Little Village Issue 344 - September 2025 by Little Village Magazine

Since 2001 LittleVillageMag.com

26 public Access Cinema

This Waterloo resident watches some 100 concerts a year from the front barricade.

The free Des Moines Underground Film Festival takes the pressure off.

He attended UI as a secondclass student. Now he occupies a gallery in its art museum.

Little Village (ISSN 2328-3351) is an independent, community-supported news and culture publication based in Iowa City, published monthly by Little Village, LLC, 623 S Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Through journalism, essays and events, we work to improve our community according to core values: environmental sustainability, affordability and access, economic and labor justice, racial justice, gender equity, quality healthcare, quality education and critical culture. Letters to the editor(s) are always welcome. We reserve the right to fact check and edit for length and clarity. Please send letters, comments or corrections to editor@ littlevillagemag.com. Subscriptions: lv@littlevillagemag.com. The US annual subscription price is $120. All rights reserved, reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. If you would like to reprint or collaborate on new content, reach us at lv@littlevillagemag. com. To browse back issues, visit us online at issuu.com/littlevillage.

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EDITORIAL

Publisher

Jordan Sellergren jordan@littlevillagemag.com

Editor-in-Chief

Emma McClatchey emma@littlevillagemag.com

Arts Editor

Chuy Renteria chuy@littlevillagemag.com

News Director

Paul Brennan paul@littlevillagemag.com

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Kellan Doolittle kellan@littlevillagemag.com

Calendar/Event Listings

Grace Merritt calendar@littlevillagemag.com

En Español Editor

Claudia Pozzobon Potratz

Corrections editor@littlevillagemag.com

Sept. Contributors

Abby McClatchey, Ariana Martinez, Brian Visser, Broc Nelson, Dan Ray, Elisabeth Oster, Gabi Vanek, Jason Rubin, John Busbee, K. Twaddle, Kellee Forkenbrock, Kembrew McLeod, Kevin Richard Schafer, Lauren Haldeman, Liz Rosa, M.T. Bostic, Ramona Muse Lambert, Rob Brezsny, Sam Locke Ward, Sarah Elgatian, Sarah Lane, Sara Williams, Tom Tomorrow, Tyler Erickson

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Meet this month’s contributors!

Abby McClatchey is an elementary school teacher turned education marketer, project manager and content creator.

Ariana Martinez is a freelance film critic and Cinema Studies graduate student at the University of Iowa.

Brian Visser is a librarian at the Iowa City Public Library. He likes to fall asleep listening to books and is partial to sci-fi and fantasy.

Broc Nelson is a lifelong music fan, improviser, Quad Citizen and enthusiast of all things creative, tasty and weird.

Dan Ray is a journalist, musician, model and 1994 Aquarius. You can connect with her over on Instagram, @heyimdanray.

Elisabeth Oster is a freelance writer and designer, and collector of dad rock.

Gabi Vanek hates music. At least that's what she tells herself.

Jason Rubin is a photographer based in Cedar Rapids. He specializes in sports and live music photography, but also captures moments at other live events.

weekly arts & culture radio show on kfmg.org.

K. Twaddle is an Iowa transplant and a lifelong book enthusiast. She lives in rural Iowa with her partner and three cats.

Kellee Forkenbrock is the award-winning Public Services Librarian for North Liberty Library. She writes romance under the pseudonym Eliza David.

Kembrew McLeod is a founding Little Village columnist and the chair of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa.

Kevin Richard Schafer is a graduate of the University of Iowa Studio Arts Photography program and has lived to tell the tale.

Lauren Haldeman is a graphic novelist and poet. She has received an Iowa Arts Fellowship, a Sustainable Arts Foundation Award and fellowships from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Liz Rosa is a journalism student at Drake University, juggling class, freelancing and work while still finding time for creativity.

M.T. Bostic is a photographer, musician, emerging writer, and U.S. Army recruiter Issue 344

Meet some local thespians, cinephiles, booksellers, horror writers, pie historians, striptease artists and music mega-fans.

John Busbee produces The Culture Buzz, a

residing in Coralville with his wife and four children.

Ramona Muse Lambert makes art and music. Sometimes she’s in charge of dinner, too. Buy her art at ramonamuselambert. com

Sam Locke Ward is a cartoonist and musician from Iowa City. He self publishes the comic zines Voyage Into Misery and ’93 Grind Out.

Sarah Elgatian is a writer, activist and educator living in Iowa. She likes dark coffee, bright colors and long sentences. She dislikes meanness.

Sarah Lane is an adult services librarian for the Des Moines Public Library who spends her time reading as many romance novels as possible when not chasing around an exuberant toddler or attempting to learn to crochet…again.

Sara Williams is a multidisciplinary artist who was raised in Bondurant, Iowa. She currently resides near Amana.

Tyler Erickson is a photographer based in Des Moines. He has a devout love for distance running, bicycle touring and photographing honest moments of the human experience.

Cover by tyler Erickson; Actors from Iowa Stage Theatre Company and About Time Theatre Company; Sun mask by Zoe Webb for Iowa City Joy March.

Sourdough Pizza

The G raze

P izza S T ory

The Secret to Graze Pizza is our Crust. The process starts with an old world starter called a Levain. This is the magical element that separates our pizza from all others. Then, our dough goes through a 72- to 96-hour cold

fermentation process (think beer brewing). It’s where our unique flavor and airy texture comes from.

Think about this: Why is it that mankind lived on bread alone for 6,000 years, and only in the last forty years, we’re seeing recordhigh amounts of gluten intolerance? The Food Guru believes it’s not the wheat or the gluten, but all the chemicals the great American food machine add to their dough that’s the culprit.

This is why we decided to go old-old school with our recipe and process. We use only all-natural, high protein, unbromated, unbleached wheat flour with no preservatives and using our top secret water filtration system... plus extra virgin Italian olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. That’s it! Simple and delicious.

AllSpice (62)

CaseGroup Realty (42)

City of Iowa City Human Rights (64)

CommUnity Crisis Services (39)

Coralville Center for the Performing Arts (47)

Coralville Public Library (49)

Critical Hit Games (66)

CSPS (4)

Des Moines Art Center (21)

Des Moines Metro Opera (50)

Des Moines Public Library (64)

Des Moines Symphony (52)

Diversions Tabletop

Game Lounge (12)

Field to Family (18)

FilmScene (60)

Fin & Feather (11)

Goodfellow Printing, Inc. (22)

Graze Gourmet To Go (9)

Grinnell College Museum of Art (51)

Hancher Auditorium (2-3)

Hermetic Electric (51)

Historic Valley Junction (54)

THANK YOU TO THIS ISSUE’S ADVERTISING PARTNERS

This issue of Little Village is supported by:

Honeybee Hair Parlor &

Hive Collective (57)

Hot Spot Tattoo & Piercing (66)

Independent Downtown Iowa City (58)

— Beadology

— Get Fresh

— Mailboxes of Iowa City

— Pullman Bar & Diner

— Record Collector

— Release Body Modification

— Revival

— The Green House

— The Wedge Pizzeria

— Yotopia

Independent Highland Park/Oak

Park Neighborhood (69)

— Des Moines Mercantile

— The Slow Down Coffee Co.

Independent Northside

Marketplace (6)

— Artifacts

— Dodge St. Tire

— George’s

— Pagliai’s Pizza

— R.S.V.P.

— The Haunted Bookshop

— Willow & Stock

Iowa Children’s Museum (53)

Iowa City Book Festival (35)

Iowa City Communications Department (45)

Iowa City Downtown District (22)

Iowa City Public Library (48)

Iowa Department of Public Health (62)

Iowa Master Naturalists (59)

Iowa Public Radio (48)

John’s Grocery (39)

KCCK Jazz 88.3 (62)

Kim Schillig, REALTOR (18)

Mainframe Studios (53)

Mammoth Live (16)

Martin Construction (66)

Musician’s Pro Shop (39)

New Pioneer Food Co-op (68)

Next Page Books (45)

Nodo (10)

Orchestra Iowa (55)

Performing Arts at Iowa (37)

Philip J. Ochs (59)

Phoebe Martin, REALTOR (36)

Polk County Conservation (16)

Porchlight Literary Arts Center (57)

Prairie Lights Bookstore & Cafe (11)

Public Space One (67)

RAYGUN (17)

ReFocus Film Festival (40)

Revival (12, 58)

Riverside Theatre (20)

Romantix (20)

RSFIC (67)

Shakespeare’s Pub & Grill (22)

Theatre Cedar Rapids (43)

The Club Car (18)

The Daisy (45)

The Dandy Lion (42)

The Englert Theatre (44)

Think Iowa City (72)

Tim Conroy, REALTOR (51)

Travel Dubuque (54)

University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art (56)

Vino Vérité (14)

Wig & Pen Pizza Pub (10)

xBk (46)

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Interactions

LV encourages readers to submit letters to Editor@LittleVillageMag.com. Please include your name, city of residence and any relevant job titles or affiliations. Letters may be edited for accuracy and style. To be considered for print publication, letters should be under 500 words. Preference is given to letters that have not been published elsewhere.

Letter to the editor: The decision to close SHSI Iowa City should alarm anyone interested in Iowa and Midwest history (July 30)

Being physically present with historical and artistic objects is crucial to appreciating and understanding them. Thank you David McCartney for expressing the great loss that closing The State Historical Society Iowa City branch implies. Mary Bennett and this building have been critical to so many of my projects, including Saving Brinton, The Simple Gift of Walnut Grove, and City of Literature: A Film About the History of Creative Writing in Iowa —John R.

My friend and mentor David McCartney brilliantly outlines what is lost when

institutions like the State Historical Society [close]—not only the collections they hold but also the trust we place in the institutions that hold, preserve, and share our collective memory for generations to come. —Laura C.

State worker groups oppose suggested IPERS cuts, performance-based teacher pay model (Aug. 8)

IPERS was an incredibly attractive benefit for me in moving from an independent nonprofit to government work. Cutting IPERS will affect recruitment of workers! —Katie R

Student performance would increase if class size could decrease- 29 kids per class in my 2033 graduating class- leaves both kids and teachers frustrated. I bet teacher performance could also improve

HAVE AN OPINION?

with a smaller class size. —Tande S.

If the state was truly interested in performance-based pay, our governor would get a big cut considering how we’re the worst for cancer cases, support for public education, etc., etc. —Anne D.

I do not understand this constant attack on public employees at all levels. I was always led to believe that public employees received good benefits to make up for their very subpar salaries. There are many services like education, police, fire, libraries that should not be for profit entities so everyone can use them equally. —SE Hill A.

Iowa National Guard soldiers deployed to assist ICE (Aug. 12) The beginning of a federal police state. —Christine S.

is another manufactured crisis, a distraction and an abuse of power.

INTERACTIONS MOMBOY

Deploying the National Guard endangers both civilians and our military personnel. This will waste money and resources. —Joe L.

How about this for our state slogan, "Welcome to Iowa. We live in hell." —Trish N.

She's an even shittier version of Kristi Noem. —Lindsay A.P.

UI announces end to Iowa Summer Writing Festival, Iowa Youth Writing Project (Aug. 12)

A UNESCO city of literature is losing programs for writing. —Jill M.

Vonnegut is spinning in his grave as I type. —Aaron A.

This is absolutely tragic! I don't know if I would be where I am today without these as a kid. —Brennan B.

Why was there no effort to connect with the community, to let us know that more funding was needed? I know Amy must have done everything possible, but the administration really needed to include more stakeholders in this decision. —The Haunted Bookshop

Unfortunately, we weren’t given any warning. They just shuttered the program without giving us a chance to fundraise or come up with other creative solutions. —Iowa Summer Writing Festival

An incredibly petty decision. —Corey C.

LAUREN

Of all the infuriating and needless cuts. Are we great again yet?? —Jane B.

I remember DJing for Amy [Margolis] one summer and meeting so many passionate writers seeking a nudge in the right direction for their manuscripts, collections, or just in their general practice. She cultivated a singular space that will be sorely

missed and never replaced. Torn to shreds over this. —Zachary I.

This is disheartening. Iowa is known for its writing programs. It’s hard to see grants and funding cut for literature and the arts. —Erin M.

Devastating news for our community and our state. Soon there will be little

RAMONA MUSE LAMBERT

ACCOLADES

The 10th annual Cloris Awards ceremony was held on Aug. 24, decorating a range of Des Moines area theater professionals and young performers. Some notable winners:

• Iowa Stage theatre Company’s Witch, awarded Outstanding Play, Outstanding Ensemble in a Play and Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor (Alex Wendel). Todd Buchacker won Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Torch Song

• Des Moines Community playhouse’s Waitress took home Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Ensemble in a Musical, Outstanding Lead Actor (Alex Schaeffer) and Outstanding Music Direction (Tristan Miedema).

• Des Moines Young Artists theatre’s The SpongeBob Musical received the Outstanding Production for Youth and Family award, as well as Outstanding Ensemble in a Youth Production, Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Adam Haselhuhn) and Outstanding Choreography (Marquis Bundy).

• Kim Haymes won as both a lead actor (in About Time Theatre’s Squeamish) and featured actor in a play (Tallgrass Theatre’s It’s Only a Play).

• timothy Rose and Michael Howland were the first recipients of the new John Domini Passion and Purpose Awards.

Special recognition was given to local stage managers— “The true heroes of theater,” according to the Cloris Awards committee.

INTERACTIONS

left to attract ANYONE to Iowa. —Ali B.

‘I’m the guy getting sued by the Satanists’: Adam Steen announces GOP campaign for governor (Aug. 20)

Let me guess, God himself told him to run. —Kai S.

"I'm a Jesus guy. I'm a Make America Great Again guy..." Make up your mind. —Robert P.

Read the red in the New Testament, then tell me your a “Jesus Guy.” —Dale R.

No matter whether you're left, right, or straddling the fence, this is the stuff we can't let fester any further. The separation of church and state matters. It's one of this country's foundational aspects. Unfortunately, every campaign cycle sees the line blurred and that core component of our democracy diminished. Leading a campaign with religious themes is irresponsible, misguided, and (supposed to be) deeply unAmerican. —Chad C.

We need more adults who believe

in Noah’s Ark to guide this state forward. >sarcasm< —Karl F.H.

Can we please stop it with the Christian nationalism? It’s not even Biblical. The goal of being Christian shouldn’t be offending people. —Tom W.

I'm betting the Satanists who are suing him have read more of the Bible than him. —Mitch B.

New poll finds Sen. Joni Ernst struggling against Democratic challengers (Aug. 25)

Thanks to anyone who runs against her. We will prevail. —Julianne V.M.

May she sink like the Titanic! —Marty B.

Can being a terrible human being who makes life worse for her constituents actually be a bad thing for a Republican politician? I’ll believe it when I see it. —Henry W.

Jotting this down for when whichever Dem slug they force through loses by six to eight points. —Aaron

In Case You Missed It

Catch up on LV’s top arts stories from August.

Aaron pang isn’t brave. But he’s currently sharing stories from his sex life at the Edinburgh Fringe festival.

By Chuy Renteria,

Aug. 6

‘the Hinterland vibes are back’: Iowa’s biggest music fest returned with a vengeance for 10th year

By Brian Morelli,

Aug. 7

Zappa isn’t new to the whole dog thing. She’s 6 now and slowing down just a little bit, but this smiley cattle dog/pittie mix is still as coy, curious and funloving as the late great Frank Zappa. With a bestie by her side, she’s ready to explore your favorite park, snuggle on your favorite piece of furniture and be told all the things you love most about her. Is Zappa the Valley girl of your dreams? Rock on over to the Iowa City Animal Center, icanimalcenter.org.

Fully Booked: Recommendations from Local Librarians

Tantalizing Time-Benders

The prequel to the TV show Outlander, Outlander: Blood of My Blood , premiered recently, so I must talk about time slip novels. In these novels, the characters accidentally stumble through time, without any knowledge of how they got there. Alone and desperate, they must navigate a world unknown. Will they find love? Will they meet the younger version of their mother? Will they finally figure out the identity of Jack the Ripper? You will just have to read and find out.

What better way to start your time slip journey than with the classic novel Kindred by Octavia Butler? In the story, Dana is drawn back to the antebellum South, where she is forced to be a slave on a plantation. She is thrust back and forth through time. As one stay in the past lingers on, she starts to wonder if she will make it home.

If you are looking for a little more lightness and love on your time slip journey, I would suggest The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston where the love of Clementine’s life disappeared a few days ago, but he hasn’t seen her for seven years. You could also find love on the New York City subway in One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, but the catch is one is from the 1970s, and one lives in the 21st century.

If mystery is more to your liking, then you need to try books by author Kelley Armstrong. She has written not one but two series in which the main character slips through time. In A Rip Through Time—set in 1869 Victorian Scotland and following a modern-day detective who finds herself trapped in a housemaid’s body—or a more gothic A Stitch in Time, in which a woman inherits a manor and is surprised to encounter her childhood friend who she believed was a figment of her imagination.

If you are still looking for more time slip recommendations, you can always listen to the DMPL podcast Beyond the Shelves and hear my co-host Jes and me go on and on about Emily St. John Mandel and her time slip novel Sea of Tranquility. We also talk about other books, I promise.

—Sarah Lane, Des Moines Public Library

James Gunn’s Superman, released in theaters this summer, reignited my interest in the DC universe. So I checked out what’s been going on in the comics. Anyone who’s familiar with comics knows that the stories go in cycles. There’s typically a big crossover event that features a bevy of characters, and then a “reset” that’s an easy place for new readers to jump into the story. DC “All In” is the latest starting point, and the All In Saga by Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder sets the stage for readers. It includes a variety of issues featuring DC’s biggest characters: Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The main draw is the DC All In Special: A one-shot that sees the creation of a new universe.

In the Alpha universe, the DC Universe we all know and love, a new Justice League is formed. Justice League Unlimited Vol. 1: Into the Inferno, written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Dan Mora, features a greatly expanded roster of heroes. It gives the chance for unique interactions, like between Wonder Woman and Mary Marvel, which I loved! The League is facing down a super-terrorist group known as “Inferno” and needs to uncover its origins and intentions before they cause irreversible damage to the world. Waid’s character work is amazing and gives emotional grounding to these larger-than-life icons. Paired with Mora’s phenomenal art, Into the Inferno is easy to recommend!

