Returning to Des Moines for the first time in three years, Rainbow Kitten Surprise lit up Vibrant Music Hall on Friday, May 16 with a performance that radiated joy. The band’s chemistry was palpable. Each member moved with intensity, feeding off one another’s rhythm and the crowd’s roar. Their iconic logo pulsed in sync with […]
Arts & Entertainment
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Love is a thing with feathers in ‘La Cage Aux Folle,’ a triumph for Revival Theatre Company
It was a sweaty, 83-degree day when I went to Revival Theatre Company’s staging of La Cage Aux Folles. This was perfect weather to be spirited away to Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera and into a packed theater full of cheering, clapping and the best show I’ve seen this year. The musical is a reworking […]
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Review: About Time Theatre’s ‘Squeamish’ is so effective, I had to step out
There’s a phrase that you’ll have likely heard if you’ve taken any English or Communications courses: “The medium is the message.” The notion was expressed by Marshall McLuhan, a Canadian media commentator, attempting to express the importance of the packaging/setting/staging as a vehicle for any piece of (for lack of a better word) content. McLuhan […]
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Review: Mainframe’s earth-centric First Friday centered stark realities and real reptiles
From month to month, Mainframe Studios in Des Moines is always changing. With each First Friday event, the sprawling creative hub sheds one artistic skin to reveal another. April’s energetic and interactive showcase “Diverse by Design” gave way this May to something quieter, deeper and more reflective. On May 2, 2025, Mainframe welcomed visitors from […]
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Little Big Screen: ‘Vertigo’ and other streaming movies starring Kims who aren’t Reynolds
In search of a watchable companion to Little Village’s May cover story, which details the many bad kinds of history made by Gov. Kim Reynolds over the past eight years, I went to Reynolds’ IMDb page. Who knows, maybe she got a kickback producer credit on a Mel Gibson movie? Nope, nothing but news shows. […]
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This weekend in Iowa: a cyborg, a comic con, a comedy show and more
Established 2001 | Always free! This weekend you can catch the Terminator of contemporary rock music at Davenport’s Capitol Theater, or if folk-pop is more your speed, see Liliana Asta live at Dimensional Brewing Company in Dubuque. Tonight, Bob Dorr plays the blues at Octopus College Hill, and on Friday, Origami Summer comes to Gabe’s […]
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Review: A mile of lights turn the Figge into Iowa’s biggest public artwork — a sight to see from both sides of the Mississippi
On May 18, 2025, the city of Davenport, Iowa began to glow. Nestled amongst the downtown’s old buildings, the Figge Art Museum celebrated its 20th anniversary by unveiling Evanescent Field, an architectural art project by internationally acclaimed light artist Leo Villareal. Hundreds of onlookers gathered in the promenade to the already stunning museum designed by […]
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Fully Booked at ICPL: Books that answer ‘what can I do?’
As a librarian who works with teens, I know the job isn’t just about recommending books. It’s about making information digestible to help them formulate their own solutions. Young people are apex community members, and they have many questions right now. They’re passionate, dedicated and hungry for ways to be impactful while trying to understand […]
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Fully Booked at DMPL: Great manga romances
There are few things I dislike more than finishing a manga volume and reaching over to pick up the next installment, only to realize I forgot to check it out. You needn’t fear a dangling cliffhanger when it comes to my first recommendation. DMPL has added ComicsPlus to our list of databases, making manga and […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Brother Trucker — ‘Live at Octopus’
You can’t talk about the history of music in Iowa without mentioning the seminal (and sadly defunct) grassroots record label Trailer Records, started by Iowa City musician David Zollo. Recently on the Iowa Music Archive Series, Zollo shared the genesis of the label. “…[Greg Brown, Bo Ramsey, Radislav Lorkovic and I] wanted something more funky […]
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Review: Ever dreamed of hiding in a store overnight? Documentary ‘Secret Mall Apartment’ makes space for the anarchist in all of us
I can’t speak for everyone, but if teenage me found out that there was a secret Playstation clubhouse in my local mall, with an access panel hidden over a toilet, I would have gone through the looking glass in a heartbeat. This is a proposition that 2024 documentary Secret Mall Apartment presents, with Providence, Rhode […]
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This weekend in Iowa: rap, rock n’ roll, a Ren fest and more.
Established 2001 | Always free! There’s almost too much to do this weekend in our reader regions, but that just means you can have your pick to kick off the summer. JPEGMAFIA comes to Val Air Ballroom in Des Moines on Friday, and Shining Realm celebrates their album release at Gabe’s on Saturday. Rebel Queens […]
