The decision to use a space as an incubator for the arts and as a cultural gathering place for a community is often difficult, especially in a trendy neighborhood. Despite the fact that it is exactly these kinds of spaces that make neighborhoods attractive to restaurants, shops and other businesses, they frequently deal with razor-thin […]
CSPS
‘Last of the Good Straight Girls’ tour stops at CSPS

Susan Werner CSPS — Saturday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. Longtime fans of Susan Werner rejoice! The Iowa-native folk musician stops through CSPS in Cedar Rapids this Saturday, Nov. 14 while on a 20th anniversary tour for her album, Last of the Good Straight Girls. This album — produced by long-time Lou Reed collaborator Fernando […]
African folk and rap act Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate play CSPS Hall
#InTheseBoxes at CSPS creates a community of memories

Performing on International World AIDS Day, Dudley Saunders orchestrated an intermedia experience Monday evening at CSPS that brought many to tears. It would take a lifetime, or several, to encapsulate his show, “In These Boxes,” because the work brings together the lives of so many. Most of “In These Boxes” directly addresses the scourge of […]
CSPS exhibit showcases Iowa artist Angela Waseskuk

CSPS Legion Arts is hosting Cedar Falls artist Angela Waseskuk’s solo exhibition ‘A Day Makes …’, which will run through Sept. 27. Waseskuk received her MFA in sculpture and dimensional studies from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Her work explores how we approach the repetitive tasks of everyday life. In this installation domesticity plays a large role. […]
The Holmes Brothers: Real-Deal roots music heads to CSPS

Authentic American roots music heads to CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids this Friday by way of The Holmes Brothers. This award-winning three-piece band, which includes guitarist/pianist Wendell Holmes, bassist Sherman Holmes and drummer Popsy Dixon, delivers a potent mix of soul, funk, R&B, country and old time rock and roll, all well-seasoned with real-deal blues and gospel. […]
Canadian folkies The Bros. Landreth and Jordan Klassen play this Thursday at CSPS
Brooklyn’s Pearl and the Beard set for Cedar Rapids

I don’t often write about folk bands, but Brooklyn-based Pearl and the Beard stand out from the rest of the folk-pop fold in a couple of different ways. The first is that they are not relentlessly cheery or obsessed with being cute and old-timey. While they do have their share of cute acoustic songs, just as many of their songs are dark and unsettling. The trio of Jocelyn Mackenzie, Emily Hope Price and Jeremy Styles use guitar, drums, keyboards and percussion to create a bit of modern menace in the otherwise bubbly world of folk-pop. […]