Audition slots are open for the Oh Say, Can You Sing? Competition hosted by the Yankee Doodle Pops. Every year, singers from across the state enter to sing the National Anthem with the Des Moines Symphony during the concert. This year’s Pops concert will be on Friday, July 1 at 8:30 p.m. on the West […]
Lily DeTaeye
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Six Central Iowa podcasts to spice up your drive
There’s a good chance you’ve dipped a toe or two into the world of podcasting. Whether you record them or just listen, podcasts are an increasingly common way to get and spread information (or daily true crime content, no judgement either way.) If you’re looking to enhance your commute with a podcast recorded a little […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Photo Gallery: Gamers, comic fans and Klingons gather for Des Moines Con 2022
The line to enter Des Moines Con snaked around the first floor of the Iowa Events Center on Saturday morning as cosplayers and con-goers came from near and far to attend the convention’s first year. Inside Hy-Vee Hall, attendees could purchase trading cards, comic books and artwork sold by vendors, as well as […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Expect ‘nerdy flea market meets circus’ at the first Des Moines Con this weekend
Des Moines Con, a self-described “celebration of comics, toys, TV, film, art, cosplay, anime, games and all things nerdy!” takes place this weekend at Hy-Vee Hall. While the convention is coming to Des Moines for the first time this year, its presenter, Nerd Street, isn’t new to cons. Since the company’s formation in 2011, it […]
Posted inBook Reviews
Book Review: ‘The Long Corner’ by Alexander Maksik
Alexander Maksik Wednesday, May 25 at 7 p.m., Prairie Lights Bookstore, Free Alexander Maksik’s new novel The Long Corner (Europa Editions) — out May 17, the fourth release from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop grad — skillfully explores the intersections of capitalism and dictatorship, cliché and originality, art and life. By the end, the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
As greyhound racing ends in Iowa, retired runners like Luci get used to a life of leisure
Kanya Petersen always wanted a dog. But it wasn’t until she and her husband, Erik, bought their house in Altoona that they decided they were finally ready to make the commitment. “We’ve never had a dog before,” Petersen said. “And we were looking online to get ideas for different dog breeds that might fit well […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Writing music brought Geneviève Salamone catharsis. Now, she guides other Indigenous Iowa artists through their own ‘journey of self-discovery’
In the front room of her West Des Moines home, violinist and composer Geneviève Salamone writes, produces, records, mixes and masters original music. And while the space looks almost like an ordinary front room, it’s far from it. The space has been fitted by Salamone and her husband with soundproofing drywall. There are microphones and […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Meet Lefty, the three-legged dog that became a Des Moines icon
Whether or not you’re a pet owner, you’ve probably seen a post or two from your fluff-loving friends on #NationalDogDay and #NationalPetDay. But you may not have heard of Specially-Abled Pets Day. The holiday, which is on May 3 every year, was founded in 2006 to encourage adoption of specially-abled animals from shelters. Des Moines […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Photo Gallery: GDP Festival 2022
GDP festival returned to Des Moines this past weekend with a lineup of heavy-hitting locals. The single-day festival played out on stages across Des Moines at a handful of venues, acting as a sort of musical tour of the city’s art scene. The lineup boasted acts from across the state including Iowa City’s Blake Shaw […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Five questions with Amanda Montell, podcast host and author of ‘Cultish’
Author Amanda Montell has never been to the Midwest before. But she’s rectifying that with a visit to the Des Moines Public Library on April 21 to talk about her 2021 release, Cultish: The Language Of Fanatacism. The event begins at 7 p.m., and is a part of the 2022 Authors Visiting in Des Moines […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
‘The bestselling show happens to be female-produced’: Comedian Coral Thede brings a kick-ass time to Teehee’s every month
Coral Thede’s house is as bright and welcoming as she is. The walls of her office space are a galaxy of pink, gold and blue. They provide a gentle background for the instruments, costumes and books strewn about in the signature chaos of a creative person. Her kitchen, familiar to those who tune into her […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Book Review: ‘Monarch’ by Candice Wuehle
Jessica is an ex-child pageant queen with an awful memory. In fact, she can’t remember her childhood nearly at all outside of the pageants she participated in. The daughter of Dr. Clink, chair of the Boredom Studies department at a nameless Midwestern university, and Grethe Clink, a Norwegian beauty who hosts not-quite-Tupperware parties, Jessica has […]
