Speaking of dancing, on November 12, Nuovo Testamento graced Iowa City with their music live at The James Theater as a part of The Englert Theatre‘s Track Zero concert series, which highlights local and touring alternative artists. I attended the concert that night, fully ready to boost a move myself.

Before they went on, the show kicked off with three openers. First was Jeff In Leather, a dance/electronic artist based in Omaha, Nebraska. He had provided a strong start to the night with a hardcore but enthralling set. He was then followed by The Mall, a synth-punk artist who had an equally flashy set. It also inspired much headbanging from me and the audience. Lastly, there was Nuovo Testamento’s tour opener and electronic music artist Nuxx, who had flair I couldn’t help but admire when performing.

Any opener I’ve witnessed in my limited concert experience, has never let me down, which remains the case here. Each set from the openers contained amazing light shows and their performances got mine and the crowd’s blood pumping. They certainly were a fantastic build-up to the central act of the night and were quite the acts themselves. Admittedly, there’s a bit of a humorous transition from the hardcore electronic music to the flowy disco-pop but this didn’t cause the night to slow down.

Thankfully, once it was time for Nuovo Testamento, I managed to find an amazing spot on the floor right in front of the stage and very middle of the floor. I was very grateful for this amazing view, and it made the whole experience more immersive for me. The James Theater is a smaller venue, so many of the performers throughout the night came down from the stage and to the dancefloor where the audience and I were. It gave the show an overall more intimate feel, which I immensely cherished. 

Once Crowley and band members Giacomo Zatti (drums) and Andrea Mantione, entered the stage, the audience’s adrenaline rush kicked in once again. Crowley, upon approaching the mic, cheerfully encouraged the audience to dance, remarking that she knew we could after seeing us watch the openers, which was something I was happy to oblige. 

The band mostly performed tracks from Trouble, including “2 Hearts”, “Soldier for Love”, “On the Edge”, and “Dream On”. It was an absolute dream to hear my favorites from the EP performed live and be able to dance along to them.

Crowley certainly helped in sparking the dancing. She was a compelling performer in her own right, dancing onstage and clearly enjoying it so much that it was hard not to follow in her footsteps. She clearly wanted all of us moving on the dance floor, and she certainly delivered in convincing me to do so, much to my surprise.

Since this was my first time going to a concert alone and I prefer dancing in groups, I was nervous about dancing around a bunch of strangers. However, this night ended up being different. Shockingly I found myself disregarding all that and moving to the beat without a care in the world. Getting to dance to this upbeat music with these strangers became a new experience that I welcomed with open arms. 

Nuovo Testamento also played some older tracks from their 2021 album New Earth, like “The Searcher” and “Vanity”. Although I’m not familiar with much of their older work, hearing these two tracks live made me want to check out this album in full, and  the audience and I were still happily dancing. 

Much like their openers, the group was illuminated by various colored lights. Once again, the audience and I were treated to light show with a lot of variety. For a group that produces such colorful music, it’s appropriate that they have an equally colorful stage to perform on. 

After the show concluded, I was left with this post-concert high that I had missed. Seeing Nuovo Testamento illicited pure joy that can only be brought on by hearing a band so energetic live. But if you want to feel even fraction of that feeling, I’d recommend their new EP. In the meantime, that will certainly do the trick. 

More information on upcoming Track Zero shows presented by The Englert Theatre can be found here.

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Ken Pomeroy   

The first of the sold-out shows was a performance by Ken Pomeroy (no, not the basketball player). Pomeroy is a folk artist, who takes inspiration from famous musician John Denver. Pomeroy would explain what would inspire her to create her music. John Denver aside, Pomeroy calls upon her upbringing as a Cherokee living along the American Bible Belt. This drove her to write more American folk/gothic style music. Many people have heard of Pomeory thorugh her featured songs, “Wall of Death” from the movie Twisters, and “Cicadas” featured on the show Reservation Dogs. 

Pomeroy opened her set with a song from her album Cruel Joke. Wrango is written about her “fat adopted dog” who is, in more appropriate terms, a jerk and a biter. I felt pretty seen as someone who also has a fat dog who kind of sucks. Her lyrics alone are enough to make you misty, pair that with her skill on her guitar and it’s truthfully breathtaking. 

In addition to her deeply sentiemental lyrics, Pomeory writes from her own personal life exepreinces. A very good example of this is her song Cicadas. Cicadas touches on the very real experience of just not being in the mood to talk; 

“I met someone I didn’t want to talk to  

She said my Saturn was on fire  

What a liar ” 

Pomeory went on to explain that it was based off a personal experience with not wanting to talk to someone new. Moments like this connected her audience during the show, showing a very transparent and human side to her art. Pomeroy’s set is one that I will never forget, and I hope to see her if she ever tours again.

