KUNI Live Broadcast From The Des Moines Arts Festival

Press release from KUNI

Iowa Public Radio broadcasts live from the Des Moines Arts Festival:

Join Iowa Public Radio on Thursday, June 26 in downtown Des Moines as we celebrate the load-in of the 11th annual Des Moines Arts Festival. Iowa Public Radio will broadcast live on WOI 90.1 FM and all KUNI stations from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. from the legendary Blues on Grand featuring break-out blues guitarist Mike Zito. Admission is free.

Singer, guitarist and songwriter Mike Zito grew up in St. Louis, immersed in the gritty and soulful sounds of the city's south side that would help provide the groundwork for his future in music. He began singing and performing at the age of five and has been touring heavily since the age of nineteen. But throwing himself headfirst into the pursuit of his art had a toll, and Zito paid it. The non-stop rock 'n' roll lifestyle led to a dark and dangerous period during which Zito came close to destroying all that he'd worked so hard to establish. It took time, but thankfully, with the help and intervention of friends and supporters in the music business, loved ones and the woman who would become his wife, Zito regained his faith in himself and his music, cleaned up his act and settled down in Southeast Texas to begin anew.

With a clean slate, a fresh outlook and a new found dedication to his music, Zito now embraces a positive message of hope and redemption; illuminating his music with a deeper relevance and validity, while elevating his craft to all new artistic heights. Together with producers David Z and Tony Braunagel, Zito's previously untapped potential is fully realized and complimented by an assemblage of world class musicians that can best be described as "The Dream Team." Joining Zito on his brand new release, "Today," are bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Joe Cocker), keyboardist Benmont Tench (Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash), drummer Tony Braunagel (Eric Burdon, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal) and Michito Sanchez (Joe Walsh, Elton John, Crosby, Stills & Nash).

Zito is that rare new artist who is completely in-synch with the contemporary music scene, while at the same time having a lifetime’s worth of experience to draw from that informs his music with soul, depth, and lasting appeal that grows with repeated listening. With a new chapter of his life unfolding, Mike Zito has only begun to scratch the musical surface yet again.

For more information about the Des Moines Arts Festival visit www.desmoinesartsfestival.org.

Iowa Public Radio informs, enriches and engages Iowans through radio programming and other media. Iowa Public Radio includes the WOI Radio Group (Iowa State University, Ames), KUNI-KHKE (University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls), and KSUI-WSUI (University of Iowa, Iowa City).