Backbone Bluegrass Festival 1358 110th St, Strawberry PointThe Backbone Bluegrass Festival has been around since 1981 and brings a mix of bluegrass, country and gospel acts to the northeast corner of Iowa. Held in Strawberry Point on the last weekend of July, this summer’s fest is Friday to Sunday, July 26-28. Aspiring musicians can check […]
Sid Peterson
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Photo Gallery: Y La Bamba at Hancher
Y La Bamba, an electric indie folk pop band from Portland, performed for Club Hancher on Friday, March 22. Led by Luz Elena Mendoza, a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and first generation Mexican American, the group’s sound has been described as “psychedelia-dappled dream pop” that incorporates “south-of-the-border rhythms and intricate guitar work,” according to The Boston Globe. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Photos: Table to Table’s big potato rescue
Little Village captured photos at Table to Table’s potato packing party on Friday, March 15. The nonprofit received a donation of an entire semi truckload of russet potatoes (an estimated 58,000 pounds). Volunteers from United Way of Johnson & Washington Counties and 5224Good sorted and moved the spuds into more manageable boxes. Table to Table […]
Posted inEastern Iowa Community/News
Photo Gallery: Tara McGovern and the JoCo7 host a news conference
Transgender rights activists and their allies gathered at Wright House of Fashion in Iowa City on Thursday, March 14, for a news conference following the acquittal of Tara McGovern on charges stemming from an Oct. 16 protest at the Iowa Memorial Union. McGovern was one of seven protesters arrested by the University of Iowa Police […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Photo Gallery: Haley Heynderickx and The Westerlies
Folk singer/songwriter and guitarist Haley Heynderickx and brass ensemble The Westerlies performed at Hancher’s intimate Strauss Hall on Thursday, March 7. The University of Iowa is Heynderickx and The Westerlies was the first stop on their upcoming March tour. Both the 7 p.m., and 9 p.m., performance times were sold-out. Heynderickx’s introspective songs are infused […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘I love collaboration, I eat it up’: Lex Leto to help launch Englert’s new Track Zero series with Emily Wells on Wednesday
If multi-instrumentalist and composer Lex Letourneau (Leto) isn’t on Iowa City music fans’ radars just yet, they’re bound to make a few blips by the end of autumn. A Georgia native, Leto started grad school at the University of Iowa in 2019 to study with flute professor Nicole Esposito. Experimental, contemporary music, specifically “weird flute […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Ramen chefs across Iowa are making magic with noodles and broth
Over the last few years, Iowa has seen a range of ramen-focused shops open, from DSM Ramen Club, a monthly ramen pop-up in Des Moines; to Ramen Belly, an intimate shop in Iowa City’s Peninsula neighborhood; to Broth Lab 641, an Asian-influenced restaurant in Fairfield; plus various pop-ups throughout Eastern Iowa. Each of these newer […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
With La Wine Bar, ShanShan Kong has turned an unlucky block into a downtown IC oasis
ShanShan Kong has been making hard-to-come-by Korean and Chinese dishes available in downtown Iowa City for three years. She opened La Wine Bar & Restaurant in fall 2019 at 180 E Burlington — the short-lived home of a Zombie Burger and a BeerBurger franchise — and mustered through the pandemic. She now operates several other […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Meet Alex Smith, Iowa City’s newest chef, recipe developer and restaurateur
Meet Alex Smith, Iowa City’s newest foodie transplant from Bloomington, Indiana. She’s the driving force behind Plated Table, a business specializing in small event catering, weekly meal deliveries and dreamy, intimate dinner parties. Smith takes on a variety of events and clients, cooking and creating menus for weddings and celebratory brunches, hosting ticketed multi-course seasonal […]
Posted inEastern Iowa Arts & Entertainment
Hancher to debut Infinite Dream Festival this fall — two weeks of music, conversation and a spaced-out art installation
Infinite Dream Festival, a new two-week, multidisciplinary festival will debut in Iowa City this October, organizers announced Wednesday. The festival is a collaborative effort between the University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditorium and the Office of Performing Arts and Engagement. Infinite Dream will include orchestral, jazz and alternative music; a conversation with Iowa Writers’ Workshop alums […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Photo Gallery: Mission Creek Festival 2023
Mission Creek, the beloved three-day Iowa City festival focused on music and literature, returned on April 6-8 for its 18th year. Over 20 national and local music acts performed at various venues downtown across three days. The weekend saw performances by Cat Power, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Snail Mail, Kevin Morby, Greg Wheeler & The […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
Spoil your sweetheart (or sass your ex) with Valentine’s treats from around Iowa City and Cedar Rapids
No matter your relationship status or feelings surrounding Valentine’s Day, it’s a convenient excuse to indulge in a fancy meal, cocktail, dessert, or all three. Spend Tuesday, Feb. 14 in good spirits — and out of the waiting area — by supporting local IC/CR businesses, planning ahead and getting straight to the good stuff. Paint […]
