Adulting is hard right now for a myriad number of reasons, primarily that everything feels so expensive. It seems like you can't leave the house without spending $100. If you’re looking for free weekend entertainment this summer, here's a list of bands music lovers at IPR are looking forward to in June.
June 2: Rendezvous on Riverview at Riverview Park featuring Stutterin’ Jimmy and the Goosebumps
Where: Riverview Park, 710 Corning Ave, Des Moines
When: 5:30-9:00 p.m.
Stutterin’ Jimmy and the Goosebumps is one of the most unusual bands you will find anywhere. Led by visionary vocalist/songwriter Jimmy Enos, the band is an alchemical blend of spirituality, bold, inventive guitar stylings, R & B-based bass lines and flexible, jazz-inflected drumming, all coming together in a gumbo of unpredictable songs, built over a number of years. We've featured them on our live music series, and this band is always a good time live!
June 9: Ginuwine, Ying Yang Twins
Where: My Waterloo Days
When: 9:30 p.m.
My Waterloo Days is a free community event celebrating the best of Waterloo. For more than 40 years, residents and visitors have gathered to celebrate, showcase and enjoy all that the city has to offer. From the iconic My Waterloo Days Parade to concerts, kids events, food vendors and loads of entertainment, you won’t want to miss My Waterloo Days 2023 in downtown Waterloo at Lincoln Park and Anton’s Garden.
June 16: Bands & Brews with James Tutson and the Rollback + The Get Up Get Down
Where: Cedar Falls River Place Plaza
When: 6 p.m.
Join Iowa Public Radio Studio One, Second State Brewing Co. and Friends of KUNI for an evening of live music and local brews at the River Place Plaza in Cedar Falls on Friday, June 16! Enjoy a live, free performance by James Tutson and the Rollback and The Get Up Get Down Band.
For just $20, a ticket to this event acts as your pass to sample craft beer from 20+ Iowa breweries. Be one of the first 500 to get your tickets, and you'll get a complimentary pint glass for the tastings!
June 22: Damon Dotson Band at the Jasper Winery Concert Series
Where: Jasper Winery, 2400 George Flagg Pkwy, Des Moines
When: 6-9 p.m.
Originally from Okoboji, Damon is now a full-time musician living in Des Moines. His pop/rock style is popular with fans, playing an upbeat and entertaining mix of originals and covers. Although he often performs solo, he'll be bringing the band to the winery. They themselves are group of talented musicians on guitars, bass, drums, and saxophone. Damon has released 4 albums, including the track "Tumblin."
June 23-24: The Des Moines Arts Festival
Where: Western Gateway Park, Des Moines
When: Friday, June 23 and Saturday June 24
The Festival hosts live music on the Hy-Vee Main Stage and Roots stage as well as pop-up performances across the festival site.
Buffalo Nichols
Roots stage
Friday, June 23, 8:00 - 9:30 p.m.
Since his earliest infatuations with guitar, Buffalo Nichols has asked himself the same question: How can I bring the blues of the past into the future? After cutting his teeth between a Baptist church and bars in Milwaukee, it was a globetrotting trip through West Africa and Europe during a creative down period that began to reveal the answer.
Molly Nova and The Hawks
Hy-Vee Main Stage
Friday, June 23, 5:00 - 6:15 p.m.
Molly Nova and the Hawks have many years of performances playing all kinds of music, resulting in a style of music that is all their own – original timeless music with ballads, rockers and grooves not limited to any genre. It’s just Sweet Rockin’ Roots & Blues! This band brings together several professional musicians from Eastern Iowa - Molly Nova (violin, bass, vocals), Turk E. Krause (drums, vocals), Evan Stock (guitar, vocals), Russ Moore (keyboards) and Vinny Benyshek (guitar, bass, vocals).
River City Opry
Roots stage
Saturday, June 24, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
The River City Opry Band brings the honky-tonk to the Midwest! RCO was formed around the love of a Nashville style honky-tonk. Covering artists from Johnny Cash to Chris Stapleton, they are your good time, dancing band!
Satsang
Hy-Vee Main Stage
Saturday, June 24, 6:45 - 8 p.m.
Recorded and self-produced with the help of bandmate and longtime collaborator Parker Brown, the record Flowers From The Fray finds the duo tucked away in a secluded cabin in Southwest Montana digging back into the foundation on which Satsang was founded.
“These songs were all so personal to me” says Drew McManus. “Whether it was really sifting through the stage of life I had found myself in, which was a kind of dark night of the soul, or leaning into the love of my wife. This record is truly me bearing my heart. I needed to seclude myself to find out where these songs wanted to go, and having Parker’s musical guidance had a big hand in that.”
Sister Hazel
Hy-Vee Main Stage
Saturday, June 24, 8:30 - 10 p.m.
Originating from Gainesville, FL, Sister Hazel is comprised of five gifted, seasoned musicians whose wellspring of natural talent has been called "one of the Top 100 Most Influential Independent Performers of the last 15 years" by Performing Songwriter magazine. They have since made their Grand Ole Opry debut and shared the stages with country music superstars at The CMA Festival and Tortuga Music Festival, among others. In addition to events and touring, the band also gives back with Lyrics For Life. Founded by singer Ken Block and the band, the charity unites musicians and celebrities for concerts and auctions to benefit cancer research and patient-care charities.
The Finesse
Hy-Vee Main Stage
Sunday, June 25, 1:30 - 2:45 p.m.
Soulful sounds from the Heartland, fronted by Des Moines mainstay Madison Ray, this regional R&B powerhousebring a fresh style to a classic sound. Get ready to dance, sing along, and love life as The Finesse returns to Des Moines after their tour of Japan, celebrating the release of their latest album Abraham.
