Little Village issue 321 - September 2023

FALL ARTS

Blake Shaw

FEaST

B. Well

Refocus Film Festival

Lex Leto

Jordan Hamilton

Ahzia Hester

PREVIEW

Iowa City Book Festival & much more!

2023 2024 HANCHER AUDITORIUM UPCOMING SHOWS

HERBIE HANCOCK

Saturday, September 9 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

RHIANNON GIDDENS

SPECIAL GUEST: ADIA VICTORIA

Wednesday, September 13 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

ATTACCA QUARTET AND CAROLINE SHAW

Sunday, September 17 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

AYODELE CASEL, ROOTED

Friday, September 22 / 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 23 / 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

ALAN PAGE

THE FALL 2023 LEVITT LECTURE

Tuesday, September 26 / 7:30 p.m.

Hancher Auditorium / Hadley

SERPENTWITHFEET, HEART OF BRICK

Thursday, October 5 / 7:30 p.m.

The Englert Theatre

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Order online hancher.uiowa.edu

Call (319) 335-1160 or 800-HANCHER

Accessibility Services (319) 335-1160

$ 10 STUDENT & YOUTH TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR MOST SHOWS

 DISCOVER MORE AT HANCHER.UIOWA.EDU

serpentwithfeet’s Heart of Brick photographed by Justin French

LittleVillageMag.com/

INDEPENDENT IOWA NEWS, CULTURE & EVENTS

Since 2001 LittleVillageMag.com

29 Jobs & Shaw

This Iowa jazz professor and performer has mastered the art of controlled chaos.

38 White Noise

A story of hip hop, local government and a near-forgotten Des Moines music festival.

66 refocused

Werner Herzog in Iowa City, the Fleur Cinema reopens and other can’t-miss film events.

9 Top Stories

10 Ad Index

13 Letters

17 Fully Booked

18 Interactions

22 Essay: John Prine

28 FALL ArtS prEVIEW

29 Events Calendar

72 Bread & Butter

75 Dear Kiki

77 Astrology

79 Album Reviews

83 Book Reviews

87 Crossword

Little Village (ISSN 2328-3351) is an independent, community-supported news and culture publication based in Iowa City, published monthly by Little Village, LLC, 623 S Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Through journalism, essays and events, we work to improve our community according to core values: environmental sustainability, affordability and access, economic and labor justice, racial justice, gender equity, quality healthcare, quality education and critical culture. Letters to the editor(s) are always welcome. We reserve the right to fact check and edit for length and clarity. Please send letters, comments or corrections to editor@littlevillagemag.com. Subscriptions: lv@littlevillagemag.com. The US annual subscription price is $120. All rights reserved, reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. If you would like to reprint or collaborate on new content, reach us at lv@littlevillagemag.com. To browse back issues, visit us online at issuu.com/littlevillage.

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Music Festival, 2021. Sid Peterson / Little Village

INDEPENDENT NEWS, CULTURE & EVENTS

Since 2001 LittleVillageMag.com

EDITORIAL

Publisher

Genevieve Trainor genevieve@littlevillagemag.com

Editor-in-Chief

Emma McClatchey emma@littlevillagemag.com

Arts and Culture Editor

Isaac Hamlet isaac@littlevillagemag.com

News Director Paul Brennan paul@littlevillagemag.com

Art Director Jordan Sellergren jordan@littlevillagemag.com

Photographer, Designer Sid Peterson sid@littlevillagemag.com

Multimedia Journalist

Courtney Guein courtney@littlevillagemag.com

Calendar/Event Listings calendar@littlevillagemag.com

Corrections editor@littlevillagemag.com

September Contributors

Adam Sparks, Ali Peters, Casey Maynard, Elaine Irvine, Elisabeth Oster, Glenn Houlihan, Jay Goodvin, K. Twaddle, Kate Goodvin, Kembrew McLeod, Kent Williams, Kristen Holder, Lauren Haldeman, Malcolm MacDougall, Natalie Nye, Rhys Davis, Rob Cline, Rob Silverman Ascher, Sam Locke Ward, Sarah Elgatian, Steven A. Arts, Tom Tomorrow

PRODUCTION

Digital Director Drew Bulman drewb@littlevillagemag.com

Production Manager

Jordan Sellergren jordan@littlevillagemag.com

SALES & ADMINISTRATION

President, Little Village, LLC Matthew Steele matt@littlevillagemag.com

Advertising

Genevieve Trainor, Joseph Servey, Matthew Steele ads@littlevillagemag.com

Creative Services

Website design, E-commerce, Publication design creative@littlevillagemag.com

CIRCULATION

Distribution Manager Joseph Servey joseph@littlevillagemag.com

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Sam Standish, Justin Comer, Andersen Coates, Joe Olson, Patrick MacCready, Courtney Guein, Joseph Servey, Heber Martinez distro@littlevillagemag.com

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Little Village HQ, LV Creative Services 623 S Dubuque St Iowa City, IA 52240 319-855-1474

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meet this month’s contributors:

Adam Sparks is an Iowa City writer and self-described “movie guy.”

Casey Maynard, an ICPL librarian, selects books for Iowa City’s youngest readers.

Elaine Irvine is a University of Iowa grad in Des Moines.

Elisabeth Oster is the Englert Theatre’s marketing manager and a freelance writer and designer.

Glenn Houlihan is a Ph.D. student at the UI and Chief Campus Steward of UE Local 896/COGS.

Jay Goodvin is an Iowa City townie and keeper of local culture.

Kembrew McLeod is the chair of Communications Studies at UI.

Send

Issue 321 , Volume 2

September 2023

ON THE COVER: Blake Shaw by Sid Peterson

Whoever said there’s nothing to do in Iowa has never read Little Village. Browse hundreds of upcoming events and dozens of interviews with artists in this 2023 guide to fall goings-on in Central and Eastern Iowa—our jazziest issue yet. Plus: Beer!

K. Twaddle is an Iowa transplant and a lifelong book enthusiast.

Kent Williams lives, works, writes and complains in Iowa City.

Kristen Holder is a creative writer based in Cedar Rapids.

Natalie Nye is currently in her final year studying Journalism/ Mass Communication at UI.

Rob Cline is a writer and critic in Iowa City.

Rob Silverman Ascher is an Iowa City-based writer and dramaturg.

Rhys Davis is a Cedar Rapids native now living in Des Moines.

Sarah Elgatian is a writer, activist and educator.

Steven A. Arts is a writer and photographer living in Cedar Rapids.

Culture writers, food reviewers and columnists, email: editor@littlevillagemag.com

Illustrators, photographers and comic artists, email: jordan@littlevillagemag.com

From the Newsletter

Four of the top stories featured last month in the LV Daily, Little Village’s weekday afternoon email written by Paul Brennan. Subscribe at littlevillagemag.com/support

‘they’re devastated. I’m shocked’: Iowa river power restaurant is closing (Aug. 4) by Emma mcClatchey Coralville’s oldest restaurant is closing its doors in November. And while it’s possible IRP may reopen after the owner of its building finishes a major renovation project, the restaurant’s menu, current owners—who say their retirement’s coming a couple years earlier than planned—and loyal staff will never be the same.

University of Iowa’s plan to purchase mercy Iowa City gets stamp of approval from the board of regents (Aug. 9) by paul brennan

The plan calls for UI to pay $20 million for “substantially all” of Mercy’s assets, including the 234-bed Iowa City hospital and centers in Kalona, Tipton, West Liberty and Williamsburg. The regents approved the purchase agreement “without asking questions about the deal’s finances, including how the price was determined,” the Gazette reported.

Jury

finds man who drove pick-up

through a crowd of protesters in Cedar rapids not guilty (Aug. 11)

by Lyz Lenz

On Thursday, a Linn County jury found David Alan Huston not guilty on two misdemeanor charges stemming from a June 24, 2022 incident in which he drove his pick-up truck through a crowd of pro-abortion protesters in Cedar Rapids. The protest was in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier that day overturning Roe v. Wade

Hed Waterloo City Council repeals ban on conversion therapy passed in may, leaving LGbtQ locals ‘dumbfounded’ (Aug. 22) by paul brennan

Councilmembers looking to repeal the ordinance, approved 6-1 in May, did not explain why—though some made passing references to the threat of a lawsuit being filed against the city over the ban. The public comment period before the vote included impassioned pleas from locals, including a conversion therapy survivor, to keep the ban.

OUTDOORS! LEADING YOU

Adamantine Spine Moving (75)

Arnott & Kirk (62)

Baker Paper & Supply (80)

Broadlawns Medical Center (20)

Catch Des Moines (73)

Cedar Rapids Community Concert Association (18)

City of Iowa City (71, 74)

CommUnity (61)

Coralville Center for the Arts (67)

Coralville Public Library (84)

Crooked Path Theatre (59)

Des Moines Art Center (20)

Des Moines Metro Opera (45)

Des Moines Performing Arts (82)

Des Moines Playhouse (40)

Des Moines Symphony (78)

FilmScene (19)

Firmstone Real Estate (75)

Full Court Press (9, 69)

Goodfellow Printing, Inc. (39)

Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden (9)

Grinnell College Museum of Art (65)

Hancher Auditorium (2-3, 24-25)

Historic Valley Junction (53)

Honeybee (23)

House of Glass (45)

THANK YOU TO THIS ISSUE’S ADVERTISING PARTNERS

Independent Cedar Rapids (80)

- NewBoCo

- Goldfinch Cyclery

- Next Page Books

- Cobble Hill

- The Daisy

Independent Downtown Iowa City (14-15)

- The Green House

- Merge

- Fix!

- Critical Hit Games

- Released Body Modification

- Basic Goods

- Beadology

- Record Collector

- Yotopia

- Reviva

- Hot Spot Tattoo and Piercing

- Praririe Lights Bookstore & Cafe

Independent Highland Park/Oak Park Neighborhood (72-73)

- Des Moines Mercantile

- Bill’s Window and Screen Repair

- The Collective

- The Slow Down Independent Northside Marketplace (36-37)

- John’s

- Oasis Falafel

- Marco’s Island

- Russ’ Northside Service

- Pagliai’s Pizza

- R.S.V.P.

- George’s

- Artifacts

- Press Coffee

- Dodge St. Tire

Indian Creek Nature Center (43)

Iowa City Book Festival (26)

Iowa City Community Theatre (74)

Iowa City Public Library (71)

Iowa Department of Public Health (11, 22, 41, 47)

KRUI 89.7 FM (23)

Kim Schillig, REALTOR (39)

La Mere Family Travel (48)

Mailboxes of Iowa City (75)

Martin Construction (76)

Micky’s Irish Pub (76)

Musician’s Pro Shop (39)

Nearwood Winery (65)

New Pioneer Food Co-op (86)

Nodo (76)

Northside Oktoberfest (55)

Obermann Center (31)

Optimae Home Health Services (68)

Orchestrate Hospitality (11)

Phoebe Martin (6)

Polk County Conservation (9)

Primary Health Care (87)

Public Space One (77)

Raygun (12)

ReFocus Film Festival (57)

Resilient Sustainable Futures Iowa City (59)

Riverside Theatre (35)

Science Center of Iowa

Shakespeare’s Pub & Grill (35)

Shakespeare’s Pub & Grill (35)

Sierra Club (4)

Table to Table (61)

Taxes Plus (16)

The Club Car (35)

The Englert Theatre (51)

The James Theater (33)

The Wedge Pizzeria (43)

University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art (21)

Varsity Cinema (53)

Vino Vérité (63)

West Music (33)

White Rabbit (80)

Wig & Pen (43)

Willow & Stock (78)

xBk (23)

Who reads Little Village?

Syphilis is a sexually transmissible infection (STI) that may have no symptoms. It’s more common and easier to get than you might think. If left untreated, syphilis can cause serious, long-term health problems, including permanent damage to the eyes, brain, heart, and nervous system. Thankfully, it’s curable with the right antibiotics! If you’re sexually active, make sure that getting tested for syphilis is part of your regular health routine.

Letters & Interactions

LV encourages community members, including candidates for office, to submit letters to Editor@LittleVillageMag.com. To be considered for print publication, letters should be under 500 words. Preference is given to letters that have not been published elsewhere.

IOWA’S brAIN DrAIN CONtINUED LASt mONtH with the exit of KCCI-TV chief meteorologist Chris Gloninger. Gloninger and his wife decided there wasn’t enough “Iowa nice” left after he received a death threat for discussing climate change when he delivered his evening weather forecast, beamed into living rooms across central Iowa.

Silly Gloninger did not appreciate how many Iowans have been radicalized by Iowa GOP leaders to believe climate change is a hoax. In fact, it’s actually the first big lie Republicans hatched decades ago: that it’s a liberal conspiracy to raise taxes and prevent us from buying the lightbulbs we want. Now it’s woke.

Republicans seem cool with derechos, floods, deadly heat waves and hazardous

air pollution from uncontrolled forest fires. What else can explain their unanimous opposition to historic investments by President Biden and congressional Democrats in transforming our energy economy while helping families and businesses save money by using energy more efficiently?

But there’s more! Over the past seven years Reynolds and her kowtowed, culture-warring GOP legislature have done more than nothing. They have actually approved a slew of bills that ensure Iowa storms will be more extreme and imperil the lives of our 3.1 million residents.

On the current path, Iowa farmers will face massive crop-killing droughts and heat waves that will suffocate hogs in CAFOs; communities will ration water and our

HAVE AN OPINION?

Better

electric grid will shutter as our utility bills skyrocket.

The frenzied urgency to convene the recent special legislative session to placate a fringe religious group while forcing government-mandated parenthood should be a jolting slap in the face to Iowans about how extreme and out of whack Reynolds and her autocratic GOP priorities have become.

Iowa’s hot-as-hell future is knocking on the door. The fleeing chief meteorologist Gloninger deserves our thanks for trying to prepare us for it. Iowans can no longer afford the menacing Reynolds and GOP death wish for all of us living, breathing Iowans. They continue to recklessly lie to us about climate change and demonstrate zero interest in actually working in earnest to solve this problem. That makes them dangerous and a perilous threat to our lives, economy and way of life.

—Joe Bolkcom, Iowa state senator, District 34

ON AUG. 24, the Iowa City Animal Center took in more than 130 dogs seized from an illegal puppy mill in Johnson County. Most were large breeds, including poodle mixes and Bernese mountain dogs, that had never seen the outside of a cage, were not receiving proper vet care or grooming, and were overbred. Some of the oldest and youngest dogs—several litters of puppies are among the group—were vulnerable to deadly disease outbreaks in the breeding facility.

Shelter staff have been working around the clock to care for the dogs, which are being kept in auxiliary kennels set up at the main center, as well as a second warehouse location. The public has responded to the call for donations, flooding the shelter with supplies; within a couple days, stacks of donated dog food and paper towels nearly reached the ceiling.

Their greatest need going forward is cash—monetary donations can cover essential costs like medicine, x-rays, transportation and rent for the warehouse space. Donations can be made at facf.networkforgood.com, as well as through Venmo (@ facfic) and Paypal (info@facf.org).

Eager to adopt one of the rescued dogs? Patience is key. Spaying and neutering a population of this size alone will take time, but there are also many physical and psychological challenges these dogs must overcome before they can feel safe and happy in a home. Stand by until the shelter announces they’re starting to schedule visits and accept applications. Follow ICAnimalCenter on Facebook or Instagram.

––Emma McClatchey, Little Village editor-in-chief

Magic the Gathering. Video Games. Warhammer. Warmachine. RPGs. Board Games. X-Wing. Dice. LotR. HeroClix. Miniatures. GoT. Blood Bowl. L5R. Pokemon. Yu-Gi-Oh. Kidrobot Vinyl. Retro toys. Pop vinyl & plushies. Gaming & collectible supplies.

Huge Magic singles inventory plus we buy/trade MtG cards. Weekly drafts, FNM, league play, and frequent tourneys.

Now buying/selling/trading video games & toys! Bring in your Nintendo Gameboy, NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Sega, WiiU, Xbox 360, PS1-2-3, & other used games, consoles, action figures, and toys for cash or trade credit!

Fun atmosphere and great customer service!

115 S. Linn Street (by the Public Library), Iowa City Tel: 319-333-1260; Email: chg@criticalhitgames.net www.criticalhitgames.net @criticalhitgamesiowacity

Sophie McClatchey

Joel and Katrina Anderson hope their new Mt. Vernon ‘brew lab’ is up to scratch (July 26)

Love this family! I know they love their coffee and have turned that passion into an art.

Erika W.

I’m a big fan of their dark roast “Stoic Farmer” and order if from their website since I live out of town. —Chloe M.W.

Love love Little Scratch! Stoic Farmer all the way. —Lucky Star Farm

The intentionality of this couple comes through in all they do. I’ll keep coming back for this coffee and the creative blends they bring forward at their markets. Creamsicle dreamsicle *applause*. —Kimi

Mount Vernon is so lucky to have you here!

Kristen T.

“Dear Kiki, My boyfriend has a weird tendency to get bored with sex positions. Should I learn to deal with it or is there a way to find a happy medium towards a happy ending?”

Read the answer on pg. 75. Submit. You’ll love it. totally anonymous sex, love and relationship advice. littlevillagemag.com/dearkiki

Where is your Little Village?

Little Village is a community supported monthly alternative magazine and digital media channel offering an independent perspective on Iowa news, culture and events. The magazine is widely available for free, with a distribution focus on the state’s cultural centers of Iowa City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Cedar Falls/ Waterloo and the Quad Cities. Scan here to find which one of LV’s 800 distribution locations is nearest to you >>

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help increase Little Village’s presence in the area

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help us brighten up the CRANDIC, one street corner at a time!

To request copies in your area, or to add your business as a distribution location, contact:

Back to school, library style

Considering the wealth of materials, programming, events and support at the Iowa City Public Library alone, library cards are one of the most cost-effective back-to-school supplies for families.

Every September for the last 36 years, the American Library Association, with libraries nationwide, has celebrated National Library Card Sign-Up Month. In an effort to support your backto-school reading, here is a short list of brand new and new-classic picture books for the occasion.

Mr. S by Monica Arnaldo is a hilarious picture book all about students mistaking their teacher’s lunch for their teacher. Intrepid readers will love following the parallel plots inside and outside the classroom.

And Then Comes School by Tom Brenner celebrates the back-to-school season with a sensory exploration of summer’s end. Ripening pumpkins and berry jam-making are accompanied by picking out a first day outfit and school supplies shopping. The “when this...then that” structure is soothing for those with first-day jitters, and might get your family in the mood for autumn activities!

All Are Welcome and its easy-reader equivalent Welcome Back! are essential school readiness reads by Alexandra Penfold. This lovely book walks readers through a typical school day with rhyming verses that end with the repeated phrase “all are welcome here.” Be sure to check out the endsheets to see families on their way to and from school.

A young person wants to bring their favorite stuffed friend to school in Bear With Me by Sebastien and Marie Kerascoët, the husband and wife team behind I Walk With Vanessa. This book is almost wordless, utilizing its titular phrase throughout to emphasize the emotions of the moment. Littles with their own stuffed besties will delight in how the narrator keeps Bear close to heart, even when they’re apart.

Finally, Back to School, Backpack! by Simon Rich and Tom Toro is a fabulous tale of back-to-school anxiety from the perspective of a backpack. Toro’s illustrations show the wide range of emotions Backpack and its owner share as they head through the first day of school. This is a great choice to get children laughing about their fears and feeling good about making new friends.

—Casey Maynard

Iowa AG Brenna Bird said she doesn’t intend to resume coverage of emergency contraception for rape victims (July 31) The state of Iowa is punishing rape victims - how incredibly cruel and vile.

Stephanie C.

Oh NOW they’re into audits of public funds? I hope she’s pinned beneath the butter cow in a freak butter cow accident. —Chris W.

It’s not a public fund. It is strictly victim compensation money. —Allt M. Women at the top trading other women’s lives for power. So wrong. So immoral. Vote them out! —Laurie Z.

I’ve got nothin but the bird for Brenna.

Stevie M.

‘They’re devastated. I’m shocked’: Iowa River Power Restaurant is closing (Aug. 4)

This is a shame. I remember my grandpa Bud taking me here when I was just little. I always loved this place and will miss it!

Jeremiah H.

Our daughter and son in law had their wedding reception at Iowa River Power Restaurant in 2007. Everything was perfect. The food, the room, the service... etc. We’re sad to hear of it’s closing. We’re even more sad for the many employees who have spent several years serving the IC community. —

Meg C.B.

Working Sunday Brunch is how I start my work week, it has been a foundational and fundamental part of my life for a long time. I’m completely lost and don’t know what to do, this is heartbreaking.

Mykey P.

What will we do now? The IRP has been our go-to restaurant for special occasions and a favorite spot to bring out-oftowners for a great meal! —Ann

R.R.

Support their time they have left to stay open, reserve your spot for Brunch and enjoy all you can eat. Best place for prime rib. —Roberta

S.K.

Will miss IRP. My family is coming in from

South Dakota just to go to brunch one more time. —Judy T.

This place was great to work for I was a cook back in early in 1984. —Doug S.

I was one of the original prep cooks when it opened in the ‘70’s. John Fisher hired me. I knew Dave Petsel in grade school. —Steve R.

Hey Doug! Long time no see. Yes, I remember the good old days working at this restaurant. —Ronnie W.

It’s been a staple of our city for years. So sad to see it go. This was one restaurant my mother requested for special occasions. Memories… —Sherrill Y.

A favorite place for birthdays and when in town for Hawkeye games. So many memories in this place. —Adam W.

My wife and I enjoyed our anniversary celebration at the Iowa River Power House each year for over 30 years until we moved to Arizona.. We are shocked and disappointed upon hearing the news.

Timothy F.D.

Our son and daughter-in-law had their rehearsal dinner there 12 yrs ago. I loved how they handled everything right down to personal menus and we were just there for our 40th anniversary in April the same night as many proms. Loved seeing all the young couples dressed up and having a wonderful time. —Candi T.

You are the best thing to ever happen to that building. Much love and success to what ever comes next! —Julie M.

