If you are ever trying to ignite a crowd with enlightening conversation, here are two sure-fire questions to ask: What was the best concert you have ever seen, and what was the worst?

Just for fun, you can add a few more: What was the first major concert you attended, and how many concerts have you seen in your lifetime?

I think about concerts when I read the Iowa State Fair concert lineup each year and decide whether or not I want to make the investment in time and money to see any of them. Live music is as much a part of the Iowa State Fair as the big boar, the butter cow and food on a stick — and rightfully so.

We Iowans love our music, and all kinds. The concert organizers at the Iowa State Fair realize this and continue to bring a wide array of musical talent to the fair. Of course, music is art, and not everyone appreciates the same forms.

My mother loved country music, or “country western” music, as she called it. So, I took her to see a number of concerts at the Iowa State Fair over the years, including George Jones, Alan Jackson (on the list of my best concerts) and Faith Hill.

Carrying on the country trend, my wife and I also saw Clint Black (multiple times) and Wynona Judd. We also rocked on with 38 Special, Zac Brown Band and Def Leppard. All of those rank high on my favorite concerts list.

I veered out of my musical interests a few times over the years, too, and (regrettably) even saw Kenny G, Michael Bolton and Pentatonix. These were not by my choice, and all rank at the top of my list of worst concerts.

I don’t yet have tickets to see Foreigner in the grandstand this year, but I have not given up. As a pre-teenager, I made a copy of the band’s self-titled debut album from my brother’s 8-track via my General Electric cassette recorder. After countless playbacks, I learned the words to their hit singles “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice” and “Long, Long Way from Home,” as well as lesser-known songs including “Headknocker” and “Starrider.” Later this week, be sure to check out the August issue of CITYVIEW as our cover story will be on the bands playing at the Iowa State Fair this year, including an interview with Foreigner keyboardist Michael Bluestein.

How about you? Best concert? Worst concert? Send me a note and let me know.

Have a terrific Tuesday, rock on and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

See Shane Goodman's previous columns here.

LUNCH WITH...
Angela Harrington at Panka Peruvian Restaurant

By Jim Duncan

Angela Harrington is a developer, hotelier and civic promoter of the I-80 corridor from Des Moines to Iowa City. We asked her to lunch and met at Panka Peruvian Restaurant, a marvelous, minority- and female-owned café on Ingersoll.

[...]

Tuesday touts. Gursha's wonderful injera is now being sold at Hilal Grocery (1163 25th St., Des Moines). Five pieces of teff bread the size of large pizza crusts for $6... Lucca (420 E. Locust St., Des Moines) defies the Italian mantra "no cheese with clam sauce, ever" and it totally works (see photo)… It’s Hatch chile time. Price Choppers had them last week. Hy-Vee usually brings roasters to their bigger stores. Roasted chiles frozen in plastic bags will keep all year and are easier to peel frozen than when freshly roasted.

Clive Fire Department serves in many ways
In addition to responding to emergencies, members provide fun and education.

By Rich Wicks

The Clive Fire Department believes in serving the community beyond just the high-adrenalin times when sirens are blaring. Fire Chief Clay Garcia explains the various non-emergency services and events in which his crew is involved.

“We do a lot of off-the-cuff type stuff. One really neat thing we have in the fire department that is not a really well-known thing is we do have certified car seat technicians. So, if people have questions or need assistance properly installing their car seat, they can come to the fire department, and we can properly install their car seat. The statistics behind improperly installed car seats is very high,” Garcia says.

[...]

These celebrities were born on this date: Christopher Nolan, Lisa Kudrow, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hilary Swank, Laurence Fishburne, Vivica A. Fox, Gina Rodriguez, Jaime Pressly, Hope Solo, Paul Anka, Terry Crews, Delta Burke, Buddy Guy

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to yesterday's riddle:

What do you call a Ford Fiesta that has run out of gas? A FORD SIESTA! - Ron Sorenson, Gail Tomlinson. Other answers from: Rex Post, Peri Van Tassel, William Snyder, Carolyn Rogers

Today's riddle

What do you get when you mix alcohol and literature?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Grimes/Dallas Center, North Polk or Adel Living magazines, contact:

Dan Juffer
Senior Account Executive
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Mobile: 515-371-2290
dan.juffer@dmcityview.com

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