I got there around 11:00 because that’s when they were supposed to start, but they didn’t, so I got to silently observe for a while. The Yacht Club is definitely more of a bar scene. People were just hanging out at tables and drinking, not crowding around the stage like I expected.

The people there were what one would classify as “hipsters”, but I think that is typical for Mission Creek! I love hipsters, personally.They dress so stylishly, effortlessly. They also don’t seem to care what people think. Once Feel Free came on, people were dancing and swaying and moving their heads along to the beat. It was cool to see people just “feel free”!

Feel Free is made up of two guys. One has a beard, as shown above, and donned a black skull cap and a ying-yang sweatshirt. The other guy was just wearing a baseball cap and a hoodie. Nothing too special, which I like. Just do you, don’t wear a bunch of clothes to impress other people!

Anyway, the duo is from the Minneapolis / St. Paul area. They classify themselves as a “sound system”, and I completely agree with that categorization. When they first came on, I got Bassnectar type vibes from the sounds they were producing. They used a lot of “cartoon” noises. I don’t know, that’s just what I thought.

They had really solid beats in the background, then all of the sudden there would be a sound that reminded me of the Roadrunner running away from the Coyote, or bubbles and lasers. They also used a lot of tropical rainforest/animal noises. I honestly do not know a lot about electronic music or how it works. They just had a bunch of equipment set up in front of them! It’s cool that they’re so creative they can just make music out of literal sounds. I could never!

I don’t know exactly how many songs they played, because as I said, I don’t know anything about this genre of music and it seemed to me that they never completely stopped playing, so either they played one huge song or their tracks just flow together, one after another.

If you want to check out the duo’s Facebook, go ahead and click this link here.

These are my photos again, so if you want to look at more of my photography stuff, go to my photography Instagram here.

And lastly, if you wanna listen to some beats by Feel Free, here is their SoundCloud!

The post Mission Creek Festival: Feel Free @ Iowa City Yacht Club 4/8/2018 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Of course, my parents and other authority figures warned me about raves. They figured nothing good could come from young people choosing for themselves which drugs they took. Instead they told us to take Prozac and Ritalin and go to school and be good kids, rather than unifying our minds with the universal consciousness through dance, whether or not we were on drugs. They didn’t know dance and rapture are effective forms of therapy.

As with most generations, we did not really listen to our parents. We threw our raves, grew our own drugs, made our own music and music production equipment, and our music evolved so fast it became difficult to track the genres as they continually evolved. While parents and others stressed the dangers of being drugged, or losing one’s mind or becoming lost in the forest, my experience of raves was the opposite. When people would get too out of it, others would notice, give them some water, encourage them to rest, and care for them.

I know this sounds just like something a crotchety old hipster would say, but honestly you sort of had to be there. I’ve very rarely experienced that kind euphoric unification with fellow human beings and the universe itself. There was a certain feeling at those early raves that I continually look for, and occasionally find. Last night was one of those nights where I found it.

Mission: Beat is in its fourth year. The event is organized by Ben Mealhow, also known as bTsunami, an erstwhile Iowa City DJ now residing in Denver, my hometown.

The night began with Lazarus, who is from Cedar Rapids. He played a really vibey set. Still definitely dance music, it had a feeling of cool all over it. People familiar with Larry Heard know what I am talking about. There is this magic about being up tempo and simultaneously cool that Lazarus flawlessly displayed. I was very pleased with his set. But I don’t want to sell him short, either. He definitely played some bangers.

How to change from one DJ to the next is always an interesting question at shows like these, because you want to keep the vibe going but recognize the differences between the DJs and their styles as well. However, the transitions were quite smooth. They let the audience know when one performer was finished so they could be appropriately cheered, but they never let the beat die down.

After Lazarus went on, Iowa City’s own Attentat performed. I must admit I don’t quite know what genre to place him in, but I would call it straight up techno with occasional elements of house. His set was incredible. It was lit, bangin. By the time he finished, Yacht Club was filling up, and love permeated the air.