Stream Curel Joke, you will not regret it.   

Loudon Wainwright III  

“79?! Thats not that old!”  

My first impression of Loudon and his music was Motel Blues from Album 2 from 1972.  My first experience with his music sober. That being said, I was surprised by the borderline stand-up comedy approach that he took.   

Almost every song in the first half of his set was about being old, or, for a change, GETTING old. He had mentioned that his 79th birthday had been within the past few days. This was followed by the delcariation of, “Thats when life REALLY begins.”  

Along with that, Loudon’s set was full of surprises. one second, you’re looking down to write down what he said, the next he’s taking out an iPad. iPad itself took a little time, on account of him forgetting his password. He quickly recovered with a written, DETAILED list of what he wanted his memorial to be like. Loudon had it mapped down to how his former flings would interact. Even including his personal guidelines that they had to meet.

After every sentence the audience was in an uproar of laughter. Loudon stood out against many other acts of the evening due to his use of comedy during his set. Even when discussing hard topics, such as family hardship and political tensions, he did it through the lens of comedy. When it came down to it, everyone was incredibly entertained.

Overall

Iowa City Songwriters Festival did the wonderful task of humanizing artists, and their processes to the public. Seeing songwriters encouraging people to start and showing them how to begin is what makes art happen. I can’t wait to see what The Englert Theatre has to offer again for the festival next year! 

The post Iowa City Songwriters Festival 2025, Saturday in Review appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Their first meeting was in January of 2025, and they instantly got to work. They released their debut single 6 months later. Now they have started doing shows and testing their newer songs in live audiences. 

For their show at the James Theater, there will be a 10$ entry fee. To keep up with what the band is doing, you can follow them on Instagram under the username @bluffstreetband. You can also find them on Spotify or Apple Music.

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On Wednesday, Sharon Van Etten will have a busy day between her free to attend conversation with Iowa City native author Rachel Yoder at 1:00 pm, and her performance with her band at The Englert Theatre at 7:30. The Attachment Theory has become the latest creative outlet in the 18-year career she has had so far. Releasing their first record in February of this past year, Van Etten and The Attachment Theory bring their fresh post-punk sound to Iowa City for the first time. Calling on her heroes like Joy Division, Cocteau Twins, and Roy Orbison, this is a can’t miss performance by Van Etten playing a mix of her solo work and one of 2025’s best records. The performance will be opened by alternative artist Helado Negro, whose 2024 record “Phasor” got an 8.3 from Pitchfork.  

Infinite Dream Festival will continue to host a collection of free conversations in the Old Capitol Museum’s Senate Chamber. Roger Gueveneur Smith will be speaking with University of Iowa Professor Caroline Clay at 1:00pm on Friday, September 19^th. Smith is an accomplished actor, becoming a favorite of Spike Lee and starring in a handful of his films throughout the past 30 years. In addition to his conversation, Roger Gueveneur Smith will be performing 2 of his one man plays, In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquit: A Personal Tribute to a Revolutionary Artist at The James Theater on Friday night at 7:30pm. This play showcases Smith’s personal friendship with Jean-Michel Basquit who was a neo-expressionist artist who passed away in 1988 at age 27. Basquit’s piece Untitled sold in 2017 for a then US record $110.5M and his works have only continued to grow in value.  

Smith’s second performance will take place at The James Theater the following night on Saturday the 20^th at 6:00pm. This play, Frederick Douglass NOW, studies the life of the abolitionist and freedom fighter. With his writings arguably more relevant than ever, Smith combined his works with jazz to create this special production.  

Comedian and Daily Show host Josh Johnson will be coming to Iowa City for both a conversation and a special stand-up performance. He will be speaking at 2:00 on Saturday September 20^th with fellow comedian and University of Iowa Professor Megan Gogerty. Johnson will also be performing at a sold-out Hancher Auditorium to close out the festival. 

Hancher will be hosting 2 on stage events including “Farmhouse/Whorehouse: An artist lecture by Suzanne Bocangera starring Lili Taylor” Thursday at 6:30pm and “32 Sounds: A film by Sam Green with music by JD Samson & sound design by Mark Mangini” on Friday night at 6:30pm. Club Hancher will also be busy with performances by José James and Iowa City local Jim Swim in Strauss Hall at 8:30pm on Thursday night along with Alan Sparhawk and His Band followed by a DJ Set by JD Samson Friday night at 9:00. 

