Holding its own in a growing pool of quality Mexican joints (La Michoacana on Hwy 1, along with new-ish arrivals to downtown Cactus and Mami’s Authentic), El Banditos is affordable, laid back and fun. – Photo via elbanditosiowacity.com

According to smithsonianmag.com, one of the first groups on record to have introduced traditional Mexican cuisine in America were the Chili Queens of San Antonio. Around the turn of the 20th Century, this group of female street-vendors created impromptu festivals featuring music and dance in the city’s plazas, and it was here that they sold their spicy hot chili con carne, enchiladas and tacos to the public.

These Chili Queens obviously knew better than anyone that there’s just something about Mexican food that screams “party.”

El Banditos is a Northside restaurant that is capturing authentic fiesta flavor in their inventive, fresh cuisine. Holding its own in a growing pool of quality Mexican joints (La Michoacana on Hwy 1, along with new-ish arrivals to downtown Cactus and Mami’s Authentic), El Banditos is affordable, laid back and fun.

Our party of two was seated on a recent evening near the back of the sunny, open dining space. Rather than ordering my usual shrimp taco, lamb taco and calabacitas combo, I opted for adventure. From the “Specials” menu, I chose the Patacón de Congrejo, a blend of blue crab, black beans, mango salsa, crema and basically the kitchen sink of Mexican condiments served atop two fried plantain tostadas. Normally I would avoid a menu item with so many ingredients, but “Adventure! Fiesta!” I said, and ordered my first margarita.

My dinner date (okay, it was my Mom) and I shared a small guacamole to kick off the night. While I think that El Banditos has the best guac in town, I was a bit thrown off by the miniscule portion-size of this particular order. Our tiny portion of delicious guac left us hungry for more … but perhaps that was the point. At any rate, it’s worth noting that El Banditos now offers two sizes of their guacamole, so if you are worried, you can always opt for the larger portion.

Soon we were feeling celebratory again when our colorful main courses arrived after a very short wait time. In spite of the heaped up appearance of my entrée, the taste was fresh and bursting with flavor. Each bite offered something new, a bite of creamy avocado here, a zing of jalapeno there. The dish was wild and bold, and I did not regret giving it a go.

Served alongside the Patacon de Congrejo was a black bean salad that popped with fresh cilantro, corn and tomato, but seemed misplaced considering the crab dish also contained black beans. My rule is: One bean dish per meal. It’s a rule I just made up, but I think it’s a keeper.

Calabacitas were also presented as a side, and all I can ever wonder when I eat this dish is “How does El Banditos make a runt-of-the-litter food like zucchini taste so freakin’ good?” Maybe it’s a whole lot of butter, or maybe it’s the little leafy spice peppered throughout (oregano?). Whatever it is, as long as they NEVER TAKE THIS ITEM OFF THE MENU, I’m content to let the mystery be.

No Chicken Little dining experience would be complete without something sweet. Since my favorite flan was not on the menu, we opted for a slice of Tres Leches cake for dessert instead. Tres Leches is a vanilla cake made with three kinds(!) of milk: sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream. The cake is soaked in a milk mixture overnight, then frosted with whipped cream. Do I need to say anything else about it really? How could this not be fabulous? It would be even better with coffee, which we forgot to order. Consider our failure your lesson learned.

El Banditos has become Iowa City’s go-to place for fiery, flavorful Mexican. The service is friendly and prompt, and the atmosphere is casual, yet charming. If you’ve yet to try it, it’s high time you get this party started.

Hollywood does not need to take a chance on some new, original story when audiences will be satisfied with a high-budget superficial adaptation-remake.

Two major movie releases are happening this late spring: The Great Gatsby (Baz Luhrmann) on May 10 and Man of Steel (Zack Snyder) on June 14. Man of Steel is about a guy who gets transplanted from a strange alien world called Krypton to the wholesome, unassuming Midwest. The Great Gatsby is about a guy who gets transplanted from the wholesome, unassuming Midwest to the strange alien world called Rich People on Long Island.

So they’re basically the opposite movie. EXCEPT! Both movies are adaptations from literature. Also, both of these stories have already been turned into movies, one as recently as 2006 (Superman Returns). At this point in history, we’ve all been forced to read (or “read”) F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby in ninth grade, while Superman has been an American icon for literally 75 years now. If you aren’t aware of these characters yet, either through print or screen or screen-printed t-shirts, you yourself are probably an outer-space alien who was born deaf and blind and dead. (Tragically.) So here’s my question: Why would we want to be told the same stories over and over and over and over?

I have two theories, explainable through strained yet timely analogies.

The Gatsby Theory: Hear me out, okay? We, the audience, are the shallow party girl Daisy Buchanan. Hollywood, the entity, is Gatsby. Gatsby knows the only way to win Daisy’s affections is by throwing tons of money around on fast-paced lavish affairs starring square-jawed men with lush, amazing hair. Throw in some cool cars and nice clothes and presto! By focusing his efforts on his superficial assets, Gatsby doesn’t need to cultivate traits like depth or creativity or content or what-have-you. Daisy’s love can be bought. Remember: In this analogy we’re Daisy. Yes, I insulted everybody and I’ll do it again. The Gatsby Theory basically assumes we are shallow idiots (which we are … we keep going to the Transformer movies) who just want to have fun and Hollywood gives us the expensive spectacles we crave. So, under the Gatsby Theory, the answer to the question “Why make a movie with a story we’ve already read and seen before” is this: The Great Gatsby, as a story, has already been vetted and proven popular. Hollywood does not need to take a chance on some new, original story when audiences will be satisfied with a high-budget superficial adaptation-remake.

The Superman Theory: Okay, forget Gatsby for a second if you can. I know, Gatsby is super compelling and accounts for like 90 percent of what everyone thinks about every day of their lives. You have to try, though. This is a whole new thing. So, telling the same story over and over is not a new Hollywood invention. People have been telling fairytales and reciting epic poems and junk since forever. We’ve all got songs and tall tales and that one mildly entertaining anecdote about how you almost had a three-way which you bust out at every single party.

Some stories are legends. Here’s the Superman Theory: We know the story of the little orphaned extra-terrestrial who gets taken in by farmers in Kansas, discovers he can fly and see through walls, gets a job as a reporter and saves the world in Spandex as his superhero alter ego. We know it because we’ve lived it. We identify deeply with this story because, well, who among us can say that this exact story, down to the last detail, does not describe us? No one. That’s why he’s called “Superman”: because he is extremely a man. The point is, we like to hear legends because they remind us of how great we can be, or because any weird alien overlords can always be overthrown. Legends give us hope and unite us through common values and shared culture.

