Day 1 of 2015’s 80/35 is in the books. The weather was beautiful, the music sounded great, the crowd showed endless enthusiasm and feet soreness is at a manageable level.

The main stage, as promised in the 80/35 preview, did not disappoint. But, aside from the top-of-the-bill acts delivering expectedly shining performances, there were some true gems hidden on the side stages. Check out the run-down of everything I caught from day 1 here:

Best finds: The highlight of the day was finding two fantastic bands—on two totally different spectrums of guitar music—that just ooze of sheer talent. The first came with Fly Golden Eagle, a totally pure rock ‘n’ roll outfit hailing from Nashville. The band jammed, and not in the uninteresting way some bands jam and audience members find themselves asking, “Is this ever going to end?” No, the first song I caught was this two-riff, smooth groove that had everyone in the crowd bobbing their heads. Musical discovery euphoria set over me and I lost myself in the band’s set for a half hour. Don’t sleep on these guys; they just premiered a new music video via BrooklynVegan yesterday. Check it:

The second fantastic find of the day came during an after party—which featured The Ataris headlining—in Iowa City punk band Rational Anthem. This group tore the club apart with their pounding and ferocious punk. It was melodic when it needed to be melodic, brash when it needed to be brash, and downright intense from start to finish. I picked up one of the band’s three LPs for sale, Emotionally Unavailable, and I can’t wait to dig into this new find. Check out one of the tracks off that record below and pick up the record digitally on Bandcamp today.

Music aficionados dream of finding one new band at a festival to take home and enjoy. I found two. On day 1. I call that a success.

Main stage marvelous: As mentioned above and previously on UTG, day 1 on the main stage promised a fun and dynamic lineup, and that’s exactly what was provided. St. Lucia played electronic hits old and new–including a new, particularly sexual number that’s bound to move hips when the studio version is released. This band’s use of synthesizers and electronics are so subtle live, juxtaposed against the downbeat percussion. It’s so beautifully strange…and that made it enjoyable. The songs translated live extremely well and the entire group brings a fun amount of energy. With their door-busting 5 p.m. set, it was a fine way to start the day.

Jenny Lewis brought her sweet and soulful songwriting to the stage next.

“I never thought I’d play to so many people in Des Moines,” she told the rows of energetic onlookers.

She played Rilo Kiley songs like opener “Silver Lining” and “Portions of Foxes,” as well as her solo material during her 12-song set. The crowd embraced her, she embraced the crowd. It was one of those peaceful sets where you just sit back and let the music soak into you. There were even balloons:

And lastly, Wilco closed the evening.

The proficiency and sheer musical talent of this band is worth the price of admission alone. It’s like paying to go to a football game just to watch Peyton Manning. There’s just too much grace and beauty to this band’s music to not become engrossed in what’s taking place. Even if you’re more of a novice fan–as I am–the showmanship alone drove the set. Fans young and old, of all races and nationalities, can appreciate the guitar work of a world-class musician like Nels Cline, even if you haven’t totally been overtaken in the band’s discography.

The after party: I’ve never been the biggest Ataris fan, even though I’ve of course heard that damn Don Henley cover and kind of enjoy it sometimes, but there are totally worse ways to spend 10 bucks. Seeing the full band on a small stage in a tiny club, that’s the kind of thing I like. It didn’t matter that I don’t know Blue Skies, Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits word for word; I can still appreciate a fan base embracing a record they love and singing every word as loud as they can. I know I’ve done it at plenty of full record shows and album tours over the last half-decade. Here’s a video of that infamous cover, because Ataris:

Final thoughts: The festival hosted nothing but amazing talent across the board during the first day of festivities. Today features headliner Weezer alongside penultimate main stage act Run The Jewels, as well as acts like The Orwells, Cloud Nothings, The Olympics and others. It’s going to be a stacked day from front to back so check in with UTG tomorrow morning for a complete wrap-up of the festivities.

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Matthew Leimkuehler

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