Posted August 26, 2015in The Sound
GWAR has been doing whatever it is they do for more than 30 years now. Known for a stage show that is full of blood, bodily fluids and plenty of fanboy sacrifice, the band of intergalactic misfits have developed a devoted following around the globe. Most costumed acts at least
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Posted August 26, 2015in Civic Skinny
The widow of Paul Gray, the masked Slipknot bassist who died of a drug overdose five years ago, is suing a sort-of-well-known Des Moines artist she hired to help produce a book about Gray and stage an event about his life. The suit, filed Friday in federal district court in
Read More →The distress across the Western world in July over the big-game killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe was apparently misdirected, according to veteran “animal communicator” Karen Anderson of Elk, Washington, who told Facebook and Internet visitors (www.AnimalCommunicating.com) that Cecil and she had discussed his demise and that he was
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Posted August 26, 2015in Film Review
There’s a very subtle kind of genius going on in “American Ultra” — a film that obviously had high goals for itself and ultimately falls short — that has everything to do with the evolution of its two leads. Jessie Eisenberg plays Mike Howell, a do-nothing stoner in a small
Read More →In her 30-plus years in the copy department of The New Yorker, Mary Norris has corrected the work of many of the finest writers of the time, dedicating herself to maintaining the magazine’s high standards for grammar, spelling and punctuation. It turns out Norris is a wonderful writer herself, and
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Posted August 26, 2015in Belly Up To...
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what the difference is between an earthy wine and an oaky wine, or perhaps asked what classifies a wine as robust, the wine tasting events and clubs at WineStyles West Des Moines are for you. Say goodbye to the $3 wine you’ve been drinking
Read More →If only the commercials for politicians had to follow the same side effect disclosure rules of pharmaceutical commercials. Instead of “Viagra: It will help men get and keep an erection…” we might have something like “Vote for or donate to this politician. It may help large donors get and keep
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Posted August 26, 2015in Center Stage
The best homegrown American theater might be here in the Midwest. Few companies have the impact of Chicago’s Steppenwolf, the birthplace of stars like John Malkovich. Yet when Steppenwolf first won recognition, it was local. It began with the city’s “Jeff Awards.” The Jeffs (named for a 19th century actor)
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Posted August 26, 2015in Joe's Neighborhood
Wet with dew in the morning, dry and dusty by noon, the August grass is course and thin and dying. Even before each day gets too far along, the heat presses everything into the shade. Hot and heavy. Only the cicadas give voice as the birds and squirrels hide in
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Posted August 26, 2015in Food Dude
An out-of-town journalist recently asked me what turned Des Moines into a significant food town. I said something I had not previously given any thought to: The best chefs and restaurateurs in Des Moines are total food enthusiasts. They support little ethnic joints that are off beaten paths, old-fashioned bar
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