Des Moines

What's the Best Way to Spend Your Band's Nest Egg?

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

Fan Landers: Desperately Seeking a Booking Agent and Un-flakey Bandmates

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you ... More >>

Rollins Announces "Capitalism" Tour, Will Hit Each State Capital

[Look for your weekly fix from the one and only Henry Rollins right here on West Coast Sound every Thursday.] Henry Rollins doesn't keep his political opinions quiet; in a column last fall about the Occupy protesters he recounted how senator Rand Paul "made a fool of himself trying to compare them ... More >>

Why L.A. Schools Should End Their Ban on Hugging

By Dr. Paul Abramson and L.J. Williamson Riot Act is a semi-regular column that challenges conventional wisdom in controversial issues Last month, Tennessee, the state where Jerry Lee Lewis married his 13-year-old first cousin and John Thomas Scopes was convicted for teaching evolution, made waves ... More >>

James Beard Awards 2012: Semifinalists Announced

Los Angeles chefs made a strong showing among the semifinalists for the 2012 James Beard Awards, which were announced today. Local nominees for the Best Chef, Pacific award include Josef Centeno (Lazy Ox Canteen), Michael Cimarusti (Providence), David Feau (The Royce at the Langham), Matt Molina (M ... More >>

Sundance Film Festival 2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild and Compliance

Broken social and economic systems, and the broken lives and homes they leave in their wake, have been a big theme at Sundance this year. Across documentaries and fiction features, broached directly and indirectly, it seems the new American dream is a longing for the old normal; accumulation or adva ... More >>

Salt's Cure: Manliest Restaurant in America?

Anne FishbeinA hunk of meat from Salt's Cure.​Sometimes, the hive mind is just wrong. Men's Health took a poll to determine the "manliest restaurants in America." With all that blather about "the wisdom of crowds" and whatnot, what did the genius readers of the magazine decide was the most man ... More >>

California Remembers Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk, Excerpts from 'The Mayor of Castro Street'

Gay rights icon Harvey Milk​On Sunday, May 22, California will once again celebrate Harvey Milk Day. Blogger Michael Petrelis opines that one major gay rights group is doing a lousy job of educating the general public about the former San Francisco supervisor who was assassinated in 1978. Th ... More >>

The Man Who Drank Only Beer, Part 1: Interview with a Part-Time Monk

J. Wilson from Diary of a Part-Time Monk​Millions of people the world over are giving up something for Lent, but few are doing it as publicly or as interestingly as J. Wilson, who's consuming nothing but beer for the 46 days leading up to Easter. The 38-year-old Iowa native, who lives eight mi ... More >>

After the Media Storm: Country Singer Chely Wright on What Happened after her Very Public Coming Out as a Lesbian, How Nashville Still Won't Talk about It, and Why k.d. lang Doesn't Count as Country

Photo by Laura Crosta​Chely Wright is a gay country singer, which for some feels like calling someone a clumsy heart surgeon or a nymphomaniac nun. You just can't be both. It's partly this prevailing idea that somehow "gay" and "country star" is an oxymoron that kept Wright in the closet for ... More >>

Stage Raw: The Other Festivals

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSCurrent STAGE FEATURE on Anton Chekhov's 150th Birthday BashTHE OTHER FESTIVALS Running concurrently with the Hollywood Fringe (June 17-27) is Arts Olympus (June 17-20) on board the Queen Mary in Long Beach. AO includes a contemporary Russian exhib ... More >>

Stage Raw: Lease Subsidy Program Gets Another Lease

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSCURRENT FEATURE ON BORN TO BE ALIVE and THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACELEASE SUBSIDY PROGRAM GETS ANOTHER LEASE A recommendation by L.A.'s Chief Administrative Officer Miguel Santana to restructure (eliminate) the city's Lease Subsidy Program for non- ... More >>

Theater Reviews: More Lies About Jerzy, Second, Supernova

Also, U.S.S. Pinafore, Den of Thieves, Man Verses Moon and more

Supernova

BREAKING: Slipknot Bassist Paul Dedrick Gray, Dead at 38

​[This news item has now been confirmed. More as story develops] From Des Moines, Iowa's KCCI: URBANDALE, Iowa -- Urbandale police said a man was found dead in a hotel room in Urbandale on Monday morning. Police identified the man as Paul Dedrick Gray, 38. They said he was found at 10:50 a.m ... More >>

