Mission Creek Festival begins with basketball-inspired poetry and empowering lyrical performances

Basketball was seemingly on everyone's mind in Iowa City, even on the opening night of the 19th annual Mission Creek Festival Thursday, April 5, which started with Hanif Abdurraqib in a Caitlin Clark jersey, reading a poem from his latest book release and New York Times Best Seller, "There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension."

Abdurraqib's book is structured like a basketball game, with four sections capturing the passing of time likened to the four quarters of a game. Abdurraqib chronicles the sport, exploring the intersection of basketball and the human experience from themes of hope and growth.

Abdurraqib opened the 2024 Mission Creek Festival Thursday at Hancher Auditorium, reading a selected piece of prose, "The Mercy of Exits, The Magic of Fruitless Pleading."

"I haven't been to Mission Creek since 2018, and it's great to be back. I was in Iowa in 2020, during my visiting professorship, but because it was 2020, I was only here for January and February, and then we all went on spring break and never came back," Abdurraqib said. "I had to come back because I was in optimist, which was the last time I was… I'm going to read something about heartbreak and exodus; I still hope that things start to look upward emotionally, at least."

The poem begins with a vivid description of when Abdurraqib sat with his father in a field near an airport, watching planes take off. As the narrative progresses, it delves into deeper emotional territory, discussing the pain of longing for someone who has moved on.

Assistant Professor in the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa, Tisa Bryant joined Abdurraqib on stage for a post-reading discussion, where Bryant said, "I think of you as being a virtuoso of the love letter."

Abdurraqib responded, "I think of myself as a romantic. I think there's no doubt that I'm also somewhat cynical, but I don't think those two things are at odds; I think I am cynical about the conditions of the landscapes in which love occurs. And yet I believe that it must occur."

More: The best free events at this week's Mission Creek Festival in Iowa City

Experimental Sounds with L'Rain

L'Rain took the stage after the discussion.

The band is a New York-based experimental pop group currently touring their latest release, "I Killed Your Dog." They opened their set with the title track, which got the audience to howl along.

Later in the set, lead singer L'Rain (Taja Cheek) explained the meaning of the song, "It's about when you hurt the people closest to you."

L'Rain transported the audience to a synesthesia forest, where heavy synthesizers felt like the buzzing of cicadas in the summertime. The experimental pieces of music rattled through Hancher and flowed seamlessly into one another.

The entire band performed barefoot and succumbed to the music, bending their bodies over their instruments in beat with the rhythms.

More: Experimental rock to Indie-pop, seven must-see acts at the 2024 Mission Creek Festival

Neko Case's Captivating Finale

Co-headliner, singer-songwriter, and musician Neko Case took the stage to close out the night.

Hancher Auditorium was drenched in golden hour-esque lighting as Case and her band played "This Tornado Loves You," a song from Case's 2022 album, "Wild Creatures." Case guided the audience through her discography from 1997 to her current tracks.

Case let out a guttural yet melodic scream during her song, "Hell-On." The song navigates through difficult situations where she confronts inner demons and, in the end, finds resilience.

Case then encouraged the audience to breathe as she took exaggerated breaths of air. The audience followed suit before she continued performing.

As the final notes of Case's performance faded, a sense of empowerment swept through the air.

The evening started with introspective reflections on Abdurraqib's prose and transitioned to the experimental sounds of L'Rain's performance, culminating in the timeless melodies of Case's music.

Two days of the Mission Creek Festival remain, with plenty of performances and discussions spread throughout Iowa City. The event concludes late Saturday night.

More: Mission Creek Festival spotlights local Iowa artists

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

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Hanif Abdurraqib, L'Rain and Neko Case kick off night one of Mission Creek