The first announcement about 2011 Mission Creek Festival dropped today. It should be obvious that the Little Village staff overlaps with the Mission Creek staff, and that we have been in the past and will be forever huge cheerleaders for the Mission Creek Festival. So full disclosure: we don’t pretend anything resembling objectivity here — we’re huge fans, we’re friends, we’ve held each other’s hair while we’ve puked.
Anyhow, my considered editorial opinion of Mission Creek: HOLY FVCKING SH!T! Here’s the press release:
ANNOUNCING: IOWA CITY’S MISSION CREEK FESTIVAL RETURNS
Mission Creek Festival // Iowa City, Iowa // March 28 – April 4th
Featuring: Guided By Voices, John Waters, Kim Gordon & Thurston Moore, and more
for all inquiries: contact: brian@missionfreak.com
The sixth annual Mission Creek Festival returns to Iowa City, Iowa from March 28th – April 4th, 2011. This week-long celebration takes over venues, art spaces, and businesses in downtown Iowa City, providing an easily navigated nexus of music, literature, and visual art. The festival remains dedicated to inspiring and building Iowa City’s artistic community through the exposure of local, national, and international artists.
Mission Creek Festival differs from larger festivals that inhabit large outdoor spaces and embraces the cultural geography of Iowa City, a cozy, intimate Midwestern town located on Interstate 80 and home to the University of Iowa. Bridging the University’s vast potential and the creative foundation of the town’s residents, Mission Creek Festival offers a multi-day happening in venues of many sizes — all of which are only a five-minute walk from each other. Every year is special. Past experiences include the Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA performing his classic album Liquid Swords in a 98-year old historic theater, Bon Iver playing to a room of 300 eager fans, and renowned writers like Ben Marcus, Colson Whitehead, and Edmund White reading in old, wooden barrooms to rapt audiences. In line with previous years, the 2011 festival features a diverse range of performers, including one of the best rock n’ roll bands of our era (Guided By Voices), a one-man performance by a film icon (John Waters), pioneers of New York’s music/art scenes (Kim Gordon & Thurston Moore), and masters of ambient and experimental music (Mountains). Featured venues include: Blue Moose Tap House, The Englert Theatre, Gabe’s, Iowa City Yacht Club, The Mill, Prairie Lights, White Lightning Wherehouse… more to come soon…
Confirmed artists include:
Guided By Voices — Classic Reunion Lineup!
John Waters performing his one-man show, This Filthy World
Kim Gordon & Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth (in lecture & performance)
Chris Corsano
Dark Dark Dark
Mountains
Skull Defekts featuring Daniel Higgs
Pillars & Tongues
Wye Oak
Birds & Batteries
Zomes
…many more artists to come!
The 2nd announcement will be made on Tuesday, Jan 25th. Details about festival tickets, passes, schedules, venues, and sponsors to follow.
Website: http://www.festival.missionfreak.com/
