Cityview | Central Iowa's Independent Weekly

Rocktober!

A slew of heavy metal/hard rock shows invade Des Moines during the bewitching month

Dirty deeds aren’t dirt cheap, at least not at $90 a ticket. Rock fans may be disappointed in the postponement of AC/DC’s Oct. 10 show at Wells Fargo Arena, but don’t fret, the bewitching month is filled with more metal than you can handle and at reasonable prices. We recommend five shows that all metal fans should attend. So for those about to rock, we salute you.

Dethklok and Mastodon with Converge and High on Fire
Val Air Ballroom, Oct. 14, $33
www.valairballroom.com

Could Grassley Lose? Yes. Is Frew a ‘savior?’ Yes.

Chuck Grassley is in trouble. Here’s why he could lose his bid for a sixth term in the Senate:

First, he will have a strong opponent. It’s becoming clear that Roxanne Conlin will run against him, a possibility first reported here six weeks ago. She’s smart, she’s glib, she’s rich, she’s experienced. She has long bemoaned the fact that Iowa has never sent a woman to Washington — which will add zest to her quest.

Second, he is wearing out his welcome. Grassley was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1959, and he has been in elective office continuously for 50 years — in the Legislature, the House of Representatives and, since 1980, the United States Senate. He has always been immensely popular, for reasons that confound Democratic pros who say he’s far more conservative than Iowa voters realize. (By one measure, he’s the 11th most conservative Senator.) His first election to the U.S. House in 1974 was close — he got just 50.8 percent of the vote in beating Steve Rapp — but it’s been a walk ever since. In 1980, he handily unseated Democratic Senator John Culver with 53.5 percent of the vote, and he got at least 66 percent of the vote in his next four elections to the Senate. Six years ago, he was re-elected with 70.1 percent of the votes. But his approval rating is plummeting. A new SurveyUSA poll, taken last week, put his approval rating at just 50 percent and his disapproval rating at 40 percent. That’s shocking. At the beginning of the year, the numbers were 71 and 22. The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll shows a similar trend. His decline has accelerated in the past few months as he has been in the national news because of his role in the health-care debate and as he has blurted out things that range from the wacky to the bizarre... Read More>>

Pictures of Then: Greenwood enjoys watching hometown scene grow

Tim Greenwood, a 25-year-old native of Polk City and keyboardist for the Minneapolis indie-rock band Pictures of Then, is looking forward to seeing family and friends when his band headlines the first night of the U.S. Cellular World Food Festival on Friday, Oct. 9 in the East Village. But he is also intrigued by the growth of the local music scene.

“Des Moines has been a hot spot for us,” Greenwood said. “Since the time I grew up in Des Moines until now, it has become a legitimate stop for touring bands like ours. The scene is much more alive than I remember it being. It is a much cooler cultural place.”

Like other musicians who have left Des Moines in search of professional music careers in bigger cities, Greenwood cut his teeth locally. As a teenager during the 1990s, he was a fan of local rockers The McKenzies, which included guitarist James Biehn (Soapbox Prophets). Greenwood would attend their concerts and pick Biehn’s brain for advice during set breaks. Eventually, Greenwood made his stage debut opening for The McKenzies at the House of Bricks when the club was located near Merle Hay Mall... Read More>>

Sakari and 21 — sushi fits in

Des Moines’ two newest sushi bars are both the first-ever Japanese cafés in their neighborhoods. Their differences are as distinctive as wasabi and soy sauce.

Dogtown is not a typical free enterprise zone. Drake University owns enough of its real estate to influence its commercial composition. Submarine and coffee shops abound, but there are far fewer bars and beauty parlors than one would expect from its demographics. From my experiences at 21, sushi looks like a back door to the tavern market. On my first visit, fish was less than fresh. On my return, it was much better but very difficult to order. Five different waiters helped me, and none seemed to be aware of what the last one might have said. Nigiri included large portions of wasabi hidden under fish. Some dishes were not as described, and others came without key ingredients. After bringing that to the attention of one waiter, a complimentary beer was set in front of me. After I declined, it was grabbed and chugged in a single gulp by a customer. Others were slamming shots and smoking in the open doorway. As I was leaving, someone handed me a bag with the missing parts of my order — good tempura. I returned for lunch, but the place was not open as scheduled. I wondered why, briefly... Read More>>”

Michigan (4-1) vs. #12 Iowa (5-0)

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is the most confused 5-0 coach in the country. After slipping past Arkansas State last Saturday at home — one week after manhandling the then fifth-ranked Penn State on the road, nonetheless — the Tall, Cool, Plain Vanilla One still has a docket full of unknowns about his club. Can quarterback Ricky Stanzi put together four consecutive good quarters? Were UNI and Arkansas State really that good? What must Letterman’s interns look like? One thing Hawk fans have been able to bank on thus far is the Black and Gold D quickly asserting itself as one of the best units in the nation. Game Day won’t even mention how many games it’s been since an opponent has scored a rushing TD on the Hawks, lest we jinx it. Put it this way, though, it’s between seven and nine games. This week, it’s back under the lights for a huge matchup against Michigan, fresh off a 26-20 loss to Michigan State, its first setback of the 2009 campaign. Will the Wolverines be pissed?