October 05, 2016 by justin
in Center Stage
Almost as soon as “West Side Story” opened in 1957, it ascended to heaven. The angels included the musical maestro Leonard Bernstein, and songs like “Tonight” were instant classics. The Oscar-winning movie helped cement its landmark status, and this month’s revival at the Playhouse looks to put a new generation
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October 05, 2016 by justin
in Collections & Hobbies
In between rocking all night and partying every day, hall-of-fame rock band KISS took time to honor veterans at its Aug. 19 performance on the Grandstand at the Iowa State Fair. Among those honored was former Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James Martin, who got more than just a meet-and-greet
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October 05, 2016 by justin
in Walks of Life
October 05, 2016 by justin
in Sound Circuit
A touch of Satan Superchief guitarist Jason Monroe was looking to do something a little different in his free time from the Des Moines rock band. He grew up listening to Kiss and Alice Cooper, and in recent years, the Swedish metal band Ghost has been in heavy rotation. Monroe
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October 02, 2016 by justin
in Civic Skinny
That huge new contract the University of Iowa has given football coach Kirk Ferentz has a new wrinkle or two. Besides paying him a minimum of $4.5 million in its first year — that’s a bit more than 11 times the salary of the President of the United States —
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September 26, 2016 by justin
in Center Stage
It comes down to chemistry, finally. Mark Gruber and Kerry Skram, as the couple who dance with doom throughout “Death of a Salesman,” make a volatile compound. Each time they explode, they help Repertory Theater of Iowa deliver the tragedy without once feeling like a drag. This salesman goes down
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September 14, 2016 by justin
in Center Stage
In “Hand to God,” local standout Charlie Reese delivers another winning turn. As the teenage Jason, he works through the kid’s grief over losing his dad in a strange way — through a sock-puppet. The puppeteer may struggle for words, but not the potty-mouthed “Tyrone” at the end of his
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September 14, 2016 by justin
in The Sound Exclusive
Skillet unleashed Rockers continue their holy mission with new album, tour By Darren Tromblay Photos by Joseph Cultice It’s a Thursday afternoon a few weeks prior to the launch of a massive world tour in support of his band’s brand new album, and Skillet front man/bassist John Cooper is as upbeat as
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September 14, 2016 by justin
in The Sound Exclusive
In 1973, Lou Reed snuck a coy reference to transgender actress Candy Darling into the hit “Walk on the Wild Side,” and David Bowie was blurring the line of sexuality with his Ziggy Stardust shows. But, believe it or not, the most groundbreaking LGBTQ musical statement was coming from a
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