Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance!… don’t be a John Lithgow, be a Kevin Bacon

So as it turns out we’re not allowed to dance in the city of Des Moines unless we’ve purchased a permit to do so. That means no stepping in rhythm, swinging the arms or generalized gyrating of the hips. The average reader may be asking him or herself, “Goodness, how does the city enforce such an all-encompassing action such as dancing?”

The answer is simple, they don’t. They can’t. Dancing is as natural as chimps throwing poop at each other, the more you try to make them stop the more often you’ll become involved.

Okay, bad example. Dancing like Hustler magazine, Courtney throws it away and then I don’t get laid for a week? No, no, that’s not it either.

Dancing is like the Des Moines Social Club, where everyone told us that it wouldn’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t work and that we were fools for trying to make it. And yet here we are, dancing, chanting and otherwise letting the soul out for a breath of fresh air.

So why don’t you join us this Saturday the 28th for Subjective Vaudeville, presenting the dance of Miss Rachel Glaza, the improv of Banana Punch comedy group and the standup comedy of Mr. Buck Lee Smalls (best new comedian of Chicago 2004). We’ll have the music of Miss Crystal Masters and Brent Houzenga. And of course we’re gonna DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!

I’ll see you there, the show starts at 8pm,

don’t be a John Lithgow,

be a Kevin Bacon.

-Jon E. DuhMoyne

Okay, You’re Right. Mr. Nanny Sucks.

Big thanks to everyone who has come out so far, be it for RUR, the opening festivities, Instinct Gallery’s opening, our impromptu rock show last staurday (what? you missed that, well dammit, that sucks because it was awesome and we plan on having stuff all the time just like it, so maybe once we open every night in April you should come every night because you don’t know what will happen or who will show up) or if you waltzed in randomly off the street while I’m trying to type in the office or mop the floors, and I have my head phones on and you frighten me dearly and I have to come and see who you are and then find Zack to tell him that you’re here to see him or, if he’s not there, tell you that we aren’t actually open for the day yet, but I’m nice so I will show you some of the things we have to offer and then I have to talk you through the art and pretend like I know what their motivation is for their specific peices (sample bit of commentary, “I believe she is photgraphed holding the old Nintendo gun to show the futility of life. You know how when you miss both ducks in Duck Hunt and the dog laughs at you, and then you try to shoot the dog, but you can’t shoot the dog, and that irritates you even more. She is shown holding the gun because shooting the dog is a metaphor for how we have no control over things in life and at some point somebody will laugh at you and you will want to shoot them, but you can’t). (Digression alert: That may be the longest sentence in history, someone call Guinness!) So really thanks to everyone for coming out. Thanks to every artist, politician, Olympian, young professional, casual observer, substitute second grade teacher who has had too much to drink or general vagrant who stopped in and made our opening weekend and string of shows such a success.

We have a show coming up on March 28th. It is the first Subjective Vaudeville in our new home (and thanks to the Mews for supporting us before we had the space) and it will be fun. Music from Chrystal Masters and Brent Houzenga. Comedy from Buck Lee Smalls and Banana Punch. Awesomeness from Rachel Glaza. Beer from Grain Belt and bad puns from our host, Jon E. Des Moines. Should be a blast and you should put it on your calendar, but more on that in a day or two, because I have something else to push today.

Many of you are probably wondering why we have formed a partnership with 3XWrestling. Many of you are probably thinking that professional wrestling is low brow, unintellectual entertainment that should be lumped in with Larry the Cable Guy and Home Improvement, and a legit arts venue should have nothing to do with that sort of product. Many of you think the people who like wrestling are dullards who have never kissed a girl and still live with their parents and you’re way smarter than them. Many of you think wrestling is stupid. Well, I think many of you are stupid, so there.

Professional wrestling, at its core, is as simple a drama as any one performed on stage. Good starts off well, then Evil intervenes and now Good must struggle to overcome and in the end will either triumph or Evil will be too much and lie, cheat, and steal their way to victory. It is simple, but it is the same sort of formula you see captured by such masters as Sophocles, Shakespere, and Simon. It is also captured by such masters as Flair, Funk and Freddie Blassie. Wrestling can be a rollercoaster of emotion and as great as any bit of play you may ever see. And like any great art, when it is done well, you know it, whether you see it or hear it or feel it.

