Meet the people behind the wheel and getting us from Point A to Point B. A former Uber driver, a limousine chauffeur and a shuttle star open up about the people taking a backseat. Getting from Point A to Point B when you are without wheels and in a hurry is easier than it ever has been [...]
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Why everyone wants to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Benjamin Disraeli, no friend to the Irish, warned about the three types of falsehoods: “lies, damned lies and statistics.” (Mark Twain stole that line). According to the U.S. census, the most famous guardian of the third kind of lies, Iowa’s population of white people has [...]
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Three Des Moines bouncers unleash memories of life protecting the door. The best moments. The worst situations. And the laugh-out-loud incidents. The Des Moines area is home to nearly 300 bars. Not all have security personnel in place, but when it comes to the busier entertainment districts, bouncers can almost always be found at the [...]
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A federal grand jury has charged Marty Tirrell with mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud and fraudulent use of another person’s credit card. The charges follow years of scams by the one-time sports broadcaster and talk-show host, scams in which he defrauded friends and employers and advertisers and ticket [...]
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She backs reparations for slavery in the form of $100 billion. Marianne Williamson contends the United States needs a visionary more than a “political mechanic.” It’s why the high-profile author and lecturer — a well-known guest on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” — is running for the presidency. Williamson — who has racked up 2.6 million [...]
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Shamelessly formulaic, this WWE feature film produced simultaneously promotes the brand while encouraging all would-be wrestlers to chase their dreams. If you’re looking for a sports film with a lot of heart and motivation, you’re going to come up short when you watch “Fighting with My Family.” This story is one you’re familiar with: Underdog [...]
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Nikkei is the hottest kind of fusion cuisine in the world that has not yet visited Des Moines. Three of the most famous chefs in the world hang their hats in this pantry where Japanese and Peruvians share a love of fresh fish and the ancient foods of the Incans. Then they confuse each other. [...]
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How did opera singing happen to a girl who grew up in Waukee? Opera is a bit of an unknown in the Hawkeye state, but for people who appreciate classic plot lines containing eternal human relevance performed by arguably the world’s strongest vocalists and elite level orchestras, it might be your thing. That is the [...]
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What is the difference between somebody we know for a long time and a person who is a new friend? They laugh. And not just with their mouths, like your teenage kids do when you tell a joke. Instead, their eyes sparkle, tear up, close tight and sparkle again. Even their ears twitch. I mean [...]
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A creative and cultural incubator for the region’s top theatrical talent. This columnist believes in the power of importing new ideas, inspiration and collaborators to better build a strong Greater Des Moines community. One group that has exceled in this is Pyramid Theatre Company. Founded by Arkansas native and Drake graduate, Ken-Matt Martin, he has [...]
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If you had your ear cupped just right and were listening closely Sunday afternoon, you might have heard my head explode. The pressure inside the old noggin has been building for months, thanks to what can be called politics as usual in Washington, D.C., and Des Moines. So, my friends and relatives were not surprised [...]
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Competitive crafting and collecting words, syllables, lines and poems. “Some people get off work, and they go throw darts,” says Jon Demo, the on-stage face of Des Moines Poetry Slam. “We throw words.” Demo serves as co-slammaster with Kevin Marken, who handles the behind-the-scenes action. The duo took over responsibility for the slam from its [...]
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Steve Berry, frontman for 60s-70s band Steve Berry, the voice of Des Moines, is heard virtually everywhere. He is on the radio touting Prairie Meadows, at the Des Moines Playhouse portraying Jesus or performing a Vegas comedy shtick act of Joey Libido. So his latest foray into singing and performing was no surprise when he [...]
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‘Texican’ rock music like a flowing river When the Los Lonely Boys play at Wooly’s on March 12, their goal isn’t to have a sold-out show. They simply wish to express themselves through their music. “Our goal is to do our best today, at the moment,” says Jojo Garza, vocalist and bass guitarist. “There’s no [...]
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Adorable alpacas a dream come true For more than a dozen years, Luanne Sellner would visit the animal barns at the Iowa State Fair and dream of owning her own llama or alpaca. “(The animals were) cute,” she remembers. “Just like big fluffy teddy bears with huge eyelashes.” Yet her Pleasant Hill home wasn’t exactly [...]
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Dive bar since 1940 As I sat chatting with the bar patrons at Kelly’s Little Nipper, we pondered the bar’s appeal. Austin said it’s like the “Cheers” bar, where everyone knows your name. When we asked the millennial bartender, Elsie, if she knew what the “Cheers” reference was or if she’d seen the show, she [...]
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Des Moines lost its most celebrated artist. “All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream.” Edgar Allen Poe Des Moines lost its most celebrated artist when Alex Brown died at his home on the penultimate day of January after an aneurism at age 52. Brown attended Roosevelt High School here before [...]
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