New Orleans dance party with Papa Grows Funk

Thursday, September 9, 10 pm

Iowa Memorial Union, Main Lounge

“Can you feel the music?” That’s what John Gros, lead singer and keyboardist for Papa Grows Funk, wants to know. The answer will be a no-brainer when this hot funk band from New Orleans takes the stage for a hip-shaking dance party to kick off the 2010-2011 Hancher season. This gumbo of organ, guitar, bass, drums, and sax will offer up some truly tasty riffs that are sure to keep you up on your feet. Everyone’s invited, but we’re throwing this bash for UI students to welcome them back to campus.

Tickets on line at:  www.hancher.uiowa.edu

Tickets on Sale: Now!

Ticket Availability: Box Office and Online

Seating: General admission

More Info: http://www.reverbnation.com/mattalber
$17 in advance
$20 at the door

OPENING FOR MATT ALBER:
Alexis Stevens

Description

Matt grew up singing in choirs. Big ones. Little ones. Classical ones. Ones that traveled the globe and ones that did jazz hands. Choir is where he learned to feel ok. At practice he got to make something beautiful as part of team. Like an athlete, he watched himself get better at something his body and mind were making together. He got to dance and laugh and thrive. Even when his voice cracked, his value was never questioned.

Outside of choir, Matt usually felt intimidated or deficient in some way. He spent a lot of his teen years skulking around after school and at a fundamentalist Christian church. He finds much of his music is about healing from that experience.

He went on to study music and writing with some wise and fearless masters. With a pocket full of sunshine he moved to California to find his kindred. These days he spends his time with truth-tellers from every walk of life, and he is finding more and more of them.

Matt also directs a choir of his own in Los Angeles. The audition is fairly simple– if you’re 60 or up, sing with Heart, and can bring something to the potluck, you’re in. Most of them are also gay and lead incredible lives.

Matt also enjoys taking photos of strange things, working on Macintosh Computers, wearing headphones, Levi’s jeans, and all of his instruments were gifts from friends. (For those seeking a more impressive biography replete with accolades, awards and magazine quotes: please forgive him, for he got too sleepy trying to write one.)

OPENING FOR MATT ALBER:
Alexis Stevens
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Leslie & The LY’s — Iowa Women’s Music Fest Kick-Off!
South Pacific: In Concert
Matt Alber

Monday – Friday
1:00 to 6:00 PM CST
(319) 688-2653

221 East Washington St.
Iowa City, IA 52240

Tix for most events available at www.RedTruckTickets.com

Friday June 18, 2010 at 8:30pm

Tickets on Sale: Now!

Ticket Availability: Box Office and Online

Monday – Friday
1:00 to 6:00 PM CST
(319) 688-2653

221 East Washington St.
Iowa City, IA 52240

www.Englert.org

Seating: General admission
*Tickets are $12 each

Description

Les Dames Du Burlesque and Cirque Stupendo with Dr. Eli Calico’s Miracle Water Orchestra present a double show sure to amaze, excite, and horrify.

First, Cirque performers balance on the high wire, wail on the saxophone, and disappear into thin air. Then Les Dames enter with their 100% new show, “Exile from Girlville: The Kiss of the Spider Bride” – a story of cruel and exquisitely grotesque beauty… and of redemption.

Cirque Stupendo’s death-defying stunts may make your heart skip a beat, and Les Dames’s curves and shimmys may stop your heart altogether, but be assured – it shall be well worth it.

Englert Theatre, Tuesday June 15, 2010 at 5:30pm

Seating: General admission

Free Event!

Christopher Merrill, Cultural Diplomat

Christopher Merrill, an accomplished poet and since 2001 the Director of the Iowa International Writing Program, has another life as a cultural diplomat. Tuesday evening June 15th he will share stories from that life.

The Iowa City Foreign Relations Committee cordially invites you to join us for that special event at the Englert Theatre. Please also join us for a reception following the lecture, sponsored by MidwestOne Bank as a fundraiser for the International Writing Program.

Merrill served on the Department of State Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy and was primary drafter of its 2005 report, “Cultural Diplomacy: the Linchpin of Public Diplomacy.” That document pulled no punches about the decline of America’s reputation overseas, and the essential roles cultural diplomacy should play if America is to resuscitate channels for mutual understanding and recognition of common human values and aspirations with the rest of the world.

Merrill has put his vision of cultural diplomacy into practice in initiatives related to Iowa City’s UNESCO-designated status as one of the world’s three “Cities of Literature” (including a recent mission to Iran), and in the IWP programs that every fall bring 30-40 writers from around the world to Iowa City for 12 weeks of writing, and of communication with each other and with Iowa communities.

