We can understand the confusion though.

This is a place where dreams come true. Just ask Kristie VanGorkom of Cedar Rapids.

She — as she puts it — has “LOVED the music of Grant Lee Buffalo/Grant-Lee Phillips for over 20 years … Like, gushy, crushy, deeply-in-lovey, grown-with-me-over-the-years-and-deepened-into-a-more-realistic-appreciation type of loved this man’s music.”

She’s seen him perform before. But that was years ago and in large venues.

Saturday night she was one of several dozen people who listened to Grant Lee Phillips in the much more intimate space of CSPS.

He sang. She listened. And shot this video:

“Afterward, I shook Grant-Lee Phillips’ hand and chatted and bought a show gig art print (don’t call it a poster), which he signed. Pictures taken, fun had. Thought that was the end of the story.”

But it wasn’t. Because this isn’t Iowa. It’s heaven.

Read the rest of Kristie’s account on her blog Fancy and Schmancy.

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Styx 2010 Photo Shoot

Classic rock band STYX is scheduled for their first ever appearance at the historic Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids on Sunday June 23 at 7:30 p.m..

Formed in a suburban Chicago basement in the early 1970s, Styx came to Midwest regional attention with their hit song “Lady”. Starting when Tommy Shaw joined the band in 1975, Styx reeled off four consecutive multi platinum selling albums “Crystal Ball”, “The Grand Illusion”, “Pieces of Eight” and “Cornerstone”.

Among Styx’s many hit records are “Come Sail Away”, “Babe”, “The Grand Illusion”, “Too Much Time on My Hands”, “Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man)”, “Renegade”, “Blue Collar Man”, “Lorelei”, “Snowblind” and “Suite Madame Blue”.

The details

• STYX
• Sunday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m.
• Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids
• Ticket prices are $75, $59 and $49. Applicable service charges may apply.
• Tickets go on sale Friday, May 24 at 10:00 a.m. — Call 319.366.8203 or visit ParamountTheatreCR.com

By 1981, a Gallup Poll named Styx as America’s most popular band, and record sales; radio airplay and concert tour ticket sales backed up their top status. Styx sold out major arenas from coast to coast, including New York’s Madison Square Garden, Chicago Stadium, Joe Louis Arena in Detroit and The Forum in Los Angeles.

In recent years, a new generation of Styx fans have joined with older Styx fans at tour dates around the world. Styx has become a part of American pop culture, with their songs featured on tv shows like “Friends”, “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy”. In Adam Sandler’s movie “Big Daddy”, Sandler’s character states that “Styx is America’s greatest rock band”. The quirky Styx single “Mr. Roboto” was used in a car company commercial.

Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young, Lawrence Gowan, Todd Sucherman and Ricky Phillips (along with the occasional surprise appearance by original bassist Chuck Panozzo), have performed more live since ’99 than all of the previous years of its career combined. Two Super-Bowl appearances, Pollstar Box Office chart-topping tours with Def Leppard, Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Bad Company (to name only a few), two more studio albums and no end in sight, STYX continues to conquer the planet, one venue at a time.

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Dave Bader

“Pura Vida,” the new solo release from Cedar Rapids musician and songwriter Dave Bader, has been a long time in the making. Bader says some of the 10 original songs on the disc have been in the works for 20 to 25 years.

“Some are old, some are new, some of them have been dusted off and rearranged,” he says. “And those are going to be different than what anybody’s heard before.”

Bader, who says he has been much more comfortable playing with other musicians, has been writing songs for years but always has given them to others to sing.

“I’ve been wanting to do them my own way,” he says. “And, if not now, then when?”

Running the gamut from blues and rock to country and folk, the original songs reflect Bader’s many musical influences. The various themes of love, life, death and personal redemption are drawn from his own experiences and those of people he has known.

The details

• Dave Bader “Pura Vida” CD release party
• 8 p.m. Saturday, Chappy’s Safari Lounge, Cedar Rapids
• 8 p.m. May 23, JM O’Malley’s, Cedar Rapids
• Free

Since joining his first band in California soon after college, Bader has been a part of many bands over the years, playing bass and drums behind several notable local and national names. Some of those musicians make guest appearances on “Pure Vida.”

Bader says the new CD took about a year to complete partly because was it was recorded over 10 different sessions involving 10 different configurations of musicians. Some of Iowa’s best guitar players make an appearance, including Dennis McMurrin, Craig Erickson and Bryce Janey.

“Pura Vida” was produced by Bader’s good friend and “music partner of 15 to 20 years,” Tom “T-Bone” Giblin. The Iowa Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and Iowa Blues Hall of Fame member also adds keyboards throughout the release.

“Pura Vida” is available on iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon and at live shows.

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Jacob Smith by any other name would be — Dennis.

The last time we saw the Monticello native onstage, he was a Dennis. Next week, we’ll see him be a Dennis again.

But neither of these Dennises are menaces. Smith was knightly Sir Dennis Galahad when the national tour of “Monty Python’s Spamalot” played at his alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa, in January 2012. This time, he’s Dennis Dupree nightly in the national tour of “Rock of Ages,” coming to the Paramount Theatre on May 23.

“This Dennis is very, very different from the other Dennis,” Smith, 30, now based in New York, says by phone from a recent tour stop in Shreveport, La. “Dennis Dupree is basically a relic from late ’60s and early ’70s. He’s seen it all, he’s done it all, he’s been around the block a few times. He’s the owner of the bar where ‘Rock of Ages’ takes place, and really, really likes to indulge in the extracurricular activities, if you know what I mean.”

Enlighten us.

“He’s a big pot smoker; I show that a little bit in the show,” Smith says. “But for the most part, though, he’s a really cool guy. He’s very down to earth, he’s very chill — he’s not somebody you necessarily want to cross or upset, but for the most part, he’s really easy-going — a real stereotypical ’70s hippie kind of guy, like ‘Hey man, how ya doin’, what’s goin’ on.”

What’s going on is a rock ‘n’ roll trip through the music of Smith’s childhood — the overindulgent ’80s where big hair and sparkly clothes ruled both sexes, and musicians proved their mettle from glam to metal.

Built on  hits from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, Pat Benatar, Poison and their ilk, the 2009 Tony-nominated musical takes audiences back to 1987 on the Sunset Strip, where a naive girl with stars in her eyes steps off the bus and quickly finds out she’s not in Kansas anymore. Instead of landing a big role in Hollywood, she lands a job waiting tables at Dupree’s seedy club and hooks up with the busboy, a wannabe rocker. Their dreams and their loves harden their hearts until they just can’t fight their feelings in the heat of the moment.

“It’s a good time, it’s not deep theater,” Smith says. “You’re not going to see ‘Hamlet,’ you’re not going to see ‘Camelot.’  You’re going to see some of the most awesome rock songs from the ’80s with a great script, a lot of humor. It’s a great show for especially guys who aren’t necessarily into musical theater or haven’t really seen a lot of theater, because of the humor. The girls are gorgeous and the songs are just awesome.”

The details

• Broadway at the Paramount presents “Rock of Ages”
• 7:30 p.m. May 23
• Paramount Theatre, Cedar Rapids
• Tickets: (Nearly sold out) $45 to $60, Paramount Box Office, (319) 366-8203 or Paramounttheatrecr.com
• Show website: Rockofagesontour.com

But he warns that parents should think twice before bringing kids younger than 12 or 13 to this event filled with ‘80s excesses.

“There’s drug use in the show, there’s some very scantily clad ladies, there’s some foul language and a lot of sexual references that are really not appropriate for young kids. Everybody else going to have a blast,” he says.

He’s been a little worried about having his family see the show — including parents Joel and Sally Smith of Troy Mills. His mom saw it in Chicago and survived, so now he’s looking forward to seeing other familiar faces in the Cedar Rapids crowd, including his dad, and having them see “a really, really fun show.”

“It’s going to be a  bit of an eye opener for them, because I’ve never really done a role like this,” he says.

“When my mom came to see it for first time, I had to warn her, ‘Mom, I say some bad words on”stage and I smoke pot onstage. I don’t really smoke pot, but it looks like I smoke pot. And the girls are strippers. I’m really sorry, but this is my job.’ She was totally cool with it. She was fine, but I wasn’t prepared for that — to have my mother see me do something like that.”

♪ “Rock of Ages” Trivia:

♫ On July 1, 2009, after a matinee performance of “Rock of Ages,” the Broadway cast set a new Guinness World Record for what?

— It broke the Guinness World Record for the Largest Air Guitar Ensemble. A total of 810 participants, including audience members and fans make this record happen. It shattered the previous record of 440 people playing air guitar simultaneously.

♫ During the 2009 Tony Awards, what rock star was injured while performing with the Broadway cast of “Rock of Ages?”

— Bret Michaels of the band Poison was knocked down by a set piece that broke his nose.

 ♫ What Broadway star originated the lead role of Sherrie in the original Los Angeles production of “Rock of Ages?” Hint: She also played the lead in the Broadway production of “Legally Blonde.”

— Answer: Laura Bell Bundy.

♫ Chris D’Arienzo, the author of the book for “Rock of Ages” is also an actor. He appeared in a couple episodes of this popular 1990s sit-com. Name the TV show. Hint: The show is named after the first name of this gay comic and actress.

— Answer: “Ellen”

♫ “Rock of Ages”was made into a New Line Cinema film directed by Adam Shankman. What other film musical based on a hit Broadway show did he direct?

— Answer: “Hairspray” starring John Travolta.

♫ “Rock of Ages” was first produced in Los Angeles at what type of venue?

— Answer: At a Los Angeles night club called the Vanguard Hollywood in 2006.

♫ Name two songs in “Rock of Ages” that were first introduced by Pat Benatar.

— Answer: ”Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” and “Shadows of the Night”

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Winners of the 2013 KCRG-Alist will be announced on Thursday, May 16th!

The battle for best burger in Eastern Iowa was a study of contrasts.

To the north, in Cedar Rapids, the Starlite Room has been serving up specially seasoned burgers from its flat top griddle since 1959. For 54 years, Starlite has served its burgers simply wrapped in a white paper wrapper.

“It’s the seasoning in the burger. I have a certain seasoning that makes it taste good,” says owner Jim Aossey, who mixes the seasoning himself. “It’s how you cook it and the seasoning you put on it.”

By comparison, Short’s Burger & Shine is the new kid on the block. Its building dates back to the 1920s when it was Short’s Shoe Shine Shop. The restaurant, though, opened this century.

The burgers come topped 20 different ways, from No. 1 on the menu, the 18 S. Clinton with lettuce, tomato and pickle to No. 20, the Essex with grilled peppers, mushrooms, Brie and roasted red pepper mayonnaise. It also serves 12 different chicken sandwiches and black bean burgers.

Short’s is, if you will, the hipster nephew, who, as it turns out, cried uncle in this year’s A-List contest. Starlite pulled ahead of Short’s taking first place by a 38 vote margin.

This is the third year Starlite has taken first in the battle for Best Burger. It beat out Red Robin in 2012 and Short’s the year before in 2011.

Related:

Cupcake Wars – Which bakery will win the 2013 KCRG A-List?

A slice of Eastern Iowa – Which pizzeria will win the 2013 KCRG A-List?

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