In the Omega universe, or the new “Absolute Universe,” reimagined heroes are introduced, and are now at a disadvantage. In Absolute Batman Vol. 1: The Zoo, written by Scott Snyder with art by Nick Dragotta, Bruce Wayne is a civil engineer traumatized by violence. His father, a teacher, was murdered on a school trip. Bruce, who was there when it happened, is shaped by the shooting. With no money, he becomes a brutal, hulking, self-made Batman who faces off against a chaotic, masked gang called the Party Animals. Snyder (no relation to Zach, by the way) brings a new dimension to this unfamiliar Bruce. Dragotta’s art is sharp, dangerous and fits perfectly with this gritty take on the Dark Knight.

Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon, written by Kelly Thompson and illustrated by Hayden Sherman, is a radical reinvention of the character. This Diana grew up in the underworld with Circe as her protector. The story alternates between the current day, with Diana fighting a giant monster called the Tetracide, and her past upbringing in what is essentially Hell. Circe teaches Diana magic and helps her forge wonderful and terrible weapons. The relationship between Diana and Circe is the heart of the story, and I loved how tightly connected the tale is with Greek mythology. The art and colors, by Hayden Sherman and Jordie Bellaire, are perfect. I cannot recommend Absolute Wonder Woman enough.

You can find all of these comics and many more at the Iowa City Public Library!

—Brian Visser, Iowa City Public Library

Contact Buzz

The Shop Around the Corner

These small Des Moines bookstores are determined to provide an escape from (and antidotes to) all the toxicity.

BY JOHN BUSBEE

Like a book, an independent bookstore can be a spiritual oasis in a chaotic world. It probably says something about our world, then, that three indie bookstores sprouted up in central Iowa over the past 18 months.

From pushing back against book bans and COVID-era malaise to capitalizing on online reading trends, Shelf Love DSM, The Little Book and Nos share a desire to cut through the noise and connect with area readers.

“Nos Books has been an idea that I have considered for a very long time,” said owner Luis Luján. “I have always been an avid reader and lover

of literature. What got me down this path was the book bannings and the culture wars spilling over from the first Trump presidency combined with COVID.”

Luján said he asked himself, “Is there something I can be doing that would make me happier or make my community better?” Nos Books, which opened this April in the Drake neighborhood, was the result.

“I credit two people for helping me: my wife for her support and serving as the bookkeeper, and the bookseller community,” Luján said. “Before I sold my first book and did my initial pop-up store, these booksellers were extremely generous with their knowledge and guidance and have been really big supporters of mine.”

Luján’s mission is to promote authors of color and books for the general public that might fly under the radar; “This isn’t what I do exclusively, but it’s what I focus on.” His store opened with a notable guest, Iowa’s Poet Laureate Vince Gotera.

Being part of an indie bookstore ecosystem has been exciting for Luján.

“One of the things I enjoy the most about the customers who come to my store is how they love to go to the different independent bookstores," he said, "and seeing how our own personalities, from the décor to the curation, make them so individual.”

Bethany Fast staked out a destination-worthy corner of the revitalized Oak Park-Highland Park District on Des Moines’ far north side for her

business, The Little Book. It’s the kind of cozy book nook that resides in one’s imagination.

“When we were developing this space, we really wanted to create something unique,” Fast said. “Des Moines has such a strong independent bookstore game. We wanted to find an area that felt like it could use a bookstore, that it wouldn’t be adding unnecessary competition to the other wildly successful stores in the area, and that it would add value to the neighborhood.”

Fast’s journey to opening her dream store was not conventional.

“I was a licensed funeral director in 2020. With COVID, I saw more action than many rural funeral directors see in their entire career,” she explained. “I just wanted to get out and find something joyful, where I saw the sun during the day, I saw my kids on the weekends. I met a friend who ran a successful bookstore at a conference. I had known her when I lived in the Pacific Northwest. She told me, ‘Now, don’t you want to do this?’ That’s when I realized that I did.”

Of course, Fast was going to do it her way.

“We wanted something that was family-centric, where people could bring their kids and not feel like it’s a place where they have to hush their kids,” she said. “[It would be] a place where everyone belonged, everybody could find something for them. That’s what we based the store on, from the layout to the

aesthetics to what we stock on the shelves. A lot of love went into the space.”

Since The Little Book opened in February 2024, Fast and her partner and co-owner David have reinforced their commitment to inclusivity by speaking out against book bans and anti-LGBTQ legislation in Iowa, hosting bilingual storytimes and fundraisers for trans mutual aid, and deciding not to promote Harry Potter books or their fan fiction adaptations because of J.K. Rowling’s transphobia.

“‘Find the little joys’ is our catch phrase,” Fast said. “We feel it’s important that queer families can come in and not only feel safe, but feel celebrated. They can see themselves on the shelf.”

Romance-centric bookstore Shelf Love DSM, meanwhile, helps readers of all stripes find both little joys and little deaths.

“We opened to be a fun space for romance readers to feel comfortable for something that’s been looked down upon for so long,” Shelf Love visionary Sarah Gardner-Bergan said.

The romance genre has always attracted rabid readers, but the rise of BookTok and Bookstagram have created such online fervor for swoon-worthy stories that they’ve spawned in-person events and businesses. Like Marion’s Happily Ever After Bookstore, which debuted in eastern Iowa in 2023, Shelf Love DSM caters solely to fans of romance and its many subgenres.

“Our customers love being able to find their favorite books and authors, but also be able to find new ones they haven’t heard of,” Gardner-Bergan said. “We focus on indie authors and uplifting voices that you won’t find in a traditional bookstore. Beyond inventory, what typically attracts people to my store is being in a fun and inviting space to read and enjoy romance.”

She encourages readers to be adventurers and explore the greatly expanded new realms of the genre. With a mischievous gleam in her eyes, she spilled a secret. “We are planning a cowboy romance convention—the next big subgenre.”

Shelf Love is also planning to host a variety of book clubs starting in the fall, as well as community events like signings, book swaps and more.

“I just knew that there was a need for this here, and I just went for it,” Gardner-Bergan said. “I figured if it wasn’t me, somebody else was going to do it.”

Iowa Indie Bookshops tour

Visit some or all of Iowa’s 45 independent bookshops for chances to win audiobook prizes. Ends Sept. 30.

He’ll Be There

Jim Reiners, likely Iowa’s most prolific concertgoer, spills wisdom gleaned from hundreds of rock shows.

BY JASON RUBIN

You meet a lot of music fans as a professional concert photographer, but over the past couple years, one has stood out to me the most. When culling through my photos from events across the state, I kept seeing the same guy, always up front by the barricade. Show after show, photoset after photoset, there he’d be. Finally, at a concert not too long ago, we met and got to chatting.

Waterloo resident Jim Reiners is, to put it lightly, quite an avid concertgoer. Reiners credits his parents for introducing him to live music, bringing him to see “Rama Lama Ding Dong” singers Sha Na Na back in 1979. But he states his true “first concert” was the Eagles back in 1980.

Fast-forward about 45 years and Reiners attends, on average, between 50 to 60 concerts per year. Last year was particularly prolific; he claimed to have caught a whopping 96 shows.

“Whatever kind of mood you’re in, music can fix that,” he said. “Music becomes your own personal therapist. Music has always been a way of life for me. It can get you through anything, and it’s always been there for me.”

Of all the artists he has seen, the most frequent has been the alternative country band the Mavericks, with a whopping 44 concerts. Reiners brought his mother along to 28 of those shows. While he generally doesn’t mind attending concerts alone, you’ll usually find him joined by his sister, brother-in-law or another guest, as he always makes sure he has an extra ticket.

You’ll frequently find Reiners at shows across eastern Iowa, but he’ll travel all around the state— and occasionally out of state—to get his concert-fix. Since living in Iowa, the farthest he’s traveled for a show was down to Dallas in 2018 to see Eric Clapton. He may soon surpass this, as Reiners plans to make his way to Florida in 2026 for the Sound Wave Beach Weekend. More often than not, Reiners will attend touring artists’ shows, but you’ll occasionally find him supporting local artists. Some favorites include Richie Lee and the Fabulous 50s and Not Quite Brothers.

It’s not about the stats for Reiners. He’s keen to turn every concert into an experience, frequently purchasing VIP/meet-and-greet upgrades. “Some artists, like Slash, love getting to know their fans,” he shared. “Other artists like to have conversations

Reiners Recommends

We asked this music superfan what upcoming concerts are on his radar.

Friday, Sept. 5, Not Quite Brothers, Harvest Market, Marshalltown

thursday, Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., A.J. Croce presents Croce plays Croce, the Englert, Iowa City Reiners loves that A.J. is keeping his father’s legacy alive. Aside from his own music, he performs some of his dad’s, as well as tells stories about his father, Jim.

tuesday, Oct. 14, 8 p.m., paul McCartney “Got Back” tour, Iowa Events Center, Des Moines After seeing McCartney, Reiners can proudly say that he has seen half of the Beatles.

that feel personal, and make you feel connected,” which he said makes those VIP experiences even more valuable.

Some of his special experiences can’t be bought, like when he was invited up on stage for a couple of songs by Theory of a Dead Man. They were looking for veterans to honor, which they’re known to do on their tours, and there was Reiners. You’ll often find him in the front row, whether the format is seated or standing.

“I feel that going to concerts keeps me younger,” Reiners said. “I know these artists won’t be around forever, and my health won’t always be the same, so I figure I’ll experience all of this while I can.”

He shared a hot tip for souvenir-minded fans: arrive early, as there’ll often be exclusive merch available in limited quantities. A particularly revered item for Reiners is the classic tour poster. He radiated with pride as he showed off his set of two Metallica posters acquired from their M72 World Tour stops at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium on Aug. 16 and 18, 2024. Only a limited number were available and, in a move that seemed tailormade for fans like Reiners, the two separate posters can be combined to create one seamless landscape.

The Metallica diptych hangs in his house among many, many other concert posters. It wouldn’t be a

stretch to say that Reiners’ home could double as a museum to live music. Every wall in his house, from the living room to the kitchen to the bathroom, is lined from top to bottom with framed tour posters (several signed by the artist), and other gems he’s collected from concerts. There’s an extensive collection of framed setlists (again, some signed by the artists), which Reiners usually winds up obtaining at the end of the performance—a perk of leaving late. You can also find drumsticks, picks, vintage T-shirts and several signed guitars. Standout items include two Joe Bonamassa bass guitars, and one acoustic signed by the Eagles, which he won back in 2014.

But collecting is only part of the experience, and when a show is underway, Reiners is focused on the music and the community that grows around it. Being a part of the crowd gives him the opportunity to meet new people.

“I’ve made a lot of friends through concerts,

Saturday, Oct. 25, 8:30 p.m., Richie Lee and the Fabulous ’50s, Rhythm City Casino, Davenport

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m., Rodney Crowell w/ William Elliott Whitmore, the Englert, Iowa City “I’ve never seen him before, but I enjoy going to theaters like the Paramount and Englert because they are both fantastic venues, and have great staff.”

whether it is fellow fans, security for shows, the photographers, etc.,” he said. “I’ve become connected with people on social media by going to all of these concerts and venues. These are now all people I am able to attend concerts with, and not only that, but some of them even become family to me.”

Reiners shouts out his best friend, Mike. There’s quite a memorable story on how they met, so if you ever see him at a show—perhaps after arriving early and posting up by the front stage barricade—you can ask and see if he’ll tell the tale. Maybe you’ll become another member of Reiners’ concert family.

“Music brings people together,” he told me. “... Our country has been so divided lately in numerous ways, but being at a concert, everyone is there for the same thing for a couple of hours. We’re all there to just enjoy some live music.”

Above: Jim Reiners shows off his twoshow, limited edition Metallica posters.

Right: An AC/DC concert ticket stub from 1985. Jason Rubin / Little Village

performance

In Good Company

Iowa theater pros aren't afraid to unsettle audiences as they hold a mirror up to our times.

BY CHUY RENtERIA

Let’s start this survey of Iowa’s local theater landscape with a bit of a dramatic flourish: The start of the COVID-19 pandemic was half a decade ago. Apologies if that messes with your tethering to time, but I bring it up for a reason. When looking at the last five years of local theater

output, it feels as if the community has persevered. The last half decade saw some form of rebirth or new beginning for many companies and venues.

Take Iowa City’s Riverside Theatre, which upgraded to a larger space on the Ped Mall in 2022. Or About Time Theatre Company, Des Moines’ new actor-owned troupe that launched this year. Then there’s Theatre Cedar Rapids, which broke ground on major renovations last month after a multi-milliondollar capital campaign—all while marking their 100th anniversary.

The theater landscape feels at the precipice of something. It’s the roller coaster poised to drop down the other side. With that in mind, Little Village talked with some of the creative forces driving eastern and central Iowa’s theater companies for the view from the top of the hill: how they’re staging productions that meet this new era of upheaval, and what’s coming next.

“Audiences want a lot of different things. Some want to be entertained. Some want to escape. Some

want a forum to look at this moment with a clear lens,” said Adam Knight, executive director of Riverside Theatre. “Our role in preparing a season is to have something for everybody, but something that continues to live in the now. If it lives in the now, by its very nature, it’s going to address this.”

Michael LaDell Harris and Kim Haymes, two members of the creative team behind About Time Theatre, echoed Knight. When deciding on their first production, the company asked (among inquiries about budget and experience), “What fits our current time in America?” That brought them to Squeamish, a horror-adjacent one-woman show by Aaron Mark and performed by Haymes. The play touches on, among other things, addiction, medication and grief over the death of a young loved one. It was unsettling enough LV’s reviewer had to step out of the venue— The Haunt speakeasy, playing host to its first theater event—for a breather.

“We had been mulling over shows to perform of

Iowa Stage Theatre Company actors Madison Ray (left), Mason Ferguson, Sean Canuso, Alex Wendel and John Earl Robinson pose with About Time Theatre Company actors Maggie Jane Tatone, Marnie Strate and Nick Strickland in ISTC’s warehouse. Tyler Erickson / Little Village

all types for a long time,” Harris said about kicking off with a bang like Squeamish. “Our board is made up of middle-aged parents, so we have experiences, unfortunately, with the themes of this show. And with the adult content, we knew that no other theater in town could even approach it. Squeamish rang out to us as ‘our show.’”

“We want to do campy fun shows, musicals, more solo shows, dramas, the whole gambit,” Harris added, “but all through the perspective of ‘why this show now?’”

Iowa Stage Theatre artistic producers Alex Wendel and Davida D. Williams find their answer by developing a season gradually through conversations with their company.

“We find ourselves drawn to shows and that pulls other shows into the conversation that have a common thread,” Wendel said. “This season started with a conversation based on what connects Grand Horizons and Torch Song.”

The inclusion of those two shows, he said, came from support from their Resident Artist Company, which is composed of a broad spectrum of theater professionals. Rac helps Iowa Stage Theatre stay tapped into the broader professional theater world. Take last season’s run of Witch, a modern retelling of a 17th century Jacobean play by Jen Silverman, who received their MFA in playwriting from the University of Iowa.

Their next upcoming production, Sam Shepard’s Buried Child, seems to parallel Silverman’s drama. I asked Wendel if this was intentional.

“Absolutely Buried Child is meant to build on what Witch did for us,” he confirmed. “Davida and I wanted something a little sinister in October of 2024, to see if the marketing could sync up with the

“WItH tHE ADULt CONtENt, WE KNEW tHAt NO OtHER tHEAtER IN tOWN COULD EVEN AppROACH It. SQUEAMISH RANG OUt tO US AS ‘OUR SHOW.’” — MICHAEL LADELL HARRIS, ABOUT TIME THEATRE

season. We wanted to see if Halloween and brisk fall nights drive folks to seek out darker entertainment. We want to build on that dark October momentum with Buried Child.”

The play, a classic surrealist drama first presented in the late ’70s, is a deconstruction of the American nuclear family. Though almost 50 years old, Iowa Stage Theatre bets it will resonate with a modern audience.

“Everyone has family trauma that they have had to process. We have this innate draw towards those we share blood with, or shared a home with. That opens us up to being hurt by them the most,” Wendel said. “Why are these people still near each other after all they have put each other through? That’s something worth pondering over with this show. Maybe you can’t just bury it all in the backyard?”

I’m reminded of recent family gatherings—a devil’s advocate launching political footballs to kick around the dinner table. The safety of vaccines, maybe. Which brings us to Eureka Day, another prescient production by Riverside Theatre. The Jonathan Spector play sees an outbreak of mumps hit students at a California school.

Since May 2025, Iowa has had eight confirmed

cases of measles, the majority of those from unvaccinated individuals. I asked Adam Knight if the decision to present Eureka Day came before or after the confirmed cases.

“It was made before,” he said. “The play’s been on my radar for a couple of years now. We’re doing a world premiere in the spring by Megan Gogerty. She’s the one who, a few years ago said, ‘You’ve got to do this. It’s brilliant.’ It was on the short list. Then all these things kept happening that kept saying, ‘OK, this is a play for the now.’ And maybe this play would have hit very differently three or four years ago.”

Knight pointed out that the majority of a normal Riverside season subsists on contributed income. Theaters have historically relied on foundation and government support via grants, sponsorships and contributions from donors. The National Endowment for the Arts under the Trump administration has canceled millions of dollars worth of grants to arts orgs, many of them theater and live performance groups.

Whether directly impacted or not, theaters across the country will feel that strain, Knight said, “Not only because foundation and government support [is] more uncertain but because a lot of donors are having to fill those gaps in a lot of different sectors, not only arts and culture.”

This has Riverside Theatre actively seeking out long-range funding options, such as a reserve fund. “The operational support has to be able to weather the ebbs and flows of politics and the economy in a way where we’re not being constantly whipsawed … but are able to make the best long-term benefit for us and the community.”

