Now that August is here, summer feels like it’s slipping away. Make the most of these sunny days by attending a festival or taking an adventure to a quirky Cedar Rapids shop. Craig Erickson and Planet Pluto at Jazz Under the Stars Noelridge Park — Aug. 14, 7 p.m. (Free) Jazz Under the Stars is […]
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Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: The Main Sequence – Self-Titled LP
Ambient music generally has no narrative, no frontman and sometimes no recognizable foreground. This is a genre where practitioners may outnumber the total audience, at least in the U.S. where Americans like celebrity, attitude and a human focal point in their music. Ambient music doesn’t just lack those things, it’s an active rejection of them…
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Talking Movies: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is one of this summer’s finest action flicks
When Marvel first announced that it was making Guardians of the Galaxy,’ my first thought was, “Who?” Then, upon learning that this was a superhero…
Posted inUncategorized
Crafty: Spice up your invites with homemade envelopes
Photos by Frankie Schneckloth The summer party prep series concludes with instructions for making your very own lined envelopes. Even if you never plan to host a dinner party, you’ve probably been invited to someone’s barbecue or pool party. I won’t go all Emily Post on you, but handwritten thank-you’s are always correct and appreciated. […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Comedian Jimmy Pardo, Conan’s Crowd Pleaser, returns to his Roots with Penguin’s Performance
Jimmy Pardo has made a name for himself through his quick-witted, energetic, free-associative style of “crowd work” comedy, a genre of stand-up that…
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Prairie Pop
Interview: Blondie’s Gary Lachman on his early days in NYC and lifelong fascination with the occult
For a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Gary Lachman has had an unusual career trajectory. In the mid-1970s he joined Blondie as their boy wonder…
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Indie hip hop straight out of Nashville: Spoken Nerd to play this Sunday at Gabe’s
This Sunday at Gabe’s, indie hip-hop artist Spoken Nerd will take the stage as part of his ongoing “Skele-tour” along with Iowa City’s Von Neumann Architecture…
Posted inCommunity/News
Reports of Domestic violence on the rise in Iowa City
It can happen with any couple, in any relationship, to persons of any gender. And lately it’s been happening in overwhelming numbers to those in Iowa City. From Jan. 1 to July 14 of this year, there were 301 domestic violence-related calls and 133 associated arrests reported by the Iowa City Police Department (ICPD). To […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Savage Love: Married ladies
I am a 38-year-old married woman. My husband of 18 years is 22 years my senior. I credit my husband for giving me a good life and helping me pursue goals. But my husband is a type A professional, and that has played out in the bedroom. He has always been disinterested in my pleasure. […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Catch up with Iowa City songstress Jennifer Danielson
Iowa City’s Jennifer Danielson will be playing Uptown Bill’s Coffee House this Saturday at 7 p.m. as part of the venue’s Saturday Night Music Night series. Danielson’s music is very much in the vein of local legends Bo Ramsey and Greg Brown (who, incidentally, appears as a backing vocalist on several of Danielson’s recordings). Her songs are thoughtful and lived-in, built around her acoustic guitar and strong, angelic voice,..
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Area filmmaker Jesse Kreitzer to hold Des Moines screening
University of Iowa MFA candidate Jesse Kreitzer will be stopping by the Des Moines Social Club on Friday, Aug. 22 in support of his upcoming thesis film, Black Canaries — a stirring tale based on early 20th century coal miners.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Colorblind Comics: Chronicling the adventure of Deshi and his search for a corpse bride
Danica Novgorodoff’s latest graphic novel, The Undertaking of Lily Chen, takes as its jumping-off point an old Chinese practice known as “ghost marriage.” In…
