Mission Creek Festival
What started as an idea in San Francisco to show love to the underground music scene in the Bay Area has grown into one of the Midwest’s most cherished music and arts festivals. Mission Creek Festival, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, was originally dreamed up by Bay Area community activist and artist Jeff Ray. He envisioned a springtime celebration of local artists, a festival that embraced the underground music scene. That vision found its home in Iowa City thanks to Andre Perry who moved from San Francisco to Iowa City in 2005. Instantly inspired by the walkable downtown, packed with intimate venues and art spaces, Perry knew this was the perfect place to bring his own version of the festival to life.
Since its Iowa City debut in March 2006, Mission Creek Festival (MCF) has blossomed into an annual showcase of literature, musicians, local legends, and national acts. This year’s 20th anniversary proved why MCF is one of the most electric, unexpected, and genre-defying festivals in the country.
Night One
The festival kicked off at Hancher Auditorium with an unforgettable pairing: novelist Rachel Kushner in conversation with none other than punk icon Kim Gordon. Kushner captivated the audience with excerpts from her novel Creation Lake. Then came LA LOM (Los Angeles League of Musicians), a powerhouse instrumental trio whose bass-guitar-drums set had the audience grooving within minutes. What began as a sit-down show quickly transformed into a dance party, with audience members gathering to the front of the stage to dance along.
That’s the magic of MCF—just when you’re lulled into bliss by lush instrumentals, the energy flips on a dime. And who better to deliver that punk punch than Kim Gordon herself? At 71, the former Sonic Youth frontwoman proved she hasn’t lost an ounce of her edge. Her set was a thrilling blast of distortion, attitude, and raw stage presence. Gordon, a trailblazer since the late '70s, helped shape the punk and alt-rock scenes with her fearless creativity and feminist energy—and her performance was a masterclass in why her influence still resonates today.
Night Two
Friday brought the classic Mission Creek experience: a night of walking shoes and music behind every door. The night began intimately at Riverside Theatre with Nat Baldwin—an MCF veteran—who returned to the festival wielding his double bass. The space's acoustics perfectly complemented Baldwin’s experimental set.
Next stop: Gabe’s. The upstairs venue, infamous for hosting future legends like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins before they blew up, was packed as Younger lit up the stage with their punk-pop energy. The crowd thrashed and moshed through every song, sweating out the week and screaming every lyric.
But the standout set of the night was Mannequin Pussy at The Englert Theatre. If the name grabbed attention, the performance demanded it. Lead singer Missy Dabice owned the stage, commanding the crowd with infectious energy and urgent, unfiltered emotion. Mid-set, she took a powerful moment to speak out about issues facing our country currently. The crowd roared back in unity. Pure Mission Creek.
Saturday turned the spotlight on Iowa. Venues like Trumpet Blossom, The Tuesday Agency, and Reunion Brewery were shoulder-to-shoulder all day long with eager listeners catching local musicians.
Sam Locke Ward delivered a quirky, genre-bending avant-pop set. Slacker fused thrash metal with hip-hop in a mind-melting combo. Jack Lion cooled things down with an ultra-smooth jazz set that gave everyone a chance to breathe. But the true Iowa City homecoming moment was the reunion of two legendary local bands—Supersonic Piss and The Tanks—who brought down the house at Gabe’s with pure sonic chaos and unfiltered punk fury.
And then came the surprises. The biggest? William Elliott Whitmore, known for his gravel-road vocals and stripped-down folk, played two surprise sets. His afternoon acoustic performance at The Tuesday Agency was intimate and his voice filled the space. Later that night, at The Englert Theatre, Whitmore returned with banjo in hand, keeping rhythm with a single kick drum and once again leaving the crowd captivated.
We closed The Englert Theatre with a trip back in time with hip-hop legend Raekwon, who brought down the house performing his 1995 solo debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… in full. “How many ‘70s babies we got out there? ‘80s babies?” he asked, firing up a crowd that spanned generations. From teens to longtime Wu-Tang heads, the energy was electric as the audience shouted every lyric back at him, word for word. Another surprise of the night? The MCF bunny made an appearance during Raekwon’s set. The bunny was proudly rocking out in the crowd and throwing up the Wu-Tang sign.
All good things must come to an end, and after two unforgettable decades, this was the final Mission Creek Festival. The festival was full of energy, creativity, and unforgettable moments. Creekheads should keep an eye out for what The Englert Theatre has up its sleeve next which includes launching a brand-new festival launching later this year. Cheers to 20 years of Mission Creek.
Mission Creek - Official Website