It makes the listener want to live their truths just as she does. 

-Anika Maculangan, Editorial Staff

Nadah el Shazly (8:45 PM Riverside Theater)

Nadah el Shazly’s work is not to be overlooked. Originally hailing from Cairo, Egypt, she combines a creative art folk style with precisely played jazz, classical, and electronic backings. The result is a wholly original whirlwind of influences capable of profoundly moving an audience. Their compositional attention to detail alone is enough to make this performance a must-see for classically trained audiophiles, as well as anyone interested in the sheer artistry that el Shazly is capable of displaying.  

-Evan Raefield, Music Staff

Osees (9:45 PM The Englert)

Osees (aka Thee Oh Sees, Oh Sees, The Oh Sees, OCs) is the blossoming brainchild of musician and visual artist John Dwyer. Founded in San Francisco, and now based in Los Angeles, the band has gone through various lineup and name changes since their inception in 1997. The band’s sound is erratic, spanning a range of genres, all with a distinct psychedelic garage rock edge. Osees started to flourish as a band in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s in DIY venues across the country. The band is known for their bombastic live shows, making it a performance not to miss during The Mission Creek Festival on Saturday.

-Casper Bakker, Production Staff

Pelada (11:00 PM Gabe’s)

Iowa City is not often one of the last stops, at least to my knowledge, of a music act on their farewell tour. Mostly because I associate the “farewell” tours with bands that were not able to pass the test of time, providing their goodbye, which is sometimes ephemeral, in large, stadium-like venues. Additionally, these farewell tours are often more called for than not. Whether it be because of the state of the band members or lack of interest from audiences. This is far from the case with Pelada, who have decided that 2024 is going to be their last, and we are fortunate to have them in Iowa City closing the Mission Creek Festival.  

Pelada is characterized by a its electronic music backbone with a punk ethos, and Spanish lyrics. The vocals provided by Chris Vargas sternly communicate themes of evolving inequality, climate change, and social justice with vigor. Production is mainly managed by Tobias Rochman, taking foot on techno and house, with strong probes to industrial music, and heavy yet tasteful uses of acid bass lines. Their highly acclaimed Movimiento Para Cambio gained traction with a fully-fledged ideal of what punk in an electronic music context would sound like. Ahora Más Que Nunca is their most recent project, released in mid-September of 2023.  

After 10 years, one EP and two highly acclaimed LPs, Rochman shared on Instagram the dates for the last stops in the first half of 2024 and announced that Pelada would end by January 1st of 2025. I remember a couple weeks after, Rochman posted an Instagram story expressing frustrations over fees regarding transporting their gear into Mexico for their Pitchfork Music Festival performance in Mexico City. He added that increasing fees for touring artists in the United States and internationally is one of the reasons the duo will be dismantled.  

Those working behind the scenes at The Englert, knowledgeable or not of the situation, worked out to provide an incredible opportunity to witness a unique musical act once again. But now with the caveat of being one of the last shows for this duo. Expect an unrepeatable danceable experience, where defiance is the protagonist. 

-Andrés Mora Mata, Music Director

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Thursday:

Hanif Abdurraqib (6:00 PM Hancher Auditorium)

Acclaimed writer Hanif Abdurraqib will read from his new memoir There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension at Hancher Auditorium to kick off Mission Creek Festival. Hanif hails from Columbus, Ohio and is armed with the slogan “Ohio Against the World”. This mantra matches the biography’s tone that traces basketball stars like LeBron James, and many other stellar players that are mostly lost to time. Hanif resurrects these careers in this narrative. 

On Thursday, April 4th in the Hancher Auditorium, Hanif will be in conversation with Tisa Bryant, author of Unexplained Presence, an essay collection that blends fiction, criticism, and theory. Bryant serves as an Assistant Professor in the University of Iowa’s Non-Fiction Writing Program. 

Both authors break conventions within form, as Abdurraqib’s writing toes the line between prose and poetry. In every effort, he brings a poetic lens to his work. Previously, he wrote the essay collection A Little Devil in America, which was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. Recently with ESPN, Hanif wrote a profile about his longtime favorite team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and their winning season that has shocked basketball fans across the country. 

-Nick Layeux, Training Director

L’Rain (7:30 PM Hancher Auditorium)

Multi-instrumentalist and sound curator L’Rain, the stage name for Taja Cheek, will perform at the Mission Creek Festival on Thursday at Hancher Auditorium. A Brooklyn native and surrealist musician creating her own genre, L’Rain’s latest works are influenced by jazz, gospel, R&B, rock, and pop, but maintain their own deeply personal identity.  

Cheek labels her most recent album I Killed Your Dog as an “anti-break-up” record. She reflects on the conflicts of the internal soul and external identity to shape music into a conversation between love and heartbreak. “I’m envisioning a world of contradictions, as always,” as Cheek describes the record, “sensual, maybe even sexy, but terrifying, and strange.”  

Expect a bold and prismatic performance of instrumental motifs and loops layered into a visceral noise that bounces around the soul in constant motion. Like hearing a dream come to life, L’Rain’s music is an experience that pieces together a collection of found sounds to momentarily bridge the gap which divides the world from the surreal. 

-Pauly, Editorial Staff

Neko Case (8:45 PM Hancher Auditorium)

This year’s Mission Creek Festival is being headlined by one of the preeminent American voices of a generation: Neko Case. Case is a member of the Vancouver based indie-rock supergroup the New Pornographers, as well as having a prominent solo career, winning the “Female Artist of the Year” award at the PLUG Independent Music Awards in 2006. 

In April of 2022, Case released sir latest album, titled Wild Creatures. Described by Anti- Records as a, “career retrospective.” The album contains 22 re-releases of Case’s strongest solo tracks, including all-time bangers like “Man”, “Furnace Room Lullaby”, and “I Wish I Was The Moon”.  

But one album was not enough for Neko Case. Almost a year later, in March of 2023, the New Pornographers released their ninth studio album, titled Continue as a Guest. Case performs as lead vocalist for all but two of the album’s ten tracks. Case gives the tracks, with lyrics by songwriter and producer A.C. Newman, a “sweet, surreptitious poetry,” as described by Jon Dolan for Rolling Stone.  

We here at KRUI hope you take our advice and find the time to go out and see Neko Case at this year’s headlining event. Sir performance can be seen on Thursday, April 4th at Hancher Auditorium.  

-Case Fenner, News Director

Friday:

Strangers of Necessity (7:30 PM Gabe’s)

For those seeking poised, silky rap at Mission Creek this year, the kind that understands the power of a savvy hook and explosive kick drum, look no further than Strangers of Necessity. Comprising Iowa City based producer CoryAyo and Chicago rapper Fooch the MC, Strangers of Necessity is an authentic Midwest hip-hop duo. The duo’s name speaks to the nature of their formation. After connecting online via Twitter, they rapidly struck up a friendship and intense creative partnership.  

Following up from their debut EP Tangerine Avenue and subsequent project The Layover, the duo’s 2020 release Vibe Theory encapsulates their effortless synthesis of tight rhymes and polished instrumentals. From the hard-hitting beat and infectious chorus of album opener “Incredible Flow”, to the laid-back atmosphere of “Fundamental” – “Mixing the old with the new, cooking up gumbo stew,” – it’s packed full of imaginative, well-rounded tracks. There’s even a charismatic appearance from Iowa City favorite Jim Swim on the stand-out “I Can See It”. Unsurprisingly, it’s Strangers of Necessity themselves who are best suited to articulate their sound. “They might call this hip-hop but I just call it vibe music. The shit you can ride to, the shit you can vibe to,” they playfully declare on “Mild Sauce”. 