Alex Wendel with Iowa Stage Theatre is also thinking about the long term. “Right now, we compensate all artists for their work with us, and

Left: Sean Canuso (front), Mason Ferguson, and John Earl Robinson of Iowa Stage Theatre Company pose for a portrait. Center: Brittny Rebhuhn, wearing a pelican mask made by Zoe Webb for Iowa City Joy March, and Alex Wendel of Iowa Stage Theatre Company fight over prop donuts. RIght: Maggie Jane Tatone (left), Nick Strickland, and Marnie Strate of About Time Theatre Company pose for a portrait at Iowa Stage Theatre Company’s rehearsal space. Tyler Erickson / Little Village

one of our goals is to grow enough to have that compensation meet the wider industry standard of professional theater companies,” he said. “This and a permanent home would go a long way to having regional recognition. I’d love for Des Moines to someday become a destination for theater lovers from around the state.”

Whatever loops and hills the roller coaster approaches next, Iowa’s theater pros are strapped in and ready. You can expect the next season of productions to keep confronting the current moment— and, perhaps, the next one.

“We hope to continue to push our ability to make engaging, thought-provoking and fun theater,” said Michael LaDell Harris of About Time. “Our next show will be remarkably different from Squeamish, but we will never not push for the pursuit of the truth in a performance.”

Film

DSMUFF Films

It’s this really cool underground festival, you probably haven’t heard of it.

BY LIZ ROSA

It is far too cliché to begin this story with the same overdone explanation that cool arts stuff does, in fact, occur in the Midwest. So I won’t start there. But I will rant about the thrill of

discovering something underground, especially when it’s in a place you least expect it. It feels special, uncovering a piece of art that hasn’t been filtered through the glossy machinery of commercial culture.

Beyond the draw of claiming superiority over lovers of mainstream media, underground organizations and events give local artists the chance to exhibit their work without a pile of fees, contracts and qualifications. In a world where art is often valued by its profitability, the Des Moines Underground Film Festival (DSMUFF) offers a space to showcase local filmmakers’ work in a real and completely non-commercial way.

Serena Fath has their hands full as the founder, programmer and host of DSMUFF. They began the festival in 2019 after organizing DIY film screenings as an undergrad at Columbia College in Chicago.

“The inspiration came from the fact that I was a broke college kid making short films, and submitting to film festivals was really expensive. I lived in a punk house where we had bands constantly performing in our living room, so I started to host film screenings,” Fath explained. “When I moved back to Des Moines around 2017, I got the idea to start DSMUFF.”

The driving force of the fest is that it doesn’t exist to make a profit. It is free to submit your work. All ticket sales are donated to the venue. It’s not a competition; there is no winner at the end of the night. It’s Fath’s response to the status quo of film festivals, in which filmmakers pay hundreds just to have their submission reviewed. If they’re accepted, they face the pressures of a judged contest.

“I always feel weird about profiting off of art or making art into a competition,” Fath said. “DSMUFF is just about bringing the film community together and celebrating local art.”

the Des Moines Social Club, which has since shut down. The following year brought the COVID-19 pandemic. DSMUFF had to get creative, partnering with Reliable Street in Ames to host a drive-in cinema event. Also in 2020, the festival partnered with the Iowa Abortion Access Fund to show the documentary short Ours to Tell

“It’s this incredible doc about the power that comes with access to abortion through first-hand testimonies,” Fath said. “We also were able to raise money for the fund at the screening. It was the COVID drive-in cinema year, so we projected a QR code and suggested donation on the projector so the audience could donate from their cars.”

Since then, the festival has found a home at the nonprofit Varsity Cinema in Des Moines.

“The Varsity is such a historic and iconic local gem, and I am so grateful to them for hosting us,” Fath said. “The staff at the Varsity has been incredibly supportive of the festival. It’s nice to be able to donate all of the proceeds from ticket sales from our event to the Varsity. I want to make sure they stay open forever!”

In all its incarnations, DSMUFF’s goal remains the same as when it began: to showcase and connect talented local filmmakers, Fath said.

DSMUFF accepts submissions all year. Filmmakers are welcome to submit short films and music videos under 20 minutes long to dsmundergroundfilmfest@ gmail.com. The deadline to be considered for the 2025 fest is Oct. 10.

“I am looking forward to hosting DSMUFF in years to come and would love to continue to partner with the Varsity Cinema as long as they’ll have us,” Fath said. “We might end up adding a Q&A with the filmmakers after the event if we have time this year.”

Keep an eye on the festival’s Instagram, @dsm_ underground_film_fest, for updates on the festival lineup.

Launching an organization is never easy. The festival’s first screening in 2019 was hosted by

A collection of Filthy Loot publications.

Kellan Doolittle / Little Village DSMUFF 2025 Opens Sunday, Nov. 2 at

Gooble, Gobble

If the Scholastic Book Fair was run by punk gremlins, it would look a little like this newly hatched horror fest.

BY SARAH ELGAtIAN

Filthy Loot, a small boutique literary press based in Ames, specializes in what founding editor Ira Rat calls “misfit fictions.” The books published by Filthy Loot push boundaries.

“I found that a lot of the writers I like were getting ignored because they didn’t fit into a mold,” Rat said in a phone interview.

An author and artist himself, Rat wanted to see their work out in the world. “I’m just hoping to be a place where people can come find interesting material.”

In its eight years of existence, Filthy Loot and its founder have been able to connect with other authors and publishers around the Midwest that share their mission. And in early September, the press is collaborating with Public Space One to host a new horror literature festival in Iowa City called One of Us.

The fest is named in reference to Tod Browning’s 1932 pre-Hays Code cult horror film Freaks. Even if you don’t recognize the title, you’ve likely heard the iconic refrain, “One of us! One of us! Gooble gobble, gooble gobble! We accept her, we accept her!” For Rat, the sentiment is genuine—he acknowledges that his projects and publications often have provocative titles conveying “weird gross things.” But for One Of Us, “I wanted to be straightforward and lose the irony a bit.”

As a home for outcast writers and subjects, Filthy Loot has long had the same goal as his festival: connecting the horror community. “We do transgressive fiction, literature with a bit of a dark bent,” he said, “Basically work from the perspective of the outsider.”

Filthy Loot also publishes anthologies of collected writing in a genre, such as Little Birds, a transgressive fiction anthology, Body Punk, which is all body horror, and Talented Perverts, a literary fiction collection. Some publications come with supplemental media such as soundtracks.

Rat noticed that “there’s not an awful lot of horror events in Iowa,” noting outliers like Ottumwa’s Halloweenapalooza, a horror film festival, and a discontinued anime-horror convention in Des Moines. “I’m trying to have a place in Iowa where horror fans can get together,” he said. “I want there to be more places for things like this.”

One Of Us will feature several authors and presses, including Weird Punk and Cursed Morsels, and “a couple local musicians will play some dark and weird music in the corner.” There won’t be panels in the fest’s first iteration, as Rat wants to make sure the program is straightforward and uncomplicated. He also wants to make sure artists can focus on mingling with patrons. “I don’t want people to be dragged away from their booth for too long.”

Rat has long collaborated with other alternative presses and projects, including Oddmart in Minneapolis and Day of the Read. He’s working with musician Brian Dudley to create a soundtrack to a fake ’70s-era Italian horror movie. One of his horror anthologies, Soft Ceremonies, is meant to feel like a series of short films.

He hopes One of Us can help spawn the next weird brainchild of Midwest artists.

“I want it to be an interesting networking experience for both writers and fans to get together,” Rat said, “and figure out what’s going on with horror in Iowa.”

Read LV’s review of Soft Ceremonies.

One Of Us

Saturday, Sept. 6, 12-4 p.m.

Public Space One Close House

Fall Burlesque Events

Sat, Sept. 6, 8 p.m., Night of the Living Striptease, Spotlight theater, Moline

Sat, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., Illuminaughties Burlesque presents Tarot Temptations, Stardust, Davenport

Sat, Sept. 13, 10:30 p.m., Odd Opulence Cabaret Celestial Circus, Newman’s Nightclub, Davenport

Fri, Sept. 19, Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha presents Burlesque Roulette, Basix, Cedar Rapids

Fri, Sept. 19, 7 p.m., Stripper Me Timbers! A Naughty-cal Burlesque Show from Malcolm McKeel & Morticia Midwest, the Garden Nightclub, Des Moines

Sat, Sept. 20, Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha presents Burlesque Roulette, Studio 13, Iowa City

Sun, Sept. 21, Flash Force University: Burlesque 101 Bootcamp, tactical Yoga, Urbandale

The Big Reveal

TV’s Danielle Colby teases her passion project in Davenport: a first-of-itskind burlesque history museum.

BY KELLEE FORKENBROCK

It was hard to find time to chat with television personality Danielle Colby, and that’s expected. While most of us know her as an American Pickers cast member, Colby’s added a new role that’s filling her schedule: burlesque archivist.

Davenport residents can see the fruits of Colby’s labor at the Ecdysiast Arts Museum, located at 322 Brady St. The museum, which showcases an array of dazzling exhibits and collections dedicated to preserving the history of striptease arts, has been a brainchild of Colby’s for decades.

“My interest in burlesque history spans back to about 1996 when I first became aware of Bettie Page,” Colby said. “I was always very interested in [Page’s] bikinis.

A costume on display at the Ecdysiast Arts Museum. Courtesy of the Ecdysiast Arts Museum

Fri, Sept. 26, 8 p.m., An Evening of Belly Dance, the Circa 21 Speakeasy, Rock Island

Fri, Sept. 26, taste test: Improv Burlesque Show hosted by Mae the Force and Miss Rosie tempest, HiFi Brew Lounge, West Des Moines

Sat, Sept. 27, Macabre Cabaret: Festival of Phobias presented by Rhythm & pep, the Barnums Factory, Des Moines

Sat, Oct 4, the Maine Attraction one woman show: A Conversation With A Naked Black Southern Lesbian, Ecdysiast Arts Museum, Davenport

Fri & Sat, Oct. 10 & 11, 7 p.m., Kitty & Red Revue Burlesque, Circa 21 Speakeasy, Rock Island

Sat, Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m., Clue: An evening of merriment, burlesque, and murder by Rosie tempest and Lucifer Jest, tallgrass theatre Co, West Des Moines

Fri, Oct. 24, Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha presents Bawdy Horror, CSpS, Cedar Rapids

I found out that she made her own and was inspired by that. From Bettie Page I was introduced to Tempest Storm, her partner in the early Teaserama films.”

The museum’s name, Ecdysiast (pronounced ekdizzy-ast), is one of the relics collected by Colby. “The word comes from early days … often used to describe a burlesque performer or somebody who peels as a career. I guess it was a friendlier term for the newspapers,” she quipped.

According to Colby, some of the museum’s mustsee exhibits include a photo-matched replica of the infamous Josephine Baker banana skirt from 1931, the collections of Chicago performer Lynne O’Neill which spans over four decades, and an extremely rare show poster from the original Hot in Harlem Revue.

Sat, Oct. 25, 1 p.m., Bunny McKenzie Mack ECON Club Finance workshop, Ecdysiast Arts Museum, Davenport

Sat, Oct. 25, 7 p.m., Money, Money, Money burlesque show, Ecdysiast Arts, Davenport

Sat, Oct. 25, Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha presents Bawdy Horror, the James theater, Iowa City

Fri, Oct. 31, 8 p.m., Dark Orchid Cabaret Halloween Show, Des Moines

Sat, Nov 8, Chocolate Burlesque Academy presents “the History of Burlesque” w/ BeBe Bardeaux, Ecdysiast Arts Museum, Davenport

Sat, Nov. 8, 8 p.m., Mary Quite Contrary House of Burlesque presents the Striptease Academy Reunion, Spotlight theater, Moline

Sat, Nov 15, 7 p.m., Naughty Nerds Cabaret! Hex Appeal A Nerdlesque Review, xBk Live, Des Moines

“It SHOULD NOt HAVE tAKEN YEARS tO pIECE tOGEtHER tHIS INFORMAtION. WE SHOULD HAVE It READILY AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR pEOpLE BECAUSE tHESE ARE IMpORtANt StORIES WItH IMpORtANt LESSONS.”

— DANIELLE COLBY, ECDYSIAST ARTS MUSEUM FOUNDER

“The most important exhibit would probably be the Lorraine Gail Smith exhibit since that’s the one that made me decide to open up the museum,” Colby said. Smith, whose story Colby says reads like “a 1930s crime novel, except it was set in ’70s Boston,” was a featured dancer in the Combat Zone, an adult entertainment district. Her thoughts were captured in a 1975 interview for two documentarians who were working to archive the infamous community. Shortly after the interview, Smith was beaten to death by an abusive boyfriend.

Smith’s legacy is underrepresented, Colby said, so she dove into researching the late performer. “It is taking a long time to piece this story together, but this is the story that made me realize that I need to open a museum because it should not have taken years to piece together this information. We should have it readily available and accessible for people because these are important stories with important lessons.”

Burlesque is characterized by playful humor and

Colby performs with Soda Gardocki at the Ecdysiast Museum during the Alternating Currents Festival on Saturday, Aug. 16.

vibrant titillation, which are served in spades at the new museum. But Colby grounds these displays of sexual freedom in the realities of sexual violence and exploitation around the world. As part of her research, Colby visited the Batey region of the Dominican Republic and met women and girls who’d survived trafficking, helping them work through their trauma via creative outlets such as jewelry making. These experiences gave Colby a deeper understanding of the contrast between burlesque and other forms of consensual sex work versus the dehumanizing practice of sex trafficking.

“For the last decade, I’ve been educating myself about human trafficking, sex trafficking in particular,”

Colby said. “It’s a brutal violation of one’s autonomy, body, spirit and is very traumatizing. I think it’s incredibly important that we as a society and our lawmakers understand the difference.”

For Colby, launching the Ecdysiast Arts Museum has been a series of lessons and breakthroughs, something she hopes its visitors will experience. Colby said fans have already shown up and shown out. She named a who’s who of local talent that have helped promote Ecdysiast in its formative months: Dahlia Dutch, Moaning Medusa, Gem Fatale and Hexa Peele, among others.

“We have been fully embraced by our patrons and our local dancers who helped us put the museum together,” Colby said.

“Downtown Davenport has been so encouraging and wonderful and supportive. I think we’re in very good hands here. We certainly feel embraced and are happy to embrace our community in return.”

To learn more about the Ecdysiast Arts Museum and its upcoming events, visit ecdysiastartsmuseum. com or contact Danielle Colby at danielle@ ecdysiastartsmuseum.com.

Above: Museum founder Danielle Colby poses for a portrait. Kevin Richard Schafer / Little Village

Right: A costume on display at the Ecdysiast Arts Museum. Courtesy of the Ecdysiast Arts Museum

Danielle

Kevin Richard Schafer / Little Village

We asked three Iowans what music shows they’re most excited for this fall.

Grace Merritt, Englert Theatre programming coordinator

Wed, Sept. 10, Zoh Amba for FEaSt, trumpet Blossom Cafe, Iowa City “The legacy of weird music is very strong in this town. In an effort to continue to grow and nurture the audience that Chris Wiersema cultivated in his Feed Me Weird Things series, I am thrilled to see Zoh Amba brought back to town by the FEaST team.”

Fri, Sept. 5, tFBUNDY, Clip Clop, de Vant, Locals Bar & Stage, Des Moines “An exciting free show with a great lineup of indie pop rock, experimental folk rock and post-punk.”

Sat, Sept. 27th, Greg Wheeler and the poly Mall Cops, Arc Flash, and Odd pets, xBk, Des Moines “Excited for this Greg Wheeler early access album release. Des Moines manic punk slime at its finest.”

The Peace of Pie

Beth Howard’s documentary Pieowa is the taste-good, feelgood film of the year.

Sun, Sept. 14, Ganavya for track Zero, the James theatre, Iowa City “I have been looking forward to this one for a while. I think it is going to be an ethereal and enchanting evening. There was a lot of buzz and excitement following her performance at Big Ears this year, and the evening is set up to be really meditative and nurturing.”

Sun, Sept. 21, Bootcamp’s album release show, Alley Cat, Iowa City “The lineup is insane (Destiny Bond, Oral Fixx, Buio Omega & Jivebomb), but also thrilled to see Bootcamp release an album following their Japan/South Korea tour this fall.”

Sat, Oct. 11, Warlock Hour Festival, Gabe’s, Iowa City “This festival is always so good and raises money for the Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund in addition to platforming a ton of Iowa musicians.”

Wed, Oct. 15, Night Moves, Gabe’s, Iowa City “The last time Night Moves was in town was a really fun evening. Seeing them be supported by dearborn (one of Iowa City’s newest and finest indie rockers) is going to be thrilling.”

Sat, Oct. 25, Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha’s Bawdy Horror Show, the James theatre, Iowa City “There’s little to nothing I love more than watching the confidence of a Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha show. It is full of sultry moments but also silly and fun times. Iowa City’s sexiest event.”

Serena Fath, Des Moines filmmaker

thu, Oct. 4, Chris Falcon, Bellyard and tough Ghost, xBk, Des Moines “This show is exciting because it’s a fundraiser for a great cause, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It’s also the first time local surf punk band, Tough Ghost, will hit the stage in over two years!”

Fri, Oct. 24, Rippin & Rollin at Skate South: Lipstick Homicide and Odd pets, Skate South Skate park, Des Moines “This show has a great lineup and will be hosted by Skate South. You can skate around the bands playing in the middle of the rink, or watch from the side! There will also be a costume contest and photobooth!”

Broc Nelson, Little Village music writer

Sat, Sept. 13, peretsky, Desert Liminal, Drowse, Rozz-tox, Rock Island “This collection of spoken word and experimental is sure to be one of the most unique performances this fall.”

Sun, Sept. 28, 81355, Racoon Motel, Davenport “Pronounced ‘bless,’ 81355 is an underground hip-hop group whose latest album Bad Dogs is full of thoughtful and emotional rhymes.”

thu, Oct. 9, Deafheaven, the Capitol theater, Davenport “Deafheaven’s Lonely People With Power is one of the best metal albums this year. I can’t wait to see these songs live.”

