With decades of friendship behind us, SCOPE and Hancher Auditorium are pleased to present Dos Santos and Ratboys on Saturday, April 22! Keep reading for the inside scoop on SCOPE and Hancher’s longstanding relationship and how both organizations have fostered a culture of arts on our campus and in our community. 

Hancher Auditorium's doors first opened on Iowa's campus in 1972. It didn’t take long for them to become a renowned source of arts for Iowa City, bringing world-class dance, music and theater into our community. Soon enough, Hancher became one of the nation’s leading university presenters of performing arts, even earning an international reputation for excellence. They make it seem easy, but it hasn’t always been – the floods of 2008 brought some troubles, but Hancher persisted. Their new building located on the northernmost point of campus opened in 2016, where they are currently wrapping up their 50th season with great performances by the Emerson String Quartet, Buddy Guy, American Ballet Theatre, and Lyle Lovett still to come. 

In the ‘80s, The Student Commission on Programming Entertainment (SCOPE) came to life with the help of the Hancher Entertainment Committee. After SCOPE’s formation, Hancher continued to collaborate with our organization to bring the best entertainment to Iowa City. Dating back to the ‘80s, some notable collaborative acts include Jay Leno, Ray Charles, R.E.M., The Roots, Bomba Estéreo, John Oliver, and Andrew Bird. Hancher is part of a vibrant scene that has attracted artists such as Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Tobi Lou, or Sir Chloe would have never made it to Iowa's campus. 

To kick off spring ‘22, the Dos Santos x Ratboys show will take place on Saturday, April 22 in Hancher’s Strauss Hall. The event is general admission, standing room only with $10 tickets for students and $20 tickets for the general public. Alternative rock band Dos Santos is celebrated as one of Chicago’s most important working bands, infusing traditional Latinx musical elements with a jazzy, psychedelic twist. Also hailing from Chicago, Ratboys is known for their indie-rock music composed of intricate acoustics with an edge. 

After this spectacular show, keep in touch with Hancher for even more outstanding programming! After announcing their Broadway season on April 12, Hancher proudly presents its Broadway subscription series with titles Come From Away, To Kill a Mockingbird, Hairspray, and Chicago. Details about their new Infinite Dream Festival will be released on June 14, and Hancher’s full season scheduling will be announced on July 12. Bookmark this page (Hancher events page will be linked in article) for the latest updates and for more information on the Dos Santos x Ratboys show. We look forward to seeing you there!