Posted November 30, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
I love the history of gay bars. One of my favorite films is “Cruising,” directed by William Friedkin, based on the book by Gerald Walker. Seedy gay bars in the New York City Underground blasted funk, disco and punk rock until the early hours in the morning. The uniform was
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Posted November 02, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
I’m busy. I know a lot of folks from generations before me don’t understand this. Take your normal seven or eight hours in a workday and turn those into 12 to 14 hours per day. Now remove your Friday nights because you are exhausted. Your weekends are now your “get
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Posted October 05, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
I’m beating a dead horse when I talk about Beggars’ Night versus Halloween. Seemingly every news station and media outlet will have yet another story about the history of Beggars’ Night. And my Halloween-obsessedDes Moines Forgotten friends will once again rant about how offensive it is when I don’t celebrate
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Posted August 31, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
“Radical on the social issues of the 1960s — women’s issues, counterculture, and even a gay couple that were clandestinely married by a renegade minister” LOOK Magazine was founded in Des Moines in 1937 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles Jr., along with his brother John, as a publication of The Des Moines
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Posted August 03, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
When I started my radio show “Iowa Basement Tapes” in July of 2018, I set out to research and preserve Iowa’s punk rock and counterculture history. Over the last four years and more than 200 consecutive episodes, I am still finding new bands and people who were influential on punk
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Posted July 06, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
I am forever a student when I hear stories about Des Moines’ music history. The majority of my passions stands with the state’s punk rock scene, but I enjoy more sophisticated things, too. In December 2021, my friend Matthew sent me a text stating that he had memorabilia from KRNT
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Posted June 01, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
It’s bittersweet to write this piece on the event that would eventually become the Des Moines Arts Festival (DMAF). Since 2011, I had been involved with DMAF and its Interrobang Film Festival as a programmer and event producer. In 2021, I retired from that position so I could focus on
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Posted May 04, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
A year and half ago, we lost an important piece of Des Moines’ cinema lovers’ history, Video Warehouse. Many stories have been told about the place since its closing was announced, but I have a particular memory that not many people may be aware of — a digital series called
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Posted April 06, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
On the morning of March 23 at 10 a.m., many Iowa communities held a statewide test of their tornado sirens. This was different from the usual Saturday noon test, or as I like to tell people, the “lunch siren.” We are now several generations separated, but I remember hearing stories
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Posted March 02, 2022in Des Moines Forgotten
The Willkie House of Des Moines is not forgotten. It’s actually still very active. But some of its history at 900 17th St. may not be recognized as it should be. Willkie House was originally established in 1917 as an extension of the War Recreation Board for Black Officers at
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