But, wrestling is so much more than drama. It is a showcase of athleticism, it is a showcase of training (seriously, unless you have been trained, you cannot do what they can do. As a man who has tried to do a moonsault or two in his life, it is very hard and when you land on your head it hurts) and it is a showcase of an unappreciated art form. But most importantly, it is just f’ing fun. You are a part of the show as well, it is one of the few arts where you can yell that a performer sucks, and have them hear it and respond to it.

So, I invite everyone to come check it out and enjoy it. This Friday, March 20th at 7pm. 1408 Locust. Come and appreciate the art form. Come and appreciate the athletcism. Come and appreciate the drama. But mostly come and grab a beer, have a good time, and yell stuff at Brady A Dezire, because he deserves your taunts and cat-calls, that filthy cheater.

-Dave
(dmurphy@desmoinessocialclub.org)

What a celebration!

Thanks to everyone who came down to 1408 Locust, the world headquarters of the Des Moines Social Club! Check out photos at http://desmoines.metromix.com/events/photogallery/grand-opening-of-the/1007718/content.

Also there are a ton of great pictures of the Des Moines Social Club Facebook page. Friend us if you haven’t!

Thank you so incredibly much to all the volunteers who made this weekend work so beautifully. The Instinct Gallery opening drew over 620 people, and the place was packed Friday for the Grand Opening as well.

We want to see you making your mark–come on down and visit us! 1408 Locust.

Peace,
Matt

My belated intro

It was the tail end of last winter with the hope of spring fluttering in the air that one Carlos G. called me and said a certain Zach Mannheimer was looking for performers for an upcoming event. After a brief talk I decided to meet Zach at the Black Cat. At that point I had decided that the only thing I wanted to do in life is be an artist. I had promoted underground music events for years and helped trance music get its start in the Midwest. It was time for a happy retirement exploring myself again after years of satisfactory service to the community at large. This was to change, as, soon after speaking with Zach I got a bead in on his vibe and felt that our missions in life were very similar. I had always wanted this sort of venue, where all forms of expression are explored, but had assumed I would have to move to get it. I had even almost decided to move to Austin or Portland to find a land more receptive to the arts than Iowa is. I felt that the shared vision is loose enough that I could fit my own goals within it and help expand minds in the Des Moines community. A perfect symbiosis! This, really, made the decision to stay in Des Moines easy to make things happen here rather than leaving Iowa again.

Currently, one of my positions at DMSC is Tribal Producer. This means I am in charge of items such as fire performing, electronic music events, wrestling, and whatever else falls under this broad spectrum. To me tribalism is about community. The heart beat that pounds in rhythm joining as a people, humankind in sync with the pulse of the earth -sitting around the campfire, sharing smiles and quiet contemplation, just enjoying a good time with each other. This is what I seek to create, those warm fuzzies of shared times with friends and loved ones.

Another of my duties at DMSC is a resident artist. This is what I love and have passion for – art. I was fortunate enough to fall into this role but really everyone involved in the DMSC is an artist (including you!). I work in multiple roles to hopefully get community art projects going in Des Moines to beautify our public streets, it is a shame really that art is not everywhere you look in Des Moines like every other major city in the USA.

Also, I want to start education programs in the Circus Arts. This would entail things such as poi spinning, hula hoops, belly dancing, juggling, and eventually fire performances. Looking for more people interested in making this happen, so please contact me! There will be weekly spin jams with drumming and practice also, keep your eyes tuned for announcements! I want to help create a flourishing performing circus arts center in Des Moines to instill confidence and expression.

Another item I am working on is having a monthly downtempo, ambient, dubstep, acid jazz, trip hop, lounge-style night that has performances as well as musical artists involved. It will be called Syncopate – details on this soon!

More in the works but hopefully this wets your whistle. My dream is for everyone to explore themselves to find out what really matters to them and if I can assist in a small way for that personal journey than I couldn’t be happier. I am very open to collaboration and believe in the power of the doacracy – if you have a good idea, do it!   We’ll have the space to explore your dreams. DMSC is for us all in Des Moines to have something special.

Jeffz

I Don’t Care What Brandon Flowers Says, “Are We Human or Are We Dancer” Doesn’t Make Any Sense and I’m Not An Idiot For Thinking That

Hi there.  Just a quick rant before I get to some more pertinent business.  If you have absolutely no desire to read my ramblings, run-on sentences, inside jokes and stuff only I find interesting, just skip past this.  I will notify you when I am finished and then begin talking about real business.  It will only take me a second  and I will feel much better after I finish, but you may be confused and/or bored by the end of it (it will be just like having sex with me, HEY-YO.)

