Mission Creek adds new features to Iowa City festival

The Mission Creek Festival is so hip that The Sun Magazine, based in Chapel Hill, N.C., is coming to Iowa City to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The festival runs April 6 to 8, but The Sun’s party starts at 7 p.m. April 8 with a Capstone Reading featuring keynote speakers, poets and authors at The James Theater, 213 N. Gilbert St., followed by the after-party honoring The Sun.

Earlier that day, Derek Askey, an associate editor at The Sun, will hold a Readers Write workshop from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at The Tuesday Agency, 404 E. College St., Suite 408. Participants will learn about the literary magazine’s editing and selection process, and draft entries for the popular reader submission section.

“(The magazine) has been very supportive of the festival in the past,” Brian Johannesen, Mission Creek‘s festival director, said.

This three-day, multifaceted celebration of music and literature, now in its 18th iteration, will shine a spotlight on local and national artists and writers in various downtown Iowa City venues, as well as Hancher, across the river, and Big Grove Brewery, just a short jaunt south of the downtown hub.

Indie rock is the driving force behind many of the guest musicians, but it’s not the only genre in the festival’s many concerts in many spaces format. Hip-hop and Americana artists are slated, as well, and the festival strives to present up-and-coming Iowa artists, too.

“We are always focused on elevating strong, independent voices. That can be at the headliner level — there can be big bands that are independent. We don't really have a guiding genre preference,” Johannesen said.

“We try to look at everything that's presented to us and create a narrative and a walk through the festival for many different kinds of people. (One) where you can see one of your favorite bands, you can discover something new, and if something's not your thing, we should have something that is your thing happening somewhere else.”

After the pandemic shutdown in 2020, the festival went online in 2021 and back to live programming in 2022.

“Last year was interesting, because it was the first time going back out into the world and having another festival,” Johannesen said. “We weren't sure if people were going to want to come out or if they were comfortable coming out. But we had really, really good attendance. … A lot of people, I think, just decided it was time to go out. So it ended up being a very good year.

“Unfortunately, we did have a couple of bands have to cancel (in 2022) because of COVID. I guess that goes with the territory.”

What’s new

The organizers are building on last year’s successful switch to a festival pass model, rather than offering a menu of festival passes and individual event tickets. They’re also bringing back the Hancher collaborations of the past, hoping to expand that union going forward.

“Last year, we kind of redefined the way that the festival is working,” Johannesen said. “ … The big addition this year is we are teaming up with Hancher again, and our whole first day of the festival on Thursday is going to take place at Hancher. …

“We’ve worked with Hancher years ago, to bring in bands like Andrew Bird. But it’s great to have them back on board. It opens up a whole new dimension of the festival.”

Opening night will bring an evening of music and literature to the Hancher stage. At 5:45 p.m., Michelle Zauner, who performs as Japanese Breakfast, will present a reading of her debut book, “Crying in H Mart,” followed by a Q&A. At 7:15 p.m., Black Belt Eagle Scout will step into the performance spotlight, followed by Cat Power at 8:30 p.m.

Previously, Mission Creek had reached out to Hancher when “the right opportunity” presented itself, Johannesen said, most recently copresenting comedian Bassem Yousef there in 2018 and Andrew Bird, My Brightest Diamond and Kelly Link in 2017.

Andre Perry, Mission Creek’s founder, artistic director and former Englert executive director, is now at Hancher’s helm, so Johannesen, who also serves as senior programming manager at The Englert, expects to see even more crossover between those venues and offerings.

“We’re trying to build a relationship not just with the festival, but with The Englert, where we are collaborating and bringing the community together with the university,” Johannesen said. “So the idea, if it works for everybody, is to have it be a more consistent feature of the festival.”

Another change is coming in the festival’s literary component.

“Nina Lohman, who is our literary director, has done a great job of reimagining what the literary programming looks like,” Johannesen said. “In addition to the Lit Walk, which we do every year, which is a blitz of readings across town, the engagements on Saturday are more interactive and less of just listening to someone read.”

Also, Lit Hub’s Thresholds Podcast recording, featuring writer/artist interviews, will be conducted from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at The Tuesday Agency. The session is free and open to the public.

“(Lohman) has done a great job of thinking about how we can engage with the literary community, as opposed to just going and witnessing it, so I'm excited about that,” Johannesen said.

“We have Courtney Marie Andrews coming, who is not only performing at The Englert, but she’s also doing a reading at Prairie Lights as part of the Lit Walk, as well. I love when we can get those crossover artists and do both worlds. She’s a fantastic poet as well as songwriter.”

In memoriam

One big hole this year comes with the March 17 death of Trevor Lee Hopkins, 47, of Iowa City. This year’s Mission Creek Festival is dedicated to his life and legacy, and all staff members’ badges will have his initials in the corner.

“I think the best way to describe him is that he was our biggest cheerleader,” Johannesen said. “He was down to help in any way that he could. He was always around — he would do sound for shows.

“Back when the festival started, he was the talent buyer at The Mill and was immediately in on helping make the festival happen. So he’s been a driving force and just kind of a utility player for a long time.

“Even when he lived in Wisconsin, he would come down and do sound for one show and then go back up.

“He was our whole community’s biggest advocate. He was so proud of this town and the music scene here.”

Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com