80/35 Festival 2013 Preview

80352013
Iowa lies at the heart of America, where east meets west and north meets south. At the heart of Iowa lies capitol Des Moines, as well as the meeting point of interstate I-80 & I-35. And that heart of hearts, that meeting point of meeting points, hosts the 80/35 Music Festival every Fourth of July Weekend (of course). With a mix of local & large, from EDM to folk, 80/35 comes to Des Moines Friday & Saturday, July 5th & 6th:

FRIDAY, JULY 5th

Main Stage David Byrne & St Vincent, 9:15pm In 2009, alternative music icon (and your favorite Talking Head) David Byrne met & performed with alt-star Annie Clark (QRO interview), a.k.a. St. Vincent (QRO spotlight on), at a benefit concert of charity compilation Dark Was the Night (QRO review) at Radio City Music Hall (QRO venue review), and the two liked playing together so much they teamed up for other dates (QRO live review), and even did a song for a Twilight soundtrack (QRO soundtrack review). Then they took it a step further and wrote & record last year’s acclaimed Love This Giant (QRO review), creating an indie-dream team-up. And they’ve kept the team-up going on the road (QRO photos), playing not just from Giant but also their still-great solo work – not to mention classic Talking Heads. Skillfully, but also playfully balancing class and fun, they’re a wonderful pick as headliner for 80/35 2013.

Yeasayer, 7:00pm The experimental Yeasayer (QRO live review outdoors) combine electronica, rock, and even tribal sounds, making them sound like the music of the cyberpunk future, multi-cultural in ways you’d never foresee (QRO live review). They’ve been steadily building since 2007’s All Our Cymbals (QRO review) and the futuristic “2080” (QRO video) & “Wait For the Summer” (QRO video), and managed to beat the sophomore curse with 2010’s impressive Odd Blood (QRO review) and songs “Ambling Alp” (QRO video) & “O.N.E.” (QRO video). They’ve also got a fascinating stage presence (QRO photos outdoors), especially at festivals (QRO photos at a festival) – even overseas (QRO live review in the U.K.) & in foreign-speaking lands (QRO photos at a German festival). The group (QRO photos) comes to 80/35 behind last year’s Fragrant World (QRO review) and songs like “Reagan’s Skeleton” (QRO video) – though guitarist Anand Wilder (QRO interview) has stopped wearing his camo jumpsuits.

Tea Leaf Green, 5:00pm It may not be fair to compare Tea Leaf Green (QRO photos at a festival) to The Grateful Dead, but other than starting in the nineties and not the sixties (and all still being alive), it’s all there: Came out of the Bay Area? Check. Endlessly touring, festival favorite jam band? Check. A dedicated fan base that record their live shows (QRO photos)? Check.

Kum & Go Stage DJ Bui, 11:00pm Jesse Jamz, 10:00pm SUBliminal Chaos, 9:00pm Closing out the Kum & Go Stage on Night One of 80/35 2013 are three of Iowa’s top DJs, DJ Bui, Jesse Jamz, and SUBliminal Chaos.

Menomena, 8:15pm Acclaimed Portland experimental indie duo Menomena (QRO live review) come to 80/35 (QRO photos at a festival) off of last year’s Moms, their latest since 2010’s Mines (QRO review) and 2007’s Friend and Foe (QRO review).

Roster McCabe, 6:45pm Up-and-coming “funky dance reggae rock” band Roster McCabe comes to 80/35 behind their Kickstarter-funded record, Through Space & Time.

Kitty, 5:45pm Kathryn-Leigh Beckwith, better known as Kitty Pryde but now known as just ‘Kitty’ (Marvel Comics likely threatened to sue…), came out of nowhere last year with viral success in her hip-hop collaboration with Riff Raff, “Orion’s Belt”, and followed it up with her own solo hit single, “Okay Cupid”, one of Rolling Stone’s ‘Top 50 Songs of 2012’. Also: Annalibera, 5:00pm

Hy-Vee Stage Richie Daggers w/ Gadema, 11:00pm M34N STR33T, 10:00pm The Other Elements, 9:00pm Midwest hip-hop comes to 80/35’s Hy-Vee Stage in the evening, with Richie Daggers & Gadema, M34N STR33T, and The Other Elements.