-Glenn Houlihan, Editorial Staff

George Clanton (8:00 PM The Englert)

As a part of the Mission Creek Festival lineup, multidisciplinary artist George Clanton will perform at The Englert Theatre on April 5th. George Clanton is an electronic musician and singer-songwriter based out of Los Angeles. Most often associated with his contributions to the internet based genre vaporwave, Clanton’s musical output has largely remained DIY and inspired by underground music. First coming onto the scene under the monikers ESPRIT 空想 and Mirror Kisses, Clanton established himself through lo-fi instrumentals and sampled music, before dropping both band names completely in favor of his birth name.  

In 2015, Clanton released his album 100% Electronica under his record label of the same name, established with his now wife, and fellow musician Neggy Gemmy (FKA Negative Gemini). His most recently released album, 2023’s Ooh Rap I Yah, finds Clanton maturing in his development of electronic pop, evocative of past nostalgia and memory as previously explored in his breakout 2018 project Slide.

Plucking pop culture references and mashing them into a psychedelic phantasmagoria, Clanton’s auditory and visual style have become uniquely idiosyncratic in our modern music landscape, establishing him as one of the most interesting artists currently working today. Clanton will be stopping in Iowa City as a part of his current national tour with supporting acts Frost Children and Full Body 2. 

-Ben Romero, Editorial Staff

Hatis Noit (8:30 PM Riverside Theater)

From Shiretoko of Hokkaido and now residing in London, Hatis Noit takes us on a journey through Nepal to Buddha’s birthplace, where she was inspired to sing through the otherworldly sound of a female monk’s Buddhist chants. She realized the power of the human voice and its ability to synthesize the essence of humanity in tonal form. Drawing from Gagaku and operatic music, such as Gregorian and Bulgarian chants, her music reminds us of the spiritual force which has inspired music for millennia.  

The name “Hatis Noit” itself means the stem of the lotus flower, originating in Japanese folklore. The lotus itself represents the living world while the root represents the spiritual world. Hatis Noit connects the two as one, seeing music as an embodiment of this underground that is our past, subconscious, and memory. Her critically acclaimed album Aura, released in June of 2022, draws on painful personal and shared memories, such as the 2011 tsunami and the 2020 pandemic, in a collection of chilling and visceral vocal power.  

Every sound on the album, excluding recordings of the ocean near a nuclear plant on “Inori”, is her own voice, with an intensity comparable to that of Björk. She notably featured collaborators of the Icelandic singer in Matmos on her EP Illogical Dance on Erased Tapes. She also features Armand Hammer, who will also be at Mission Creek, on her latest single “Jomon – Preservation Rework“. 

-Lauren McGovern, Editorial Staff

Anthony Worden (9:00 PM Gabe’s)

Having grown up in Cedar Rapids and graduating from the University of Iowa, Anthony Worden is intimately familiar with the highs and lows of muddling through life in Eastern Iowa. Indeed, Worden’s impressive musical output, often supported by the exceptional band The Illiterati, is matched by a genuine drive to strengthen the social fabric of Iowa City. The Illiterati Fest, an annual celebration of local art, music, and community, has twice raised money for local causes: Inside Out Reentry Community in its first year and the South District Market in its second.  

Worden further supported Inside Out Reentry Community, a nonprofit based in Iowa City that serves people returning to Johnson County after incarceration, by playing at their Be An Instrument for Change Spring Concert last May. I can vouch for this being a killer show. I was lounging in the glorious sun at the Riverside Festival Stage in City Park throughout it, and I expect nothing less on Friday night at Gabe’s.  

While Worden’s heterodox rock is sandwiched between two hip-hop artists, his cult hero status and familiarity with the iconic venue will no doubt ensure a cathartic performance. With a fifth album, Plain Angels, due for release this spring, fans will be treated to new songs, alongside his promised new band. Anthony, if you read this before Friday, please play “Lost in the Fog of War”. It’s like Arcade Fire suddenly materialized in an Iowa City recording studio and started writing about student debt. 