The first two DJs did their spinning electronically. But when Alala.one came on, she changed things up. Alala.one has been spinning techno for nearly 20 years, all on vinyl records. As a vinyl DJ myself, I was taken away by her ability to flawlessly mix track after track. I was also struck by the way she utilized effects, and the quirky half-smile she would sport right before dropping the hottest beat you’ve heard. After initially blending in with the style of Attentat’s set, Alala.one shook things up by hitting us with some uptempo breakbeats (to much applause).

By the end of her set, she took it back to hard-hitting techno, which paved the way for bTsunami. I have been to several parties planned by bTsunami, and they rank among the best parties I have ever attended. This is as much because of the music as it is because of the people and the vibe. It can be really awkward at dance parties. Sometimes there are creepers. Sometimes there isn’t enough room to dance. Although the ceiling at Yacht Club are too low to really allow for hoop dancing, there was always plenty of room for regular dancing, and everyone seemed to be having as good a time as I was (or better).

bTsunami’s set was killer techno with the occasional foray into deep house. The techno he plays has more of a groove to it than the usually repetitive forms of techno. By this time Yacht Club was absolutely raging. I spoke briefly with one of the best dancers of the evening, and he told me that he had not danced for years. If sets like this can make a person who has not danced for years begin to dance and shine like that, you know the DJs have done their job. In addition, someone who had been a wallflower all night finally got up and got down, and we all cheered her on.

As the set went on, the house lights slowly went up, and I kept thinking that at any time it would all be over, but it still kept going for several minutes. Once bTsunami was done, he encouraged the crowd to clear out, at which point I ghosted out of that piece.

All in all, Mission:Beat felt a great deal like those very early raves. The night was full of mutual recognition, appreciation, and acceptance. I ran into several close friends, and made several new ones. If your mind is in the right place, a party like this can be the highlight of your year. I was very happy that I happened to be in the right place in the right time in the right mindset.

The post Mission Creek: Mission: Beat @ Yacht Club 04/07/2017 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

First on stage was the eclectic group, Greg Wheeler & The Polygamist Mall Cops. Self identified as “manic garage punk slime”, this band lived up to the impression of their name: strange and incomprehensible. From the first glance, I knew this would be a unique performance. The guitarist sported an oversized Milwaukee Bucks jersey while the drummer wore a traditional mall cop uniform, complete with badge, and finally, the bassist and only female in the group danced around in a sexier version of a cop uniform. It was perplexing but not particularly fascinating. Instead, it created a sense of confusion and ultimately, annoyance at whether or not they truly had a method to their madness. They began songs with the cliche “1, 2, 3, 4!”, making them sound even more like an angsty group of teenagers in a garage. Despite their shortcomings, I’ve gotta give it up to them for their originality, even though I still don’t quite understand the meaning behind their name, Greg Wheeler & The Polygamist Mall Cops.

Next onstage was Chicago-based trio, Gosh!. This intriguing band plays minimalistic psychedelic dream pop, gracing the stage with an eerie sound. With matching curly locks down to their shoulders, the two men and one woman were in cohesion with each other throughout the entire performance, creating a vibe that was easy to get on board with. Their vocals were in sync, floating together with “ooo”s that transported the audience into a dreamlike state, holding true to their title. They stuck to their minimalist roots, their whispering voices crooning above a stripped down guitar. As their set went on, the music became more complicated, subtle songs growing into a fast-paced scream of instruments that lifted the audience off of the ground and sent vibrations into each chest.
Gosh! finished their set with my favorite song of the night: “Not That I’d Care” from their album Cities of the Plain. This track had a more carefree vibe than their other songs, making me feel as if I were prancing along a colorful brick street in the whimsical world of a Wes Andersen film. Gosh! has a distinct style that I was pleasantly surprised by, stealing the show.

Finally, the headliner of the night was punk rock band, Lifestyles. The three-person band took the stage nonchalantly, the male drummer wearing a Metallica t-shirt with the sleeves cut off, male bassist dressed in a plain white t-shirt and leather jacket, and the female lead singer and guitarist sporting knee-high leather lace-up boots, tattooed arms exposed through her ripped grey t-shirt. They all looked badass and ready to put on a show. The lead singer gave a smile to the crowd just before beginning to play, and this was the last glimpse of any joy we caught for the rest of the night.