Event Sponsors

This event is sponsored by:
The Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities
The Dee Norton Fund of the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council
Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities
Iowa City Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Iowa City Noon Rotary Club
Iowa United Nations Association
Johnson County United Nations Association
MidWestOne Bank
University Lecture Committee

This program is supported by Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The views and opinions expressed by this program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities Iowa or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Box Office:
Monday – Friday
1:00 to 6:00 PM CST
(319) 688-2653

221 East Washington St.
Iowa City, IA 52240

You are in for a treat as our Iowa City area is a vibrant place offering many entertainment venues sure to appeal to all!

Friday Night Concert Series Starts Friday May 28th!

The Friday Night Concert Series celebrates twenty years of free local music this Friday night at 6:30 at the Weatherdance Fountain Stage in the Ped Mall, right outside the Iowa City Sheraton Hotel.
This weeks reunion show is jam packed with musical talent, featuring David Zollo & The Body Electric, Shame Train and Iowa City’s very own Dave Moore.

Dave Zollo began playing the piano at four years old and found his sound after he discovered his father’s eclectic record collection. In his formative early teens, he would entertain his parents house parties with Ray Charles and Huey “Piano” Smith Covers. Since then Zollo and his band, The Body Electric tour the Midwest fusing the likes of The Rolling Stones and Country Rock and released three records.

Created in 2000 by lead singer and songwriter, Sam Knutson, Shame Train has dealt with personnel changes that helped shape the band into the rockin’ ensemble they are today. Sometimes referred to as “real country” or “roots rock” this group of close, musical veterans thrives on sharing their creativity with the Iowa City community.

Upon moving to Iowa City, musician Dave Moore settled into the local music scene both quickly and easily. Moore is known for keeping his musical collaborations specifically Iowan but still manages to gather national recognition, having appeared on NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion, All Things Considered, World Cafe, and Live from the Mountain Stage.

Also be sure to stop by to get a dinner from Mamma’s Deli, served on a commemorative frisbee plate for only $8!

The Iowa Arts Festival

The Iowa Arts Festival kid’s activities are educational and fun, featuring puppets, crafts, music and dance. Kids can pick up a passport and tour the Global Village traveling from country to country, all in one day. Families can listen to great music and dance to tunes from all over the world. Children’s Day features over 10 booths of hands-on activities, crafts and learning experiences presented by area businesses and groups.

Be sure to come hungry! Culinary row features local food vendors with a global flavor. Roam about munching on some of the area’s best foods from traditional, Indian and African fare to good old fashioned Barbecue.

The general schedule is:

Festival Dates:

Friday June 4 to Sunday June 6, 2010

Art Fair Dates:
Saturday June 5 to  Sunday June 6, 2010

Friday Night:

Main Stage musical performances

Saturday:

Main Stage musical performances
Family Stage Performance
Art Fair (featuring over 130 artists)
Global Village (bring the kids!)
Fun Zone
Culinary Row

Sunday:

Family Stage performances
Art Fair (featuring over 130 artists)
Children’s Day (bring the kids!)
Fun Zone
Culinary Row

For complete information on this event as well as all the other Summer Of The Arts events, please visit:

www.SummerOfTheArts.com

Friday, May 7th at 8:00 PM, Englert Theatre, 221 East Washington Street

This one-night-only show is in support of Joe Bonamassa’s upcoming album Black Rock, to be released on Bonamassa’s J&R Adventures label in early 2010. The tenth full-length solo release and eighth studio album of his career, the disc will mark Bonamassa’s sixth collaboration with Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes, Aerosmith) as producer.

2009 marked a year of milestones for Bonamassa. He kicked it off in February with the release of his ninth solo album, The Ballad of John Henry, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Charts. Nicky Horne from the UK’s Planet Rock Radio called it “a quantum leap from his previous albums, and they were damn good – if he keeps this up, he is destined to walk alongside the truly greats.”

In May 2009, he played a sold out show at London’s Royal Albert Hall, arguably the most prestigious concert venue in the world and had the added honor of being joined on stage by the legendary Eric Clapton. The Times of London cited Joe’s “searing excellence and showmanship,” and Planet Rock said, “The sight of two of the world’s best guitarists trading solos was more than a little thrilling.” Released Oct. 6, 2009 and debuting at #6 on Billboard’s DVD Chart was Joe Bonamassa – Live From The Royal Albert Hall, a 2-disc live DVD capturing the intensity and excitement of that show which Bonamassa calls “a day 20 years in the making.”

This past year also saw Bonamassa’s twentieth year as a professional musician, an extraordinary timeline for a young artist just into his ‘30s. He was named “Best Blues Guitarist” in Guitar Player’s readers’ choice poll for the third consecutive year and graced their April 2009 cover. The magazine said, “He’s an old soul, and that comes through in his bends, vibrato, singing voice, and note choices, which – with each passing year – gets more restrained and refined.”

In November ‘09, he headlined Guitar Center’s annual King of the Blues contest in Los Angeles and was awarded the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award at the U.K.’s prestigious Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.

