Soil Compilation

News
Opinion: The University of Iowa must do more to protect its marching band and performers

When a student dies under the university’s watch, it should become the concern of the entire student body. That is why, despite not being a member of the Hawkeye Marching Band or a student-athlete, I write today to call for more robust protocols and protections in the future to safeguard the health of some of the most dedicated and hardworking student-athletes on campus: the Hawkeye Marching Band.  It’s worth comparing what happened on September 5th to a similar tragedy that happened recently at Arizona State. This involved a draft pick, Matthew Mayich, who collapsed from heat exhaustion during an intense … Continued

Online Content
September 14, No New Jail Show

As far back as my first punk show as an Iowa City resident, I would continue to hear calls to action to vote against a bill being proposed to spend $125 million on building a new jail within Johnson County. It seemed like a persistent issue with little in the way of progress, as those with any power to stop it were refusing to listen to the pleas of concerned citizens. So when I saw the announcement of a show to protest this very bill, I knew it was something I couldn’t miss out on.  In collaboration with Johnson County … Continued

Music
Riot Fest Gallery

Riot Fest just wrapped a successful, yet muddy weekend in Chicago. From September 18-20, over a hundred thousand people graced the grounds, later mud pit, of Douglass Park. Here are some of my favorite selects from the weekend.

Sports
A Michigan Odyssey

Initially, I wanted to write a story about what it was like to step into the Big House for the very first time. Then our travel plans went south, and then the game itself happened. So instead of just one story, this is a collection of tales from one of the craziest weekends of all time.

Mission Creek touts its festival as a week of music as well as literature, and this event combined both beautifully. Wednesday night at the Mill hosted a lively group ready to watch one of Iowa’s best known bands, Christopher the Conquered, share a show with a unique poetry project, Michael Zapruder’s Pink Thunder. I came to the venue with expectations of a good night and I was not disappointed. One of my favorite local bands, Christopher the Conquered, opened the night and the energy from the crowd fueled the show. Chris Ford was so successful in evoking feeling from his … Continued

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By Eric Kuehl [soundslides width=”620″ height =”533″ id=”18649″] People love concerts, and what’s not to love? Fans can arrive right at the advertised time, and get hours of entertainment. But what is often overlooked is the preparation for the concert. On the night of Sunday, March 10, KRUI put together a show at Public Space Z featuring the So So Glos, Supersonic Piss, and Huge Lewis, that started at 8 PM, but most people don’t know that the making of this show started before noon that day! The concert itself was a success, but not without the hard work of … Continued

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As the crowd warmed up for Detective April 4 at the Mill, there was a definite atmosphere that could only be created by a gathering such as Mission Creek. People spilled into the Yacht Club — bands and concert goers alike. Everyone there had wandered in at some point or other, following the scent of their favorite band or maybe just on a whim to have a peep at some appealing noise they heard from outside the club. With a lineup of Mirror Coat, Gloom Balloon, The Multiple Cat, and the band that everyone seemed to be eagerly awaiting, Detective, … Continued

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I Hear IC is an hour long extravaganza of people making art and music of all types, welcoming both students and residents of Iowa City to perform their finished or unfinished projects. In the past they have welcomed choirs, plays, bands, alternative singer/songwriters, poetry — if it’s art, you can perform it at I Hear IC. Wednesday, March 13 was a hodgepodge of music and poetry, ranging from opener Gabi Vanek playing adapted guitar music on her bassoon to regular Jessica King reciting poetry of heartbreak and fairy tales to Combined Efforts Men’s Chorus (directed by Michael Pelnik and organized … Continued

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On Wednesday, March 13 at 8 PM, a handful of Iowa City residents entered The Englert Theatre. Instead of filing into the usual theatre seats, listeners were invited on stage. A group of approximately fifty chairs was nestled around a piano, a music stand, and a Mac computer. The stage was otherwise rather bare and decorated sparsely: bricks, pipes, blue lights, and dulled yellow lights created a calm, relaxed environment. Everyone comfortably chatted, visited the bar, and eagerly awaited the start of the concert. Eventually, Valgeir Sigurdsson himself came out on stage followed by Nadia Sirota, a violist with whom he … Continued

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