Posted March 05, 2025in Feature 2
Des Moines, and Iowa at large, are often considered a flyover city and state. Tour locations for big-name music artists often include Minneapolis, Kansas City, Chicago, even Omaha — and then, maybe, Des Moines. Wells Fargo Arena certainly attracts household names, though. In recent years, Lil Wayne, Zach Bryan and
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Posted March 05, 2025in Business Feature
Downtown Des Moines is changing, especially in regard to how people work. Before the pandemic, it was apparent that Des Moines was a hub of office buildings full of workers, many of them commuters, who created a vibrant community supporting a variety of businesses. When the pandemic set in, many
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Posted March 05, 2025in Civic Skinny, Just Released
Starving artists? Maybe not. The Iowa Cultural Coalition (ICC) released a report on the state of Iowa’s creative sector, which includes nonprofit and for-profit participants ranging from museums, theaters and performing arts centers to independent artists, directors, live music venues, galleries, dance studios, filmmakers and design firms. Venues, event organizers,
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Posted March 05, 2025in Political Mercury
Compound interest. Of all the strands of imagination and provocations and fear and excitement that engage one during Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jonathan Weiner’s terrific book, “Long For This World: The Strange Science of Immortality,” the one that rushes to the fore for me is compound interest. And civil war. In
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Posted March 05, 2025in Food Dude
B & B Grocery, Meat and Deli is the beating heart of Sevastopol. It has been since the first Brooks brothers, John and “Archie,” opened for business in 1922. “Everyone called him Archie, but his real name was Joseph. That confusion has continued. Joe and I are the third generation
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Posted March 05, 2025in Des Moines Forgotten
On Feb. 17, I lost a close friend named Barron Christian. Nearly all my professional decisions in my career were influenced by him in some way. When I met him, he was semi-retired from acting professionally. In the late 1990s, he was the “Built Ford Tough” voice. He was the
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Posted March 05, 2025in Joe's Neighborhood
“I think I’m going to die.” “Well, yes you are, sweetie. The question, of course, is it today or in some mythical future full of butterflies and freshly popped popcorn.” “It’s today! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh.” “Here, wipe your nose. Let’s put the humidifier on. Now close your eyes and try to rest.”
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Posted March 05, 2025in Center Stage
Their change was to align their season with their fiscal year, but it provided a showcase opportunity for Iowa Stage Theatre Company (ISTC). As a legacy theatre company, Iowa Stage embraces its histories with StageWest, Drama Workshop, Central Iowa Repertory Theatre, and Repertory Theatre of Iowa. It pays its actors
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Posted March 05, 2025in Art News
This year got off to a slow start for art markets. Christie’s Old Masters sale, considered a bellwether for art markets in general, produced better numbers than last year but not much better. Lawyers were blamed. The would-be star of the sale, El Greco’s “Saint Sebastian,” was estimated by Christie’s to
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Posted March 05, 2025in Belly Up To...
Iowa’s state bird is the American Goldfinch. While they are uncommon, some pelicans also make the Hawkeye State their home during the summer months. Des Moines metro diners and drinkers find their own pelican sanctuary at The Pelican Post Bar & Grille. The Pelican Post opened in March of 2023
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