So, whether it’s a cynical ploy to sell haircuts and action figures or a part of the rich tradition of storytelling that ties humanity together in some sort of wonderful love blanket, adaptations and remakes are here to stay, though of course they will soon be remade yet again. We will continue to hear the same stories we’ve already seen and read, from Les Mis to Twilight, from The Godfather to Jurassic Park. And there will be sequels. So many sequels. You know what though? Almost every movie we see we go into knowing what’s going to happen, whether it’s an adaptation or a remake or not. We know the villain isn’t going to destroy the world. We know the guy is going to get the girl. We know order will be restored. What difference does it make if that all happens with fresh new characters or old beloved ones? It’s all the same anyway!

Kit Bryant lives in Iowa City with her valid alibi and several innocuous non-lethal pastimes. Outside the workplace, she enjoys sarcasm, light spanking and fleetingmoments of hope and levity. Her blog is popslashcorn.wordpress.com

“The sonic palette is as rich as the emotional one.”

Emperors Club

Killer Companion
www.emperorsclub.net

The full-length debut from Emperors Club, Killer Companion, is a surprisingly opulent pop record. At its core, it is wiry and ready to rock, but with all the glorious harmonies, subtle keyboard lines and intertwining guitar work, the sonic palette is as rich as the emotional one.

Killer Companion opens handclaps and Adam Havlin’s warm, inviting plea to “say, say what you mean” on “Leave A Light On.” “Light” is a bright and buoyant song of understanding. It’s a song that asks you to take “a minute to breathe” and promises to “leave a light on” for you” that comes rolling in on waves guitar and bass that induce enough head bobbing to qualify it as a weight loss program.

“Save Another Weekend” doubles down on the head-bobbing quota set by the first track. “Weekend” is the showcase piece: a restrained and plaintive verse held down by a strong bass line, a soaring chorus with a chopping, syncopated riff and beautiful backing vocals to boost both the chorus and second verse. It sounds dismissive to boil down the tune to the pop-song playbook, but it’s so smack in line with it. It’s a stellar pop song—one that is just slightly better than the other eight on the record.

The only glaring issue I can find is one of sequencing. The seventh and eighth tracks are both nice ballads with running times over five minutes. As track eight, “Sometimes We Remember” comes to a satisfying conclusion. Everything feels final and then the opening chords of the bright rocker “Out Of Action” ring out and pull me back for one last song. Having one slightly less fulfilling conclusion after such a fittingly thematic one is a pretty okay problem to have.

John Schlotfelt was sentenced to five days in prison and had his cell phone destroyed for contempt of court after taking pictures of R. Kelly in a Cook County Circuit Court (a true story which may not have actually happened to him).

Protesters made their way to the Johnson County Jail on April 27 to demonstrate support for a formerly imprisoned mother of two

Photos by Misty Rebik

It may have been just another Iowa City arrest for some, but in the minds of several community members it was a call to the picket line. Toting young children and clutching homemade signs, protesters made their way to the Johnson County Jail on April 27 to demonstrate support for a formerly imprisoned mother of two.

Arrested along a stretch of Highway 6 the previous evening, Basilia Apolonio became the latest victim of what many activists are denouncing as a broken immigration system. Though she had committed no traffic violation and had no criminal record, the native Spanish speaker was booked on two outstanding warrants issued by the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) via the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The warrants were for fifth-degree fraudulent practice, and according to the Center for Worker Justice the alleged problems existed with the Social Security number appearing on Apolonio’s car title and registration.

The warrants seemed threatening to many, who wondered why ICE would target innocent mothers with no criminal record. “It is an unjust system and it needs to stop,” said Marcella Marquez of the Immigrant Voices Project, a group working to improve the lives of area immigrants. “My community is being harassed, and for what reason? We are all people and we all have the same rights.”

Many at the rally would agree. As the night wore on, prayers for immigration reform echoed down South Capitol Street, and candles flickered in the evening wind. Protesters pumped fists and thrust signs to the sky, hurling slogans directed at ICE.

Several years ago, ICE might have placed fear in the heart of a thriving Iowan immigrant community. But as the crowd continued to swell outside Johnson County Jail a mood of solidarity and very little trepidation was clear.

“In the past we hid. We locked our doors and were scared to go out on the street,” said one speaker unabashedly to the assemblage of protesters. “Now, we are united here to support our friend. It is a historic time.”

Hovering near the edge of the activity was Apolonio herself, the young mother whose arrest had so galvanized area residents. Hugging her small daughter to her chest, she slowly made her way to the front of the group.

Though her voice was quiet and her sentences were few, she communicated that she was grateful to be outside with her supporters, and emphasized the place where she currently stood—just feet from the jail—was far different from the cell she had vacated.

According to a statement on their website, ICE has “clear priorities” that call for a focus on the identification and removal of criminals, persons who have recently crossed the border and persons who are fugitives from immigration court. Apolonio was none of those.

She posed no threat to public safety, nor to homeland security. But Iowa City police followed through with her arrest, ostensibly—and unwittingly—helping to fulfill what seems an unspoken ICE agenda: to apprehend and detain any undocumented immigrant, regardless of criminal or terrorist involvement. While many advocate for the casting of such a wide net, others find it alarming, for more reasons than one.

Many feel that tax dollars and allocated funding is being improperly used in cases like Apolonio’s. “This is not what I want my county dollars going towards,” explained concerned Iowa City resident Diane Finnerty. “Those living here without papers have a powerful voice that needs to be heard, and we as voting citizens [can help facilitate that].”

Rally organizer Misty Rebik agreed, and pointed out that taxpayer dollars are being spent at every level to support ICE actions that victimize mothers of small children, and ultimately the populace. “The families targeted by ICE go to our churches and shop at our local businesses. If a federal agency is attacking one faction within our community it affects us all,” she said.

Citizens or not, one rally speaker emphatically noted that the members of her immigrant community had paid taxes and made contributions to America. She bemoaned that after 15 years of hard work in this country, her husband was now in jail and feared deportation.

Certainly, larger questions loom about the extent to which local law enforcement are aware of ICE’s agenda, and whether further collaborations could be on the horizon. Apolonio was the second person arrested in Johnson County under a warrant that was issued at the request of ICE. According to Immigration and Nationality Act §287(g), ICE is legally authorized to enter agreements with state enforcement so that local officers can execute ICE agendas, which can include investigation and detention. INA §287(g) further states that any local officer acting under an agreement with ICE must be aware of federal law, have undergone specific federal law enforcement training and act under federal supervision. While it is unclear how many more individuals might be facing situations similar to Apolonio’s here and across the state, it was evident to the crowd gathered to protest that cooperation between these local and federal enforcement agencies needed to end.

In Apolonio’s case, Iowa City Police confirmed there was no contact between arresting officers and the DOT who issued her warrants on request from ICE. While this might reassure some that local authorities are not conspiring with ICE and are in fact working within their legal jurisdiction, the Apolonio case points to ICE’s anti-immigrant agenda and suggests that until local police are made aware of the issues at hand and, arguably, the families at stake, immigrant arrests will continue.

At the protest, a few protesters swung signs high. “So you want a bigger jail to lock up immigrant moms?” read one, in reference to the hotly contested proposal for a new Justice Center building. Another simply asked, “Why?”

