Byron’s Bar is one of those places where the tale of the tape doesn’t measure up: a Grateful Dead haunt in a tiny rural town in western Iowa. I had to check it out, especially now that its future is in doubt. More on that later. The dive sits on a mostly abandoned, rundown Main […]
live music
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘If I don’t stick up for the drag queens, who’s gonna stick up for me?’: a Q&A with James McMurtry ahead of his sold-out Iowa City show
On tour promoting his latest album, The Horses and the Hounds, James McMurtry made headlines for wearing a dress. During his encore at a Nashville show in May, the 61-year-old Americana singer-songwriter donned a red dress while singing his 2002 track, “Red Dress.” He chose the outfit in protest of Tennessee’s recent anti-drag legislation, and […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
St. Louis’ Foxing heads to Iowa City
Foxing Gabe’s — Saturday, Mar. 5 at 6:30 p.m. “Foxing is a band,” the bio on the St. Louis-based group’s Bandcamp page asserts. “Someday Foxing won’t be a band.” This graceful impermanence permeates the band’s ethos — from their name (taken from a term for the way that brown spots appear on, and eventually obfuscate, […]
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‘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 […]
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Lineup: Landfall Festival of World Music returns to Cedar Rapids, adds a few Des Moines shows
Musicians from around the world will descend upon Iowa for the eighth annual Landfall Festival of World Music Sept. 15 – 19 at various venues in Cedar Rapids and even a few in Des Moines (a new expansion for the festival). This year’s event will feature music from Poland, Republic of Georgia, Morocco, Ethiopia, Israel, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Prairie Pop
Interview: El-P talks sampling and making peace with his musical life of crime
“I have nothing planned for the future. Right now I’m just letting the universe decide,” Run the Jewels’ MC and producer El-P told me last …
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Bobby’s Live on 965 hosting local, national musicians
Opened earlier this year, Bobby’s Live on 965 joins area venues in hosting live music performances by both national and local acts, including Coralville-based blues musician Kevin F. Burt who plays tonight at 7 p.m…
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Mumford and Sons bring music festival to Waverly, IA
Gentlemen of the Road Music Festival Wartburg College, Waverley, Iowa — Friday, June 19 through Saturday, June 20 With the help of three-time Grammy award winners Mumford and Sons, the small town of Waverly, Iowa, is expected to triple in size this weekend: Saturday, June 20, the five piece, folk-rock band will be headlining the […]
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The Mix: Catching up with King Khan, performing tonight at Gabe’s
The psychedelic soul revue, King Khan and the Shrines will be making a stop at Gabe’s this evening. I caught up with Khan on the phone while he and the Shrines …
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Rory Block to visit CSPS Hall Saturday
Rory Block did not start out playing the blues. Growing up in New York City’s Greenwich Village during the rise of folk in the 1960s, Block started out by playing classical guitar. Her path changed when, at age 14, she met guitarist Stefan Grossman who introduced her to Mississippi Delta blues. Block quickly grew fond of the style and focused her life on the music. She left home to find the major players of the style — legends like Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis and Son House — and further hone her craft.
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Interview: Christopher the Conquered talks current projects and upcoming Eastern Iowa shows
Central Iowa staple Chris Ford (a.k.a. Christopher the Conquered) has a couple of shows scheduled for Eastern Iowa in the next week, one this Sunday at The Mill…
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Maximum Ames Music Fest announces lineup details
The Maximum Ames Music Festival (MAMF) is returning this fall for its third year, and festival organizers have just announced the first lineup details. Ames isn’t exactly local, but just take a look at that lineup! MAMF is not only bringing in a number of excellent national talents like Murder by Death, Meat Puppets and […]