Esteemed University of Iowa author and poet Kaveh Akbar will be in conversation with the executive director of the University of Iowa’s Office of Writing and Communication Daniel Khalastchi. This will be the one event at the Voxman Music Building throughout the festival. On the river at the Lagoon House, there will be an interactive experience exploring all of the different aspects of the environment and humans that braid us into one. Called “Meandering River” and put together by University Professors, this event involves soundscapes, dancers, and more. This is a unique adventure only found at the Infinite Dream Festival.  

Iowa City continues to hold its crown as a center for literature and the arts, welcoming in performers of all different kinds from all over the country. While some events are sold out, festival and day passes are still available allowing access to all the events throughout the festival. You can find passes and more information here. 

The post Infinite Dream Festival Preview appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Last year, the first Pokey’s Fest was a wonderful success with an immense communal energy that came from the blossoming punk scene, along with travelers from elsewhere. The entire weekend oscillated between moments in loud, hectic mosh pits, and people chilling with each other in spaces like backyards and sidewalks. The connections between people, along with the constant string of crazy sets made bringing the festival back an obvious choice, just now it only has more. Much of the same scene will be on display this time around. 

Along with a plethora of hardcore bands, Pokey’s Fest this year will also feature many local vendors selling and trading things like zines, food and jewelry. The festival this year is all-encompassing, and perfectly placed for the time of year when the days are longest. Below is a somewhat comprehensive guide to many of the bands playing at the festival, all put together by some of the KRUI staffers. At the bottom of the article is also a schedule with what bands are playing when. Festival tickets will be available to be bought in person. 

Friday

The Mall

Music for punks who dance. From St. Louis, Missouri, The Mall produces tracks shocked with Earth crumbling bass hits and sawing synthlines slicing through the room. It’s entrancing industrial EBM all packaged into an aggressive punk like presentation. Mark Plant screams out vocals as they turn dials and press buttons, all while writhing in front of a dizzying array of lights beaming across the dark room. The whole display drenches everyone into a deep sense of euphoria. Somehow it depicts images of the end of the world, which for us will likely look like a cluttered wreckage of needless, cheap luxury and consumerist waste. Rather than be swept away and disparaged by it, The Mall encourages a celebration of bliss and life before the end of it all in whatever manmade rapture topples onto us. 

-John Glab

Payasa

Hailing from Lake County, Illinois, Payasa is relatively new on the scene, though their style of hardcore punk certainly isn’t. Harrowing poetic lyrics and their upbeat throbbing tempos create a unrivaled auditory experience that will leave the unprepared in the dust, as evidenced by their short but sweet 2022 release, The Haze Begins… One can only wonder if it will emerge once again at Pokey’s Fest.

-Evan Raefield

Prevention

The clichéd idea around hardcore shows, and I guess a hardcore festival, is that they’re dangerous, and that at any moment you could get clocked by someone throwing around flying spin kicks. Most of the time it is not like that. While still very wild and passionate, it’s a very respectful controlled chaos here in Iowa City. Out of every show I’ve been to in this city though, at no point did I think I was going to die more in a pit than when Prevention played at a Valentine’s Day show earlier this year. Something about the Springfield, Illinois band elicits a hidden message, sleeper cell type reaction from people. This will likely be one of the most tumultuous sets of the entire festival. 

-John Glab

Nature Boys

Veteran Kansas City punk outfit Nature Boys have worked to establish themselves in the larger scene of Eastern Iowa, as their profile has steadily grown along with their mosh pits. After working with Dead Broke Records to release their 4th album in 2021, they have introduced the world at large, and World City at large as of Friday, to their down and dirty Southern brand of punk rock.

-Evan Raefield

Sweat FM

Broadcasting on the wavelengths of Chicago’s Sweat FM is the ‘80s style power pop you would come to expect from things like home workout videos. It’s something that you would do that one Mannrobics dance from TF2 to. Even though this music to many people today is seen as gaudy, there’s a distinct energy that comes from that era’s sound that makes it kind of cunty. Dom Rabalais distills that pure essence into their new album you and i, we were born to cry. Among the pristine, suspended synth sounds and glam rock guitars is an infectious catchiness. It’s easy to shout along with these songs as you carry out your electric exercise routine in a would be mosh pit surrounded by everyone else. 

-John Glab

Jack and the Slammers

An exciting new three-slammer, one-Jack act from the depths of Des Moines, Iowa, Jack and the Slammers offer a particularly speedy strain of hardcore, with most songs not quite hitting the two minute mark. In addition, they have a song titled “GOON SQUAD” so you already know the crowd will be slammin’.

