dsmWeekly - March 26, 2025

Benny Benack III is the first artist to embark on a Midwest Jazz Collective tour. (Photo: bennybenackjazz.com)

PEOPLE & COMMUNITY

Midwest Jazz Collective lines up its first tour

By Emmett McMenamy

The Jazz Age is long gone, but its spirit still lives on in well-known clubs in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Recently, 13 smaller jazz venues across the Midwest, including Noce here in Des Moines, teamed up to form the Midwest Jazz Collective (MJC) to arrange tours for national and regional artists.

The New York singer and trumpeter Benny Benack III set out on the first MJC tour last month and will visit Noce on April 5, amid a blitz through Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois.

He’s played Noce and the Midwest before, but this time he’s bringing his own quartet. “You're always able to get that little extra 5% magic that you can develop when you're playing with people you play with all the time,” he said.

Known for what he calls “old-school throwback jazz,” Benack was voted the No. 1 Rising Star Male Vocalist by the 2024 DownBeat Magazine annual critics’ poll and the No. 7 male vocalist by the magazine’s annual readers’ poll. He often performs in New York, including an appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” and travels to festivals around the United States and the world.

Now, artists of his caliber may have an easier time coming to the Midwest, thanks to the MJC. The collective helps set up concerts as well as educational events at local schools along the tour route. On Benack’s current tour, he’ll visit half a dozen schools and universities, where he’ll coach students and invite them to his concerts. “We're really passionate about mentoring young musicians and giving them opportunities as well,” he said.

Benack is the MJC’s first touring artist, but with any luck, he won’t be the last. Coordinator Kyle Knoke, who runs a monthly concert series in central Wisconsin, said he hopes the collective can line up a Midwest tour every quarter.

April is Jazz Appreciation Month
To celebrate, the Community Jazz Center is hosting a festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 6 at Drake University’s Turner Jazz Center. The lineup includes Tanner Taylor, Willie Shay and the Jackson Churchill Quartet, among others. Guests can enter a drawing for gift cards to various local jazz organizations and hot spots, including: Caspe Terrace, the Cave, Community Jazz Center Hall of Fame, Hoyt Sherman Place, Latin King, Louie’s Wine Dive, Noce, Rogue Planet Records and ZZZ Records.

Kev Marcus, left, and Wil Baptiste head to Hoyt Sherman Place. (Photo: Rachel Bennet)

BEST BET

Black Violin blends the past with the present

Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus mix classical music with hip-hop energy under the name Black Violin. The Grammy-nominated duo brings its “Full Circle Tour” for a concert at 8 p.m. March 30 at Hoyt Sherman Place.

With its mix of old and new styles, Black Violin invites audiences to reflect on their own past and the evolution that’s led to the present. The duo traces its own beginnings to a high school orchestra, where Baptiste and Marcus were classmates. Now, they’ve poured their talent into a touring act that supports a foundation that reaches more than 100,000 students each year.

The Week Ahead

Marquis Hill and Lisa Henry, 7 p.m. Friday, Noce. The trumpeter and singer have performed all over the world. Why not catch them when they swing through Des Moines?

Sona Jobarteh, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Hoyt Sherman Place. The Gambian singer, songwriter and versatile instrumentalist blends West African traditions into a new style that is all her own.

Central Iowa Trans Lives Festival, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, First Unitarian Church. To get a jump on the International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31), the fifth annual festival showcases the creative work of transgender and nonbinary Iowans with live music, poetry readings, dance and drag performances, arts and crafts booths, and food trucks and stalls. Local nonprofit groups that support the trans community will also be on hand.

Chili Cookoff, 12-3 p.m. Sunday, Firetrucker Brewery in Ankeny. Show off your best recipe or try someone else’s. A ticket comes with beer, taste tickets and a bowl of chili.

Red Hot Chili Pipers, 7 p.m. Sunday, Wooly’s. You read that correctly: It’s “pipers.” Jam out to the Scottish rock band that’s played its bagpipes in New York, China, Australia and many points in between.

