By Michael Swanger scenescribe@mchsi.com
Cross Canadian Ragweed, which cancelled its Dec. 11 show at the Val Air Ballroom due to bad weather, will return to the ballroom April 16. Original tickets will be honored and remaining tickets will sell for $17.50. Refunds are available at the point of purchase.
Speaking of the Val Air, the ballroom’s owners parted ways with its manager-promoter and former nightclub owner Chris Cardani, and hired PMI Entertainment Group of Wisconsin to a two-year contract effective immediately. Cardani told The Des Moines Register that he’s starting his own music venue near the Val Air, adding, “They lost a manager and gained a competitor.” Owners did not say whether Cardani’s discharge was related to the numerous noise complaints recently lodged against the ballroom. The West Des Moines City Council recently hired a sound consultant to help address the noise issue.
Ankur Amin and Faisal Samara, the owners of the Copa Cavana, a new Caribbean-themed restaurant and dance lounge located at the site of the former Ingersoll Dinner Theater, hope to open in time for New Year’s Eve. The lounge will feature Latin American dancing with live music and DJs. The owners also plan to convert the neighboring, former Black Cat Café into a coffee shop called the Café Cavana.
The only thing smoking at the “Battle of the Bands” presented by JEL (Just Eliminate Lies, a Iowa Department of Public Health-Division of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control) will be the amps of high school rockers competing to win an opening gig for The Envy Corps at People’s Court on April 10, 2010, as well as $2,000 worth of musical equipment from Reiman Music. Participating bands (those with tobacco sponsorships need not apply) must upload their video auditions to the JEL Battle of the Bands YouTube Channel and the Battle of the Bands Facebook whereby fans will vote for the winners through Jan. 9. The top five bands will perform next April. Visit www.jeliowa.org.
Emmure, Terror, After the Burial, Miss May I, Thick As Blood and Stand United perform an all-ages show at 4 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the Vaudeville Mews. Tickets are $15 through IowaTix.
The Used and Atreyu perform Feb. 3 at the Val Air Ballroom. Tickets are $25 through Ticketmaster.
Four Year Strong, Strike Anywhere, This Time Next Year and Title Fight perform an all-ages show on Feb. 5 at 5 p.m. at the House of Bricks. Tickets are $12.
The Audition, The Dangerous Summer, Sparks the Rescue and The Right Coast perform Feb. 11 at the House of Bricks for an all-ages show at 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 through IowaTix.
Winds of Plague, Despised Icon, For Today, Stray From the Path and The World We Knew perform Feb. 16 at the Vaudeville Mews for an all-ages show at 4 p.m. Tickets are $13 through IowaTix.
Scary Kids Scaring Kids and The Sleeping play the House of Bricks on Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. for an all-ages concert. Tickets are $12 through IowaTix.
The Black Dahlia Murder, Obscura, Augury and Hatesphere play an all-ages concert at the House of Bricks at 5 p.m. on March 14. Tickets are $13 through IowaTix.
The Morning Benders perform April 9 at 5 p.m. for all-ages at the Vaudeville Mews. Tickets are $10 through IowaTix.
Needtobreathe, Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers and Seabird perform May 15 at People’s Court. Tickets are $15 through IowaTix. CV
