If you ask a random stranger on the street about psychedelic music, they might name Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, or mumble something about sitars, samplers and LSD. “Psychedelic” is often regarded as a trippy, hippie, countercultural vibe—a phase music went through in the ’60s before arena rock. But fans know psychedelic has its own place […]
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Posted inArts & Entertainment
A bloody Valentine weekend in the Quad Cities
Love isn’t patient and isn’t kind in Factory of Fear’s newest haunt. Moline-based Factory of Fear has been manufacturing Halloween scares for nearly 30 years, showcasing year-round attractions across more than 40 scare rooms. They’ve been sharpening their fangs in preparation for their 2023 Valentine’s weekend event, “Love is Blind: Vampires Suck.” This year marks […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Tiny pianos, big ideas: Witching Hour and FEaST bring playful creatives to Iowa City this fall
When Lucy Yao and Dorothy Chan began collaborating with each other and creating as Chromic Duo, both were already experienced educators and performers, looking for a way to foster community and lift up the Asian American diaspora in New York, which at the time was increasingly the target of racist violence. “I think eventually, when […]
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 inArts & Entertainment
The once and future king: Riverside Theatre’s Katy Hahn on embodying Henry V and gender-bending Shakespeare
In Riverside Theatre’s upcoming return to Lower City Park (June 17-July 3, free), I will revisit a role I played first in 2019: Henry Plantagenet, who will have graduated from Prince of Wales (Henry IV Part 1) to King of England (Henry V), a position he held from 1413-1422. Unlike last time, this summer I […]
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
‘Outside readings felt so right’: Poetry al Fresco returns to Iowa City lawns this spring
As anyone who has attempted it can tell you, organizing poets can be like trying to herd cats. They wander off; they follow their whims; they get distracted by the beauty of that one water droplet on the dented garbage can and the way it contrasts with the empty water bottle balanced aspirationally atop the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Grab the VCR — Everything is Terrible returns to Iowa City on March 12 with a family-friendly show
Remember the Before Times of 2018? It was a nearly mask-less era, when friends, acquaintances and strangers alike came together to watch performances from out-of-towners or locals. It was during this time that Everything is Terrible, the California-based art collective, brought last their traveling show, The Great Satan Tour, to Iowa City. It is an […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Consent is sexy, even when the sex is fake. Just ask Iowa intimacy director Carrie Pozdol
When Carrie Pozdol stands in front of the cast of Theatre Cedar Rapids’ winter musical, Kinky Boots, she wears a T-shirt that reads “make it less weird.” Because that is just what she is there to do. Though she is an accomplished actor and director in her own right, Pozdol is at this rehearsal in […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Nashville’s Eve Maret will bring her synthesizer heart to Witching Hour 2021
Eve Maret will be a featured performer at this year’s Witching Hour Festival, an exploration of the creative process and a celebration of new work produced by Little Village and the Englert Theatre. Full schedule and ticketing for this year’s Witching Hour will be available soon at witchinghourfestival.com. Nashville-based electronic musician Eve Maret has accomplished […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The once and future Olympic Theater
Once upon a time in Cedar Rapids, there was an Olympic Theatre. Located at 1124 3rd St, the records of the History Center show that it was built as a private home, but became the Olympic in 1912, remaining under that name until 1939. “The building showed silent flicks early on and then often showed […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City Bike Library focuses summer rides on racial justice, ‘the power of the bicycle’
In early July 2021, the Iowa City Bike Library is releasing the first in a series of four bike rides touring the Iowa City area intended to create awareness of calls to action in the community. The Raise It Up Rides are audio-guided routes visiting points of interest relating to racial inequities, identifying systems of […]