The writer lets loose at Smash Room Iowa. (Photo: Lawrence Cunningham)

WELLNESS

All the rage: Activities to blow off steam

By Stacey Zelenovich Thompson

In a world that demands more from us each day, it’s important to find ways to blow off steam. It helps us maintain a healthy balance amid the everyday chaos of life.

Personally, I often turn to physical activity to relieve stress and calm my mind. I enjoy the boosts of endorphins that come from yoga, running or even a long walk. But I’m always up for a new challenge, like these two unconventional activities.

Rage Yoga at Tactical Fitness in Urbandale
I’ve spent many hours on a yoga mat, so the idea of “Rage” Yoga piqued my curiosity. It originated in Canada and was introduced to Iowa by a military veteran who enrolled in an online training program (and has the “Certified Badass” diploma to prove it). Rage Yoga is recognized for its unconventional style and approachability, especially for people who are intimidated by traditional yoga classes. It offers an easy, unusual way to step onto the mat.

The experience: I brought along four friends to join me in a private session. A few of us are regular yogis, and the others have dabbled, so we were all open to the new experience.

As we moved through traditional yoga poses like warrior, pigeon and downward dog, the usually serene, meditative yoga vibe was replaced with colorful LED lights and upbeat music from Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, AC/DC and Michael Jackson. A poster on the wall urged us to “Let that sh*t go.”

Our instructor’s playful commentary set the tone as she invited us to release pent-up stress and frustration without holding back. Grunting, shouting, making gestures and even swearing weren’t just allowed; they were encouraged. The room quickly filled with energy and laughter, and it created a fun space to let loose and decompress.

Stress relief: 6/10. It's for anyone seeking a less traditional, slightly rebellious yoga experience.

Ironside Axe Club in West Des Moines

In Viking culture, the axe was a symbol of strength and bravery as well as an actual weapon used in hunting and warfare. The idea of hurling an axe at a wooden target seemed not only empowering but also cathartic, a great way to vent frustration.

The experience: The Ironside experience has a Viking flair, including photo ops with helmets and furs in a replica wooden ship. There are multiple throwing lanes, each with two wooden targets that can accommodate smaller or larger groups with all levels of experience. Before we started, the friendly and knowledgeable staff went through a checklist of helpful tips and safety guidelines, which made me feel at ease with my 12- and 14-year-old kids.

The sheer weight of the axe immediately made me feel powerful, and I quickly realized that staying grounded with strong footing was key to throwing it with authority. As I pulled the axe over my head and prepared to hurl it end over end toward the bull’s-eye, a rush of adrenaline kicked in, making the act feel both purposeful and thrilling.

Each time the axe struck the target, I felt a sense of accomplishment and release. Throwing successfully demanded balance, strength and sharp mental focus. More importantly, I had to know exactly when to let go — perhaps figuratively as much as literally.

Stress relief: 8/10. Channeling all my energy and frustration into each throw was deeply satisfying.

Smash Room Iowa at Merle Hay Mall
Sometimes, the best way to blow off steam and release anger is to destroy something. Smash Room Iowa lets you do just that, in a safe and controlled environment.

The experience: After a brief safety lesson, I suited up in protective gear, including goggles, and was ushered back to a “smash room.” The room was divided into two sections separated by cinder blocks. One side was filled with glass bottles, and the other with random old electronics. The room was stocked with various bats, crowbars and sledgehammers. I chose the baseball bat.

They cranked the music, and for the next 30 minutes I demolished everything in sight, including old “BOB” (a body opponent bag that looked like a mannequin). Once I got started, I was all in, working up a sweat and pushing my heart rate to 157 beats per minute, according to my watch.

It was a great workout and deeply cathartic. The combination of raw, uninhibited physical effort and the symbolic act of breaking things delivered a visceral and incredibly satisfying release.

Stress relief: 12/10. Smashing stuff may just be the ultimate way to relieve stress.