Brandi Carlisle, Maggie Rogers, Dawes, the War and the Treaty – fabulous Hinterland Festival near Des Moines

Yes, it was hot midday at the Hinterland Festival, a bucolic venue carved into a cornfield south of Des Moines. But not as hot as it could be in August and the music yesterday was worth the sweat and sunburn. We finally, finally, got to see and hear Brandi Carlisle live and she was great! Full of energy and what a voice. She belted out one song after another with a crackerjack band and chatted warmly and confessionally with the crowd, making us feel special. (And maybe we were…) After singing her poignant song about motherhood, her young daughter Evangeline (the song’s namesake) ran onto the stage to give her a hug. That was a moment, especially for a rocker like Brandi. I always managed to be away during her previous visits to Des Moines so I was very happy to see her at last and hope to do so again soon.

Young and gorgeous Maggie Rogers also put on a high-spirited show, dancing exuberantly across the stage during almost every well-sung song. The folk rock group Dawes (a favorite of our son’s) and The War and The Treaty — a wife/husband soul group and one of the few Hinterland non-white groups — also threw everything they had into their show. Well done!