Now it can be the haunted house it was always destined to be. —Kimberly S.

Meet Alex Smith, Iowa City’s newest chef, recipe developer and restaurateur

From the article: Alex Smith, Iowa City’s newest foodie transplant from Bloomington, Indiana, is the driving force behind Plated Table, a business specializing in small event catering, weekly meal deliveries and dreamy, intimate dinner parties. In August 2023, Smith plans to take over the space Her

MOVIES UNDER THE STARS! SCREENINGS BEGIN AT SUNSET

SPONSORED BY

Soup Kitchen used to occupy on South Dubuque Street … The new brick-andmortar will serve as an event space and commercial kitchen. —Sid Peterson

Wow, Alex!!! Congrats!!! —Elizabeth R.F.

11/10! Plated Table is the best. So excited for this! —Todd H.

Iowa is so lucky to have Plated Table. Surcle

Eastern Iowa restaurant insiders dish on their go-to meals, best food memories and tips for diners (Aug. 16)

Whenever I meet someone who “doesn’t like Indian food” I take them to Exotic Indian and they leave with a full stomach and a changed mind. —Grant

Hands down our favorite spot in town!

D.G.

Miss [Exotic India] so much! They were excellent at welcoming you in and providing excellent service. I have yet to find a place I love so much in Colorado. OMG I forgot to mention the tasty food and perfect buffet. Met many a friend there for great lunches. —Erika W.

Hamburg Inn No. 2 will reopen later this year under new ownership (Aug. 18)

Yes. Please keep the Florentine Omelette. Craig C.

Thank goodness someone is resuscitating this dead icon. —George B.

Thank heaven for Nate Kaeding…making IC and Coralville better and better! —Amy K.

It will never be ‘The Same.’ That place was gone with the Panther family.

Lance S.

I loved working there in its heyday back in the early 2000’s! It was such a fun place back then, may it come back alive with that same energy! —Sara

L.

John prine in Cedar rapids

Sept. 14, 2013. It was hot and muggy during the day, and somehow even muggier at night. Perhaps it was similar to a late summer night on Lake Marie, which was the name of my favorite John Prine song at the time.

To this day, I think of Prine as the ideal road trip artist. Prine sang of a Mexican home where it was so hot that a “coo-coo clock has died of shock,” with “a storm all wet and warm not 10 miles away.” His lyrics explored many aspects of human existence—Prine is widely considered the “Mark Twain of songwriting”—but in my opinion, he was especially good at capturing the joy and exhaustion of summer.

Seeing Prine perform live 10 years ago, in the air-conditioned Paramount Theatre, newly renovated after the flood of 2008, was a privilege I can safely say I took for granted. My friend, Jesse, was most excited to see John Prine, as an incredible singer-songwriter himself, and I’m afraid some of us sullied the experience for him

by having a few too many shots in Czech Village bars before the show. I loved John Prine’s soul and music, but not like Jesse did. I like to say I do now, though.

I remember him walking onto the stage wearing mostly black, with a blue, maybe somewhat-purple lighting around him. He barely moved his neck and stood almost painfully straight—an effect of the squamous-cell cancer he battled in the late ’90s, which left his voice more gravelly. That same year, 2013, he underwent surgery for lung cancer. Despite it all, he endured and entertained, making timeless Americana tunes and leading Chicago’s folk music revival. I don’t remember his setlist, but I do know he sang some of my favorites.

Six more summers would pass after that Cedar Rapids show; as Prine sang, “years just flow by like a broken down dam.” The spring of 2020 eventually reared its ugly head, and in early April, Prine contracted COVID-19 while he was recovering from a hip injury. The time had come for him to “kiss that pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl.” On April 8, 2020 news broke that Prine bought the farm. The void we were already experiencing in our daily musical lives became a deeper chasm.

His song “Illegal Smile” was my “key to escape reality” in those early days of COVID, capturing what many of us were going through.

I remember telling Jesse, a short time after Prine’s death, that the pasture was starting to get too goddamned full. Prine’s “I Remember Everything” was his last recorded song, and a hauntingly perfect end to a singular career.

Ten years ago, he was here in Eastern Iowa. Don’t wait to see your heroes—and don’t forget to remember everything.

You never know when the last opportunity to see a legendary performer will be.

bY JAY GOODVIN

Kate Goodvin / Little Village

A NEW MULTIDISCIPLINARY FESTIVAL

PRESENTED BY HANCHER AUDITORIUM AND THE OFFICE OF PERFORMING ARTS AND ENGAGEMENT

WED, OCT 11

RECONSTRUCTING: WHO & HOW ARE WE TOGETHER?

A Conversation on Process with Jillian Walker and Emma Orme of The TEAM

Featuring Johanna Kasimow (moderator) @ Riverside Theatre

7:30 PM

SPHINX VIRTUOSI

Presented in collaboration with The Englert Theatre @ The Englert Theatre

THURS, OCT 12

HEREIN LIES THE TRUTH: A WORK-IN-PROGRESS CONVERSATION

Featuring Aaron Pang, Christopher-Rasheem McMillan, Tisa Bryant, and Adam Knight @ The Stanley Museum / Lobby

LOVE IN EXILE featuring AROOJ AFTAB, VIJAY IYER, and SHAHZAD ISMAILY

MAKAYA MCCRAVEN: IN THESE TIMES

Presented in collaboration with Feed Me Weird Things

@ Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

FRI, OCT 13

REGARDING THE CONTINUUM: AN EXPLORATION OF DREAMS FULFILLED

Featuring LaTasha Barnes and Rebekah Kowal (moderator)

@ Old Capitol Museum / Senate Chamber

JOHN IRVING in conversation with LAN SAMANTHA CHANG

@ Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

MODEL/ACTRIZ with special guest: KL!NG

@ Gabe’s

SAT, OCT 14

STORYTELLING ACROSS THE ARTS: A CONVERSATION with LONNIE HOLLEY & KURT VILE

Presented in collaboration with the Iowa City Book Festival

@ Old Capitol Museum Senate Chamber

UNCHARTED MYTHS: RECKONINGS, REFLECTIONS, and RIFFS ON AMERICAN STORIES

Presented in collaboration with the International Writing Program and Department of Dance

@ North Hall / Space Place

KURT VILE and the VIOLATORS

special guests: LONNIE HOLLEY and MOURNING [A] BLKSTAR

@ Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

TUES, OCT 17

N O W I S W H E N W E A R E (THE STARS): A CREATIVE MATTERS CONVERSATION with ANDREW SCHNEIDER and JECCA BARRY

Featuring Daniel Fine (moderator)

Presented in collaboration with Creative Matters, a program of the Office of the Vice President for Research

@ Hancher Auditorium / Stanley Café

WED–SAT, OCT 18–21

N O W I S W H E N W E A R E (THE STARS) by ANDREW SCHNEIDER

Presented in collaboration with Creative Matters, a program of the Office of the Vice President for Research

@ Hancher Auditorium / Hadley Stage

WED, OCT 18

REFLECTING THE INFINITE DREAM: VISIONS OF THE AMERICAN STORY

Presented in collaboration with the International Writing Program

THURS, OCT 19

@ Hancher Auditorium / Stanley Café MOBILIZING DANCERS FOR WAR IN IRVING BERLIN’S THIS IS THE ARMY

A Presentation and Discussion by Professor Rebekah Kowal

Presented in collaboration with the Department of Dance

@ The Stanley Museum / Lobbyw w

FESTIVAL PASSES AND INDIVIDUAL TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

HANCHER.UIOWA.EDU/INFINITEDREAM

It's BACK... theROAST of IOWA CITY

Sunday, Oct. 8 Doors at 5:30 p.m. Show at 6 p.m.

The Stage at Reunion Brewery in Downtown Iowa City

ELEVATORS AVAILABLE FREE ADMISSION

The annual interrobang on the Iowa City Book Festival!

HOSTED BY: Megan

Gogerty

FEATURING:

Shmuckdate

A Reading by Rachel Yoder

Travis Coltrain

Karen Sanchez Dougall

Carson Tuttle

Jane Yan

Zach Vaughan

Zach Hoyle

AND Iowa City Police Log

FALL ARTS PREVIEW FALL ARTS PREVIEW

Cooking for jazz legends. A UI-inspired thriller. Improv trombone. Art in a barbershop. Immersive opera. A six-genre music fest.

From the stage to the page, Iowa’s got it going on this autumn.

THEORY & PRACTICE

For blake Shaw, no gig is more rewarding than teaching—but two teaching gigs won’t keep him from performing.

Several weeks ago, Iowa City-area musician Blake Shaw shared some exciting news with folks who follow him on Instagram, @theeblakebass.

“Starting this fall,” he posted, “along with my work at Cornell College, I’ll also be taking over the Kirkwood Community College jazz department! My main responsibilities will be directing the big band and one other ensemble AND lecturing a popular music history class among other things.”

It was a full-circle moment for the bassist, vocalist, arranger and composer.

“This next adventure means a lot to me especially because Kirkwood was where I got my start, where I first started really taking music seriously and where I’ve been involved in many music and teaching opportunities since graduating,” he continued. “It may only be a one year appointment but I won’t be taking it for granted. I’m so excited for the experience and all the learning I’ll be doing and facilitating.”

He’s a vocalist and bassist for River Glen & Band, performing music built from elements of rock, pop and folk. He subs in folk and grass string band Flash in a Pan on the regular. He collaborates with the adventuresome and innovative guitarist and composer Dan Padley. He plays with singer-songwriter Stephanie Catlett and, soon, Abbie Sawyer.

“So upwards of 10 bands,” he estimates. Truthfully, that feels like an undercount—and it doesn’t include a significant number of gigs in which he performs alone.

You might think part-time teaching jobs at Cornell and Kirkwood would get in the way of all of that music-making. But teaching is a passion for Shaw. You can tell when he discusses his role as artistic director of KCCK’s Schoolhouse Jazz program for elementary students, and when he talks about encouraging college-aged musicians who may be short on confidence.

EDITORS’ PICKS: JAZZ IN EASTERN IOWA

*Fairfield events curated by Fairfield Journal. For more events and specific details, visit: fairfieldjournal.org

**Quad CIties events were curated by Sarah Eglatian

COMING UP

Blake Shaw Quartet

Thursdays, Sept. 14 & 28, Oct. 12 & 26, Nov. 9 & 23, 5 p.m. Graduate Hotel, Iowa City, Free

“I take a lot of inspiration—good and bad—from many different people for teaching. My teaching style is very, very heavily [built on] inclusivity. I want those people that don’t feel so confident, that don’t step up and ask questions, I want to help those people … Whatever I do in the future, there will always be a teaching aspect.”

Blake Shaw Big(ish) Band

Friday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m. Noce, Des Moines, $18-45

If you are a fan of Shaw’s— and he has many local and regional fans—you might have been surprised to hear this news. After all, Shaw gigs a lot. A lot

In a recent phone interview, Shaw talked about how busy he has been of late.

“This summer, I’ve been anywhere between two and five gigs a week, depending on how well I stack them up. I can do three gigs a day, but that’s rare because it has to line up just perfectly and they have to be the perfect distance away from each other and whatnot. But I try to do just one a day because that’s healthy.”

And each of those gigs could involve any of a number of ensemble configurations ranging from a full band to Shaw on stage by himself. Asked about those various ensembles, he started by mentioning “background gigs”—events where the music is not necessarily front and center—noting that he can fill out an assignment like that with any number of area musicians. Then he started talking about his own standing groups.

“Let’s see, I have my BIG(ish) Band, my quartet, my string trio. Those are the only ones that I run.”

But those are far from the only groups he’s in.

When Shaw thinks about his future, he seldom considers headlining a tour. In fact, he believes that would be too repetitive for him. He’s looking for something else from his musical endeavors.

“I have big ideas but they seem so chill to me. If something fell in my lap where someone needed a bassist to tour for months on end, I’d be down for that. But also I have so many friends around here. There’s so many people in Iowa that I want to play more with or play with for the first time. Success is different in my eyes than some people. Honestly, I just want to play with as many people as possible in as many different places as possible and live a healthy life and be comfortable.”

Shaw is eager to perform with an orchestra— perhaps as a vocalist or perhaps playing an electric bass concerto. Anyone interested in making this a reality is encouraged to reach out.

In the meantime, he has a wonderful opportunity to open for two superstars of jazz—vocalist Kurt Elling and guitarist Charlie Hunter, performing their SuperBlue project—at the Englert Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 30. Tickets are available now.

But if you can’t catch that show, don’t worry. Odds are good you will have another chance to enjoy Shaw’s music very soon. ––Rob Cline

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Herbie Hancock, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, $30-95

Thursdays Sept. 14 and 28 at 5 p.m. Blake Shaw Quartet, Graduate Hotel, Iowa City, Free

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. Billy Lee

Janey, QDogs BBQ Company, Marion, Free

Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Herb Alpert & Lani Hall, Englert Theatre, Iowa City, $20-75

Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. Billy Lee

Janey, QDogs BBQ, Marion, Free

Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. Saul Lubaroff, Andy Parrot, Marty Christensen, La Wine Bar, Iowa City, Free

Thursday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. Billy Lee

Janey, Q-Dogs BBQ Company, Free

Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. Bryce Janey, La Wine Bar, Free

Friday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Kassa Overall, James Theater, Iowa City, $15-25

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. SuperBlue w/Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter, Englert Theatre, $20-49.50

Friday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. First Friday Jazz, Opus Concert Cafe, Cedar Rapids, $15

Blake

Nayquan Shuler

JAZZ STANDARDS

Abe Goldstien’s humble Waukee jazz series gives performers and audiences an unforgettable experience.

“Hey, if you’re passionate about it, figure out a way to do it yourself,” said Abe Goldstien, explaining the philosophy that has made his local concert series, Jazz at the Caspe Terrace, a magnet for international jazz talent for 15 years.

After all, Goldstien has had a passion for jazz since his boyhood in Rochester, New York, in the late ’50s.

“That’s all I’ve listened to since I was 8,” he told Little Village.

There was the beginning of a flirtation with rock when Beatlemania hit, and Goldstien thought learning the guitar would be a good way to impress girls. Instead of a guitar, his parents gave him his father’s accordion. The accordion didn’t impress any of his fellow teenagers, but Goldstien still plays it as part of Java Jews, Iowa’s only klezmer band.

He’s been sharing his passion for jazz with Iowans since he first arrived in the state in 1969 as a freshman at Drake University. While working on his degree, Goldstien opened a jazz record shop.

“There were records I needed to get, and I could get them if I owned a store,” he said.

Goldstien came to Drake to study advertising, because he’d been set on a career as a copywriter since he was 13. During his long career in the field, Goldstien continued to promote the music he loves.

“I always had my hand in jazz,” he said. “Teaching evening courses on jazz history, radio shows on and off for some various stations.”

He still has a radio show on KFMG 98.9 FM. “Straight, No Chaser” airs 5-8 p.m. on Sundays.

Goldstien is also executive director of the Community Jazz Center of Greater Des Moines.

“We honor the past, present and future of jazz in Des Moines,” he explained. “We host jam sessions for grade school and high school kids once a month. So, there’s the future of jazz.”

The Jazz Hall of Fame is one way the center honors the past, and a big band made up of local volunteers helps keep jazz alive in the present. The band plays free concerts at Franklin Junior High in Des Moines every third Sunday of the month, from September to May.

But it’s the Jazz at The Caspe Terrace series that is probably Goldstien’s most significant success in bringing jazz to a wider audience in Iowa.

The Caspe Terrace is the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines’ community center in Waukee. When Goldstien and his wife Jackie Garnett went to see a movie in the center’s theater, he came away more impressed with the theater than the film.

“I’m sitting there seeing that this is a 130-seat, acoustically perfect auditorium with a Steinway piano on stage,” he recalled. “We need to bring jazz musicians in here.

“I know jazz musicians around the country, so I called some up.”

Since 2008, Goldstien has brought jazz musicians who would normally never play the Des Moines area to Caspe. They are always folks Goldstien himself wants to see. This November, that includes the quartet Sparks, consisting of pianist Eri Yamamoto, who fuses New York jazz with traditional Japanese culture, playing with free jazz double bassist William Parker, saxophonist and label owner Chad Fowler, and Twin Cities improv drummer extraordinaire Steve Hirsch.

“I guarantee the performer a certain fee, anything else that comes in from ticket sales goes to the performer,” Goldstien explained.

The performers stay at a hotel as they normally would on tour, but that’s the only standard part of the Caspe Terrace experience. Instead of

COMING UP

Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. Sparks (William Parker, Eri Yamamoto, Chad Fowler & Steve Hirish), Caspe Terrace, Waukee, $30

having to order off the room service menu, or grabbing a quick bite at whatever is near the hotel, the musicians get home cooking.

“My wife feeds them wonderful food,” Goldstien said. “She does more than that, of course. Jazz at Caspe Terrace could not happen without the support and generosity of my wife, Jackie Garnett.”

Performers arrive in Des Moines the day before the concert.

“They have to come in the day before, otherwise it becomes very impersonal,” Goldstien said. “We just show them around Des Moines. “They leave Des Moines remembering Des Moines.”

In addition to the concert at the Caspe Terrace, the musicians also perform at a local retirement community during their stays.

“What they make at those communities offsets the cost of their flights,” Goldstien said. “Plus, it brings amazing music to the people in these retirement communities.”

Every Jazz at the Caspe Terrace show ends with a treat for both the performers and audience—a dessert-only reception.

“Our goal is to have the people going back to wherever they come from and say, ‘You got to play Des Moines,’” Goldstien said.

––Paul Brennan

Abe Goldstien in his home, surrounded by CDs and jazz memorabilia. Courtney Guein / Little Village

Thursdays, Oct. 12 and 26 at 5 p.m. Blake Shaw Quartet, Graduate Hotel, Free

Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tommy Emmanuel, Englert Theatre, $25.50-255.50

Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. Claire Rousay, Aoh Amba, Chris Corsano, James Theater, $25

Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. Drew McDowall & Jairus Sharif, James Theater, $25

Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. Laurel Halo, Kalia Vandever, James Theater, $25

Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Sun Ra Arkestra, Theon Cross, Englert Theatre, $25-48.75

Thursday, Nov. 9 and 23 at 5 p.m. Blake Shaw Quartet, Graduate Hotel, Free

Friday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. First Friday Jazz, Opus Concert Cafe, $15

JAZZ IN CENTRAL IOWA

Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 7:00 p.m. Jazz Masters: The DSM Big Band Plays Count Basie, Noce, Des Moines, $9-$5

Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7:00 p.m. Jazz On The House w/ the NOLA Jazz Combo, Noce, Free

Friday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Fever: Gina Gedler Sings Peggy Lee with Her Band, Noce, $18-45

Friday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Herbie Hancock, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, $75-140

Saturday, Sept 9 at 7 p.m. The Listening Room: Abbie Sawyer & The Flood, Noce, $18-45

FEAST: KALIA VANDEVER

Iowa City, Nov. 1-4, $100 for festival pass

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and FEaST is a sonic smorgasbord best consumed with ears wide open. The off-kilter brainchild of Iowa City-based experimental music maker and promotor Chris Wiersema, this annual festival builds on his aptly named Feed Me Weird Things live performance series—which pushes the boundaries of convention in ways that are inviting and not intended to be hipper-than-thou.

“FEaST and Feed Me Weird Things aren’t meant to be this kind of anti-music, anti-pop kind of thing, or anything like that,” Wiersema is careful to point out. “It’s just a different way to listen.”

FEaST offers a buffet of aural delights, with a multigenerational lineup of envelope-pushing artists that include the Sun Ra Arkestra, Laurel Halo, Bill Orcutt, Zoh Amba & Chris Corsano, Theon Cross, claire rousay, El Khat and Kalia Vandever, whose recent album We Fell In Turn was released earlier this year.

“Kalia is the perfect example of the kind of show that I want to present,” Wiersema said, “one that fosters a kind of deep listening that can cultivate connectedness. It requires some patience and a quietness of mind that I think we can get out of practice doing—at least, I know that I can. So, I think We Fell In Turn really benefits from kind of closing your eyes and deep diving into the album for its entirety.”

This close-listening approach is also echoed in Vandever’s solo performances, which require a great amount of grounded focus on her part. Born in North Carolina in 1995, she lived for a time in Oak Park, Illinois until her family moved to Los Angeles when she was 8—around the time she began playing trombone.

Music was always part of her childhood while growing up, and Vandever’s parents started her and her sister on piano when they were quite young. Her father loved jazz and spun it a lot around the household, and one day she became transfixed by the sound of Delfeayo Marsalis’ trombone.

“I asked my dad what that instrument was, he told me it was a trombone, and I told him that that’s the instrument I wanted to play,” she recalled. “I think from the moment that I first started playing it, I knew that it was something I wanted to spend my time working on. The trombone resembled the human voice in a way that no other instrument had. I was drawn to the fullness and darkness of its tone, and I think that the tone that Delfeayo produced on that album is what I was originally drawn to.”

After graduating from Juilliard in 2017,

Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., The James Theater

Claire Rousay, Zoh

Amba & Chris Corsano

Vandever released two ensemble albums, In Bloom and Regrowth. She also began exploring the use of electronics in music after a friend showed her how to use a piece of gear named the Memory Man with Hazarai, which she mostly employs as a delay pedal, though it also has a looper function that allows Vandever to layer and create her own world of sound.

“I’ve always focused so much on tone and melody with the trombone,” she said, “so the idea of being able to interact with my own sound was really enticing, and that’s when I began to lean into that. I started to get more emersed in ambient music, which I had heard before, but hadn’t really delved into like I have in the last four years or so.”

Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m., The James Theater

Drew McDowall

Jairus Sharif

Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m., The James Theater

Laurel Halo

Kalia Vandever

We Fell In Turn is fully improvised, save for one track, and what one hears on the album is the sound of an artist interacting with her own instrument through a humanistic use of technology.

“Improvising requires more focus,” Vandever said. “And it requires me to tap into what’s going on and how I’m feeling in the moment, which always leads to something really honest. Whether I’m feeling anxious, or feeling really relaxed, or I’m thinking about something, it forces me to center myself and release control.”

