mission freak!

(Ed.’s note: infrequent but beloved Mission Creek writer Sam Edsill will be doing daily festival reports along with John C. Scholtfelt. If you missed the shows, enjoy the narratives. If you were there, leave comments and discuss your own experiences.)

It’s mid-afternoon as I write this, but the buzz from Mission Creek’s opening salvo of music hasn’t quite worn off yet. (Fortunately for me - and my day job - the buzz from several pints of Fat Tire and Leinie’s Red has). My stylish hot pink festival pass has survived its first 24 hours. Three more days to go, little guy. And now, the rundown:

HenriHenrietta/The Priest and the Devil : Java House

Two names, essentially one band. The Priest and the Devil (Owen Nicolas and Matt Plummer of Orlando, FL, on guitar and banjo) and HenriHenrietta (those two plus Indianapolis residents Lauren Moore on accordion and Sterling Schroeder on guitar) played a mix of bluegrass, folk, and blues, with touches reminiscent of Iron & Wine and Langhorne Slim. Nicolas, Plummer, and Moore did some lovely three-part harmony, which brought a spry toddler to fits of dancing delight. The rest of us mellowed out and sipped our coffee.

Last night’s show marked the quartet’s first trip to the Hawkeye state, and the band wasn’t sure what to expect of Iowa City.

“We saw a lot of cows,” said Nicolas. Fortunately, they seem to like it here. Tonight the group will grace the Java House for an encore performance before heading west to Des Moines.

Pieta Brown : The Mill

Iowa City’s own Pieta Brown (last night accompanied by local guitarman Bo Ramsey) will take you on a trip down south if you let her. Close your eyes, and through the gentle twang of her voice you may find yourself ambling down a country road in Alabama or sitting by a slow-rolling stream. “Gon’ play an ol’ love song here,” she’ll say, easing into a lovely tune that feels like you’ve always known it: “Believe what you want/Believe what you will/That sun goes down/I’m loving you still.” Brown and Ramsey had Wednesday’s crowd (yours truly included) in rapt attention, like a group of campers gathered round the fire. After a few beers, it was onto the Yacht Club for Fourth of July.

Fourth of July : Yacht Club

After an evening of the laid-back and the low-down, I was ready to get down, and Fourth of July delivered, though sadly without vocalist Adrianne Verhoeven. Apparently the band’s repeated visits to Iowa City have paid off, because the crowd danced and sang along to their set, which consisted mostly of their latest record, Fourth of July on the Plains.

Introducing a new tune, singer Brendan Hangauer quipped, “It’s going to be on our new album that’s due out whenever we record one.”

Now, onto Spoon in Davenport.