Mirah, June 1

Touring in support of her February release Dedication, an album in which, according to The Spill Magazine, "all the experience she has gathered so far as an artist is coming to full bloom," alternative-folk singer/songwriter Mirah headlines a June 1 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, her latest recording hailed by Pitchfork as a "wistful account of motherhood, gratitude, and grief" where "unabashed earnestness is its greatest strength."

Traveling the country in support of their acclaimed springtime release Ritual Fever, the experimental musicians of Water Is the Headline headline a May 30 concert at Rock Island's Rozz-Tox, Psychotropic Wonderland describing the group's recording as "an endlessly evolving balancing act between timeless, rustic, and haunted-sounding samples and alternately understated and epic-sounding synthesizer motifs.”

Celebrating both the organization's 50th anniversary and the 250th anniversary of the United States this May, the revered vocal ensemble Choral Dynamics presents its annual pre-summer show at the Orhpeum Theatre May 29 through 31, with Raising Spirits with Song boasting favorite choral tunes, patriotic numbers, and memories of the past 50 years in Galesburg.

Debuting their new cantata for the first time in Iowa, the vocal talents of the Quire of Eastern Iowa brings Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray to the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts on May 30, celebrating the pioneering Civil Rights activist, lawyer, poet, and Episcopal priest whose work helped shape modern movements for racial and gender equality.

Hailed by DC Metro Arts as “an exhilarating ride of pride and precision” and by the Chicago Tribune as “superbly and joyously performed,” the touring spectacle Riverdance 30: The New Generation comes to Davenport's Adler Theatre on June 3, this astoundingly choreographed sensation a show that, according to Broadway World, “will appeal to long-time fans and captivate a new audience.”

Presenting a panel discussion on the new Jane E. Simonsen book about Rock Island's Augustana College, the Davenport Public Library's Eastern Avenue Branch, on June 2, hosts a talk on the fascinating nonfiction Called to Reckon: Replacing History & Reclaiming Mission at a Midwestern College.

With her documentary hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "a soulful slice of Americana" that has been covered by national outlets including CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 and the Hallmark Channel's Home & Family, former Quad Citizen Beth Howard brings her film PIEOWA: A Piece of America to the Bettendorf Public Library, the May 30 screening featuring an appearance by the filmmaker and, fittingly, a bit of dessert, to boot.

With Stephen Holden of The New York Times calling the film "so verbally dexterous and visually innovative that you can't absorb it unless you have all your wits about you,” Waking Life enjoys a June 4 screening at Rozz-Tox, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Richard Linklater's animated 2001 classic the latest presentation in the Rock Island venue's popular Filmosofia series.

With the eagerly anticipated weekend event hosted by Rock Island's Quad City Arts and taking place for the 10th time, glorious colors and imaginative designs will be gracing the pavement of Rock Island's Schwiebert Riverfront Park in the Quad Cities Chalk Art Fest, a May 30 and 31 pre-summertime fixture boasting free admission, beautiful artistic creations, live music, children's activities, food and drink vendors, and more than $2,000 in cash prizes.

Hailed by the New York Daily Mirror as “a hit you must see” and by the Los Angeles Times as “a handsomely staged case for miracles,” playwright N. Richard Nash's 1953 classic The Rainmaker enjoys a June 4 through 14 run at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, this optimistic charmer famed for its beloved 1956 movie adaptation starring Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn.

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