Sun, Oct. 19th, Activity, Raccoon Motel, Davenport “The New York art rock group’s A Thousand Years In Another Way is an AOTY contender, blending electronic music and dark rock in a mesmerizingly beautiful way. A must-see show!”

IBY ARIANA MARtINEZ

t is the first weekend of the Iowa State Fair, and Beth Howard is still thinking about pie.

“I’ve tried to get away from pie a couple of times,” she said, “and I just keep getting pulled back. I’ve surrendered.”

Howard has made a career off the pastry, first by writing a memoir about how it helped her work through grief. She also opened the Pitchfork Pie Stand in Grant Wood’s American Gothic House, and is now promoting her documentary Pieowa: A Piece of America. For Howard, observing Iowans’ relationship to the dessert was the perfect opportunity to unpack values she holds dear, such as community and connection.

“My first idea for the film was just to do the pie competition at the state fair,” she said. After all, the Iowa State Fair is an excellent encapsulation of the bakers who populate the state. Two years ago, Howard filmed documentary footage of the fair’s famous piebaking competitions. (Some of the participants were able to catch a screening of Pieowa at this year’s fair.)

But Howard soon realized plenty of other pie stories across the heartland were worth focusing on, too. After all, you don’t have to have a blue ribbon to strike gold. Howard gushed over a delicious slice she had at the fair that left without a prize.

“It was called Not Your Typical Triple Berry, and it had chokeberries, golden berries and blueberries, and it was an all-butter crust. It was the highlight of my day,” she said.

“I rarely get to eat pie. People say, ‘You must eat pie all the time.’ I’m like, no, I bake it and give it away!”

Along with the state fair, the documentary features events like RAGBRAI, in which bikers from around the world eagerly line up for lovingly and painstakingly baked pies in Iowa towns like Quimby, and prolific piemakers like “the church ladies” of Donnellson.

The film has a clear interest in the ways pie invites opportunities for social good. Seen through the Des Moines Eat Free Pie initiative and the North High School Latinos in Action class baking for those in need on Thanksgiving Day, it becomes clear that pie is more than a meal; it is communion.

“I talked to a guy after the film screening last night at the state fair,” Howard said. “It was the

second time he’d seen the film, and he brought his girlfriend. He started telling me this story about the last time he talked to his grandma before she died. She was making 13 pies to take somewhere. To see him standing there with tears in his eyes, I started and his girlfriend started tearing up. The film strikes such an emotional chord for people. I think that’s one of the reasons it’s resonating so much. It just takes you back to some really special memory of love.”

Pieowa sheds light on the nonprofit, the personal and the professional. We encounter locals who have started pie businesses and witness how varied this path can look. Food trucks, brick-and-mortar stores, even home bakeries, all of which are demanding. When she was running the Pitchfork Pie Stand, Howard recalls many people mentioning how fun it must be to have a weekend store, but it was also incredibly challenging.

The essence of pie lies in the patience it requires, the time one must devote to making it well. Whether one bakes for hobby or for work, those who commit to the task are kind-hearted givers. Take Rachelle Long, owner of Chellie’s Sugar Shack. In the film, she aspires to own a brick-and-mortar shop, but is still joyous baking in her kitchen while also operating as executive director of the Taste of the Junction multicultural festival.

Long captures the film’s warm spirit, according to Howard. “We need more community events like that.”

Leave your preconceived notions of pie at the theater door. Pieowa demonstrates anything wrapped in a dough can bear the title. The Eggroll Ladies, for example, are featured in the film. As fate would have it, they finished a demonstration at the fair just before Howard’s screening in August, even offering their leftover eggrolls for Howard to hand out.

It’s Howard’s dream that pie is served after each screening, or even better, that people go home and make some. “Put your phone down, use your hands, engage your senses and make something,” she said. “People love it that much more because they know that you took the time to do it.”

Iowa may be a pie state, but what’s our state pie? That’s a point of contention. It’s currently sour cream raisin, but many folks find this choice outdated. In the film, Better Homes and Gardens food editor Jan Miller even calls for a new vote. I had to ask Howard which pie is her pick.

“Strawberry rhubarb or just rhubarb,” was her answer. “It would sell out first every time at the stand, but also because of the way [rhubarb] grows here. It’s plentiful and it’s free. The Iowa way is to, like the farmers, make do with what’s on hand. I live a half hour from a grocery store, but I live one mile from my neighbor’s rhubarb patch!”

Pie has the potential to mobilize us, to stir something within us to create and to give, to share with and to cherish those we may otherwise take for granted. Leave the crumble for the cake; Howard believes pie can help build a better world.

“Pie is an easy point of entry for change,” she said. “We need to connect in real life. We need community. We’ve got to take care of each other.”

Live Wire

Twenty years after his death, a trailblazing art student and instructor is finally getting his museum debut.

BY M.t. BOStIC

This fall, the University of Iowa will welcome home the work of Hayward Oubre, whose career was as disciplined and deliberate as the artist that shaped it.

“Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity,” on display now through Dec. 7, brings together a collection of sculptures, paintings and prints in the first comprehensive solo exhibition of his work.

Oubre, who died in 2006 at the age of 91, earned his Master of Fine Arts degree at UI in 1948.

“It was a new era for the studio arts,” said Diana Tuite, visiting senior curator of modern and contemporary art at the Stanley Museum of Art. In the ’40s, UI’s School of Art began “training art historians to understand materials, and studio teachers to have art history.” This wholesome approach helped make UI “the best art program in the country,” in Tuite’s opinion.

Visitors to the Oubre exhibition will also find companion presentations curated by Tuite that frame his Iowa years. They include “In the Studio: Art at Iowa in the 1940s,” which places him in dialogue with contemporaries like Mauricio Lasansky, Philip Guston and Miriam Schapiro.

Hayward Oubre was born in 1916 in New Orleans of African and French heritage. After high school, he stayed in the Big Easy and became the first fine arts graduate at Louisiana’s oldest historically Black college or university (HBCU), Dillard University. He continued his studies at Atlanta University with Hale Woodruff and Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, and at Tuskegee Institute, where he met George Washington Carver.

Special screenings and Pieowa events this fall

Sat, Sept. 6, Silicon Beach Film Festival, Los Angeles, Calif.

Sat, Sept. 6, Iowa Independent Film Festival, Mason City Community theatre, Mason City

Fri-th, Sept. 12-18, Whiskey Creek Film Festival, Cozy theatre, Wadena, Minn.

Sun, Sept. 21, Screening with Q&A, the Capitol theater, Burlington

Fri, Sept. 26, Screening with Q&A (pie will be served), SCIt theatre, Leon

Mon, Sept. 29, Okoboji Writers Retreat Q&A with Beth, Okoboji

Sun, Oct. 5, Screening and Q&A w/ Beth (pie will be served), Iowa theatre, Winterset

Sat, Oct. 25, Screening and Q&A w/ Beth, peace Lutheran Church, Waunakee, Wisc.

In 1941, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and assigned to the 97th United States Colored Infantry, a segregated engineering unit given one of the most demanding and thankless missions: constructing the 1,500-mile Alcan Highway connecting eastern British Columbia to central Alaska. Along with other all-Black engineering units, they accomplished this mission through brutal conditions in only eight months.

That austere mindset never left him. Carter Cue, Oubre’s close friend, recalled him saying, “My artwork is peerless. I have mastered the medium, the wire medium, because I was an Army engineer on the Alcan Highway.”

After the war, Oubre used the GI Bill to attend the University of Iowa. Even in the 1940s, Iowa’s art program was known for innovation, and here he honed his skills in a way that blended the discipline of military engineering with the creative problemsolving of the studio. While at UI, Oubre and his wife Juanita lived in housing for veterans dubbed “Hawkeye Village.” This temporary mobile home park for GI Bill recipients was located near the current Stanley Museum, where the English-Philosophy Building now stands.

Noah Jemisin, a former student of Oubre’s at Alabama State University, remembered him saying of UI, “You know, those people are a little crazy

Visual Art

Still from Pieowa: A Piece of America. via Beth M. Howard

out there, but they sure know a lot about teaching young artists.” Those words inspired Jemisin to apply to UI for grad school and earn his own MFA in Iowa City.

It’s important to note that Oubre’s time in Iowa was not free from the discrimination and segregation of that era. Unlike the completely segregated schools of the South, however, Iowa provided an opportunity to learn in a studio environment open to all, even if the accommodations were separate from, and lesser than, white students’.

Structure and creativity became the foundation for the work now recognized as Oubre’s signature: wire sculptures crafted from coat hangers, bent and torqued into balanced, open forms using only a set of pliers.

“There’s no pretension in terms of the materials … there’s this kind of resourcefulness and a very selfconscious intention to create something that anyone could appreciate,” Tuite said. These pieces carry the logic of an engineer, the resourcefulness of a soldier and the vision of a true artist.

The same discipline shows in his paintings and prints, depicting African-American life in New Orleans. These works reflect modernist influences, balanced with the same sense of stability and proportion that marked his sculptures.

His work is described as linear, confident and deliberate. Even when the subjects are expressive, there’s a clear framework holding everything together. His use of color often reflects the warmth of his Southern background, but it is always measured, never overwhelming the composition. Like his sculptures, these works are not just about how they look, they are about how they stand, and the balance they hold.

Oubre carried that standard into the classroom. After a brief time at Florida A&M, he founded the art department at Alabama State University in 1949, creating opportunities for Black artists during the civil rights movement. Meredith Knight, an art professor at ASU, said, “His leadership fostered a supportive and inclusive environment where Black students felt empowered and valued.”

In 1965, he established the art program at Winston Salem State University, marking his third tenure at one of the South’s segregated institutions, now recognized as HBCUs. His dedication to teaching and building art programs ensured that an entire generation of Black artists, many without the means to leave the South, had access to higher education and professional training. It is during these years as an educator that the majority of the exhibit’s pieces were created.

Curated by Kate Crawford of the Birmingham Museum of Art, the collection has been, in her words, “a labor of love … reuniting important pieces with the rest of Oubre’s body of work.” Visitors will see pieces

and his wife

lived

this temporary mobile home park (where the English-Philosophy Building now stands) while he was attending the University of Iowa. Frederick W. Kent Collection of Photographs / University of Iowa Libraries

like Bongo Drummer and Young Horse, alongside his celebrated wire sculptures and paintings.

After its run at the Stanley Museum of Art, “Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity” will travel to the New Orleans Museum of Art from Jan. 16 through May 3, 2026. Bringing the work back to Oubre’s hometown connects the gallery to the streets and classrooms that first fed his ideas. In a sense, the exhibition’s journey reverses his career progression; it will be displayed first in Alabama, where Oubre taught, then in Iowa, where he was a student himself, before landing in New Orleans, where his artistic eye was formed.

“We don’t always take artist-teachers as seriously as those who can afford to just maintain a studio practice,” Tuite said. “Everyone had an art teacher at some point in their life. What does it mean to really value the work that those individuals made in the course of their lifetime?”

Oubre was a man of firsts: the first Dillard graduate with an Arts major, one of the first Black MFA recipients from the University of Iowa, and the founder of two HBCU arts departments. If you’re looking to be a “first” yourself, “You have the opportunity to be part of one of the first audiences for a body of work,” Tuite said. “Nobody has brought together this artist’s work on this scale ever before.”

Hayward L. Oubre, Jr. (American, 1916–2006), Space Rhythms, 1960, painted metal wire on wood base, 41 ⅝ x 17 ¼ x 22 in. The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, South Carolina. Courtesy of the Stanley Museum of Art

A woman hangs clothes to dry in Hawkeye Village, August 1947. Hayward Oubre

Juanita

Little Village’s

ofIowa City

Bread & Butter

Milk & Honey

With its calm atmosphere and curious decor, Daisy Chain Coffee in the East Village provides ASMR-worthy experiences.

BY DAN RAY

Idon’t normally write reviews at the place I’m reviewing, but I’m glad I decided to write in Daisy Chain Coffee today. Owner Daniel Bosman greets customers as they pop in, showing them his new coffee grinder. The fig tree behind me rustles as a breeze comes through the open door, and I hear the light tink tink tink of a long metal spoon hitting the sides of a glass as Bosman mixes another drink.

I was just here on Sunday for a vintage flea market co-hosted by Daisy Chain, its neighbor Raygun and DSM Flea. It turned out to be the second-busiest day of business ever for the shop, which opened in late 2020. Sitting here on a much calmer Tuesday morning, I get to listen to Bosman chat with customers as they browse the menu, jars of Daniel Bee’s Raw Iowa Honey (which just took home a blue ribbon at the Iowa State Fair) and shelves of sculpted beeswax candles (also blue ribbon winners). I overhear one person say they’re visiting from Michigan, and butt in to say that’s where I’m from, too.

The walls are filled with art from a local artist called Payton. It’s probably my favorite art installation I’ve seen here yet. The black and white canvases are filled with trees, mountains, moonlight and the silhouettes of wild animals, soft white brush strokes bringing them to life. There’s an octopus morphing out of its own black ink spill, titled Oops, you made me ink. Much to my chagrin, it’s already sold. Finding Nemo is my favorite film.

The paintings seem to breathe, and they perfectly mimic the taxidermy hanging from the walls. A bison mounted from the shoulders looms over the espresso

machine. An elk adorned with a macrame plant hanger keeps watch from the west wall. Coyote and fox pelts drape down from a wood arch. (If you read my Bar Nico write-up in last month’s Bread & Butter issue, you’ll know I’m a sucker for taxidermy.)

Walking through the vintage market, I dripped with sweat in the Iowa summer heat. So I drank a Desert Pear Honey Lemonade, made with Bosman’s award-winning honey and suggested by his daughter, Lemmy, who often works with him on weekends. I was expecting the drink to be thick with sugar, but the honey made it ever-so-subtly sweet, like a freshsqueezed lemon on my salted tongue.

DJ Nick Nystrom played a cover of “No Diggity,” and a bright red magazine cover caught my eye. It was a Playboy from February 1994, Anna Nicole Smith on the cover. One of the headlines reads, “Heidi, Madonna, Amy and Joey: What more could

you want from a year in sex?” I bought it, along with an issue from July 1991 titled, “Have they got legs! Tall Girls: The Pictorial.”

Today, Daisy Chain’s specials are updated for fall: Pumpkin White Mocha, Caramel Apple Butter Latte, Toasted Marshmallow Mocha and Salted Vanilla Cold Brew. It’s still much too hot outside for me to have a fall drink right now, so I sip on some tea and look out the window at Black Magic Tattoo and the slowdrifting clouds. If it wasn’t for the caffeine, it’d be hard to resist a pleasant nap. The wifi at Daisy Chain is free, and so is the ASMR.

Coffee

Midnight Mountain by Payton Anson. Dan Ray / Little Village

Above: Desert Pear Honey Lemonade. Right: Daisy Chain Coffee owner Daniel Bosman works behind the counter. Dan Ray / Little Village

Kith & Kin

Friendly to folks with dietary restrictions and caffeine cravings, Kindred Coffee also plays host to a range of community mixers.

BY ABBY McCLAtCHEY

On the corner of Linn and Bloomington in downtown Iowa City’s Northside, Kindred Coffee fills its sunny, plantlined space with lattes, cappuccinos and the occasional troupe of dancers. (In May, it hosted a show by University of Iowa dance students and DanceWorks Chicago performers; more recently, IC Dance Company put on a “Dancer Social” in the space, open to any and all). The airy café with floorto-ceiling windows feels like a community living room, with a mix of heavy tables big enough for a group meeting and quiet corners where individuals can perch peacefully.

During my visit, the atmosphere was quiet yet lively, with room to breathe and linger without feeling rushed or crowded—a welcome change from the packed corporate coffee franchises. Their location is flexible enough to host everything from dancers and open mic nights to baby showers and rehearsal dinners. And they do!

On this Tuesday morning, folks tapped away on their laptops, others leaned into books and newspapers, and a golden retriever wearing a bandana padded happily through the door. Meanwhile, my daughter and I plopped on squashy mustard-yellow chairs to play chess at a coffee table with a built-in board. (Well, as much as you can really play chess with a 6-year-old nonprodigy.)

Behind the counter, barista Alie pointed me to the chalkboard menu: “Dog Days of Summer Specials.” The Peach Jasmine Shaken Tea was the current crowd favorite, she said. Made with organic jasmine tea and peaches—“half puréed, half chunky”—it arrived frothy from the shaker and balanced sweet and fruity

Peach Jasmine Tea at Kindred Coffee.

Abby McClatchey / Little Village

without being syrupy. With lots of ice, it was easy to sip at 10:30 a.m. and exactly what I’d hoped for when I requested something seasonal.

Alie highlighted additional summer hits: the Blackberry Pie Latte, topped with vegan blackberry cold foam and gluten-free pie crumbles, and the Strawberry Milk Matcha, with housemade macerated organic strawberry syrup. New drinks come up frequently, she said, so I should be sure to “stop back soon.” (I will!)

Kindred’s intentionality extends beyond the menu. It’s designed as a flexible event space, available to rent at an accessible price point, no deposit required. From their wall of fliers, I learned Kindred has recently hosted an Iowa City zine swap, a clothing drive for Shelter House, a fundraiser for Palestine and a series of pop-up art markets, from tattoos to a “Craft and Yap” social. Queer poetry readings and small music sets share space with café patrons of all ages.

You can also find Kindred at the Iowa City Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. Roughly two years before the brick-and-mortar cafe opened in June 2024, co-owners Molly Kirby and Connor Jenkins launched a mobile street food operation called Nomadic Foods, which served read-to-eat items at the farmers market, Iowa Arts Fest, Iowa City Jazz Fest and other downtown gatherings.

KINDRED’S INtENtIONALItY EXtENDS BEYOND tHE MENU.

