Iowa City & Cedar Rapids this week: Hurray for the Riff Raff, Brother Ali and more

The Englert's songwriters festival returns with Bill Callahan, Hurray for the Riff Raff plays Saturday, and Gabe's hosts Noah Gundersen and Brother Ali.

The Englert Theatre is at the center of this week in Iowa City. The second Iowa City Songwriters Festival opens there Thursday, Bill Callahan is at the top of the bill, and Hurray for the Riff Raff plays the Englert on Saturday night. Around the festival, Gabe's has a busy week of its own, and Wildwood has a midweek show.

Tue, Nov 3: Noah Gundersen at Gabe's, Iowa City, 7:30 p.m. Runnner and Breakup Shoes open, a good way to get in the mood for the week. Tickets

Wed, Nov 4: With A Vengeance at Wildwood Iowa City, 7 p.m. Tommy Vext is in support. Tickets

Thu, Nov 5: Iowa City Songwriters Festival at The Englert Theatre, Iowa City. Bill Callahan headlines, and the lineup also includes Craig Finn, Mary Gauthier, Samantha Crain, Fred Eaglesmith, Chicago Farmer, Elizabeth Moen, Awful Purdies and Annalibera. Tickets

Thu, Nov 5: Brother Ali at Gabe's, Iowa City, 7:30 p.m. If you want hip-hop on festival night, this is the one. Tickets

Sat, Nov 7: Hurray for the Riff Raff at The Englert Theatre, Iowa City, 7 p.m. The week's pick. More below. Tickets

The festival comes first. The Englert started the Iowa City Songwriters Festival in 2025 (KCRG covered the launch), aiming to give songwriting more of the spotlight. In announcing this year's lineup, The Gazette named Craig Finn as artist in residence. Besides performing, Finn will mentor 20 aspiring songwriters chosen as ICSF scholars, and he'll talk about his writing process at the festival's conference at the Iowa Conservatory on Saturday, Nov. 7. The Gazette's lineup report also listed Lucinda Williams and Hurray for the Riff Raff, so Saturday's Englert show belongs to the same weekend. The festival's own page has the full schedule and tickets.

Callahan is on top of the bill, and the Englert seats 725, which makes it a room for listening, not shouting over the bar.

Saturday belongs to Alynda Segarra's band. This spring Hurray for the Riff Raff put out *Live Forever*, its first live album. It was recorded in July 2025, came out digitally on March 20, and got a physical release on May 8 through Nonesuch, according to the album's Wikipedia entry) and Treble. The Fader notes that it includes all of their 2024 album, *The Past Is Still Alive*. It's a band at a high point, and on Saturday it plays a downtown theater instead of a club.

A songwriters festival, a Nonesuch band and a Gabe's double: Iowa City's week runs on words.

Gabe's, with room for about 350, has the week's other two nights. Noah Gundersen on Tuesday is the quieter one. Brother Ali on Thursday is up against the festival's opening night, so if you're torn, check the Englert's schedule for set times before you choose. Wildwood's With A Vengeance show, with Tommy Vext, fills Wednesday.

Cedar Rapids is quiet on our listings this week, so the drive goes the other way, south to Iowa City. Plan around the festival, keep Saturday open for the Englert, and leave Tuesday free for Gundersen at Gabe's.

Sources: Englert announces 2026 Iowa City Songwriters Festival lineup (The Gazette) (thegazette.com); Iowa City Songwriters Festival (The Englert) (englert.org); New Iowa City festival hopes to bring songwriting more into the spotlight (KCRG) (kcrg.com); Live Forever (Hurray for the Riff Raff album) (Wikipedia) (en.wikipedia.org); Hurray for the Riff Raff announces new live album, Live Forever (Treble) (treblezine.com); Hurray for the Riff Raff (The Fader) (thefader.com); Hurray for the Riff Raff (Nonesuch Journal) (nonesuch.com); Life on Earth: Alynda Segarra records a delicate and tender record with Hurray for the Riff Raff (OffBeat) (offbeat.com)