From the moment they began playing, the room was filled with brutally rough, loud and angry music. The band members are definitely talented instrumentalists, their fingers moving rapidly over the strings of the guitar and the drummer’s sticks never ceasing from moving, but their music itself was extremely unpolished. The lead singer’s voice was scarily screechy, incomprehensible and just plain unpleasant to listen to. Her screams were so sporadic that it made me wonder if she was even singing a song or simply making up everything as she went. The bassist’s voice was a bit more appealing, bringing some levelheadedness to her chaos through his background vocals. There were several instrumental breaks that were interesting and enjoyable, but would always be interrupted too soon by the lead singer’s harsh voice, jolting me back into discomfort.

It was difficult to distinguish one song from another, because all included the same aspects: grating instrumentals, screaming vocals and lots of anger. Anger is an immensely interesting emotion and music involving anger can be powerful. However, there is no way for the audience to connect with angry music if they have no idea what the musicians are angry about. I could not understand the meaning behind any song that Lifestyles performed, so I had nothing to grab onto emotionally – all I heard was noise. Maybe this is the purpose of Lifestyles’ music – to be noise. If they simply want to create a specific sound, not audible words or stories, then they accomplished their goal. If they want to entertain, then they have not achieved their goal.

Lifestyles’ performance was full of energy, with each band member visibly giving it their all. The bassist eventually ripped off his jacket, white t-shirt underneath soaked against his skin, throwing his head back and screaming the lyrics with his eyes closed, mouth wide open, teeth exposed. The drummer shook his head spastically, eyes wide and intense like a maniac. The lead singer had a constant dangerous look in her eye, just visible through the strawberry blonde hair that she let fall over her face. She was clearly in her own world for the entirety of the performance. I cannot say that Lifestyles did not have a purpose with their performance, because they are clearly performers. But what I can say is that I haven’t the slightest clue what that purpose was.

The post Mission Creek: Lifestyles @ Iowa City Yacht Club 4/5/2017 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I arrived at the Yacht Club far too early, as I descended into a strangely lit and smoky basement. There was an arrangement of pale yellow light bulbs along the walls and ceiling that I had never before seen in all my nights spent in that cavern. It was part of the show; a light specialist was present (who apparently has programmed lights for Prince!). The room was mostly empty, and a few poets were gathered around a table. On my way in, I recognized a few members of Yonatan Gat hanging around their van and hauling gear into the venue.

Tonight’s show was an exciting mixture of music and poetry. The event celebrated the 10th anniversary of Black Ocean, a press who printed the works of poets Zachary Schomburg and Kelly Schirmann, and soon too include Anais Duplan, the first poet to read tonight.

Janaka Stucky, the man behind Black Ocean, was first to approach the mic.

“How’s everyone doing tonight?” was met with a few claps.

“I’m not gonna start the show with that kind of response. We have writers from all over here tonight!” Before he could fully finish his statement the cheering had picked up and drowned him out. The sparse crowd approached the front of the stage, gathering around (some sitting, some standing) in anticipation for Anais to read.

Anais was the type of person that emanated originality. Although she started by reading someone else’s poem, she used it as a jumping off point to dive into her own beautifully dark version of history. Her poems were bursting at the seams; her voice was commanding and poetic, but always felt as if she was holding something back from us, something she has known forever, but something we won’t ever know. She read two new poems first, then a few from her book. She has a book coming out in 2018 with Black Ocean. Janaka referred to her as “The Ghost of Black Ocean Future”.

Her work was at some points academic and rife with historical references, but at other points inventive both in language and in imagery, something that is sort of a trend with the work put out through this press. She finished her last poem with a relaxed “Cool. I’ll stop there,” before the next poet took the stage.

The next poet was Kelly Schirmann, whose first book with Black Ocean is coming out soon. They had copies for sale, though, along with the books of a few other poets involved. The poems she read were very revealing. They felt raw, naked, coming at you in a no-bullshit way along with a pleasant musical grace. She writes the type of poem you always feel was “written just for you,” giving you a feeling much like that of hearing your favorite song from childhood. Although her work is strangely relatable, she also had a very unique voicing in her poems.

Throughout her reading, the guitarist from Yonatan Gat was walking around the back of the crowd, tenderly plucking some strings on his unplugged guitar. I guess it added texture.

