mission freak!

Tomorrow afternoon, Exodus Music Festival awakens from a several year hiatus, and this beast is poised to reestablish itself as one of the most fun and musically adventurous days of music in the state. The promoters of this year’s fest have done a killer job incorporating the Iowa City old favorites, the Iowa City new school, as well as great bands from other parts of the country. Here at Mission Creek, we look on in awe (and often in horror) as more and more giant corporate-sponsored festivals throw absurd sums of money at bands in the name of an afternoon of fun (and profit); Exodus, like us, is keeping things local, homegrown, and community-oriented. This year, they’ve also partnered with Earth Expo to think not just about the local community, but the global one. That’s a message we can all get down with. And its $12 bucks, BYO everything, and on a farm.

So as you’re chilling out on a blanket with some organic grub, tasty beer, and whatever other supplements you need to survive a day-long music fest, here are some of the jams that you absolutely have to catch. But seriously, every band on the bill is worth checking out.

MC/VL: Minnestota hip-hop duo take the fun and playfulness of early career Beastie Boys into the 21st century. White guys decked out in mullets and super-ironic stashes, they have old-skool flavor but back it up with tight rhymes and innovative samples, including many from the world of indie rock. [Myspace]

School of Flyentology: We can’t stop giving these dudes props for slaying it at Mission Creek with Steve from the Hood Internet, but they actaully deserve more respect for quietly establishing the most progressive and interesting dance party in Iowa City, every Tuesday night at the Yacht Club. I saw one of the duo last night, and he said they’ve been working hard on the set. When these guys work hard, you better believe that means you working it even harder on the dance floor. Or grassy lawn or whatever. Might want to pack some bottles of water.

Miracles of God: Samuel Locke-Ward has been written about one million times on this blog. I caught the end of the Miracles of God set on Tuesday night at the Mill, and it was great. Locke-Ward will be heading off on a summer tour soon with the Teddy Boys, so come wish him well, and listen to the best, most concise and interesting pop that our fair city has to offer. [Myspace]

Skye: Ex-Skursula violist is keeping the dream alive with delicate songs sung beatifully, and the trademark birds and bees and cuddly things that we’ve all come to love about Skye’s lyrics. Her solo show is a loop pedal extravaganza, which makes it temping to make the comparison to Andrew Bird, but that wouldn’t really make any sense. Skye is in a class by herself.