Although this year’s Firecracker 500 Fest is now in the rear-view mirror, there are still plenty of amazing garage and psych rock acts passing through Iowa City this summer. Holy Wave from Austin, Texas, for instance, will be playing this Thursday at Trumpet Blossom with local rock n’ roll fixtures Rusty Buckets and Maiden Mars. […]
Iowa City music
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Firecracker 500 Fest rolls on with Memphis rockers Ex-Cult
Memphis punk rockers Ex-Cult are set to headline a full lineup at The Mill tonight as part of the Firecracker 500 Festival. Joined by Iowa City’s Good Habits, Detroit’s Mexican Knives and Omaha’s The Lupines, Ex-Cult will be closing out a night filled with the kind of aggressive, post-punk thrashing they have become known for in their short history. If you can make it to only one night of the Firecracker 500 Festival, this is definitely the one to see.
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Doom metal meets art rock: Prizehog to play Trumpet Blossom this Saturday
Portland’s sludge-doom trio Prizehog will be playing at Trumpet Blossom this Saturday for a night of loud, wonderfully strange music. The show starts…
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Portland’s Finest: Blitzen Trapper to rock Gabe’s this Friday
Blitzen Trapper is the kind of band that brings people together: Hipsters and bros, townies and students all comfortably fit in at a Blitzen Trapper show. It’s a hodgepodge crowd that matches the band’s hodgepodge sound.
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Xerox returns for premier record release show
If there ever was a town that sucked in and expelled more musicians than Iowa City, it would have to exist in a spaghetti western or a Cormac McCarthy novel. Musicians ride into town, shoot up the place, become outlaws and ride out right before their infamy can be appreciated. And after they leave they can become a kind of faceless legend existing in the sprawl of the internet and exaggerated bar tales.
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Firecracker 500 Festival explodes The Mill this weekend
Get your earplugs ready because the now (consistently) annual Firecracker 500 Festival is happening a month early this year, kicking off what will undoubtedly be a great summer of music listening and day-drinking. Firecracker brings together a bunch of primarily Midwest garage, psychedelic and punk bands.
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Brian Johannesen to play free show at Gabe’s this Thursday
Iowa City’s favorite country-lovin’, whiskey-drinkin’ son, Brian Johannesen, now based out of Nashville, will be playing at Gabe’s this Thursday at 8 p.m. He’ll be joined by Chicago’s Ryan Joseph Andersen, of the roots-rock band Go Long Mule.
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Catching up with Coolzey: Hip hop artist and former IC resident to play tonight at Gabe’s
Hip hop artist and former IC resident Coolzey is coming back home for a show at Gabe’s tonight at 10 p.m., backed by openers Fooch the MC, Romulan and…
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Vinyl heads unite! Bring Your Own Record night debuts at Gabe’s this Tuesday
Tired of being under the thumb of the Spotify, Pandora or Soundcloud algorithms? All the more reason to check out Gabe’s this Tuesday between 8 p.m. and…
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Group facing backlash for its views on sin and sexuality to play tonight at Gabe’s
This Friday, Murder Death Kill, Leaders and Reformers, three metal/hardcore bands on a self-described “Heavy Hitters” tour will be playing Gabe’s along…
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Chamber Singers of Iowa City close out season with Durufle’s Requiem
All the chamber singing fans in the house throw your hands in the air! The Chamber Singers of Iowa City are closing out a year of excellent concerts…
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Reviews: Item 9 & The Mad Hatters – III
Item 9 & The Mad Hatters was originally a cover band called Old Style, but in 2010 they added lead vocalist Adam Maxwell to the mix and made the transition to original tunes. The time spent honing their chops playing a variety of musical genres in Old Style paid off and is highlighted in the band’s newest album, III, a funky stew of seemingly every rock and roll ingredient.