Stage Raw: Supernova

ALL THE LATEST NEW REVIEWS NEW REVIEW GO SUPERNOVA ​Photo by Joel Daavid Mabel (Bonnie Hunt), a naive Des Moines housewife, calls a graveyard shift salesman named Joe in Los Angeles (Timothy McNeil), to order an expensive watch for her son's 18th birthday. She can't yet go through with the ... More >>

James Beard Semifinalists Announced: The L.A. Edition

James Beard​This morning the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards. Judges will vote to determine the final 5 nominees in each category, which will be announced on March 22nd. The winners will be announced at the Foundation's award party, ... More >>

Weed Takes Root

Marijuana's steady march toward legalization nationwide

Stage Raw: The Female of the Species

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSTHIS WEEK'S STAGE FEATURE on Palestine, New MexicoFEMALE OF THE SPECIES The Geffen Playhouse just announced that Anette Bening will star in Joanna Murray-Smith's comedy, The Female of the Species along with David Arquette, Mirielle Enos, Merritt Weve ... More >>

ABSINTHE, OPIUM, AND MAGIC; GAY APPAREL: A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE HOUSE OF BESARAB

Also, Pandora, Wacademia, the Santaland Diaries, Stated Income and more

LA Chocolate Salon: Chocolate Mustaches, A New Fudge Operation, A Cupcake Shop Coming to Sherman Oaks, and Chocolate Bars with GPS Coordinates

A. Scattergoodchocolates from Neapolitan Printing & Co.​This past weekend's Luxury Chocolate Salon, in which 35 chocolatiers and confectioners and bakers--and a lot of chocaholics--gathered at the Pasadena Convention Center, was more fun than you'd think you'd have under glaring fluorescent li ... More >>

Henry Clay People Sidelined: Fistfights and Drinking in Fort Collins, Colorado?

Kevin Bronson over at Buzzbands has reprinted an email sent from Henry Clay People, who have been touring with the Airborne Toxic Event. Seems ATE kingpin Mikel Jollett is sidelined with laryngitis, and while the two groups are awaiting his recovery, shit's going down with HCP.

Two Paths Diverge on the Campaign Trail

Will Dems move toward darkness or light?

The Clinton Machine Will Not Go Easily Into the Night

The battle begins

Where Worlds Collide

Iowans choose which one they want to live in

Marc Cooper: Clinton Campaign Stung By Third-Place Finish

Des Moines - After a stunning defeat and finishing third in Thursday night's Democratic caucuses, Senator Hillary Clinton congratulated Barack Obama and John Edwards, and vowed to jumpstart her national campaign and win her party's nomination for president. "I am ready as I can be," Clinton told a ... More >>

Marc Cooper in Iowa: Zero Hour

Des Moines, Iowa -- Barack Obama capped off his quest to win the statewide Democratic presidential caucuses by emotionally exhorting the youthful core of his supporters to make sure they show up at tonight's prolonged exercise in voting. "In a few hours you will have a chance to make history, Iowa ... More >>

Theater Reviews: The Color Purple, High School Musical, Bob's Holiday Office Party

Also A Doll House, Paging Dr. Chutzpah, Seven Santas and more

Time to Draw Blood

Debates are late for getting real

Straw Men

Republican candidates pander to baseless base in Iowa

Film Reviews

Including this week's pick, Edmond

The Spy Trap

Quaking Politicians

They ignore and delay the inevitable on immigrants’ rights at their own peril

Film Reviews

For the week of April 14 - 20

Ask Mr. Gold

Connie Butler

Going...

The Incidental Candidate

Kerrying doubts into the voting booth

Kerry Speaks!

Why this election is far from over

It’s Not Just the Stupid Economy

Can Kerry, soon to be anointed the anti-Bush, find a message to carry the Democrats to victory?

The Story in the Soil

The Omaha rock scene, the world of the flyover people, the future of the music business, and one vicious head wound

Under the Iowa Radar

Hanging with the general’s supporters, and the post-caucus party scene

Resurrection of the Two Johns

And Dean’s debacle in Iowa

The Doctor is In

Rolling with people-powered Howard Dean from the highs and lows of spring to the triumphs of summer

The Hickenlooper Tapes: When George Met Rodney

The Well-Behaved Epidemic

Matrix Politics

Attack of the teeny-weenies

Hang on to Yourself

Behind Slipknot’s metal mask

Speed Sells

A tale of methamphetamine, drug cartels and an amateur chemist named Fester.