So, some people are going to be in Des Moines this weekend, but if you’re staying around Iowa City, it won’t exactly be settling. The fine folks with Iowa Ctiy Summer of the Arts have gotten three of the biggest names in contemporary jazz for this year’s Iowa City Jazz Festival: Medeski, Martin & Wood, John Scofield, and the Joshua Redman Trio. For those uninitiated in living jazz artists, you don’t get much bigger. You have to look to the handful of dudes that played with Miles and still giggin’ (oh wait, Scofield was in Davis’ band from ‘82 - ‘85). And like always, the music is free.
John Medeski, Billy Martin, and Chris Wood, headline the first night of the festivitie (i.e. kick off your 4th of July Weekend with a bang). Medeski Martin & Wood have been straddling the line between jam band and jazz band for 16 years, and in many ways, it is that particular friction that keeps them exciting and popular. Loved by dead heads for long, funky jams (or “crunchy grooves”) and equally loved by the jazz set for their avant-garde leanings and incessant exploration, MMW have just enough funk in their trunk or the casual jazz fan and just enough moxy for the snobs.
Ah, Independence Day weekend…a celebration of our nation’s coming of age. When I was younger this meant trips to our beach house, spending time with family, fireworks, and the like. As I’ve aged, it’s come to mean something more like drinking heavily with friends. The spirit hasn’t really changed. Something vaguely patriotic about overcoming tyranny, or something…anyway, this year is a special cause for celebration as we’ll be headed west to enjoy ourselves at the inaugural 
It’s hard to imagine being an Iowan and missing out on Des Moines’ inaugural 
So with the reservoir officially crested it appears we’re on the way to recovery, and it looks like it’s going to be lengthy. That being said, it is summer (officially as of Friday!), and we’d be remiss if we let record flood conditions get in the way of our merrymaking. Summertime means all sorts of things, like baseball and fireworks and hot dogs on the grill and stuff, and it certainly means that you’ve no excuse to be out enjoying yourself in the company of good music and friends. Remember when it was so cold that you’re favorite band in the world could have been playing and you still might have looked out side and said, “Fuck it.”? Well that time is over now. Don’t take it for granted. Stay dry. And for the record, I did not know that the water skiing squirrel was named Twiggy. They say you learn something new every day, and that just may be true.
Whew, don’t you just feel relieved? We now have our two presumptive nominees from the two major parties, and we can really get into the muck-racking and mud-slinging. But first, how about everyone takes a long deep breath this weekend. Get out and get some fresh air, get some culture. Thankfully, Iowa City is flush with that this weekend.
Do you have those devil horns ready? I’ve been workin’ mine out like mad, making sure that my index and pinkie fingers are strong and limber, ’cause I’ll be flashing that shit all night tonight.
I think it was 
Wah-wah-wah…School’s out for summer/