Amy Mattson is a freelance writer and University of Iowa alum who has previous experience as a copywriter, copy editor and online content manager. She currently works with victims of sexual abuse as a counselor and advocate.

Midwest League baseball means cheap tickets, cheap beer, variable quality and raw players—who sometimes exhibit incredible promise.

Witness! Players with incredible names like Colton Cain, Damien Magnifico and Rock Shoulders (really!) as they fight for their baseball lives! (And to avoid an alternative career or another plan B they don’t even want to consider.) Here you can sit close enough to home plate to track the break on a breaking ball and check the MPH readings on a scout’s radar gun. And the tickets, food, drink and fuel for a day at the ballpark will set you back less than the cost of parking alone at a major league game.

It’s only a short day-trip from Iowa City to Burlington, to Cedar Rapids, to Clinton, to Davenport—the eastern Iowa cities of the Midwest League, where the next generation of superstars, replacement-level utility infielders and back-of-the-rotation innings-eaters can be witnessed for just a few bucks.

“It’s awesome,” Kris Sutter, father of two Twins fans said. “We can come to any game we want now. Before we would wait till the Twins farm team came here and then we’d go.”

Team wins and losses are noted, but ultimately the minor leagues are about player development. Sometimes, for example, a pitcher is terrible. But sometimes he just seems terrible, for a time, because the organization is forcing him to develop a new pitch needed in order to survive in the major leagues. (Please bear this in mind, Drunk Guy on a Thirsty Thursday screaming invective at a struggling teenage pitcher.)

Over the offseason, some Midwest League teams and their major league “parent” organizations shuffled affiliations and signed player development contracts with different major league clubs. After a 20-year association with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Cedar Rapids Kernels are now an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. The Sutter family from Manchester is pleased with this.

The family goes up to games in the Twin Cities at least once a year, but they love having a sneak preview of future Twins. They’ve already been to two Kernels’ games this season, in spite of the cold, wet April weather that cancelled and postponed many games throughout the league.

“It’s awesome,” Kris Sutter, father of two Twins fans said. “We can come to any game we want now. Before we would wait till the Twins farm team came here and then we’d go.”

The Sutters love seeing the Kernels’ current crop, including Byron Buxton, who signed with the Twins out of high school for $6.2 million and leads the league in hitting. Grown men linger on the railing by the dugout with duffel bags full of baseballs and cards for him to sign. He is off to such a strong start he may soon be promoted up the next rung on the minor league ladder. “I told [my wife] Laura, ‘It’s time to see ‘em right now because I bet by June he’s gone,’” said Sutter. “He’s gonna be gone. As soon as they have the draft in June, he’ll be moved.”

Kernels right fielder Adam Brett Walker is also a budding star. After the Kernels 4-3 win over the Lansing Lugnuts on April 28, Walker wore a straw hat and shades as he mingled with other Kernels players and fans over pizza in the Arctic Insulation Party Plaza.

The Twins selected Walker in the third round of the 2012 draft and Baseball America rated him as the Twins’ 31st best prospect entering the season. He was named the Midwest League Player of the Week for April 22-28, a period in which he hit five home runs.

Though change is a constant on minor league rosters, Walker credits the organization with giving players a greater sense of stability and one less thing to worry about by helping arrange housing. He and Kernels pitcher Tyler Duffey are rooming together with a host family. “For them to give us people to live with and to be able to come here and not have to worry about finding a place to live is really nice.”

While the Twins are known for not rushing player development, the needs of the major league club set the agenda. Injuries or player performance can force the team’s hand. There’s a carpe diem aspect to minor league baseball—for the players and the fans. A fan favorite may be promoted (or sent down or released) by the major league organization at any moment.

David V. Henderson remembers when the Kernels were the Cedar Rapids Reds. He reported on the 2011 Quad Cities River Bandits for WVIK radio and was into Oscar Taveras way before anybody. He lives with his family in Iowa City and on Twitter @DavidVHenderson.

Yo La Tengo

Englert Theatre – May 23 at 8:00 p.m.
$25 day of show
Photo by Clarie Armstrong

Yo La Tengo is one of the most critically acclaimed indie rock bands in America. Since their formation in the mid-’80s, they have been steadily gaining prominence and are now responsible for creating numerous must-own albums and selling out venues all over the country. The band has produced 13 studio albums over the course of over 20 years. Oftentimes bands with so much material struggle to consistently produce quality, relevant music, but time and time again, Yo La Tengo has delivered. Their music often walks a line between dreamy, formulaic garage-rock and loose, fuzzy experimental shoegaze. If you ask anyone who has been to the live show, they will tell you that it is an experience—with goofy, gimmicky stage antics, impromptu cover songs and whatever else they feel like doing. Their latest album, Fade was released in January and was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews, as per usual.

Old Light w. Cadaver Dogs, Mad Monks

Yacht Club – May 23 at 9:00 p.m.
$7 day of show

Portland’s Old Light is something of a rock and roll diamond in the rough. Featuring former Cake drummer, Todd Roper, Old Light released an excellent tape in January on tiny Portland label, Curly Cassettes. These guys are obviously well read in the field of garage and psych rock. Their songs are loose but smart, and often include meandering guitar jam-outs reminiscent of early Built to Spill. Their tape, NO demonstrates a true sophistication in song structure and arrangement, and explores the coalescence of hard rock and lush, reverby vocal harmonies. Their songs are often garnished with unexpected, but not out of place, synth flourishes. NO is also an experiment in the creative and production processes, and is the first in a series of five tapes that the band will release this year.

4onthefloor w. Filligar, The Western Front

The Mill – May 24 at 9:00 p.m.
$10 day of show

The band name “4onthefloor” is a reference to the band’s onstage schtick; every member of the band has a kick drum in front of them at all times (and they never deviate from the 4/4 time signature). The Minneapolis four piece is straight up rock and roll. Live shows are lively and engaging, and are often shared with some of the most famous musicians in America (Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, David Allen Coe and Drive-By Truckers, to name a few). Also on tour is Chicago’s acclaimed alt-rockers, Filligar (formerly Flipside). Named one of the top eight live bands in America on the popular RSL blog, Filligar has shared the stage with The Black Keys, My Morning Jacket and Counting Crows. Opening the show is Iowa staple, The Western Front, who rarely perform together in these parts anymore.

The African Showboyz

CSPS Hall (Cedar Rapids) – May 29 at 7:00 p.m.
$15 in advance, $18 day of show
Photo by Tamarind Jones

Hailing from rural northeastern Ghana, The African Showboyz bring a whole lot of energy and authenticity to the stage. The group consists of five brothers whose determination and devotion to music and dance overcame poverty and little opportunity for education. Percussion is the heart of their music, though they cycle through a number of traditional instruments, both percussive and stringed that even my most specific google searches failed to identify. They recently toured the United States with The Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart, and have collaborated with some of the biggest names in African music, including Fela Kuti and his son, Femi Kuti.