-Glenn Houlihan, Editorial Staff

Indigo De Souza (9:45 PM The Englert)

Indigo de Souza, is an American-Brazilian musician residing in North Carolina, but originally from Connecticut. She’s known for being one of the leading figures within the pond of indie, and alternative rock. Under the label Saddle Creek, de Souza’s earlier success comes from some of her iconic EP tracks “Boys” and “Sleep Talking” which were released back in 2016. Then, in 2018, she came out with her most notable work, the album I Love My Mom, which contains songs that defined her artistry and career such as “How I Get Myself Killed”, “Take Off Your Pants”, and “What Are We Gonna Do Now”, which all demonstrate her aptitude for using nature references and imagery as a vehicle for deeper symbolism.  

De Souza’s lyrics are relatable, candid, and grounded in reality. They are teeming with allusions that lead to themes like heartbreak, disappointment, and the rattling chaos of being alive. In line with this, what de Souza captures in her instrumentals is a pristine rawness of electric guitar, paired with jangly, lo-fi, chamber pop tonalities. It all comes together to form a poignant symphony of vulnerability, and burning desire to live up to one’s wants in life. 

-Anika Maculangan, Editorial Staff

Sunny War (10:00 PM Riverside Theater)

A veteran Mission Creek performer, this year sees Nashville’s own Sunny War at a very exciting time in her career. Having moved away from their traditional folk punk sound, their most recent record Anarchist Gospel instead has a blend of different styles. With varying inclusions from blues rhythms to country twang, the stylistic shift suits them well, as evidenced by the flurry of positive reviews the project garnered. Yet, Sunny War manages to retain some of the artistic factors that remain essential to their works: pointed conscious songwriting, and a wholehearted soulful delivery. 

-Evan Raefield, Music Staff

Armand Hammer (10:45 Gabe’s)

On Friday, New York City rap duo Armand Hammer will be making a stop in Iowa City to perform songs off their latest album, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips. If you are out of the loop and unfamiliar with them, Armand Hammer is a prolific rap group that truly represents hip-hop at its core with their socioeconomically centered lyrics and dark, grimy production. The duo consists of New York rapper Elucid, and Washington D.C. rapper Billy Woods. Despite being the best duo in the game right now, Billy Woods and Elucid are both strong rappers individually, having stellar solo discographies.  

On their latest LP, the duo creatively pushes themselves further than ever. Featuring production from greats like JPEGMAFIA and EL-P, Armand Hammer explores the various plights of the human condition over beats that are both abrasive and ambient. The lyricism on this project is razor sharp and thought provoking, with themes and motifs that will leave you pondering for weeks.  

The rap duo’s live performances certainly live up to their reputation as artists. Their performances are loud, fiery, and energetic. When they perform there is a spiritual feeling in the audience as every line, word, and syllable travels through both your mind, body, and spirit. Their performance will be one of the best at the festival, with the show likely being discussed by the audience for weeks after.  If you want to see two hip-hop greats in their respective primes, Mission Creek is the place to be. 

-Maurice Crawford, Editorial Staff

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The Heavy Heavy introduced themselves with an explosion of noise. The instrumental track “Parakeets” immediately captured the audience in their full-bodied rock sound. With the crowd already up and dancing, the band catapulted into “Man of the Hills” – my personal favorite from their new EP “Life and Life Only”. The track showcased the undeniable strength of the band’s rhythm section. The Heavy Heavy rocked the audience with their reverberating bass line and full drums. Singer Georgie Fuller took lead on vocals, shaking the rafters with her effortless belting. The group’s sound and balance were outstanding already, and they only seemed to get stronger as the set continued.

For the rest of the show, The Heavy Heavy alternated between original tracks and creative covers. The covers won hearts with their familiar tunes, but each song was decorated in something distinctly Heavy Heavy-esc. It’s almost wrong to refer to them as covers at all; they existed more along the lines of reinventions. The band tackled “Gold Dust Woman” by Fleetwood Mac, a daunting track to remake, with unwavering confidence. Each musician contributed to their vision of the song instead of meticulously recreating the pre-existing tape.

