Chroma 63 | Midwest Art & Sound

The big 16! There's only one festival where you can catch all these HOT bands and enjoy a whole day of skateboarding plus shopping from over 40 artist vendors and that's Chroma 63 Midwest Art & Sound. Lets. GO. @The Rumours @Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops 10 Watt Robot @sorryplutoband Jim-Jones @runningmantheband @vitamjn_ Druids Lipstick Homicide Mr. Softheart Worst Impressions The Value of Human Life Jim Swim @M.Henny @maaazemusic @@joshuamutantxvx #Chroma63 #IowaPunk #IowaMusic #MusicFestival #WaterlooIowa

We've got some folk punk on the list with Joshua Mutant! Joshua Mutant is a folk punk singer songwriter who writes Anti-fascist, pro-working class protest songs to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. A lifelong activist and a veteran of the Iowa punk rock scene. @joshuamutantxvx #FolkPunk #IowaPunk #MusicFestival #IowaEvents #Chroma63

We've got PIZZA, We've got LOBSTA, We've got ICE CREAM, We've got the FISH and the TACOS, plus some other tasty FESTIVAL TREATS! You won't be hungry. There's a solid lineup of food for the festival. Bring your wallet and your appetite, these food trucks are some of the best around! #chroma63 #foodtrucks #iowafood #festivalfood #waterlooiowa

Yess!!! Mr. Softheart! Mr. Softheart (Des Moines, Iowa) is ‘21st Century Vision Music.’ With their heady and atmospheric blend of post-punk, 80s synth pop and dance music, the 4-piece builds an off-kilter world around lead singer Nick Fisher’s poetics of misdirection. John Fisher’s shape-shifting synth work joins with Charlie Patterson’s intricate guitars and Halen Becker’s mystical vocals to create a genre-defying experience that Little Village Magazine described as “Iowa’s greatest cinematic export.” The group’s latest EP ‘Reflections On Primitive Action’ was released in July of 2025 and was supported with a 16-date tour of the U.S. The record was named “Best of Iowa 2025” by Iowa Public Radio, who compared it favorably to Automatic and Nation of Language. Little Village Magazine noted the band “spins a glittering web of discontent, yearning and sleazy dramatics on this six-track stunner. It’s the hottest release of the summer and arguably the most enigmatic thing to crawl out of Des Moines since… well, ever.” Mr. Softheart released its debut album ‘Magdalene in Crisis’ in December 2023, followed by the ‘Songs for Subdued Space’ EP in July 2024. Mr. Softheart supported the EP with an east coast tour culminating in two performances at the historic Val Air Ballroom opening for Phantogram and Underoath, respectively. Music: /track/drowning-in-the-river-of-you Live Video: Calling Sister Sea (Live) | Million Dollar Question (Live) Web: https://www.mrsoftheart.tv/ Spotify: spoti.fi/3UuI836 Instagram: instagram.com/mrsoftheartintl Facebook: facebook.com/mrsoftheartintl X: x.com/mrsoftheartintl @mrsoftheartintl #Chroma63 #SynthPop #IowaMusic #FestivalVibes #musicfestival

We're Bringing it with M. Henny! Henny is a Midwest-rooted artist creating intention-driven hip-hop that lives at the crossroads of poetry, soul, and spirit. Treating hip-hop as poetry with rhythm, his music blends honest storytelling, cosmic textures, and earthy grooves to transform lived experience into healing sound. Deeply influenced by recovery and self-reflection, Henny uses music as a tool for healing addiction, personal growth, and collective uplift. His songs speak openly about struggle, resilience, and awakening, offering listeners both grounding and expansion. Each track is crafted with purpose — to raise the collective vibration, encourage presence, and remind us that change is possible. Whether performing live or recording in the studio, Henny creates spaces that feel more like gatherings than shows. Rooted in Midwest values and community, his work emphasizes authenticity, connection, and shared energy over spectacle. Through rhythm, poetry, and intention, Henny’s music invites listeners to slow down, feel deeply, and move forward together. #IowaHipHop #Chroma63 #MusicFestival #PositiveVibes #GoodEnergy

It's year two for Jim Swim! Artist and producer Jim Swim blends alternative hip-hop, indie soul, and bedroom pop to craft warm and wavy songs that move head and heart. His music defies strict genre definitions, but it is consistently groove-driven and emotionally resonant. Each track is fluid and alive, built from infectious beats, a unique flow, and poetic lyricism. Swim’s songs unwind like good conversation, moving naturally from the personal to the universal with honest ease. While the production engages the body with pocketed, tape-saturated drums and layered, dynamic instrumentation, the essence of the songs is in the language. Swim writes about everyday human struggles with grounded, working class sincerity, humor and wisdom. A public school teacher by day, Swim brings a literary passion to his writing without lapsing into pretension. With a large and ever-expanding catalogue, Swim offers a live show that moves seamlessly across a wide variety of styles and emotions, tailoring each setlist to the occasion. Often accompanied by one of the region's finest drummers, Justin LeDuc, the punch of the original production is amplified by original live percussion. Swim brings a DIY ethic to his music, though his songs have been streamed millions of times, and featured in various TV Shows, video games and advertisements. He is an Iowan artist through and through, though his sound has journeyed far outside the state. @jim_swim #IndieVibes #IowaFestival #IowaEvents #Chroma63 #HipHop

