Pitched with the concept “if A24 made horror in the days of shot-on-video,” indie press Filthy Loot’s horror collection Soft Ceremonies absolutely hits its marks. For the uninitiated, A24 is an indie film production company whose horror movies are known for arthouse elements and getting under people’s skin. “Shot-on-video” is exactly what it sounds like: […]
Arts & Entertainment
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This weekend in Iowa: Bluegrass Festivals, un ¡Fiesta! in Waterloo and more
Established 2001 | Always free! This coming weekend is the last of the Cancer Zodiac season, which sees the crabs scurrying off to make way for the best star sign. (A Leo may or may not be writing today’s Weekender.) Whatever your astrological sign, there are lots of great events to check out in our […]
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Film review: Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’ depicts a small town spiraling in May 2020. It’s as bleak and familiar as you’d think.
“Don’t make me think. Post it.” Sevilla County Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) blurts out this line during his haphazard campaign against mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) in Ari Aster’s latest film Eddington. Set in May 2020, pandemic panic slowly infects the titular New Mexican town before any nasal swabs come into play. Though our […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Sun Centauri — ‘Flux4D’
When Alyx Rush declares, “I need my space,” in the first atmospheric gasps of Flux4D, it would be easy to assume the aforementioned space only speaks to normal human conflict, bound entirely to Earth. Certainly, in a literal sense, each song is about the push and pull dilemma of whether to be entangled in the […]
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Review: A brooding demon, total Bedlam and the healthiest opera romance of all time from Des Moines Metro Opera
Des Moines Metro Opera offered an eclectic 53rd season, including beloved classics and lesser known gems. During this month’s opening holiday weekend, audience members were treated to vocal fireworks onstage with three impressive operatic productions.
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Queer history, pop culture and computers helped Iowa artist Ben Millett cover a gallery in quilts
Ben Millett’s quilts are tactile records, coded with color, memory and meaning. They look soft because they are, but their softness doesn’t dull their message. Instead, it amplifies it. On July 26, 2025, the Des Moines Art Center will open its first-ever quilt-based solo exhibition, “Iowa Artists 2025: Ben Millett,” a showcase of about 20 […]
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This weekend in Iowa: Eljuri with Reggae Rapids at CSPS, Lakeview at Wooly’s and more
Established 2001 | Always free! Once again there are plenty of options for music fans of all types across our reader regions this weekend. The Joe Stamm Band stops by Wildwood in Iowa City to celebrate their latest album release. Ezra Furman brings her “orchestral emo” to Lefty’s in Des Moines. If you’re Dubuque and […]
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Tattooed baddies, British daddies and all the films you need to see in local theaters this month
Hey folks, welcome back to Little Big Screen: On the Big, Big Screen, where film columnist Benjamin McElroy recommends five screenings happening at Iowa’s independent movie theaters. And keep scrolling for the full list of this month’s big, big screenings.
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Plain Spoken: How the Planned Parenthood Book Sale made me the man I am today
My mother and I love each other dearly and we are both capable Christmas gift-givers. Ceramic chicken knick-knacks or matching salt and pepper shakers never fail to bring a gleam to Mom’s keen antiquer’s eye, brightening the tree’s particolored twinkles already refracted in her gaze.
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Album Review: Pit Lord — ‘Massive Grilling Capacity’
There is a persistent conflict in heavy metal: that of silliness versus profound seriousness. Extreme metal sees the most self-serious, philosophical bands win critical favor and masked bands are, again, taking the top of the charts. The most complex and challenging musicians in the metal sphere are still prone to wearing corpse paint, writing songs […]
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Lizzie No knows folk, drawing inspiration from ‘the Lilith Fair girls’ and social justice movements
Lizzie No’s discography is an eclectic mix of everything from country ballads to folksy foot-tappers to alt-rock imbued with righteous anger — the kind of music that perfectly soundtracks a summer drive down a country highway. The expressive voice of No (the stage name of the band’s lead singer, Lizzie Quinlan, but also the band […]
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This weekend in Iowa: Jazz, K-pop and Bluegrass, oh my!
Established 2001 | Always free! Drive right on by that roadside fireworks stand and take in some live music this weekend instead — your ears and eyebrows will thank you. The Iowa City Jazz Festival will host headliner Stefon Harris (called “one of the most important artists in jazz” by the Los Angeles Times) and his band Blackout. K-pop […]