The last line she read had to be written down in my notebook immediately: “I love you so entirely, I forget how to talk.” But writing it in my notebook couldn’t replicate the way she said it. It was just one honest, suspended moment–then it was gone.

Kelly is also the founder of Black Cake Records, a web-based label that mixes music and poetry. “All of the music is free, and Zachary even has an album up on there,” said Kelly. “Mixing music and poetry really amplifies whatever emotion is present. It makes it more enjoyable for everybody,” said Zachary Schomburg, when I asked him about the intersections of music and poetry. “There are new waves of art always coming.”

The last poet to read was Zachary Schomburg. Zach was the only poet whose work I was familiar with before coming to the event tonight. He didn’t bring any of his books with him, the ones that I had read, but rather read one from memory and a few from what appeared to be his phone. As I expected, it was a great reading. I had always considered his work in some ways very dark. Ask anyone who knows his poems, and they’ll tell you about his mind-bendingly surreal imagery and dark humor. He brought that dark humor to the stage tonight, even asking the crowd if the Yacht Club was actually an “easy bake oven.” His poems are filled with endlessly creative imagery and wit.

I asked Zachary, after the show, how he used such strange images to convey how he was feeling. “Scary, No Scary (a book of his on Black Ocean) was written at a very dark time for me. I can hardly read those poems at readings.” He explained to me the process in which a poets can discover themselves through organic writing, while also creating engaging art for others.

Once the poets were all finished, Yonatan Gat began to set up. They were visible the whole night; the way they dressed and carried themselves gave off the travelling musician vibe. They walked around the venue for a bit, reforming the shape of the table-and-chair setup to better suit their needs. Yonatan Gat makes a point to play on the floor of venues, with the crowd surrounding them, as opposed to getting up on stage and removing yourself from the audience.  This made for a strikingly intimate performance.

As they were setting up their almost-drumset (it consisted of a floor tom, snare, bass drum, and a singular ride cymbal) and warming up the tubes in their amps, the members were also turning off every single light bulb, one by one, along with stage lights, back lights, and anything that emitted light. This made it rather difficult for me to take notes, so I put my note book away and enjoyed the show up front.

Each band member had a light fixture pointed at them: red for the guitar player, a pale blue for bass, and green for the drummer. As each band member entered or exited a song, they would turn their light on or off in quick succession. It was a really awesome idea and it definitely added to the set.

The show was just what I expected. The songs were at times jazzy and sparse, until the next moment when we were thrown into a whirlwind of thrash-punk. The absolute speed never faltered, though the mood would. The drummer was playing so hard and so fast that his perspiration was thrown around the set area. I even think the closest six audience members got sweaty just watching him.

Yonatan Gat’s music often escapes words, which is why I found it so fascinating that it was paired with such wonderful wordsmith action by some very talented poets. The music had that sort of pseudo-rhythm we hear in some poetry, and I couldn’t help wondering what it would sound like with poetry spoken over it. I asked Kelly about reading over music, which is the type of music her label consists of: “Before I got here I was like ‘Yeah, I’m definitely gonna ask the guitar player if he’ll play behind me while I read!’ I guess I just changed my mind.” Oh, the ache of what could have been.

After Yonatan Gat, a DJ closed out the night. A few people were gathered around a Mac Book, dancing with the poets and musicians who had so gracefully curated an amazing night of words and sound. While packing my things up, Anais caught my eye and said “What, no dancing?” before smiling and running off into the crowd. And that’s how I ended up dancing awkwardly next to some poets I truly admire.

You can check out Yonatan Gat’s music below, in the Spotify playlist, or get it straight from their website. Also, I would suggest browsing the collection of works for sale over at Black Ocean.

The post Mission Creek: Black Ocean 10th Anniversary @ The Yacht Club 4/7/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Noise rock band Wolf Eyes came to the Yacht Club on Wednesday night to present their loud, ruthless sound for Mission Creek Festival.  The band was joined by three opening acts: Mating Call, Curt Oren, and Taser Island.

Mating Call was the first to take the stage.  The crowd was scarce as there didn’t seem to be more than ten or fifteen people huddled in front of the small stage.  But that didn’t stop the band from giving it their all.

