It was the tail end of last winter with the hope of spring fluttering in the air that one Carlos G. called me and said a certain Zach Mannheimer was looking for performers for an upcoming event. After a brief talk I decided to meet Zach at the Black Cat. At that point I had decided that the only thing I wanted to do in life is be an artist. I had promoted underground music events for years and helped trance music get its start in the Midwest. It was time for a happy retirement exploring myself again after years of satisfactory service to the community at large. This was to change, as, soon after speaking with Zach I got a bead in on his vibe and felt that our missions in life were very similar. I had always wanted this sort of venue, where all forms of expression are explored, but had assumed I would have to move to get it. I had even almost decided to move to Austin or Portland to find a land more receptive to the arts than Iowa is. I felt that the shared vision is loose enough that I could fit my own goals within it and help expand minds in the Des Moines community. A perfect symbiosis! This, really, made the decision to stay in Des Moines easy to make things happen here rather than leaving Iowa again.

Currently, one of my positions at DMSC is Tribal Producer. This means I am in charge of items such as fire performing, electronic music events, wrestling, and whatever else falls under this broad spectrum. To me tribalism is about community. The heart beat that pounds in rhythm joining as a people, humankind in sync with the pulse of the earth -sitting around the campfire, sharing smiles and quiet contemplation, just enjoying a good time with each other. This is what I seek to create, those warm fuzzies of shared times with friends and loved ones.

Another of my duties at DMSC is a resident artist. This is what I love and have passion for – art. I was fortunate enough to fall into this role but really everyone involved in the DMSC is an artist (including you!). I work in multiple roles to hopefully get community art projects going in Des Moines to beautify our public streets, it is a shame really that art is not everywhere you look in Des Moines like every other major city in the USA.

Also, I want to start education programs in the Circus Arts. This would entail things such as poi spinning, hula hoops, belly dancing, juggling, and eventually fire performances. Looking for more people interested in making this happen, so please contact me! There will be weekly spin jams with drumming and practice also, keep your eyes tuned for announcements! I want to help create a flourishing performing circus arts center in Des Moines to instill confidence and expression.

Another item I am working on is having a monthly downtempo, ambient, dubstep, acid jazz, trip hop, lounge-style night that has performances as well as musical artists involved. It will be called Syncopate – details on this soon!

More in the works but hopefully this wets your whistle. My dream is for everyone to explore themselves to find out what really matters to them and if I can assist in a small way for that personal journey than I couldn’t be happier. I am very open to collaboration and believe in the power of the doacracy – if you have a good idea, do it!   We’ll have the space to explore your dreams. DMSC is for us all in Des Moines to have something special.

Jeffz