Author Archive for scott

Freakin’ Weekend: 5.22-5.24

Published by scott on May 22, 2008 in Weekend and Concert. 0 Comments

Ghost TownWah-wah-wah…School’s out for summer/forever here in the IC, but by no means does that mean the rockin’ has to end. If anything, the sudden dearth of college Joes & Janes should be considered a welcome relief to those of us tired of pushing our way through crowds in the pursuit of sweet sweet Grain Belt. So kick back, relax, and enjoy that newfound elbow room…we promise to keep you up on that hot shit all summer long.

Thursday
Minipop w/ D’BARI, North to the Future / The Picador / 9 PM / $5

I’m not gonna lie…I’d never heard of Bay Area “dream poppers” Minipop until this week, but after listening to one of their songs on the SXSW page (which they played earlier this year), I’ve totally got a mini-crush. And yes, that pun was pretty freakin’ terrible.

Friday
Mission Creek and Slanted Productions/Slanty Shanty Records Present:
Paleo, Old Time Relijun, Dead Larry, Zebras, Adam Matthew Havlin / The Mill / 9PM / $6
If our Paleo and Old Time Relijun previews haven’t convinced you to catch this show, I’m not sure what else to say (except that you are really lame, maybe?). The team of Mission Creek and Slanted/Slanty Shanty has put together an incredibly solid show (ed. note: missionfreak.com is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mission Creek Productions, (soon-to-be) Inc.) that is guaranteed to please both whiskey and wine-bomb drinkers alike.

Saturday
Mad Monks w/ Mint Wad Willy, Done by Nine / Iowa City Yacht Club / 9PM / $5
Mad Monks? Cage match?
Craig Eley will be there…will you?

Freakin’ Weekend: 4.24-4.27

Published by scott on April 24, 2008 in Art, Weekend and Concert. 0 Comments

hrcAnd now, a message from the former First Lady of the United States, the Junior Senator from New York, Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton:

Hello Mission Freak readers! I know it’s been a few months since I saw many of you last, but I wanted to catch you up on how things have been going for me lately. We’ve had to put a little more effort into campaigning than we originally anticipated (you pesky Iowans really f***** things up!), but after cranking our character assassination machine into high gear, Bill and I have successfully alienated our entire African American voter base, torn the Democratic party apart, and given John McCain and the Republican party the blueprint for how to use racial/religious innuendoes to attack Barack Obama until November and beyond! Karl Rove’s got nothing on us! Also, I wanted to let you know that I am continuing to work tirelessly to convince superdelegates to overturn your votes and hand me the nomination, because we all know I am the only Democrat in the race who is dishonest, slimy, and ruthless enough to beat the Republicans in November!

Love,
HRC

PS: Come to these concerts this weekend…or I’ll eat your children!

Thursday
Daphne Willis & Co. w/ Musee Mecanique / Yacht Club / 9 PM / $5
One of the most unique shows you’ll see all year, as the dreamy sounds of Oregon’s Musee Mecanique will join forces with Daphne Willis’ Jack Johnson-like acousti-pop. Phillip the Grave opens in their Yacht Club debut.

Friday
30th Annual RiverFest featuring Quietdrive / IMU River Terrace / 4PM - 11PM (Fri & Sat) / Free

An Iowa City spring tradition turns the big 3-0 as RiverFest returns with a lineup full of pop-punk, rock & jam bands playing two nights on the shores of the very swollen Iowa River. Minneapolis natives Quietdrive, famous for their cover of “Time After Time“, will take the stage at 9PM on Friday. A hypnotist, movie screening, and plenty more bands are also scheduled for Saturday.

Mirah & Spectratone International present: “Share This Place” / Herrick Chapel (Grinnell College) / 9PM
I’m not even going to pretend like I know what this is all about, but here’s a predictably erudite description of this show from our friends at Pfork: “Share This Place is the album from K Records standout Mirah, but it also a multimedia project commissioned by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and the Seattle International Children’s Festival, comprised of the songs contained herein and accompanying stop-motion video by Britta Johnson. Inspired in part by the writings of French entomologist Jean Henri Fabré and the Capek brothers’ anthropomorphic drama /The Insect Play/, with a dash of the insectile existentialism of Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”, Share This Place is a palimpsest where the separate fiefdoms of humans and insects are reconciled in one teeming kingdom.” Exactly.

