Haulin’ Ass: Clear #202 Headed Back Downtown
I was in court earlier this week pressing assault charges on a fellow citizen and the responding officer pulled me aside: “Jesus H. Christ, did you get a look at her bar?”
The cop was referring to a bar unit built into the garage of the defendant’s home, the whole of it veneered in white Formica...
Hot Tin Roof: Life in Miniature
By Noel Carver No matter how good life may be it will never be a good transition, womb to world with pain and aging, open like a book. He did not need the slap upon the feet, his little face already gasping, flailing arms and grasping air. But the slap came anyway, a first lesson....
Prairie Pop: Identity Adorned
“Come with us through melody to the four corners of the earth,” the KTLA station announcer said as a mysterious man mesmerized viewers with a blissful gaze. “Hear music exotic and familiar spring from the amazing hands of Korla Pandit, on a musical adventure!” This attractive, androgynous figure massaged the organ with his slender fingers,...
Roadblocks to Sidewalks
Where the sidewalk ends is, apparently, in West Branch.
At least for now. In the meantime, the seemingly innocuous issue of sidewalk improvement has become the most contentious issue in West Branch politics.
In December the West Branch city council voted against beginning construction on five new sidewalks, despite a $250,000 grant awarded to the...
Your Town Now: Slouching Towards Downtown
Carpetbaggers to Iowa City have had a bit of fun with us lately after skulking away to Michigan. Stephen Bloom, who embarrassed himself in The Atlantic’s formerly admirable online presence, and Nila Haug, who sources tell me was something of a grumpy slumlord, each left our fair city with a steaming pile of thanks on...
The Hops: Duvel’s Maredsous Brune 8
Ironically, a beer once brewed by celibate monks is an ideal beer for Valentines Day: Maredsous Brune 8.
Though it is now contract-brewed by Duvel, Maredsous Brune 8 is still a showcase of Benedictine abstinence. It is a dubbel that can be served in a tulip glass or chalice. The color is very deep brown. Three...
Remembering The Red Avocado
In the midst of this season of affection, it is with regretful hearts that we commemorate the closing of one of Iowa City’s most beloved eateries, The Red Avocado. As we reflect on the loss of our premier vegan/vegetarian/organic sanctuary, we think back on summer hours spent lounging on the patio, sangria in hand, Dustin...
UR Here: Death by 1,000 Razings
For the last month or so, the talk of the town has moved on from Stephen Bloom to Washington Street. By the time you read this, the houses in the 500 block of Washington Street that housed The Red Avocado restaurant, Defunct Books, and the Golden Haug Bed and Breakfast may very well be dust....
Album Review: Thomas Comerford – Archive + Spiral
Thomas Comerford Archive + Spiral www.thomascomerford.bandcamp.com As the principal singer and songwriter in the band Kaspar Hauser, Thomas Comerford has built a reputation for his inventive take on roots rock. Archive + Spiral is less rocking and more country, with a vibe more living room than rock club. Comerford’s slightly nasal baritone recalls Lou Reed...
Elite 8: Music of 2011
It is a bit odd to condense a year’s worth of listening into such a short, impossibly definitive list, yet each of us is attracted to the act of putting a stamp on a handful of albums that may (or may not) represent the best of the year in question. It is all about a...
The Moderate’s Dilemma
In the modern age of the GOP – which originated with Newt Gingrich’s historic 1994 midterm grab of the House of Representatives – moderate Republicans tend to travel an unusual road during presidential primary season, particularly in relation to the Iowa caucus. Four years ago, early Republican front-runner Rudy Giuliani took trumped-up media warnings about...
Braving the Elements
There’s nothing quite like an Iowa winter to make you want to lock yourself inside the house (with a few dozen tins of leftover holiday cookies) and not come out until March. As the temperatures drop, my wimpiness skyrockets. Venturing out to the grocery store makes me feel outdoorsy and I grant my bicycle an...
Your Town Now: The Year to Come
Saying the face of downtown will change this year is no hyperbole, given the spread of likely-to-be-developed properties. This column will give you the lowdown on some things to expect this year. But first, let’s check in on our old friend John Millar…
Townie Hawk: Hawk Couture
Ah, football. What is it about this sport? It’s more than the hot chocolate warming our hands through our mittens, the bass drum catching hold of the chilly air, or the outsized energy of the players. For me, after all the touchdowns are tallied and all the drinks are drained, the greatest thing about this...
Hot Tin Roof: Star Kite, Fair Wedding
Take a look at the winning January 2011 submission for our monthly writing contest, Hot Tin Roof. This month, we feature two poems by Iowa Writer's Workshop alum Margaret Lemay-Lewis.
The Hops: Millstream Brewery’s Back Road Stout
Politically speaking, Rick Santorum and I are a couple universes apart. However, to my amazement we apparently have one thing in common: an appreciation for good beer. Last month Santorum made a campaign stop at the Millstream Brewing Company in Amana and enjoyed a pint of Back Road Stout--an excellent oatmeal stout I coincidentally decided...
UR Here: Aunt Millie Knows
Last month’s Stephen Bloom Atlantic essay about Iowa set off a firestorm, to say the least. This is not a column about Stephen Bloom’s essay. But it bounces off of it. A common reaction to the essay was speculation that Professor Bloom must be miserable living in Iowa and puzzlement over why he doesn’t leave...
New Friends
Hello reader and welcome to On The Beat, a monthly column that will explore and comment on the local music scene as well as highlight some solid shows coming up during the month, exactly like The Haps previously. From what I see in this month’s shows, 2012 is coming out the gate strong. On the...
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