Gross Domestic Product Festival returns to Des Moines in April

Another favorite Iowa music tradition is returning to Des Moines next month. The Des Moines Music Coalition (DMCC) announced this year’s lineup for the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a one-day All-Iowa music festival happening on Saturday, April 23. Little Village is a co-presenter of GDP for the first time, celebrating the launch of the central Iowa print edition. 

Musicians will flock to Gas Lamp, Teehee’s Comedy, and the Cave, intimate spaces located near Western Gateway Park in Des Moines, as concert-goers bounce from venue to venue to see the dozen local acts. The musicians represent a wide range of genres and come from various regions of the state. The festival’s main goal is to showcase and support young, up-and-coming artists and bring in a mix of diverse acts to Des Moines.

Five acts will be traveling to the fest from Eastern Iowa. The lineup includes Wave Cage, jazz, fusion and electronic band (Iowa City); Good Morning Midnight, the classic Midwestern rock project (Iowa City); indie/garage rock mistress Penny Peach (Iowa City); Blake Shaw, jazz double bassist and vocalist (Iowa City), and Soultru, a soul acoustic artist (Davenport). 

From the southeast tip of the state, Finally Some Action, a DIY electric duo (Keokuk) will be performing, and representing just south of Des Moines is Teri Underhill, a singer/songwriter, poet, and activist (Norwalk). 

Five Des Moines-based musicians will also be hitting the stage at GDP. Expect to catch the electronic rock band LVVMAKING, who call themselves the “multimedia band of freaks.” Additionally, the emo rock band, Bouquet; Allegra Hernandez, non-binary guitarist, rocker and music educator; Us Vs Them, a hip hop collective consisting of six rappers; and jazz vocalist and songwriter Natalie Lowe. 

GDP’s been around since 2006 but has been postponed in recent years due to the pandemic. On Instagram and Facebook, Mickey Davis, the Des Moines Music Coalition’s Executive Director said it “feels good to be announcing shows again after a very long time” and is “excited to announce the first GDP since 2019 with a great lineup from across the state.”

The one-day festival is co-presented by Little Village Magazine and Exile Brewing. Tickets to the fest are $18.

“This year we’re co-presenting the event with Little Village Mag as they debut their first central Iowa issue,” Davis said, “Please consider attending to support the growth of our music scene!”