With Rock the Garden canceled, the Basilica Block Party still on hold and all of Minnesota's other big music fests involving bro country or dinosaur rock, 2023 might be the year many Twin Cities music fans warm up to the hottest music festival in the Upper Midwest: Hinterland near Des Moines, Iowa.
Yes, Iowa.
Next year's lineup for the three-day, early August music marathon was announced Wednesday with Bon Iver, Zach Bryan and Maggie Rogers for headliners. The Aug. 4-6 event also will feature an eclectic mix of cult-loved favorites or buzzing newcomers including Angel Olsen, Orville Peck, Sylvan Esso, Wallows, Houndmouth, Noah Kahan, Faye Webster and the Regrettes.
Bon Iver's performance on Night One of the fest (Friday, Aug. 4) will be the nearest that the full lineup of Justin Vernon's band has played to the Twin Cities — or his home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin — since COVID. It's also the group's only U.S. date so far on the books for 2023.
The even bigger "get" for Hinterland, though, may be Zach Bryan's Saturday night set. Just a year since leaving the U.S. Navy, the Oklahoma-rooted country singer/songwriter sold out Surly Brewing Festival Field and many other large outdoor venues this fall riding the viral success of his debut album "American Heartbreak."
Started in 2015, Hinterland takes place amid the hilly grounds of Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater, about 30 miles south of Des Moines. There's camping on site, but the festival is also close enough to city limits for out-of-town concertgoers to stay in hotels. Last year's lineup — spread over four days instead of three — included Phoebe Bridgers, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and Trampled by Turtles.
Three-day festival passes for Hinterland 2023 go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. CT via www.hinterlandiowa.com and will be priced $250 for general admission or $550 for VIP. Single-day tickets usually go on sale in late spring.
———
