Iowa

Must-see Iowa City concerts include The Indigo Girls and viral sensation Mason Ramsey

Published

2 years ago

March 13, 2024

Must-see Iowa City concerts include The Indigo Girls and viral sensation Mason Ramsey

Spring has almost arrived, bringing warmer weather, blooming flowers, and notable concerts.

From the Mission Creek Festival to critically acclaimed acts or your favorite new band, here is a round-up of spring concerts in the Iowa City area.

More: Goodbye, winter. The first day of spring is rapidly approaching for Iowa.

Mission Creek Music Festival (April 4-6)

Mission Creek is an annual music festival in its 19th season, bringing esteemed and local acts together April 4-6. The festival unfolds in downtown Iowa City, hosted at iconic, cozy locations like the esteemed Englert Theatre and the newly refurbished Riverside Theatre. Highlights include Neko Case, Osees, Indigo DeSouza, local acts Bootcamp, and The Blake Shaw Big(ish) Band.

Tickets went on sale in December, but passes are still available. A weekend-long pass costs $115; single-day passes cost $55.

More: Neko Case headlines 19th annual Mission Creek Festival held April 4-6 in Iowa City

Oumou Sangaré (April 12)

Oumou Sangaré is an acclaimed Malian singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1990s with her powerful voice and socially conscious lyrics, often addressing issues such as women’s rights and African identity. Sangaré is touring her for recent release, “Timbuktu,” written during the COVID lockdowns. “Timbuktu” blends sounds of traditional West African music and American Blues to create a unique listening experience. Sangaré will perform at The Englert Theatre on April 12, and tickets are still available.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 12

Where: The Englert Theatre, 221 E Washington St., Iowa City

Price:$10-40.17

More: Iowa dog breeder blames ‘brainless’ women for criminal charges

Ratboys (April 12)

Ratboys is an indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2010. The band gained attention with its debut album, “AOID,” released in 2015. They are currently touring to promote their most recent release, “The Window.” Ratboys brings its infectious melodies, intricate guitar work, and emotive storytelling to Gabe’s on April 12 with supporting act Ducks Ltd. Tickets are on sale now.

When: 8 p.m. Friday, April 12

Where: Gabe’s, 330 E Washington St., Iowa City

Price: $20+

More: A southern twist: Raising Cane’s opening downtown Iowa City location

Indigo Girls (April 17 and April 18)

The Indigo Girls have sold millions of records thanks to their chart-topping song “Closer to Fine,” which helped fuel their debut in 1987. The Grammy-winning group continues to share their folk-rock sound during regular tours. The Indigo Girls recently performed at the Englert Theatre in November and are returning to the historic theatre on April 17 and April 18, with tickets starting at $59.

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 17 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18

Where: The Englert Theatre, 221 E Washington St, Iowa City

Price: $59+

Mason Ramsey (April 20)

Mason Ramsey, also known as “The Walmart Yodeling Kid,” is an American singer and internet sensation who gained widespread attention in 2018. Ramsey has continued to pursue his music career since becoming a viral sensation and has demonstrated his versatility, expanding his repertoire beyond traditional country music. Ramsey will perform April 20 at Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon. Tickets are on sale now.

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, April 20

Where: Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon, 4919 Walleye Dr. SE, Iowa City

Price: $18+

Caroline Rose

Caroline Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician known for her eclectic blend of indie rock, pop, and alternative music. Rose is celebrated for her boundary-pushing creativity and brings a dynamic live performance to the Englert Theatre on April 23. General admission tickets start at $25.

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday April 23

Where: The Englert Theatre, 221 E Washington St, Iowa City

Price: $25+

Other Notable Acts Performing in Eastern Iowa

Breaking Benjamin − 7 p.m. Friday, April 5 at Alliant Energy Powerhouse, Cedar Rapids

Queensryche − 8 p.m. Sunday, April 8 at Alliant Energy Powerhouse, Cedar Rapids

Cake − 8 p.m. Friday, May 10 at McGrath Amphitheatre, Cedar Rapids

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_

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Iowa

Iowa State basketball vs. Arizona State prediction, 3 things to watch

Published

52 minutes ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

Iowa State basketball vs. Arizona State prediction, 3 things to watch

It’s the last dance at Hilton Coliseum for Cyclone lifer Tamin Lipsey and other Iowa State basketball seniors.

The Cyclones will wrap up the regular season with one final home game on March 7 against visiting Arizona State. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on FS1.

Iowa State (24-6, 11-6 Big 12 Conference) is looking to shake off a two-game losing skid after suffering back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Arizona.

Meanwhile, Arizona State (16-14, 7-10) is coming to Ames fresh off of consecutive wins over Utah and Kansas. The Sun Devils upset the Jayhawks 70-60 on March 3.

Here are three things to watch for in Saturday’s game:

Arizona State enters Hilton Coliseum with momentum

The Sun Devils are coming off of back-to-back wins, including an upset of Kansas in their last outing at home on March 3.

The Sun Devils built a 40-20 halftime lead and hung on for the win.

Arizona State also had a 72-67 win over Texas Tech on Feb. 17. It was the game in which J.T. Toppin went down with a season-ending ACL injury in the final six minutes of the contest.

Pepperdine transfer Moe Odum is shining in his first season at the power-conference level. He had 23 points in both games against Kansas and Texas Tech. In the recent win over Kansas, he had a game-high 23 points and shot 5-of-10 from long range, with four boards, six assists and two steals.

The senior guard is averaging 17.3 points, 5.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game for the Sun Devils.

