Hi everyone!

Being a student at the University of Iowa comes with a lot of perks- entertainment included. Hancher Auditorium is on the west side of campus and hosts many different types of performances, from mainstream artists to local musicians.

Recently, on October 3rd, I went to see Christian Sands and Kurt Elling at Club Hancher. Club Hancher is a smaller room and stage, and is built more for entertainment with food and drinks. I personally love seeing performances here, as it’s a lot more intimate and cozy. We got the tickets through a friend, who got them due to his being in the University Jazz Band, which got free tickets to this concert.

I came in knowing about Kurt Elling. He’s a jazz vocalist, and a very talented one at that. His knowledge of how to use his voice as an instrument and overall technique is mind-blowing. I knew of him through his covers of classic jazz songs, and his recent Broadway Debut as Hermes in Hadestown (that’s crazy, right?). Throughout the hour set, he was phenomenal, and I was in a constant state of shock and mesmerization by his talent. If he is ever performing at a place near you, get tickets immediately. His performance was amazing, and I can’t believe I got to see it for free.

However, I didn’t know who Christian Sands was. I knew he was a more recent and up-and-coming jazz pianist, but I didn’t know how he played. After two seconds of hearing him, I knew he knew what he was doing. His sound and overall performance were breathtaking. I don’t know much about piano, but he can move so quickly, and play chords and notes like he has five hands. I was in awe of his ability to play and was more interested in what he was doing than watching Elling.

This was all super accessible as well. The walk to Hancher was about three minutes in total, as it has a pedestrian bridge that runs right to it from the east side. It’s so close to the east side residence halls that you can see it in my view in my dorm room at Stanley Hall. Overall, this experience was way more entertaining and easily available than I was expecting. I had no trouble going into the venue or leaving. Ten out of ten, would recommend going to a show in Hancher when you get the chance.