The Riverview Music Festival announced its full lineup this morning, announcing several Iowa-based BIPOC artists playing the new xBk Stage.
Here are the new acts announced today; set times will be announced closer to the event, which is happening in Des Moines at Riverview Park on September 4:
- Andre Davis
- Free PWR!
- Maria Isa
- James Tutson
- DK Imamu Akachi
- Spayce
- Charlotte Blu
- DMMC Summer Camp
What’s the xBk stage?
These local acts will be presented on a secondary stage at the festival that’s been dubbed “The xBk Stage.” It’s being curated by our friends at xBk, a music venue in Des Moines dedicated to creating superior live entertainment experiences in a diverse, inclusive and welcoming environment.
If you’ve been following the Iowa music scene closely, you’ll remember that we presented four of these artists for our “Juneteenth: The Movement” broadcast in June. IPR and Iowa PBS would not have been able to present that concert without our partnership with xBk and the brains of the outstanding creative team working there, which includes Tobi Parks, Thom Kutz and Madison Ray of The Finesse.
“When they announced the mainstage lineup, I was really impressed and stoked about the direction they were taking,” Parks says about Riverview Music Festival. “As a BIPOC owned music venue in Des Moines, we felt we needed to be involved. This concert is primarily being performed by people of color. It’s super exciting for me as the only Black owned music venue in Des Moines area to see that.”
In addition to announcing the lineup for the local stage at the fest, Riverview is adding two Des Moines-based acts to the mainstage.
DK Imamu Akachi is an upcoming hip-hop emcee with a purpose. He is from Des Moines and found his healing through writing raps. His music gets you moving, gets you thinking and will leave you inspired.
The Finesse (formerly Madison Ray and The Finesse) blends soul, R&B, jazz and pop, and brings a new sensibility and swagger to a classic sound. Featured on programs, performances, and specials with Iowa Public Radio, One Iowa, Iowa PBS, and xBk, the Finesse leave it all on stage with music, style and a flair for the theatrical.
About the xBk Stage acts
Andre Davis is a hip-hop artist based in Des Moines who is originally from St. Louis. His specific brand of conscious rap is powerful on tape, and it’s even more intense when his energy is behind his lyricism in person. Davis is a born performer, and even if you’re not the biggest fan of rapping, his stage presence is something anyone should appreciate.
Free PWR! is a spoken word/hip-hop group led by Emmett Phillips, who is a teacher, performer and all-around driver of positive change in the Des Moines metro. If you remember the spoken word performance from “Juneteenth: The Movement,” Phillips was the man behind the mic.
Charlotte Blu (born Charlotte Boyer) is an up and coming artist, originally from Illinois. She was selected to appear on season 20 of the hit TV Show “The Voice,” and for her televised audition she performed the song “Love Is a Losing Game” by Amy Winehouse. Her first studio recorded song “WARRIORS” was released on March 31, 2021. She is currently working on an untitled EP, set to be released in 2021.
James Tutson and the Rollback is a modern rhythm and blues/soul band from Iowa City. The group was formed in 2016 when singer-songwriter James Tutson assembled a four-piece backing band to rehearse and record his second full-length album, On Hope (2017). After playing a handful of local shows and discovering a tight, crowd-pleasing sound on stage, Tutson christened his new ensemble “the Rollback,” and a band was born. Tutson was seen recently on The Voice and just released a solo EP, "Still."
Porsche Botts, better known by stage name Spayce, is best labeled as a neo soul artist. Spayce has only been performing since 2018, with her first performance in front of a crowd of more than 1,500 when Wild n Out had her featured for her single “Body2Body.” Since then, she has hit the ground spreading her sound and captivating the crowd with her unique raspy vocals. Her one-of-a-kind sound has landed her on stages with names from legendary Nappy Roots to mainstream hip hop artist Lil Durk and more. She has yet to stop amazing crowds, but constantly states that she is far from done. Spayce is set to drop her second album, entitled “Spayce on Earth,” in early 2022. Her stage name is pronounced "Space," not "Spay-cee."
Maria Isa is an award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, rapper, activist, youth worker, mother, wife and international recording artist born in Minnesota and raised on St. Paul’s West Side barrio. Maria was raised by the influences of many different rhythms of Afro-LatinX-and Indigenous history and channeled it into performing arts and activism at a very early age. She has studied with master musicians of Afro-Boricua music of Bomba and Plena of Puerto Rico and trained in concert choral and jazz, influencing her to create an Afro-LatinX and Hip-hop lyricism performance style.