But the stand-out parts of the show came from the original selections. The Heavy Heavy’s EP boasts a variety of styles and sounds, displaying the variability of each musician on stage. “Go Down River” shrouded the space in a dreamy, summer haze – a perfect homage to our warming weather.

The folk vibes continued into “Why Don’t You Call?”, a faster paced song that showcased the band’s skill. The instrumentals fit together like puzzle pieces as the rhythm bounced across the stage from member to member, never once falling in the complex arrangement. “All My Dreams” delivered on the psychedelic influence, introducing a reverberating, hypnotizing sound. The featured guitar melody filled the space, swirling up and around the dancing audience. The trance seemed to spread on stage as well, with every member rocking to the same beat. As the harmonies took flight, the whole space became magic.

To have a full, five-member ensemble who are just so unbelievably solid in their techniques is a rare treat in today’s music scene, and The Heavy Heavy takes full advantage of it. Their full sound gives flare to their quiet moments as well as in their rafter-shaking ones. Each instrument contributes to a balanced, complex sound that would be impossible without the group’s size.

There’s often an unfair ultimatum put on up and coming rock bands today like The Heavy Heavy. Embracing the sound they love could mean being written off as copy-cats or a doomed thing of the past. Pushing themselves too far in a “new” direction could mean losing the beloved genre’s authenticity and soul. But The Heavy Heavy seems to be ignoring that pressure all together. On Saturday I saw a band who knew who they were. They were halfway across the world from home, stranded in the middle of Iowa of all god-forsaken places, and they still played with as much ease, joy, and talent as you can hope to see in a band. Their sound and passion are thrilling to witness. I hope that this first EP will be the start of a long and beautiful career.

I got a chance to speak with a few members of the band after the show, gathering a few comments on the night’s performance and their ongoing “Life and Life Only” US tour. The band seemed just as pleased with the night’s energy, saying they were pleasantly surprised by the audience’s dancing and singing within the sit-down venue. They’ve had similar warm receptions across the US so far, playing to a diverse set of venues, audiences, and climates. With more successful shows on the horizon, it seemed natural to ask if a second album was underway.

“Oh, it’s definitely in the works, we’re just slow cooking it right now,” remarked lead singer and guitarist Will Turner. “It’ll taste better that way!”

Singer Georgie Fuller added that their second release could be expected some time next year. With the exciting thought of new music, and a possible tour returning to the midwest, be sure to listen to “Life and Life Only” and be on the lookout for more Heavy Heavy news.

The post The Heavy Heavy: Mission Creek Festival 2023 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

This five-person ensemble takes full advantage of their size. They successfully create the big-band sound achieved by iconic groups such as Fleetwood Mac and The Mamas & the Papas. Will Turner and Georgie Fuller lead the band on vocals, but the full power of the group’s four-part harmonies turn their tracks from a listening experience to a spiritual one.

Their first album was released last year with an extended version being added to Spotify just last month. “Life and Life Only (Expanded Edition)” introduces some live versions of their songs, capturing this outstanding group in their raw element. The new release also contains a few covers, including Father John Misty’s “Real Love Baby”, which boasts the band’s full sound and soulful capabilities.

The Heavy Heavy will be performing at 5:30pm Saturday evening at Big Grove Brewery. On the last night of Mission Creek, The Heavy Heavy is sure to send us home with warmer hearts and renewed hope for sunny weather. Check out their discography below and stop by for their set this weekend!

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The proceeding live performance easily explained the pre-show excitement, as powerhouse vocals and rocking guitar chords ripped through the café’s stained glass windows. OHMME has steadily made a name for themselves from buzzy collabs like the one with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and the successful, anthemic single “Icon.”

