Iron Blossom Festival 2025: Jazzy Enough?

Iron Blossom Festival
Midtown Green
Richmond, VA
September 20-21, 2025

A quick look at Richmond's relatively new Iron Blossom Festival lineup might give some jazz fans pause. With headliners like Vampire Weekend and The Lumineers, the festival looks to be serving up more indie pop-rock selections for younger audiences to consume. Such hasty or dismissive judgment might serve jazz purists just fine, but for those listeners looking for more fusion, sonic flavors and blends, the festival deserves closer consideration. With previous participants including Faye Webster, Lord Huron, Turnpike Troubadours, Hozier and more, it is a place to discover new artists and enjoy older favorites.

Butcher Brown is the main attraction for funky fresh tracks. A Richmond-based group, the members know how to play their instruments to hip-shaking grooves. Their unique style of rap and jazz sets them apart from not only local artists but national ones as well. DownBeat describes the quintet as a "70s jazz-funk fusion throwback." With ten albums under their belt, several with the esteemed Concord Jazz label, the festival ticket prices were almost worth it just to see them. Other artists on the lineup, however, also blend in "jazzy" techniques and atmospheres with their use of syncopation, instrumental solos, or by having an electric organ or saxophone crooning out the melody. And even if several groups couldn't be squeezed or hammered into the jazz family, the Iron Blossom kept the good times and tunes flowing.

The first day, Saturday, started off with overcast skies that fought the sun for dominance. Just behind the Science Museum of Virginia, off Broad Street or Arthur Ashe Boulevard, the Midtown Green offers a good-sized area for food, drink and crafts vendors as well as two stages (the main Iron Stage and the smaller Blossom Stage) and plenty of space to sit. Formerly the Red Skins football training facility, it has become a place for concerts and big events—Richmond's September Pride Festival also takes place there.

Winding through a host of alcohol vendors and across some railroad tracks, a large green space greets guests. Surrounded by more food and drink options that lined the space's perimeter, many festival goers sat under a large and colorful tent, whipping out blankets and cushions. At 1:30, singer-songwriter Catie Lausten sent out a bedroom-pop sound, which was a soft and easy beginning to the show. Fans and newcomers made their way to the smaller stage, swaying to Lausten's tender songs. After her forty-minute set, Improvement Movement appeared on the main stage, gathering a large crowd. Though the rock'n'roll style is strong with them, there is a '60s/'70s groove that has an acid or astro-jazz vibe to it (a bit like how the Moody Blues or Yes play with other genres).

As the group played, the clouds strengthened, thunder creeping into the festival's soundscape. Yet, people seemed positive, unconcerned about the atmospheric intrusions. Then around 2:45, singer-songwriter Kate Bollinger took to the Blossom Stage. If nothing else, the musicians seamlessly followed one another; there wasn't any worry that you'd miss one artist's set. Another pop-rock artist, Bollinger is a breathy singer who includes reverb in the right places. She is more akin to Jessica Pratt than Diana Krall; but as with Beth Orton, there is a jazz sensibility in her rhythms and instrumentals. Many indie artists are embracing a plethora of genres, taking aspects of this and that to create a toothsome sound all their own. Both Laufey and Ichiko Aoba are great examples of contemporary musicians who enjoy dabbling in and combining multiple musical textures. Jazz isn't static; it is always moving forward, adding in a bit of R&B or traditional Scandinavian tunes.

Just as Bollinger was wrapping up, the rain and thunder hit. People, though, didn't want to leave. Many kept sitting under the tent, saying that it'd blow over soon. Safety being a concern for the festival organizers, people were ushered out (some sneaking beneath trees and bushes inside the area to wait out the weather). Just outside the festival space, a car park (doubtlessly plastered with "no loitering" signs) offered the majority of stubborn concertgoers an easy place to squat. Luckily, after 30 minutes or so, the event was back on—the rain easing off, the thunder abated.