“Kalia’s technique of long-held tones and looping pedals allows her to create music that is reflecting on itself,” Wiersema said, “which is a perfect example of the kind of listening experience that I’m hoping people will get through FEaST. I love the idea of people coming together just for two hours, and that the music exists in that room for that moment, just for them—which is what FEaST will be, two hours a night to just quietly listen to two artists.”

Kembrew McLeod already bought his FEaST pass, and so should you. Be there or be square!

Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m., The James Theater

Bill Orcutt

El Khat

Saturday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m., The Englert Theatre

Sun Ra Arkestra

Theon Cross

“Improvising requires me to tap into what’s going on and how I’m feeling in the moment, which always leads to something really honest.”

Kalia Vandever Liv Ryan

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 10 p.m. Nightcap w/ Napoleon, Noce, Free

Monday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. Snarky Puppy, Hoyt Sherman Place, $39.50-85

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. Jazz On the House w/Guitarist Jack Curtis & Co, Noce, Free

Friday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. Jazz, Jewels & Jeans, Willow On Grand, Des Moines, $75-150

Friday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Dan & Claudia Zanes, Jamie Hurd Amphitheater, West Des Moines, Free

Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Brass & Boujee: The Marcus Lewis Big Band, Noce, $25-65

Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. Jazz On the House w/Vocalist Kiersten Conway & Co, Noce, Free

Friday, Sept. 22 at 9:15 p.m. Colella w/Max Wellman featuring the Nate Sparks Big Band, Noce, $25-65

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Rose Colella, Noce, $25-65

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 10 p.m. Nightcap with Napoleon, Noce, Free

Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. Jazz On the House w/Jackson Churchill, Noce, Free

Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Basie Straight Ahead, Turner Jazz Center, Des Moines, $32

Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29 and 30 at 7 p.m. Narrative Quintet w/ Adam Larson and Chris Madsen, Noce, $25-65

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 10 p.m. Last Call w/Max Wellman, Noce, Free

Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Pat Metheny, Hoyt Sherman Place

Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. Fly Me To the Moon: Max Wellman w/ Nate Sparks Big Band, Noce, $21-49

Saturday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. Saxophonist Damani Phillips & Co, Noce, $18-45

Saturday, Oct. 7 at 10 p.m. Nightcap w/ Napoleon, Noce, Free

LEX LETO

the James theater, Iowa City, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m., $15-25

If multi-instrumentalist and composer Lex Letourneau (Leto) isn’t on Iowa City music fans’ radars just yet, they’re bound to make a few blips by the end of autumn.

A Georgia native, Leto started grad school at the University of Iowa in 2019 to study with flute professor Nicole Esposito. Experimental, contemporary music, specifically “weird flute shit” is Leto’s forte. Naturally, they began attending Public Space One and Feed Me Weird Things shows, and eventually met a future collaborator Christine Burke at one of these events.

“The first people I found community with were my grad school friends,” Leto said. “Many of them don’t live here anymore. After that, it was Sarahann [Kolder] and Elly [Hofmaier]. From there, I started meeting everyone from those two.”

This past year, Leto has collaborated with artists

JORDAN HAMILTON W/ AKWI NJI

CSpS Hall, Cedar rapids, Oct. 6, 8 p.m., $16-20

Jordan Hamilton has a little bit of everything in his music.

A bass cellist and vocalist hailing from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Hamilton reaches across genres, using his cello to string together elements of hip hop, classical music, soul, R&B and more.

“This one was one that I wanted to put a collection of the songs that kinda influenced the beginning of my music, I wanted this to be kinda like my classical piece of composition, I guess,” Hamilton said in a 2021 interview with Michigan Radio of his then-recent album. “I wanted it to be like, hip-hop people are listening to this … and thinking they’re listening to a classical record, and classical people are listening to this and thinking they’re listening to a hip-hop or

around Iowa City and been a part of multiple music projects. Leto and Jarrett Purdy’s foursong EP have you been the night? was released in June, a project that the two have been working on since May 2022. Leto has also been playing with singer-songwriter Penny Peach and started working on a new album with Burke.

“I love collaboration, I eat it up,” Leto said. “The community here is so small and tight-knit, but also large—sometimes I wonder how I have not met you yet? I’m still meeting new people all of the time.”

Arguably Leto’s biggest project of this past year was the creation and release of their solo EP Right Here, originally made for the UI Dance Company (UIDC).

One of the songs that made it to the EP, I’ll Be Here, caught the attention of UI choreographer and assistant contemporary dance professor

Melinda Jean Myers after Leto shared an early version to Instagram. Myers reached out to Leto asking if she could use the song for an upcoming performance.

“[Myers] would say, ‘I want something that has

this feeling, can you make that?’’’ Leto said. “And then I’d make it. I loved working like that. The project was about climate change and the systemic factors that are informing the ways we go about our lives. We would talk about all of this together and with the dancers. Sometimes we would improvise together, which I loved.”

Leto recalls bringing a mini Ableton controller into Halsey Hall to make a beat on the spot. Dancers would move to the sounds produced by Leto at rehearsal, but on occasion it was the other way around. Sometimes Myers would begin choreography and Leto would create music to her movements.

Leto rehearsed with the dance group weekly during the fall semester, and then more frequently leading up to the UIDC’s Home Concert at the end of February.

After that, Leto decided it was time to cut an EP of the songs produced with the dancers.

“I needed to redesign this so it can be enjoyed just orally and you don’t necessarily need the dance to feel the thing,” Leto said. “That was my challenge and what I spent the next few months doing.”

You can find Leto opening for Emily Wells on Sept. 20 at the James Theater as part of the Englert’s new Track Zero series. They’ll also be performing this fall in KL!NG, a new project featuring Leto, Hofmaier and Aaron Knight.

––Sid Peterson

beattape record.”

In February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic enveloped the U.S., Hamilton was recognized at the WYCE Jammie Awards, a West Michigan music award event, with multiple accolades. In particular, his album awarded album of the year.

His 2021 album, Vibrations, not only received initial positive reception, it also re-emerged on Hamilton’s local radio station, landing in the Local Spins Hot Top 5 nearly a year after its release, as Hamilton himself returned to performing following an August 2021 car crash that put him out of com mission for several months.

His inability to play cello during this peri od led to creative instrumental decisions on his latest release, Believe In …, a six-track album that boasts “a more drum-heavy type of style,” according to Hamilton.

On Oct. 6 Hamilton will arrive at Cedar Rapids’ CSPS Hall (1103 3rd St) for a performance with Akwi Nji as a special guest. Tickets are $16 in advance or $20 at the door. More information about the upcoming performance can be found at cspshall.org.

––Isaac Hamlet

via the artist

SidPeterson

Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. Blake Shaw Big(ish) Band, Noce, $18-45

Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. Chameleon: The Many Colors of Herbie Handcock w/Jason Danielson & His Band, Noce, $18-45

Saturday, Oct. 14 at 10 p.m. Last Call w/Max Wellman, Noce, Free

Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. Bojangles: Napoleon Douglas with His Jazz Orchestra, Noce, $18-45

Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. Nate Sparks Big Band, Noce, $18-45

Saturday, Oct. 21 at 10 p.m. Nightcap with Napoleon, Noce, Free

Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. Guitarist Dan Wilson w/Mitch Town, Noce, $25-65

Saturday, Oct. 28 at 10 p.m. Last Call with Max Wellman, Noce, Free

Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. Jazz Masters: The Des Moines Big Band Plays Thad Jones, Noce, $7-35

Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Sweet Suites, Turner Jazz Center, $32

Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. Michael Conrad w/Iowa Composers Jazz Orchestra, Noce, $18-45

Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. November Wednesdays w/the Des Moines Big Band, Noce, $7-35

Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. Elaine Dame, Noce, $25-65

Saturday, Nov. 11 at 10 p.m. Nightcap with Napoleon, Noce, Free

Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. Sparks (William Parker, Eri Yamamoto, Chad Fowler & Steve Hirish), Caspe Terrace, Waukee, $30

Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. November Wednesdays w/ the Des Moines Big Band, Noce, $7-35

Friday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. Joyann Parker, Noce, $21-45

Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. Joyann Parker Band: Album Release, Noce, $21-45

Saturday, Nov. 18 at 10 p.m. Last Call with Max Wellman, Noce, Free

Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. November Wednesdays w/the Des Moines Big Ban, Noce, $7-35

Saturday, Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. Fab Four: Gina Gedler Sings Bette Midler, Peggy Lee, Barbra Streisand & Linda Ronstadt, Noce, $18-45

Saturday, Nov. 25 at 10 p.m. Nightcap with Napoleon, Noce, Free

Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. November Wednesdays w/the Des Moines Big Band, Noce, $7-35

EASTERN IOWA MUSIC

Fridays, Sept. 8, 15, 22, 29 SOA Friday Night Concert Series, Downtown Iowa City, Free

Friday-Saturday, Sept. 8-9 Susto Fine 2 Day Fest, Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, Maquoketa, $50-105

Friday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit w/Wednesday, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, $25-135 (SOLD OUT)

Saturday, Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30 at 8 p.m. Karaoke Night, Nobel House Kava, Fairfield, Free

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. FMWT: Technical Reserve & YXNG RASKAL, James Theater, Iowa City, $10-15

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. Salt Fox, Dead Silent, Shikimo, Octopus College Hill, Cedar Falls, $10

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9 p.m. Boy Dirt Car, Sam Locke Ward, Pete Balestrieri, Trumpet Blossom Cafe, Iowa City

Sunday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Ani DiFranco, Englert Theatre, Iowa City, $20-65

Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Mavericks, Englert Theatre, $20-79.50

Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Rhiannon Giddens, Hancher Auditorium, $25-165

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. BULLY, Raccoon Motel, Davenport, $20

Friday, Sept. 15 at 11 a.m. Party on the Patio Festival, Coffee House, Davenport, Free

Friday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. Freakin’ Years of Hard Rock Anniversary Show, The Rust Belt, Moline

Friday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. Miss Christine & Guss Royall, Octopus College Hill, $10

Friday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. Gizzae, Common Chord, Davenport, $12-80

Saturday, Sept. 16 at 3 p.m. Brianfest, Northside Iowa City, Free w/donation

Saturday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. Youth Music & Arts Festival, Schwiebert Riverfront Park, Rock Island, Free

Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Frederica Von Stade, Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield, $26-68

Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Orchestra Iowa: Forged in Fire, Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids, $19-62

Sunday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. Orchestra Iowa: Forged in Fire, Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, $19-48

Sunday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Attacca Quartet and Caroline Shaw, Hancher Auditorium, $10-25

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RIVERVIEW MUSIC FESTIVAL?

bias against a single genre may be to blame for the fest fizzling out.

Something has been conspicuously missing from Central Iowa’s fall festival line up for two years now.

The Riverview Music Festival was held in Des Moines for the first, and likely last, time on Sept. 4, 2021. The festival was focused on providing musical entertainment to underserved demographics in that area of Des Moines.

The lineup included Sudan Archives (which returned to play the 80/35 Music Festival this past summer), Duckwrth (whose music includes “Start a Riot” which was featured in the Oscarwinning, 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and the Grammy-nominated hip-hop duo EarthGang, among others.

The event was organized by the Des Moines Music Coalition, which, at the time, hinted at intentions to bring the festival back in future years.

“If we needed to have both [80/35 and Riverview] festivals, we could,” DMMC president Kuuku Saah told the Des Moines Register in advance of the first festival, “but it will depend on what the reception is. So if there’s a strong enough community reception for [Riverview], we’ll be in a position to bring it back.”

However, about six months after the

Riverview Music Festival, Tanner Briggs Faaborg—a former board member of the Parks Area Foundation, the primary concessionaire of Riverview Park—resigned.

Following his departure, Faaborg alleged that the bias of a few elected officials heavily discouraged the programing of hip-hop music in Riverview Park. Those individuals, according to Faarborg, were Des Moines City Councilperson Linda Westergaard and Polk County Supervisor Tom Hockensmith, as Axios reported in November.

Hockensmith’s current term expires in 2026. Westergaard is seeking a third term as Des Moines’ second ward representative this November, with her current term set to end on Jan. 2. Running against Westergaard are Bridget Botkin and Chelsea Lepley.

Speaking with Little Village in December, Westergaard claimed that, in March of 2022, Faaborg didn’t have sponsors or bands signed up for Rendezvous on Riverview (a series distinct from the Riverview Music Festival).

“There were problems with the Parks Area Foundation board, people didn’t like what Tanner was doing,” Westergaard said. “He was kind of out there doing his own thing—I guess, I don’t know, I’m not on the board so I can’t tell you what any of those meetings were.”

Westergaard added that she doesn’t have “anything to do with Parks Area Foundation,” and that it is only because the event took place in her district, and subsequently received complaints, that she had any involvement.

“You gotta have music—there’s all kinds of hip hop music that—my grandkids listen to hip hop music. They don’t have to listen to ‘fuck’ every other word,” Westergaard said. “And, I don’t know, apparently, that’s what, that’s what happened at one concert, at least the calls that I got, and the calls that the city got.”

Faarborg’s letter alleges Westergaard and Hockensmith had a more active role in dissuading the appearance of hip hop in that area.

“Council member Westergaard and Supervisor Hockensmith’s response to my concern was that hip-hop was ‘not appropriate for the venue’ and does not represent the ‘family values and traditions’ that our stakeholders expect for the public concert series,” he wrote, alleging that he received “strong opposition from the City Council and Polk County representatives” after expressing intent to bring local musician B. Well (the stage name of Billy Weathers) to Rendezvous on Riverview and saying he was “told explicitly that there should be no hip-hop permitted at Riverview.”

“I again asked for clarification on this viewpoint. Supervisor Hockensmith then expressed his ‘disgust’ for the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show, and cited it as an example of why hip-hop acts should not be held at Riverview. He added that the genres’ use of lyrics which speak out against the police were another reason to not

Sid Peterson / Little Village

Quad Cities artist Charlotte Blu performs at Riverview in 2021. Sid Peterson / Little Village

Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. Nightosphere w/ Internet Dating, Good Morning Midnight, Koozie, Gabe’s, Iowa City, $10

Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Orwells, Raccoon Motel, Davenport, $13.50-15

Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. DIVAS3, Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids, $15-50

Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. Wurst Impressions EP Release Show, Gabe’s, $10

Friday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Kevin James, Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts, Cedar Falls, $51-101

Friday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. Mr. Softheart, Scott Yoder and Anthony Worden and the Illiterati, Octopus College Hill, $10

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. Atreyu, Capitol Theatre, Davenport, $35

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Reza Live, Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts, Cedar Falls, $22-56

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. FMWT: Baba Commandant & the Mandingo Band, Trumpet Blossom Cafe, $20-25

Sunday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. Heartless Bastards, Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon, Iowa City, $15-25

Thursday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. Thelma & the Sleaze w/Early Girl & Good Habits, Gabe’s, $10

Friday, Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. Steve McLain Harvest Moon: A Neil Young Tribute, Fishback & Stephenson Cedar House, Fairfield

Friday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Kassa Overall, James Theater, $15-25

Friday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. SATSANG, Gabe’s, $18

Friday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. Joe Stamm Band, Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon, $15-20

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m. We Funk, Northside Market Place, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. SuperBlue: Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter w/Blake Shaw, Englert Theatre, $20-49.50

allow hip hop.”

In speaking with Little Village, Westergaard did not overtly disparage hip hop as a genre and refuted Faarborg’s claim that B. Well was mentioned in the meeting at all. Westergaard did say she insisted the event be “family friendly.” When asked to define “family friendly,” she said: “If you could walk into Target and buy it. If you could walk into Walmart and buy it.”

Whether or not Westergaard and Hockensmith expressed as active an opposition to hip hop as Faaborg wrote, no follow-up to Riverview has been announced.

Saah spoke broadly to the dangers of writing off a whole genre of music.

“Essentially telling a significant part of the community that they don’t belong—that is powerfully negative,” he said, also alluding to how—for much of the 20th century—jazz, another genre of music that emerged from the African-American community, was considered uncouth and disruptive. “That constant reinforcement that you do not belong here; that’s hurtful.”

Saah further recalled that, as DMMC was getting Riverview off the ground, some potential sponsors shied away from the event out of concern that the hip-hop festival—set to be held in the largest city in the state—was “too urban.” Saah added that this wasn’t limited to programming the Riverview Music Festival.

“With 80/35, we’re asked by police representatives that are working, ‘is there going to be hip hop on stage?’ We say ‘yes,’ and the security requirements increase right away,” he said.

It’s not yet apparent how things will play out for Together Through Sound, an event that describes itself as “a collection of diverse genres” playing on “the Prairie Meadows Riviera Stage,” where the Riverview Music Festival was held. This upcoming appointment, organized in part by the aforementioned B. Well, is set to feature music genres from classical to Latin to jazz to hip hop.

“I would say that we have to do the first one to hopefully get to the second one and then go to the drawing board and get feedback from the musicians,” he said.

Weathers added that he feels there’s relatively few music events in the area around the Prairie Meadows Riviera stage that align with the demographics of the area. Something he hopes Together Through Sound might remedy.

“I think to have something annually in that part of town that has been neglected would be really beautiful,” he said.

––Isaac Hamlet

Sunday, Oct. 1 at 3 p.m. Awful Purdies, Abbie and the Sawyers, The Night Lights, Englert Theatre, $10-25

Sunday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. Codtoberfest w/ Kommuna Lux and the Muzik Krauts, Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, $30

Sunday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Handsome Family, James Theater, $15-20

Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Devendra Banhart w/Rogov, Englert Theatre, $20-49.50

Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Kate Bollinger w/Sam Burton and 24thankyou, Gabe’s, $12-18

Thursday, Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m. Hotel California: Eagles Tribute Band, Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield, $21-$43

Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. Release Party: For A Second In the Dark, Rozz-Tox, Rock Island

Friday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. Shade of Blue, Wildwood Saloon & BBQ, $20

Saturday, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28 at 8 p.m. Karaoke Night, Nobel House Kava, Fairfield, Free

Saturday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Robert Cray, Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids, $37-69

Saturday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. Pieta Brown & Chastity Brown, Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, $35

Monday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Folk Legacy Trio, Paramount Theatre, $15-50

Monday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. FMWT: TENGGER, Trumpet Blossom Cafe, $15-20

Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. Easy Honey w/ Early Girl & Worst Impressions, Gabe’s, $10

Friday, Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Shovels & Rope, Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon, Englert Theatre, $28-35

SEPT

TOGETHER THROUGH SOUND FESTIVAL

riverview park, Des moines, Sunday, Sept. 10, 1 p.m., Free

Central Iowa’s freshest music festival is already bigger than its creators first imagined.

Billy Weathers, better known as the hip-hop artist B. Well, and Ashley Eidbo, a double bass player in the Des Moines Symphony (DMS), first connected backstage during DMS’s Yankee Doodle Pops concert last summer. (Weathers was invited to the event to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”) The duo started talking about the idea of creating a multigenre music festival—an idea that became Together Through Sound.

“We have the chance to show a lot of talented people and give a lot of people an opportunity to perform on the stage,” Weathers said.

They hoped to attract around 500 spectators for this first, freeto-attend event. That is, until opportunity knocked. Together Through Sound was offered the Prairie Meadows Riviera Stage at Des Moines’ Riverview Park, a 10,000-capacity venue that normally costs between $2,000-5,000 to rent, for free.

With so much room to grow, Creative Director Weathers and Festival Director Eidbo went to work creating an exciting lineup.

“I feel that if this gets in front of people’s faces, they’re going to have a hard time saying that they don’t want to go. There’s something for everyone,” Eidbo told Little Village. “We have six-plus genres of music, we have art, we have all this stuff.”

“I think it’s a festival for the city of Des Moines, showcasing a lot of the art and talent within the community and showing what art

can do when genres blend,” Weathers explained. “I think sometimes we get caught in genres, or pockets, and those create these silos, not only in the city, but everywhere.”

The genres on offer include Afrobeats, jazz, Latin, classical, hip hop and blues. The directors are letting musicians immersed in each genre direct the programming; for example, Shankar Subranamian will lead blues and movement, while Ahmed Musa leads Afrobeats.

Ideally, Together Through Sound encourages its attendees to dip into new artists and music.

“We’re also really trying to make it OK for whoever you are, if that’s not the genre that you usually listen to, ... [you] come to the festival and hear it and then maybe you like it,” said Eidbo.

“I used to be scared to share my playlist, because I didn’t want people to be like, ‘Oh, he likes rock and jazz!’” Weathers joked.

Weathers himself will perform; other acts include local Latin music-maker Lani Eclatt, Iowa City-area jazz musician Damani Phillips and up-and-coming composer Adalyn Sidon.

“People really do want great things to happen for the community around them,” Eidbo said. “I feel like I can just go ask somebody that is an expert at something if they can help me with something related to this festival and they’re on board for supporting the community.”

“Life is reciprocal,” added Weathers. “If you give it everything you got, it’s going to give you a lot of return.”

Together Through Sound will be free to attend at Riverview Park on Sept. 10, with performances from 1 p.m. until 10 p.m. More information about the festivities can be found at togetherthroughsound.com.

