September 4, 2024

Jumbies takes the rhythm, energy and motion of traditional Afro-Caribbean musical styles such as Soca and Reggae, the vibrant sound of the steel pan, and a high-energy funk backing band and spins out a tasty cocktail of seriously danceable music.

What further blows the mind is that this sound comes out of five guys from Iowa.

Big Begonias took root in 2020 and have been blooming since. Dedicated to creating transcendental folk and honkytonk sounds, the 4-piece band features original music by Gabrielle Kouri and George Spielbauer. Gabrielle, a founding member of Iowa City’s beloved Awful Purdies, plays guitar, banjo, and sings, while George (Cedar County Cobras) plays various guitars. Dave “Chief” Lumberg (Shoe Money, Mayflies) commands the bass, and drummer Dr. Dan Miller keeps the beat alive. 

Big Begonias have performed at Harmony Festival in Cedar Rapids and North Liberty’s Concert in the Park. Their song “All The Ladies” was featured on the Englert podcast, Best Show Ever in 2021.

Time: 6:30 PM

Christine Moad (they/them) shatters preconceived notions and societal expectations with their music.

Christine Moad has traveled the world from Tennessee to Monaco as a professionally touring bassist. Moad, a bassist and singer-songwriter recording under the moniker Miss Christine, blends indie rock with blues and soul influences delivered with defiant punk attitude to open listeners’ minds to possibilities beyond the gender binary. They graduated from Berklee College of Music before gaining experience as a session musician in Nashville. Christine defied expectations yet again by leaving Nashville behind for a farm near Iowa City where they write and record their original songs. With support provided by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts, the follow up, Bittersweet, was released on Bandcamp in 2023.

Time: 7:30 PM

Signal Flow Productions presents Sun Centauri, Wave Cage and Ion Alexakis Band in this full night of live entertainment on the Ped Mall.

Sun Centauri -- 6:30 PM

Wave Cage -- 7:30 PM

Ion Alexakis Band -- 8:20 PM

Sun Centauri is a future pop/R&B collaboration featuring wavy production from Jim Swim and soaring vocals from Alyx Rush. Whether writing summer bops or midnight laments, the duo prioritizes emotion through experimental sound design, harmony stacks, and live instrumentation.

With two standout EPs already released under their individual names (Fruit to the Knife and After the Last Time), their first official Sun Centauri single, “Two Shots,” will be out on August 2nd ahead of a fall EP release.

Wave Cage combines jazz composition, atmospheric synths, and driving beats to create their own blend of electrified, synth-heavy jazz fusion. Jazz Weekly pronounced them “Soulful space cadets”, while the River Cities’ Reader described their sound as"evoking the smooth melodies and diverse textures of early Weather Report; the ambitious, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink arrangements of groups such as Jaga Jazzist; and the more genre-agnostic trip-hop beat decisions of such projects as Thievery Corporation and Zero 7."

Ion Alexakis: Ion’s music is an inward reflection focusing in on resilience of the worker. Enduring the working class hardships through the Guthrie lens over a sonic guttural rawness that hones in on the prospect of our power as the people to maintain vigilance and hope. As a solo artist he has shared the stage with the artists such as GZA, Blackalicious, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Makaya McCraven, Dessa, Wyclef Jean & Black Milk. 

He will be joined by Blake Shaw, Tara McGovern and Chris Jensen.

September 28 - Shade of Blue

sponsored by Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service

Location: Riverfront Crossings Park, 1001 S. Clinton St.

Shade of Blue fans have been gyrating to the band’s hypnotic and infectious grooves in the Midwest for 35 years. Founded as a blues trio in 1989, Shade of Blue has evolved into one of the Iowa City area’s most beloved musical institutions as a featured act and as an opener for internationally acclaimed artists such as the Neville Brothers, Koko Taylor, and George Clinton. In 2021, Shade of Blue was inducted into the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association Hall of Fame.

Activities from Iowa City Parks and Recreation and West Music

Food available from Luna's Tacos, Selina's Creations, Rodney's and Moo Moo's Ice Cream Truck

Beverages available from Big Grove Brewery

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsors!