The Corona Diaries Vol. 55: A Tale of Two Campuses

(late May 2022)

(Watch this entry's prelude.)

While it is a bit chilly outside, the signs of spring are undeniable. Our neighbors' chickens are no doubt grateful that winter is over and they can now roam the yard and peck away at something other than snow and not fall ass over teakettle when they find themselves mistakenly scratching on ice.

The lilac bushes in our yard are in bloom and smelling lovely. One is right outside of our bedroom window and every year I look forward to that ephemeral treat of having its scent waft in on a cool breeze.

A pair of peregrine falcons have made some nook or cranny of the power station downtown their home and the power company has kindly put a webcam up at the nest for the voyeuristic types among us. The falcons recently became parents as their eggs hatched for the world to see.

The "food forest" down a couple blocks from us has begun to bloom. It had been a large patch of grass at a corner but was made into a community garden a couple of years back. Presumably the summer will bring a series of farmers/makers markets at this spot just like last year. My crafty neighbors will hawk their wares while those with green thumbs will have the fruits of their gardens for sale. At least one of those gardens is rather large and outside of the city.

 

Somehow I managed to get a decent photograph of a bird. Sheer luck. Here's a grackle hanging out on the nearby railroad bridge with a rather stern look.

 

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Several entries ago I noted that a local artist had folks donate their Christmas trees to create a labyrinth down the street on the shores of Lake Monona. It turns out that Madison has quite a few labyrinths, most of which seem to be at some kind of religious institution. I discovered one at the front of a church on a recent bike ride.

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Meanwhile, back in Iowa…

It didn't take long to get to Iowa City from Cedar Rapids. Our hotel was just a block away from the theatre where Valerie June was playing that night. It was also about 2 blocks from the University of Iowa campus. I didn't realize until a few days beforehand that Iowa City was home to the Hawkeyes, my alma mater's sports rivals. Having been in Minneapolis a couple weeks previously, it seemed that we were unconsciously making a tour of Big Ten cities.

The hotel was decorated in an Iowa/Hawkeye motif with our room having a baseball theme which included a photo from Field of Dreams. The wallpaper in the hallway was corny (ahem) but appropriate. I suspect that most non-Iowans are like me in that they associate the state with corn. But a lot of meat processing happens here as well. (See, for example, the book Postville.)

The Frau opted for a little nap so I took the opportunity to wander around for a spell.

As is my wont, I began looking for ghost signs and found a few. Here's one for the Hotel Jefferson which the internet says opened in 1913. A couple more storeys were added in the 1920s which explains the multiple cornices or whatever you call those horizontal thingies. The hotel closed in 1967 and I think it's now offices.

There were plenty of murals to be had. Being a film buff, I especially appreciated this one.

Our hotel was right on a pedestrian mall that ran a block north-south on Dubuque Street and a couple blocks east-west on East College Street.

It was a nice, cozy area populated by bars, restaurants, and shops with space to sit outside. Although it had a similar feel to State Street here in Madison, this was a no motor vehicle affair. Judging by the specials listed in the tavern windows, it would no doubt see bands of roaming college kids come nightfall. (E.g. - 21 birthday pitchers of Busch Light at one place were to be had for a mere $25.) There was also a storefront theatre called the Riverside (it is 4-5 blocks from the Iowa River).

Across the street from it was a non-profit art house cinema called Film Scene. 

I was more than a little jealous as Madison has neither. In fact, our downtown has 0 dedicated cinemas these days. There are multi-purpose spaces, such as at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, that feature movies but do so only periodically. To make matters worse for cinephiles, our last remaining 2nd run movie theatre closed in 2021, and we are looking at another cinema shuttering its doors later this year as the mall it is located in remodels and the surrounding area gets redeveloped. While not an art house per se, it does show arty, independent, and foreign films. Plus, it is the last remaining commercial cinema on a bus route and not in a purely suburban area on the outskirts of town accessible by car alone.

I made my way to what seemed to be the oldest part of campus. There was this, the Old Capitol Museum.

It was surrounded by university buildings which gave the area a look that was familiar to me.

Iowa City:

Madison:

(Photo found here.)

This part of the U of I campus had its charms but the buildings, as evidenced by the photo above, were almost uniformly grey. It was a bit dreary walking amongst them. 

Around the back of the museum was a hill, just as we have here.

Iowa City:

Madison:

(Photo found here.)

While I am certainly biased, there can be little doubt to even the most objective observer that Madison wins this one.

Evening approached so it was back to the hotel to freshen up for the concert.

The Englert Theatre was built in 1912 as a vaudeville joint but it's now a multi-use space and is a lovely old spot for a show. Not knowing much about Valerie June, I was curious to see how many of us there would be in attendance. As it happened, most of the seats got filled and I was pleased to see a lot of people wearing masks as well.

 

One Chastity Brown began the night with a spirited set. She was thrilled as pie to be performing in front of people again. With no band to back her, she accompanied herself alternately on electric piano and guitar with the odd electronic beat. I really liked her new song, "Like the Sun".

(Photo found here.)

I first encountered Valerie June 2 or 3 years ago when I was looking for a particular version of the song "Tribulations" by Estil C. Ball as recorded by Alan Lomax and instead found June's lovely rendition. Before long I discovered that, in addition to folk, her music incorporates R&B, bluegrass, soul, pop – just about any American music you can name.

While I was largely unfamiliar with June's set, I did recognize a few of the songs. In the middle of the proceedings, she donned a cape that had rainbow-colored lights in it which made for quite a sight. At the end of her version of Nick Drake's "Pink Moon", she did a little dance as her band played on with the cape enshrouding her body before flowing over her head making for an enchanting luminous spectacle.

Like Chastity Brown, June was excited to be out performing in front of people after a Covid-induced hiatus. She and her band were surrounded by flowers that were beautiful and gave a spring vibe. Her tone was relentlessly upbeat, offering ebullient invitations to forget about those Covid blues and instead lose ourselves in the music. I cannot recall a concert where there was so much smiling to be seen onstage. 
 

It was a wonderful night with some great performances leaving me with a lot of music to investigate. And the Englert was just a lovely place to boot.

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Bonus photo. I saw this on a bike ride. Is it a tympanum? I wonder what business was there that was symbolized by swords and a helm.

 

(Continue to the postlude...)