Saturday
Home Cooked Art Show featuring Foul Tip, Datagun, and more / 805 E. Washington St. / 6-11 PM / Free (BYOB!) The dopest “House Party” since Kid ’n Play is happenin’ this Saturday at 805 E. Washington St, as the first (annual?) Home Cooked Art Show will bring together artists, writers, and musicians in a celebration of all things arty-as-fuck.  Foul Tip, the demon spawn of Iowa City favorites The Tanks, are scheduled to perform alongside Iowa City’s poorest excuse for a rock band, Datagun. Keep your eyes on Mission Freak for more info on this super/awesome event in the coming days!

Freakin’ Weekend: 2.28 - 3.2

Published by scott on February 28, 2008 in Weekend and Preview. 0 Comments

lions are coolMarch may come “in like a lion, out like a lamb” in whatever lame town you come from, but here in Iowa City, the third month is coming in like a lion and going out like a genetically-modified zombie lion with an AK-47 in one hand and a crack pipe in the other. That’s right, kids…the 3rd Annual Mission Creek Festival is just a little more than a month away, and if you’ve been keeping up with the Freak, you already know that this year’s festival promises to be the biggest, best, and most bad-ass yet. Keep your eyes peeled for concert dates and times in the Festival section of the website, and we’ll have more info on festival passes in the next week or so…we promise. As always, for those of ya’ll who just can’t wait another month to get your license to rock, we’ve got you covered.

Thursday
Oscar Nominated Shorts Program / Bijou Theater / 7 PM

If you wanted to see this year’s Oscar-nominated movies, but just can’t stand to sit through a three-hour movie without a bottle of Ritalin in your hand, you’re in luck. Iowa City’s Bijou Theater will be showing the Oscar nominees for Best Live Action Short Film starting at 7:00, with the nominees for Best Animated Short Film following at 9.

Friday
Sam Locke-Ward / The Mill / 10 PM / $5

Leap Year comes only once every four years, so it’s imperative to try and fit in as much rock as possible. Luckily, the uber-talented Sam Locke-Ward knows how to write songs that are short and (totally) sweet. Can he finish 30 songs in 30 minutes? You’ll have to show up to find out. Larry “The Machine Gun” Sievers and The Teddy Boys open things up.

Saturday
Mission Creek Presents: Solon Saturdays with Sam Knutson and Black Ambient Manifesto / 9 PM / The Redhead (Solon, IA) / Free

Mission Creek’s Solon Saturday returns to the Redhead with Iowa City stalwart Sam Knutson and Black Ambient Manifesto, the solo project from one of my childhood heroes, Judd Hoskins. If the music isn’t enough to convince you to spend your Saturday night in Solon…the buffalo burgers, sweet potato fries, and cheap cans of Old Style should be.

Super Tuesday for Dummies

Published by scott on February 5, 2008 in Editorial, Politics, TV and Preview. 0 Comments

null Super Bowl? We’re over it. Besides, we here at the Freak know the truly “super” event this week is going on right now , as voters in 24 states (plus American Samoa—you know we love you guys) are casting their ballots in today’s historic “Super-Size Tuesday”. So get your popcorn ready, check out this new Super Tuesday-inspired track from the Mountain Goats, and read up as we let you know, hour-by-hour, what to watch for as tonight’s results roll in.

Continue reading ‘Super Tuesday for Dummies’

Freakin’ Weekend: 1.24-1.26

Published by scott on January 24, 2008 in Weekend and Concert. 0 Comments

undefined The Holiday season is over, sub-zero temperatures are keeping everyone indoors, layers of ice and snow blanket the ground, and, oh yeah, school is back in session. If the bleak realities of late January in Iowa City have you feeling a little down lately, take heart. According at least one scientist with a great deal of time on his hands, this is the most depressing week of the year. The good news? It all gets better from here, starting with a musical weekend sure to cheer up even the saddest emo kids.

Thursday
Human Rights Benefit Concert / Old Brick (26 E. Market St.) - 6pm - $5 suggested donation
Local artists including The Western Front, Happy Go Lovely, King Dipshit & The Broken Spokes, Intersection, Derek Thorn, and Craigula join forces with UI’s Amnesty International and Global Health Club to raise money and awareness of human rights. It’s all part of UI’s 2-week Martin Luther King/Human Rights Week event, with more music, film screenings, and featured speakers scheduled throughout the weekend.