Everything on the food menu is vegetarian and available vegan and gluten-free, reflecting the founders’ own experiences navigating food intolerances. They added a mobile espresso bar in 2023, and were soon experimenting with coffee offerings. According to Alie, popular food items include the Pesto Breakfast Sandwich, Vegan BLTA, an egg or tofu “scramble” and various takes on avocado toast. All complement the rotating menu of beverages, such as this summer’s “Juliet” in honor of Riverside Theatre’s Free Summer Shakespeare production.

Streetside and within its Northside space, Kindred Coffee seems to be carving out a role as a connective hub for Iowa City’s movers and shakers.

Kindred Coffee

287 N Linn St, Iowa City kindredcoffeeic.com

Iowa City Farmers Market, Saturday mornings through October

Bread & Butter

Her Own Private Iowa

Braid your pigtails and don some tulle—art pop priestess Lene Lovich is back to save America, starting with Des Moines.

BY KEMBREW McLEOD

Avant-pop icon Lene Lovich hasn’t mounted a major U.S. tour since 1989, but that will change this September when she opens for the B-52s and Devo on their 11-date run of amphitheaters. Those concerts will be interspersed with several of her own headlining club gigs, and Lovich’s triumphant return to the States will kick off in … Des Moines? At Lefty’s?

“This tour is a surprise for me,” she said on a phone call from England, “because it has been difficult to tour America more recently. It was very easy in the ʽ80s, but now it’s quite strict with work permits, so I just thought, ‘It’s never going to happen.’”

That situation has worsened during Trump’s second term, which has seen many international touring artists arbitrarily turned away at the border or their visas canceled. But when Lovich was invited to play with the B-52s and Devo—two acts she’s had longtime associations with—everything fell into place.

“It just so happens that somebody who is in my band, Jude Rawlins, is living in America,” Lovich explained. “In fact, he’s living in Iowa. So, he said, ‘Oh, yeah, it won’t be a problem to find musicians. We can do this.’ So, I said, ‘OK!’”

The guitarist, filmmaker and writer got his start in the British band Subterraneans during the ’90s, and has served as Lovich’s bandleader since 2012. Rawlins originally moved to Marshalltown a few years ago to shoot a film he was making, and eventually relocated his entire production company to Iowa after realizing that it had all the resources he needed and was very affordable.

After he and his wife bought a house in West Des Moines, Rawlins built a home studio and began making connections in the regional music community. That made it easy enough for him to assemble a crack band of red-blooded Iowans that includes drummer Celestino Ramirez, Deb Spaniel on bass and keyboardist Diana Weishaar. (Natalie Simon will be subbing for Weishaar on a few dates.)

“The chance to play with Lene Lovich came up because of Jude,” said Weishaar, who also plays with the Host Country and the Life Project. “He contacted me out of the blue to do this tour.” Rawlins added, “As soon as I heard Diana play and sing, I knew that she was the one because she’s a bit of an all-rounder. She also works at Trilix Studio, and she showed me around the studio, which also has a marketing company.”

Rawlins hired Trilix to do PR for the tour, and its studio will be hosting an interview with Lovich and live performance for the music podcast In The Round

“It was a gamble that paid off,” Rawlins said, “because they’ve done really excellent work. One of the things that I found about Iowa is that it is relatively untapped. There’s serious talent here, and resources too, but they don’t get the opportunities that you get in the obvious places.”

Given the visa difficulties that have kept Lovich’s band from touring the U.S. in recent years, the title of her debut album is prescient. Stateless, released in 1978, was inspired by the fact the U.S.-born singer was living a liminal existence residing in England without a valid passport. That album immediately established her as the patron saint of new-wave weirdos—an

Left: Lene Lovich performs in Berlin, Germany. Svenja Block / Courtesy of Lene Lovich Below: Lene Lovich performs with Jude Rawlins in Paris, France. Emilie Mauger / Courtesy of Lene Lovich

image that was bolstered by wild costumes, plaited hair and a frenetic stage presence.

Lovich’s debut for Stiff Records was a spare cover of Tommy James and the Shondells’ “I Think We’re Alone Now,” which was followed by the lead single from Stateless, “Lucky Number.” This infectious, off-kilter number became a worldwide top 10 hit, though not in the United States.

Lovich’s music was just a bit too much for Top 40 American radio, with its herky-jerky rhythms and octave-hopping vocals that hiccupped, growled and howled their way to mock-operatic heights. Her farout cover of “Be Stiff” by labelmates Devo is another highlight from the first record, though it also was just too odd to be a mainstream hit.

Lili-Marlene Premilovich’s iconoclastic aesthetic matched her unusual origin story. She was born in Detroit to a Serbian-American father and an English mother in 1949, then moved with her mom and three siblings to Hull, England when she was 13. As a teenager, Lovich met Les Chappell, her longtime musical and life partner, and together they relocated to London in 1968 to attend the Central School of Art and Design.

“The stretching of my voice started back then,” Lovich explained, “because I used to live about a 20-minute walk from art school. So, on my way there, I would see how high I could go. Then coming back home, I would see how low I could go. I did that every day for a long time, and that helped to stretch my voice. I didn’t really have any training, like official training. I was just excited about sound and realized that certain frequencies triggered certain emotions in me.”

During the decade between art school and her debut album, Lovich said yes to every interesting opportunity that came her way—and there were many. She played saxophone for Bob Flag’s Balloon and Banana Band, worked as a go-go dancer for the BBC’s Radio One Roadshow, recorded screams for horror films, joined a cabaret trio named the Sensations, and toured with a West Indian soul band. She and Les Chappell also

prairie pop

joined a U.K. funk group called the Diversions that recorded a few singles and an album for a major label.

While they were not a commercial success, her association with that band led Lovich to pen the lyrics to Cerrone’s 1977 disco classic “Supernature.” That collaboration began when she was laying down saxophone parts during a Diversions recording session. Someone who worked for Cerrone rang the studio and asked if someone there could write the lyrics to a track he was working on. Because Lovich didn’t really know much about disco, she figured she’d do something that was interesting to her.

“I decided to write this science fiction story about my sensitivity to the abuse of animals and nature,” she said. “I felt like there would be a time when nature fights back if we kept overstepping our mark and making this planet intolerable. Later on, I had an opportunity to get more involved with animal rights through a collaboration with Nina Hagen. That’s how we ended up recording the song ‘Don’t Kill the Animals’ in 1986.”

When Lovich toured the U.S. in 1989 in support of her fourth full-length album March, several of her shows benefited People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, including a PETA concert in New York City hosted by the B-52s. Then, in the early 1990s, she and Chappell took a long break from the music biz hamster wheel and wound up having kids.

“It wasn’t really a conscious decision,” Lovich said. “It seemed like we were at a party and it was time to leave. Les and I really felt so wounded by the commercial music world, and it was hard to want to fight to be in that space. We also never really decided to have a family, but I think that’s what happens when you stand still. Even though we didn’t have very much money, it was some of my most happy times, especially when the children were small.”

Lene Lovich has returned when we need her brand of musical freakery the most. This feeling is certainly shared by keyboardist Diana Weishaar, who has been digging into her songs in preparation for the tour.

“I’ve noticed that her voice lives in my head. Like, I feel like I go to sleep hearing Lene Lovich,” she said. “She’s just so dynamic, and her vocal performance really grips you.”

“There’s been this overwhelming need for perfection in music in the past decade,” Weishaar continued, “whether it’s Autotune or whatever, but I think there’s a way to have perfect art that’s not perfect. I think that is what is most appealing about Lene’s music—other than the ’80s vibes, which I’m obsessed with. I think people are missing that kind of real, visceral, unique music that taps into primal emotions, and that’s Lene’s music in a nutshell.”

Lene Lovich with the B-52s and Devo Tuesday, Sept. 16, 7 p.m. Lefty’s, Des Moines

Sept. A-LISt: FILM

DES MOINES

Sun, Sept. 7, Nurse Unseen w/ Q&A, Varsity Cinema

Opens Sept. 9, Monty Python and the Holy Grail w/ Audience Interaction, Varsity Cinema

Wed, Sept. 10, Special Showing: Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light, Fleur Cinema

Fri, Sept. 12, Midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show w/ Live Shadowcast, Fleur Cinema

Wed, Sept. 17, Eno w/ recorded director introduction, Varsity Cinema

thu, Sept. 25, Strange Journey: the Story of Rocky Horror, Varsity Cinema

tue, Sept. 30, MANHAttAN SHORt Film Festival, Varsity Cinema

Fri, Oct. 17, The Rocky Horror Picture Show w/ Live Shadowcast, Varsity Cinema

tue, Oct 28, Phantom of the Opera w/ live score by the Invincible Czars, Fleur Cinema

IOWA CITY

Fri, Sept. 5, 7 p.m., He Never Dies: Kalil Haddad Shorts with Haddad in person, FilmScene

Sat, Sept. 6, 3:30 p.m., Stories of Community, FilmScene

Sat, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m., FilmScene in

the park: Men in Black, FilmScene

Sat, Sept. 6, 10 p.m., The Hole Bijou After Hours, FilmScene

Sun, Sept. 7, 3:00pm., Join or Die w/ Club Fair in the lobby, FilmScene

tue, Sept. 9, 6:30 p.m., Beautiful Boy presented w/ Community & Family Resources, FilmScene

Wed, Sept. 10, 7 p.m., The SevenPer-Cent Solution w/ dialogue with screenwriter Nicholas Meyer, FilmScene

thu, Sept. 11, 7 p.m., New Wave, FilmScene

Sat, Sept. 13, 3:30 p.m., Found in Translation: Stories of African Immigrants in Iowa, FilmScene

Sun, Sept. 14, 4 p.m., Bhangaar (Obsolete), FilmScene

Sun, Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m., Naked Acts, FilmScene

tue, Sept. 16, 7 p.m., UPA! A Spring in Athens w/ director Santiago Giralt dialogue, FilmScene

thu, Sept. 18, 7 p.m., If That Mockingbird Don’t Sing, FilmScene

Sept. 20, 21 & 25, various times, Black Beauty, FilmScene

Sat, Sept. 20, 7:10 p.m., FilmScene in the park: It Happened One Night, FilmScene

thu, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., Cinefamilia: Mexican Short Films, FilmScene

Sun, Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m., Wings of Desire, FilmScene

tue, Sept. 30, 7:00 p.m., One Hand Don’t Clap, FilmScene

Oct. 9-12, Refocus Film Festival, FilmScene

Oct. 18, 19 & 23, various times, The Adventures of Prince Achmed, FilmScene

tue, Oct. 21, 7 p.m., Citizen George, FilmScene

Fri, Oct. 24, 7 p.m., FilmScene in the park: FrankenWeenie, FilmScene

Sun, Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m., Fargo, FilmScene

QUAD CITIES

thu-Sat, Sept. 4-6, 7:45 p.m., Clueless, the Last picture House

thu-Sat, Sept. 18-20, 7:15 p.m., La La Land, the Last picture House

thu-Sat, Oct. 2-4, 7 p.m., Get Out, the Last picture House

thu-Sat, Oct. 23-25, 7 p.m., Friday the 13th, the Last picture House

thu-Sat, Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 7 p.m., Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the Last picture House

LOCAL & NOTABLE

Little Village's monthly print calendar is a non-exhaustive, curated list of arts and cultural events across LV's reader areas. Want to see more? Browse listings online at littlevillagemag.com/calendar.

Are you planning an event? Add it to our online calendar: littlevillagemag. com/calendar.

(Please include: event image, event name, date, time, venue name and address, admission price or price range and a brief description. No all-caps, exclamation points or advertising verbiage, please.)

MUSIC

DES MOINES/AMES

Fri & Sat, Sept.5 & 6, 4 p.m., Gurnfest Day, Lefty's Live Music

Fri, Sept. 5, 7 p.m., Annie Kemble, Noce

Fri, Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m., Reed timmer, Val Air Ballroom

Fri, Sept. 5, 8 p.m., Bonne Finken & the Collective, xBk Live

Sat, Sept. 6, 8 p.m., Mr. Softheart w/ Anthony Worden & the Illiterati, the Halloween Episode xBk Live

Sun, Sept. 7, 11:30 a.m., porch Fest DSM, Union park

Sun, Sept. 7, 7 p.m., the Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis w/ Yr Knives, xBk Live

Sun, Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m., Ani DiFranco, Val Air Ballroom

tue, Sept. 9, 8 p.m., Night Moves w/ Rachel Bobbitt, xBk Live

thu, Sept. 11, 5 p.m., pAINS w/ Beyond Labotomy, Lefty's Live Music

thu, Sept. 11, 7 p.m., Eric Hutchinson w/ Andrew Hoyt, xBk Live

Fri, Sept. 12, 5 p.m., Off With their Heads, Lefty's Live Music

Fri, Sept. 12, 7 p.m., the Expendables, Wooly's

Fri, Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m., Larry Fleet, Val Air Ballroom

Fri, Sept. 12, 7 & 9 p.m., Amber Duimstra, Noce

Fri, Sept. 12, 8 p.m., Vandoliers w/ Volores, xBk Live

Fri, Sept. 12, 9 p.m., Carrie Nation & the Speakeasy, Casey Joe & the Foxes, Lefty's Live Music

Sat, Sept. 13, 5 p.m., Demsfightinwords, Lefty's Live Music

Sat, Sept. 13, 8 p.m., Delvon Lamarr Organ trio, xBk Live

Sun, Sept. 14, 5 p.m., Casey Joe & the Ghosts, Lefty's Live Music

Sun, Sept. 14, 7 p.m., SosMula w/ Ricky Hil, xBk Live

Mon, Sept. 15, 7 p.m., I Don't Know How But they Found Me, Wooly's

tue, Sept. 16, 7 p.m., Lene Lovich, Lefty's Live Music

tue, Sept. 16, 7 p.m., Dehd w/ Starcharm, xBk Live

tue, Sept. 16, 7 p.m., Uncle Lucius, Wooly's tue, Sept. 16, 8 p.m., Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Val Air Ballroom

Wed, Sept. 17, 6 p.m., Abby Jenne & the Shadowband, Lefty's Live Music

Wed, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., the Back Alley w/ 28 Days Later, xBk Live

thu, Sept. 18, 6 p.m., Cody Jinks, Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works park

thu, Sept. 18, 7 p.m., Early James, Wooly's thu, Sept. 18, 7 p.m., Stella Cole, Noce

Fri, Sept. 19, 6 p.m., Vision Video, Lefty's Live Music

Fri, Sept. 19, 6 p.m., Apathy Syndrome & Hemlock, Wooly's

Fri, Sept. 19, 8 p.m., Evander Ellsbury, xBk Annex

Sat, Sept. 20, 7 p.m., tophouse

w/ Ruen Brothers, Wooly's Sat, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m., Hailey Whitters, Val Air Ballroom

Sun, Sept. 21, 6 p.m., Iris and the Shade, Lefty's Live Music

Sun, Sept. 21, 7 p.m., Bass Drum of Death w/ Farmer's Wife, xBk Live

Sun, Sept. 21, 8 p.m., poppy w/ MSpAINt, Val Air Ballroom

tue, Sept. 23, 7 p.m., Demon Hunter, Wooly's

tue, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m., peach pit, Val Air Ballroom

Wed, Sept. 24, 7 p.m., Giant Claw, problems, Kyler Vande Kieft, xBk Annex

Wed, Sept. 24, 6 p.m., Moonshine Bandits, Lefty's Live Music

Wed, Sept. 24, 7 p.m., Sleep theory, Wooly's

A-LIST: SEPT. 2025

MUSIC

Fri, Sept. 26, 7 p.m., Cavalera Chaos A.D., Val Air Ballroom

Fri, Sept. 26, 7 p.m., Austin Snell, Wooly's

Sat, Sept. 27, 7 p.m., panda Bear w/ Deakin, Wooly's

Sun, Sept. 28, 6 p.m., tURNStILE w/ Mannequin pussy, Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works park

tue, Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m., that Mexican Ot, Val Air Ballroom

IOWA CITY

Sept. 4-6, various times, Iowa City Songwriter’s Festival

thu, Sept. 4, 8 p.m., Sqwerv w/ Dirty Blonde, Gabe’s

Fri, Sept. 5, 6:30 p.m., Lou Sherry and Shining Realm, ped Mall Stage

Fri, Sept. 5, 8 p.m., Worst Impressions w/ Astro Brat, Gabe’s

Fri, Sept. 5, 9 p.m., Easygoingtech, Gabe’s

Sat, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m., Jos pounds the piano, Sanctuary pub

Sat, Sept. 6, 8 p.m., Daft Disko, Gabe’s

Sun, Sept. 7, 6:30 p.m., Doll Chaser, One More Hour & more, Gabe’s

Sun, Sept. 7, 7 p.m., Kendall Street Company, Wildwood

Sun, Sept. 7, 7 p.m., Katy pinke, tommy Santee, Klaws, Lex Leto, pS1 Close House

Mon, Sept. 8, 7 p.m., Ben Folds, Hancher

tue, Sept. 9, 8 p.m., A Day Without Love, Early Girl, Lucky Man, trumpet Blossom

Wed, Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m., Leo Kottke, Englert theatre

Wed, Sept. 10, 8 p.m., Zoh Amba, trumpet Blossom

thu, Sept. 11, 7 p.m., Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Wildwood

Fri, Sept. 12, 7 p.m., Dave Moore, Unitarian Universality Society, Coralville

Fri, Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m., Noah Reid, Englert theatre

Sat, Sept. 13, 6 p.m., Morbid Saint w/ Frontal Assault and more, Gabe’s

Sun, Sept. 14, 6 p.m., Scorched Waves, Mars Hojilla, Jack, Soultru, Gabe’s

Sun, Sept. 14, 2:00 p.m., Masterworks I, Voxman Concert Hall

Sun, Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m., Ganavya w/ Charlotte Leung, James theater

tue, Sept. 16, 7 p.m., Horror Movie Marathon w/ Jupiter Mountain & Eva Maeve, Gabe’s

