Des Moines Performing Arts (DMPA) has announced their new concert series, “Made in the Midwest,” which begins this Valentine’s Day and runs through mid-May. Five Iowa artists will grace the intimate Temple Theater stage in downtown Des Moines this spring, and represent genres ranging from soul-pop and rock to Americana.
"[DMPA] had a desire to do something new that we hadn't done before [...] we realized that we have the Temple which has not only calendar availability but is a fantastic music venue,” DMPA Programming Manager Brooke Bridenstine said. “Working with more local artists is something that we've kind of had on the radar for a few years and we're glad to have all of those three things come together here.”
Five crowd-pleasing local acts, many of them that we've been following here at Studio One, are slated to appear in the “Made in the Midwest” series:
Brad & Kate — Feb. 14
Folk-pop duo Brad & Kate are a husband-and-wife team based in Cedar Falls. Their debut album, Next Year, was released in 2022, and their annual Little Holiday Spectacular shows have been sold-out successes.
The Finesse — Feb. 15
Des Moines soul-pop sensation The Finesse might be familiar to many, as they've been featured on Iowa PBS, where they played their uplifting anthem “Bluebird.” Here at Studio One, we listed “Black Coffee” as one of the best Iowa music videos of 2023. They'll be re-releasing their album Abraham at their Temple Theater show.
Matt Woods - March 21
Central Iowa’s Matt Woods plays roots, blues and Americana music. His rousing live act can be seen in one of his over 100 Iowa and beyond shows every year.
Allegra Hernandez - April 25
Allegra Hernandez is a Des Moines musician with their own unique brand of grunge-forward rock. Ever since the release of their debut record Gift Exchange in 2022, Allegra has been telling people to “Use My Fkn Pronouns” on stages across the state. They were also featured as the opening act for The Linda Lindas at Wooly’s last fall.
Abbie Sawyer - May 9
The first installment of “Made in the Midwest” closes with Abbie Sawyer, a Des Moines singer-songwriter who channels life experiences into folksy Americana songs. This “Mama Bare” has released music on her own and with multiple bands in recent years, including her 2022 album Love Is a Flood.
All shows begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are available now at $20 for a seat on the risers or $25 to sit at a table down front. To purchase tickets, head to the DMPA website, call 515-246-2300, or stop by the Civic Center ticket office. Tickets are also available the night of each show at the Temple Theater ticket office, which opens two hours before performances.