-Evan Raefield

Curt Oren

A bit of a change of pace, Curt Oren is an experimental electroacoustic artist and VLC projectionist incorporating genre bending elements such as saxophone to build gargantuan, larger than life compositions. Oren has worked in everything from lo-fi beats to transcendental long form soundscapes. So, one can only wonder what they’ll bring to the table this time around.

-Evan Raefield

God’s Hand

God’s Hand is a surfy punk band from Iowa City. They specialize in fast paced rock music that’s perfect for moshing. All their members are some of the most talented people in the scene and together bring an energy that can’t be replicated. None of their music is online for streaming, so if you want to experience them, you better be here in person. For now though, you can check out some of their previous sets on the Death in the Midwest YouTube channel. God’s Hand will be playing during the first set of the entire festival at Hell on Friday at 5:30 PM. 

-Trent

Bootcamp

Fresh off a 7” EP release and brief tour of the American South, Bootcamp, a hardcore punk rock four-piece and Iowa City scene staple, are back in town and ready to rock it Midwest style for Pokey’s Fest 2. Bootcamp is composed of guitarist Dolly, lead vocalist Juliette, bassist Molly, and drummer Oliver. They bring it fast and hard with killer riffs and belting vocals that demand your attention. Their songs explore ideas ranging from gender identity to corrupted former U.S. politicians, all with a spirit of liberation in mind. I <3 BOOTCAMP! See them perform at Purgatory on Friday at 8:30 PM!

-Lily Graham

Thought Wrong

We dive back into core Pokey’s Records with Thought Wrong, an Iowa City through and through hardcore group that brings a rougher edge to the scene. Thought Wrong will have you chasing the waves of their distinctive guitar sound, now at the hands of recently added guitarist Diego. This, however, is not to write off the impact of the rest of the band, with drummer August, bassist Cooper, and vocalist Marc, who bring equally weighty performances that will surely have your heads banging. The group seeks to carry on the Iowa hardcore tradition and does so with flying colors. See them bring the house down for Pokey’s Fest.

-Lily Graham

Saturday

Plack Blague

Hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska, Plack Blague spews out metallic, lustful “LEATHER INDUCED ELECTRONIC BODY MUSIC.” If you like assaulting yours ears with acidic bass and harsh keyboards, this band is sure to leave you foaming at the mouth from pure excitement. If that’s not enough for you, the unhinged erotic performance of vocalist Ross Schlesinger (a.k.a. Raws) is sure to satisfy your needs. You don’t have to spend your Saturday bored out of your mind. Embrace the pull of flashing lights, strange noise, and exciting company.    

-Casper Bakker

Mindclot

A relative newcomer to the scene, St. Louis based four piece Mindclot has already begun to build a reputation as a one of a kind act in their mere not quite two years of rocking. Bringing a hybrid between blackened crust and d-beat, their unique rhythms will shake up expectations for the fest. Check out their 2023 album Profit Over People to prepare yourself.

-Evan Raefield

Pat and the Pissers

They’re one of the most far flung visitors for Pokey’s, coming all the way from Indianapolis! Pat and aforementioned Pissers have had a busy flurry of years, having released an album in both 2022 and 2023 with no signs of letting up. They are fresh off a spring tour across the nation, as well as separate dates bookending their Iowa City appearance. Audiences can expect a tight, fuzzy, and artsy performance from the four when they take the stage.

-Evan Raefield

Snuffed

The hardcore of Chicago’s Snuffed is vicious. Words snarled from vocalist Karly feel absolutely rabid. Riffs are constantly dropping down into the Earth, sending shockwaves across the surface. The natural rotting decay featured in much of the band’s imagery gives into the sonic presentation. It’s hardcore to devolve into, returning to some sort of animal urge, forgetting any of the artificial hardships that plague everyday human existence. None of these problems will really matter when eventually we all will return to the dirt where we came from.

-John Glab

True Commando

Breakcore is one of the most intense and energetic forms of music out there, with its high BPM and blistering fast rhythms. Now imagine making it even more intense and demented. That’s what Iowa City based artist True Commando does with his “hellish jungle” tracks. Amid the already frantic pace of breakcore compositions, he makes it even more caustic with blown out samples, along with scathing screams that tangle themselves within the bombardment of noise. Through all the cacophony is an intense, infectious shuffle perfect for running through the causeways of some flaming city. An immense amount of harsh energy is brought to each one of the sets, leaving a little bit of his soul strung out among the wires coiled on the ground.

