Posted January 04, 2017in Sound Circuit
At the end of the month, three Iowa acts will compete in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. It’s an expensive trip to make, for both the musicians and the fans. On Jan. 28, you can save a bit of cash by seeing Jeff Banks Band, Bare Bones and
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Posted January 04, 2017in Lunch With...
J Ann Selzer is a prophet of trends in politics and business. She has operated The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll since 1987 and has worked with Bloomberg News and Bloomberg.com for seven years. Her reputation for divining the future has brought her bonafide status as a Washington insider and
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Posted January 04, 2017in Collections & Hobbies
“I originally started listening to my mom’s Elton John, Billy Joel and Paul Simon records,” admits Steve Ratcliff. From there, he says he turned in to a “total metalhead.” “A lot of the metal I used to have, I’ve replaced it with punk,” he laughs. “When I was a young
Read More →A couple of recent big announcements from Wells Fargo Arena has music fans excited. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will make stop in Des Moines in celebration of their 40th anniversary tour on June 5, 2017. And speaking of anniversaries, Neil Diamond will mark his 50th in the music biz
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Posted January 04, 2017in The Sound
For Christian rock bands, you don’t often get platforms bigger than Winter Jam. Outside of a few big names, Christian artists are often touring at churches or affiliated venues. Winter Jam changes that, putting acts like Crowder, Britt Nicole and Tenth Avenue North into venues like Wells Fargo Arena, where
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Posted January 04, 2017in People & Pets
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have a really big dog? Meet Castle, the 8-month-old Great Dane puppy and its owner, Sonia Gens. The pair recently traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the National Specialty Show, and Gens says her dog is the youngest Great Dane to receive an
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Posted January 04, 2017in Art News
Artist of the Year Larassa Kabel transcended Des Moines and her own work this year. She is best known for uber-realistic drawings and paintings — particularly of horses hit by 18-wheelers — and for being chosen to do a Christmas card for the Obama White House. In the last year,
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Posted January 04, 2017in Belly Up To...
“If you don’t vote, you can’t bitch,” says comedian Bill Blank from the stage of the Funny Bone Comedy Club. Blank was born in Iowa, and he attended North High School. His act balances Iowa-style common sense with logic, and he combines the two while driving a bulldozer down the
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