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Iowa Summer Jam to showcase Midwestern talent in Iowa City
Festival takes place June 14 at Wildwood Saloon in Iowa City
Jun. 11, 2025 6:00 am, Updated: Jun. 12, 2025 12:09 pm
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This music festival is bringing 30 artists from across the Midwest together to jam together. Iowa Summer Jam will take over Wildwood Saloon in Iowa City on Saturday, June 14.
In recent years, the festival has been dominated by hip hop and R&B. This year’s lineup expands on that foundations, also featuring rock and country artists.
Tone Da Boss headlines this year’s lineup, which includes: Entre Luché, Grave Corps, Coldsaint, Tevin Jones, TheZeffsterr, The Hangovers, CHISongwriter, Essence W., Klazik, Richie Uchiha, Zeus Rebel Waters, Daniel.Xavier, Fontain, II Boi, Countablessin, YaBoiBiggJoey, D-Meech, Shorty G., Luh4, CHI CHI, Jackxn, Xlone, WDF, 3J, Courter, Sidtiva, BabyMexico210, and Prince Ace.
Antonio Chalmers, aka Tone Da Boss, is the founder of Iowa Summer Jam. He said the festival “is one of the best ways to support independent artists.”
“Iowa Summer Jam is about more than music — it’s about building a culture and giving Iowa artists a stage that feels major,” Chalmers said.
If you go
What: Iowa Summer Jam 8
When: 4pm to midnight Saturday, June 14, 2025
Where: Wildwood Saloon; 4919 Walleye Dr SE, Iowa City
Tickets: https://bit.ly/43YBqXu
Details: Iowa Summer Jam 8 showcases over 30 Midwestern artists from genres like hip-hop, rock, country and R&B
It’s the festival’s eighth year. The first Iowa Summer Jam was held in Vinton, Iowa although the festival has been held in Cedar Rapids in recent years. Chalmers, who also founded the Iowa Music Awards, said that future Iowa Summer Jams will be held in new locations every year, similar to the way the Iowa Music Awards travels annually.
“That way, we’re just giving everybody an opportunity to shine, showcase their talents and make sure the commute isn’t an obstacle that people have to overcome every single year,” Chalmers said.
Chalmers is headlining the festival, but he said his set is more of an encore. Artists who performed earlier in the night, like Grave Corps, Essence W., Klazik, Entre Luché and more will return to the stage to close out the festival alongside him.
“Collaboration is key. I say people at the top collaborate; people at the bottom compete,” Chalmers said. “This is all about networking, shaking hands, hearing new music and showing how powerful we are and that (Iowa is) a music hub.”
Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com
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