The largest music festival in Iowa, St. Charles’ Hinterland returns to the Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater for four days, Thursday-Sunday, August 4th-7th:
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4th
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Billy Strings, 9:15 PM From out of the traditional bluegrass scene in Michigan, Billy Strings (QRO photos) has worked with everyone in the jam scene (QRO photos with Molly Tuttle at a festival), but most recently won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for Home. |
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Sierra Ferrell, 7:30 PM Mixing gypsy, calypso, jazz and more is West Virginia’s Sierra Ferrell (QRO photos at a ’22 festival). |
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Also: The Texas Gentlemen, 6:15 PM Riddy Arman, 5:15 PM Nick Shoulders, 4:15 PM |
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 5th
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Glass Animals, 9:45 PM Out of Oxford and discovered by Adele’s producer, Glass Animals (QRO live review) bring their more mixed indie (QRO photos outdoors) on 2020’s Dreamland back to the road (QRO 2021 live review – QRO 2022 photos) and to Hinterland (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Turnstile, 8:00 PM Baltimore hardcore punks Turnstile (QRO ’22 photos) head over to Iowa behind last year’s Glow On – just hopefully no one will shit in the pit this time… |
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The Aces, 6:45 PM Provo, Utah’s The Aces (QRO spotlight on) have gotten around the country with their indie-pop sound (QRO interview), including at festivals (QRO photoshoot at a festival – QRO photos at a ’22 festival). |
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Briston Maroney, 5:30 PM Knoxville’s Briston Maroney has come from auditioning for American Idol to a string of great country-rock EPs. |
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Also: Goth Babe, 4:30 PM Petey, 3:30 PM Yoke Lore, 2:30 PM |
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 6th
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Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, 9:30 PM Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff (QRO photos) brings sad indie-folks sounds with his band, The Night Sweats (QRO photos at a festival), as he has successfully climbed the festival ladder (QRO photos headlining a festival) behind 2020’s And It’s Still Alright (QRO review). The road warrior (QRO photos two weeks before) is playing his second Hinterland (QRO photos at Hinterland ’18), now headlining (QRO photos headlining a ’22 festival). |
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Lake Street Dive, 8:00 PM After meeting at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music (QRO photos at a Boston festival), jazz-soul outfit Lake Street Dive (QRO photos outdoors) have been bringing pop-soul to modern times. They come to back to Hinterland (QRO photos at Hinterland ’16) behind last year’s Obviously (QRO review). |
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Trampled by Turtles, 8:00 PM From frigid Duluth comes the warm jam-folk of Trampled by Turtles (QRO photos), who are heading onto the open road (QRO photos outdoors) behind 2018 great Life Is Good On the Open Road (QRO review), and come down to Iowa (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Jenny Lewis, 5:00 PM If you like alternative music in the twenty-first century, chances are you already know Jenny Lewis (QRO photos). The former child star came to the music scene co-fronting Los Angeles’ Rilo Kiley in the aughts (QRO photos), before going solo with Rabbit Fur Coat and 2008’s Acid Tongue (QRO review). In 2010 she teamed up with boyfriend Jonathan Rice as Jenny & Johnny (QRO photos at a festival) for I’m Having Fun Now (QRO review). For 2013, she reprised one of her many guest vocalist roles (others have included with Elvis Costello & Conor Oberst – QRO live review with Oberst) on the reunion tour of indietronica all-stars Postal Service (QRO photos) behind the tenth anniversary edition of the ultra-acclaimed Give Up (QRO review). For Hinterland (QRO photos at a Middle America festival), however, she comes to shine all on her own (QRO photos solo at a festival), with 2014’s The Voyager (QRO review) and 2019’s On the Line (QRO review). |
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Durand Jones & The Indications, 3:45 PM The smooth, contemporary R&B/soul of Durand Jones & The Indications (QRO photos at a festival) comes to Hinterland behind last year’s Private Space. |
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Mat Kearney, 2:30 PM Catch the adult contemporary country of Nashville’s Mat Kearney (QRO photos). |
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Also: TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, 1:30 PM Jesse Daniel, 12:30 PM Miko Marks, 11:30 AM |
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SUNDAY, AUGUST 7th
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Phoebe Bridgers, 9:00 PM Nobody in music has had as good a COVID pandemic as Phoebe Bridgers (QRO photos from just before everything shut down). Bridgers already had critical acclaim with records like Stranger in the Alps (QRO Top Albums of 2017), and a great team-up with Conor Oberst (QRO photos together) as Better Oblivion Community Center (QRO photos) on their 2019 self-titled record (QRO review), plus her supergroup boygenius with Julien Baker & Lucy Dacus (the latter of whom is also playing Sunday at Hinterland – see below). But 2020’s Punisher (QRO review) launched her into the stratosphere. Basically the favorite record by everyone you have a crush on (except for the hilariously self-depreciating Bridgers herself), songs like “I See You” (QRO review), “I Know the End” (QRO review), and “Savior Complex” (QRO review) all broke your heart – if not in-person, than in videos (like the “Savior” one directed by her near-namesake Phoebe Waller-Bridge) on TV (QRO review of “I Know the End” on TV). We all were desperate to see her live (QRO live review), whether in her trademark skeleton onesie in a livestream (QRO livestream review) or in her pajamas from home. So, maybe you didn’t see her when (QRO photos from 2017), but catch her now as her ‘Reunion Tour’ (QRO ’22 live review) comes to Iowa (QRO photos at an Iowan festival) for Hinterland (QRO photos at a 2021 festival). |
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Kurt Vile & The Violators, 7:15 PM Even amongst all the lo-fi guitar-punks out there, Kurt Vile (QRO photos at a festival) has made a name for himself. The former member of The War On Drugs, Kurt Vile has since formed his own ensemble with his Violators, and contributed to/opened for alt-punk guitar god J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr) on his solo record, Several Shades of Why (QRO review), and subsequent tour. However, he’s since evolved into a big frontman of his own (QRO live review) with 2013’s Wakin On a Pretty Daze and 2014’s b’lieve I’m goin down…, not to mention 2017’s team-up with Courtney Barnett, Lotta Sea Lice, including doing festivals (QRO photos at a festival), even having Dinosaur Jr opening for him at this point. He comes to Hinterland (QRO photos at a ’22 festival) behind this year’s Watch My Moves. |
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Lucy Dacus, 5:45 PM Norfolk’s Lucy Dacus (QRO photos) has found lots of new fans during the COVID pandemic, like her fellow members of boygenius, Julien Baker & Phoebe Bridgers (who’s headlining Sunday – see above). She comes to Hinterland (QRO photos at a ’22 festival) behind last year’s amazing Home Video (QRO review) and finally putting out her single “Thumbs” (QRO review). |
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MUNA, 4:15 PM The electro-pop of MUNA (QRO photos) Saves the World, and this year hit it big signing to tour-mate Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory imprint with their self-titled record (QRO review), now returning to Lollapalooza (QRO photos). Bridgers is headlining Sunday at Hinterland (see above), so they’re gonna have to re-team up for MUNA’s hit-single “Silk Chiffon”… |
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Liz Cooper, 3:00 PM Nashville’s Liz Cooper (QRO spotlight on) brings a propulsive rhythm that feels so good. She plays Hinterland (QRO photos at a festival) behind 2018’s debut full-length, Window Flowers. |
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Also: Tré Burt, 2:00 PM The Kernal, 1:00 PM Hayden Pedigo, 12:00 PM |
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