-John Glab

Frontal Assault

A shining star of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa metal scene and a longtime regular in higher profile Iowa City shows, the seasoned band Frontal Assault brings a high adrenaline shred based approach to speedy metal tempos, sure to send audiences into a frenzy. They’re coming off of their most recent project, 10 Beer Plan, a split with fellow headliners Ill Omen (more on them in a moment) released in April of this year. They will have necks hurting before Saturday is half over.

-Evan Raefield

Ill Omen

The other Gemini of the Cedar Rapids metal scene, it makes sense that Ill Omen released a split with Frontal Assault, as they too embody a high octane thrash metal experience, with piercing vocals and even more piercing licks. Fresh off of their 2023 album as well as the aforementioned split, Ill Omen will bring a verifiable technical wizardry to Saturday’s lineup. I can already hear the tremolos in the distance.

-Evan Raefield

Kl!ng

Kl!ng to some degree is Penny Peach reincarnate. Kl!ng consists of all the members of the other band, but instead the song writing responsibilities have been divided equally among the three of them. Sonically, it is very similar. The band still has the same indie rock fusion between the fluidity of garage psych akin to Ty Segall, and a much more chaotic approach to grunge. Each one of their songs twists and turns into unpredictable directions, and the personalities of all three are given plenty of room in any of their sets. It’s all a very welcoming presence.

-John Glab

YXNG RASKAL

Harry Manaligod, the artist behind the YXNG RASKAL project, produces scathing rap songs with abrasive, murky, hyper pop like beats. Many of her songs, like “prairielands” on her recent album SPLIT/TING are protest anthems made to rage at the systems of oppression that people face in Iowa City on a daily basis. All while doing this though, she still does it in a jovial way, like on the track “LiNDSEY GRAHAM” where she shows no matter how much those in power try to knock people down, we can still rise and enjoy the time we have in our lives. Along with this, as Manaligod puts it, it’s bad bitch music that’s not bitch made.

-John Glab

Burger

Despite being a newer band in the Iowa City punk scene, Burger does not need an explanation. Yet, I guess here I am trying to give one. Filling in the city’s empty niche of Oi! Punk, the band still exudes a level of aggression, but makes it extremely palpable by providing a generally chirpy atmosphere. Each Burger set is extremely fun and joyous. It feels like it’d be perfect to play in some chapter’s union hall. Another niche in the Iowa City area which should be packed even more. 

-John Glab

Sunday

Aseethe

Aseethe is viscous. Their sound of doom metal is all-encompassing. When listening to their sets, the sludginess of their riffs seems to turn the air of whatever venue they’re playing into a solid mass. They achieve this effect by emphasizing drones in their music. Along with blending the regular elements of hardcore, they introduce synths into their sonic array, never letting up for a moment of brevity. All the different voices bend and bleed into each other. Within their dense, metallic performance, it permeates into a mesmerizing, hypnotic rumble. 

-John Glab

Death Kill Overdrive

Death Kill Overdrive is a bombastic pop punk freakazoid band hailing from Iowa City. With the delightfully pissed off vocal stylings of Cain and Oliver, and unmatched instrumentation, you’ll have no choice but to cheer and jump around for this home grown four piece! They released their most recent album Juicin’ late last year. With songs about everything from the joy of being in love, to the absolute horror of working in a grocery store, to how fucking cute the bassist Molly’s rabbit is, there’s no excuse for not showing up to what is sure to be a fantastic performance. Catch Death Kill Overdrive on the flip side, and at Pokey’s Fest.

-Casper Bakker

thisworldisnotkind

All lowercase, no spaces, MySpacecore band name? No thanks. Sure they’re relatively new, but this band like sucks. They’re fucking trash. We don’t need a cringe-ass screamo “skramz” or whatever the fuck band in Iowa City. I hate every member of this band, especially that dumb fuck twink of a bassist. Go see them or whatever.

Pest Heaven

Two piece bands consisting of just a vocalist on guitar and drums aren’t very common to come by. This is often because with having just the three possible voices, it’s hard to flesh out a full sound, unless you exude extreme talent. Two pieces like Washer, Gnarwhal, or to some degree The White Stripes do this exceptionally well, being able to create captivating songs with the barebones tools. Pest Heaven also falls into this category. Between guitarist Adelina and drummer Cauline, no space feels left empty. Some intricate fill or drum pattern is always being played, while the guitar riffs feel incredibly lush, and move from one killer idea to the next. All of this comes along with the duo’s fiery, heartfelt delivery. 