Bonamassa averages 200 shows every year, almost always playing to sold-out and ever-larger houses, and with each gig, he comes more into his own as a virtuoso and a vocalist. The Washington Post’s Mike Joyce cites his, “wicked guitar thrills” and British journalist Pete Feenstra wrote of a BBC Live performance, that, “he is both as eloquent and learned about the music he plays as he is technically brilliant.” Guitar icon Ted Nugent has said, “This kid deserves to be in the same class with Stevie Ray F*&cking Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck.”

A child prodigy, Bonamassa opened shows at age 12 for blues legend B.B. King, who said after first seeing him play, “This kid’s potential is unbelievable…He’s one of a kind.” Bonamassa’s recording career began in the early ’90s with Bloodlines, a rock-blues group also featuring Robby Krieger’s son Waylon and Miles Davis’ son Erin. His solo debut was in 2000 with the Tom Dowd-produced A New Day Yesterday, named for the Jethro Tull hit that Bonamassa delivers with what allmusic.com calls, “a jaw-dropping performance.”

As he heads back to the road in support of his new album, Bonamassa remains infinitely passionate about playing live and connecting with his audiences, something evident in comments like Paul Roy’s for the recurring Blues Bash feature on blogcritics.org: “Joe is not only one of the world’s best guitar players, but he is also one of the most charismatic and down to earth performers in the business…I would get out and see this guy the first chance you get.”

May 8,  9–11:30 amat Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Project GREEN Garden Fair is a special tradition in the Iowa City/Coralville community. Gardeners and would-be gardeners will find a great assortment of trees, shrubs, vines, and sunny and shade perennials, as well as sources of expert information to help with plant selections.

Again this year, Project GREEN will be the beneficiary of Judy Allen’s wonderful garden sculptures, donated by her for sale at the fair.

Local experts will be available to answer your garden questions. This year’s authorities will include Mark Vitosh, DNR forester; Terry Robinson, Iowa City forester; Tim Thompson, DNR wildlife biologist; Jim Scheib, member of Eastern Iowa Bird Watch; Master Gardeners of Johnson County; a garlic mustard specialist; and Jennifer Jordan, the IC recycling coordinator, who will be available for information and questions relating to the IC Community Compost program.

Plan to come to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on May 8. Doors open at 9 a.m.

In Project GREEN, we learn by doing.  Whether you have a “green thumb” or a “brown” one, there is a job for you.  Volunteers are needed not only for assistance with the plants, but the Garden Fair also requires a sizable management team which helps with tasks ranging from finance and publicity to container acquisition.  Volunteer here.

For more information, contact Fair Coordinators:
Barb Gartner, (319) 338-5781, barbara-gartner@uiowa.edu
Fern Allison, (319) 338-8580, frdallison@msn.com

4th Annual Dance Fest is supported by Summer Of The Arts

What better way to celebrate the start of spring than with dance!

Summer of the Arts is proud to help support the 4th annual Dance Fest!  They continue to gather performers from all over the State of Iowa to share their passion for dance with the Iowa City community.  Everyone is working pro-bono for the love of dance!

Help us spread the voice! April 16-24: Art Installation at the Deadwood (6 S Dubuque Street, upper level).

Bring your favorite performance art articles to exhibit: costumes, videos, music, old dancing shoes, pictures, photos, pictures, lights, props, masks.  April 5th is the deadline for entry.  Please contact Deanne at electricjumpinghorse@hotmail.com to apply.

April 16: Set-up, 5-10pm

April 17: Set-up, 12-4pm

April 18: Opening Reception at 7pm, $5 donation at the door (BYOW)

April 19-22: Installation will be open 7-10; space is available for workshops, performance, readings, etc.

Reserve your evening NOW!

First come-first serve.  Remember: Black walls, carpeted room, small stage, funky space, and Free.

April 23: Concert at Robert A. Lee Rec Center IC., 7pm, $5 at the door.  Dance groups from Ames, Des Moines, Cedar Falls, Fairfield, Davenport, West Branch, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City-Coralville have already saved the date! For more information, please contact Nora Garda at (319) 400.4695 or email at iowadancefest@gmail.com

Thursday, March 25th, Field House

Less than 24 hours after the House gave final approval to a health care reform bill, the White House announced President Barack Obama will visit Iowa City on Thursday to discuss health insurance reform’s effect on small business and American families.

The Democrat-heavy Iowa City area served as a frequent campaign stop from late 2006 to early 2008 during Obama’s march to the presidency. Thursday will mark his first visit as president.

“I am just excited as can be. I want him to give me my marching orders and tell me what to do next,” said Sue Dvorsky, Obama’s former Johnson County campaign co-chairwoman.

Obama is scheduled to speak at 1 p.m. at the Field House on University of Iowa campus. People must register for the opportunity to attend by 4 p.m. Tuesday at www.whitehouse.gov/webform/rsvp/university-iowa-100325.

via Press-Citizen 3/22/10
Picture courtesy of Morgan/Getty Images