I read an interview with The Killers’ front man Brandon Flowers in Spin Magazine.  The opening questions were all talk about how Sam’s Town was critically panned and therefore terrible and the new album, Day & Age, is somehow completely superior to it in every way.  This threw me into a rage.  Unfortunately, two p.m. on a weekday at a public library is the worst time to fly into a fit of anger.  There seem to be a lot of old people who get upset when you start screaming “Oh, fuck you, pretentious music critic.  Feast upon my anus.”  The elderly get a bit distracted from their USA Today when sphincters are mentioned.  I guess anyone probably would be distracted by sphincters, so I shouldn’t just stereotype old people, but I’m digressing.

What launched me into my anger was this overwhelming and widely accepted claim that The Killers’ Hot Fuss is Blood on the Tracks  and Sam’s Town is Self-Portrait and now suddenly The Killers have rebounded with this pretty atrocious bit of tripe called Day & Age (which I guess to continue the analogy would be, I dunno, Love and Theft.)  I am the only person in the world who seems to think that Sam’s Town is superior in every way to the other two albums, not to mention it being superior to almost every other album ever made (yes, it’s hyperbole, please don’t send the angry letter.)

Sam’s Town is a beautifully written, amazingly produced and theatrically performed bit of music.  From the uplifting opening chords of the title track to the wind down of “Why Do I Keep Counting”, there are very few to almost no down points*.  It is an album that you can not only appreciate as an artistic endeavor, but feel and experience as if the things he sings about are actually happening and happening to you.  And, “Read My Mind” is the only song that has ever made me cry, and it has done so more than once, so I think that has to count for something.

Now, usually if I like something and no one else does, I am okay with it.  Afterall, I love Autograph’s “Since You Been Gone”.  But this accepted claim that Day & Age,with its non-sensical lyrics and its saxophone solos, is superior to something that crushes my soul everytime I listen to it, well this just does not sit well.  I feel like I am going crazy.  It’s like I’m Roddy Piper in They Live and I have the glasses that can see the aliens, but still no one believes me, nor will they listen when I try to convince them.  If I have to beat the crap out of someone in an alley just to get my point across, I will not hesitate.  I can knee a testicle with suprising accuracy.

*Okay I will admit it, “Uncle Johnny” kind of sucks.

END OF RANT, PLEASE CONTINUE ON FOR SOCIAL CLUB STUFF

I just want to take a moment to send out a call to all musicians, bands, artists, actors, dancers, hula hoopers, comedians, marble players, organ grinders, animal trainers, mimes (actually, no mimes…okay mimes), jugglers or anyone who would like to do something and actually have people watch them do it to contact myself, the wonderful Jon E. Coyote-DesMoines, or anyone affiliated with this wonderful organization.  We like to think we have a prety good network of people, but we are always looking for more.  If you want to narrow it down to just me, my email is at the end of this post.

If you have a band or play an instrument though, please get in touch with me.  If you have a myspace or a place where I can hear some stuff, even better.

Also, we are less than three weeks away from our opening gala and the run of R.U.R.  It will be awesome and you will be upset if you miss it.  Maybe not right away, but at some point you will wake up in a nursing home and start screaming, “Why didn’t I see R.U.R.?  Why?”  Then an orderly will rush in and drug you.  You don’t want to be drugged, do you?

-Dave (dmurphy@desmoinessocialclub.org)

I Am the CHAMPION!

So I woke up this morning and Bill O’Reilly was on the news.

That by itself does not ruin my day. It takes more than that. I have a huge tolerance for loudmouthed, ignorance.

And then this afternoon Courtney made me take a Myers Briggs personality test, it turns out I’m an ENFP, or Idealist Champion. I’m not certain if that makes me an Ideal Champion or Champion of Idealists but figured it’s a win-win situation either way. I was quite pleased with myself. And then I looked a bit closer at the webpage that had declared the results. In particular, I looked at the photos of my fellow Idealist Champions that wallpapered the site. And there he was, Bill O’Reilly, the source of all liberal nightmare visions. He was also an Idealist Champion. We had been cut from the same cloth and I didn’t even know it.