-John Glab

Haunter

Iowa City, Pokey’s Records, and the festival that they are putting on is home to plenty of weird and convention-pushing art. Tucked into this is a thriving experimental noise music scene. Haunter is one of many of these artists. During their sets, typically lit by just a single candle, they generate dark, barren, windswept landscapes. They feel inhospitable to be in, like it’s some sort of mistake that you find yourself standing in the middle of the long-decayed carnage. It’s an overbearing sensory experience that can make a person grapple with their own swirling being.  

-John Glab

Pokey’s Fest Schedule

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First, were the angelic tunes of Sarahann Kolder. This trip to heaven included songs from her album girl syndrome, as well as one song synthesized live with only a loop petal. Kolder’s spacey melodies danced between swaying bodies. The set ended with a showcase of multiple videos supporting the fight for Palestinian Liberation. Kolder also provided a free-to-look collection of her own books at the merch table, most of which centered around race, decolonization, and queerness.

The loop pedal was switched out for a laptop, allowing YXNG RASKAL to take her rightful place among the crowd. After hearing just 15 seconds of her emotional, offbeat opener “Nobeat”, which features soft piano contrasted with dark vocal synthesis, it was obvious that Rascal was taking us for a ride. Rascal’s energy was infectious, commanding the crowd to come alive during her set. She mostly played songs from her debut album SPLIT/TING. As the set began to wind down, Rascal hit the audience with her best song yet. “Prairieland”, a cutting callout to Iowa politicians, pushing towards a better life for trans kids and adults. The crowd went wild, generating into a small room of people transforming into a riot.

Image via Amir Prellberg

With that, Zora made her way onto the stage. I had listened to Zora’s debut album Z1, but somehow, I still had no idea what to expect. Her performance was equal parts heartbreaking and invigorating, switching from high-tempo bad-bitch bangers, to heart wrenching ballads with ease. Zora played a selection of tracks off of her debut album, ending with the album’s closer, “ICARUS.”. The song is a swelling, triumphant mood boost, and was set to be a perfect end to the night. Then, Zora asked the audience, “Do you guys want to hear some more?”, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Zora graced us with three last songs, all brand new. These three were unlike anything Zora has made before, and I can’t wait for them to be shared with the world.

As I stepped out of the James Theater, the warmth stayed with me, and it has been there ever since. <3

The post Finishing Off Track Zero with ZORA, YXNG RASKAL, and Sarahann Kolder appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Emily Wells and Lex Leto are analogous in many ways: both incredible singers, lenient on the use of sampling through their live performance, and display control over their instrument of choice. I would compare their match to PB and Jelly, toast to butter, tea and biscuits, and every other cheesy food analogy.

Lex Leto’s performance was deeply emotionally charged, as is staple from their original productions. Most of their performance was based on their Right Here album, released mid-summer. Just like the A24 movie with the similar name as the time of release, it sits in an unsettling yet comforting and beautiful spot on the musical spectrum. Leto evokes these feelings using seamless transitions, and soothing ethereal synths that are a joy to listen to. From time to time, these would be accompanied by Leto’s soft voice, as in “the dark alone it were my own”, where the use of foley-like percussion elements and vocal chops generated a clear contrast between the eerie and the beautiful. Leto’s performance complimented perfectly with what Wells was bringing to the table, using similar elements that draw inspiration from the headliner yet separating themselves as a local staple of live music.

Emily Wells stopped in as part of a three-show tour through the Midwest. Iowa City could not be more glad to have her perform within the walls of The James, described by Wells during her set as an intimate space that gave her the liberty to express freely. Wells compiles more than 20 years of her career, and the trajectory shows how intertwined she is with her instruments. Deliberate and delicate movements through out the performance displayed the emotions of her most recent release Regards to the End, which contains most of the songs in Wells’ performance. She presented the contrast of unsettledness and beauty through arrangement of synths or violin, evoking drums, and vocal mastery.

Image via Andrés Mora Mata

There is a certain aspect of vulnerability when performing a piece of music for the first time, that is hardly compared with any other vulnerable situation. During her performance, Wells prefaced a piece by setting a stage: an uncomfortable dinner where artists and friends are forced to wear a figurative mask towards a funder, and how this dynamic could either strengthen or diminish their relationship by voicing their true or constructed opinions towards a political issue. The piece, a part of an opera, takes you to an uncanny place with scarce, atonal keys layered with Wells vocals that sounded purposely frightened. Definitely one of my favorites of the show.

Wells dedicated an awesome rendition of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance to Leto, as an intimate and truthful exchange of artists sharing the same stage, and maybe the same experiences independently. That encapsulated to me what Track Zero strives for, and what it will be for the rest of the series: a curated match of local artists with their touring counterparts where barriers are basically non-existent.