Steve Crowley is a red blooded Wisconsinite marooned in the fetid morass of Iowa City that had to make due with the yokels and, over the course of five years, came to quite like it here.

The Tallest Man on Earth w. Strand of Oaks

Englert Theatre – June 4 at 8:00 p.m.
$17.50 in advance, $20 day of show

I’ll start with addressing the obvious point: Kristian Mattson is not the tallest man on Earth. While he is only of average height, Mattson’s shadow looms large. Armed with one acoustic guitar, slight backup instrumentation and a powerful voice, Mattson’s music channels the spirit of folk legends Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie as well as a modern pop sensibility.

His songs are full of the trenchant observations of the aforementioned duo but infused with a lighter, gentler sensibility. Match these lyrics with excellent guitar playing and you have music that gets stuck in your head like the best songs on the radio. This catchy, poignant folk-pop has earned him a following that extends far outside of his native Sweden.

If the name sounds familiar, that is because Mattson and his guitar have previously visited Iowa City on three different occasions. The first time, he played in the basement of the Jefferson Building to a completely packed room. I remember running into people on the street who were turned away. They had a genuine sadness in their eyes, like they couldn’t see their hero. Hopefully, those fans were able to see him when he played at The Mill. There were still some sad kids roaming in downtown Iowa City because the show sold out.

If you were one of the miserably unlucky ones who didn’t get to see him both of those times, this is your chance.

Photo by Rich Orris

“Listen here whore. You are the only one taking anything seriously. Why don’t you go be a uppity cunt elsewhere. Why don’t you try to be original for once rather then cry like a liberal bitch.” [sic]

Comedy is a field historically dominated by men. As many comedians profess, there is an ever-present, underlying need for attention and approval that often drives them to the stage. Many of these men balance the nuance of a need to please with a talent for humor and create genuine comedy. When less talented comedians attempt this, they often rely on unoriginal material that very frequently involves stereotypes and ignorance.

Recently, there have been well known comedians in the latter category making the news. Daniel Tosh, whose Comedy Central show features his unimaginative commentary on internet videos, earned criticism for joking that a heckler should be gang-raped on the spot for saying rape jokes aren’t funny.

When women are the objects of a “joking” instigation of an act of violence that one in three of them will experience in their lifetime, it’s hard to see why this is a defensible strain in comedy. But it’s feverishly defended. In yet another recent “rape joke” incident, comedians like Patton Oswalt publicly scoffed at criticism and complaints by feminists (of whom many are men) that these jokes not only weren’t funny, but that these comedians should even be questioned at all by those outside of the comedy circle.

If you think this is an issue found only in the dark corners of America’s comedy clubs, I present my recent experience of vitriolic, rabid sexism in comedy.

I am somewhat involved in the local comedy scene in Iowa City. When I say “somewhat involved,” I mean I have friends who perform. I actively promote and support their shows, and I make sure to laugh really loudly at their knee-slappers. I do my best to go toe-to-toe in terms of quality jokes over the interwebs and in person with these comedian friends, and, since we are all attention-hungry at heart, I would say I have a decent sense of humor. I’m no stand-up comedian (YET), but I am happy and eager to engage in the local comedy scene because I see comedy’s inherent value in our society: it fosters a sense of camaraderie, it (if it’s good comedy) humanizes the person on stage, and to hear a truly hilarious joke is one of the few unadulterated happy feelings left in our sick and squalid world.

Some comedians are under the impression that trotting out stereotypes of historically disadvantaged populations is groundbreaking, new material.

It’s not.

They operate under this fallacy, in part, because some of their fellow comedians are reluctant to call them out for it, but more on that in a minute.

It’s no secret that white males are among the least disenfranchised/discriminated against members of society. And comedy does not exist in a vacuum; the comedians most conspicuously guilty of very unfunny bigotry disguised as comedy happen to fall in this category. A white male comedian does not have to apologize for being a white male, and no critic has ever staked that claim. Also, crass humor is not inherently bad. Crude humor is one of the ways comedians humanize themselves, as it lets the audience relate to some of the more embarrassing and darks thoughts we all have. But this is not crass. At an alarming rate, some white male comedians are not only using their platform to perpetuate sexist/racist/homophobic “comedy” but also to viciously attack any critique on it.

I recently found myself the target of such an attack. A comedy show featuring local comedians was advertised through an events page on Facebook (see event/thread). Enter white male comic–podcast and all–commenting that he wouldn’t go to a “comedy show with women on it and have it be hosted by a lesbian.” Get it? It’s shtick. Making fun of women and lesbians is funny because duh. But if, like me, you started rolling your eyes the first time this “joke” was told, by now you are starting to be fed up.

I replied with a sardonic but not angry hope that I would have a chance to hear this guy’s original and groundbreaking humor on how gay people talk funny and women never know how to drive.

The candor of the comment section quickly devolved. Some of the “shtick” hurled back at me included: “Listen here whore. You are the only one taking anything seriously. Why don’t you go be a uppity cunt elsewhere. Why don’t you try to be original for once rather then cry like a liberal bitch.” [sic] He concluded on several accounts that he was better than me; one of the reasons being that he was not the whore.

This is not good comedy. This isn’t even comedy. This is yet another example of the dark side of comedy. The notion that it is a boys’ only club; that women can and should be shamed out of the “artistic process” of comedic critique. This is sexism permeating comedy, signifying that it is okay and welcome to call a woman a whore because she told you your joke sucked.

And he and those alike get away with it because fellow comedians fail to see the blatant bullshittery that is the ability to promote outright bigotry and uncalled for hatred of a woman, who was a “whore” who started “running her trap.” This is not an example of a garden variety internet troll, whose provocations are reliably exercised and best ignored because of their obvious attempt at lowest common denominator instigation. This is a violent belief that women who speak up in comedy deserve to be mistreated, and it is encouraged and nurtured when bystander white male comedians discourage any objection.

Several of the men tried to, misguidedly, explain that simply responding to someone like this is only adding fuel to the fire; I was only “giving him what he wants.”

It’s a phenomenon in comedy that criticism can only give power to the wrongdoer. It is, in effect, telling a woman that pointing out injustice is against her best interests. It takes away her ability to participate as an equal. It assumes that the louder, violent voice is unquestionable, and that women and minority groups are powerless to change behaviors that affect them. When these bystander comedians told me that my silence is best, they signaled to the original offender that his comments were free from consequence. And they signaled to me that, as a woman who is tired of hearing sexism in comedy instead of original, creative humor, I am not welcome in the comedy world. That comedy is exclusive to those who think alike, and there is no room for dissenting voices. This isn’t comedy either.

Comedy is not assuming zero responsibility over your actions. It is not telling others how to respond. It is not demonstrating the utmost hypocritical behavior in making callous, lazy, ignorant statements and then lashing out aggressively against critics. Comedy is not free from criticism. This is not an echo chamber containing only yourself and a couple other people exactly like you. You won’t need to do any of these things if you want to be a good comedian, or a decent human being for that matter.