––Courtney Guein

Friday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. Dale Watson w/Matt Hillyer, Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, $25

Sunday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. Chayce Beckham, Wildwood BBQ & Saloon, $20

Sunday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Glenn Miller Orchestra, Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield, $21-43

Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tommy Emmanuel w/Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Englert Theatre, $25.50-225.50

Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. FMWT: Bell Witch & Spirit Possession, Gabe’s, $22-30

Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tennis w/Sam Evian, Englert Theatre, $25-35

Friday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. Cedargrass Music Festival, Oster Regent Theatre, Cedar Falls, $10-76

Sunday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Iluminate, Englert Theatre, $25-64

Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. FMWT: Mary Lattimore w/Jeremiah Chiu, James Theater, $15-25

Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Samara Joy, Hancher Auditorium, $20-55

Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. Madison McFerrin w/Alyx Rush, Gabe’s, $15-22

Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. Cedar Valley Revealed, Waterloo Masonic Temple

Friday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. Horseshoes & Hand Grenades Holloween w/Chicago Farmer and Joseph Huber Band, Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, $35

Friday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. Southall, Wildwood Saloon & BBQ, $20

Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 1-4. FMWT: FEaST, Various Venues, Iowa City, $100-300

Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. Tom Papa, Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts, Cedar Falls, $40-65

Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Takács Quartet, Englert Theatre, $10-40

B. Well and Ashley Eidbo, co-organizers of the Together Through Sound Festival, on the Prairie Meadows Riviera Stage. Courtney Guein / Little Village

Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. Concert: Vita Militar, Waterloo East High School, $7-42

Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Sen Morimoto, James Theater, $15-18

Saturday, Nov. 11 at 8:30 p.m. Kiss the Tiger w/ Early Girl, Gabe’s, $14

Sunday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. The Head and the Heart w/Yoke Lore, Capitol Theatre, $49.50-55

Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Midori and Festival Strings Lucerne, Hancher Auditorium, $10-75

Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Roomful of Teeth and Gabriel Kahane, Hancher Auditorium, $10-25

Friday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Zora w/Sarahann Kolder & YXNG Raskal, James Theater, $15-18

Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. Aces & Eights, Fishback & Stephenson Cider House, Fairfield

Saturday, November 25 at 7:30 p.m. Irish Christmas in America, Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield, $23-$51

Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Mavis Staples and the War and Treaty, Hancher Auditorium, $10-55

CENTRAL IOWA MUSIC

Friday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. Shemekia Copeland, xBk Live, Des Moines, $35-40

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 3 p.m. Backwoodsfest, Briar Patch, Bevington, $25

50 YEARS OF HIP HOP

the Englert theatre, Iowa City, Sept. 15, $10-20

From hip hop’s roots in DJ Kool Herc’s Sedgwick apartment in the Bronx, to its countless iterations across coasts, countries and decades, the Englert Theatre plans to celebrate “50 years of Hip Hop” on Sept. 15. The event will feature fun visuals and displays that highlight and honor the core elements of MCing, DJing, beat boxing, break dancing and other forms of hip-hop-inspired self-expression with an all-Iowa cast.

Hosting the evening is MC Animosity, the stage name of Derek Thorn, an area rapper and music producer who’s been involved in the local scene since 1998.

“If we do the Englert, it’s gotta be something bigger than me … let’s just celebrate hip hop—if we don’t do it no one will,” Thorn said of his vision for the event.

He told Little Village he’s most excited about “the idea of just seeing all of my brothers and sisters celebrating and getting to rock the Englert.”

At some point during the night, MC Animosity will take the mic to share his verses. Also contributing to the rhythm and flow of the evening is B-Tho, Felix Thunda, Ion, the Shakes and Sons of Mack. Find DJ XXL and DJ Johnny Sixx rocking the turntable, spinning audiences through classic tracks and contemporary beats that capture the essence of the illustrious genre. B boys and girls will represent the art of breakdancing with a performance composed of multiple members of various crews in the area.

If all goes as MC Animosity hopes, the event will bring everyone together in the spirit of celebrating the legacy and potency of hip hop. —Rhys

Davis

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. Dos Santos, xBk Live, $18-20

Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1:30 p.m. Underneath Everything: Closing Event: Violin Performance by Geneviève Gros-Louis Salamone, Des Moines Art Center, Free

Sunday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. GA-20, xBk Live, $15-20

Monday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. Snarky Puppy, Hoyt Sherman Place, $39.50-85

Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls, Wooly’s, Des Moines, $25

Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. Robert Cray Band w/Kevin Burt, Hoyt Sherman Place, $39.50-59.50

Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. Bay Ledges, xBk Live, $17-22

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. Deafheaven, Wooly’s, $25

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. Emily Nenni, xBk Live, $15-20

Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Mavericks, Hoyt Sherman Place, $50-80

Friday, Sept. 15 at 9 p.m. Lady Revel Album Release Party, xBk Live, $12-15

Sunday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Margo Price, Wooly’s, $26

Monday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. Deterioration, Putrid Stew, Traffic Death, Cursed Existence, Teehee’s Comedy Club, Des Moines, $10

Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. Black Joe Lewis, xBk Live, $17-23

Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. ZZ Ward w/ Jaime Wyatt, Wooly’s, $25

Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 21-24. Maximum Ames Music Festival, Various Venues, Ames, Free

Thursday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. Socks in the Frying Pan, Wooly’s, $30-45

Thursday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. Hendy w/Jim Swim and Alyx Rush, xBk Live, $15-20

Ali Peters / Little Village

MC Animosity at Mission Creek Festival in 2022

Jason Smith

Friday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. Bryce Vine, Wooly’s, $29.50

Friday, Sept. 22 at 9 p.m. Boyish, xBk Live, $1518

Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. Red Pears, xBk Live, $15-20

Thursday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. Pearl & the Oysters, xBk Live, $15-18

Friday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. Paul Cauthen, Lauridsen Amphitheater, $30-35

Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. JAWNY, Wooly’s, $20

Friday, Sept. 29 at 9 p.m. Flash In A Pan, xBk Live, $10-15

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. Eric Hutchinson, Wooly’s, $28

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. Extravision Album Release, xBk Live, $15-20

Sunday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. Matt Jesson Album Release Party, xBk Live, $12-15

Sunday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. moe., Wooly’s, $40

Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Pat Metheny, Hoyt Sherman Place

Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. Raye Zaragoza, xBk Live, $15-20

Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. Djunah, xBk Live, $15-18

Thursday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. Max & Iggor Cavalera: Morbid Devastation, Wooly’s, $29.50

Friday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. Grace Potter w/the Cactus Blossoms, Hoyt Sherman Place, $39.5064.50

Saturday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Amos Lee, Hoyt Sherman Place, $39-69

Sunday, Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. Benefit Show for Maui, xBk Live, $20-25

Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. Bahamas, Wooly’s, $25

Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. California Honeydrops, Wooly’s, $29.50

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD RIDE

tabor and Lewis, Sept. 15-17, $135

Aportion of Iowa’s rich abolitionist history will be revealed for some, and refreshed for others, during the new Underground Railroad Ride.

Presented by Iowa’s National Association of Social Workers, the Des Moines branch of Black Girls Do Bike and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, the two-and-a-half-day ride combines learning, endurance and community in the southwest Iowa towns of Lewis and Tabor.

According to Julia Rose, the board president for the Iowa National Association of Social Workers, a bicycle tour provides the “ability to slow down and see things and process things a little bit better than driving.”

“I like bike rides where people will have a goal together and a mission,” Rose added. “It just seemed like a way to build camaraderie, have conversations that we might not usually take time to have.”

That conversation will take place between a set of Iowa stops on the Underground Railroad, a series of geographical points in the early- and mid-19th century that provided a route to freedom for those fleeing slavery. Rather than brazenly traveling on actual train tracks, as the name might imply, escapees made their way through woods and rivers, often stopping to hide under floorboards or in back rooms provided by abolitionists. The metaphor behind the name Underground Railroad extended into the language used when referring to its participants. “Conductors” were travel guides, and runaways were “passengers” who stayed at “stations.”

On Sept. 15, the Underground Railroad Ride will take participants through some of the network’s major Iowa stations, starting in Tabor. The next day is the first of pedaling, taking riders about 68 miles to Lewis where they’ll spend the

night before heading back to Tabor. The town of Red Oak, which has its own storied history, will be available as a stopover town both days.

“I think sometimes as a culture, we forget about history, and we forget how it’s relevant to today,” Rose said. She highlighted the Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850, which authorized the seizure of those who had escaped slavery, even in free states, and punished those that aided the escapees. “We had legislation that was criminalizing people who not only were trying to escape horrific slavery, we also had people being criminalized for assisting humankind in seeking freedom.”

The history of the three towns during this period will be the focus of the stops. Tabor, for example, was founded on ideas of gender and race equality, and is home to the Lewis Hitchcock House which possesses a secret room in its basement for hiding travelers.

“It’s the stories of the people who are escaping slavery that are at center here,” Rose said. “And then it’s the stories of the people who also risked life and home and family in order to do what was right and didn’t just talk about it.”

The Underground Railroad Bike Ride will take bikers 136 total miles through the southwest corner of Iowa. As of print time, enrolling in the ride is $135, which covers the cost of breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, dinner Saturday night, SAG support, gear transportation and access to the campsite in Cold Springs.

Riders are responsible for bringing their own bike gear and tent. Registration and more information can be found at iowaundergroundrailroadride.com.

—Courtney Guein

Friday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. Noah Gunderson, xBk Live, $20-105

Saturday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. Bitch, xBk Live, $15-20

Saturday, Oct. 14 at 8:30 p.m. Al Ross, PLATFORM, Des Moines, $26.45

Sunday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. Samia, Wooly’s, $20

Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. Magnolia Park, Wooly’s, $22

Friday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. Nadas’ Birthday Party, Hoyt Sherman Place, $28-33

Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. Night Stories, xBk Live, $10-15

Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. Barbaro, xBk Live, $12-17

Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. Not Quite Brothers, Wooly’s, $15

Friday, Nov. 3 at 9 p.m. Great Lake Swimmers, xBk Live, $15-20

Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Steve Hackett, Hoyt Sherman Place, $35-85

Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. Emblem3, xBk Live, $20-300

Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Rayland Baxter, Wooly’s, $25

Friday, Nov. 10 at 9 p.m. Kiss the Tiger, xBk Live, $10-15

Saturday, Nov. 11 at 8 p.m. Ax and the Hatchetman, xBk Live, $15-18

Sunday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. Lake Street Dive, Hoyt Sherman Place, $39.50-90

Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. A Motown Christmas, Hoyt Sherman Place, $44-64

Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Croce Plays Croce, Hoyt Sherman Place, $34-79

Sunday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. Speedy Ortiz, xBk Live, $16-18

★ Tabor

★ Malvern Vicinity

★ Lewis Vicinity

Underground Railroad Ride co-organizers Dayna Chandler and Julia Rose will guide riders along the route. Courtney GueIn / Jordan Sellergren

Friday, Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. Japanese House w/ quinnie, Wooly’s, $22

EASTERN IOWA LIT

Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. J.C. Hallman, Prairie Lights, Iowa City, Free

Thursday, Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Isabel Cauas w/Diego Lasansky and Adam Rake, Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City, Free

Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. Sarah Viren w/ Lyz Lenz, Prairie Lights, Free

Friday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Mary Jo Bang, Prairie Lights, Free

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. Indie Author Book Expo, Groundswell Cafe, Cedar Rapids, Free

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 11 a.m. Lib Con 3, Iowa City Public Library, Free

Sunday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. International Writing Program Reading Series, Prairie Lights, Free

Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Conversation w/Dr. Norman Rosenthal, Prairie Lights, Online, Free

Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Conversation w/Jen Ferguson and Jenna Miller, Sidekick Coffee & Books, Iowa City, Free

Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. Abraham Verghese, Iowa City Public Library, Free

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. Ada Zhang w/ Jamel Brinkley, Prairie Lights, Free

Friday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. Toby Altman & S. Yarberry, Prairie Lights, Free

Sunday, Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m. Generative Writing Workshop, Porchlight Literary Arts Center, Iowa City, Free

Monday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. Josh Barkan w/ Andre Dubus, Prairie Lights, Online, Free

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ART FOR HARLAN’S BARBERSHOP

Barbershops have long served as social and cultural hubs for Black Americans, and Harlan’s Barbershop, open for half a century in Des Moines’ Woodland Heights neighborhood, was no exception.

Harlan’s opened in 1968; that same year, construction finished on I-235, which had displaced thriving Black businesses, churches and communities in the Center Street district, not far from Woodland Heights. Center Street was home to a booming jazz and blues music scene, and Harlan’s was named after a major figure in this scene: Harlan Thomas performed in the Soul Brothers, among other groups, and was a 1999 inductee into the Central Iowa Blues Society. Harlan didn’t just lend his name to the shop, but co-owned it. Together with his business partner William Thomas, they transformed 2513 Woodland Ave, which had served as a grocery store from 1913 to ’63, into a barbershop. As they predicted, Harlan’s became a gathering space for former Center Street residents, musicians and friends.

It’s been seven years since Harlan’s Barbershop shut down for good, due to sewer renovations in 2015. But Central Iowa artist Jill Wells isn’t content to let 47 years of memories fade away.

48-by-60-inch wood panels, salvaged from the walls of the old shop.

“It will include hundreds of stories, quotes or names printed in black text on black butterflies,” Wells said of the diptych, which will celebrate the beauty of Blackness. “Those butterflies will be arranged into a larger, 3D image and adhere to the surface of the salvaged barbershop wall panels.”

Wells will gather stories through the end of September. The finished piece will be displayed next to a photography project from Janae Patrice, including photos of Harlan Thomas and his wife April Thomas; the Woodland Avenue building over the years; and the hair stylings of Des Moines based stylist Keadra Foster.

Sequel Architecture, a local firm owned by Steve Wilke-Shapiro, was selected by the City of Des Moines to renovate the building. Earlier in the year, Wilke-Shapiro got in touch with Wells to take on the project.

Contact:

Determined to preserve its legacy, Wells is collecting stories of those who knew Harlan’s, and plans to capture its history in an art piece utilizing a black-scale color palette and a pair of

Wells expects to unveil the art installation in early October, when the renovated building, which will now operate as offices for Sequel Architecture, is expected to open. ––Isaac

Des moines artist Jill Wells will unveil a tribute to the historic barbershop in October.

Hamlet

Jill Wells in studio. Coutney Guein / Little Village The former Harlan’s Barbershop building. Courtesy of Sequel Architecture

Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 7:15 p.m. Saket Soni, Prairie Lights, Free

Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Ross Gay, Prairie Lights, Free

Thursday, Sept. 21 at 11 a.m. Chuck Palahniuk, Prairie Lights, $30

Sunday, Sept. 24 at 3 p.m. International Writing Program Reading Series, Prairie Lights, Free

Monday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. Benjamin Perry w/Dean Bakopoulos, Prairie Lights, Free

Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. Jane Huffman, Prairie Lights, Free

Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. Evening w/Rebecca Sanabria, Sidekick Coffee & Books, Free

Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. Roger Reeves, Prairie Lights, Free

Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 5 p.m. Author Talk: Penny Haw w/Terah Shelton Harris, Swampfox Bookstore, Marion, Free

Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. Aron Aji, Prairie Lights, Free

Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. Kaveh Akbar, Prairie Lights, Free

Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. Margo Steines w/Melissa Febos, Prairie Lights, Free

Saturdays, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28. Writing Interiors: An All Genre Workshop w/Glen Waters, Iowa City Poetry, Online, $100

Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. Evening w/Mindy Mejia, Marion Public Library, Free

Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. Taylor Wolfe Book Club, Sidekick Coffee & Books, Free

Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. Micah Fields, Prairie Lights, Free

Monday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. Author Event & Costume Party: Hazel Beck, Marion Public Library, Free

Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. Robyn Schiff, Prairie Lights, Free

Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. Brittany Means, Prairie Lights, Free

Friday-Saturday, Nov. 3-4 Mic Check Poetry Fest, Various Venues, Iowa City, Free-$15

Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. Carol Spaulding w/Sam Chang, Prairie Lights, Free

Friday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Timmy Straw and Sara Nicholson, Prairie Lights, Free

Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. Wendy Call, Prairie Lights, Free

Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. Bennett Sims, Prairie Lights, Free

Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. Jerry Craft, Sidekick Coffee & Books, Free

Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. Ted Wheeler w/Mary Helen Stefaniak, Prairie Lights, Free

CENTRAL IOWA LIT

Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. Reading in Public Book Club: Stories We Tell, Reading in Public Bookstore, West Des Moines, Free

Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. Storyhouse Book Club, Storyhouse Bookpub, Des Moines, Free

Monday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Catherine Haustein, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines, Free

INGRID RAPHAËL

the filmmaker and Center for Afrofuturist Studies artist-in-residence found a slice of paradise in Iowa City.

If Iowa City has taught Ingrid Raphaël anything, it’s the value of parks.

“There’s a lot of green spaces [in Iowa City] and it really is helping me build the world for my story which looks at ‘what would a world be like with environmental collapse?’” said Raphaël, a 2023 artist-in-residence at Public Space One’s Center for Afrofuturist Studies. “Being in a space where there’s a lot of green spaces makes me think, ‘oh, this is something that my characters would want to have in their world.’

… So it’s been really beneficial to be here.”

Still in its early stages, Raphaël’s film SILK, which they hope will be their first feature-length project, centers on two worlds in tension with one another. There is the world of the main character, which has fallen into environmental decay. Then there’s a seemingly utopic, resource-laden world, to which the main character loses their mother.

“It’s really placed in a lot of what my fears are about—the ways that we’re tackling things like climate change right now,” Raphaël said. “[It’s] very interested in climate change, reckonings with longing, with grieving, with possibilities.”

While living in Philadelphia last year, Raphaël also shot a teaser for the film as a proof of concept to help fundraise. They’re currently working to finalize the movie’s treatment and, by print time, will have done a table read with Iowa City folks who will provide early feedback.

Prior to SILK, Raphaël has principally worked on documentaries like They Won’t Call It Murder and short, essayistic pieces like An Ode to Cbus, Ohio. Both of these particular pieces are centered on Ohio, where Raphaël also started their media project NO EVIL EYE CINEMA, focused on providing filmmaking opportunities to individuals with marginalized identities.

Though Raphaël’s time in Iowa City, at least within the Center for Afrofuturist Studies, only lasts for a month, the center—as ever— will continue to bring artists and creators to town, as well as host workshops led by their resident artists. Artist yétúndé olagbaju is another 2023 CAS artist-in-residence, and Courtney Desiree Morris and Tiffany M. Johnson are set to arrive in 2024.

More information on Public Space One, the Center for Afrofuturist Studies and upcoming workshops can be found at publicspaceone. com. —Isaac Hamlet

Ingrid Raphaël in the Center for Afrofuturist Studies reading room. Courtesy of the artist

PELLA ALL ORIGINAL MUSIC SHOWCASE

Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. Book Club: The House of Cerulean Sea, Beaverdale Books, Free

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. Ross Gay Extravaganza: Inciting Joy Discussion, Storyhouse Bookpub, $5

Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 6:45 p.m. Meet the Author: Neil Hamilton, Izaak Walton League, Des Moines, Free

Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Meet the Author: William Kent Krueger, Central Library, Des Moines, Free

Friday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author & Illustrator: B John Burns III, Beaverdale Books, Free

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Event of Delights: Community Book Launch Party, Storyhouse Bookpub, Free

Monday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: J. A. Jance, Franklin Junior High, Des Moines, Free

Four months after Tulip Time and less than three months before Kerstmarkt, the Dutch Christmas Market, Pella is hosting a slightly edgier event in their picturesque downtown.

The Pella All Original Music Showcase is a free concert featuring exclusively Iowa-based bands making original rock, electric and alternative music. Bands scheduled to perform at the debut showcase on Sept. 16 include Journey’s End, Jinnouchi Power, Brittany Sword and Jason Charles Button.

Chris Hopkins, the event organizer—who will also be performing with his band Sirens and Prophets—said he created the Pella All Original Music Showcase to focus on bold, indie songwriters and provide them a platform to perform their own music. He also wants to foster an environment that respects and encourages creativity. Hopkins said he pictures the event as a “safe domain” where artists don’t have to worry about compromising their sound.

“It’s really an opportunity for bands who record their own material to have a stage of their own,” said Hopkins. “So often, most venues demand cover music because everybody’s familiar with it. It’s a tough sell for these bands who want to perform their own music.”

The free admission helps set the tone for that

inclusive, low-pressure approach.

Hopkins, who has written music since 1985, described his dual-lead singer band as a fusion of “Dream Theater meets Pink Floyd” and progressive rock. Sirens and Prophets’ most recent album, Delineations, is themed around society’s inclination to erect divisive barriers, leading to the detriment of humanity.

Des Moines-based Jinnouchi Power (self-identified as “Dad Power-Pop with a little bit of Mom Rock up in it”) presents a dynamic, unique and psychedelic rock texture to its music, a sound that is fully on display in the song, “Get in the Van.”

Journey’s End is an alternative rock band from Oskaloosa, crafting emotionally resonant lyrics that come alive during night drives with the windows down. This is especially true for the song “Don’t Walk Away.”

Brittany Sword, a solo artist from Oskaloosa, has a rich voice paired with her indie-rock flair, notable in her recent single, “Johnny.”

Jason Charles Button and the Lost Cause hails from Atlantic, Iowa, making acoustic rock that centers Button’s warmly gritty vocals, showcased in his song “Just Look Up.”

The Pella All Original Music Showcase kicks off at noon on Sept. 16 and runs into the evening. To attend, just make your way to the stage behind Tulip Tower in the center of Pella.

––Natalie Nye

Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Tom Montgomery Fate, Beaverdale Books, Free

Thursday, Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m. Carol Roh Spaulding w/Rekha Basu, Beaverdale Books, Free

Friday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Monsignor Frank Bognanno, Beaverdale Books, Free

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 10:30 a.m. Meet the Author: David Pepper, Beaverdale Books, Free

Monday, Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Sharelle Byars Moranville, Beaverdale Books, Free

Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Tom Geraty, Beaverdale Books, Free

Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Megan Bannister, Beaverdale Books, Free

Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. Erica Lewis Poetry Reading, Rozz-Tox, Rock Island

Central park behind tulip tower, pella, Sept. 16, 12 p.m., Free

LOLA NAKASHIMABROOKE

Iowa’s leading literary orgs have named this high schooler most Likely to Succeed at poetry.

In a (historically) bookish state like Iowa, the title of Student Poet Ambassador is perhaps the biggest award to which a young writer can aspire. This year, the recipient was Lola NakashimaBrooke.

The Davenport Central High student is the third to hold the ISPA honor—after Iowa City West High’s Shreya Khullar in 2021 and Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Johnnie Each last year—chosen by a committee of partner organizations: Arts Share, Belin-Blank Center, Humanities Iowa, Iowa Arts Council, Iowa City Poetry, Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature, Iowa Council of Teachers of English, Iowa Library Association, Iowa Poet Laureate Program, Iowa Poetry Association and the State Library of Iowa.