The next Track Zero show is Kassa Overall, with support from Jack Lion & Tahjia Brantley at The James Theater on September 29th.

The post Emily Wells and Lex Leto are the Staple of What Track Zero Achieves appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The inaugural show to the series’ inaugural year will be performed by New York based multi-instrumentalist and composer Emily Wells. Wells, who released her album Regards to the End last year, will bring her hyper-layered style of chamber pop to The James Theater. Her one-person band performance fills the air with lush orchestral sounds of clarinet or violin flickering like shady leaves. This is accompanied by rolling, murky swells of electronic synth sounds and her shrill, reverberating voice. Her music gives the atmosphere of a dreary, cold, rainy afternoon where the reflections of streetlights streak across the pavement. Fitting for the oncoming fall months, or of beauty in industrial decay mentioned in her album.  

Image via Emily Wells

Lex Leto will open the performance, and therefore the entire series itself. The KL!NG (formally Penny Peach) collaborator and multi-instrumentalist creates minimalistic electronic music that feels on the cusp of being ambient. They have released a 7-track album Right Here, and a new single my bike / my wife in July and August respectively. Their solo project’s music is very fitting to Wells as an opener, as their music also plays as compositions arranged to eerie, enveloping moods. Leto takes a more intimate, DIY style approach to their music, recording and producing it themself. 

Emily Wells and Lex Leto open the inaugural Track Zero series this Wednesday, September 20^th at 7:30pm at The James Theater in Iowa City. Other artists coming to Iowa City for the series include Kassa Overall, Kate Bollinger, Tennis, Madison McFerrin, Sen Morimoto, and ZORA, who will all be performing in the upcoming weeks.  

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I talked with the their berserk vocalist and front man Deedee as the band were driving to Omaha, Nebraska to start the headlining leg of their tour. Leading into the interview questions, we chatted about a house show that happened in Iowa City the night before, and about some people that we both knew. 

Interview has been edited for clarity.

Deedee of MSPAINT. Image via Brooklyn Vegan

Hattiesburg is a smaller college town like Iowa City, so what’s the music scene like there? 

It’s bands mostly composed of people who live there, who don’t have to commute back and forth. At least when I moved there in 2009, there weren’t a lot of bands touring, or who had a desire to do that. It was mostly about being in a really good band to play at bars. Over time though that would change with more people coming through. People would then go play where other bands were from. That shift is kind of when the scene grew to being an established respected part of the city. From then it’s grown, and now the Hattiesburg world is being perpetuated outside of itself. It’s fun to turn people on to being from a place that rightfully no one really comes to play, but that will change over time.  

Is there a lot of turn over with bands there since people are coming in and out of the college there? 

It’s definitely been a part of it. Like there’s an exchange program with the jazz school at the University of Southern Mississippi, like where there would be kids from São Paulo, Brazil who have bands before going off to other schools. I feel like what’s happening is the people who start bands end up just staying. It’s kind of cause there’s nowhere else for them to go in Mississippi.  

It’s like Hattiesburg is a bubble for the people in Mississippi.  

For sure. The closest thing to us is New Orleans, and that’s like an hour and a half away. There’s a lot of people who move to Hattiesburg as an in-between spot to decide if they want to go to a bigger city or not. The scene here is so small and so tight that when people get involved with it they lock in. 

Are there a lot of venues there that allow for that scene to happen? 

It comes and goes. There are some spots we would go to that are closed or some DIY spots have changed locations, like with house shows. We have a community arts center we do shows at too, but there’s not a venue for like mid-level rock bands that come from, but there’s a steady supply of people making places work out. 

Yeah, like here we have a place called Public Space One which is an old Victorian-era mansion they turned into a community arts center.  

I saw some videos of that shit, it looks crazy. When I saw it, I was like “That’s lit.”  

Since Hattiesburg is small, was it hard to find other people to play together with in a band? 

The cool thing about Hattiesburg is all the weirdos in the state end up there, so you end up finding people who want to do the same things you want to do. That’s the cool thing about it, is that the community aspect of it is very real. Because it is so small and there’s not much else to do you end up finding those people that are doing those weird things too. 

Image via The Fader

Did you know Nick, Quinn and Randy for a while before you guys got together in MSPAINT? 

Yeah, me and Randy have been in bands together, and me, Nick and Quinn have played music together, so it was kind of a meeting of everybody who wanted to play and record some music together, for fun. Now we’re all in a van driving to Omaha.  

