Like a tempting glass of champagne in the middle of Dry January, Cedar Rapids Opera’s production of Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus was a perfectly frothy, frivolous escape from the dark and dreary winter.
Music
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Bards bask in the joys, discuss the challenges of their craft at the first Iowa City Songwriters Festival
On Friday at The Den, legendary star and Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy spoke with Hancher’s Executive Director Andre Perry about the mourning process he goes through after an album does not perform as expected. “After a while, you just have to let go,” Tweedy said.
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‘What better place than Iowa City’ for a songwriting festival? Three days of shows, talks begin Thursday
In it’s first edition, the Festival is meant to “elevate the timeless craft of songwriting by blending world-class live performances with educational opportunities and community engagement,” as announced by the organizing team at the Englert Theatre.
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Review: More than 80 musicians brought their own controlled chaos to the first Burlington Jazz Festival
Like the Mississippi River, jazz flows with strength and grace, carrying stories from one generation to the next. On July 25 and 26, the inaugural Burlington Jazz Festival channeled that spirit along the river’s edge. The free two-day event turned the historic downtown into a celebration of sound. With five venues, 12 bands and more […]
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Review: From rapt silence to cathartic screams, Mission Creek’s Day 2 performers crowd-surfed the line between rage and joy
Night two of Mission Creek, in contrast with the first night’s containment at Hancher, encompassed many venues around the downtown area, a return to previous years’ mad dash of “Creekers” around Iowa City looking for the show that will change their lives, whether that be a new-to-you music act or a local literary hero at the […]
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80/35 officially canceled after nearly 20 years in Des Moines
In October, the future of 80/35, one of Iowa’s biggest annual musical festivals, was “not currently determined,” but even at that time it seemed unlikely the festival would return. That’s because the statement about 80/35’s future was part of the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s (DMMC) announcement that it was shutting down, and the coalition […]
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Interview: Lady Igraine’s interpretation of what the fuck just happened
Working at our arts & culture desk, there are lots of unsolicited emails from new music artists about their latest project. Within the messages there is a best-case, white-whale scenario: hit play, immediately realize this is something different. Which is exactly what happened…
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Teller Bank$ — ‘The Pride & Glory’
Denver-born and Des Moines-based emcee Teller Bank$ brandishes a bit of verbal gunplay at the tail end of The Pride & Glory, the latest collaborative album with producer Ed Glorious, that reminded me of the movie John Wick.
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Album Review: Big Begonias — ‘In Bloom’
Gabrielle Kouri’s tune-wrangling—her quirky lyrics and distinctive compositions—have long been long admired in Eastern Iowa folk music circles.
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‘I don’t want my kid to grow up in a culture that admires and rewards white supremacy’: Adeem the Artist set to play Iowa City on Friday
Adeem the Artist has declared this to be their “weird summer of chaos.” During a phone interview with Little Village, Adeem the Artist spoke quickly and eloquently, a gentle type of proselytizing that led them at one point to say, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to get to sing my songs and tell my story […]
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The Gas Lamp goes out after 12 years serving the Des Moines music scene
On the penultimate night of the Gas Lamp’s existence, the music venue filled with couples dancing hand in hand, smiles stretched from ear to ear, the energy of the music from Bob Pace & the Dangerous Band practically palpable. Since 2011, the Gas Lamp has given the community a space to unwind after the work […]
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House of Large Sizes returns to the stage in Cedar Falls with swagger for first shows in 10 years
It takes serious swagger to pull off the kind of rock and roll House of Large Sizes became known for over 35 years ago. The intricate, machine-gun timing of the songs, the energetic delivery and the ear-splitting volume all rely on a certain confidence and attitude to pull off convincingly. At a pair of shows […]