Nominees from around the state are narrowed down in a two-part process, requiring students to participate in a blind reading and interview. Judges aren’t just looking for writing talent, but the kind of public speaking and leadership skills required of an ambassador—and Nakashima-Brooke fit the bill.

“I’d like to say that I’m multifaceted,” she said. Most of her writing could be “defined as prose or stream of consciousness,” she adds. “I write what’s in my head and I don’t try to give it too much of a verse structure.”

Nakashima-Brooke honed her skills as an intern for the Midwest Writing Center in their Young Emerging Writers Summer Internship Program in 2021 and ’22. She was named the new ISPA at a ceremony on April 28, during National Poetry Month. In the new school year, she hopes to use her role to uplift creative writing opportunities for Iowa students.

“I try to stick to poetry but I do like writing short stories and writing research papers for school,” she said. “It’s fun for me.”

While balancing the demands of a new semester, Nakashima-Brooke is also connecting with academic mentors, literary organizations and librarians to further solidify how she wants to define her ambassadorship. She’s in the process of confirming her upcoming engagements around Iowa, and anticipates presenting at Iowa City Poetry in November—perhaps even the Iowa City Book Festival in —Kristen Holder

TRACK ZERO

Emily Wells, James theater, Iowa City, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m., $15-25

The Englert Theatre is introducing a hip new series to its lineup.

“We’ve known for a while that there was a gap in our programming in regards to shows dedicated to and specifically for the college-aged demographic in our community, and we really get to rise to the occasion with Track Zero,” said Ella Kang, the Englert’s senior marketing manager. “With this new series, we’re really hoping to bring in fresh faces to the Englert by making the shows equal in quality and affordability.”

Track Zero, kicking off on Sept. 20, will spotlight up-andcoming alternative music artists—particularly those dabbling in R&B, folk and indie-pop.

Kassa Overall James Theater

Friday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Kate Bollinger

Gabe’s, Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Tennis Englert Theatre

Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Madison McFerrin

Gabe’s, Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 9 p.m.

Sen Morimoto James Theater

Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

ZORA

James Theater, Friday. Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

“Those genres are not seen nearly as often in our current Englert Presents lineup, so our programming team was specific in targeting more alternative and underground sounds,” Kang said. “While no genre is off limits in our lineup, those definitely happen to be more fitting for the vibe we’re looking to put out and audiences we’re hoping to attract.”

The series was, in part, inspired by the community’s reception to performances last year by Lucy Dacus, a member of indie-rock supergroup boygenius, and Indigo De Souza, a North Carolina-based singer-songwriter known for intimate, often brutally honest lyrics. Both artists sold out their shows, and Englert staff took notice.

As of reporting, seven artists have been announced as part of the series, which will include year-round programming. The first is Emily Wells—a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter whose work dips into everything from the classical to the experimental—at the James Theater on Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Next is the Grammy-nominated jazz/hip-hop artist Kassa Overall on Sept. 29, folk singer-songwriter Kate Bollinger on Oct. 3, the husband-wife indie-pop duo Tennis on Oct. 19, indie singer-songwriter Madison McFerrin on Oct. 25, the Japanese musical artist Sen Morimoto—who blends jazz and rap—on Nov. 11, and Zora, a hip-hop artist whose music lifts up fellow Black trans women and girls, on Nov. 19.

More information about these and upcoming Track Zero performances can be found at englert.org and by following @trackzeroic on Instagram.

—Isaac Hamlet

Lola Nakashima-Brooke. Becky Nakashima-Brooke

Emily Wells. Rachel Stern

Saturday, Oct. 21 at 10:30 a.m. Meet the Author: Craig S. Maltby, Beaverdale Books, Free

Monday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Nancy Vallar, Beaverdale Books, Free

Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. Des Moines Storytellers Project: Family, Hoyt Sherman Place, $12-28

Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 4 p.m. Wednesday Night Free Write, Midwest Writing Center, Rock Island, Free

Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Hazel Beck, Beaverdale Books, Free

Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Liz Cooney, Beaverdale Books, Free

Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. Meet the Author: Margaret Renkl, Franklin Avenue Library, Des Moines, Free

Monday, Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Clara McKenna, Beaverdale Books, Des Moines, Free

Thursday, Nov. 16 at 11:30 a.m. Meet the Author: Lorio Erickson, Plymouth Congregational Church, Des Moines, Free

Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 6:30 p.m. Meet the Author: Theodore Wheeler, Beaverdale Books, Free

EASTERN IOWA PERFORMANCE

Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Pete Dominick, James Theater, Iowa City, $30

Opening Friday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Disney’s Newsies JR, Waterloo Community Playhouse, $10-15

Opening Friday, Sept. 8 Our Town, Iowa City Community Theatre, Free

Opening Friday, Sept. 8. You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Giving Tree Theater, Marion, $31

Friday and Saturday, Sept. 8-9. Jessica Misra, Joystick Comedy & Arcade, Iowa City, $5

AHZIA HESTER

SFp presents: Local Anesthetic w/ Ahzia, Ion Alexakis, Jim Swim and Alyx rush Sept. 22 at 6:30–9 p.m., Free

It is hard to say where someone will find Iowa City-based artist Ahzia Hester on any given day. Maybe he’s opening for GZA at the Englert Theatre, or Cautious Clay at the Iowa Memorial Union. He might be at Gabe’s, performing his own songs and DJing the artists that influenced them, all over the same weekend. But on this specific day, he’s in California visiting friends, thinking about where to live next and awaiting the Aug. 25 release of his latest EP Loading …

Please Wait

Hester—who performs simply as Ahzia—is in the middle of things, or as he puts it, “not fully rendered.” Respecting personal journeys is a unifying theme of his five-song EP, recorded with fellow Iowa musician Jim Swim. The album cover centers on an empty, vast Iowa road as Ahzia runs off to the side, except his identity is obscured, pixelated like a low-resolution video game.

“I don’t know if anyone feels fully rendered being 20-something, or any age for that matter,” he said. “I’m still very much in progress, but that’s what’s lovely.”

Lead single “Trial and Error” —a song meant to be played with “the windows down and the sun shining”—echoes the same sentiments, mellowed through a blend of hip-hop and R&B grooves. “Baby, this life ain’t fair,” Ahzia repeats during the song’s hook. “I’m well aware / Trial and error.”

Since his last project, Welcome to Nowhere, Ahzia’s music has leaned into moody synths and warm flourishes of lo-fi atmosphere. But what has stayed the same is a sense of place, expressed through the rapper’s melodic, rhythmic delivery.

“It’s funny that, as Midwestern kids, I think there’s a little bit of resistance to highlight that we are from Iowa,” he said. “There’s so much material right here—why lie? Why try to rebrand it to something it’s not because there are still kids in Iowa. It’s the truth of someone. It’s the truth of me.”

Ahzia discovered his love of music later than many of his peers, having picked up show choir in his last year of high school in the Quad Cities. Choir evolved into rapping, and his low-grade recordings were passed around in the hallways. He built his profile gigging around Iowa City. After a full year playing music festivals and opening for industry heavy-hitters, Ahzia is filled with gratitude and excited to elevate the spectacle of his live shows with each performance.

“I don’t want to be your favorite local artist. I want to be an artist who just happens to live locally,” he said. “I think that’s the mission statement of everyone who’s really going at it. Don’t worry about the fact that I’m local. Just worry about if the music is doing something for you.”

Elisabeth Oster

Friday and Saturday, Sept. 8-9. Celebration: A Cabaret, Coralville Center for Performing Arts, $20

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9 p.m. Mary Quite Contrary’s House of Burlesque: CREEPSHOW, Spotlight Theater, Moline, $20

Friday-Saturday, Sept. 22-23 Ayodele Casel, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, $1025

Friday-Saturday, Sept. 22-23 Elvis Presley Experience, Giving Tree Theater, $33

Friday-Sunday, Sept. 22-24 Sunset Boulevard, Revival Theatre Company, Theatre Cedar Rapids

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. Matt Mathews, Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids, $29-89

Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 26 and 27. Bluey’s Big Play, Paramount Theatre, $38-75

Friday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Samantha Bee, Englert Theatre, $42.50-182.50

Friday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. Drew Lynch, Paramount Theatre, $26.50-49.50

Thursday, Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. serpentwithfeet, Englert Theatre, Iowa City, $10-25

Opening Friday, Oct. 6 Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Giving Tree Theater, $21

Friday, Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Dan Alten & Danny Franks, Ideal Theater & Bar, Cedar Rapids, $15

Friday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. Rocky Horror Picture Show, Capitol Theatre, Davenport

Opening Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Clue, Theatre Cedar Rapids Auditorium, $18-52

Opening Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. The Woman in Black, Grandon Studio Theatre, Theatre Cedar Rapids, $15-27

Opening Thursday, Oct. 12. Wyrd Sisters, Dreamwell Theatre, James Theater, $12-22

Courtesy of the artist

AVEY-GROUWS BAND

pour bros. Craft taproom, moline, Sept. 30, 5 p.m., Free

Having twice climbed into the top 10 of Billboard’s Blues Charts, the Avey-Grouws Band is hitting the road for its first West Coast tour.

“Musicians support other musicians in the Quad Cities,” said Jeni Grouws, thanking fans and fellow musicians for helping create a space where her band can flourish.

The QC-based roots rock outfit is led by Grouws, the lead vocalist, and guitarist Chris Avey. Having taken shape eight years ago, the band has released two albums: The Devil May Care in 2020 followed by 2021’s Tell Tale Heart, which was recorded in Nashville with Grammy Award winner Casey Wasner producing.

In an interview with Little Village, Grouws reflected on the road that brought Avey-Grouws here from her perspective.

On April 22, 2015, Grouws traveled to the Quad Cities to do a seminar on broadcasting to a communications class. Fostering a passion for live music, and being in a city known for it, she noticed a bar next to her hotel called Muddy Water hosting a blues jam night.

She went over to the bar, still dressed in the professional attire she’d worn to her seminar. A few of the future members of the band—including Chris Avey—were running the jam that night, and she signed up to sing with them on the stage. Immediately, they all fell into harmony.

“I felt like it was a kind of magic in a moment,” Grouws said.

After the serendipitous connection of that night, Grouws and Avey performed acoustic shows together, then decided to transition from a duo into a complete band. The Avey-Grouws Band has since done shows across the U.S., growing close as a family while on the road.

“We’ve hung out together for years, and sometimes we want to punch each other, but we also know that if one of us were in a rough place and they needed to reach out to the group, all of us would be there for them,” Grouws said.

“We’re definitely not purists, and we’re not snobs,” she added with a laugh.

The group’s latest album includes songs like “Heart’s Playing Tricks,” in which Grouws shows off her range and punchy vocals to a smooth guitar riff and catchy beat. Grouwa said the inspiration for Tell Tale Heart is a message that she and her husband instill in her kids: that certain feelings are not worse or better than each other, they are all equally important to talk about, and a part of the human condition.

This month, the band is hitting the road for its West Coast tour. After that, they’re back home in the QC with shows at the Wide River Winery Village of East Davenport and Moline’s Railside Music Series on Sept. 23 and 30, respectively.

—Natalie Nye

Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. Misery, Waterloo Community Playhouse, $10-22

Opening Friday, Oct. 20. High Fidelity, Iowa City Community Theatre

Opening Friday, Oct. 20. The Trip to the Bountiful, Riverside Theatre, Iowa City

Friday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. John Crist, Paramount Theatre, $26.75-149.75

Friday-Sunday, Oct. 27-29 Peter Pan, JR., Coralville Center for Performing Arts

Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. Mary Mack, Giving Tree Theater, $26

Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Annie, Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts, Cedar Falls, $46-81

Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Ari Shaffir, Englert Theatre, $21-61

Monday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. Broadway at the Paramount: Pretty Woman, Paramount Theatre

Friday-Saturday, Nov. 10-11 at 7:30 p.m. Dance Gala, Hancher Auditorium, $5-20

Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. Sal Vulcano, Paramount Theatre, $42.75

Opening Friday, Nov. 17. The Wizard of Oz, Theatre Cedar Rapids

Friday and Saturday, Nov. 17 and 18. Mean Girls, Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts, Cedar Falls, $38-101

Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. Tony Deyo, Giving Tree Theater, $26

Opening Thursday, Nov. 30. Brontë: The World Without, Riverside Theatre

EASTERN IOWA PERFORMANCE

Opening Friday, Sept. 8. Once, Des Moines Community Playhouse, $29-53

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. Charlie Kojis: Stand-Up Comedy, Teehee’s Comedy Club, $15-20

Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. All Ages Drag Show, xBk Live, Des Moines, $10-15

Opening Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Iowa Stage Theatre: Athena, Stoner Theater, Des Moines, $25-40

Friday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Dan and Claudia Zanes, Jamie Hurd Amphitheater, West Des Moines, Free

Saturday, Sept. 16 at 10:30 a.m. Dan and Claudia Zanes, Doanes Park, Pleasant Hill, Free

Saturday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. Gary Gruesome’s Unhinged! Uncouth! Unclothed, xBk Live, $30-40

Closing Sunday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Temporary Insanity, Tallgrass Theatre Company, West Des Moines, $33

Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. Jon Huck: Stand-Up Comedy, Teehee’s Comedy Club, $1520

Friday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. Matt Mathews, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, $39.5069.50

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Vik Pandya: Stand-Up Comedy, Teehee’s Comedy Club, $15-20

Thursday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tim Dillon, Hoyt Sherman Place, $42.50-49.50

Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. Wyatt Feegrado: Stand-Up Comedy, Teehee’s Comedy Club, $15-20

Chris Avey and Jeni Grouws

Roberta Osmers

THECADENCEOFLIFEPREMIERE

Anderson Gallery at Drake University, Des moines, Oct. 5, 5 p.m., Free

Composer Nathan Felix wants his new show to get you into opera in the most literal sense possible.

On Oct. 5, attendees will be able to follow performers through the Anderson Gallery in Drake University’s Harmon Fine Arts Center (1310 25th St) for The Cadence of Life, an immersive opera that’s free to attend.

The narrative centers on Cadence, the daughter of a politically affluent family. She falls for Strummer, the eldest of three siblings living in an orphanage. Cadence seeks to reveal her romantic interest in Strummer to her father, Angus, in the wake of his triumphant mayoral campaign, but her mother discovers their family is being sued for allegedly stealing land from Strummer’s father decades prior.

Much like performance art, immersive theater and even flash mobs, the idea of an

AMANA RENAISSANCE FAIRE & GATHERING O’CELTS

middle Amana Community park, the Amana Colonies, Oct. 7-8, $8-80

The Amana Colonies’ ren faire, known as the Amana Renaissance Faire & Gathering o’ Celts, picks up this fall for its 31st anniversary. Held at the Middle Amana Community Park (801 27th Ave) on Oct. 7 and 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, the faire aims to transport attendees to Europe circa the 15th century, with full-tilt jousting, all-ages reenactments and charming anachronisms galore.

There will be more than 55 stalls in the village marketplace selling various medieval and renaissance clothing items, weapons, trinkets, jewelry, costumes and more. Grab a turkey leg, mead or Iowa-made beer from one of the food stalls, then pick up a new fantasy novel from the author’s own table.

The Great Flood at the Stanley. Courtesy of Nathan Felix immersive opera is to blur the lines between the performers and the audience. The Cadence of Life will utilize acoustics, space and movement to activate the Anderson Gallery and its 1,800 square feet of exhibition space. The audience is encouraged to follow the show’s soloists, but there are no guidelines: each attendee is given the reins to explore based on feeling, sight and soundscape.

“I find the traditions of opera to be a bit stale, and I’m always looking to ignite something in a new, innovative way,” Felix said.

This piece was inspired by Anderson’s very own featured fall artist, Judy Pfaff, whose work represents chaos and control, fluidity and vibrancy, as well as the exploration of environments and space.

Earlier this year, Felix staged a similar event at the Stanley Museum of Art in Iowa City. That show, The Great Flood, was likewise unique to that space, interpreting the Iowa City of flood of 2008 (which displaced the museum for over a decade) as an immersive opera.

Felix aspires to leave the audience inspired and emotionally connected to the story. He envisions this performance as experiential theater in collaboration with Drake University’s opera program. While speaking with Little Village, he emphasized the importance of supporting these budding artists in their journey.

“This is something new, exciting and fresh. It’s for art lovers,” said Felix. “These performers are the future singers and musicians of Iowa and other parts of the world, so coming to see them would be really beneficial for their paths and careers.” ––Natalie Nye

Live entertainment will be familiar to regular Amana ren faire-goers, including belly dancers, comedy troupes, tournaments, sword fights, medieval music, dragon stories and performances throughout both days. But Amana has a few new tricks up their sleeve for this October faire, such as a pop-up escape room experience.

Ali Peters / Little Village

Parking will be in abundance on the grass at the community park. Tickets, available at the gate as well as online, range from $8 to $80, with a single general admission adult ticket costing $15 for a day. Plunk your coins on the table and have a merry time!

—Steven A. Arts

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. Shafi Hossain: Stand-Up Comedy, Teehee’s Comedy Club, $15-20

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. Anthony Jeselnik, Hoyt Sherman Place, $48-78

Friday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. Kathleen Madigan, Hoyt Sherman Place, $39.50-46.50

Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. Dan Donohue: Stand-Up Comedy, Teehee’s Comedy Club, $15-20

Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. Beer & Ballet, Ballet Des Moines

Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. Cat & Nat Unfiltered Live, Hoyt Sherman Place, $42.50-128

Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. Monica Nevi: Stand-Up Comedy, Teehee’s Comedy Club, $15-20

Saturday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. Nurse Blake, Hoyt Sherman Place, $42.50-87.50

Opening Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Wicked Queen, Tallgrass Theatre Company, $10-20

Opening Friday, Dec. 1. All is Calm, Des Moines Community Playhouse

EASTERN IOWA FILM

Thursday, Sept. 7-10 at 7 p.m. Cat Video Fest, Cinema Fairfield, $7

Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. Eve’s Bayou, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 10 p.m. The Descent, FilmScene—Chauncey, Free-$8

Sunday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. Spring Breakers, FilmScene—Ped Mall Rooftop, $20

Monday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Top Hat, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10-13

Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Costa Brava, Lebanon, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10

Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Rain Man, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10-13

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. Jimmy in Saigon, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10

Thursday and Friday, Sept. 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. Jerry’s Last Mission, Cinema Fairfield, $6

Friday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. Jumanji, Summer Movies at Central Park, Free

Friday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. Isle of Dogs, Fairfield Public Library, Free

Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16 and 17. The Picture Show: Matilda, FilmScene—Chauncey, Free-$5

Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7:20 p.m. A Hard Day’s Night, FilmScene in the Park, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, Sept. 16 at 10 p.m. Cooley High, FilmScene—Chauncey, $8

Monday, Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Meet Me in St. Louis, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10-13

Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. Kiss the Ground: Film Screening, Iowa City Public Library, Free

Thursday, Sept. 21 at 3:30 p.m. The Picture Show: Matilda, FilmScene—Chauncey, Free-$5

Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. Marshawn Lynch: A History, FilmScene—Chauncey, Free

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Casper, Johnson County Fairgrounds, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 10 p.m. Breakfast on Pluto, FilmScene—Chauncey, Free-$8

Sunday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. Existenz, FilmScene—Ped Mall Rooftop, $20

Monday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. The Young Girls of Rochefort, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10-13

Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. City Without Jews, Cinema Fairfield, $6

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. Little Shop of Horrors, FilmScene in the Park, Free

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 10 p.m. The Hitch-Hiker, FilmScene—Chauncey, Free-$8

Sunday, Oct. 1 at 2 p.m. Encanto: The SingAlong Film Concert, Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids, $31-146

JULIA JESSEN’S SURPRISE!

Since starting as the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art’s curator of collections and exhibitions in July, Julia Jessen has been exploring the museum’s 8,000-piece permanent collection in preparation for her assigned first project, “Surprise! The New Curator’s Surprise Finds in the Collection.”

Little Village caught up with Jessen to see what’s catching her eye.

tell me a little bit about your background. You’ve had quite varied experiences in museums, right? Yeah, I’ve had a lot of different roles within the museum sphere. After undergrad I worked for a few years in what was then the University of Iowa Museum of Art in their education department. And that was a time when they still didn’t have their permanent building, so we were doing a lot of outreach and going out into schools, which was really fun.

I went to Syracuse for grad school and got a Master’s in Art History and a Master’s in Museum Studies ... I went to the Museum of Danish America over in Elk Horn, Iowa; I was the registrar over there. This is my first time being an interior curator position, professionally.

What excites you most about this role? Working in an art museum, with artwork, that’s something I always had in mind, and CRMA has such a fantastic collection here—both with the artists that you know and expect from CRMA, like [Grant] Wood and Marvin Cone, and then there are all of these surprises, which is the topic of this exhibition that I’m working on.

I’m hoping to pull out and show the breadth and depth of the collection, that maybe even people who have been here for a really long time might not know about.

What are some examples of the surprises you found behind the scenes? One of the things that I was surprised about was the strength of the ceramic and three-dimensional art in the collection. The museum actually has a really great partnership with the Iowa Ceramics Center and Glass Studio here in Cedar Rapids; we acquire work from the residents over there.

I was really excited to come across a small blackware pot by Maria Martinez, a very famous Pueblo potter. Cat Chow was an artist in residency in Cedar Rapids in 2006, and during the time she was here, she created this form made up of found material and material that community members brought in.

Are there any pieces that haven’t seen the light of day, or at least any patrons, in a while? There is a little photo album that I’m thinking of including and probably will, and it’s all Polaroid photos by Andy Warhol. It’s one of his little red books from 1971. He was, like, documenting the activities of his social scene using a Polaroid camera, and then he would sequence them in these little albums. It’s a piece that I don’t believe we’ve ever displayed before.

—Emma McClatchey

A Q&A with the new CrmA curator ahead of her debut exhibition, opening Oct. 7.