They Might Be Giants w. Moon Hooch

The Englert – June 2 at 7:00 p.m.
$25 in advance, $27.50 day of show (14+)

Are you a child of the 1970s? 1980s? 1960s? Do you like science? Have you watched a cartoon in the past 20 years? Did you ever watch Malcolm in the Middle?

If you can answer ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, you probably know who They Might Be Giants are. If you inexplicably answered ‘No’ to all of these questions–seriously, you never watched a cartoon?–They Might Be Giants is a New York City duo that have been blazing the pop landscape since 1982.

Their music is a fun mash-up of accordions, guitars, horns, drum machines, pianos, cool sound effects and a stylophone. The core duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell have used all of these instruments to attack a variety of different topics from the fact that Constantinople is now Istanbul (“Istanbul Not Constantinople”) and the periodic table (“Meet The Elements”), to even numbers (“Even Numbers”) and palindromes (“I Palindrome I”). Whatever they deal with, the two Johns jump in headfirst and have fun the entire time.

They Might Be Giants were in Iowa City about two years ago, and their show was a joyous occasion. I expect nothing less this time.

As one of the United State’s most accomplished diplomats, Albright’s pins became a tacit form of personal expression over the course of her career. After emigrating to the United States in 1948 following the Soviet-backed coup d’état of Czechoslovakia, Ablright served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations before becoming the first female Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton in 1997. More recently, Albright was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom–the highest civilian award offered by the United States–by President Barrack Obama.

As one of the United State’s most accomplished diplomats, Albright’s pins became a tacit form of personal expression over the course of her career. –Portrait by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

This weekend, interested parties have the chance to see this collection and meet the woman who made it all possible. Albright, a member of the museum’s National Advisory Board, will visit the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library from May 17-18 to celebrate the exhibit’s recent opening, starting with “An Evening with Madeleine Albright.”

Tickets for this event are $125 and may be purchased by calling Elizabeth at 319-362-8500 (extension 205) or by emailing eschlegel@NCSML.org. Cocktail attire is encouraged. Interested parties can look forward to a cocktail reception and photo opportunity with the former Secretary of State, followed by a question and answer session and book signing. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

Friday: An Evening with Madeleine Albright

• 6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception and Photos with Secretary Madeleine Albright
• 7:30 p.m. “A Conversation with Madeleine Albright”
• 8:30 p.m. Desserts and Book Signing (limit one book per person)

On Saturday, the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library is hosting a “Women’s Breakfast with Secretary Madeleine Albright,” featuring a second question an answer session. However, this ticketed event is sold out.

Saturday: A Conversation with Students

This event is free and open to high school and undergraduate students. Albright will field questions from students, after which, attendees are encouraged to visit the aforementioned exhibit, “Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection.” Albright’s student conversation begins at 11:30 a.m. with an 11:00 a.m. check-in.

According to the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, this student opportunity was specifically requested by Albright. To reserve a seat for this event, contact Jan Stoffer before noon on Friday at 319-362-8500 (extension 218) or by emailing jan@NCSML.org

NERV w. Xerox | 9:00 p.m.| The Crowley Castle | Free

Another DIY show this week, same venue as last week, this time featuring the best local Iowa City punk there is. NERV is on their way out on tour starting Saturday and this will serve as their going away show. Consistently entertaining, these dudes put on one of the best live shows in town; and in a basement, it couldn’t be better. Xerox features members of Solid Attitude and also share a member with NERV, it’s new, it’s good. If you don’t know where this is, same deal as last week, ask somebody!

Milk & Eggs w. Doug Mains & The City Folk, Nora Petran | 9:00 p.m. | The Mill | $8 | 19+

For those not of the punk persuasion or afraid of basements, The Mill hosts local talent Milk & Eggs and others for an intimate evening. From The Mill website: Born on the bluffs of the Mississippi in Burlington, Iowa, visual artist Jordan Sellergren began actively songwriting in 2009 while living and working in Auckland, New Zealand. After returning to Iowa in the spring of 2010, she started playing her songs locally under the name Milk & Eggs. In July 2011, Milk & Eggs recorded and released her eponymous first full-length, self-produced album, with instrumental accompaniment from John Waite, Gabe Baillargeon, Jim Leland, Andrew Conley and David Zollo.

Friday 5/17

Party on the Patio | 6:00 p.m. | Gabes | All Ages

The weekly hangout continues this Friday with guest DJ XXL spinning the discs this time around. No cover, free food and cheap drinks!

Limbs w. Modality | 9:00 p.m. | Blue Moose Tap House | $5 | 19+

Blending jam, hip-hop and dance into one smooth silky mousse, Limbs releases their first proper album at this show. Joining them will be the Quad Cities’ Modality…don’t know much about this band other than what’s on the Facebook event: “Think Incubus meets Rage Against the Machine”. Hmm.

On Blast! Tour 2013 | Gabes | 10:00 p.m. | $8 advance/$10 door | 19+

The list of killer Twin Cities hip-hop on this show is insane! MC Rentz, Knonam, Sector 7G, Dem Atlas and AWTHNTKTS will be throwing rhymes in your face all night long. Bios and links to all the artists are on their Facebook page, check it out!

The Mill Karaoke | 9:00 p.m. | The Mill | Free | 19+

It’s karaoke, it’s at The Mill, and that’s all there is to it. As a karaoke enthusiast, the stage presence you get at The Mill’s karaoke is second to none. So if you really want to make an ass of yourself, or you really wanna show off, I’d highly recommend attending!

Saturday 5/18 and Sunday 5/19

There’s not a whole lot happening on either Saturday or Sunday, there are graduation dance parties at both The Mill and Gabe’s, so if you graduated, whoopie you get a dance party! I’m sure others are invited as well but with graduating four years ago I think I’d feel a little creepy. And I’m sure those people with years left of schooling won’t be so damn excited either. My recommendation: go for a walk, sit on a porch, barbeque, play some some sort of sport, or just sleep through the nice weather. A lot of cool stuff happening next week, stay tuned! In the mean time, check out the quick hits below.

Quick Hits

Saturday at Gabe’s: Deuce Funk Monsters w. Dana T, The Nemo Orchestra at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday at Uptown Bill’s: Music by Brad Pouleson at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday at Yacht Club: Soap w. Black Forrest Ham, Matthew and the Arrogant Sea at 10:00 p.m.

Sunday at The Mill: Benefit for musician Sonny Lott at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday at CSPS Hall (Legion Arts): Balfa Toujours at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday at Blue Moose Tap House Comedy showcase w. Daniel Frana, Bobby Ray Bunch, Kristy Hartsgrove, A.J. Grill, Andrew King, Megan Gogerty at 8:00 p.m.

Feminism revisited in Aleksandar Hemon’s short stories.

