The headliners for this summer’s 80/35 Music Festival in downtown Des Moines have been announced. They are both past Grammy award nominees — the Avett Brothers and Death Cab for Cutie.
Amedeo Rossi is the chief organizer of 80/35, scheduled for July 6 and 7. “The Avett Brothers (played in Des Moines) a few years ago, but they’ve really grown since then,” Rossi said. “They just sold out a show in Iowa City. Death Cab For Cutie has had some radio (airplay)…they’re a pretty prominent name.”
Jam band Leftover Salmon and alternative rock veterans Dinosaur Jr. will also play the main stage at 80/35. “Dinosaur Jr., uniquely enough, has played once before in Des Moines. They played Lollapalooza in 1993,” Rossi said.
This will be the fifth year for the 80/35 Music Fest, which draws roughly 30,000 people to downtown Des Moines. “If you look at the big festivals in America – Lollapalooza, Coachella, Austin City Limits – we try to get a sliver of what goes there,” Rossi said. “We can’t go to the top tier because we can’t book the largest of acts, but we try to find some exciting acts that are playing festivals and can help transform Des Moines for a day and make a beautiful event. That’s what we’ve been able to do.”
For tickets and more information, visit: www.80-35.com