Malcolm MacDougall / Little Village

BITCH AND CRYS MATTHEWS

CSpS Hall, Cedar rapids, Oct. 12, 7 p.m., $18-22

What reason do you have to bitch and cry this October when you have the chance to see Bitch and Crys Matthews at CSPS Hall?

Bitch has been a queer icon and indie musician since the ’90s while they were performing with fellow musician Animal Prufrock with the name Bitch and Animal representing the pair’s performing days.

Starting 2005’s Be-Sides, one take wonders and poems, Bitch began releasing solo albums and released the latest, Bitchcraft, in 2022, nearly a decade after their previous album, In Us We Trust.

“I was able to think really big, and kind of sonically. It’s sonically the biggest think I have ever made,” Bitch told Bust of Bitchcraft during the album’s release. “I have been referring to it as poet-pop because I am a poet as well, and I feel like I was able to embrace a pop structure, and then still have my obtuse-artsy poetry worked in there.”

Bitch will be performing at CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids (1103 3rd St SE) on Oct. 12. Appearing that same night is fellow queer artist, Crys Matthews.

A musical counterpoint to the electric-pop sound of Bitchcraft, Matthews is known for pulling from genres like folk, bluegrass and funk. Though not as seasoned a performer as Bitch, Matthews has gained her fair share of acclaim.

Her song “Changemakers” was named song of the year in 2022 at the International Folk Music Awards and is the namesake of her 2021 album.

“Changemakers is my new, hope-fueled, lovefilled social justice album, Matthews told Jejune Magazine in 2021. “I’m singing about everything from The #MeToo Movement, to Black Lives Matter, to gun safety and reform, to the opioid crisis, to immigration. These are social justice issues, but they are all human issues.”

Tickets for the double-billed event are $18 in advance or $22 at the door.

––Isaac Hamlet

Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training

September 23 & 24

October 17 & 18

November 15 & 16

December 16 & 17

LivingWorks ASIST is a free, two-day face-to-face workshop on how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive.

ASIST is designed for the average citizen who wants to learn more about how to talk with those experiencing thoughts of suicide.

MINDY MEJIA

Iowa City book Festival, Various venues, Iowa City, Oct. 8-15, Free

Mindy Mejia was only at the University of Iowa for one year of undergrad, but she still remembers the storm.

“During one trip back [to UI] to visit friends, I actually got caught in an ice storm, so very similar to the setting of the book,” the Minnesotabased author recalled. “Everything was shut down, only 35 and 80 were open, there were hundreds of wrecks, semis turned over, I thought I was going to die and I didn’t know if I was ever gonna get out of Iowa.

“I think the trauma of that trip sat in the back of my head for years and years,” she added with a chuckle, “and I just realized, eventually, I was gonna have to write a book about it.”

Nearly 20 years later, that experience has been channeled into her latest book.

To Catch a Storm is Mejia’s fifth novel. Released in early August, this new thriller follows physicist Eve Roth whose husband, a University of Iowa professor suspended for inappropriate conduct with a student, goes missing. The last trace of him is his abandoned, burning car, and Eve is the investigators’ top suspect.

Eve’s search to find her husband and prove her innocence finds her paired up with one Jonah Kendrick, a man who claims to be a psychic detective and has been having dreams of Eve’s husband bleeding in a barn. As Eve reluctantly joins forces with Jonah, the pair rush to find answers in Iowa as the state freezes over This latest publication is unique among Mejia’s books—which include Everything You Want Me To Be and Leave No Trace—in that To Catch a Storm is part of a series. Mejia is already at work on the second book.

“It’s in the same world, we follow the same characters, it’s very much a follow-up,” she said. “All of our major plot points are wrapped up [in the first book] but there’s a lot to get into here. There are two different characters narrating this next book, and I can’t tell you who those are because I don’t want you to know who survives book one.”

Mejia’s upcoming appearance is part of Iowa City’s annual Book Festival. This year’s lineup also includes—among others—John Irving (The World According to Garp), Daniel Kraus (Whalefall) and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak (A Critique of Postcolonial Reason). The festival runs from Oct. 8 to 15 with Mejia’s event scheduled for Oct. 14. More information about Mejia’s appearance and other Book Festival events can be found at iowacityofliterature.org.

—Isaac Hamlet

Monday, Oct. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Yentl, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10-13

Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. S.T.B. Horror Trilogy, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10

Friday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. Rocky Horror Picture Show, Capitol Theatre, Davenport

Monday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. Anna Karenina, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10-13

Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. Pride at FilmScene: Drop Dead Gorgeous, FilmScene—Chauncey, $10

Sunday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. Can’t Hardly Wait, FilmScene—Ped Mall Rooftop, $20

Monday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. Boycott, FilmScene—Chauncey, Free w/RSVP

Thursday, Oct. 26 at 5:30 p.m. Free Horror Film: The Exorcist, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Free

Friday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. The Bride of Frankenstein, FilmScene in the Park, Free

Friday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Disney/Pixar’s COCO Live-to-Film Concert, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, $20-45

Sunday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Fargo, FilmScene—Ped Mall Rooftop, $20

Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. Pride at FilmScene: Young Soul Rebels, FilmScene— Chauncey, $10

Mindy Mejia. Jessica Mealey

www.icfilmscene.org/vino-verite

INFINITE DREAM

Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, Oct. 11-21, $35-85 for full festival pass

Hancher Auditorium is bringing the first Infinite Dream festival to the University of Iowa and Iowa City this fall. From October 11-21, festival goers can attend interdisciplinary dances, lectures, concerts and readings put on in collaboration with the University’s Office of Performing Arts and Engagement.

“We are aiming to celebrate the creative culture that has been cultivated in over 100-plus years on campus … in the intensity of a 2-week time frame,” says André Perry, executive director of Hancher Auditorium. “We’re concentrated on more longform processes and reinforcing an ongoing, shifting culture.”

Audiences will see established interdisciplinary performers from around the country during this 10-day festival which themes itself around exploring “the complex fabric of the American Story.” Acts like the new musical trio Love In Exile and the self-conducted, 18-piece orchestra known as Sphinx Virtuosi, which aims to reframe the legacy of classic music through community engagement and building the power of diversity in the arts, will perform.

Iowa Writers’ Workshop grad and author/screenwriter John Irving (The World According to Garp) will appear on Oct. 13 in one of the select events shared with Iowa City Book Festival and Refocus Film Festival (both of which overlap with Infinite Dream).

Infinite Dream also heavily features University of Iowa students, staff and faculty from across creative mediums and hosted in multiple venues from myriad spaces on the UI campus to the Englert Theatre and Riverside Theatre.

A long-standing collaboration between the International Writing Program and the Department of Dance will be reflected during Uncharted Myths: Reckonings, Reflections, and Riffs on American Stories. Those in the writing program will read their work as dance students perform choreography inspired by the pieces. It will be a free performance, open to the public at the Space Place in North Hall.

Rebekah Kowal, director of the University of Iowa Department of Dance, looks forward to the opportunities provided to audiences, educators and students

High school and university students alike are able to purchase discounted passes for the festival at $35—as opposed to $85—to

Shahzad Ismaily, Vijay Iyer and Arooj Aftab are among the performer’s at Hancher’s new Infinite Dream Festival. Ebru Yildiz

encourage education at the festival. While many performances and discussions will be free and open to the public, passes to Infinite Dream will include guaranteed admission to four shows at Hancher and the Englert.

“André [Perry] and Aaron Greenwald [Hancher’s programming & engagement director] really put a lot of thought into what … the potential conversation between the student and the audience and the performer could look like during Infinite Dream,” said Kowal. “The new ideas on the frontline are able to have higher recognition.”

On Oct. 13, Kowal will moderate a discussion with choreographer LaTasha Barnes for Regarding the Continuum: An Exploration of Dreams Fulfilled. The two will talk about the driving themes of Barnes’ dance career including the analysis of African forms in American dance, particularly jazz and hip hop.

Kowal herself will also present research and an excerpt from her latest work-in-progress, the subject of copious research on the impact of dancing on American soldiers and ex-G.I.s during and after WWI and WWII. The work—set to be presented on Oct. 19 in the Stanley Museum’s lobby—will also touch on Kowal’s findings about the nuances of gender expression, sociology and mental health of soldiers in the creative industry.

When Perry was asked about some of the Infinite Dream’s most anticipated events, Perry pointed to Andrew Schneider’s piece: N O W I S W H E N W E A R E (the stars). This is a light-based performance installation planned to be set up at the Hancher from Oct. 18-21.

“Schneider hasn’t gotten the opportunity to perform this piece often yet, so it will be special to see,” said Perry.

As of reporting, tickets for 10 of the 32 available dates have already sold out. Tickets for just Schneider’s installation are $10 for a self guided tour, or $40 for a guided tour.

––Elaine Irvine

CENTRAL IOWA FILM

Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. National Theater Live: Fleabag Live, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines, $22-25

Thursday, Sept. 7 at 10 p.m. RoboCop, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines, $9-12

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 10 p.m. Starship Troopers, Varsity Cinema, $9-12

Friday, Sept. 15. Cassandro, Varsity Cinema, $9-12

Friday, Sept. 22. It Lives Inside, Varsity Cinema, $9-12

Wednesday, Sept. 27. Book Club: American Psycho, Varsity Cinema, $9-12

Thursday, Sept. 28. Stop Making Sense, Varsity Cinema, $9-12

Friday-Sunday, Sept. 29-Oct 3 Manhattan Short Film Festival, Des Moines Art Center, Free w/registration

Friday and Saturday, Oct. 13 and 14. Little Shoppe of Horrors, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines, $9-12

Tuesday, Oct. 17. Black Swan, Varsity Cinema, Des Moines, $9-12

Thursday, Oct. 19. Rocky Horror Picture Show + Shadow Cast, Varsity Cinema, $20

Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. National Theatre Live: Frankenstein, Varsity Cinema, $22-25

Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Live in Concert, Des Moines Civic Center, $29-70

Sunday, Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m. Film & Commentary: Standing Strong: Elizabeth Catlett, Des Moines Art Center, Free

EASTERN IOWA COMMUNITY

Thursdays, Sept. 7, 21 and Oct. 5, 19 at 5:30 p.m. Pint Night Ride, Singlespeed Brewing Co., Waterloo, Free

Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. Book Lovers Trivia Night, Sidekick Books & Coffee, Iowa City, $20

Friday, Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. Crib Fest 2023, Corn Crib Nursery, Coal Valley, Free-$13

Friday, Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. Barnyard Bash, Maasdam Barns, Fairfield, Free

Friday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. Reception: Fall Exhibitions: Ochs and Vandewalle, Gilded Pear Gallery, Cedar Rapids, Free

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. Fall Native Plant Sale, Hauberg Estate, Rock Island, Free

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. 8th Annual Monarch Release Party, Nahant Marsh, Davenport, Free

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 11 a.m. Bakesale for Reproductive Justice, Revival, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. Quad Cities Beer: A History Book Signing, Green Tree Brewery, LeClaire, Free

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. Paranormal Investigation, Quarters One, Rock Island, $30

Saturday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. SCWPro’s 20th Anniversary, Blue Grass Community Center

Sunday, Sept. 10 at 9 a.m. ARTapalooza, Cedar Falls Downtown District, Free

Sunday, Sept. 10 at 12 p.m. Artists’ Market, Skeleton Key Art and Antiques, Rock Island, Free

Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. Women’s Basketball in Iowa: An Obermann Conversation, Iowa City Public Library, Free

REFOCUS FILM FESTIVAL

FilmScene, Iowa City, Oct. 12-15, $48-225

After a 44-year hiatus, last year’s Refocus Film Festival reinvigorated a community of film lovers from all across Iowa to come together and celebrate their shared cinephilia.

Among classic films like Orlando, starring Tilda Swinton, and exciting new experimental films like Framing Agnes, the undeniable “big get” of last year was the opening night premiere of Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All. That film’s appearance was paired with a dialogue from screenwriter and producer David Kajganich (a University of Iowa alum), and author Camille DeAngelis.

According to organizers, acquisitions of that

same notoriety present a challenge this year, with major studios refusing to meet fair wages demanded by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, limiting press for festival premieres.

“It’s a bit of a difficult year for film festivals and for the film industry just because of the ongoing SAG and Writers Guild strikes,” said Andrew Sherburne, the executive director and co-founder of FilmScene. “So being able to pull off a successful festival, [on] just our second year under some of those added pressures … if we can do that this year, I’ll feel pretty happy.”

“We want to make sure that we’re standing in solidarity with the various guilds with our programming,” Programming Director Ben Delgado added, “so we’re being pretty careful as to who we invite and what films we invite. Making sure that we’re not crossing any picket lines.”

That considered, this year’s festival isn’t lacking in celebrity presence. Academy

Award-winning screenwriter of The Cider House Rules, John Irving, will take the Hancher stage on Friday, Oct. 13 to talk about his life and creative process with Iowa Writers’ Workshop Director Lan Samantha Chang.

“I think that is really one of our biggest goals for this second year is just to have greater participation,” Sherburne said. “We’re in partnership with the Iowa City Book Festival, as we were last year, as well as the new Hancher Infinite Dream Festival. So we’re creating a weekend that really showcases art in many ways. So whatever it is you’re interested in, and wherever you are in the state of Iowa, you should be in Iowa City that weekend, because there’s something there for you.”

Refocus Film Festival takes place from Oct. 12-15 this year. Passes and more information about the festival are available online.

—Adam Sparks

RETURN OF THE FLEUR

One of Iowa’s favorite indie movie theaters is finally back in bloom.

After three years without regular showings, Des Moines’ Fleur Cinema & Cafe (4545 Fleur Dr) announced its imminent return in late July. According to Russell Vannorsdel, the president of Fridley Theatres, his organization aspires “to have the facility open prior to Oct. 1.”

This deadline would have the theater operational in time for Oscar season, allowing a showcase of upcoming Academy Awards contenders.

Having closed on March 13, 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the United States, the Fleur did not reopen even as theaters across the state began to welcome back in-person crowds in late 2021 and 2022.

When the Fleur Cinema & Cafe first opened in 2001, it was the first movie theater in the state of Iowa to feature a full espresso bar and serve beer and wine. The Fleur was known for choosing films outside the typical blockbusters found at most multiplexes.

Fridley Theatres is an Iowa-based company now operating 17 movie theaters across the state. Though Fridley will be operating the Fleur, ownership will not change.

“I cannot think of a better company to be the steward of this theater into the future,” said Michael Coppola, the owner of both the Fleur and the real estate company Coppola Enterprises, in the press release announcing the cinema’s reopening. “I knew Bob Fridley, and he was one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. A true gentleman who loved the movies and embodied the business.”

Another notable Iowa theater operated by Fridley is the State Theatre in Washington, Iowa, which, having been open for over 125 years, is often considered the longest continuously operating movie theater in the world.

—Isaac Hamlet

It was recently announced that renowned film director Werner Herzog (Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo, Grizzly Man, Cave of Forgotten Dreams) is coming to Iowa City as part of the Refocus Film Festival, Infinite Dream and the Iowa City Book Festival on Sunday, Oct. 15. His appearance, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Englert Theatre, is part of a tour promoting his memoir Every Man for Himself and God Against All Herzog will close out the four-day film festival, but not before dozens ofother events. Little Village asked Refocus’s organizers at FilmScene to describe four of the featured films.

Eileen Starring Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway, and directed by William Oldroyd (Lady Macbeth), this thriller about a young secretary working at a juvenile corrections facility adapts a novel of the same name.

Egoist Directed by Japanese filmmaker Daishi Matsunaga, Egoist is also a book adaptation. FilmScene Programming Assistant Jane Keranen described it as an “interesting reflection on love and selfishness” that presents “a refreshing romantic perspective on queer romance.”

Time Bomb Y2K This HBO documentary comes from directors Brian Becker and Marley McDonald. According to Ben Delgado, FilmScene’s programming director, “Time Bomb Y2K is an archival film repurposed to make a new work” that’s “about the millennial Y2K panic.”

Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia This 2022 French animated film tells the charming story of a bear and mouse journeying to repair a broken violin. “It’s fun to be able to include this film because we played the original in our first six months down on the Ped Mall,” said FilmScene co-founder Andrew Sherburne.

—Isaac Hamlet

Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 4:30 pm. Teacher Appreciation Event, Fairfield Chamber, Free

Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 5:30 p.m. Party In the Park: Lighted Lantern Parade, Lincoln Park, Rock Island, Free

Wednesday, Sept. 13 and Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. Self Produce Your Band or Music Project w/Dan Miller, Public Space One Close House, Iowa City, $10-120

Friday-Saturday, Sept. 15-16. Our Big Fat Greek Festival, Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, Free-$2

Sunday, Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. Mostly True Storytelling for Adults: Humorous Stories, Phoenix Rising, Fairfield, donation-based

Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. NEST Café Harvest Meal Fundraiser, Martin Luther King Jr. Center, Rock Island

Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. Artist Talk: Zimoun, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Free

Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m. Sports, Power, and Resistance Obermann Arts & Humanities Keynote Address, FilmScene— Chauncey, Free

Friday, Sept. 22 at 2:30 p.m. Keynote Address: Sports, Power, Resistance, Stanley Museum of Art, Free

Friday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. In a Time of Witness: Launch Party, Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City, Free

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 9 a.m. Quad Cities’ Past: Helen Van Dale, Fairmount Cemetery and Crematory, Davenport, Free

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 9 a.m. BAFLTAFRBike Around the Fairfield Loop Trail, Free

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11 a.m. Northside Oktoberfest, Iowa City, $68

Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Railside Music Series: Mountain Swallower, Pour Bros. Craft Taproom, Moline, Free

Werner Herzog with Klaus Kinski. Still from ‘My Best Fiend’

JEKYLL & HYDE

temple theater, Des moines, Oct. 27-29, $200-300 for season tickets

At a press conference on Aug. 8, Ballet Des Moines announced plans to move into the downtown space that was once the Kaleidoscope at the Hub, giving the West Des Moines-based dance company a footprint in the center of the state’s capital.

The new facility is expected to formally open sometime this December. It will double the ballet’s rehearsal space, and include a studio theater able to seat roughly 50 people and in-house prop storage.

“There’s a lot of ballets doing this that have been very successful,” Tom Mattingly, Ballet Des Moines’ artistic director, said of the studio theater. “It allows them to expand their programming at a very small cost because you’re not accruing the cost of paying for stage rentals and all of those lights and sound, which add up very quickly [for every performance].”

The new storage means that, when Ballet Des Moines does perform at other venues (such as Hoyt Sherman Place for the annual Nutcracker Ballet in December), it will be much easier to get props transported.

It hopes to better engage with organizations and individuals in the center of Des Moines.

“There’s been a lot of discussion in recent years about how important it is to ensure the creative community is present,” said Beth Nigut, the executive vice president of EMC Insurance—which owns the Kaleidoscope Hub—during the Aug. 8 presser. “It helps ensure the vibrancy and economies of cities.

“The ballet is an important contributor to Central Iowa’s rich arts and cultural audience,” she continued. “Today’s news puts Ballet Des

Moines in the heart of downtown in a highly visible location, sure to inspire and engage all those who pass by on the sidewalk and in the skywalk.”

Kaleidoscope Hub is set for a facelift as well: repainted brick, new signage and bigger, more energy-efficient windows are all part of the plan for the building’s facade.

Dancers will don a facade of a different sort in October when Ballet Des Moines stages Jekyll & Hyde

“This will be a re-imagining inspired by the classic novel,” Mattingly said. “[It’s] very much inspired by and drawing

from the themes of the novel, but not a direct adaptation of the storyline.”

The new ballet will have its premiere at 7 p.m. on Oct. 27 at the Temple Theater—just blocks away from the ballet’s downtown home-to-be— with four total shows through that weekend.

––Isaac Hamlet

BBS Architects Engineers

BBS Architects Engineers

Monday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Beyond Bix: Researching Local Musicians in the QC, Davenport Public Library, Free

Tuesday-Wedneday, Sept. 26-27 One Iowa Midwest LGBTQ Health and Wellness Conference Graduate Hotel, Iowa City, $25-175

Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Alan Page, Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, Free

Friday, Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m. Artist Reception: Renee Wilkie, Waterloo Center for the Arts, Free

Thursday, Oct. 5 at 5:30 p.m. CR Park Foundation: Beers in the Barnyard, Old MacDonald’s Farm, Cedar Rapids, $50

Friday, October 6 at 6 p.m. Oktoberfest, Fairfield First Friday, Free

Sunday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. Welcome to the Night Vale, Englert Theatre, $15-37.50

Sunday, Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. Mostly True –Storytelling for Adults: Embarrassing Moments, Phoenix Rising, Fairfield, donation-based

Thursday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. Pottery with Miss Carolyn, The ARTery, Rock Island, free

Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 21 and 22 Paper Puppets w/Emily Martin, Public Space Close House, $20-180

Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28-29. Screenprinting w/Pastels, Iowa City Press Co-op, $20-175

What are you looking forward to this fall?

“My favorite fall events definitely include spooky outings, such as Scare DSM and The Phantom Fall Fest at Adventureland! I might even make a trip down to Bloomsbury Farms for a fall date day.”

—Melanie Mackey, stand-up comedian

“I can’t wait to see The Wizard of Oz, directed by Angie Toomsen for Theatre Cedar Rapids. I have so much admiration for her talent as a director, especially shepherding big warhorse musicals.”

—Cavan Hallman, artistic director, Mirrobox Theatre

“I certainly suggest attending Cedar Falls’ first annual Lost Woods Festival on Oct. 7. I promise you’ll find me in attendance.”

—Ryann Nuss, booking agent, Better in Black Booking

“My wife and I are excited for the new season of shows at the Des Moines Civic Center, specifically Funny Girl. Also, Socks in the Frying Pan on Sept. 21.” —Josh Hewitt, co-owner, Wooly’s

“The new bands I am the most stoked on are God’s Hand, a new post punk band, Single File, a new avant-garde, electronic project and Muscle, a new power violence band from Des Moines.” —Dolly Sperry, Pokey’s Recordz

“I’m looking forward to another packed spot on the calendar when Feed Me Weird Things’ second FEaST festival and the Mic Check Poetry Fest share the first weekend in November.” —John Kenyon, executive director, Iowa City Book Festival

“This fall, I am looking forward to the 2023 Iowa Music Awards hosted at the Riverside Casino.”