Euforquestra, 8:00pm From right over in Iowa City, Euforquestra mix a wide range of genres from Afrobeat, Cubano, reggae, funk, salsa, dub, and more. They’re also festival veterans, even throwing their own ‘Camp Euforia’ in the style of Disco Biscuits’ great Camp Bisco (QRO recap).

Maxilla Blue, 7:00pm Des Moines’ own hip-hop trio Maxilla Blue have played nearly every year of 80/35 (QRO photos at 80/35 2012). Also: Dustin Smith & The Sunday Silos, 6:00pm Emperors Club, 5:00pm

SATURDAY, JULY 6th

Main Stage Wu-Tang Clan, 9:00pm “Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothing to fuck with!” The Staten Island outfit was the hip-hop collective of the nineties, spawning the careers of the likes of RZA (QRO photos at a festival), GZA (QRO live review), Method Man, Raekwon (QRO photos at a festival), Ghostface Killah, and more. As fearless as they are skilled, Wu-Tang is arguably the greatest rap group ever. Their members have done much else (not just singing – RZA recently released his directorial debut, Russell Crowe kung-fu flick The Man with the Iron Fists), but have been getting the band back together (save for the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard).

Deerhunter, 7:00pm No one was more prolific in 2008 than Deerhunter’s singer/guitarist Bradford Cox (QRO live review), who not only put out the well-received Microcastle (QRO review), but also included a second disc of all-original bonus material, Weird Era Cont. (QRO review) – and oh, yeah, released a solo record (as Atlas Sound – QRO live review), Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (QRO review) that beat ‘em both. And, after a hiatus & Atlas Sound’s Logos (QRO review), 2011 saw Deerhunter (QRO photos outdoors) reach even higher thanks to Halcyon Digest (QRO review) – and this year they’ve followed it up with Monomania (QRO review), a more garage-rock record – and show (QRO photos at a festival). Known for electric shows whether as the Sound (QRO live review) or with Deerhunter (QRO live review outdoors), Cox & Deerhunter (QRO photos outdoors) have been as prolific with the festivals (QRO photos at a festival).

Umphrey’s McGee, 5:00pm The ‘progressive improvisation’ of Umphrey’s McGee (QRO photos at a festival) combines the live ways of such hippie legends as Phish and The Dead, with often-changing set lists, heavy live jam sessions, fanatic fans recording. Their more progressive-inspired music makes them a festival mainstay (QRO photos at a festival).

Wavves, 3:30pm Redemption? After WAVVES singer/guitarist Nathan Williams (QRO photos at a festival) had a very public breakdown, on stage Primavera in 2009, the San Diego act cancelled their whole European tour. However, since then Williams got back on the road (QRO photos at a festival), recruited the backing band of the late Jay Reatard (QRO photos), put on the much-praised King of the Beach (QRO review) and last year’s Afraid of Heights. And he’s even returned to Primavera (QRO photos at a festival) – plus he seems to have cut out imitating Pauly Shore. Also: Mr. Baber’s Neighbors, 1:30pm Dylan Sires and Neighbors, 12:00pm

Kum & Go Stage DJ Flash, 11:00pm The first white rapper every signed to a rap label, Sacramento’s veteran DJ Flash has also produced the likes of 2 Live Crew and Ice-T. Also: Sphere, 10:00pm DJ Cosmo, 9:00pm House of Large Sizes, 8:00pm Jon Wayne & the Pain, 6:45pm Strange Names, 5:45pm Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson, 4:45pm The Homemade Jamz Blues Band, 3:45pm Water Liars, 2:45pm Escondido, 1:45pm Prissy Clerks, 12:45pm Gloom Balloon, 12:00pm

Hy-Vee Stage I Am Zero (Outro), 11:00pm Patient Zero, 10:00pm I Am Zero (Intro), 9:00pm The Hy-Vee Stage interesting mixes metalcore outfit Patient Zero and post-DJ Patient Zero for something off the charts entirely.

The Pines, 8:00pm Minneapolis indie-roots trio The Pines mix traditional roots with modern blues.

Mumford’s, 7:00pm Not the mega neo-Americana outfit (QRO live review), the Mumford’s take their name from late jazz musician Don Mumford – but their manic, shirtless, massive ensemble is something totally original (QRO photos at 80/35 2012). Also: The River Monks, 6:00pm Trouble Lights, 5:00pm Tires, 4:00pm SP3, 3:00pm H.D. Harmsen, 2:00pm The Uniphonics, 1:00pm Mighty Shady, 12:00pm