Quickly becoming my favorite way to spend my Friday evenings, Party on the Patio is simple: an outdoor party with music, food and drinking. This week’s tunes brought to you by the rockin’ Wolf Mixer. Food catered by Mami’s Deli.
Things to do in Iowa City
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The top six They Might Be Giants songs for rocking (not learning)
With a career spanning three decades and 16 studio albums, They Might Be Giants’ (TMBG) songs have crept into countless television shows including…
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Iowa City Weekender: May 23-26
School’s over, and what that mainly means to me is less country rap on my block and more parking for my gigantic vehicle. What it might mean to you is that you’ve got a bunch of time on your hands and nothing to do. Well, here it is: some stuff to do this Memorial Day […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
North Liberty’s 7th annual Blues & BBQ this Saturday
North Liberty’s 7th annual Blues & BBQ festival takes place this Saturday at Liberty Centre. The festival starts at noon with a performance by the North Central Junior High Jazz Band, and live shows are set to continue throughout the day. Well-known Iowa blues man Kevin “BF” Burt & Big Medicine, The Funkdaddies, Music4Life, The […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Art City: The story behind Jeff McNutt
If you really think about it, it takes generations of strong people to recognize, cultivate and promote that thing we call art. What have been cave drawings, daring derivatives, assorted doodles, Dadaist deconstructions and everything thereafter have been pushed forward by the powerful passions of true art bosses answering the calls of the mysterious heart’s […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Tube: Neverending stories
For the last few years, Community has been one of my favorite shows on television. Cancellation threats and time slot changes made me anxious and inspired tweets with the hashtag #SixSeasonsAndAMovie (along with tons of other fans) to show support for the awesomely quirky show. However, something changed this season: Community’s creative force and showrunner, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
An interview with Joey Burns of Calexico
Little Village caught up with frontman Joey Burns as he was waiting for a table at the restaurant Cochon in New Orleans during a visit for a performance at Jazz Fest. Check out the full interview after the jump…
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Prairie Pop
Prairie Pop: An interview with Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo’s brand of drone-rock is certainly hypnotic—narcotizing even—but their live shows are never boring. That has much to do with this threesome’s restless desire to switch up their act with each tour. I’ve seen them stage a variety show with comedians, perform straight-up rock shows in clubs, use a spinning wheel that lets […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The return of Tilly and the Wall
When Tilly and the Wall arrived on the national stage, the five-piece had already been plugging away quietly in Omaha for some time. Formed in 2001–due in part to the demise of several other Omaha-based bands around the same time, including Conor Oberst’s Park Ave.–their first show took place at an open mic event, and their first album was recorded in Oberst’s garage. That’s pretty indie rock, right?
Posted inFood & Drink
The Hops: Gears and beers
For Ray Bennett, an avid bicyclist and 27-year RAGBRAI veteran, it is always nice to have a destination at the end of a long, hot bike ride with friends—especially a destination with cold beer. Bennett, who lives in North Liberty, notes that “if you ride 15 or 20 miles, you might want to stop and […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Hot Tin Roof
Hot Tin Roof: Sorrow House
My first experience with Mercy was in the single stall bathroom in the emergency room lobby. I was 19, high—lost on my way to or from a house party. The lobby air was disorienting; it smelled like lemon, rubber, grief and chicken noodle soup. I remember an overall sense of antiseptic.
Posted inFood & Drink
Chicken Little Reviews: El Banditos
El Banditos is a Northside restaurant that is capturing authentic fiesta flavor in their inventive, fresh cuisine. Holding its own in a growing pool of quality Mexican joints (La Michoacana on Hwy 1, along with new-ish arrivals to downtown Cactus and Mami’s Authentic), El Banditos is affordable, laid back and fun.