Friday

The Diplomats of Solid Sound Featuring the Diplomettes / The Mill - 9pm - $7
The Gglitch / Iowa City Yacht Club - 9pm - $5
Decisions, decisions. Two of Iowa City’s finest and most popular local artists, the funk-soul-brothas-and-sistas that are the Diplomats and the equally funky and eclectic members of the Gglitch get your Friday night started off riiiiight. Both shows start at 9, with special guests Orange Mighty Trio providing support at the Mill and Des Moines’ The Vandon Arms kicking things off at the YC with their brand of Irish drunk-punk.

Saturday

The Iowa City Yacht Club’s 5th Anniversary Party / 5pm / $5 (tickets available at ticketweb.com)
The Yacht Club is all growns up, and to celebrate, they’re showering their loyal customers with free kegs, free food, spankings (???), and an impressive lineup of musical talent that includes Hunab, Samba Nosso, The School of Flyentology, the Mad Monks (Craig’s favorite local band), and many more. The first free keg gets tapped promptly at 5pm, with another keg scheduled to meet its demise at 9pm. Oh, and there’s also a Jamiroquai tribute scheduled, so come prepared to wear silly hats and walk all over the furniture. Virtual insanity, indeed.

Matthew Pryor / The Picador - 9pm - $10
You might not know the name Matthew Pryor, but chances are you’re pretty familiar with his early work as a member of emo-supergroups The Get Up Kids and The New Amsterdams. We covered Pryor (and his lasting legacy on a generation of music fans) earlier this week, and if you feel Pryor like we feel Pryor, we’ll see you there. Mission Freak favorites Skursula are set to open things up.

Gettin’ Raucous at the Caucus

Published by scott on January 2, 2008 in Politics and Community. 0 Comments

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If you live in Iowa, and you’re not doing anything Thursday night between the hours of 6:30 and 9 o’clock, you should probably hit up a caucus (or two).

Don’t know where to go? Click Here.

Don’t know what to do? Click Here.

Wanna know how the votes are actually counted? Click Here (Caution: political nerds only!)

Remember, if you want to make sure you get in, be there no later than 6:30. If you need to register to vote (or change your party registration–which you CAN do on caucus night), try and get there a little bit early. Both the Democratic and Republican are looking to be extremely close, so your vote really is essential. Plus, you may even get free cookies!

Editor’s note: We’ve used the handy tools from the Barack Obama campaign to help us help you get your caucus on. And even though we may feel that Obama is our guy, we encourage you to caucus and make your voice heard regardless of which candidate you prefer!

Looking Back: Our Favorite Albums of 2007 #5

Published by scott on December 17, 2007 in Year In Review and Albums. 0 Comments

Now that we exhausted ourselves thinking about the blissful nights of music that made Iowa City hot this year, it’s time to take a step back and look at our favorite albums of the year. These are truly the 5 albums that made us continue our faith that there’s no shortage of great music in this world, and probably never will be. Sometimes you just need to know where to look, but sometimes - be it fate or coincidence - that music finds you. Either way, taste can be extremely subjective, but these were the albums that made our year, and we hope to share them with you. We’re kicking off with our fifth favorite album today and will be counting them down, one a day all week to ease you through your finals. Procrastinating? We’ll be here.

Continue reading ‘Looking Back: Our Favorite Albums of 2007 #5′

Vote Early, Vote Often

Published by scott on November 5, 2007 in Community. 0 Comments

bloc21If you live in or around the Iowa City area, we’re willing to bet you’re familiar with a proposed City Ordinance on the ballot this year that would block anyone under 21 years old from entering establishments that serve alcohol.

There are plenty of reasons why this ordinance is a terrible idea, and the anti-21 ordinance group Bloc21 has a good rundown of some of them on their website if you’re curious.

The biggest problem with the ordinance for those of us at Mission Creek, and for anyone who appreciates live music, is that a 21+ entry requirement will have a chilling effect on local music in Iowa City. If the ordinance passes, thousands of music lovers in Eastern Iowa will be turned away from seeing their favorite bands, hundreds of musicians will be without a stage to perform, and an unforeseeable number of artists will pass over Iowa City and perform elsewhere.

Continue reading ‘Vote Early, Vote Often’