Kim Gordon | LA LOM | Rachel Kushner
An evening of music and literature
- 4:30 p.m. – Doors open to the public
- 5:00 p.m. -- Lobby bar open
- 6:00 p.m. -- Stanley Café concessions open
- 6:00–7:00 p.m. – Reading and Q&A with Rachel Kushner in conversation with Kim Gordon.
- 7:30–8:15 p.m. – LA LOM
- 8:45–10:00 p.m. – Kim Gordon
Hancher Auditorium is again thrilled to host the opening ceremonies of Mission Creek Festival 2025 on Thursday, April 3! Mission Creek Festival celebrates its 20th edition of music, literature, and community April 3 through 5. Mission Creek continues to embrace independent voices, and Hancher is honored to welcome revered, rising, and remarkable artists to our community and the University of Iowa.
Full details, as well as rolling artist announcements, can be found at missioncreekfestival.com.
For Mission Creek's opening day, Hancher will transform into a single-site festival venue and present a multidisciplinary program opening with a reading by acclaimed novelist and essayist Rachel Kushner who will be in conversation with Kim Gordon. The trio LA LOM will bring an instrumental multi-era and multi-influence take on party music—including music from the band’s latest record, San Fernando Rose—to the stage. The evening closes with Kim Gordon, multi-disciplinary art legend whose prolific career spans decades. From her iconic legacy with alt-rock band Sonic Youth to her Grammy-nominated solo albums, she has defined generations and transcended genres with her spellbinding body of work.
Kim Gordon: Kim Gordon is a founding member of the band Sonic Youth and the author of Girl in a Band: A Memoir. Gordon will start the evening by moderating a conversation with her good friend Kushner. The two have appeared together in a variety of venues to discuss a range of artistic topics—and Mission Creek is the perfect place for that conversation to continue. Gordon will finish out the night with an electrifying musical performance.
LA LOM: The Los Angeles League of Musicians, known as LA LOM, is an instrumental trio formed in Los Angeles in 2021. The musicians blend the sounds of Cumbia Sonidera, 1960s soul ballads, and classic romantic boleros that emanate from radios, backyard, parties, and dance clubs of Los Angeles with the twang of Peruvian Chicha and Bakersfield Country.
Rachel Kushner: Rachel Kushner is among America’s most exciting writers. She is a participant-observer with a mind-bending range. Her novels explore big ideas and themes, from the Cuban revolution, to art, speed, modernism and revolutionary politics, to contemporary California and homicide and prison, to her newest, Creation Lake, about an undercover agent spying on a commune of anarchists in contemporary France.
TICKETING:
All passes for the Mission Creek Festival will be solely available from The Englert Box Office—both online and in person. Full festival passes are on sale now online and at The Englert’s box office.
Single-day Thursday passes will go on sale on February 7.
Note: All seating for the events at Hancher Auditorium will be general admission.
All pass sales are non-refundable, regardless of changes to the lineup. With the cancelation of Julien Baker and TORRES, refunds to Thursday pass holders are available for a limited time. Thursday pass holders can also transfer their passes to a Friday or Saturday pass at no additional cost. To request a refund or transfer, please submit the Refund Processing Form here by Monday, March 31 @ 11:59pm.
Due to an unforeseen medical situation, we are incredibly sad to share that Julien Baker & TORRES have to cancel their tour date in Iowa City, and will not be appearing at Mission Creek Festival 2025. Our teams are currently hard and fast at work to fill their festival slot with another exciting artist. More information about lineup updates and refund options will be shared with ticket and festival pass holders as we have them. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding as we navigate this. We wish a speedy recovery to the JB&T team, and we hope to still see you at the festival this year!
Mission Creek Festival website
Preorder food from the Stanley Café!
Avoid the lines by making your food selections before you come to Hancher Auditorium. Most entrées are only available through pre-order and cannot be purchased on-site at the performance. Snacks and beverages will be available on-site.
Orders must be placed by noon two days before the performance.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Paris Young in advance at (319) 467-4849 or at paris-sissel@uiowa.edu.