Posted October 31, 2012in Game Day, Recent Posts
FIRST DOWN: The worry in some Big 12 circles right now is that Kansas State might’ve picked the wrong year — crazy as it sounds — to have the season of a lifetime. After thumping Texas Tech last Saturday, the Wildcats are 8-0 and jumped to No. 2 in the
Read More →
Posted October 24, 2012in Recent Posts, Sound Check
Suzanne Vega ‘Close Up, Volume 4: Songs of Family’ Amanuensis Productions Vega puts a bow on her “Close Up” series of albums with this fourth volume. Long known for her acoustic rock-ey folk, Vega has upped the ante here and taken 11 previously released tracks and stripped them to their
Read More →
Posted October 24, 2012in Book Review, Recent Posts
Courtesy of Beaverdale Books Review by Cathryn Lang Atria Books 7/03/12 $26 451 pp A literary critic caught my interest with a claim that “Advent,” by James Treadwell, was the first of a trilogy to rival the magic of the “Harry Potter” series. Was the reviewer correct? I had
Read More →
Posted October 24, 2012in On The Tube, Recent Posts
‘Happy Endings’ takes the sitcom to bizarre extremes I panned the pilot of “Happy Endings” last year, calling it “another would-be hip, fresh young sitcom about six friends dealing with relationships.” While I wasn’t looking, though, “Happy Endings” actually turned into the hip, fresh young sitcom it wanted to be.
Read More →
Posted October 24, 2012in Joe's Neighborhood, Recent Posts
An alley can be a fiendish place. Tales from a host of ghoulish writers speak of dark deeds done in dark alleys. Perhaps the concern is that once you are in an alley, fleeing to the left or to the right is no longer an option. You’re penned in, and
Read More →
Posted October 24, 2012in Recent Posts, Sound Notes
It’s time for the “Happy Halloween” edition of Sound Notes. So get your costumes ready, and let’s see what kind of entertainment we can scare up for the week. (I promise that will be the last Halloween related pun in this column.) The Des Moines Music Coalition announced its line-up
Read More →
Posted October 17, 2012in On The Tube, Recent Posts
You can’t trust anyone in the brilliant thriller ‘Hunted’ Forget the overrated “Homeland.” If you’re looking for an international spy thriller on premium cable, “Hunted” (Friday, 9 p.m., Cinemax) is the one to watch. The pilot messes with your head so skillfully that you’re woozy by the 30-minute mark. And
Read More →
Posted October 17, 2012in Center Stage, Recent Posts
Movement comes to the metro in a big way this month with the premiere of “Prelude: A Triple Bill,” the new performance from Ballet Des Moines. Featuring six professional dancers, “Prelude” presents three pieces of original choreography from Ballet Des Moines artistic director Serkan Usta, ballet mistress Lori Grooters and
Read More →
Posted October 17, 2012in Joe's Neighborhood, Recent Posts
When your wife is on the “edge,” you know that you need to tread lightly. She’s edgy. If you’re walking on the boat dock at Gray’s Lake, you know that you need to stay away from the edge. A misstep could find you in deep water. And you know you
Read More →
Posted October 17, 2012in Recent Posts, Sound Check
‘Cokey G Is My Favorite Rapper’ BCG Records That’s mighty presumptuous of you, Cokey G. Even though I don’t know if I’m quite ready to go out and dub Cokey G as my favorite rapper, there’s no doubt about his talent. And while this particular flavor of harder,
Read More →