By Chrissy Cooper

Though we’ve made great strides toward women’s rights, in America our greatest complaint is the unequal distribution of jobs (there are far more female kindergarten teachers than female bricklayers, for example), throughout the world women are denied education and the vote, forced to marry, and trafficked into sex slavery. Too wrapped up in our own lives, we forget that the scales continue to dip unevenly. Similarly, the protagonists in Aleksandar Hemon’s short stories, The Deep Sleep and Love and Obstacles, ignore the unfair treatment of the women in their lives because it does not directly affect them. Hemon wields his exceptional prose to point out women’s roles in Southeastern Europe with subtlety.

The Deep Sleep follows the immigrant, Pronek, on a tour through the North side of Chicago as he attempts to get a position as a private detective while haunted by the memory of the war he left in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As Pronek’s search for employment ensues, he has an interview with the “operative” (what you hear and see of his job is sketchy, and his outward description of it is even sketchier) Taylor Owen, a surly man whose hair is as thin as his empathy. Surprisingly, Owen gives Pronek the chance to help him serve court papers to a man named Brdjanin.

Also following a traveler in a new place, Love and Obstacles is a young poet’s first adventure from home on a mission to buy a freezer for his family, have an existential awakening, and maybe get a little female attention for the first time. He encounters an ornery hotel man named Franc, and an American couple staying in the hotel, the young wife grasping his attention.

While these stories have wildly different protagonists, they are joined by Hemon’s astounding prose. Even his description of something as simple as turning on a gas stovetop to boil some tea [“there was a din of drawers and gas hissing, ending with an airy boom”] excites the senses and brightens memories of similar things. It’s a sound I’ve heard every day in my life and am not able to describe as succinctly and effectively. Even now, I’m hearing the rattle of spoons and breathing the faint smell of gas from thousands of past cups of tea.

Hemon uses this skill of robust description to put the characters in awful places, covering the setting in a thin layer of grime. He constructs a description bleak and desperate like Brdjanin’s kitchen that “reeked of coffee and smoke, stale sweat and Vegeta, a coat of torturous, sleepless nights over everything.” Hemon is specific and deliberate in his details, weaving a background as important as the ideas in the spotlight. He often places his female characters in this background, where they interact with the protagonists in concerning ways. However, Hemon’s specific and deliberate prose reveals careful planning.

Interestingly enough, though the protagonists are on opposite levels of maturity and confront contrasting problems, in the face of the depressing settings molded by Hemon, both Pronek from The Deep Sleep and the unnamed boy from Love and Obstacles dreamily long for the arms of women who are objectified in their ideation by these protagonists. They often don’t care to find out names or anything about the women’s personalities. The men make up an identity that is wholly fabricated based on empirical data; their smell, their bodies, their smiles. In The Deep Sleep, Pronek fills an elevator, empty except for the remaining scent of perfume, with a sultry dream woman, smoothly requiring a light for her imaginary cigarette. Similarly, in Love and Obstacles, as the boy waited in line behind the American couple, he dreamt of a conversation that he would have with the woman (“while her unseemly husband was safely locked up somewhere else”) that would render them unable to “make it to the bed before, etc.” Interested only in her physical worth, he tells us: “her name, I decided, was Elizabeth.”

These portrayals of females are outwardly anti-feminist. Throughout Hemon’s two short stories, women are always accompanied and supported by men, who have stronger positions of power in communication with other characters. The woman with Brdjanin never says a word to Pronek, but stays in the background and makes the men tea after being ordered to without hesitation. The boy follows a couple of pretty girls through a park, who, though wholly capable of telling him to scamper off on their own, find a man to confront him instead. These women are thus reliant on their interactions with men to exist, but perhaps, just as his descriptive prose is full of intent, Hemon makes this move with purpose.

Hemon was born in Sarajevo and lived there until 1992, when at 28 he was stranded in the US by the outbreak of the Bosnian War. Though the war ended in 1995, citizens are still impacted today by the numerous war crimes committed during this time including genocide, ethnic cleansing, torture, and mass rape. A special report from the Guardian shows that Bosnian Muslim women and girls as young as 12 were enslaved and systematically raped. Three leaders of this monstrosity were charged with crimes against humanity, and though the leaders received a total of 60 years in jail, victims were left unsatisfied. They believe the pain caused by the men involved in the crimes should cost much more.

Hemon’s portrayal of women in these stories could be a comment on officials’ attempts to brush away these horrors and move on. Unfortunately, they were successful because the history is largely ignored and forgotten. The tragedies were never mentioned during high school history classes. No one I’ve questioned in my research knows anything about it. However, the effects are outlasting and still affecting the unsatisfied victims. Hemon’s portrayal of women mirrors the devastating truth. Each female character in Love and Obstacles or The Deep Sleep is brushed aside and thought of only for sexual pleasure. There are often marks on their bodies, from Brdjanin’s girlfriend who has a “swollen face and a faint bruise on her cheek, like misapplied makeup” to a woman running for the train “a gash” in her leg. These descriptions taint the air with abuse and unfairness that the main characters ignore, just as the abuse of the Bosnian Muslim women was slighted by the courts.

The unnamed protagonist of Love and Obstacles could stand for the effect that decisions made by a country’s officials have on the future generations. The boy’s objectification of women is at a subconscious level. He’s not deliberately (or literally) harming women. But he is following them home and continuing to pursue them after noticing they hurry to get away from him. It’s not until they find a man to chase him away, that he realizes what he is doing is not okay.

I admit I knew nothing about the Bosnian war before reading either of Hemon’s short stories, and, admittedly, I still do not know much. However, the protagonists don’t get away with daydreaming for long. The unnamed boy rides the train back home with fresh bruises caused by his petty longings. As Pronek’s memories of the war seep back into his awareness, he is left breathing in the noxious truth with cigarette smoke. Whether they are the better for these realizations is up to interpretation.

Nevertheless, both protagonists are more in tune with the shortcomings of reality. Left more alone by the absence of their daydreams, they realize they are up for a fight ahead. Similarly, female readers are left wondering if society has made significant strides toward gender equality, especially once realizing the Bosnian War’s dirty laundry could be crammed in a closet and ignored. Hemon’s work cracks the door and peeks in on the past’s oppression of women and its effect on today draped on hangers and hooks. Whatever Hemon’s opinion on the matter, he refreshes the public’s consciousness on these issues and allows necessary reevaluation of them with The Deep Sleep and Love and Obstacles.

It’s Great to be a Hawkeye

By Kache’ Claytor

I was Running towards my dad as if I were a wide receiver yards away from the game winning touchdown, with a spelling test clinched in my hands as my football, adorned with a gold star and a handwritten “Perfect!” in the corner, signifying another successful day at Garton Elementary in Des Moines, Iowa. Just inches shy of the six-point touchdown, that is, my father’s welcoming arms, I plummeted to the ground, tripping over the uneven grass. My perfect spelling test slipped out of my hands and landed an arm’s length away. Resembling a commentator, my dad yelled out, “Uh-oh, fumble on the 4 yard line!” but quickly rushed over to pick me up and reassure me that I ran like a champ. Although I was only six and my clothes somehow resembled a football player’s uniform with their endless grass stains, I was completely aware of the importance of avoiding a fumble, unless you are the team recovering the ball.