Wed, Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment theory, Englert theatre

thu, Sept. 18, 8 p.m., Secret Formula w/ Spirit Awake, Gabe’s

thu, Sept. 18, 8:30 p.m., José James w/ Jim Swim, Hancher

Fri, Sept. 19, 9 p.m., Alan Sparhawk and His Band, Hancher

Fri, Sept. 19, 8 p.m., Satin Jackets w/ Lyndrum, Gabe’s

Sat, Sept. 20, 7 p.m., Rushadicus w/ Weapon X, pS1 Close House

Sun, Sept. 21, 6 p.m., Bootcamp Time’s Up Album Release Show w/ Destiny Bond, Oral Fixx, Buio Omega & Jivebomb, Alleycat

Sun, Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m., Jefferson Starship, Englert theatre

tue, Sept. 23, 7 p.m., Cardiel, Gabe’s

thu, Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., A.J. Croce presents Croce plays Croce, Englert theatre

Wed, Sept. 24, 8 p.m., Unique VibrationzFuel the Band tour w/ Dirty Blonde, Gabe’s

thu, Sept. 25, 8 p.m., Good Habits Townies Album Release Show, Gabe’s

thu, Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., Miss Christine, Casual Disasters, Holiday Innards, trumpet Blossom

Fri, Sept. 26, 6:30 p.m., Ion, Alyx Rush, Jack Lion, ped Mall Stage

MUSIC

Fri, Sept. 26, 7 p.m., Fox Lake w/ Kaonashi & Surfaced, Wildwood

Fri, Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m., John prine Songs & Souvenirs w/ Jason Wilber & Dave Jacques, Englert theatre

Sat, Sept. 27, 7 p.m., Modern Life Is War w/ Bootcamp, Supportive parents, Gabe’s

Sat, Sept. 27, 8 p.m., the Nineteen Eighties, Wildwood

Sun, Sept. 28, 2 p.m., Bachtoberfest, Riverside Festival Stage

Sun, Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m., Chris Acker w/ Joel Sires, Englert theatre

CEDAR RAPIDS

Sat, Sept. 6, 8 p.m., Lola Blu w/ Katie & the Honky tonks, Ideal theater & Bar

Sun, Sept. 7, 2 p.m., the Awful purdies, Indian Creek Nature Center

Sat, Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m., Masterworks

I, paramount theatre

Fri, Sept. 19, 5:30 p.m., Go Benesh Quartet, Ideal theater & Bar

Sat, Sept. 20, 4 p.m., Mt thrashmore, Ideal theater & Bar

Wed, Sept. 24, 7 p.m., Old Blind Dogs, CSpS

thu, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., philip Daniel, CSpS

Fri, Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m., Bachtoberfest, Brucemore

CEDAR FALLS/ WATERLOO

Fri, Sept. 5, 8 p.m., Bagel Steak, 28 Days Later, Bluff St, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Sat, Sept. 6, 8 p.m., Ben Rendall, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Fri, Sept. 12, 8 p.m., Run Dog, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Sat, Sept. 13, 8 p.m., Metal Showcase, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Sun, Sept. 14, 7 p.m., Soul tru, Octopus, Cedar Falls

thu, Sept. 18, 8 p.m., Clownvis presley, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Fri, Sept. 19, 8 p.m., Octopus psych Fest, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Sat, Sept. 20, 8 p.m., Other Brothers, Octopus, Cedar Falls

Sun, Sept. 21, 7 p.m., Jeremy Camp w/ Adrienne Camp, Gallagher Bluedorn performing Arts Center

QUAD CITIES

thu, Sept. 4, 7 p.m., Crooked Cactus, Schwiebert Riverfront park, Davenport

thu, Sept. 4, 8 p.m., tenci & thanya Iyer w/ Anna Libera (solo), Rozz-tox, Rock Island

Sat, Sept. 6, 7 p.m., peelander-z w/ Lyxe & Company Dimes, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Sun, Sept. 7, 3 p.m., Joshua Hedley, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

MUSIC

tue, Sept. 9, 6 p.m., Brat, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Wed, Sept. 10, 6 p.m., Gooseberry, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Wed, Sept. 10, 8 p.m., Jerry Cantrell, Capitol theatre, Davenport

thu, Sept. 11, 6 p.m., Carrellee, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

thu, Sept. 11, 7 p.m., Marcus King

Band: the Darling Blue tour pt.1 Capitol theatre, Davenport

thu, Sept. 11, 8 p.m., Zoh Amba Sun Ensemble w/ Randall Hall, Rozz-tox, Rock Island

Fri, Sept. 12, 7 p.m., tropa Magica w/ Lady Igraine & thimastr, Raccoon Motel

Sat, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., Kelsey Waldon, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Sat, Sept. 13, 8 p.m., peretsky, Desert Liminal, Drowse, Rozz-tox, Rock Island

tue, Sept. 16, 6 p.m., the Band Feel w/ the thing with Feathers, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Wed, Sept. 17, 6 p.m., Clownvis presely, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Wed, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Switchfoot, Capitol theatre, Davenport

thu, Sept. 18, 6 p.m., Abby Jeanne & the Shadowband, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

thu, Sept. 18, 8 p..m., Don Slepian w/ IDpYRAMID + Coventry, Rozz-tox, Rock Island

Sat, Sept. 18, 8 p.m., Sunny Sweeney w/ Cam pierce, Common Chord, Davenport

Fri, Sept. 19, 7 p.m., Melvins w/ Red Kross, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Sat, Sept. 20, 7 p.m., Guerilla toss w/ Melkbelly & Cough N Flop, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Sun, Sept. 21, 6 p.m., Doublechamp w/ Conor Donohue, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

tue, Sept. 23, 6 p.m., Vision Video w/ panic priest & treasvre, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Wed, Sept. 24, 6 p.m., the Heligoats w/ Jake McKelvie, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

thu, Sept. 25, 8 p.m., Soultru, Durow, Jantzonia, Common Chord, Davenport

Fri, Sept. 26, 7 p.m., Brent Cobb & the Fixin's w/ Gold Star, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Sat, Sept. 27, 7 p.m., Drumming Bird w/ Caley Conway & Dickie, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

Sun, Sept. 28, 6 p.m., 81355, Raccoon Motel, Davenport

DUBUQUE/ MAQUOKETA

thu, Sept. 4, 7 p.m., Carrellee w/ Contakta, the Lift, Dubuque

Fri, Sept. 5, 9 p.m., primitive Broadcast Service, If I Could Just Get Some Sleep, Riff & the Heist, the Lift, Dubuque

Sat, Sept. 6, 8 p.m., Charlie parr w/ David Huckfelt, Codfish Hollow, Maquoketa

Sat, Sept. 6, 8 p.m., OVRFWRD, Cervine, Strange News, Smokestack, Dubuque

thu, Sept. 11, 6 p.m., the Swampland Jewels, Main Street, Downtown Maquoketa

Fri, Sept. 12, 9 p.m., tone Da Boss presents…, Smokestack, Dubuque

Sun, Sept. 14, 5 p.m., Sullivan Road Record Release Show, Smokestack, Dubuque

tue, Sept. 16, 6 p.m., the Baseball project featuring members of R.E.M., Codfish Hollow, Maquoketa

Sept. 19-20, various times, Fine2Day Fest, Codfish Hollow, Maquoketa

Fri, Sept. 19, 8 p.m., Jeff Crosby, the Lift, Dubuque

Fri, Sept. 26, 7 p.m., Will Mueller, Maquoketa Brewing

Fri, Sept. 26, 8 p.m., Greg Volker & the River w/ tBA, Smokestack, Dubuque

THEATER & PERFORMANCE

DES MOINES/AMES

Sept. 12-28, Blithe Spirit, tallgrass theatre Company

Sept. 19-Oct. 5, Bright Star, Des Moines playhouse

thu, Oct. 9, 7 p.m., Clarence Darrow, Drake University’s Shelow Hall Patrick Spradlin portrays famous labor lawyer Clarence Darrow in a play by David Rintels this fall. The multi-city show comes courtesy of the Iowa Labor History Society.

Oct. 14-19, Disenchanted!, temple theater

Fri, Oct. 17-26, Iowa Stage theatre Company: Buried Child, Stoner theater

Mon, Nov. 3, 7 p.m., BODYtRAFFIC, Des Moines Civic Center

IOWA CITY

Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Lady Franklyn Improv Show, Willow Creek theatre Company

Sept. 5-7, 12-14, various times, City Circle theatre Company: 12 Angry Jurors, Coralville Center for the performing Arts

Sept. 12-28, Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Riverside theatre

Fri, Sept. 12, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m., Dulcé Sloan: Horizon Tour 2025, Hancher Auditorium

thu, Sept. 18, 6:30 p.m., Farmhouse/ Whorehouse an Arist Lecture by Suzanne Bocanegra, Hancher Auditorium

Fri, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m., Roger Guenveur Smith In Honor of JeanMichel Basquiat, the James theater

Sat, Sept. 20, 4 p.m., Meandering River A place-based, meandering journey with the Iowa River, Lagoon Shelter House

Sat, Sept. 20, 6 p.m., Roger Guenveur Smith Frederick Douglass NOW, the James theater

Sat, Sept. 20, 8 p.m., Josh Johnson The Flowers Tour, Hancher Auditorium

thu, Sept. 25, 7 p.m., Leaving a Mark: A Comedy About Scars with Ophira Eisenberg, the James theater

Sun, Oct. 5, 2 p.m., Clarnce Darrow, Old Capitol Senate Chambers

Oct. 10-12, various times, Young Footliters Youth theatre: Junie B. Jones The Musical, Coralville Center for the performing Arts

Oct. 16-18, 7:30 p.m., & Oct 19, 2 p.m., Dreamwell theatre presents: terry pratchett’s Mort, the James theater

thu, Oct. 23, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m., Kelsey Cook The Happy Hour Tour, Hancher Auditorium

Oct. 24-26, various times, Young Footliters Youth theatre: Dare to Dream, JR: A Disney Musical Revue, Coralville Center for the performing Arts

Oct. 24-Nov. 9, Eureka Day, Riverside theatre

Nov. 14-15, Floodwater Comedy Festival, Willow Creek theatre

CEDAR RAPIDS

Sept. 5-14, CSpS and Revival theatre Company present Come From Away, CSpS Hall

Nov. 14-Dec. 21, Disney’s Frozen, theatre Cedar Rapids

Wed, Oct. 8, 7 p.m., The Great Gatsby by World Ballet Company, paramount theatre

Fri, Oct. 17, 8 p.m., Jordan Klepper Suffering Fools, paramount theatre

Wed, Nov. 19, 7 p.m., Swan Lake by International Ballet Stars, paramount theatre

Fri, Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m., CSpS and Revival theatre Company present Cameron Sullenberger Overture Series, CSpS Hall

Sun, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m., Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland, paramount theatre

CEDAR FALLS/ WATERLOO

thu, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., Darci Lynne and Friends, Cedar Falls Community theatre

Sept. 12-14 & 19-21, various times, The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition, Waterloo Community playhouse

Sept. 12-14, various times, Maple & Vine, Cedar Falls Community theatre

Sept. 13, 14, 18 & 20, various times, The Royal Historian of Oz, Waterloo Community playhouse

Oct. 3-12, various times, Ripcord, Cedar Falls Community theatre

Oct. 17-25, various times, The Three Musketeers Youth Edition, Waterloo Community playhouse

THEATER & PERFORMANCE

Nov. 21-Dec. 7, various times, The Sound of Music, Waterloo Community playhouse

QUAD CITIES

thursdays through Sept., Dannie Diesel presents Burlesque Basics and Advanced Burlesque Workshops, Ecdysiast Arts Museum

Sept. 10-Nov. 1, various times, Come From Away, Circa ‘21, Rock Island

Sept. 12-14 & 19-21, Murder on the Nile, playcrafters Barn theatre, Moline

Sept. 13, G.I.t. Improv, the Blackbox theatre, Rock Island

Sept. 19-28, various times, The Half-Life of Marie Curie, the Blackbox theatre, Rock Island

Oct. 3-12, various times, Young Frankenstein The Musical, the Spotlight theatre, Moline

Oct. 11, G.I.t. Improv, the Blackbox theatre, Rock Island

Oct. 17 & 18, 7 p.m., More Twisted Tales of Poe by Ballet Quad Cities, the Spotlight theatre, Moline

Oct. 24-26 & Oct 31-Nov 2, Blithe Spirit, playcrafters Barn theatre, Moline

Nov. 8, G.I.t. Improv, the Blackbox theatre, Rock Island

Nov. 14-16 & 21-23, The Sound of Music, prospect park Auditorium, Moline

DUBUQUE

Oct. 10-26, various times, The 2nd-To-Last Chance Ladies League, Bell tower theater

Sat, Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m., G.I.t. Improv, Bell tower theater

Kevin Richard Schafer / Little Village

LIT & COMMUNITY

DES MOINES/AMES

thu, Sept. 4, 7 p.m., Meet the Author: John M Donovani, West Des Moines public Library

Mon, Sept. 8, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Author: Shadley Grei, Beaverdale Books

Wed, Sept. 9, 7 p.m., tell It Like It Is: Iowa Storytellers project, Hoyt Sherman place

Sun, Sept. 14, 2:30 p.m., Meet the Author: Joyce Rupp, Beaverdale Books

tue, Sept. 16, 6 p.m., What a pitch! Live podcast, xBk Annex

tue, Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m., Veronica Roth, Franklin Event Center

Wed, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., DMpL Fall Author Series: David Ellis, Beaverdale Books

thu, Sept. 25, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Authors: pamela Grundy & Susan Shackelford, Ames public Library

thu, Sep 25, 6:30 p.m., Meet the Artist/ Author: Lindy Smith, Beaverdale Books

Fri, Sep 26, 5 p.m., Meet the Authors: pamela Grundy & Susan Shackelford, State Historical Building

IOWA CITY

Sundays, IWp Sunday Afternoon Reading Series, prairie Lights

thursdays, 6 p.m., Weekly Gentle Yoga, pS1 Close House Dance Hall

Fri, Sept. 5, 6 p.m., Iowa City Songwriters Festival: Courtney Marie Andrews, prairie Lights

Sat, Sept. 6, 12 p.m., One of Us Midwest Horror Fest, pS1 Close House

tues, Sept. 9, 6:30 p.m., SlamO-Vision, pS1 Close House

tues, Sept. 9, 7 p.m., Author Reading: Nicholas Meyer, prairie Lights

thu, Sept. 11, 7 p.m., Natalie Bakopoulos in conv w/ Dean Bakopoulos, prairie Lights

Fri, Sept. 12, 6 p.m., Author Reading: John t price, prairie Lights

Sat, Sept. 13, 11 a.m., Second Saturday All Ages Art: Cloche Cottage, pS1 Close House

Mon, Sept. 15, 7 p.m., Author Reading: Naomi Wood, prairie Lights

Wed, Sept. 17, 7 p.m., Author Reading: Lindsey Webb, prairie Lights

thu, Sept. 18, 7 p.m., Malleable and true: A Hybrid Craft Anthology Reading, prairie Lights

Fri, Sept. 19, 5:30 p.m., A conversation w/ Kaveh Akbar and Eve L. Ewing, Voxman

tue, Sept. 23, 7 p.m., Othuke Umukoro & Adedayo Agarau, prairie Lights

Sun, Sept. 28, 1 p.m., Video Basics Workshop, Cloud House at pS1 Close House

Mon, Sept. 29, 7 p.m., Stephen Starring Grant in conv w/ Daniel Khalastchi, prairie Lights

CEDAR RAPIDS

Sundays, 12 p.m., Sunday Bingo, NewBo City Market

Wednesdays, 6 p.m., Wednesday trivia Night, NewBo City Market

thursdays, 6 p.m., thursday Yoga, NewBo City Market

Sat, Sept. 13, 10 a.m., Young Entrepreneurs Market, NewBo City Market

Sat, Sept. 13, 2 p.m., Creative Class: Making Greeting Cards, NewBo City Market

thu, Sept. 18, 4 p.m., Art Lovers Book Club: Agnes Martin: Her Life and Art, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

A-LIST: SEPT. 2025

LIT & COMMUNITY

thu, Sept. 18, 5:30 p.m., Creative Class: Origami Autumn Wreaths, NewBo City Market

tue, Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m., Market by Moonlight 2025, NewBo City Market

thu, Sept. 25, 5:30 p.m., Creative Class: Origami Autumn Wreaths, NewBo City Market

Fri, Sept. 26, 6 p.m., Gilmore Girls trivia, NewBo City Market

CEDAR FALLS/ WATERLOO

tue, Sept. 16, 2 p.m., Fall Author Seedbed Series: publishing in print and Digital w/ Michele Schriver, Waterloo public Library

Sat, Sept. 20, 4 p.m., IBosnaFest, Waterloo Center for the Arts, Waterloo

thu, Sept. 25, 5:30 p.m., Altered Reality Book Club, Waterloo public Library

QUAD CITIES

Wed, Sept. 10, 5:30 p.m., Spooky terrarium Night, the Atlas Collective, Moline

Sun, Sept. 14, 12 p.m., Rock Island Artists Market, Skeleton Key Art and Antiques, Rock Island

thu, Sept. 25, 5:30 p.m., Well, Actually Book Club, the Atlas Collective, Moline

DUBUQUE

Wed, Sept. 17, 12 p.m., Lunch & Learn: Garden philosophies, Convivium Urban Farmstead

Wed, Sept. 17, 6:30 p.m., Black Life on the Upper Mississippi River screening, Voices Studio

Wed, Oct. 1, 12 p.m., Lunch & Learn: Samhain: the Ancient Celtic Harvest Festival, Convivium Urban Farmstead

Sat, Oct. 4, Kids Expo Event Family Fun, Grand River Center

ART & EXHIBITION

DES MOINES/AMES

through Sept., Ruben Sanchez exhibition, Moberg Gallery, Des Moines

Sat, Sept. 6, Sideroom debut exhibition “Superposition” by tyler Corbett, Sideroom at Wake Up Iowa, Des Moines

Sat, Sept. 20, 6 p.m., 2025 Des Moines Art Center Gala: Chiaroscuro, Krause Gateway Center, Des Moines

through Sept. 21, Firelei Báez Exhibition, Des Moines Art Center

through Sept. 24, Sara Sato: “Notes from the Sea” exhibition, polk County Heritage Gallery

thu, Sept. 25, 6 p.m., Fingerman Lecture 2025: Jeffrey Gibson, Levitt Auditorium

Oct. 9-Nov. 13, tBD exhibition curated by Larry Campbell, polk County Heritage Gallery

thu, Oct. 16, 6 p.m., Artist Lecture:

Ben Millett, Levitt Auditorium

through Nov. 2, “Iowa Artists 2025: Ben Millett” Exhibition, Des Moines Art Center

through Oct., Sarah Grant & Scott Charles Ross exhibition, Moberg Gallery, Des Moines

Nov. 20-Dec. 31, the Invitational: Curated Show, polk County Heritage Gallery

IOWA CITY

Sept. 3-30, “Listen! A tintype Series” Ramin Roshandel in collaboration with Iowa transgender Folks, ArtiFactory Gallery

Fri, Sept. 12, 6-8 p.m., Ramin Roshandel Opening Reception, ArtiFactory Gallery

through Dec., “Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity,” Stanley Museum of Art

CEDAR RAPIDS

through Oct., “It’s Just Me” paintings by Shari Lewison, the Cherry Building

Sat, Sept. 13, Fall Art Show, DKW Art Gallery, Marion

Sept. 13-Jan. 4, “powerful: the Art of Kathe Kollwitz,” Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

Opens Nov. 15, “Barn Storm: picturing a Midwestern Icon,” Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

Oct. 3-Jan. 18, “Men and Women at Work: Images of Labor from the Collection,” Cedar Rapids Museum of Art

QUAD CITIES

thu, Sept. 18, 6 p.m., A Century of Collecting Opening Ceremony, Figge Art Museum

thu, Sept. 25, 6 p.m., Exhibition Opening: Kristin Quinn, Figge Art Museum

DUBUQUE/ MAQUOKETA

Fri, Oct. 3, Dubuque First Fridays Art Exhibits, Voices Studios, Dubuque

through Jan. 30, Skate Deck Art Show Exhibit, Smokestack

Dear Kiki,

I had a friend repost a story of someone saying that getting a coffee as a first date is low effort. That it is lazy for a person to choose a java hang as the icebreaker. I disagree. It's affordable and allows you to converse to actually get to know someone. Plus I kinda hate spending hundreds of dollars for multiple first dates to either not be interested in the person or vice versa. What’s your take?