—The Zeffster, rapper

“FEaST!! INFINITE DREAM!! MY FRIEND KENZI’S ART EXHIBITION!! There’s so much art I am literally overwhelmed all the time :’)” —Elly Hoffmaier, programming coordinator, Englert Theatre

STANDINGSTRONG: ELIZABETHCATLETT SCREENING

with remarks from producer marie Wilkes and director Kevin Kelley, Des moines Art Center, Sunday, Nov. 19, 1:30 p.m., Free

In a new documentary on artist Elizabeth Catlett, Heather Nickels, a curator at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, remarks that Catlett’s mission as a sculptor and printmaker was to excavate the stories of “nameless and faceless” Black women.

Standing Strong, directed by Kevin Kelley—and screening at the Des Moines Arts Center on Nov. 19—highlights Catlett’s indispensable place in American art history. The first Black woman to receive a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa in 1940, Catlett was born in 1915 to the children of freedmen in Washington D.C.

Her art was often deeply political, focused on the concerns of Black mothers living through the 20th century.

“After I decided to be an artist, the first thing I had to believe was that I, a Black woman, could penetrate the art scene,” she said in 1976, “and that, further, I could do so without sacrificing one iota of my Blackness or my femaleness or my humanity.”

She joined a Mexico City artists collective known as Taller

de Gráfica Popular in the 1960s and ’70s. When the University of Iowa Museum of Art purchased a set of her prints in 2006—part of an expansive Catlett collection now featured in the Stanley Museum of Art—the artist turned the funds into a scholarship for students of color studying printmaking at UI.

After a long career as a sculptor and art professor, Catlett passed away in 2012 at the age of 96. While she wasn’t allowed to live on the University of Iowa’s campus during her tenure, Catlett is now the namesake of a UI residence hall, completed in 2017.

“I didn’t think I was the voice to speak for Elizabeth Catlett initially,” filmmaker Kevin Kelley admitted. But since “there was nothing [yet] done on her,” the Des Moines native and his producing partner, Marie Wilkes, forged ahead, “looking for Black female voices” to tell Catlett’s story with integrity.

These voices include Nickels as well as Dr. Stella Jones, a New Orleans gallery owner and associate of Catlett’s. Lena and Michael Hill, the authors of Invisible Hawkeyes, which chronicles Black University of Iowa students in the early 20th century, are also featured. Audio and video of Catlett is woven throughout, excerpted from an interview filmed by one of her sons.

According to Wilkes, she and Kelley “want Ms. Catlett to shine.” The film, centered around the oft-forgotten legacy of this trailblazing artist, vividly illuminates a looming figure in art history.

Those interested in seeing the film and hearing from Wilkes and Kelley can register for the free event on the Des Moines Art Center website.

—Rob Silverman Ascher

Friday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. CRMA Gala, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

Friday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. Gallery Hop, Fairfield First Fridays, Free

Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. Immigrant Welcome Benefit Concert & Art Show, James Theater, Iowa City

Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Truthsgiving, Englert Theatre, Iowa City

Thursday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. Mark Shafer Memorial Event, Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, Fairfield, Donation-based

Saturday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. Suminagashi w/Sally Chai, Iowa City Press Co-op, $10-100

Sunday, November 19 at 3 p.m. Mostly True Storytelling for Adults: Gratitude, Phoenix Center, Fairfield, Free

Sunday, Nov. 19 at 10 a.m. Artist Market, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Free

Friday, November 24 at 5:30 p.m. Holiday Lighting Dedication, Chamber of Commerce, Fairfield, Free

CENTRAL IOWA COMMUNITY

Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m. The Ray Way: Asian Culture and Heritage Festival: History of Tea, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, $25.50-30

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 5:30 p.m. The Ray Way Exhibition Opening and Kokedama Display, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Free

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. Capital City Pride: Jeffrey Marsh, Temple Theater, Des Moines, Free

Thursday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. Green Gala & Art Auction, Mainframe Studios, Des Moines

Friday, Sept. 15 at 5:30 p.m. The Ray Way: Sip and Stroll, Greater Des Moines Botanical

Elizabeth Catlett and Sculpture, courtesy of Des Moines Art Center

Garden, $17-20

Saturday, Sept. 16 at 11 a.m. The MidAutumn Celebration, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Free

Sunday, Sept. 17 at 12 p.m. 5k Beer Run, Big Grove Brewery, Des Moines, Free-$48

Monday, Sept. 17 at 1:30 p.m. Double Take Gallery Talk, Des Moines Art Center, Free

Sunday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. Pottery Fest, Jasper Winery, Des Moines, Free

Saturday, Sept. 30 at 12 p.m. Oktoberfest, Confluence Brewing Company, Des Moines, $35

Friday, Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. October First Friday, Mainframe Studios, Free

Saturday, Oct. 7 at 10 a.m. Heartland Bazaar, Rumors Vintage, Des Moines, Free

Sunday, Oct. 8 at 1:30 p.m. Artist Lecture: Liza Lou, Des Moines Art Center, Free

Thursday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. Gallery Talk w/Max Colby and Laura Burkhalter, Des Moines Art Center, Free w/registration

Saturday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. Ghoulish Gala, Salisbury House & Gardens, Des Moines, $150-275

Saturday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. The Salvation Army: Unmasking the Singer, Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, $35-125

Sunday, Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. Highland Happening, Highland Park, Des Moines, Free

Sunday, Oct. 29 at 11 a.m. Day of the Day, Des Moines Art Center, Free

Friday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. November First Friday, Mainframe Studios, Free

rhythm and brews

’Tis the season of Oktoberfests, tailgates and some of the best beer releases of the year.

Starting in mid-August, Iowa brewers begin announcing the debut of German-style lagers, fall flavors, special collabs and session beers, ideal for sipping as you take in some live, local tunes.

Keep an eye out for these fresh suds in taprooms and at festivals throughout the fall.

Yard Yachting

Confluence brewing Company

1235 Thomas Beck Rd, Des Moines

You don’t come across a session hazy everyday—Yard Yachting clocks in at just 4.5% ABV, barely stronger than a Bud Light—but you can count on Confluence to pull it off without sacrificing the full, bright citrus flavor of the IPA.

Hold my pretzel

SingleSpeed brewing

325 Commercial St, Waterloo

128 Main St, Cedar Falls

303 Scott Ave, Des Moines

When SingleSpeed hosts their second-annual Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 16 in Waterloo, their festbier Hold My Pretzel (5.9% ABV) will likely be a popular choice. This German-inspired lager is gold as Bavarian cream, boasting floral, spice and honey-sweet notes.

Zombie Awakening

Lion bridge brewing Company

59 16th Ave SW, Cedar Rapids

If you like your coffee black, you might just like your beer that way, too. This black ale (7% ABV) is infused with enough Dash Coffee Roasters dark roast to wake the dead, which is how you might feel after a trip to Bloomsbury Farm’s Scream Acres this Halloween season—Zombie Awakening is a collaboration between Lion Bridge and the Atkins-based haunt (open Oct. 6-28).

Hopped

Wilson’s Orchard & Farm

4823 Dingleberry Rd NE, Iowa City; Des Moines location opening in 2024

A remastered version of one of the cidery’s original creations, Hoppleseed, this dryhopped cider (6.9% ABV) boasts a thoughtful hop blend with “hints of citrus, tropical fruit, and ‘grassy dank-ness,’” according to Wilson’s description. Imagine smoking some fresh bud from a honeycrisp apple (in the best way).

Orca-strated Attack

7 Hills brewing Company

1085 Washington St, Dubuque

Named in honor of the killer whales who’ve taken up the noble sport of luxury yacht hunting in recent years, this craft seltzer (6% ABV) will keep the summer going into the fall, featuring blue raspberry, coconut and a hue as blue as the Iberian coast.

Legend

1st Down brewing Company

106 E Court Ave, Winterset

All hail corn ale! This collaboration between nano-brewery 1st Down, founded by former Cyclones football player Sam Anker and

his wife Missy, and Peace Tree Brewing

Company (locations in Knoxville and downtown Des Moines) was crafted in honor of legendary tackle Jack Trice (1902-1923), Iowa State’s first Black athlete. A portion of sales from this cardinal-red corn ale (5% ABV)—punctuated with caramel notes and a malty finish—benefit the Trice Legacy Foundation, “furthering its impact in helping Black students succeed, and helping to build a culture of doing better.”

I’m a beerbie Girl

515 brewing

7700 University Ave Suite C, Clive

This rose beer is pink enough to bring back your Barbenheimer spirit! Made with prickly pear and hibiscus, Beerbie Girl (6% ABV) made a splash at the Great Taste of the Midwest festival in Madison, Wisconsin last month, and has its own pink 515 merch line.

Czech premium Lager

Field Day brewing Company

925 Liberty Way, North Liberty

Even the flagship beers from this North Liberty brewery are new, considering Field Day just opened its doors and taps to the public on Aug. 1, but the brewpub is already making some bold statements. This light, golden lager (5.5% ABV) is double decocted, a traditional microbrewing process that

being tired?

Ten Iowa-made beverages that belong in a beer garden.

bY EmmA mCCLAtCHEY

Emma McClatchey / Little Village

lengthens the brew time but pulls complex flavors from the malt. Grab a stein and get in line for duckpin bowling in the back!

Good Grove

big Grove brewery

101 W Main St, Solon

1225 S Gilbert St, Iowa City

555 17th St, Des Moines

Big Grove has grown like kudzu over the past decade, with a fourth location set to open this winter in Cedar Rapids. BG brewers are applying some of their magic to crafting a “beer that plants trees”—or at least helps fund tree planting. Good Grove (5.3% ABV) is a new fruited ale in a forest-green can, flavored with tree fruits: mango, pomegranate and lime. Big Grove has partnered with Trees Forever, a nonprofit working to improve Linn County’s tree canopy after the 2020 derecho, and have pledged to plant 400 trees in four years.

Climbing Kites

Lua brewing

1525 High St, Des Moines

Let this 0% ABV, 21+ seltzer be your liquid herbage for the evening. Climbing Kites arrived earlier this year as “Iowa’s first cannabis-infused social beverage.” Every can includes hemp-derived CBD and THC— yes, it’s legal in Iowa, and yes, you’ll likely feel some effects after about 20-30 minutes (more answers at climbingkites.com/faqs).

All four flavors are “all-natural, calorie free, vegan, gluten free, and alcohol free,” the brewers at Lua promise: Orange Mango (10 mg THC, 20 mg CBD), Pineapple Passion Fruit and Peach Prickly Pear (both 5 mg THC, 10 mg CBD), and Mixed Berry (10 mg THC, 20 mg CBD).

Be sure to also check out our upcoming productions of High

Fidelity: The Musical

book by David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Amanda Green directed by Will Asmus

October 20 - 29

A Christmas Story

by Philip Grecian, based on the 1983 motion picture written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark directed by Jeffrey Allen Mead

December 1 - 10

Inherit the Wind

by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee directed by Brian Tanner

February 2 - 11

Significant Other

by Joshua Harmon directed by Michele Payne Hinz

April 5 - 14

Once Upon a Mattress

book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer directed by Jean Grewe

May 17 - 26 ● presented at the City Park Festival Stage

For more information, please visit our website, www.iowacitycommunitytheatre.org, or find us on Facebook.

MOVING SOON?

Dear Kiki,

My boyfriend has a weird tendency to get bored with sex positions while we’re having sex and wants to move on to a different position or configuration or action every minute or so. We’ll be in doggy, then he’ll want to move to a blowjob, then to reverse cowgirl, et cetera, et cetera. It’s not really a conscious thing for him, and he seems surprised at how often it happens—I mean, I still get off and that’s great, but it just gets confusing when I’m constantly spinning like I’m on a sexual teacup ride. Is this weird? Should I learn to deal with it or is there a way to find a happy medium towards a happy ending?

Signed, Teacup at the Mad Tea Party

Dear Teacup,

Dear Glute,

Well, you’ve got a few choices here. One, you could burn down your home and start from scratch in a new city with a new partner vetted specifically to exclude anyone with celiac disease. Two, you could ignore your post-coital cravings and starve—starve, I tell you! Three, you could abandon your cuddling and pillow talk and eat your gluten furtively in the kitchen.

Or, you could schlep on down to your local deli or food co-op and pick up some confirmed gluten-free pastrami, to eat with the gluten-free bread

YOU HAVE A WONDErFUL CHANCE HErE tO ASK FOr

SOmEtHING NEW. SLOW tHINGS DOWN A bIt AND EXpLOrE WItH YOUr bOYFrIEND.

that I’m sure you already keep on-hand for your partner’s convenience (even if you don’t live together). Most pastrami already is gluten-free, but it’s definitely possible for there to be cross-contamination, or for a marinade or seasoning used to include gluten. So it’s wonderful of you to be on the lookout! But it’s definitely possible to find gluten-free, and it’s a small price to pay for those extra few minutes lying in each other’s arms.

––xoxo, Kiki

xoxo, Kiki

As you say, you still get off and that’s great! As long as you’re both ending up where you need to go, how wild the ride is shouldn’t matter (and wow, you must be getting a great workout!). First off, it’s worth acknowledging that switching positions frequently can be a tactic to prevent getting off too quickly. It’s possible your boyfriend is attempting to ensure your pleasure, which is never a bad thing! However, it’s Kiki’s personal policy never to let an opportunity for experimentation go wasted. You have a wonderful chance here to ask for something new. Slow things down a bit and explore with your boyfriend. There are other ways to delay orgasm, and dedicated time spent discovering exactly what you each find most pleasurable is always time well spent. Just be sure not to mock or deride him if you’re testing out new territory and he finishes sooner than you’re used to. Let this be about finding greater levels of ecstasy for both of you, not just about steadying your spinning mind! ––

Dear Kiki,

My partner and I have a great sex life. We are adventurous, giving, etc. The only issue is, sex makes me hungry. I have started bringing food into the bedroom, and I think it’s going well! Really, the main issue is, I’m craving a good pastrami sandwich, but my partner is gluten free. Help. Sincerely, The Glutenous Glutton

Dear Kiki,

What is a good dating site for the Little Village area?

Looking to Mingle

Dear Looking,

To be perfectly honest, Kiki hasn’t heard much that’s good about any of the options available around here on the apps. Conventional wisdom suggests that your best bet is surrounding yourself with like-minded people. Have you tried the comments section on the Little Village Facebook page?? ––xoxo, Kiki

ASTROLOGY

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo journalist Anthony Loyd has spent a lot of time in war zones, so it’s no surprise he has bleak views about human nature. He makes the following assertion: “We think we have freedom of choice, but really most of our actions are puny meanderings in the prison yard built by history and early experience.” I agree that our conditioning and routines prevent us from being fully liberated. But most of us have some capacity for responding to the raw truth of the moment and are not utterly bound by the habits of the past. At our worst, we have 20-percent access to freedom of choice. At our best, we have 70-percent. I believe you will be near the 70-percent levels in the

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libra poet T. S. Eliot wrote the iconic narrative poem “The Wasteland.” One part of the story takes place in a bar near closing time. Several times, the bartender calls out, “Hurry up, please—it’s time.” He wants the customers to finish their drinks and leave for the night. Now imagine I’m that bartender standing near you. I’m telling you, “Hurry up, please—it’s time.” What I mean is that you are in the climactic phase of your astrological cycle. You need to finish this chapter of your life story so you can move on to the next one. “Hurry up, please—it’s time” means you have a sacred duty to resolve, as best you can, every lingering confusion and mystery.

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Addressing a lover, Scorpio poet Margaret Atwood says, “I would like to walk with you through that lucent wavering forest of bluegreen leaves with its watery sun & three moons, towards the cave where you must descend, towards your worst fear”” That is a bold declaration. Have you ever summoned such a deep devotion for a loved one? You will have more power and skill than usual to do that in the coming months. Whether you want to or not is a different question. But yes, you will be connected to dynamic magic that will make you

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian theologian N. T. Wright writes, “The great challenge to self-knowledge is blind attachment to our virtues. It is hard to criticize what we think are our virtues. Although the spirit languishes without ideals, idealism can be the greatest danger.” In my view, that statement formulates a central Sagittarian challenge. On the one hand, you need to cultivate high ideals if you want to be exquisitely yourself. On the other hand, you must ensure your high ideals don’t become weapons you use to manipulate and harass others. Author Howard Bloom adds more. “Watch out for the dark side of your own idealism and of your moral sense,” he writes. “Both come from our arsenal of natural instincts. And both easily degenerate into an excuse for attacks on others.” Now is a good time for you to ponder these issues.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn playwright and novelist Rose Franken said, “Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly.” That’s interesting, because many traditional astrologers say that Capricorns are the least likely zodiac sign to be silly. Speaking from personal experience, though, I have known members of your tribe to be goofy, nutty and silly when they feel comfortably in love. An old Capricorn girlfriend of mine delighted in playing and having wicked good fun. Wherever you rank in the annals of wacky Capricorns, I hope you will consider expressing these qualities in the coming weeks. Romance and

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): As I work on writing new books, I often draw on inspirations that flow through me as I take long hikes. The vigorous exercise shakes loose visions and ideas that are not accessible as I sit in front of my computer. Aquarian novelist Charles Dickens was an adherent of this approach. At night, he liked to walk around London for miles, marveling at the

By Rob Brezsny

story ideas that welled up in him. I recommend our strategy to you in the coming weeks, Aquarius. As you move your body, key revelations and enriching emotions will well up in you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The coming months will be an excellent time to build, discover, and use metaphorical bridges. To get in the mood, brainstorm about every type of bridge you might need. How about a connecting link between your past and future? How about a nexus between a task you must do and a task you love to do? And maybe a conduit between two groups of allies that would then serve you even better than they already do? Your homework is to fantasize about three more exciting junctions, combinations, or couplings.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Climate change is dramatically altering the Earth. People born today will experience three times as many floods and droughts as someone born in 1960, as well as seven times more heat waves. In urgent efforts to find a cure, scientists are generating outlandish proposals: planting mechanical trees, creating undersea walls to protect melting glaciers from warm ocean water, dimming the sun with airborne calcium carbonate, and covering Arctic ice with a layer of glass. In this spirit, I encourage you to incite unruly and even unorthodox brainstorms to solve your personal dilemmas. Be wildly inventive and creative.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “When love is not madness, it is not love,” wrote Spanish author Pedro Calderon de la Barca. In my opinion, that’s naive, melodramatic nonsense! I will forgive him for his ignorance, since he worked as a soldier and celibate priest in the 17th century. The truth is that yes, love should have a touch of madness. But when it has more than a touch, it’s usually a fake kind of love: rooted in misunderstanding, immaturity, selfishness, and lack of emotional intelligence. In accordance with astrological factors, I assign you Tauruses to be dynamic practitioners of genuine togetherness in the coming months: with hints of madness and wildness, yes, but mostly big helpings of mutual respect, smart compassion, tender care, and a knack for dealing maturely with disagreements.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author Iain S. Thomas writes, “There are two things everyone has. One is The Great Sadness and the other is How Weird I Really Am. But only some of us are brave enough to talk about them.” The coming weeks will be a favorable time to ripen your relationship with these two things, Gemini. You will have the extra gravitas necessary to understand how vital they are to your full humanity. You can also express and discuss them in meaningful ways with the people you trust.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A self-fulfilling prophecy happens when the expectations we embrace actually come to pass. We cling so devotedly to a belief about what will occur that we help generate its literal manifestation. This can be unfortunate if the anticipated outcome isn’t good for us. But it can be fortunate if the future we visualize upgrades our well-being. I invite you to ruminate on the negative and positive projections you’re now harboring. Then shed the former and reinforce the latter.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The holy book of the Zoroastrian religion describes a mythical mountain, Hara Berezaiti. It’s the geographic center of the universe. The sun hides behind it at night. Stars and planets revolve around it. All the world’s waters originate at its peak. Hara Berezaiti is so luminous and holy that no darkness can survive there, nor can the false gods abide. I would love for you to have your own version of Hara Berezaiti, Leo: a shining source of beauty and strength in your inner landscape. I invite you to use your imagination to create this sanctuary within you. Picture yourself having exciting, healing adventures there. Give it a name you love. Call on its invigorating presence when you need a sacred boost.

24 hours of ART work, ART rest, and ART what-you-will!

DARE TO DISCOVER!

VIOLINIST ANNE AKIKO MEYERS KICKS OFF THE SEASON WITH A TOUR DE FORCE PERFORMANCE OF ARTURO MARQUEZ’ FANDANGO!

SEASON DEBUT: DISCOVER FANDANGO!

The Harriet S. and J. Locke Macomber Concert

SAT SEP 23 7:30PM / SUN SEP 24 2:30PM DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER

Joseph Giunta, conducting

Anne Akiko Meyers, violin

James Romain, soprano saxophone CHABRIER España

Arturo MÁRQUEZ

Danzón No. 6 “Puerto Calvario” RIMSKY-KORSAKOV

Capriccio espagnole

Arturo MÁRQUEZ

Fandango for Violin & Orchestra

TICKETS $15+ DMSYMPHONY.ORG/FANDANGO

“You said you didn’t want love. You said that you didn’t want nothing. I don’t think it matters at all,” wistfully recites Joytrip’s Michael Schodin on “Taken Aback,” the infectious opening song of the band’s debut EP, Mr. Time and the Joyful Ploys Schodin, Joytrip’s vocalist and guitarist, describes the band’s sound as “road trip music,” propelled by mountains, lakes and human connections. The bittersweet “Taken Aback” beautifully synthesizes the scenic with the sincere; harsh yet cozy winters are the backdrop for homesickness and an all-too-familiar longing for love. The song’s intricate lyrics—a “dark past” that is both metaphorical and literal in the gloom of a Midwest February—are perfectly complemented by guitarist and trumpeter Eddie Hochman’s backing vocals. His chorus refrain—“Taken aback, taken aback, I’m taking it back, taking it back”—lingers in the mind long after the opener concludes.

