Highlights of Hinterland 2024
saint charles, iowa - august 2-4, 2024
Tucked away in Saint Charles, IA, a town with a population of less than 1000, Hinterland Festival occurred from August 2-4. With headliners Hozier, Vampire Weekend, and Noah Kahan, the festival attracted music fans from all over for an incredible weekend. Here are some of the highlights.
The Last Dinner Party
One of the earlier acts on Friday, The Last Dinner Party seemed to be who set the festival in motion. They played some favorites off of their debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, but also treated the audience to two unreleased songs. As a band, their sound is impressively cohesive yet simultaneously unique. In the show, instrumentals were emphasized just as much as vocals, creating a fully immersive experience. For their finale, they called out to the audience, “And just remember, nothing matters!” before launching into their last song, titled “Nothing Matters.”
Hippo Campus
They’ve established themselves as a quintessential modern rock band, and in live performance, Hippo Campus does not disappoint. They played a mix of new singles such as “Paranoid” or old classics such as “South” and “Buttercup.” To the audience, it didn’t seem to matter whether the song was an established favorite or just released within the last month — every song was enjoyed just the same. While the vocals were, of course, incredible, what stood out most was DeCarlo Jackson’s trumpet. In many songs, Jackson was featured in a solo that stunned the crowd. It is certain that everyone walked away from the set feeling satisfied and energized.
Blondshell at Hinterland 2024.
The Last Dinner Party at Hinterland 2024.
Blondshell
Blondshell is making waves in the bubblegrunge genre, and she is not an act you want to miss. Her entire set is locked and loaded with fire and energy, there simply is no low point. “It should take a whole lot less / To turn me off, to turn me off,” she screamed out in “Sepsis.” The audience never stopped moving and dancing. She ended her set with a riveting performance of “Salad.” On its own, the song is powerful, but to hear it live adds a whole new level of captivation and catharsis.
Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners at Hinterland 2024.
Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners
There’s no such thing as bad vibes when Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners are performing. Their music is the definition of comforting, and it was so clear that the band members were happy to be there. They had good rapport with the crowd, and at the end of their set, tossed a drumstick out for one lucky fan to catch.
Flipturn
It’s rare to find a band where all of their songs are of the same quality, but with Flipturn, there are quite truly no songs that can be skipped. Flipturn’s live performance was gripping, the songs they played were infectious. For attendees who hadn’t yet heard of Flipturn, they were in for a treat. For long-time fans, expectations were greatly exceeded.
Chappell Roan
There’s no world in which Chappell Roan could play at a festival and not be mentioned as a highlight. The hype is real and so well-deserved, her performance was jaw-dropping. She has this knack at engaging the entire crowd, even when the entire crowd consists of an amphitheater with thousands and thousands of people. There was something magical about being one of those thousands; everyone singing in unison for every song, everyone knowing the motions for the dance to “HOT TO GO!” It was inherently clear that as a performer, Chappell Roan truly loves what she does. Her performance was filled with true passion. Everyone should add seeing her play live to their bucket list.
