The Minnesota Orchestra, under new Music Director Thomas Søndergård, performed at Hancher Auditorium earlier this month, on Nov. 15. The performance saw the return of the ensemble to the University […]
Kent Williams
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Alto and bass flutes converse at a masterful recital by Rose Bishop and Heather Neuenschwander
Rose Bishop and Heather Neuenschwander, two classical flutists who recently released the duo album Unseen/Unheard, performed a release recital on Sept. 26 at the James Theater. The album, released on […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: ‘Cello goblin’ Rushadicus and Iowa City’s Weapon X brought an electric circus to the Close House
The music that is popular, the artists that are famous and the commercial music industry that promotes them, exists in a completely different world from the music Public Space One presents.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Orchestra Iowa conjures an anti-fascist classic in masterful Coralville concert
Orchestra Iowa (previously the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra) presented their next-to-last concert of the season on Sunday, May 18 at the Coralville Center For the Performing Arts. I don’t think it […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: The Sam Ross Quartet and Michael Sarian channel Miles Davis and early electric jazz at the PS1 Close House
This is the first in hopefully many reviews I will write in the near future covering local, live musical performances. I hope that sharing my experience at these shows will […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Iowa musicians were weird, angry and confident as ever on Day 3 of Mission Creek Festival
Saturday, April 5 was a packed final day of Mission Creek. As the dust settles on the 2025 fest, let’s take a look back at some of the local music […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: From rapt silence to cathartic screams, Mission Creek’s Day 2 performers crowd-surfed the line between rage and joy
Night two of Mission Creek, in contrast with the first night’s containment at Hancher, encompassed many venues around the downtown area, a return to previous years’ mad dash of “Creekers” around […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Mission Creek 2025 kicks off with the glorious Kim Gordon, Rachel Kushner and LA LOM
Opening night of Mission Creek! At Hancher! My last Mission Creek was 2019, officially the Before Times of Iowa City public culture. Venues have closed, or been torn down. Hancher […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Album Review: Ion Alexakis — ‘Broken Glass’ EP
It’s crazy to think that hip hop is 50 years old. It’s global, ubiquitous. Including in Iowa. Ion Alexakis — though much younger than hip hop — has been active […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
James Tutson is a fool for soul music
For James Tutson, music is a lifelong thing. He told me in a telephone interview that growing up, “We had a 10-person congregation, and I had five siblings and my mom, […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Wax Cannon — ‘Teeth’
TEETH by Wax Cannon In Eliza Gilkyson’s “Solitary Singer,” she croons, “He sings his best when nobody’s listening.” Wax Cannon reminds me of that song. A housepainter (David Murray) and […]
Posted inLetters
Letter to the editor: Contemplating the life of Joseph Dobrian
By Kent Williams, Iowa City Joseph Dobrian died on Nov. 22, but his obituary wasn’t published until Dec. 12. To most people in Iowa City, he was the guest columnist […]