Looking for (a) Fair Trade

Dear Fair Trade,

Ah yes, the age-old dilemma! What is a date? A java hang by any other name would taste as bitter. Or sweet, I guess, if that’s your thing. Actually, I suppose the way that someone takes their coffee is a useful bit of insight into their personality. But I digress.

Here’s where Kiki stands on this: An icebreaker is not a date.

To me, the term “first date” is reserved for an event that occurs after you already know you’re interested in someone, and you suspect it’s mutual. The “getting to know you” phase is no different for a romantic interest than for someone you’re feeling out as a new friend—and coffee can be a great choice for that. And, yes, if romance blooms, you might end up looking back on a java hang as a “first date,” years from now, if it was actually the first time you ever went out alone together. That’s your call.

But, Fair Trade, if you’ve already caught feels for someone and you’re hoping to win their affections, then that ain’t it, boo. When you like a person, the decent thing to do (and the thing in your cough best interests) is to make the evening about them. Or, at the very least, do something truly meaningful to you that offers insight into who you are. The idea of having a go-to standard boilerplate first date is an insult to the whole concept of dating.

It’s not the coffee that’s to blame, either. If you were obscenely wealthy and made a habit of taking every potential partner out for lobster and the opera, that would be just as lazy, Fair Trade.

Which brings me to the elephant in the room.

You seem to be equating “low effort” with “low cost,” and vice versa. That could not be further from

the truth. A walk in the park on a beautiful day is both cheaper and more romantic than coffee. So is exploring an art museum. Or attending a political protest. Or playing basketball. Or going fishing. Or or or or or or or!

The reason a coffee date is seen as low effort isn’t because it’s cheap. It’s because it’s too often used as a way to avoid actually being creative and thoughtful. And heck, if you’re a genuine coffee connoisseur and you want to take a date to your favorite hole-inthe-wall three counties over that you’re sure they’ve never been to, then frankly that’s fine: it’s personal, at least. Just don’t kid yourself that a basic pour-over from around the corner is the drip you need to get a second date.

KIKI WANTS QUESTIONS!

Submit questions anonymously at littlevillagemag. com/dearkiki or non-anonymously to dearkiki@ littlevillagemag.com. Questions may be edited for clarity and length, and may appear either in print or online at littlevillagemag.com.

xoxo, Kiki

Kellan Doolittle / Little Village

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In Andean cosmology, the condor and the hummingbird are both sacred messengers. One soars majestically at high altitudes, a symbolic bridge between the earth and heaven. The other moves with supple efficiency and detailed precision, an icon of resilience and high energy. Let’s make these birds your spirit creatures for the coming months. Your challenging but feasible assignment is to both see the big picture and attend skillfully to the intimate details.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the ancient Greek myth of Psyche, one of her trials is to gather golden wool from violent rams. She succeeds by waiting until the torrid heat of midday passes, and the rams are resting in the cool shade. She safely collects the wool from bushes and branches without confronting the rams directly. Let this be a lesson, Libra. To succeed at your challenges, rely on strategy rather than confrontation. It’s true that what you want may feel blocked by difficult energies, like chaotic schedules, reactive people or tangled decisions. But don’t act impulsively. Wait. Listen. Watch. Openings will happen when the noise settles and others tire themselves out. You don’t need to overpower. You just need to time your grace. Golden wool is waiting, but it can’t be taken by force.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1911, two teams tried to become the first humans to reach the South Pole. Roald Amundsen’s group succeeded, but Robert Falcon Scott’s did not. Why? Amundsen had studied with Indigenous people who were familiar with frigid environments. He adopted their clothing choices (fur and layering), their travel techniques (dogsledding) and their measured, deliberate pacing, including lots of rest. Scott exhausted himself and his people with inconsistent bursts of intense effort and stubbornly inept British strategies. Take your cues from Amundsen, dear Scorpio. Get advice from real experts. Pace yourself; don’t sprint. Be consistent rather than melodramatic. Opt for discipline instead of heroics.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A lighthouse isn’t concerned with whether ships are watching it from a distance. It simply shines forth its strong beams, no questions asked. It rotates, pulses and moves through its cycles because that’s its natural task. Its purpose is steady illumination, not recognition. In the coming weeks, Sagittarius, I ask you and encourage you to be like a lighthouse. Be loyal to your own gleam. Do what you do best because it pleases you. The ones who need your signal will find you. You don’t have to chase them across the waves.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 1885, Sarah E. Goode became the fourth African American woman to be granted a U.S. patent. Her invention was ingenious: a folding cabinet bed that could be transformed into a roll-top desk. It appealed to people who lived in small apartments and needed to save space. I believe you’re primed and ready for a similar advance in practical resourcefulness, Capricorn. You may be able to combine two seemingly unrelated needs into one brilliant solution— turning space, time or resources into something more graceful and useful. Let your mind play with hybrid inventions and unlikely pairings.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I expect you will be knowledgeable and smart during the coming weeks, Aquarius. But I hope you will also be wise and savvy. I hope you will wrestle vigorously with the truth so you can express it in practical and timely ways. You must be ingenious as you figure out the precise ways to translate your intelligence into specifically right actions. So for example: You may feel compelled to be authentic in a situation where you have been reticent, or to share a vision that has been growing quietly. Don’t stay silent, but also: Don’t blurt. Articulate your reality checks with elegance and discernment. The right message delivered at the wrong moment could make a mess, whereas that same message will be a blessing if offered at the exact turning point.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Liubai is a Chinese term that means “to leave blank.” In traditional ink painting, it referred to the portions of the canvas the artist chose not to fill in. Those unpainted areas were not considered empty. They carried emotional weight, inviting the eye to rest and the mind to wander. I believe your near future could benefit from this idea, Pisces. Don’t feel you have to spell everything out or tie up each thread. It may be important not to explain and reveal some things. What’s left unsaid, incomplete or open-ended may bring you more gifts than constant effort. Let a little stillness accompany whatever you’re creating.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In some Buddhist mandalas, the outer circle depicts a wall of fire. It marks the boundary between the chaotic external world and the sacred space within. For seekers and devotees, it’s a symbol of the transformation they must undergo to commune with deeper truths. I think you’re ready to create or bolster your own flame wall, Aries. What is non-negotiable for your peace, your creativity, your worth? Who or what belongs in your inner circle? And what must stay outside? Be clear about the boundaries you need to be your authentic self.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Centuries ago, builders in Venice, Italy drove countless wooden pilings deep into the waterlogged mud of the lagoon to create a stable base for future structures. These timber foundations were essential because the soil was too weak to support stone buildings directly. Eventually, the wood absorbed minerals from the surrounding muddy water and became exceptionally hard and durable: capable of supporting heavy buildings. Taurus, you may soon glimpse how something you’ve built your life upon—a value, a relationship or a daily ritual—is more enduring than you imagined. Its power is in its rootedness, its long conversation with the invisible. My advice: Trust what once seemed soft but has become solid. Thank life for blessing you with its secret alchemy.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Inuit myth, Sedna is the goddess who lives at the bottom of the sea and oversees all marine life. If humans harm nature or neglect spiritual truths, Sedna may stop allowing them to catch sea creatures for food, leading to starvation. Then shamans from the world above must swim down to sing her songs and comb her long black hair. If they win her favor, she restores balance. I propose that you take direction from this myth, Gemini. Some neglected beauty and wisdom in your emotional depths is asking for your attention. What part of you needs reverence, tenderness and ceremonial care?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In ancient Rome, the lararium was a home altar. It wasn’t used for momentous appeals to the heavyweight deities like Jupiter, Venus, Apollo, Juno and Mars. Instead, it was there that people performed daily rituals, seeking prosperity, protection and health from their ancestors and minor household gods. I think now is a fine time to create your own version of a lararium, Cancerian. How could you fortify your home base to make it more nurturing and uplifting? What rituals and playful ceremonies might you do to generate everyday blessings?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In Persian miniature painting, entire epics are compressed into exquisite images the size of a hand. Each creation contains worlds within worlds, myths tucked into detail. I suggest you draw inspiration from this approach, Leo. Rather than imagining your life as a grand performance, play with the theme of sacred compression. Be alert for seemingly transitory moments that carry enormous weight. Proceed on the assumption that a brief phrase or lucky accident may spark sweet changes. What might it look like to condense your full glory into small gifts that people can readily use?

RAHLAN KAY

An Ode 2 Hip Hop: The Boom Bap Letters

SOUNDCLOUD.COM/RAHLANKAY

Rahlan Kay’s An Ode 2 Hip Hop: The Boom Bap Letters plays like grown folks’ music. It’s mature, grounded and built on experience. Across the project, Kay shares wisdom and encouragement in a way that’s direct and easy to take in. The Boom Bap Letters focuses on self-reliance, confidence and moving with intent in a style that avoids over-complexity and layered entendres, opting instead for clarity and purpose.

The journey begins with “Crazy Ideas,” opening with a slowed-down sample that speeds back up just before the first verse drops. Heavy boom bap drums and a “chipmunk soul” loop from The Dynamic Superiors’ 1975 song “Shoe Shoe Shine” give it that early 2000s feel. Kay delivers a straightforward call to stop dreaming and start doing, setting the tone for the motivation that runs through the record.

Partnering on every track, fellow artist and producer Josh Michalec helps deliver a consistent and highquality sound that frames the EP perfectly. The boom bap subgenre has existed since the ’80s, and this album’s sound reflects its height in the 2000s, paired with the conscious lyrical style popular in that same era.

“Rockin Wit Me” keeps the momentum going with another layer of sped-up soul. The hook, a simple, “keep rocking with me, just keep rocking with me,” is catchy and inviting, pulling listeners along for the ride. Kay’s confident, conversational delivery makes the track feel personal and connected to his journey.

On “The Best In Me,” the vibe shifts into a love-inspired space, with Kay showing a softer side. Backing

vocals from EJ Swavv add warmth, giving the track a smooth, rounded feel that contrasts with the harderedged cuts. The mood adds variety to the EP’s flow but it’s worth noting that the production’s drums lack polish, pulling the listener from the song’s intent.

“Never Give It Up,” featuring EJ Swavv and Riley Mobz, is pure inspiration. The track carries a strong East Coast vibe, with each artist bringing a unique perspective. EJ leads by weaving in biblical truths, Kay follows with steady encouragement and Riley Mobz closes with a street-smart but uplifting outlook. Together, they create a powerful and unified cut.

“The Function,” with S. Wholestack and imperfekt, shifts the energy with a lively, collaborative feel. “You know, hip hop is supposed to be fun,” Kay declares on the intro before showcasing his versatility in working with different voices and flows, even if its lyrical direction stands apart from the rest of the EP.

The project closes with “Time to Be Great!” featuring Iowa City’s MC Animosity, bringing everything full circle. Another “chipmunk soul” sample and perfectly “drunken” boom bap drums create an old-school groove, while the lyrics return to the central message of focus, discipline and striving to be your best. EJ Swavv’s background vocals add a final touch of polish, making this a track you can ride to anytime.

Overall, The Boom Bap Letters is a tight, positive and well-crafted EP. Rahlan Kay blends nostalgic production with messages that resonate. It uplifts, inspires and reminds listeners of the timeless power of hip hop with heart.

It’s clean enough to play in the presence of your mother, yet still rooted in the boom bap grit that keeps it authentic. By combining that clean, accessible lyricism with production steeped in tradition, it bridges generational gaps and offers something for both long-time fans and newer listeners. It’s the kind of record that can spark reflection, fuel ambition and stay in rotation long after the first listen.

—M.T. Bostic

BOUQUEt

Feel in Color

Do you know what it’s like to “feel in color?” That’s the question on the minds of five-piece Des Moines band Bouquet on their latest EP. The sentiment is felt deeply across seven tracks, emotions laid bare, bloody, jagged and raw, while still being hypnotically tender. Across platforms, the band describes itself as “emotional rock music,” somewhere between post-rock or alternative emo, “melodic hardcore” and a personal favorite, “melodicpost-alternative-19thwave-throwbackcontemporary-screaming but also singing band.” From one minute to the next, the same raucous grinding guitars flirt seamlessly with smooth, beachy riffs that call to mind “Cherry-coloured Funk” á la Cocteau Twins.

as an opener and a closer for the album, starting and leaving the listener with quiet. Instead, Bouquet subverts the album structure initially set, exploding and flaming out with “Daylight (A Confrontation of Hurt).” Just like the roads of emotional betrayal, the path isn’t straightforward, concluded or tied up in a bow.

But what does it mean to “feel in color?” In many ways, the band, led by the heart-wrenching vocal stylings of Nick Booth, seems to posit that it’s to feel things deeply in both love and heartbreak. On the titular track, Bouquet waxes poetically on love: “You are the brush that blends the evening sky.” It’s all beautifully tender, overlaid with the whirring of a film projector, a repeated sonic motif, drenched in nostalgia and grungy home videos. This is the stuff of high school parking garage hangouts and suburban yearning.

Characteristic of the emotional push and pull, the preceding track “Blue Hour (A Stream of Consciousness)” conjures up palpable desperation. Right after a bout of visceral screams, coated in the rawest despair, the angst is brought down to earth by the groundedness of Bailey Fiste’s drumming, the guitar tussling of Max Wold and Jared Coleman, and the bewitching basslines of Elijah Wold. (The album’s lineup is bittersweet, as the brothers Max and Elijah have since left the group.) As the outburst quiets, Booth repeats over and over like an affirmation, “‘Tell me it’s enough.’ Is this how you thought it’d pan out? / ‘Tell me it’s enough.’ Is this where you thought you’d be?”

DEIVORE

Divinity Glutted BENSMASHER.BANDCAMP.COM

Genres are useful for categorization, but with certain artists’ work, the labels get too messy. In describing Iowa City Deivore, for instance, you can end up sounding like some insufferable aficionado regurgitating word salad, spewing out micro and nano genres to hapless homies just looking for a good recommendation. Give up, bro. Throw out the word “experimental” and get on with your day.

of modal jazz was used for Divinity Glutted’s four tracks.

Opener “Violent Rapture of Christ’s Pallid Form” rarely feels violent. It is unpredictable, yes, but the slow build of synthesizer and guitar tension is matched by Wilson’s saxophone, tuned lower into the mix and adding texture to every detour and freak out. But the track never feels overwhelming, creating a strange sense of solemnity amidst the din. “Painful Moans as the Body is Gnashed into the Final Bowel of Death” is indeed more abrasive, energetic even, playing out like some sort of demonic, Captain Beefheart version of “Dueling Banjos” as each instrument throws out a phrase met by the rest of the ensemble’s response. You can picture the smiling nods of approval after each segment gets a little more unhinged.

“Cruentous Coagulated Morsels of Chyme” dives deeper into the jazzy feel of the record, coming together like a rhythmless post-bop shuffle in

WHILE MOSt JAZZ HEADS WOULD BE AppALLED At tHE IDEA OF CIRCUIt BENt tOYS, FEEDBACK LOOpS AND tHE NOISY AND ABRASIVE BEING COMpARED tO tHEIR REVERED CLASSICS, tHE CHAOS CARRIES A FAMILIAR GRACE, EXpERtISE AND EMOtION.

All of that is here, living and breathing in Feel in Color, from its instrumental arrangements to its vocal intonations. But labeling feels hopelessly irrelevant here, for a band that is confident and assured on what it wants to be, taking big, stylistic swings that turn the course of each song on a dime, ambient hard rock swerves into guttural screams and back again. Those abrupt, but deftly done, tone switch-ups are best represented through the song structure. Take, for example, the wistful ambient breaks appearing on the intro “Twilight PM” and penultimate track “Twilight AM.” Both brief auditory moments feel set up to mirror each other

That sense of pleading is deeply felt and captured across Feel in Color, a perfect storm of contentment and hurt, all wrapped up in the throes of nostalgia and Midwest sun—so much so, it almost feels intrusive to peer inside to listen, as if you’re leafing through someone’s personal diary. But it’s this disarming vulnerability that sticks long after the sonic yells stop ringing in your ears.

