The first Riverview Music Festival brought palpable energy to Des Moines' north side last weekend. The inaugural, limited-capacity Des Moines Music Coalition event brought BIPOC talent from around the country to Riverview Park's amphitheater, many playing their first shows in Iowa, as well as local acts on the xBk stage.
With a lineup of hip-hop, R&B, soul and rap, the festival felt like a refreshing and welcome direction for Iowa's growing music scene.
IPR's Studio One team interviewed Duckwrth, VanJess and Charlotte Blu (listen to hear those conversations on upcoming episodes of Studio One Tracks) and were out with cameras.
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3cf041c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3008x1688+0+0/resize/880x494!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd8%2Fba%2F1c8a0f2c4907962454d9b1016860%2Fdk.jpg)
Madeleine King
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IPR
![Members of the RunDSM Poetry group were named winners of the national Brave New Voices Poetry Slam in July. They performed between sets on the mainstage at Riverview Music Festival over Labor Day weekend in Des Moines.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2f3ed51/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2349x1318+0+0/resize/880x494!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F48%2Ff8%2F39a6b0c947cb8b40cc43fc209f4d%2Fpoetryhorizontal2.jpg)
Madeleine King
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IPR
![Duckwrth brought all his energy to the Riverview Stage on Sunday, coming out into the crowd for the end of his set.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/85bba9b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1333+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3a%2F0a%2F771236934089b27c137bb0f12e8b%2Fduckwrth7-lp.jpg)
Lucius Pham
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IPR
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/01ccf18/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5472x3648+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fae%2F52%2Fcc7adc5f46af96a97f811abdbecd%2Fcharlotteblu3.jpg)
Madeleine King
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IPR
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/576d4d8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F39%2F70%2F0dfcaccb457794183e6c464a0c24%2Fvanjess1-lp.jpg)
Lucius Pham
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IPR
![Andre Davis headlined the xBk stage on Saturday.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/507fff2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5472x3648+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe5%2F90%2Fe085a4154684b286245b0b34fe0f%2Fandredavis.jpg)
Madeliene King
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IPR
![Emmett Phillips of Free PWR! on the xBk stage.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/199b9f0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5472x3648+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc0%2F26%2F1b558a2c4b49a756b6cf76e2e022%2Femmettphillips.jpg)
Madeleine King
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IPR
![Free PWR! who played the xBk stage opened their set with a song called "Graffiti" and passed around a canvas for people in the audience to tag during their set.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3fa9baa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5472x3648+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa5%2F60%2F7d9a98954901ad47c63a6476892c%2Ffreepwrgraffitti.jpg)
Madeline King
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IPR
![James Tutson And The Rollback from Iowa City played material from their 2019 album "Make You Free," in addition to a cover of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" on Saturday.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/433098e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2764x1551+0+0/resize/880x494!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F29%2Fc4%2F5261c7664b7fbc1dc75fcbe03acb%2Fjamestutson.jpg)
Madeleine King
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IPR
![Spayce's set on the xBk stage with a full band was fun, freestyle and fabulous.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/86581fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb4%2Fb1%2F5b7f8fbe484f8179a64629b8e0f2%2Fspayce1-lp.jpg)
Lucius Pham
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IPR
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5fa94e0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5472x3648+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe7%2F57%2F56a6bb1c4d2d8a9438a44c1a5bdb%2Fcrowd1.jpg)
Madeleine King
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IPR
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/22e714a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F36%2F70%2F60d14d9c4795bb691e87c6413883%2Fmickjenkins3-lp.jpg)
Lucius Pham
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IPR
![Artists supporting artists: DK Imamu Akachi watches The Finesse open the show Saturday.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ab666b0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5472x3648+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F87%2F7d%2F201724834a61b2a5009f92b66443%2Fmg-5298.jpg)
Madeleine King
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IPR
![Des Moines music venue xBk hosted the local stage at Riverview Music Festival this weekend. In addition to a host of Iowa talent, Maria Isa from Minneapolis also played the stage.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/49f44f7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3008x1688+0+0/resize/880x494!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8c%2F4e%2Fd757a46f4325985f23a780c61019%2Fxbkstage.jpg)
Madeliene King
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IPR
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f49f74a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5472x3648+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0c%2F19%2F1a731d3b48bba2349922735645bc%2Fearthgang.jpg)
Madeleine King
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IPR