So stoked for Maaaze! Maaaze was formed by Dan Miller, Lars Lee, and Patrick Montag in 2019 in Eastern Iowa. Their knack for pop sensibilities, progressive arrangements, and use of effects both in the studio and onstage, has helped them craft a highly regarded sound amongst Eastern Iowa rock circles. Their live show packs a serious punch, sending listeners on a musical and visual journey that invites the you to get lost in a maze of sound and visuals. The band’s songs touch on themes of consumerism, mass media, religion, climate change, addiction, identity, loss, and growth. @maaazemusic #IowaEvents #Chroma63 #UndergroundMusic #FestivalVibes #MidwestMusic

You know 'em you love 'em, The Value of Human Life is back! The Value of Human Life is a hard psych band out of the Cedar Valley. (Shortened to TVOHL) We play a loud, jangly, feedback soaked style of rock that takes influences from punk, garage rock, americana, and psych rock. FFO Ty Segall, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. They are known for their loud guitar tone with interesting voicings, soulful organ leads/chords, and driving rhythm section with a calm baritone voice telling tales of days past. We are all massive music fans and blended everything we love with our unique ethos as an Iowa band. Even though they haven't been a band for very long, they've played a few dozen shows in and around Iowa while constantly recording new material. Members include, Trevor Eastman on drums, Kyle Karkosh on Bass, Dre Moody on Synth, and James Stortz on guitar and vocals. They've played with notable Iowa bands, Greg Wheeler and the Poly Mall Cops, Lipstick Homicide, Bootcamp, Tripmaster Monkey, Rush Cleveland trio, and Dave Helmer. Their two EP's "The Cost of Human Values" and "Visitors" were written and recorded within a year of each other, with a split and 3rd EP in the works. Both releases reflect life in Iowa, stories about famous Iowans, and stories Iowans have told each other for years. The main goal of the band's songwriting ethos and inspiration is to highlight what makes America's heartland special in our own voice. We are proud Iowans that want to share music and culture not just through Iowa, but with the rest of the world. #IowaRock #Chroma63 #MidwestMusic #WaterlooIowa #MusicFestival

We're bringing back the Lipstick Homicide! Let's go! Lipstick Homicide is a riot-grrrl influenced punk band with pop sensibilities that has been an Iowa City staple since the 2010’s. This trio of BFF’s has toured extensively across the US, Canada, and Europe and have made their mark as old school DIY pop punk veterans. Their sound has been described by some as “gay Green Day”.

We're bringing them back! A C63 2025 favorite: Jim-Jones! Jim Jones is a five-piece death metal band with members from Evansdale, Cedar Falls, and Hudson Iowa. The band consists of Charlie Stoakes (Guitar 2017-present), Luke Jacobs (Guitar 2019-present), Lucas Johnston (Bass 2020-present), Orion Polendo (Drums 2022-present), Dalton Wilkens (Vocals 2018-present), and soon to be Skylar Fairbanks (Vocals). They were formed in 2017 and in 2026, Charlie remains as the only original member of the project. With new members and new material being written, the style of the band is evolving. Jim Jones has always been known for their groovy riffs and breakdowns that get a crowd moving and now they are introducing more technical aspects into their music to explore a different style of heavy music. If you like metal music, but have never seen Jim Jones live, be sure to catch future shows by them, typically within the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area. They put on a performance you do not want to miss.

We didn't forget about the metal! We've got DRUIDS! Emerging from the heavy heartland of Iowa, DRUIDS has carved a formidable name in the modern heavy music landscape. Forged in the fires of classic stoner rock, sludge metal, and progressive complexity, the trio channels a sound that is both a titanic force of nature and a meticulously crafted sonic tapestry. Their music is a pilgrimage through monolithic riffs, psychedelic expanses, and lyrical depth, earning them a dedicated following among those who seek weight, melody, and intellect in their heaviness.

Let's Go, Running Man!! RUNNING MAN is a five piece post punk rock n' roll band from the Quad Cities, IA/IL featuring Skip Greer from Dead Kennedys on lead vocals and backed by members of such notable QC bands as The Multiple Cat, Mondo Drag, Meth and Goats, Lord Green, Tambourine, and more. Skip is likely to take his onstage antics off the stage and into the crowd. Many times using a 50 foot mic cable to find just the right person to sing to. The band recorded their first batch of songs in 2023 at Future Apple Tree Studio in Rock Island, IL with bass player and recording engineer Pat Stolley at the helm. The resulting sound is clever rock n' roll punk with a feeling of Akron Ohio meets the Bowery circa '77. Their debut album was released in late 2024. They are currently working on a follow up record while touring around playing everywhere from small clubs to 2000 seat theaters. @runningmantheband #Chroma63 #MidwestPunk #MusicFestival #DeadKennedys #MidwestMusic