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Sound Stage

Some notes on 80/35

7/10/2013

Adrien Daller of Trouble Lights.

Adrien Daller of Trouble Lights.

It’s safe to say that Annalibera got its 80/35 slot on the strength of its Gross Domestic Product performance in April. It’s also safe to say that it made the most of its chance to kick things off. Anna Gebhardt can really sing.

If any of Des Moines’ rap and hip hop fans wasted their time at Kitty Pryde and didn’t then immediately go see Maxilla Blue, they should have their heads examined. The former is an unsubtle, Internet-famous wastrel, and the latter is one of the state’s most solid acts.

Dustin Harmsen (H.D. Harmsen), Nate Logsdon (Mumford’s) and Adrien Daller (Trouble Lights) are three of the most entertaining people around to watch on stage.

Speaking of Logsdon and Daller, at the end of Mumford’s set, Logsdon got down on one knee and proposed. Daller said yes.

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Make no mistake: Even close to 30 years since they first formed, House of Large Sizes can still bring it.

Dylan Sires and Neighbors was given the dubious honor of kicking off the main stage on day two. Great to see the Waterloo trio on the big stage; unfortunate to see them in front of 50 people at noon.

Deerhunter dropped the ball. Their set was a cacophony of wasted time.

Of the two headliners, David Byrne and St. Vincent gave the stronger set. Wu-Tang Clan had all the anticipation, but Friday’s headliners gave a set that was theatric, energetic and beautifully performed. It also had the added bonus of featuring Talking Heads songs, and that never hurts.

This isn’t a slight on the Clan. After making everyone stand around for almost an hour, Wu-Tang delivered a devastating performance that covered all the group’s highlights and provided a thunderous conclusion to two days of downtown music. CV

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