In contrast, “Mr. Time and the Joyful Ploys,” the EP’s eponymous second song, strikes a more optimistic note. The bright tones of Hochman’s trumpet adds a melodic warmth to the song, a dynamism matched by the lyrics. “Who are you? We are the joyful ploys” sings Schodin in the playful chorus: “What does that mean? We are the joyful ploys!”

“Different Views” is the closest the EP comes to outright indie-rock, a sonic environment

Joytrip clearly thrive in. After being lulled in by an opening 15 seconds of soft guitar chords, Bennett Shapiro’s thumping drums initiate a dramatic change of tempo. This shift is fully realized moments later by a crescendo of jangly guitar riffs, underpinned by Mitchell Wisniewski’s subtle but sophisticated bassline. Exactly four minutes of indie bliss, it’s a shining example of how to craft momentum in a song.

“The Candle Flickers On” offers the EP a breezier conclusion; softer vocals meld exquisitely with whimsical guitars, fashioning an audio aesthetic that is more dreampop than indie-rock. Indeed, when heard with the band’s affinity for nature in mind, the EP itself mirrors the cyclical progression of seasons.

From the introspective winter rolls of “Taken Aback” into the vibrant spring of “Mr. Time and the Joyful Ploys”; “Different Views” paints a frenetic summer that eventually gives way to a mellow autumn in “The Candle Flickers On.”

For a debut EP, it’s a stagger-

tell me a little bit about your band’s inception. How did you come together?

Michael Schodin: So previous to this band, I was in a band for about eight years called the Grapevines. And we had played all throughout college, various house shows. Towards the end of that band, I actually brought Eddie [Hochman] in as our trumpet player. He ended up playing a lot of guitar in that band, too. We played a whole bunch of shows together and toured in California. As COVID came, that slowed that band down.

Well, we [Michael and Eddie] both lived here in Iowa City, we’ve been good friends for a long time. So we decided, “let’s get serious about a new band,” and set a routine schedule and started practicing every week and writing songs to build the base of the band. We brought in two more of our long-term friends from college, Bennett [Shapiro] and Mitch [Mitchell Wisniewski], who play drums and bass [respectively], and they joined the band. For the last year, we’ve been writing, recording, mixing music and playing shows.

Your short promo for the Ep on tiktok is a montage of road tripping and appreciating the beauty of nature. Were these inspirations for the music?

Schodin: Yeah, absolutely. You know, I always feel like our music is very natureful, if that makes any sense at all. What we’re writing about when we write these songs is how we see the world around us, how much we love nature and the people around us. So, it is road trip music, at least to me it is. So yeah, I think that’s a visualization of what we all see in our heads when we play.

Have you got any more live shows planned for the future? How’s the end of the summer into fall looking for gigging?

Eddie Hochman: We have some shows coming up in November. We have like a mini-Midwest tour: we’re gonna play in Minneapolis, Wisconsin and Iowa City. And then in December, we’ve got a Chicago show coming up, and [the details] will all be on our Instagram and stuff. We’re working on some promo for that right now. We do love playing in Iowa City, but we’re excited to branch out a little bit.

FOr A DEbUt Ep, It’S A StAGGErINGLY mAtUrE rECOrD, ONE DESIGNED tO rEWArD rEpEAt LIStENS. It’S ALSO A prOJECt tHAt SOUNDS FANtAStIC LIVE.

ingly mature record, one designed to reward repeat listens. It’s also a project that sounds fantastic live. Schodin and Hochman kicked off the live music at Iowa City’s Rock the Chalk festival on Aug. 11, combining cuts from Mr. Time and the Joyful Ploys with earlier songs and a superb selection of covers. Listen to the EP and catch them during their “mini-Midwest tour” in November. You’ll be taken aback by their stage presence.

According to Spotify, the city you have the most monthly listeners in isn’t Chicago, isn’t Iowa City ... It’s Helsinki, the wonderful capital of Finland! Do you know why you’re relatively popular in Scandinavia?

Schodin: [Laughing] So a little bit, but not entirely. We do our best effort of getting our music out there, so we’ve been reaching out to various playlist curators on Spotify. I don’t think this is one that I actually reached out to, which is the goofiest thing.

Hochman: It was not!

Schodin: Which is why we’re a little confused. They added us to their playlist, and then it had a whole bunch of listeners, and they’re all out of Finland!

Hochman: It’s really chaotic! But yeah, that song’s almost at 4,000 streams and largely from that playlist.

—Glenn Houlihan

JOYtrIp

Mr. Time and the Joyful Ploys LINKTR.EE/JOYTRIPBAND

Life

It isn’t often I review a band that isn’t heavy metal that includes a diacritical mark in its name.

This one is there as a pronunciation guide: Neh-Vay-Duh NehVah-Da. It indicates a particularity that carries over to the music itself. Nevāda Nevada wants to be understood, to be paid attention to.

Lead singer Kathryn Musilek was a linchpin in the Iowa music scene, playing with Death Ships and Burn Disco Burn before moving to New York City to work in Entertainment PR.

She writes the songs (“with the loving support of the band”) on this album, so there’s a consistency of style and intent. “We Can Leave” has a scathing directness: “We can leave but he’ll find us and he’ll kill us, no matter where we flee.” Musilek has trained her strong alto over the years to always cut through a dense, buzzing rock mix. (Courtney Love has something like Musilek’s vocal attack but Musilek’s a better singer.)

“The One About The Sky” doesn’t hint at an abusive relationship, it shouts it: “and you interrupt now to knock me down, drag me out and that’s not what we agreed on.” This is as heavy and trauma-driven as Metallica’s more anguished songs, but it’s also a glorious, noisy expression recalling ’90s grunge bands like Soundgarden.

“Loaded” has the throbbing pulse of a Velvet Underground song, anchored in Musilek’s piano. Her relentless ostinatos on

Submit albums for review: Little Village, 900 Keosauqua Way, Ste 253, Des Moines, IA 50309

this song pair well with the fuzzy guitar. “But I’m the bullets in your gun / And I am loaded” is as poetic as it is menacing. The lyric seems to be the inner monologue of a mass shooter, but the language is indirect enough to be, again, about getting away from an abuser: “I refuse to be tortured by anyone but me.”

“Promise, Romance, Wine” starts with an exquisite string introduction. It’s a love song, but with reservations: “Baby, you were the one in the songs” but also “it’s just problems with drugs and with money make for too many love songs to sing.”

“Trickster” is another ambivalent love song. “So come leave your heart in my hands and go.” The perpetually climbing chords and rhythmic cello counterpoint result in a dramatic denouement when she sings, “Just the thought sends those circling stars round my brow.” That’s a cartoonish image, but sung as Musilek sings it’s emotional and vulnerable.

Musically, Musilek and Nevāda Nevada reflect and refine—as most pop musicians do— the music that they grew up with. They owe as much to Tori Amos and Alanis Morissette as to Dinosaur Jr. and Nirvana. Even Elton John is a direct antecedent, as he did what Musilek is doing on piano, rocking hard enough as to compete with loud guitars and drums.

Kathryn Musilek’s adventures as a musician is a common Iowa City story. Someone comes to town for school or work, knocks around the local music scene where the stakes are low enough to try on crazy ideas, make mistakes and record some songs. Then they leave town, gone but not forgotten.

Musilek started out writing songs and playing solo guitar. Her first album was on Ames label Bi-Fi.

“Did I really name an album Ballerina In A Box? But I did,” Musilek said to Little Village over the phone, also recalling her days in Burn Disco Burn. “I got to play bass in that one, which was really nice to do. Something besides singing my most personal, gut-wrenching emotions and putting myself out there so much.”

Other bands ensued like Death Ships (with Record Collector alumnus Dan Maloney). Musilek then moved to New York, “and I decided I was never gonna play music again.” She went to work in PR, representing musical artists at first.

“I started in a big firm working with really famous people, and then I moved into the development side, working on baby bands, trying to get them as much PR as possible,” she said. “Trying to turn people onto new bands was just so much more exciting to me.”

Despite her vow to quit music, she discovered GarageBand on her MacBook—“it doesn’t let you go,” she said—and began writing songs more with keyboard than guitar.

“Getting back to piano has been like such a warm return,” Musilek said. “I played piano from age 5 and up. I was in classical piano competitions and I was very much going on that path. And then I was like, ‘Never mind, I play guitar now.’”

“GEttING bACK tO pIANO HAS bEEN LIKE SUCH A WArm rEtUrN. I pLAYED pIANO FrOm AGE FIVE AND Up. I WAS IN CLASSICAL pIANO COmpEtItIONS AND I WAS VErY mUCH GOING ON tHAt pAtH. AND tHEN I WAS LIKE, ‘NEVEr mIND, I pLAY GUItAr NOW.’”

In returning to piano, she has found a new way to play.

“It’s a very physical instrument, and I kind of like that about it. I’m really exerting myself. Emotion, through the act of playing the music, comes through my arms.”

When asked about some of the lyrics in the opening song of Nevāda Nevada’s latest album, Past Life, Musilek replied, “I realize that there are some moments where it sounds a little like the kind of folksy, universal preachy stuff, which isn’t really how I feel. I have a really dark view about the world and how climate change is really just gonna wipe us all out.

I don’t know if this kind of music is fashionable right now, but I don’t care and I suspect that Nevāda Nevada doesn’t either. What the band does care about is making the songs beautiful, true and so loud you can’t ignore them.

“I have a strong belief that destroying our own psyches by putting ourselves through all that constant anxiety and strife and bitching isn’t going to help us either. It’s not going to make us live longer. … That song is also about how we have to accept what’s going on that we can’t control, and then just do a little. And that’s all we can really do.”

About the album as a whole, she said, “it’s about power struggles. So much of it is about white patriarchy, I’m not interested in participating. I’ve been so lucky to create systems and have people around me who are also just so over the patriarchy. That’s truly what [the song] ‘We Can Leave’ is about, the abusive toxic patriarchy.”

––Kent Williams

NEVĀDA NEVADA Past

NEVDANEVADA.BANDCAMP.COM

HEAtHEr GUDENKAUF

The Overnight Guest

PARK ROW

Igrew up in a small town—population 600 on a good day. Rural Iowans are familiar with the one gas station, one bar kind of town, but it takes a special writer to encapsulate small-town life without turning it trite. Heather Gudenkauf, a New York Times Bestselling author based out of Iowa, does so with excellence in her most recent novel The Overnight Guest, balancing atmosphere and tension to create an exceptional Iowa crime novel.

Told across three narrators and three timelines, The Overnight Guest is channeled through the lens of our primary protagonist, Wylie Lark, a true-crime novelist grappling with her own traumatic past and the reader’s cantankerous window into a crime-riddled history. She rents a farmhouse where, two decades prior, murders and a disappearance occurred. As she faces increasingly inclement weather, another mystery arrives literally at her doorstep: a child, bloodied and half-frozen.

One of Gudenkauf’s most compelling tools is her use of setting. Although the town of Burden is fictional, there is an undeniable realism to its description and its populace. The sprawling farms, gas-station pit stops and omnipotence of nature all culminate to create a place you’d find 10 miles off of any four-lane. The seasonal shifts of this space are tangible; summer’s humidity and winter’s cutting wind fill the chapters without ever falling into cliché.

The expansive nature of the

setting makes the central conflict of The Overnight Guest all the more claustrophobic as the characters face their individual challenges. While Wylie grows increasingly isolated in the physical world, she is forced to face the ways she is haunted—both by her past and by herself.

Her simultaneous guilt and refusal to acknowledge that guilt highlight a woman who desperately wants, but is not ready for, healing. She faces known horrors while captivated by the unknowns, making her search for closure futile. We cheer for Wylie as much as we want to shake some sense into her. Her exploration into the physical and mental boundaries that keep her enclosed is mirrored in the novel’s other timelines, complimenting Wylie’s own sense of imprisonment.

Even as Wylie seeks to break free, time restricts her movement. Her exploration of self—and inevitable realizations—are slowed

One of the things, especially for The Overnight Guest, that you do so spectacularly is capture the voice and the atmosphere of rural Iowa. Can you talk about your approach to building setting? One of my favorite writers is Willa Cather, and one of my favorite books by her is My Ántonia. One thing I really admire about her writing is her ability to make the setting a character. That’s something that I attempt to do in my writing. I love Iowa, I’ve lived here most of my life. I think it’s beautiful, and we have such a varied landscape … [yet] we’re often considered a flyover state. People who come here quickly change their mind when they see all we have to offer. I really try to draw a beautiful picture of Iowa and how regular, everyday people are put in extraordinary—often scary—situations. I try to capture the heart of Iowa, which is our people and the power of neighbors. I hope that shines through in the books despite some of the frightening subject matter.

How has your experience with unilateral hearing loss shaped your relationship with language? I was born with profound unilateral hearing loss, which means I can’t hear at all in my left ear. It wasn’t discovered until I was in first grade. By the time it was discovered, my language was pretty delayed—school was hard for me. I really became a watcher as a result. I didn’t want to make mistakes and speak up when I misheard something. I think that really lent itself to the writer’s eye for observation. I was able to sit back and watch a little bit more, and eventually, when the hearing loss was discovered, I got hearing aids. I grew up in a house where books were very important and escaped into reading, fiction, different worlds … that made a huge difference in my language development and writing. My biggest schooling in becoming a writer was being a reader.

both by the crawling hours trapped by the winter storm and the novel’s narrative shifts. Gudenkauf toys with time intentionally, knowing when to linger and when to accelerate so that the frustrations of narration (if they can be called frustrations) are both well-fought-for and pay off.

Suffice it to say that I’ve already picked up two of Gudenkauf’s other works and plan to preorder her upcoming thriller. My cat (named Duck) has given his seal of approval by thoroughly munching on the front cover. Surely there is no higher praise than that.

Do you attribute that at all to your journey as an educator? It’s the same kind of journey. School was very difficult for me in the beginning, but once accommodations were made, school was one of my favorite places in the world. My first dream was to be an elementary school teacher. I’m so lucky because I’ve been able to do two things that I love.

What’s the most rewarding part of writing? It’s always a thrill to see my books on the shelves. The people I met along the way—the readers, because when it comes down to it, I’m a reader.

What can you tell me about your upcoming book, Everyone Is Watching? I’m so excited about this one. It’s a little different for me. We do take a step out of Iowa and into Northern California, into wine country. Five strangers across the United States have been invited to participate in a reality competition show, but when they arrive, they realize they’ve been brought there for something quite different. There are secrets … you don’t know who’s pulling the pocket strings behind the scenes. It was really fun to write!

I like Survivor, I liked Squid Game, which was … wow!, a shocking limited series. But I hear people talking about The Bachelor, The Bachelorette … everyone’s obsession with other people’s lives fascinates me.

K. Twaddle

“I trY tO CAptUrE tHE HEArt OF IOWA, WHICH IS OUr pEOpLE AND tHE pOWEr OF NEIGHbOrS. I HOpE tHAt SHINES tHrOUGH IN tHE bOOKS DESpItE SOmE OF tHE FrIGHtENING SUbJECt mAttEr.”

GrANt FAULKNEr The Art of Brevity

Readers may know Grant Faulkner for his for longform fiction (The Names of All Things), or his work as director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)—a nonprofit organization dedicated to writing novels—but his newest book, The Art of Brevity, focuses on his lesser-known literary obsession: flash fiction.

This book came to be after years of Faulkner tinkering with the form, which encompasses stories 1,500 words or less, for years. He described the process of coming to the “short-short story” as a surprise process in the book.

The book itself is a surprise. It is a hybrid of craft book and memoir of craft, including short meditations on different aspects of flash fiction including context, collar, poetics, white space, omission, the sentence, challenges and endings.

In each section, Faulkner explores his relationship with the topic, how he came to understand its usage in flash fiction and ways that it has been used by others.

The prompts correspond with the section they follow and serve the useful double purpose of allowing the reader to gain low-pressure experience with the form with an instructor alongside them and it adds context and understanding for other content. It is a craft book, yes, but it is also a love letter to a form that awakened a new brand of creativity in an author who was established in the near opposite.

On traditional short form

fiction and workingshopping in general, Faulkner poses in The Art of Brevity: “Even when I got my MFA … I frequently heard the comment, ‘I want to know more about _____’ … None of us stopped to ask if this ‘more’ added to the story or if it was just a passing curiosity of the reader’s, a need to have the story spelled out instead of imagined.”

With this background, Faulkner was surprised to find so much joy in the super-short form. In the book he discusses his own biases for certain aesthetics and the hurdles with which he struggled (and delighted in) as he himself was wrestling with his self-imposed 100-word limit. “All of this created creative fuel so I could return to my novels.”

The Art of Brevity strives to make itself easily readable to those who pick it up. Each section is no more than five pages and, in the introduction, Faulkner encourages his readers to take their time with the book and even skip around as different ideas strike them. This book, much like the form to which it is dedicated, does not demand time from its reader. It is available as a tool and an intellectual pursuit, but it is in no way a chore or an obligation. Also like flash fiction, when it’s good, the ideas here stay with the reader.

When Grant Faulkner first started writing flash fiction, he was struggling with a novel he’d been working on for a decade.

“It’s an addictive form,” Faulkner, an Oskaloosa-raised writer and the director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), told Little Village in a Zoom interview. “It gave me a break from the novel, and writing these short little pieces gave me a sense of satisfaction which was really helpful.”

Flash fiction is a short form of fiction writing that’s no more than 1,5000 at most and is more typically 1,000 words or less. A friend of his introduced Faulkner to a stricter guideline: exactly 100 words.

“I compare it to a Rubix Cube,” Faulkner said. “You have 97 words, so you can add three. But then you have 105 words. The story continues to morph and change and you might discover new things about the story as you try to cut it down. One hundred is not a magic number. It’s the process of getting it down to 100 words.”

It requires a close attention to what has been added to the story, and more importantly, “paying attention to what you leave out.”

After seeing a friend write an entire memoir in 100-word vignettes he saw, “all of those moments added up to a life. Memoirs are about war, addiction, family dysfunction, and in this memoir he was able to get really into the nooks and crannies of life in these really short pieces.”

AFtEr SEEING A FrIEND WrItE AN ENtIrE mEmOIr IN 100-WOrD VIGNEttES HE SAW, “ALL OF tHOSE mOmENtS ADDED Up tO A LIFE. mEmOIrS ArE AbOUt WAr, ADDICtION, FAmILY DYSFUNCtION, AND IN tHIS mEmOIr HE WAS AbLE tO GEt rEALLY INtO tHE NOOKS AND CrANNIES OF LIFE IN tHESE rEALLY SHOrt pIECES.”

In The Art of Brevity, Faulkner says, “Some think such fragmentary brevity makes this Twitter and Facebook era perfect for flash fiction because its shortness fits snugly into the flitting attention spans of internet readers … but a well-crafted shortshort demands not to be read quickly but to be read multiple times, with the attention one brings to a poem.”

After working within this form and studying it for many years, Faulkner believes that the most powerful pieces are the ones that require humility from the writer and some labor from the reader.

Within The Art of Brevity, Faulkner hopes to help readers find their way into this form of flash fiction. He structured the book as meditations on flash fiction to encourage readers to come to their own conclusions and each section ends with a set of prompts.

“Sometimes craft books can be prescriptive and I didn’t want that,” Faulkner said, “I don’t think of craft as rules. [I am] constantly thinking about language and how you can use it.”

—Sarah Elgatian

If one aims to find a world in vignettes and fragments, this volume will certainly help along the path. The philosophy and prompts (and in some tour locations, classes) lend The Art of Brevity nicely to a craft discussion or a study for the independent writer.

ACROSS

1. Clown’s projectile

4. H. Rider Haggard novel about an immortal queen

7. Lose it

11. Like the poet, activist, teacher and accomplished climber (!) Dragojla

Jarnevic

13. List heading

14. Secondary antagonist in Super Mario Sunshine

15. Language similar to Hindi

16. People’s 2016 Sexiest Man Alive

18. Rested momentarily, maybe

19. Story from the

Mahabharata, e.g.

20. UTC cousin

22. Slick, in a way

24. “Right on, dude!”

27. Get in your lane?

32. Some fiery summer light shows

34. Heroic horse

35. Van Damme movie set

45. Loot in Speed 2: Cruise Control

50. Bottled [up]

51. Saturday Night Live character from planet Remulak

52. Jason’s ship

53. Bestselling 1971 Rolling Stones compilation album, or an apt description of 16-, 32- and 45-Across

54. High time?

55. Slip-___ (convenient shoes)

56. Time for les vacances

DOWN

1. As far from stern as you can get?

2. Ames school where the first electronic digital computer was created

3. GPA booster

4. Palace address

5. Journey to the Kaaba

6. Sign up, as for school or an insurance plan

7. Hurt by a jellyfish

8. Like the goddesses Sif and Frigg

9. New wing, maybe

21. Event for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

22. Crew tool

23. “The gram”

25. Tee-___

26. Matthew of Full Metal Jacket and Stranger Things

28. Ovis aries female

29. Mentally summon

30. Gain inches

31. Channel for following the Bills, perhaps

33. Waited to be sought

37. Simple raincoat

39. Channel for following the bills, perhaps?

40. In ___ (1993 Nirvana album)

41. Afro-Latin drum notably played by Sheila E.

42. Brown of Good Eats

43. One in the red 44. Go over the same ground?

46. Oscar-winning director Bong ___-ho

47. Fangorn Forest walkers

48. Plants vs. Zombies item

49. Golf hole spec.

in 1863, 1929, 1994 and 2004

36. Modern cash register alternative

38. Take the blame for 39. Sandwich actually invented in Florida

43. WNBA’s Miracle, on the scoreboard (1999-2002)

10. British currency unit that was decimalized in 1971

11. Letters often near THC

12. Temporary lodging

17. Athlete’s shoutout, perhaps

20. Pressing places

HIV testing in the privacy of your own home.

Sept. 21, 2023 - Jan. 7, 2024 at the Science Center of Iowa