The Made in the Midwest concert series has found a new home: the reimagined Stoner Theater, located underneath the Civic Center's main hall in downtown Des Moines.
"We decided to take a look at [the Stoner Theater] and reimagine it into a really intimate, vibrant music space," said Brooke Bridenstine, director of programming at Des Moines Performing Arts (DMPA). "If you've been to the Stoner Theater before, it's not going to feel like the Stoner Theater, which is really cool. It looks and feels completely different, and it's really intimate. You will be really, really close with musicians. It'll be a nice, intimate, communal experience."
After a fire at the Temple Theater forced last season’s Cactus Blossoms show to relocate to the Stoner Theater, DMPA revamped the intimate black box theater venue to permanently house Made in the Midwest — complete with mood lighting, lounge seating and vintage record décor. Concertgoers will be able to sip drinks by candlelight, while enjoying live music by world-class regional artists.
Five Midwestern acts have been announced for the upcoming MITMW season: Dickie, TAE & The Neighborly, NOLA Jazz Band Quartet, Green TTea & The Tempos and MoonShroom.
Des Moines’ own Dickie opens the series on Thursday, Sept. 17. His indie rock anthems have made him a local favorite for years. Cedar Valley mainstay Joel Sires opens for Dickie with his folksy, singer-songwriter style.
On Thursday, Oct. 15, soul pop collective TAE & The Neighborly will come to town from their native Wisconsin.
"I love their origin story," Bridenstine said. "They were all living in the same building, in different apartments, and during the pandemic, they all really liked baking. They were knocking on each other's doors to borrow sugar often enough that here we are, five or six years later, and they're a band."
Des Moines indie rockers Rutabaga will open for TAE & The Neighborly.
NOLA Jazz Band Quartet play MITMW on Saturday, Nov. 7. Central Iowa live music buffs may recognize them from their many appearances at the Des Moines jazz club Noce. Their classic, smooth jazz sensibilities are a perfect fit for the lounge-inspired, reimagined Stoner Theater space.
GreenTTea & The Tempos are a neo-soul group from Chicago. They’ll bring their alternative funk to the Stoner Theater on Saturday, Nov. 14. GreenTTea’s two backup singers will open the show as Indi&Mk.
The final instalment in the fall 2026 MITMW series is MoonShroom on Thursday, Dec. 3. They are a Kansas City husband-and-wife team who play psychedelic bluegrass and Americana music. Des Moines roots singer-songwriter Casey Joe Collins opens for MoonShroom.
"The Made in the Midwest series is still a relatively young series for us. We launched it in the winter of 2025, and we really were driven by a desire to uplift and give opportunities to local and regional artists, and contribute to what is already a really vibrant local music scene," Bridenstine said. "We feel that the arts are essential, not just for entertainment, but really for stronger communities. This is for us to invest in local artists, foster creativity, build community and create spaces and have meaningful experiences."
Tickets for the upcoming Made in the Midwest concert series are now available online through DMPA and at the Civic Center's ticket office.
