Steve Shanley says programming the CR Municipal Band concerts the week of July 4 is pretty easy, since there is a wealth of patriotic-themed music that are crowd favorites. For the first time in recent memory, the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale joins the band for the national anthem and a standout arrangement of “America The … Continue reading

The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art celebrates the season with Free Summer admission, beginning July 1. You can check out all nine galleries, including the summer exhibitions featuring Tomás and Charlie Lasansky, and Eve Drewelow. Information and Museum hours at www.crma.org.

This week, the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band showcases the winner of their annual Young Artist competition, recent Linn-Mar graduate Arjun Palaniappan on a composition that Steve Shanley says is about as close as you can get to Toto’s “Africa” without having to give David Paich and Jeff Porcaro a writing credit. Also on the program … Continue reading

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A woman achieves the highest honor in her field, and then is torn down by the male-dominated community. Except it’s 1912 and the woman is Marie Curie, asked to not travel to Sweden to accept her second Nobel Prize after allegations of an affair with a married man. … Continue reading

Temple Judah in Cedar Rapids is 100 years old this year, and June 23 is Jewish Heritage Night with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Organizer Lena Gilbert has several activities planned before the game. The Jewish community in Cedar Rapids has been around since the late 1800s, and founded or have been involved in many of … Continue reading

Filmscene brings the documentary “Jazzfest: A New Orleans Story” to Iowa City for a one-week run, June 18-23. Timed to coincide with the runup to the Iowa City Jazz Festival, the film celebrates the 50th anniversary of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2020, with archival video of classic performances, right up to … Continue reading

Culture Crawl 726 “The Old Sorehead” Steve Shanley is a little jealous about this week’s C.R. Municipal Band concert. Linn-Mar High School band director Dan Terrell is guest conductor, and will get first crack at programming music from the recent Disney hit “Encanto.” Orchestra Iowa principal tubist Blaine Cunningham is the guest artist, performing a … Continue reading

Steve Shanley is a little jealous about this week’s C.R. Municipal Band concert. Linn-Mar High School band director Dan Terrell is guest conductor, and will get first crack at programming music from the recent Disney hit “Encanto.” Orchestra Iowa principal tubist Blaine Cunningham is the guest artist, performing a piece that will please anyone who … Continue reading

Culture Crawl 725 “Joe Pesci-Style” Cedar Rapids Opera turns Gilbert and Sullivan on its head with their new production of “Pirates of Penzance.”
Set in 1980s Staten Island, the pirates are a punk-rock band, the women privileged private-school students, and Alex Adams-Leytes as the “model Major-General” is a mobster in bear claw slippers! All staged outdoors … Continue reading

Nielo “Daniel” Gaglione met the late John Rapson at a jam session at George’s in Iowa City, and before long, the two became close friends as collaborators. John incorporated Nielo’s French and Mediterranean music influences, as well as his mandole (a North African instrument sharing characteristics with the guitar and the oud) into the landmark … Continue reading