Several years later in Iowa City, similar to my experience, I watched Iowa’s fullback, Mark Weisman, fumble the ball at the 42 yard line, granting Central Michigan with the recovery in the last 45 seconds of the game. A penalty foul by Iowa and three plays later with under forty seconds to go, Central Michigan gained 15 yards and moved into Iowa territory. Central Michigan’s David Harman attempted a career long field goal of 47 yards, and no sooner than Harman released the kick, the commentator rung out, “And the kick is good with 3 seconds to go!” Although Bleacher Report suggested in 2011 that Kinnick Stadium was ranked the No. 11 loudest college stadium, somehow, the 70,500+ fans and I fell silent in Kinnick Stadium the afternoon of September 22, 2012.

It was apparent that the loss to Central Michigan shattered the Iowa team and the fan’s confidence, and added yet another L to Iowa’s already slippery-slope of a season. However, Iowa fans did not let the loss deter us from showing our school spirit, because after all, it’s great to be a Hawkeye! For me and thousands of other football fans, Saturdays aren’t just reserved for the standing-room-only student section of football games, but also the tradition of tailgating; and from my experience, no matter how the season is going, we will still get up at the crack of dawn to start tailgating and support our team.

Regardless of where you tailgate, tailgating is a social norm and a tradition for any football game, and a highlight of my college experience. Iowa Hawkeye spirit is undeniable once you get your first glimpse of the sea of black and gold. There is no such thing as too much spirit as the girls bedazzle their entire outfits and place temporary Herky tattoos on their cheeks, and the guys paint their faces and un-toned stomachs. Many congregate on Melrose Avenue, where you can smell the aromas of ice cold beer and vendors selling better and cheaper food than inside the gates of Kinnick, the fans yelling “Go Hawks,” and the legendary Mr. Chuck Ford yelling “BIG ASS TURKEY LEGS”. While others reside at a tailgate hosted by a Fraternity with high energy music and a friendly round of pong; or in the parking lot behind the English and Philosophy Building where the post graduates gather to blast music, share food, and play traditional tailgating games like corn hole or ladder ball.

Whether it be Melrose Avenue, a tailgate hosted by a Fraternity, or in a parking lot, on any home game day, you can find thousands of people of every age joining together to grill, drink (if of age), and build a sense of community through tailgating. The communal environment is established because no matter if fans have nothing else in common, each fan shares the common bond of our love for Hawkeye football and tailgating. This bond serves as an initial ice breaker and allows us to be more susceptible to conversing, sharing our food/beverages, and celebrating with one another. Tailgating also serves as a reunion for the alumni, current students, and aspiring Hawkeyes; and doubles as a time when the alumni have a chance to prove that they can still out-drink the undergrads and that they will always have Hawkeye pride.

After tailgating, the fans swarm into Kinnick Stadium, ready for Iowa’s legendary pregame entrance, but before we enter, we make certain that we caress Kinnick’s Bronze Helmet statue for good luck and to carry on tradition. Once inside of Kinnick, upon sight, the field is covered with the spirit squad, positioned to run their infamous, giant flags that spell out I-O-W-A across the field. The band is arranged flawlessly in parallel lines, eager to blare the fight song. Our mascot, Herky the Hawk, is mounted on a platform as four guys run him across the field and he raises the Hawkeye flag high and proud, and the team is lined up hand-and-hand in the tunnel ready to rush the field.

Before the National Anthem is played by the marching band; the crowd looks to the giant video board and is enlightened with Nile Kinnick’s Heisman Trophy Acceptance Speech of 1939, accompanied by streaming photos and footage of his memorable football seasons. Once the National Anthem is beautifully played, the intensity heightens as “Back In Black” by AC/DC plays. The crowd claps in unison along with the 1980’s rock song, and the fans begin to prep their cameras for the perfect photo, worthy to upload on one of the most recent photo-based social networks, Instagram. Nothing compares to the feeling, sound, or energy that fills Kinnick Stadium when the I-O-W-A flags are sprinted across the field by the spirit squad, and the players promptly follow. The cheerleaders are hoisted into the air and begin the chant, “Let’s Go Hawks,” as the crowd goes wild in the hopes of a victory. Kinnick is teeming with thunderous Iowa spirit.

As many times as I have witnessed Iowa’s spectacular display of spirit before and during a game, I am still impressed and filled with the same excitement as if it were my first time. Whether or not the team finishes the game with a victory, or the season ends prematurely without an appearance in a bowl game, I along with 70, 500+ fans will wake up and support our team, because that is the Hawkeye way. I remember vividly how I picked myself up off the ground, with the help of my dad, the same way I know the Iowa football team will pick themselves up from this season and for the seasons to come. And while I cannot speak for everyone, I can honestly say, from my experience, it’s great to be a Hawkeye!

What can visitors expect at this year’s Iowa Renaissance Festival? The best of the best, according to festival producer-director Greg Schmidt.

Iowa Renaissance Festival and Gathering o’Celts | May 25-27 | Amana Park, Amana Colonies

The 22nd annual Iowa Renaissance Festival and Gathering o’Celts will represent a bittersweet occasion for Sir William Rogers, also known as Greg Schmidt (at least, in this century), who plans to abdicate his noble position as the festival’s producer-director in search of glorious new adventures.

What can visitors expect at this year’s Iowa Renaissance Festival? The best of the best, according to Schmidt. Before passing off the torch, he intends on making his final year the best one yet, calling it his “grand finale, of sorts.” Schmidt said he plans on showcasing many of the Iowa Renaissance Festival’s most popular acts, including the “equestrian spectacle” known as Joust Evolution, the Shattock Schoole of Defense comedy theater and Kansas City’s Brotherhood of Steel, just to name a few.

In total, six stages are set to feature more than fifty special events throughout the weekend. Approximately 200 costumed characters–from village minstrels to your average peasant–will be wandering about as well. This year’s festival will also feature a number of newly added acts to the roster, including the Hardtack Jack pub band from Minnesota and the Fabulous Fantastic Flying Fratellis based out of Omaha.

For those who prefer to wander off the beaten path, a number of encampment groups–such as Warwick and the Guardians of the Black Forest–will fill the surrounding meadow, offering a variety of combat shows and folk life exhibits.

Over the last two decades, Schmidt has seen to personally recruiting performers for his festivals, building his roster year by year through his hands-on approach.

“Through the years I have either sought out, auditioned, created and directed or ‘discovered’ numerous novelty acts in the Upper Midwest that have enhanced our festivals. Some of the most professional show troupes have come from the local talent pool, right there in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids,” Schmidt said over email. “What keeps it fresh is when someone from a defunct performing troupe starts up a new one and brings that to me to showcase at the Renaissance festival. Plus, the youngsters continue to show an interest in learning the classical art forms and joining the show.”

