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Hometown Teams Special Events This Weekend

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This Saturday, April 14th 2018, we will be have two very special presentations in our Uptown Theatre as a part of the Smithsonian’s Hometown Teams traveling exhibit.

NOTE: The Smithsonian Hometown Teams exhibit is on display free to the public and fills our gymnasium.


“A Wrestling Life,” Talk and Book Signing by Dan Gable – April 14 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm.

Wrestling legend Dan Gable will talk about the sport and his life, followed by a book-signing. His latest book, “A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable,” will be available for purchase.

Gable is a retired Olympic wrestler and coach best known for his tenure as head coach at the University of Iowa where he won 15 NCAA team titles between 1976-1997.


Playing to Win – Kids and Sports – April 14 @ 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Cornell College professors of kinesiology Steve DeVries and Kristi Meyer will discuss origins and social factors that have influenced the growth of youth sports in the USA, how we have gotten to where we are now, and some current trends and issues.

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Live Music – Frances Luke Accord – Folk and Americana

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Performing Saturday, April 21 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Frances Luke Accord are an independent Chicago-based duo hailing originally from South Bend, Indiana. Both dedicated multi-instrumentalists and meticulous songwriters, Nicholas Gunty and Brian Powers distinguish their music with genre fluidity, buttery harmonies and acoustic ensembles.

TICKETS are only $15.

Although prevailingly a modern folk band, FLA sip copious inspiration from Americana, jazz, soul, and rock.

Since forming during their senior year at the University of Notre Dame, Frances Luke Accord’s approach to music has marked a boundless evolution.

In December of 2012 the duo released their first record, Kandote, a not-for-profit, intercultural collaboration with the Barefoot Truth Children’s Choir of Kkindu, Uganda — an endeavor that continues to support the primary education and musical aspirations of the choir.

Bringing their world/folk sound to Chicago in the summer of 2013, the duo quickly garnered local and regional attention for their captivating live performances and stunning self-produced releases, including the Queen for Me EP (April 2014), Live @ Strobe (April 2015), and, most notably, their debut full-length album, Fluke (May 2016).

“Frances Luke Accord are the definition of lean-in music.” – Joni Deutsch, NPR’s Mountain Stage

“Frances Luke Accord are some of our very favorite musicians, songwriters, and people. We couldn’t recommend their debut LP, Fluke, highly enough.”- Darlingside

“While Simon & Garfunkel may be no longer touring, Powers and Gunty are more than talented enough to take their place.” –Quinn Delaney, PlaylistHQ

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Live Music – Chuck McDermott – Americana

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An intimate evening with Massachusetts Country Music Hall of Fame singer and acclaimed songwriter Chuck McDermott. Paste Magazine says “his music is simply pure art”.

Chuck McDermott is best-known nationally for his touring, recording, and collaborations with former Kingston Trio guitarist and vocalist John Stewart, the writer of “Daydream Believer,” “Gold,” and “Armstrong.”

McDermott is also fondly remembered for the popular (and pioneering) successful 70’s Americana band Wheatstraw. His songwriting has won high praise from the Boston Globe, the Village Voice, and No Depression.

He will be performing as a solo artist as part of the LilFest Concert Series in the Uptown Theater at 7:30 pm on Saturday, April 14. Doors open at 7:15.

McDermott is performing select dates again across the USA after taking decades off to raise his family. His most recent album, “Gin & Rosewater,” was released in 2017, and has received praise from Stephen Stills and Rosanne Cash.

The LilFest Concert Series regularly presents folk and international concerts in intimate settings in Iowa. Past performers include Ellis Paul, Gina Forsyth, Jim Post, Dave Moore, and The Sweet Potatoes among others.

Cost:  General admission tickets are available for $15 through Brown Paper Tickets: http://chuckmcdermottiowa.bpt.me .

For more information about Chuck McDermott, visit his website: http://www.chuckmcdermott.com/

To see some videos from the new album:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVG0N53U8DrNNk9VwCpjBdw

And for additional audio:
https://soundcloud.com/chuck-mcdermott-563523792

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Hometown Teams – More Than Just a Game: African American Athletes in Iowa

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The African American Museum of Iowa will be presenting “More Than Just a Game: African American Athletes in Iowa” Saturday, March 24th at 10:30 – 11:30 am in the Uptown Theatre as a part of a series of Hometown Teams events.

The Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street traveling exhibit “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America” will be in Mount Vernon, Iowa from March 18 to April 28, 2018.  It is one of ten related events that is scheduled while the exhibit is in Mount Vernon.

From the African American Museum of Iowa:

Since the late nineteenth century, African Americans have participated in a variety of sports and contributed in profound ways to Iowa’s sporting culture. African Americans experienced severe discrimination in sports as in other activities, but fought long and hard to overcome racism. In Iowa, they frequently used achievement in sports as a way to come together as a community. These countless narratives both on and off the court, field, and ring, remind us of the broader struggle for civil rights in America.

This presentation coincides with the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America” exhibit, on view at the First Street Community Center March 18 to April 29, 2018. “How Sports Shaped America” is a Smithsonian traveling exhibit that allows visitors to put sports in the context of American culture and gain a better understanding of the role that sport plays in its interactions with families, schools, government, business, and other social institutions. The African American Museum of Iowa will feature local sports figures Art Pennington and Jack Trice.

RSVP on Facebook.

  • This event is presented by the African American Museum of Iowa.
  • Attendance is free and open to the public.

Complete Schedule of Hometown Teams Events:

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