Mating Call was relentless, not offering a single second of silence throughout their entire set.  Behind a table filled with sound equipment, two of the members produced electronic drum beats while turning various nobs and tuners.  On the left of the stage, a guitar player builds and layers endless chords upon one another.  The main focus, however, was on the vocalist who danced around and in the audience screaming into the mic.

By the time the second act was ready to perform, the crowd was steadily growing larger.  Curt Oren brought a much different style of music to the stage.  While much more simplistic than Mating Call, Oren kept the energy up with his baritone and alto saxophone solos.  “Sorry”, Oren said after the first song.  “My lower register is broken.  This would sound a lot more bad ass if my lower register wasn’t broken.”  But based on the reaction of the audience, nobody seemed to mind.  Oren performed several jazz inspired pieces that immediately pulled the crowd towards his unique style.

The third act of the night, Taser Island, brought a different aspect to the show.  The duo sat in chairs in front of the stage while a projector showed three different video clips of various locations.  The group played along to the footage with acoustic guitars and electronic beats, singing along with an eerie harmony.  Off to the side, a third member who had offered to help for the night played long, quiet notes out of an electric guitar, creating a beautiful sense of ambiance to underscore the vocals.

A little past midnight, Wolf Eyes took to the stage.  The crowd had grown as the hours passed, packing the floor just in front of the stage.  By now the crowd was definitely pumped and ready, and Wolf Eyes did not disappoint.  The group started right away.  The two guitar players both building off each other’s sounds, letting them bounce off one another holding up the hardcore punk style vocals from singer Nate Young.

My favorite song of the night was the encore.  Spanning a grand ten minutes, the band layered its sound over time, using pedals to loop various vocals and guitar riffs until the cacophony of sound had enveloped the entire venue creating what was probably the loudest show Mission Creek has seen.  Even while typing this hours after the last note was played, my ears are still ringing.

For more information on Wolf Eyes and their current tour, visit their website.  For more information on Mission Creek and its lineup, click here.

The post Mission Creek: Wolf Eyes @ The Yacht Club, 4/2/14 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Not surprisingly, the crowd was significantly smaller for the first opener, a local band from West Liberty, Exit, Emergency! The Pop-Punk group played a set of all original songs. Although you could definitely tell that the group is only in it’s second year of performing, some of their music showed some solid composition and melodies, and are worth your attention.

Following was Iowa City natives, Final Alibi. The four piece group had a surprisingly unique sound that was refreshing. Their musical variation, along with singer Adam Jennings’ vocal variation, made for a great set that didn’t sound repetitious. Songs like “Mi Hermano“, can give you an idea of their Alternative Rock sound. Check out all of their music on their YouTube.

Headlining the show was of course Quietdrive. The group, who is working on their 5th full length album, opened with “Jessica”. Their set was filled with a mix of older and newer songs, and plenty of humor. They had a great lighthearted  energy on stage, that left the audience with smiles on their faces.

The set took a heavier turn towards the end when the group played their new, emotionally charged song that dropped on Tuesday, “Even When I’m Gone”. 100% of the proceeds from this song are being directly donated to Team Kendal Kidz and Children’s Cancer Research Fund. A cause they are continuing to support tonight, by playing the 3rd Annual Team Kendal Kidz Concert in Detroit, MI.

To get full emotional story behind the new song and Team Kendal Kidz, read it on their Facebook here. To support an amazing cause, and own an amazingly moving song, buy it on iTunes here or click on the album artwork below.

The post Quietdrive Rocks Yacht Club Despite Venue Change appeared first on KRUI Radio.

After Container’s set, Pete Swanson set up his impressive collection of equipment in front of the Yacht Club’s stage. The crowd quickly gathered around to dance to the pounding beats. There were no song breaks during Swanson’s show. From start to finish, the crowd was treated to a continuous flow of sound as Swanson conjured it from the series of drones, controllers and other equipment at his fingertips.

Container got the crowd psyched up with his set, and served as an excellent opener for Swanson.

The post Photos: Exitmusic, Pete Swanson, and Container @ Yacht Club – 4/7/13 appeared first on KRUI Radio.