I read before that you all started the band because you were all somewhat tired of the hardcore scene and wanted to do something new. What brought you guys to that realization? 

It wasn’t even that we were tired of the hardcore scene, it was more that we were tired of ourselves using the same instrument to write songs. It’s us exploring more song writing in general. Three fourths of the band were highly interested in guitars, so we’ve always been writing music that way. So, the intent was mostly musical to see what it would sound like without guitars, as a way to challenge ourselves, and have fun with something different.  

It’s not so much you were tired of the scene, but rather you were tired of the same sounding compositions.  

Yeah exactly. There’s no distinct sound where we’re from, and I think what’s cool about the band sounding so unique and refreshing, is that it doesn’t sound like one thing or one genre. It’s influenced by different veins. It’s a really fun thing to be a part of, and it’s cool to be supported by people who love seeing us being our weird selves. 

I saw you guys describe your genre as “post-modeM.” Where did that term come from? 

That was something that came from being goofy and not really thinking about it. It might’ve been something somebody else said when messing around. I can’t really reference where it’s from. It’s also part of an interesting concept to think about using what could be aging technology to create new stuff that sounds advanced. 

It’s kind of akin to the whole vaporwave aesthetic thing with bringing in old elements from like the 80’s and 90’s and trying to make something futuristic sounding with it. 

Yeah, for sure! 

I guess it’s way more intense and aggressive compared to the chilled-out vibe with vaporwave. 

It’s like a different spectrum of similar things. There’s the chill ambient version of electronic music, and then there’s the heavy aggressive side of it. It’s like the different emotions of it. But yeah, “post-modeM” is related to not really sounding like anything else, and being androgynous with where we get our sound, not trying to fit into any defined structure. 

Doing something new and novel has drawn in a lot of people and has caught their attention. Would you say MSPAINT has had a lot more success than previous bands you’ve been in? 

For sure, I think that between our first EP in March of 2020 and now is seeing more people listening to our band or coming up to us at shows. Then we put more energy into the band and people respect that and being interested in it. As far as other bands we’ve been in, they’ve never gotten the offers and opportunities we’ve gotten. We can appreciate them more now because of that. 

What are your guys’ thoughts and feelings on how quickly that success came? 

Definitely it has challenges for sure. It’s one of those things where we can recognize the positives and hardships with the things we have to learn and figure out on the fly because there aren’t really any other bands in our hometown that experience this type of touring and scheduling. It goes through challenges, but we embrace it. We have to look at ourselves and realize it’s a special opportunity. We maintain our energy as much as we can, and we can’t ignore it when something special is happening right in front of you though. 

With that, would the success even matter to you all, like if you only had traction in Hattiesburg, would you still be going for it? 

I think that’s what would’ve happened if nobody listened to it. We would’ve just done some shows when we wanted to, and maybe have done some tours with the homies that we know. The intent would’ve been the exact same. Let’s be in a band, and whatever that means, we’ll do it. Let’s have some band practices and do whatever. 

I can’t find lyrics for all your songs, but they seem revolutionary yet optimistic. What do you put into the lyrics? 

It’s definitely about trying to evoke the feeling that change isn’t scary. It’s something you can stand on and be proud of, and be empowered by, instead of it being something that throws us off. It seems overwhelming, but you’ve got to embrace that moment and feel powerful doing that.  

It’s like as the world is falling apart there’s still that drive to make it better, and beauty in it. 

Yeah, you got it. That’s exactly it.  

Image via The James Theater

What do you know about the Iowa City scene in general since you’ve been here before? 

It’s been a while since we’ve been there, but to me it reminds me of where we’re from. It’s like a smaller place where people usually don’t go to play shows. It’s like a place that you don’t see on a lot of tour flyers. I always kind of look at places like Iowa City, Springfield, Illinois or Chattanooga, Tennessee. They’re places that people totally could play at, but don’t really know anything about it. I feel like for us coming from such a small place, we see places like Iowa City, and places people don’t normally go to, we get drawn to them.  

I get that feeling being in Iowa City, you can feel isolated, but you still have this drive to make your community better and have it be a place that other people want to go to.  

Yeah, that’s why we come to places that remind us of Hattiesburg like Iowa City and such, because it’s kind of like trying to fight that feeling and help contribute to scenes there. Also, when we go around to different places more people hear about Hattiesburg, so it’s all about growing the scenes, and having more people getting involved. 

MSPAINT is headlining the show at The James Theater in Iowa City on June 2^nd. You can listen to their new album “Post-American” on their Bandcamp page. You can also read a review of the album on the KRUI website here.  

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