By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

Wishing Chair, House Band to close Lighthouse

A year ago this week, we broke the news that the Lighthouse Coffeehouse, a beacon for folk music fans and nationally acclaimed artists, would turn out its lights after its seventh and final season in 2007. Scott Stilwell, the Lighthouse’s coordinator and co-founder, said now that that time has come, he has mixed emotions about saying goodbye to the secular music series hosted by the West Des Moines Christian Church.

“I’m feeling a bit of melancholy and a little sadness,” he said. “But I’ve also been counting down the days lately because I’ve been busy with my own music and new job at the church.”

Stilwell, who was named last year by Cityview as one of its “People Making A Difference,” said for as much as he has enjoyed running the Lighthouse, he has struggled to maintain balance between his obligations with the Lighthouse, work, family and the church — where he recently was named director of music and fine arts. The singer-songwriter plans to spend more time performing his own music, and has made treks to Nashville to pitch his songs to Music Row executives. “That was the fuel for the fire,” Stilwell said last year. “Now I’m looking forward to having more time to write songs.”

Over the years, the Lighthouse has hosted some of the biggest names in folk music, including John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Patty Larkin, Alison Brown, Vance Gilbert, Alice Peacock and Dennis Warner. It has also hosted popular theme concerts including All-Iowa, Americana and Muscular Dystrophy Association benefit shows. Music served with a heaping side of homemade pie became a tradition at the Lighthouse, where a sense of comfort and community prevailed like few other music venues in Des Moines. It was also a haven for concertgoers who prefer smoke- and alcohol-free environments when listening to live music.

“Not to sound arrogant, but it’s the end of an era for us and Des Moines,” Stilwell said. “I don’t think you’ll see a lot of these series crop up for a while.”

Stilwell said keeping the Lighthouse in the black, despite support from a loyal fan base, played into his decision last year to close. He credits the volunteers, church and patrons for sustaining the series, which cost between $7,000 and $10,000 to produce each year. However, recruiting new customers and media attention was sometimes a challenge, he said.

“If you don’t fall within what the majority of the public’s vision is of what music is in Des Moines, you won’t be embraced,” he said. “Fortunately, we were embraced by a good group of people who kept us going for seven years, but ultimately it wasn’t big enough.”

Nonetheless, Stilwell hasn’t ruled out the possibility of promoting more shows at West Des Moines Christian Church. He said he would like to book some of the acts that played the Lighthouse, when appropriate.

“The Lighthouse model is over, but booking shows is still in my blood,” he said. “I don’t think I could give it up.”

Stilwell already has scheduled a sacred music show at the church for next June, but will take some time to get settled in his new job before bringing back some of the secular acts that played the Lighthouse. In the meantime, he said, he’s going to look back fondly on the relationships he built over the years with the musicians and patrons who frequented the Lighthouse.

“I don’t want to lose touch with them,” Stilwell said. “I’m a relationship kind of guy and making new friends was one of the greatest things about the Lighthouse.”

Fans of the Lighthouse have only two more opportunities to see shows. On Friday, the singer-songwriter duo Wishing Chair plays at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance through IowaTIX and $20 at the door. On Dec. 16, the series-ending Lighthouse Christmas Show hosted by the House Band will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door. A large crowd is expected. Fans can reserve seats by email at lighthouse4501@aol.com.

Scene notes

Local rockers Hold For Swank are looking for a new drummer. E-mail rock@holdforswank.com. … Wreckage of the Modern City has released a new single, “No Time,” online. Visit myspace.com/wreckageofthemoderncity. … Des Moines photographers and designers Scott Allen and Jen Taylor of VividPix & Design have won The Blues Foundation’s 2008 Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Art or Photography. They will be honored with other KBA recipients at a ceremony Feb. 2 in Memphis in conjunction with the International Blues Challenge. In the past few years, their work has graced everything from Web sites for Blues on Grand and the Central Iowa Blues Society, to CDs and band Web sites, to blues publications like Blues Revue, Living Blues and BluesWax. Visit www.vividpix.com. … Local jazz musician Paul Micich will sign copies of “The Littlest Angel,” the popular children’s Christmas book he illustrated, on Saturday at 2 p.m. at East Village Books, 510 E. Locust St. … On Saturday, at 7 p.m., the Anchor Coffee House will host a performance by the Kinsers, who play everything from folk and bluegrass to pop and rock. The coffeehouse is located at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4114 Allison Ave., in Des Moines. Advance tickets are $8 (274-1534) and tickets at the door are $10. Free childcare is offered at the church. … The local video store Best Place Ever is celebrating its fourth anniversary on Saturday by hosting a 4 p.m. screening of “Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea” and a Q&A session with director Chris Metzler at the Varsity Theater. Later that night at 8 p.m. it will host a concert by Oh Possum and The Autumn Project at the Vaudeville Mews (which celebrated its fifth anniversary on Dec. 5), followed by a midnight showing of the film “Battle Royale!” Both events will include DVD giveaways. Admission is $8 to the afternoon film, $15 for the concert (food included), or $20 for both events. Visit www.bestplaceever.com. … The Des Moines Music Collector’s Show will be held Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Downtown Holiday Inn, 1050 6th Ave. Admission is $1. … The Ritual Café will host a free trial percussion lesson with Rusty Ekland on Dec. 18. The lesson will focus on world and traditional West African drumming and regular night Tuesday lessons will begin Jan. 8. … Little Mojo, the Des Moines native duo of brothers Josh and Nicholas Sinclair that now lives in New York, will release a new album after Christmas. The duo has scheduled a free CD release show Dec. 29 at Java Joe’s Coffeehouse. CV

Wishing Chair plays the Lighthouse Coffeehouse at West Des Moines Christian Church, 4501 Mills Civic Pkwy., on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 on advance through IowaTIX and $20 at the door.

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