My hands began to sweat, my stomache began to boil and the propeller hat I wore began whirring. Could it be true? Is it possible that I, Jon E. Coyote, Jonny Des Moines, Jonny the Well Hungarian am made up of the same basic personality traits as a man that I abhor? I could understand if it were Limbaugh, although diametrically opposed in our politics, I still think that guy’s hillarious. But O’Reilly? This is like Dr Spock feeling an emotion, Peter Pan failing to believe in Fairies, me remembering Valentines day, you know, things that can not happen in order to maintain a normal, healthy, braggart’s attitude toward the world. It’s realizations like this that’ll destroy a man.

But enough about me and my problems, lets step into the “No Spin Zone” and talk about what’s brewing with the Des Moines Social club.

We’re rehearsing hard for RUR. Yesterday Jeremiah told me he had performed at the famed Steppenwolf theater in Chicago, I saw Brendan the other day in an Iowa State University commercial and Tim was in the paper for his role in Doubt at the Playhouse. It makes me feel like I’m on the Dreamteam of theater casts. The blocking and design work is very ambitious and the scenes are getting so heated up that, Des Moines, you’ll be astounded when this play shows in March. March 4th through the 15th to be precise.

And of course, it’s free. All good art should be free.

We’ve a great deal of entertainment in the works. We’re going to merge my variety show into the ongoing Subjective Vaudville show. Twice a month you’ll be able to see Des Moines’ best comedy, poetry, dance and music all in the same show. Twice a month, people! We’re shooting for March 18th and March 28th for the first month.

Well, that’s enough about me and my world. Next time I’ll fill you in on Geekday and SundayFunday… And how the liberals killed jesus. What? Huh? Where’d that come from?

-jonny o’reilly

Des Moines Social Club, I think I love you.

Name: Jessica “The Thriller” Miller

Age: 24

Astrological Sign: Scorpion Woman…watch out

DMSC Duty: Marketing Magician

Once upon a time, a young girl (me) lived in a small-lackluster town (Van Meter, IA. Population 900, class size 36).  I knew by my sophomore year (2001) that I had to hit the ground running SOMEWHERE else. I wanted to study fashion because it was my passion, something like– Fashion show producer or a buyer for Nordstrom. Looking back, I am not sure how this came about…being that I was in every sport all through high-school and it was looked “down upon”  if you did not dress in your All-Conference basketball t-shirt and Nike pull-away pants. hmmm… I didn’t care, though.  I knew what I wanted to do and I realized I had to go elsewhere to gain this experience, so I left thinking I would never return back to Des Moines.  In the fall of 2003, I pulled up to Dominican University in River Forest, IL (about 10 west of downtown Chicago) totally naive on what would come about in the next 3.5 years.

Dominican had a kick-ass Fashion Program.  When I started there were 30 or so enrolled, now, I hear they are pushing 120 students.  The Program  offered us  lot of opportunities  in the real world.  I interned in the fashion office at Merchandise Mart and Apparel Center for 6 months. I was involved in fashion and trade shows, markets, and marketing.  I was a great, painful experience.  I was unpaid and worked 40-55 hours a week.  Have you seen Devil Wears Prada? If you have, you would understand the atmosphere I worked in for free that summer.

Fast forward 3 years and now I’m back in Des Moines and loving every minute of it.  It is so neat to be a part of a movement.  So many people, young and old, want to make DM better.  This was not the case when I left in 2003…I went away gained GREAT experience and immersed myself in different way of living and brought it back here….which I think is pretty cool. I have made great friends and priceless connections-something that Des Moines can only offer.

Paid Career- I was lucky enough to land a position with Business Publications pretty quickly.  I work on the magazine side- dsm Magazine and the Men’s Book. I started in sales, but now I wear many hats.  I kept asking for more and proving my talents and they gave it to me! Amazing how that works! Currently, I am the style director, social media guru, and in marketing and sales (got to make the money somehow).  I absolutely love it and I feel very blessed at 24 year-old to have these responsibilities.

I got involved with the DMSC because it absolutely sounded like the best idea I have ever heard.  I had read about it several times before meeting Zach M. through my office.  After the meeting, I offered myself to the cause right away.  I knew that it was something that I had to be a part of .  So I jumped into the Company with both feet and haven’t looked back since.  Press releases, marketing, social media, oh my!  It has all worked seamlessly.

So, thank you to Zach and Matt, the company, volunteers, and supporters.  We promise to provide Des Moines great entertainment and educational opportunities. Des Moines Social Club, I think I love you.

Cheers,

Jessica “The Thriller” Miller

DMSC World HQ!

