On Wednesday night, October 19th, the Vaudeville Mews hosted Dax Riggs on his tour after the 2010 release of his second and most recent album, Say Goodnight to the World (Fat Possum Records).
Brett Dennen has capitalized on the fact that he is weird. We all knew guys like him in our awkward teen years—the tall, red-headed kid with a funky voice. The class clown. The kid who never really fit in. Brett seems to know that he is this kid. But he has made himself so damn cool, you just HAVE to go to his concert, and you just HAVE to whoop, holler and jump around like your life depends on it. Brett Dennen is the weirdest, coolest guy I’ve seen on stage since I saw Andrew Volpe licking the neck of his guitar.
There is a certain level of time travel that has to be accepted with any Big Gigantic performance. The two-piece band and the laptop remind you that you are in 2011, an era where our musical horizons have been expanded beyond what many of us realized music can be. With a few keystrokes, beats are jack-hammered into our cortex at a speed and style that few accepted many years ago, but has now become almost mainstream. Big Gigantic will be at People’s on Oct. 19. Tickets are $15 at the door, and the show begins at 9 p.m.
Crossroads is the Upper Midwest’s only event to educate, connect and showcase the work of the entertainment industry in an effort to strengthen the infrastructure for the future. Musicians, artists, film makers, theatre professionals, food and beverage masters and industries that support creativity all come together at the Crossroads. Over 30 seminars, panels and keynotes are speaking around the theme “Challenge Drive Change.” A line-up of strong leaders from the Midwest community will share their expertise in Marketing, Music, Cultural Development, Theatre, Event Production and much more! Full Conference Pass $30 / $40 after November 1.
The 6th annual Little BIG Fest is set for Friday, November 18 at Hotel Fort Des Moines. Putting talented Iowa bands at the forefront, Little BIG Fest is an alternative culture celebration featuring roots, jam, blues, bluegrass, folk, and alt-country. This years’ Little BIG Fest will present past favorites, The Workshy, Mr. Baber’s Neighbors, Moose Knuckle and Omega Dog as well as exciting new additions to the event like, Lightnin’ Ridge, bella soul and Rebel Creek. Headlining the festival will be Minneapolis’ The Big Wu.
Little BIG Fest is organized by the volunteers of the non-profit Greater Des Moines Music Coalition and is supported by Prairie Meadows and KFMG.
After working for large corporations, Kathryn Dickel decided that she preferred the creative freedom and open lifestyle of the entrepreneur. Since starting Swaelu Media and IowaTIX (now MidwesTIX) with Heather Hansen, Dickel has become an advocate for the small business owner and a collabortive force in the Iowa entertainment scene.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), returns to Hotel Fort Des Moines on Saturday, April 2 and will feature 13 groups representing the indie, hip-hop, blues, acoustic, metal, and electronic pop genres.
