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Local Musicians Eager To Play 80/35

The crowd rocks out to the 2011 80/35. This year, 80/35 will be July 6-7, 2012.

Dale Johnson
July 3, 2012

Des Moines Music Coalition 80/35 Music Festival line up boasts a handful of Ames musicians, playing alongside national acts such as headliners the Avett Brothers and Death Cab For Cutie.

Acts from the Ames scene playing in the festival include Christopher the Conquered, Derek Lambert and the Prairie Fires, Leslie and the Ly’s, Little Ruckus, Mantis Pincers and Mumford’s.

“People should come [to 80/35] with their minds ready to be blown,” Dominic Rabalais (Little Ruckus) said.

Chris Ford of Christopher the Conquered, Leslie Hall of Leslie and the Ly’s, Nate Logsdon and Rabalais all mentioned that they look forward to playing a large outdoor festival and bringing some surprises with them.

80/35 will take place at Des Moines’ Western Gateway Park on Friday July 6th and Saturday July 7th with doors opening at 4pm and 11am respectively.

“It’s an honor to play a world class festival right here in Iowa,” Ford said. “And it’s more along the lines of Pitchfork and Lollapalooza which take place in a metro park unlike Coachella or Bonnaroo.”

Derek Lambert and the Prairie Fires will be the first local act to take the stage at noon Saturday on the Kum & Go stage. Christopher the Conquered will play on the Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield stage.

The rest of the local line-up can be found throughout the day on the Hy-Vee Triathalon stage.

The acts are in the works to make changes to their live performances to adapt for playing a large, outdoor show.

“I don’t want to ruin too much of the surprise, but I will say people can expect for a drum kit on a moving platform and some homemade constructs,” Rabalais said.

Logsdon stated that Mumford’s looks to introduce a new addition to the band’s roster as well as performing new material from the upcoming album Immediate Family.

All the artists said that they look forward to playing in a festival that brings out people to see national acts and in the words of Ford, “experience local music at the one big event people may attend that year.”

The artists also mentioned they are honored to play the event and Logsdon sums up the feeling.

“Playing 80/35 is great,” Logsdon said. “It’s also great to play 80/35 coming from Ames, Des Moines and Iowa since 80/35 is something we as Iowans are proud to possess.”

Anyone attending the festival can expect the local acts to put on their best show according to each frontperson.

“No matter the weather, wet or sweat, we are going lead one of the biggest dance parties Iowa has seen,” Hall said.

80/35 Details

Where: Western Gateway Park, Des Moines, IA

When: July 6 and July 7th (4pm, 11 am open doors times)

Cost: Prices range to free for some stages (Including most of local line up) to $65 for 2 day pass

Line Up/Schedule

Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Main Stage

5pm F****d Up

7pm Dinosaur Jr.

9pm The Ave Brothers