The deeply exciting news that we have is that the Des Moines Social Club has a building! We have secured a one year lease for 1408 Locust Street, the former headquarters of the Obama campaign.

We are currently in the process of renovating the space and would love volunteers! Contact Rachel Glaza (rglaza@desmoinessocialclub.org) to get involved.

And check out the awesome crew we had painting last Saturday–Ian Planchon made a rocking video you can find at http://exposureroom.com/members/515Productions.aspx/assets/30d00dbcfb2e48caa109f2bdc914ee5a/.

Come on down and check us out! Grand opening in March!

Gwenyth(Spelling???)

Commercials pay bills for television shows but one struck me the other day.

It was an AmEx Card spot with Gwyneth(I googled the spelling!) Paltrow stating how she never had any formal training in acting but how she grew up around a theatre watching her mother.  Her mother looks familiar but I cannot think of her name right now.  But it occurred to me that children usually portray what they see.

You know, “monkey see, monkey do.”

It had me thinking.  If we are able to produce artistic outlets for children, an educational experience, they can walk away creating something from nothing. 

Also, my daughter could be the next Gwyneth Paltrow(sp?).  Hmm, not sure if I want that.  She did have a wooden finger in The Royal Tenenbaums.

But all in all, children + arts = the future of the arts, DUH!

Edward Vasquez

evasquez@DesMoinesSocialClub.org

The Only Time Wandering Drunk Down Locust Avenue Has Ever Really Paid Off

Just a couple of blocks from the new Des Moines Social Club headquarters (1408 Locust Ave.  Remember it, jerky!) was where I first stumbled upon a new musical crush.  The 80/35 festival was probably the most wonderful thing I have ever had the honour of being a part of, and also it was my first official event with the Des Moines Social Club.  Hundreds of musicians, a lot of people, and amazingly mild weather (still hot enough to burn though, it was July) would’ve made this an event I wouldn’t have missed anyway, but I was actually a part of something for the first time and not just some dude, so that made it even better.  VIP bracelets make any show that much better. 

Floating on the high of being a memberof the artistic community for realsies, I chose to commemorate the event the way I do most events, by drinking heavily.  I put my wife and sister to work at the booth we had set up and stumbled my way down the street to one of the side stages.  It was there that I was blinded by a stage full of white jumpsuits.

That was the first thing I noticed.  The white jumpsuits.  Oh, and the matching beards.  I thought it was odd that a band called Colourmusic would be dressed in all white.  But then I paid attention to the music and the peculiarity of the matching outfits and facial hair was immediately overwhelmed.  I walked in during the chorus of what I believe was “Put in a Little Gas” although my memory might be clouded by Scotch Ale.  The somewhat rhythmic chant of the chorus was crisp and beautiful.  And suddenly, I was in love.  I skipped away from the stage, like Pepe Le Pew chasing an unfortunately painted cat, back to the boothto tell everyone what I had just experienced.  They were mostly just mad that I bailed to go watch bands play while they were all working.  Zack had wandered off as well, and somehow we had experienced the band together, without actually being together.  Even though Zack was backing me up on how good they were, I was worried that, once the alcohol wore off, they would be terrible.  I had been burned before (I once got drunk on Bud Ice and bought a Limp Bizkit album, true story), but then I got the album and realized that  they really are as good as I remember and that Old Main Scotch Ale wasn’t a liar like so many of the other beers I’ve consumed.

F, monday, orange, february, Venus, lunatic, 1 or 13 is the name of Colourmusic’s first album and it is almost equal parts humbling as it is motivating.  It is one of those things that you listen to that somehow makes you want to just do stuff.  I listened to them and I immediately wanted to climb a mountain or paint a picture or just get off my ass for a second and see what the world has to offer, which is pretty powerful stuff.  While nothing they do is surprising or Earth-shattering, the mix of simple sounds in complex ways is what makes this so beautiful.

January 15th at Vaudeville Mews you can experience Colourmusic for 5 dollars.  I understand their headlining shows are even better than what they showed at 80/35, so I think we are all in for a real treat.  Also, Cleo’s Apartment kicks serious ass, ohh and burlesque, too.  Should be a blast.

Dave Murphy (dmurphy@desmoinessocialclub.org)

(Also for those that are bored, I started my own blog so I wouldn’t clutter this one up too much with my sixth grade level musings and third grade level grammar.  It is located at davemurphyhastoomuchfreetime.blogspot.com.  Thanks in advance for not making fun of me.)