The University of Iowa’s Hancher will present two concerts in the Club Hancher format at The Mill, located at 120 E. Burlington St. in downtown Iowa City this fall.
Stew & The Negro Problem will perform original songs written about Iowa City Thursday, Sept. 27. Ti-Coca & Wanga Nègès, a Haitian band on tour as part of a U.S. Department of State program, will perform Friday, Oct. 5. Each band will perform at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Hancher commissioned award-winning songwriters Stew and his partner, Heidi Rodewald, came to Iowa City in the fall of 2011 to gather impressions and then write songs about the community.
Among other topics, the famed Black Angel and the 2008 floods are likely subjects for the songs. The project is in keeping with other projects the duo has undertaken, including song cycles about Brooklyn and Chicago. Stew and Rodewald were the co-creators of the Tony Award-winning musical Passing Strange.
Among other topics, the famed Black Angel and the 2008 floods are likely subjects for the songs performed by Stew & The Negro Problem.
Ti-Coca & Wanga Nègès is made up of masters of Haiti’s acoustic troubadour tradition. For more than three decades, the band has shared Haiti’s musical heritage with audiences around the world, performing indigenous mareng and konpa among other styles and traditions.
The Club Hancher concert will be the culmination of a week of cultural exchange throughout the Iowa City community. The U.S. Department of State’s Center Stage program, of which this performance is a part, demonstrates America’s respect for other cultures by providing unique opportunities for international performing artists to engage with diverse communities throughout the United States and offers Americans the chance to grow in understanding and appreciation of other nations.
Club Hancher brings world-class performers to The Mill, a legendary Iowa City venue. Featuring table seating and the opportunity to purchase food and beverages, the format offers an intimate experience featuring unique and compelling artists.
The performances and residency are supported by the Hancher Partners and gifts to Hancher Circle through the UI Foundation. Center Stage is a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in partnership with New England Foundation for the Arts.
The next scheduled Club Hancher event will feature jazz saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenon in four performances in February 2013. Tickets are also on sale for that event.
Tickets for Stew & The Negro Problem are $27 for non-students, $10 for college students, $24.30 for senior citizens, and $10 for youth, while tickets for Ti-Cocoa & Wanga Nègès are $20 for non-students, $10 for college students, $18 for senior citizens, and $10 for youth.
Tickets for both artists are available from the Hancher Box Office, located on the first floor of the south end of the Old Capitol Town Center near the parking ramp. The Hancher Box Office is open for phone, 319-335-1160 or 800-HANCHER) or walk-up business from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Tickets may be ordered online at www.hancher.uiowa.edu. Any remaining tickets will be available for sale one hour before show time at The Mill.