Their established song catalog is already impressive, but OHMME proved to be even better live. The vocal elasticity and intricate harmonization ping pong between Cunningham and Stewart served as an electrifying game of musical pinball. 

The standout song performance of the afternoon was “Fingerprints” from their 2017 debut album. Building up to the chorus, the duo broke into a chorus of alternating wordless vocalizations that climbed to harmonious heights and were flawlessly executed. The vocal feat was so impressive that audience members turned to each other with wide eyes as if to say, “How did they do that?” 

As the dizzying harmonies ebbed and flowed against dynamic guitar rhythms, the song culminated in the final repeated lyric, “I want to be better,” which gradually increased from a whisper to a roar with each repetition. In the crowded lineup of Mission Creek, OHMME made a single song stand out and stick with me days later. 

The duo showed incredible dynamism and range with some songs beginning with hushed instrumentals and isolated, soulful vocals while others fully dove into full, wailing guitar. They basked in the strength of vocal runs as much as they leaned into rocking the stage. OHMME demonstrated standout musical ability in their live set, fully sealing the duo’s exciting future in the indie space as talented musicians and badass rockers. 

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The man behind the band moniker, Joe Stevens—tends to have a rotating cast of musicians filling out the group—brought on drummer Brian Alvarez and dual bassists and vocalists Harmony Index and Marina Aguerre and they melted seamlessly into the sonic landscape of Peel Dream Magazine. 

Much of the performance centered around creating atmospheric dream-pop of breezy drumbeats and heavy 90s-influenced synth, which was cut with a certain lightness and effortlessness from the use of dual male-female harmonies. Harmonies during the set were less lyric-driven and more dependent on instrumentation to complete the sonic soundscape in a perfect, deeply vibey blend. Sometimes the singing transformed into perfectly timed and beautiful, rhythmic vocal beats.

Even with the influence of heavier college rock in the performance’s drowsy synth, there was also a playful whimsy to the band’s percussion that broke through the wall of glittering keyboard and bass lines. Peak whimsy hit whenever Stevens would break out staccato notes on the keyboard in the midst of steady sound, reminiscent of an ice cream truck jingle—crisp and delicious. 

Currently on tour with fellow Mission Creek performer Soccer Mommy, Peel Dream Magazine filled the festival’s smallest venue with warmth fit for a space triple the size. The biggest rush of every song was once the guitar and drum melodies delivered their final notes and Stevens remained, holding the final chords on the keyboard. With the haunting remnants of the last song’s essence still hanging in the air, Stevens stood like a solemn organist, basking in drawn-out chords. 

The lasting echoes and vibrations made each performance, from the bouncy, sunny synth tracks to the gloomy grunge pieces, linger with the audience and created a sonic experience of a rolling atmosphere, rather than a set of bite-sized tracks. This choice greatly aided the compact set-length and intimate setting of Trumpet Blossom. The concert setting itself and the laidback style of Peel Dream Magazine’s performance set the show apart from the majority of Mission Creek, feeling more like a jam session with old friends. 

With little time to talk between tracks, the audience got the best sense of the band as they stood in the audience supporting and watching the rest of the afternoon’s sets. Their spirit of camaraderie made it clear—everyone was just happy to be there. 

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“We’re from the Pacific Northwest. That’s why we talk soft,” Heynderickx said before launching into the first song of her set, “The Bug Collector”. A couple of things were immediately apparent, which would apply to the set in full. One–the only rhythm section this song really needs is the pizzicato of the bass, which supplies a bouncing sway to even the most emotionally harrowing of her songs. The same is true of many of Heynderickx’s other songs. Two– Heynderickx is an excellent guitar player, and one of the best I’ve seen live. It may be that I’m extra sensitive to great fingerpicking, but her quick and precise playing was downright dizzying at times.

