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In the Papers, 11/13/08

Trent Reznor doesn’t judge a book by its cover, writes Eric Clark in today’s Gazette. If he did, he wouldn’t have recruited Justin Meldal-Johnsen to play bass in Nine Inch Nails, scheduled for a Nov. 20 concert at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. “Trent is open-minded enough that he could look at someone like me, whose pedigree has nothing to do with industrial music, and translate my talents into something magical,” Meldal-Johnsen tells the newspaper. Clark also interviews Loudon Wainwright III, who performs at the Enlgert Theatre Friday.

Jeff Yeager is so cheap he hard-boils eggs in used dishwater, writes Mike Kilen in the Des Moines Register. But Yeager’s book The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map To True Riches — which he will read from at noon today at the Iowa City Public Library — offers a greater challenge: “Whenever you simplify your life you spend less money, are usually lighter on the environment and it makes you happier,” Yeager says.

The University of Iowa is placing a $5 million bet on Art Building West, hoping the gamble will pay off for the university and the School of Art and Art History, reports Lee Hermiston in today’s Press Citizen. Officials announced last week that the potential recovery — estimated at $5 million — and flood mitigation costs were far overridden by the value of the Art and Art History programs.

Also in today’s Press Citizen: Jim Musser reviews Life Like by the Rosebuds, who perform at the Picador Saturday, and Deanna Howard preview Dreamwell Theatre’s upcoming performances of “Lear’s Daughters.”

Earlier this week the Press Citizen featured an editorial about Iowa Public Radio’s cancellation of “Live from Prairie Lights” and what should come next. “We'd like to see other local/Iowa institutions -- especially a certain public university that likes to refer to itself as a "Writing University" -- step up and work with Prairie Lights to make the vast archive of readings digitally available and to record and to disseminate future readings and conversations that are essential to Iowa City's identity as a "City of Literature,” the editorial states.

Last Saturday's Cedar Rapids Symphony Chamber concert combined entertainment and education, writes Gazette reviewer George Ford. The concert at Immaculate Conception Church in downtown Cedar Rapids (and repeated Sunday at Congregational United Church of Christ in Iowa City), featured the CRSO String Quartet performing the final works of Bach, Haydn and Beethoven. “The quartet's sterling performance earned prolonged applause from Saturday's audience,” Ford writes.

Sad news: Iowa City police confirmed today that the man found dead in his car Wednesday afternoon was University of Iowa music professor Mark Weiger, who by all indications took his own life. A sexual harassment suit was filed against Weiger nearly a week ago by a former teaching assistant who worked with him. Weiger taught oboe and chamber music at the UI and had performed as a soloist through the United States.

According to Weiger's online biography: “Since coming to Iowa in 1988, he has performed as a soloist throughout the United States, Canada, England, Mexico, Brazil, Austria, France and Italy, presented two Carnegie Hall recitals, been a finalist in nine international competitions… In 1996-97, Weiger became the first solo oboist to serve as an Artistic Ambassador. As such, he has recitaled in Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, India, Greece, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.” Weiger had released three CDs of music and a fourth is in the works. Read his full online biography here.