Hands-on activities such as archery and knife-tossing will be available, as well as a beer garden and various food carts (i.e., mead and vittles for all you peasants). For the wine enthusiasts, complementing this year’s Royal Pavilion Beer Garden is a newly added selection of wines from Crane Winery.

This year, the merchant’s bazaar will be the largest shopping village the festival has ever had. Ten new artisan vendors are set to join the fold, offering collector weapons, custom-made jewelry and various unique, home-made goods exclusive to the festival. Many of these artisans will not only be selling their goods, but creating them on location as well.

Over the years, Schmidt as developed a special sort of relationship with merchants, performers and patrons alike.

“We’ve seen both patron children and performer children grow up to continue the appreciation for the Renaissance festival experience,” Schmidt said. “I’ve come to know the merchants and performers so well that I can anticipate many of their particular needs and preferences at each event. You might say I want them to think of me as their favorite uncle.”

“Some of the most professional show troupes have come from the local talent pool, right there in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.”

Although his departure is a sad one, Schmidt’s new ventures are fitting for a man with such a chivalrous alter ego. He plans on dedicating more time to his charity Quarters for Quarters, founded in 2012, to provide better sleeping quarters for Iowa’s children.

“We expect to take it state-wide next year,” Schmidt says. “When I was volunteering for a local church weeknight bussing program, I saw first-hand that some of our Iowa children don’t have beds of their own. They have to sleep on the living room couch after the parents are done watching television. According to my superintendent friend, it really bothers their performance in school.”

Schmidt also plans to pursue his passion for Iowa-interest documentaries and screenplays. “For some six or seven years, now, I’ve seen that several of my priority projects might fade into the mist if I didn’t get them completed,” he said. Schmidt went on to mention a number of projects currently in the works or in the planning stages, including the documentary River Riders, which advocates more river recreation in the state of Iowa as well as the establishment of the Paddlers Annual Great Boat Ride Across Iowa (PAGBRAI).

Schmidt says his experience with the Iowa Renaissance Festival has been a fulfilling one. And although he’ll be leasing out the production rights of the Iowa Renaissance Festival to other entities who will add their own artistic touches, Schmidt will remain as the head of Festivals International–the regional festival organization Schmidt operates with his wife Bonnie–wherein he will continue to act as a consultant.

“We felt blessed when we came to the community of the Amana Colonies and the site for the festival,” Schmidt said, noting that this is the festival’s third location over the years. “I will hear parents tell me that the Iowa Renaissance Festival was the best time the family had, together, all year. The work became less and the enjoyment grew more so, each year.”

The Iowa Renaissance Festival and Gathering o’Celts runs from May 25-27 between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., daily. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-13 (younger children receive free admission), with two and three day passes available for $17 and $22, respectively. Parking is free and group discounts are available. Visit www.iowarenfest.com for more information.

“…we’ve only got so many words to work with, Ed Failor Jr so we gave the abridged version.” –RAYGUN

RAYGUN found itself involved in a bit of a controversy this afternoon after recounting a customer exchange on the company’s official Facebook page. The post received dozens of comments, likes and “shares” before disappearing from RAYGUN’s page shortly before 6:00 p.m.

The initial update was posted shortly after 12:00 p.m. Verbatim, RAYGUN wrote:

a senior Iowa Legislature staffer for the Republican “Senate Minority Leader” (we’re assuming that’s Senator Bill Dix?) asked us for a 20% discount on some glasses. Mike asked if he demands discounts just from small places or big ones like Home Depot, and this guy (and his wife) assured us that he demands discounts from “everyone.” Mike remarked, “that must make dinners out exhausting.” #MakersAndTakers

RAYGUN then added the following as a subsequent comment:

new slogan in here somewhere? “RAYGUN: Moderately-Priced American-Made Products that You Should Demand to Pay Even Less For.”

This update immediately began to circulate around the social network, receiving dozens of comments and being shared across more than 30 Facebook pages, including our own. However, the details surrounding this story became slightly more obtuse when the customer in question, Ed Failor Jr., responded directly to RAYGUN’s initial update.

Failor’s verbatim response was as follows:

THIS IS UNFAIR. I never identified myself. I said I wanted to buy a dozen of an item sold individually. I asked specifically whether he would discount a dozen purchase. AFTER I PAID, he asked me what I do for a living. I answered honestly.

RAYGUN’s verbatim response to Failor:

that’s true, but we’ve only got so many words to work with, Ed Failor Jr so we gave the abridged version. we don’t normally put up anecdotes about customers, but figured this one was reimbursement-in-entertainment for the $24. we encourage you to take that savings and spend it locally!

As it turns out, this response would be a divisive one for RAYGUN, which–it should be noted–does indeed offer a bulk discount on purchases. The comment section’s largely unified voice began to splinter. Many stood by RAYGUN, but others began to criticize the company for how it had presented the exchange. An element of confusion set in.

As the conversation continued to deteriorate, Ed Failor’s wife chimed in to add her account of the story.

Kristine Failor’s verbatim response was as follows:

That is a horrid and very unclassy move on your part Mike. I can guarantee (as the wife) we just commented that it was a lot for glasses and would buy multiple if there was a discount for bulk. No mention of what either if us did for a living. Its disgusting that you would utilize friendly conversation for your own political points. I can guarantee after years of being proprietors we will no longer be buying ANYTHING there again. Bad form.

A short time later, Kristine Failor replied a second time. Responding to another users’s remark about RAYGUN’s return policy, she wrote:

Oh good because I will be returning the 30 some shirts I own from your store. I also have some friends who are already interesting in taking advantage of your “no receipt”policy. Oh and Michael Fischer, Walmart posts their bulk discount policy. I was there and that is exactly how he asked. We said we wanted to buy a dozen and if there was a discount for bulk. Mr Draper chose (and admitted to above) manipulating the conversation in order to fit into the word count. Apparently his integrity has a word limit.

By this point, RAYGUN’s initial post had received dozens of additional comments. Some leveled claims of libel at RAYGUN. Others criticized the Failors for inquiring about a bulk discount given his involvement in the public sector. Regardless, the shift in tone was palpable and RAYGUN soon found itself surrounded by just as many critics as it did supporters. Some in RAYGUN’s corner weren’t quite sure of what to make of the exchange, while a number of others voiced their disappointment more explicitly.

RAYGUN would make one more comment, this time responding to Kristine:

we accept all returns no questions asked. so Kristin’s request would be fine with us.

This concludes the exchange between RAYGUN, Ed Failor Jr. and his wife Kristine, though the initial post continued to receive comments until it was deleted approximately six hours after its publication.

A call was made to RAYGUN’s Des Moines location this afternoon, though CEO Mike Draper could not be immediately reached for comment. Little Village will update if more information comes in.