When Too Much Joy frontman Tim Quirk played Riverfest in the early-1990s, things didn’t go well. Mother Nature unleashed a shitstorm of epic proportions, so after a long delay, the gig was relocated to a club downtown. Adam Sandler, the opener, was the first to face the out-of-control audience…
Mission Creek 2013
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Interview with Pete Swanson, playing tonight at Yacht Club
Pete Swanson was one half of the experimental electronic music band Yellow Swans, who made their mark as extremely ambitious musicians, and whose performances balanced improvisation, chaotically complex sound treatment and emotionally affecting harmonic progression.
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Hitting the wall
My doughty Mormon forbears–who from what I understand stayed for a while at Student Housing over by Coralville on their way to Utah–walked over a thousand miles without the benefit of modern medicine, scientifically engineered footware or Facebook. Maybe if I set off for Salt Lake with all mod cons on foot I’d get used to being on my feet for long stretches. But when I hit the wall during Mission Creek, I hit it feet first.
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Interview with Dan Boeckner of Divine Fits
Dan Boeckner is one of indie rock’s hardest working songwriters and performers. He was a founding member of Montreal-based Wolf Parade and helped lead that band through a fruitful career that yielded three impressive albums before disbanding last year. He also co-founded the synth, drum machine outfit Handsome Furs with his wife and put out three great records before that project also disbanded in 2012.
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Running up and down the alley
Wednesday was a Mission Creek evening for me like a meal at a tapas bar. I caught six different bands at three venues, mostly traversing the alley between Gabe’s and Yacht Club to try and sample the most interesting music on offer. Not to take away from the bands I didn’t see–Slut River has been more transcendently trashy every time I’ve caught their performances-as-insurrection–but a guy can only be one place at a time. Thus, my peregrinations described in chronological order.
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Show Review: William Basinski, Julianna Barwick and Teaadora
My first event of the festival was an overwhelming musical experience. Arriving upstairs at Gabe’s, they had set up chairs down front…
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Gabe’s to screen “Pussy Riot: A Punk Rock Prayer” April 3
Want more proof that Mission Creek Festival is more than just a Music & Literature Festival? On April 3rd, at 7PM, before the White Lung show, FilmScene and Mission Creek Festival will be screening the Iowa Premiere of Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer.
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Writing Industry Roundtable coming to Iowa City
Craving some mid-Mission brain food? Iowa City-based lecture group Tuesday Agency (a full-service lecture agency representing the likes of Colson Whitehead, Ann Patchett, Khaled Hosseini, Jon Ronson, and many more) is serving up slices of literary genius, with extra cheese.
