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Iron Blossom rocked Richmond.
Like Hopscotch’s less edgy, flowy-skirted and flowery sister, Iron Blossom Music Festival continues to shine a spotlight on local indie and folk bands while always tapping a few bigtime acts to end the night—and it reigns as a must-attend for any indie or folk fans in the Southeast.
At just three years old, this RM pick for fests worth traveling for has already blossomed into a one-of-a-kind event, avoiding the long lines, drama and price point of a bigger op while still hosting big names worth drama—NTM it’s just a 2.5-hour drive from the Cap City. Here are some festival highlights to browse while you pen your wishlist for next year’s lineup.
Rain, Rain, Here to Stay
Guests were evacuated not once, but twice from the fest on Saturday, with Medium Build sneaking in a set between the two delays. But true to the festival’s happy-go-lucky nature, guests were unfazed and danced in the rain, some barefoot. Even after both evacuations, the energy didn’t end, it just moved—breweries and bars surrounding Midtown Green were buzzing with damp and smiling festival goers.
Indie Sleaze Is So Back
Vampire Weekend showed out to headline Saturday night with a greatest hits setlist, oozing the sleazy aesthetics of their heyday ~15 years ago. The undeniable charm of Ezra Koenig plus the nostalgia of “A-Punk” live? Unmatched.
…And Indie Folk Never Left
Folk had a field day with the rest of the lineup. From The Lumineers to Boone-based Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Chapel Hill-based Watchhouse, it was an indie fanatic’s dream. Athens-based Futurebirds lead the fest towards alt-country horizons while Improvement Movement slung dad rock with a touch of soul. In short, a wide range of boxes were checked when it came to genre. And the sole lineup lowlight? Alt trio Khruangbin’s cancellation. Maybe next year…
A Hop, Skip and a Jump
The aptly-named Iron and Blossom stages were in perfect proximity to each other—if you camped out between the side-by-side stages, you could catch every set. And even so, fest goers hopped between the stages, so sets were never overly congested. Sticking with the drama-free nature, you could wrangle a spot close to the barricade at both stages, so long as you rolled up by 2 or 3pm.
Hometown Heroes
Leaning into local, Richmond and Virginia artists reigned. Richmond-based Holy Roller lit up the stage with grooves and a Western aesthetic. And hailing from Shenandoah Valley just north, folk trio Palmyra garnered a huge crowd at the smaller stage—one that didn’t shy away from singing along. In true Iron Blossom fashion, the group’s Mānoa Bell tapped barefoot along to the beat as he strummed the double bass. Overall, the songs of the Southeast shined.
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