Both her guitar playing and singing were dynamic performances. She portrayed the pain of “No Face” just as intensely as the confidence of “Oom Sha La La.” This song was an instance of bright, simple guitar strumming in a set of mostly detailed fingerpicked patterns. Between songs, she’d muse on sunsets, a Spirited Away character, and how redwood trees would make better world leaders than humans–you know, Haley Heynderickx things. In a new song called “Tour Song,” she did something I’ve never seen an artist do before, which was tuning all the way through the song and working the whir of the string into the guitar melody in a way that felt surprisingly natural.

Speaking of new songs, the new songs are great! It’s been about four years since Heynderickx officially released new music and hearing these songs made me feel as if I’d been granted access to highly classified information. There’s “The Park” which teased laughter out of the audience with the inflection of her voice alone, “Louis and the Redwoods” re: the earlier redwood comment, “Ben I’m Trying” about living with a partner throughout the pandemic, “Sorry Fahey,” she said, “because it sounds like a John Fahey song,” and a couple of others too. As a longtime fan, these songs seemed noticeably more cheerful than much of her older work–something that made me glad to hear.

The two closed the set with “Untitled God Song,” an occasion for which Heynderickx pulled out a steel slide, and Blackwell pulled out a bass bow–the second time it was used that night. They broke into a climactic jam in the breakdown before the last chorus, which rocked as hard as two acoustic instruments can rock. With these two musicians–it rocked pretty hard. Heynderickx left the audience overjoyed with the set and more than excited to hear these new songs put to record.

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Extremely well, it turns out! The crew energetically railed through a selection of tracks off Songs of Violence, “Josie’s Experiment” off Both Neither and Both, and a couple of new ones too. Cacciatore traded off riffs with guitarist Griffen Clark–both getting their time to shine on extended jam sessions during the set openers–“Deadbeat Pt. 1 & 2” and “Holy Ghost.” Drummer Aaron Knight can both barrel through a beat and patiently hold back, and did both across songs of dynamic intensity. A highlight of the set was “Big Flood,” where Cacciatore mostly shrugged off the melody of the chorus in favor of an impassioned shout, which suited the song well. I’d describe Cacciatore’s shout as having the yelp of early Isaac Brock and the sneer of early Conor Oberst–pretty much it ruled.

From there they played two new songs, “Birds Fly” and one that went unnamed. While Cacciatore tends to have some great lyrics that meld the physical and emotional, (There’s no loneliness and there’s no pain / There is only the falling rain, it’s an ideal / But I’m not gonna reach for it on “Holy Ghost”) “Birds Fly” is an instance where they let Cole Hatsky’s cool, lumbering bassline do most of the talking. It culminated in a pretty raw slowcore jam. Their other new song had an almost classic rock quality to it with its soaring guitar lines but still kept its indie rock grit. “Josie’s Experiment” was a nice nod to GMM’s earlier years and worked exceedingly well in the Englert’s dazzle–a reminder that great songwriting transcends lo-fi-dom.

Cacciatore and Co. closed with “And to All the Lonely Painters,” the last tune on Songs of Violence. In the first moments of the song, Cacciatore repeated a calm guitar riff and the room was quiet enough to hear the lone snare rattling. Clark, Knight, and Hatsky joined in, proceeding with the tune as it reached a natural crescendo. This has been a favorite of mine in GMM’s catalog since it released and the crowd seemed to agree. The audience roared in applause when the instruments ceased as Cacciatore was still trying to sing the momentous words leading into the final jam session. Good Morning Midnight rocked the Englert in the strongest performance I’ve seen from them yet.

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Tennyson, engineered by artist Luke Pretty, was advertised as a solo act, but the touring band he brought with him seemed like they had been a group act all along. The band featured Luke’s sister Tess Pretty on drums, Beau Diako on guitar, and Akos Forgacs on bass.

After the excited rush of the opening song, the stage went black. Luke thanked the crowd, explaining that the band was on tour and this was their first time playing in a venue “like this,” presumably referring to the Englert Theatre’s size. “It’s nice to have some extra room on stage, to spread out a bit,” Luke said.