The frontcourt is anchored by 7-foot-1 center Massamba Diop. Diop is one of the top shot-blockers and rim-protectors in the conference, averaging 2.2 blocks per game, second to Kansas’ Flory Bidunga. The freshman center has had three or more blocks in nine Big 12 games this season.

Senior guard Anthony Johnson has developed into a reliable sixth man for the Sun Devils. It’s his first season of Division I basketball after playing the last few years at NAIA-level University of the Cumberlands. Johnson is a two-way contributor off the bench. He is averaging 13.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Primarily a slashing threat, Johnson has shown he can knock down 3s when left open.

Iowa State basketball guard Tamin Lipsey on increased urgency

Iowa State basketball guard Tamin Lipsey on team-wide increased urgency.

Arizona State’s towering size

The Sun Devils have plenty of length and size throughout their roster.

According to KenPom, Arizona State has the ninth-tallest roster in Division I basketball in terms of average height across the team.

The Sun Devils’ starting five features three players who are 6-foot-11 or taller.

Aside from the 7-foot-1 Diop, they have a pair of 6-foot-11 forwards in the lineup, sophomore Santiago Trouet and junior Andrija Grbovic.

Although the Sun Devils’ big men might not be as talented as Arizona’s, it will be interesting to see if Arizona State tries to emulate or utilize a similar gameplan defensively as Arizona. The Sun Devils are a good shot-blocking team and they’ll look to use their size up front to make life in the paint difficult for Iowa State.

Despite Arizona State’s size, the Sun Devils are not an exceptional rebounding team, so this can be an opportunity for Iowa State bigs to set the tone on the boards.

Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger on emotions of senior night

Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger on the emotions of senior night from a coach’s perspective.

Iowa State will salute its seniors

The Cyclones are set to honor five seniors on Saturday afternoon: Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Nate Heise, Eric Mulder and Dominick Nelson.

Lipsey, a hometown hero and Ames product, will be playing in his final game at Hilton Coliseum. A senior who has been at Iowa State since the first day of his collegiate career, Lipsey is a rarity in this era of the revamped transfer portal and NIL. He is one of only five seniors in the Big 12 to stay all four, or five (if they redshirted), years at the same school.

Jefferson also will get recognition. In just two years at Iowa State, he quickly blossomed into one of the Cyclones’ top players and fan-favorites after transferring in from Saint Mary’s.

Nate Heise, a sixth-year senior, was already honored in last season’s senior-night ceremonies, but he will be recognized once again on Saturday. Heise chose to return this season for another year due to a season of eligibility stemming from a medical redshirt from a hand injury in the 2022-23 season at Northern Iowa.

Nelson and Mulder, both graduate transfers, will cap senior-day ceremonies.

Iowa State basketball vs. Arizona State prediction

The quest for perfection at home is no longer possible, but expect Iowa State to be able to give Tamin Lipsey and the other seniors the perfect sendoff in the final game at Hilton Coliseum. Although the Sun Devils recently enjoyed a big win, they’ve struggled on the road this year, with a 2-8 record. One last dose of Hilton Magic as Iowa State gets back on the winning side after a two-game losing skid. Prediction: Iowa State 80, Arizona State 64

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.

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Iowa

No. 3 Michigan holds off a late run by Iowa, beats the Hawkeyes 71-68

Published

13 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

No. 3 Michigan holds off a late run by Iowa, beats the Hawkeyes 71-68

IOWA CITY, Iowa — IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg scored 16 points apiece, and Aday Mara had two tiebreaking shots in the final 1:22 as No. 3 Michigan defeated Iowa 71-68 on Thursday night.

The Wolverines (28-2, 18-1 Big Ten) were held 18 points below their season scoring average, but managed to hold off the Hawkeyes (20-10, 10-9) in the closing seconds.

Iowa went on an 11-1 run to tie the game at 64 with 1:56 to play before Mara banked in a shot before the shot clock expired, putting Michigan in front again. After Iowa’s Cam Manyawu scored inside to tie the game at 66, Mara, who finished with 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting, scored off a lob with 43 seconds left to put the Wolverines ahead to stay.

Iowa had chances to tie the game on back-to-back possessions, but missed three shots on one of the possessions and lost the ball on another after a turnover by Tavion Banks with seven seconds left.

The Hawkeyes had a final chance to tie the game after Lendeborg made two free throws with four seconds remaining, but Bennett Stirtz’s 3-pointer try was long.

Elliot Cadeau added 11 points for the Wolverines, the Big Ten regular-season champions.

Stirtz led Iowa with 21 points. Manyawu had 14.

Michigan had a 38-25 rebounding edge on the Hawkeyes.

The game was tied at 30 at halftime. Michigan shot 50% from the field, but committed 12 turnovers that Iowa turned into 16 points.

The Hawkeyes were 11 of 31 from the field, with Stirtz especially struggling to make shots. Stirtz, Iowa’s leading scorer this season, made just one of his first nine shots, then hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a 27-second span to give Iowa a 30-28 lead.

Up next

Michigan: Hosts No. 8 Michigan State on Sunday.

Iowa: At No. 9 Nebraska on Sunday.

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Iowa

Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship

Wrestling-Women

March 5, 2026

Iowa women’s wrestling star Kylie Welker on competing for official NCAA championship

March 5, 2026

Kylie Welker chats with NCAA Digital’s Sophie Starkey about the success of Iowa women’s wrestling and the possibility of winning the inaugural NCAA sanctioned championship.

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