Justice Oepping is a mellow human being. You might expect her to sway and croon about late nights walking home in tall-heeled boots. But she does not croon. Once she begins, you’ll hear an intensity even as she starts low. Some times she skips freely about the scale like a new wave blues singer, while…
Dunk Me at the Lowland Block Party
Twice the size it was last year, the 2017 Lowland Block Party marks the second go-round for the event and the beginning of its partnership with the All Senses Festival. Last year was like watching an infant take its first steps; this year, we’re teaching the kid to swear (just kidding – it’s a family-friendly event)….
Karen Meat on Pussy Pop, Gastro Chic, and ‘Space Ghost Coast to Coast’
We’ve all wondered what it would be like to have a slumber party with the cast of Rocky Horror, and now I know the answer. It’s almost exactly like the Karen Meat performance at New Ground Theatre early this August. Why am I just writing about it now? Because I spent most of that month mourning the…
Free Ideas – Take One
There are few intellectual tragedies greater than having a good idea and being unable to see it realized for whatever reason: lack of funds, lack of expertise, lack of knowledge or time or resources, etc., etc. I often find myself adding a project to my list, knowing that I’ll never actually get it done. What…
White Cowards
White nationalism is a mystery to most people. Myself included. Although I love genealogy and learning about where my ancestors came from, I wouldn’t call myself “proud” to be white. I acknowledge that, in my society and culture, I am lucky to be white. For example, when I go for a jog, I never worry…
The Island Lives
I did not get a picture of a teary-eyed Nathan Lane on the evening of August 1, and now I kinda wish I had. He got a little verklempt when over 50 of his friends and neighbors descended on Moline, Illinois’ modest city hall to support him and The Island, a DIY venue just up…
Use & Lose Interview Blues
A couple of months ago, I wrote a list of tips for new graduates looking for work. Actually, at the time I wrote it, the end of the academic year was so imminent that anyone graduating should have been looking for work for months. That didn’t necessarily mean they’d found a job in their field….
Monsanto Controls the Weather: A Midwestern Corn-spiracy Theory
Melanie claims genetic engineering is to blame for the decrease in local humidity and temperatures this summer, so I ask her: “Why do you think Monsanto is responsible?” She responds with another question: “Do you know anything about corn?” “I know how to pop it.” “A moderately-sized cornfield can create its own thunderstorms,” she continues…
Foster’s Fearless and An Era of Experimentalism
I don’t miss much about living in a densely-populated city, but I do recall with romance and nostalgia the smorgasbord of weird shit that was going on all around me at any given time. I’m not talking about the guy on the train who tried to sell me a half-eaten jar of peanut butter –…
Musicians: Here’s What You Need to Know to Get a Gig in the Quad Cities
QC3Degree Radio presents Community Forums! That’s where we all get together and invite the public to talk about things we want to make happen. Like rad art festivals or mixed media installations or dying the Mississippi hot pink. Don’t tell us it can’t be done – all of our brainpower combined makes one giant super…
Limited Edition Junetopia Tix + Ride the River + Museum Week
The third weekend in June shall be lit. Legit. And I cannot contain my excitement. Let me break it down for yousall: I just got my individually-numbered, limited edition ticket to Junetopia… … which, as you can see, I photographed while enjoying some freshly harvested strawberries with yogurt + granola. I already wrote about Junetopia…
You Ain’t Never Seen This: The Editorial QC
Quad Citians have never seen anything like photographer Dasha Denger’s latest venture: The Editorial QC. Imagine if the sensibilities of Harper’s Bazaar met MidWestern pragmatism and gave birth to a new curiosity. This improbable creation is possible because Dasha and likeminded artists have chosen to believe in the industry now germinating in the area. At…