The interactive elements made the show fun and inviting, but of course the real highlight was the music. Tennyson’s studio music is very impressive on its own, but the addition of live instruments and acoustics took everything to the next level. Tess, Beau, and Akos all played enthusiastically while Luke delivered raspy, impressive vocals. He occasionally played with autotune, making his voice sound either inhumanly low or inhumanly high.

Luke and his sister Tess were very interactive with the crowd during their set, and Luke’s microphone often picked up his laughter between songs. At one point, Luke asked the band to stop playing just a few seconds after they began a new song. He had forgotten to start the instrumental backing track. “I don’t know, I guess I was spacing out,” Luke said, and the crowd laughed with him.

About halfway through the show, Tess remarked that the band was from Canada. The band, according to Tess, was sure that no place they visited on tour would be colder than Canada. “Is it always this cold in April?” She asked the crowd. “Yes,” the audience replied, their tone conveying a mixture of amusement and frustration with Iowa’s weather.

Tennyson continued with their energetic set, which was a mix of electropop and rock. Luke stopped the band a second time, saying there was an off-key feedback note in his ear that was distracting him. The band took a minute to try to solve the problem, but ultimately Luke waved it off. “I’ll just have to forget about it, I’ll just put it out of my mind,” he said.

If the feedback was causing Luke any issues, he didn’t show it. He was absorbed in his art, rocking back and forth as he sang, eyes closed, fingers perched on his keyboard. He and Tess often smiled at each other mid-performance, reveling in the experience.

They closed the show with audience favorite “Figure Eights,” which veered away from electropop and toward punk rock. Luke upped the vocal distortion, giving himself a brash edge that matched the gritty guitar riffs. Lots of headbanging ensued, both in the audience and onstage.

After their last song, Luke flashed the audience a peace sign and the band left the stage. The crowd continued cheering in their absence, wanting an encore, and the band obliged. They officially closed the night with a vibrant instrumental track.

The band thanked the crowd once again, with Luke hinting that they’d be back. Hopefully, this is not the last time Tennyson visits Iowa City.

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After a minute or two of quiet instrumentals, Alyx picked up the mic. He held the microphone a short distance away from his face, but his voice carried easily and filled the Englert with a rich, full sound.

It’s hard to describe just how good Alyx is at singing. It seems effortless to him, taking on various vocal runs and belting out his lyrics. He immediately captured the audience’s attention and soon everyone was swaying and nodding to the rhythm.

After the first song, Alyx stood up and introduced himself, thanking the crowd for coming. “I was really expecting like five people to show up, including my mom… hi Mom,” Alyx said, sheepishly.

After this short talk with the audience, he began his song “Runaway,” one of his few tracks available on Spotify. In addition to Alyx’s lovely vocals, “Runaway” featured an impressive guitar solo.

“Runaway” was followed by a spoken interlude that sounded like something you might hear on SZA’s Ctrl. This eventually transitioned into “Body Rock,” their latest single.

After “Body Rock,” Alyx performed a cover of Rihanna’s “Stay,” in which he invited the crowd to sing along. He also brought on special guest Jim Swim to rap a verse on a new song called “Trouble.” Alyx then announced that he and Jim Swim were working on a four-song EP together, aiming for a summer release.

He closed his set by performing “Gimme Life” from his upcoming EP. It featured strong drumbeats and a slightly more upbeat melody than the earlier songs, like something that might be played at a relaxed house party. Alyx’s show ended with standing applause from an impressed crowd. After a stressful week and a hectic day, it was a great way to spend a Thursday evening.

It wasn’t until after the show, though, that I witnessed one of the most striking qualities about Alyx Rush. While waiting for the next artist, Tennyson, to take the stage, Alyx came up to two audience members in the row behind me and thanked them for their energy during his show. He said that seeing them dancing in their seats helped him to be less nervous during his set. The audience members were flattered, and they giggled in delight as the singer walked away.

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