The River flows...

Those of you who don’t reside in the greater Iowa City area (and maybe some of you who do) may not be aware of it, but Iowa City plays host to a terrific, intimate, organic, family-friendly annual music festival called the Mud River Festival. CST has had the good fortune of performing at the last two festivals (2004 and 2005), and we’re scheduled to play again this year. We’re really looking forward to it; it’s always a really fun, relaxing event, full of great local music. As part (small as we may be) of the Iowa City music scene, we count ourselves lucky to be able to participate in these kinds of events.

The Mud River Festival is put on by a non-profit organization called the Mud River Music Cooperative, which was founded in 2001 or so to support and sustain the local music scene and the musicians in it. It’s very much a grass-roots kind of group, the brainchild of a local fan and supporter of live music, JP Claussen. He wanted to be able to go see live music with his family (including a couple young kids), and was tired of only being able to see bands in smoke-filled bars late at night. His idea was that the Mud River Music Cooperative could serve not only as a support system for local musicians, but also as a promoter of family-friendly live music.

It’s a really cool idea—music for the people, by the people, in a way. Since its inception, Mud River has hosted a myriad of family-friendly events showcasing live, local music, including monthly potlucks and jam sessions, intimate concerts at Uptown Bill’s small Mall (one of our favorite little venues), weekly open mic nights, a handful of house concerts, and of course, the Mud River Festival. They’re great events, and having people of all ages—from wee tots to grandmas and grandpas—in attendance just adds another layer of… neatness. It’s really cool to see a group of kids playing under a tree, a group of twenty-somethings tossing a Frisbee, a middle-aged couple lounging on a blanket, families and friends spending time together, all set against a backdrop of excellent music in a peaceful, outdoor setting. Sounds good to me.

Mud River—the organization AND the festival—is entirely dependent on volunteers, though. Sadly, the same small, dedicated group of volunteers has been chugging along these five or six years, and their treads are nearly worn out. There are a lot of details to attend to in order for the festival and all of these other great events to happen, and those details start to wear on a person after a while.

So Mud River needs help. Mud River needs your help. If you enjoy live music, if you appreciate your local musicians, if you’re interested in pitching in and helping an organization that has truly helped to improve our community, then please lend a hand! It could be something as simple as handing out flyers at one of our many local events highlighting live music (e.g. the Friday Night Concert Series, the Saturday Night Free Movie Series, the Iowa City Jazz Festival, etc.), or it could be helping to plan and organize a fundraising event. On more of an ongoing basis, Mud River needs folks to update the online calendar on Cultural Corridor, to send out email updates about local shows, and to write reviews of local shows. If you feel you have some time, energy or talent to offer, I’d encourage you to contact Mud River. Every little bit helps.
Thanks, everybody. Hope to see you at a show soon.

We got us a show coming up...

This Saturday night, Central Standard Time provides the pre-movie entertainment for the Saturday Night Free Movie Series on the UI Pentacrest in Iowa City. They put a big screen up on the front of McBride Hall (at least I think it's that building) and show a movie. But before this Saturday's movie, my friends, you're in for a treat! CST! Charlie, fresh (?) from camp, and Matt, fresh from... elsewhere in Iowa City. We play at 7:30, probably until about 9:00. Bring some lawn chairs or a blanket and some friends and make a big evening of it! After we wrap up our set, stick around for the free showing of Blue Hawaii, starring Elvis Presley as a guy who returns to Hawaii after a war and wants to surf. Or something. See you Saturday!