As the crowds trudged back in, there was still an air of excited expectation. What was a little delay in the proceedings? The next performer, Medium Build, started off with a laugh, calling out some guy on an apartment balcony who got to listen for free (but who "paid $3,000 a month for a studio apartment"). Guitarist Nick Carpenter has a good voice and an easy manner. Though no Grant Green or Pat Metheny, he incorporates a country twang to his songs, with lyrics about everyday struggles and life, relatable without seeming too on the nose or obvious. But after a few sets, the sky rumbled, and the rain poured down.

This time, people were less hesitant. Some tried their darndest, huddling under blankets, but as the stage announced another evacuation, even the most seasoned festivalists headed toward the exits. Hope was almost lost as many headed into Richmond for shelter. But by the grace of the music gods and muses, the Iron Blossom continued an hour and a half later or so, around 6:15. (The original setlist included Friko as well as Jonathan Russell, but they were unable to perform. The Texas-based world music-influenced group Khruangbin was also unable to perform due to a personal injury.)

The lines were crowded and anxious as the music of Butcher Brown sailed overhead. Though there were puddles here and there, the atmosphere was upbeat. The rap/jazz quintet was in the throes of musical appreciation, trilling on saxophone, jamming on guitar, expressively playing on keyboard. Several of the songs were from their most recent project, Letters From the Atlantic (2025, Concord Jazz), while others came from their previous efforts. This was certainly the highlight of the festival so far. The energy was electric; the musicians—Marcus Tenney, trumpet and saxophone; Morgan Burrs on guitar; percussionist Corey Fonville; Andrew Randazzo on bass; and keyboardist DJ Harrison—were in top form. They shared the tune with patience and showed the power of practiced, affectionate collaboration. Though the usual rap vocals were not on display, the instruments carried the pieces off just as efficaciously and persuasively.

Though it was a hard act to follow, with songs like "Man of the Universe," the Australian group The Teskey Brothers brought a funky but slightly countrified or folksy groove to the Iron Stage. A powerhouse vocalist and excellent guitarist, Josh Teskey leads the ensemble with his brother, Sam. With the inclusion of saxophone and electric organ, they have a vague Motown-esque sound (think The Temptations, The Four Tops or the post-Motown Doobie Brothers) combined with bluesy, jazzier elements. Notably, Sam's guitar solos embodied a jazz expressionism and free-styling attitude that many contemporary musicians (and listeners) would find alluring.

Following the bluesy notes of The Teskey Brothers, a different sound started up from the other stage. Punk/rock band Dexter & the Moonrocks has little to do with jazz ideas, instead aligning with a mosh pit vibe.

As the night swept in, the crowds swelled. Saturday's headliner, Vampire Weekend, was about to take the stage. Led by vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, the group saw quick popularity in the early 2010s with Contra (2010, XL Recordings) and Modern Vampires of the City (2013, XL Recordings). Their 2024 album, Only God Was Above Us (Columbia Records), blends punk and jazz influences and includes jazz saxophonist Henry Solomon. It is this recent release that displays a want for musical fusion. Stepping away from the sort of "sad boy" rock sound of their early albums, Vampire Weekend finds inspiration in external influences. Tunes like "Classical" and "Connect" are still catchy in that pop song way, but keep an undertone of disorder or an openness to spontaneity that European Jazz (think some ECM, CAM Jazz or ACT albums) incorporates. Although the group could push their songwriting further, it is a fun expansion into new territory.

The second day of the concert was less jazz-inspired. Groups like The Lumineers, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and The Paper Kites are more aggressive in their rock stylings. Palmyra (from Virginia) and the duo Watchhouse (from North Carolina) lean into a stronger folk tradition. The 502s are a bit more adventurous, drawing on bluegrass, roots and folk sounds to inform their songs. Though the Sunday lineup didn't seek to blend genres as inventively as Saturday's, the pieces were fun and well-performed. Overall, the 2025 Iron Blossom Festival in Richmond, Virginia, was a success, surviving stormy weather, showcasing newer as well as established groups.

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