—Elisabeth Oster

Meadowers Ep Release Show with Lo/st and Bouquet Thursday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m.

Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co., Milwaukee, Wisc.

The brainchild of Ben Smasher and frequent collaborator Joseph Norman (also of black metallers Necrotic Theurgist), Deivore has a prolific output of noise and sound collages, primarily composed of guitar and synthesizers, that blur the lines between improvisational jazz, noise music and modern compositional music. In March, Deivore released Divinity Glutted, joined by guitarist Les Ohlhauhser and Jonathan Wilson on alto saxophone, further twisting their art into untrodden grounds. This album caused me to consider the commonalities between jazz and noise music. While most jazz heads would be appalled at the idea of circuit bent toys, feedback loops and the noisy and abrasive being compared to their revered classics, the chaos carries a familiar grace, expertise and emotion. I get the sense that an interpretation

which each player drifts in and out of sync with the others, occasionally landing on a polyrhythm. As discordant as this track is, it feels like the most “traditional” song on Divinity Glutted and provides a lighthearted juxtaposition to the rest of the album’s dream logic.

Closing track “Evacuation of the Fermented Sinew of the Once Crowned Palterer” unfolds over 12 minutes, weaving off-kilter, post-rock swells throughout, like a free jazz warm-up session from Godspeed You! Black Emperor, replacing any jovial feelings with the familiar anxious calamity that the project delivers in droning droves.

While Deivore’s latest may not be everyone’s cup of tea, for folks who dabble in the bizarre, the duo and company have given us a thoughtful, mesmerizing noise record.

—Broc Nelson

RIVER GLEN

Poignant Folk Pop

RIVERGLENMUSIC.BANDCAMP.COM

There’s a certain cyclical nature to the poignancy of folk in popular culture. Turned to most in times of turmoil, folk music is perhaps the most durable music genre as a medium for both protest and comfort. Particularly provocative is folk’s inherent warmth, with full-bodied string instruments and vocals, in direct conflict with scathing lyrical takedowns and history lessons put to music.

River Glen’s newest album fits squarely in this duality, arriving when needed most—a safety blanket to wrap around its listener, a thrown molotov cocktail engulfed in flames and vitriol.

Aptly named Poignant Folk Pop, the 10-track album touches on a full spectrum of upheaval, from overarching critiques of capitalism and war, to focused case studies of Africville, a historic community of Black Nova Scotians, and the government’s eviction and destruction of its people. River Glen seems keenly aware of how history repeats itself. The cycles are never broken and the lessons never learned.

Despite the heaviness of his lyrical topics, Dubuque-born frontman River Brietbach seems to know the secret recipe for injecting levity without losing the point. There’s perfectly pitched playfulness here that often oozes

sarcasm and spits out reality checks. The line “hate me like I’m dating your mom” in “Most Dads,” a diatribe against the machine and taunting of the world’s systems, is darkly funny. The track is all about landing those punchlines, satisfyingly layered with venomous backing whispers—a momentous musical roast of the world.

But none needle the skin quite like “Some People,” with its brutal lyrical progression. Beginning with an endearing earnestness about people who can’t hold babies well or don’t eat their vegetables, the song spirals and lands on exasperated dejectedness: “People can’t see most people on this planet, they are not human, not really.”

Brietbach takes the listener to a church of political and social thought, elevated by the warmth of a musical patchwork of local Iowa charmers. All the folk, rock and jazz heavyweights of Iowa are accounted for, from the wailing pipes of Abbie Sawyer and Dave Helmer’s raw guitar playing, to the standout horn flourishes of Dan DiMonte and Cory Eichman’s breathtaking clarinet playing, gorgeously layered over the field recording of a loon’s call (also playfully credited on the album) on the meditative track “Cabin Thoughts.”

Poignant Folk Pop’s instrumentation, harmonies and vocal sensibilities feel comfortingly ’90s, with a sound that fuses the likes of Midwest darlings the Jayhawks with the biting vocal rhythms of early DIY folk, spearheaded by Ani DiFranco and Suzanne Vega. Nowhere is this clearer and more welcome than track standout “Mug/Rug.” A series of metaphors that are visceral in imagery and vocal flow, it’s a love letter to past simplicities and life’s small details. Its lyrics are exemplary of the album itself— “A burning, beating heart,” “that coffee when you rise,” and most importantly, “That place that you keep looking… that bent page in your book.”

FRONtMAN RIVER BRIEtBACH SEEMS tO KNOW tHE SECREt FOR INJECtING LEVItY WItHOUt LOSING tHE pOINt. tHERE’S pERFECtLY pItCHED pLAYFULNESS HERE tHAt OFtEN OOZES SARCASM AND SpItS OUt REALItY CHECKS.

FUNGAL MASS

Psychedelic Poison

FUNGALMASS.BANDCAMP.COM

“Fungal Mass,” the first track off Psychedelic Poison and named after the band itself, acts as something of a manifesto. Along with the use of second-person throughout the song, the lyrics further welcome the listener to continue their aural adventure with the group, who describe themselves as “an American Thrash Metal band originating from the small town of Wilton, Iowa.” The track present us with the closing lyrics, “Fungal Mass we hold the secret / Take our hand and we will keep it.”

My immediate first impression, from the vocals to the guitar to the drums, was early mid-2000s “post-thrash.” Its obvious groove elements totally reinforced this to me, and funnily enough, as I scrolled down their Bandcamp, their first tag is “Groove Metal.”

over and over again. The start-andstop syncopation on track “Bullet,” for example, does this quite well. Also of note, and personally my favorite element of the album, is the production value. Everything from the resonance of the snare drum to a hit on the bell of a cymbal is incredibly well balanced and easily heard. There is no part of the mix that overwhelms the listener. My only complaint is that I would have loved to hear a little more bass in the mix. (As an aside, while a bit on the nose, the sound of a magazine being loaded at the beginning of “Magazine” is a nice touch.)

Lyrically, they’re fairly typical of the genre. While it’s well written enough, don’t expect florid prose. Do expect the occasional “fuck you” for added aughts authenticity. Incidentally, the strongest lyrics appear in the opener, but that’s for you, the listener, to decide.

WHILE It’S WELL WRIttEN ENOUGH, DON’t EXpECt FLORID pROSE. DO EXpECt tHE OCCASIONAL “FUCK YOU” FOR ADDED AUGHtS AUtHENtICItY.

In no particular order, Fungal Mass is for fans of: Lamb of God, Sepultura, Municipal Waste and, dare I say, Reinventing the Steel-era Pantera. For those fans, you absolutely won’t be disappointed. It’s a fun listen and maybe for those old enough, you’ll get a hint of nostalgia. Which says something, as the trio (Keagan Stoelk, with brothers Gage Hagen and Lief Clevenger) seem to be about the same age as the projects that inspired them.

As the world becomes increasingly and violently uncertain, River Glen creates something to return to for both comfort and anger, providing explanation when spoken words fall short.

—Elisabeth Oster

As far as audience engagement goes, even beyond their first song, I personally found them worth entertaining a further listen based on their use of syncopation. This is specifically apparent in their choruses. Syncopation, for me, makes the track far more interesting than hearing a steady rhythm of one-two-three-four

Something that did particularly stand out: we don’t get an actual guitar solo until the final track, “Junkyard.” If that’s something you expect in your thrash and groove (à la Dimebag Darrell) this album is quite lacking. The guitar solo is great; it would have been neat to hear a few more.

While groove metal has never been my genre, I’d still say this is a solid offering. The production value alone is a true highlight and the band does what they do well.

—Gabi Vanek

Dear Marty, We Crapped

In Our Nest ICE CUBE PRESS

Being an Iowan has been difficult for those of us who love our home and are horrified by its policies. Art Cullen, in his new book Dear Marty, We Crapped In Our Nest, lays bare the complicated web of events that made it this way, pondering: how can I identify with my neighbors and shudder at my state at large?

This book is fast-paced and conversational, but full of facts and interviews gleaned from a lifetime of reporting. It opens with a discussion of Iowan farming which quickly veers into global warming before spending time with the societies and scientists who have shaped the landscape and agricultural practices of this region.

research on agronomy, economics, horticulture and sociology to illustrate that so-called “conventional” farming is ruining soil, plant and community health. Profits motivated farmers toward monoculture, but in less than a century, the corn-and-soybean cycle has become unsustainable and unprofitable.

But more than this, Cullen argues for a divestment from the idea that these issues have party lines. Food connects all people and, in a time of massive environmental change, we are all connected. The same circumstances that removed the Ioway from their land eventually led to soil erosion, rural poverty and detention camps. “The satisfaction of self-sufficiency eroded in a flood of money,” which has led to the disenfranchisement of not just Iowa but a large swath of the planet.

As someone who dreams about a hobby farm and daydreams about getting lost in the woods with a book, I am perhaps the most sympathetic audience this book could have. I worry that the more I talk about it, the more I undersell it. What’s special about Dear Marty is that it has no political

tHE HORROR StORIES [CULLEN] pRESENtS ARE tINGED IN HOpE—tHE ROAD tHAt LED HERE IS NOt A DEAD END, AND SCIENCE HAS ALREADY DEMONStRAtED tHAt tHE SItUAtION IS SALVAGABLE.

“If you cannot imagine a town of 68 people, you might not be able to appreciate how things get done around here,” Cullen says early in the book, positing what will become an anchor point for his treatise on rural American life. “Somehow there is this disconnect of people who do not share the same experiences. Reality takes on caricature.” As someone who has experienced the city and chosen to return to his rural hometown, Cullen is frustrated that the “other side” appears to be two-dimensional for so many.

His argument throughout Dear Marty is for a holistic approach to agriculture—which should be a properly nonpartisan issue—using

It’s uncanny to drive by fictional crime scenes on my way to work.

I have always wondered what it would be like to live in the type of place featured in novels—whether Catcher in the Rye is more palatable with intimate knowledge of New York, or if Magpie Murders has another layer of whimsey for Londoners. Now, I realize it is downright discomfiting to find your home reflected in paper and ink, especially as the backdrop of a crime or tragedy.

each other. The scope of this novel is much smaller than the previous two in the series, but that tightened focus allows the book to flourish. Mejia takes time to explore human moments between the characters, from early mornings spent bellowing along to a playlist, to a double-date night. These gentler scenes underscore the humanity of the three main characters while serving as a sharp contrast to the horrors they face. The reader has a greater emotional investment in Max and Jonah, watching them navigate their friendship while also relying on each other professionally. Darcy’s past and current traumas become more visceral when held up to her joys. Iowa City is represented so cleanly that it’s clear Mejia either spent time in the City of Literature or is very Google Maps adept. She describes Iowa City with exacting detail while being intentionally vague in her descriptions of other locations, underscoring how characters perceive time and space differently and to different ends. Max and Jonah view the city through the lens of their investigation, and Darcy experiences it as a place of joy. When the novel shifts to Illinois, details become blurrier, reflecting the impact trauma can have on the brain while also mirroring the lack of clarity within the investigation.

allegiances; it is unpretentious and straightforward, which makes me believe I can hand it to any of my neighbors and we can all agree that we deserve the Iowa Cullen envisions.

Cullen’s folksy narration invites us to relax into his storytelling, which toggles from history lesson to science demonstration and finally a call to action. The horror stories he presents are tinged in hope—the road that led here is not a dead end, and science has already demonstrated that the situation is salvageable. While “hope is not a strategy,” Cullen’s research insists that “we have the technology to cope and stay ahead, if we master the commitment.”

—Sarah Elgatian

Mindy Mejia’s The Whisper Place continues her Iowa Mysteries series, following cop-turned-privateinvestigator Max Summerlin and his psychic friend and work partner, Jonah Kendrick. They open the novel living paycheck to paycheck as they try to establish their client base; financial desperation leads Max to accept an impossible case from Charlie Ashlock. Charlie’s girlfriend has disappeared, and he is desperate to make sure she is OK— but he doesn’t know her real name and only has a single blurry picture with her.

The novel is told in first-person, alternating between Max, Jonah and the missing woman Darcy’s perspective. Darcy’s sections are glimpses back in time, spanning months before they catch up to the novel’s present. Her chapters provide an intimate, if eerie, look into the heart of a woman who both has been and will become a victim.

Mejia catches her stride with The Whisper Place, constructing a compelling thriller rooted in love and fear between people who care about

MEJIA’S tHRILLER IS A LOVE LEttER tO tHE MIDWESt... CALM AND CHAOtIC, pHYSICAL AND SUpERNAtURAL.

Mejia’s thriller is a love letter to the Midwest, as strange as that may seem given the graphic nature of the novel. The Midwest can be calm and chaotic, physical and supernatural; the repeated references to the wide-open spaces of Iowa are always framed in the positive, meant to highlight the strange beauty of nothing. Openness does not equate to absence in Mejia’s text. Rather, openness is meant to make room for everything humanity has to offer—the good and the bad thrown in stark relief.

—K. Twaddle

MINDY MEJIA

The Whisper Place ATLANTIC CRIME

ARt CULLEN

Every Day, I’m Brave: Cultivating Resilience to Gain Freedom from Fear WONDERWELL PRESS

I had been at a crossroads in my life the first time I met Renee Zukin. She was working as a brilliant educator in Coralville while my decadelong career as a program manager was going nowhere slowly. It was this dead-end gig that landed me in Zukin’s classroom one afternoon in 2017. It was a lively experience; there may have been what I’ll call an “elevated disagreement” among two of the students during my presentation about literacy. What remains with me from that day was the strength Zukin exuded in grounding the class down and helping them tune into what I was presenting. From there, we’ve forged a friendship dotted with long talks about grace, wellness and motherhood.

Readers will likely have a similar experience when they read Zukin’s debut memoir, Every Day, I’m Brave She uses an engaging character-centric style of writing to share her journey through anxiety and OCD, all while loving her kids, healing her wounds and saving herself.

As an educator, Zukin knows how important it is for her memoir to be participatory for the reader. She provides homework of sorts by ending each chapter with a “Brave Reflection” section. Each addendum is a mini-therapy session, allowing the reader to see themselves and their loved ones differently.

Zukin has done “the work,” as it’s

so often called in social media fauxtherapy circles. But make no mistake: this is not a cheesy self-help book. Zukin shares the most intimate details of her healing within the pages of this part memoir/part life manual. From the dissolution of her marriage to the inner child healing that broke her down and built her up, Zukin lays it out bare for the reader. One technique she shares from her experience is called the Journey Backward in the chapter titled “History Lessons.” This chapter resonated with me because of its focus on Zukin’s young adult years, and how those experiences resonated with her decades later as a wife and mother.

Along with sage words of wisdom, Zukin’s memoir explores her relationships—and yes, names are named. I asked Zukin how those mentioned feel about the revelations in the book. “These are real conversations and things that happened. Still, it’s respectful to allow others to sit with it the way they need to,” she replied.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A MEANS tO REFLECt ON YOUR IMpACt ON FAMILY, FRIENDS AND YOURSELF, tHIS BOOK IS JUSt tHE WAY.

Sit with it, they shall, because Zukin assures me that her story is far from over and that more words are in store for us lucky readers. (“I already have seeds of the next book,” she said.) Until that next book is ready, Zukin is exploring a journal companion for Every Day, I’m Brave, and is developing a workshop template of her memoir suitable for group therapy.

If you’re looking for a means to reflect on your impact on family, friends and yourself, this book is just the way. As Zukin states in the introduction: “Moreover, we have to be willing to have the difficult and vulnerable conversations about what it’s like to move through life when fear holds us back.”

— Kellee Forkenbrock

RENEE ZUKIN

19. Italian birthplace of St. Francis

21. “Gotcha!”

22. Attraction

24. Hot single, say 25. Board game in which you might trade four sheep for a brick

27. Y associates, sometimes?

29. Ze/___ pronouns

31. Novelist Leon

32. Illogical leap

35. Point after which daylight decreases more slowly

36. Hereditary line?

37. Crustacean that has evolved independently at least five different times (!!!!!)

38. November 3, 2026,

for example (just saying): Abbr.

39. Anglo follower

42. Not now

44. Ref. for logophiles since 1857

46. Elephant ___ (tiny African mammal)

48. Phoebe Bridgers single that actually makes no reference to a hospital

49. Emily ___, singer with the band Broken Social Scene

52. ___ fresca

53. Habit of creature?

55. Indigenous language of central Mexico

57. Shows off

58. Certain board member

59. Some topical treatments

60. Date enablers, perhaps

DOWN

1. Dirty digs

2. Latin phrase usually abbreviated to its first four letters

3. Haven

4. First Nations group that includes the Ojibwe and the Chippewa

5. Seeking, as abbreviated in personals

6. Harvard astrophysicist

Randall

7. Wade through a puddle, say

8. Springfield tavern

9. Some nerve you have!

10. Title obtained by subtracting a letter from 51-Down

11. Netflix kids’ series set during the (fictional) Mechazoic Era

12. Style for a My Chemical Romance concert, maybe 13. Some inmates

15. Dissection of sorts

20. Big junk fan?

23. Drives (around)

26. Traffic flow?

28. Still available, as a room

30. Machu Picchu and Choquequirao, for two

33. Muir Woods attractions

34. Onetime denizens of Machu Picchu and Choquequirao

35. Note that’s enharmonic to E-sharp

36. Sucker for Gothic fiction?

37. Faces that may be climbed

40. Logic circuit component that outputs true if any of its inputs is true

41. Prevent from becoming a cat dad?

43. French winemaking region

45. Bits of hail damage

47. Wrexham’s country

50. Red, black or yellow beings

51. Garment obtained by adding a letter to 10-Down

54. RAV4, for one 56. Thru-hiker’s stopover

Little Village Issue 344 - September 2025

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