Returning to downtown Davenport for its incredible 50th year, the Quad-City Times Bix 7 will again find runners and walkers taking on a seven-mile foot race alongside live bands and cheering crowds, the July 27 event famed for being the largest non-marathon race in the Midwest, having captured the imaginations of thousands upon thousands of enthusiasts from both the United States and countries around the globe.
Presented on July 28 as the latest program in the German American Heritage Center's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series, Quad Cities Beer: A History will find authors Michael McCarty and Kristen DeMarr celebrating the heady heritage of the region, with patrons invited to purchase a copy of their local-history book before or after the event and have it signed by the authors.
Returning to the area for its incredible 104th year, an eagerly awaited six-day festival boasting games, competitions, vendors, and concert sets by more than two dozen national and local acts returns with the 2024 Mississippi Valley Fair, its July 30 through August 4 engagement at Davenport's Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds boasting, as always, grandstand performances by chart-toppers, multi-platinum sellers, and multiple-award winners.
Co-hosted by the Midwest Writing Center and taking place at Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox on August 3, a popular literary event returns with a musical theme in the SPECTRA Reading Series' Books & Beats edition, a celebration of Chicago house music as well as the release of Chicago House Music: Culture & Community (forthcoming from Belt Publishing on August 13) by award-winning writer Marguerite L. Harrold.
Delivering a blend of local history, environmental issues, education, entertainment, and fresh air, Davenport's River Action will present a series of outdoor presentations in the second month-plus of the annual Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly programs that, from July 9 through August 3, will address such topics as the music of jazz artists Bix Beiderbecke and Louie Bellson, Nahant Marsh, local lock-and-dam systems, and the majestic Quad City pelican.
An oft-repeated $1.1 billion demand from Chicago’s mayor would actually wind up costing state taxpayers $5.5 billion. And Governor JB Pritzker is turning a big thumbs down.
A little-noticed bill passed both the Illinois House and Senate that will generate $300 to $400 million a year for local governments, including $95-127 million for the Regional Transportation Authority. The bill (SB3362) will help capture sales tax revenue from more out of state retailers and in-state retailers who ship to Illinoisans in out-of-state locations.
A global effort by advocates, campaigners, journalists, organizers, and supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pushed President Joe Biden’s administration to finally free Assange.
The Iowa Utilities Board gave its approval Tuesday June 25, 2024 for the controversial Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline and for the company to use eminent domain to acquire landowners’ property.
The company hopes to begin construction next year with the goal of making the pipeline operational in 2026. The pipeline, which would be the largest of its kind anywhere in the world, would carry liquified carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in Iowa and surrounding states to a site in North Dakota, where the company hopes for reconsideration and approval of a previously denied permit.
Two cases are before the Iowa Supreme Court this week – one involving killing babies and the other killing germs.
A Tony Award nominee adapted from one of the most beloved animated musicals of all time, Disney's The Little Mermaid wraps up Countryside Community Theatre's summer season with a July 26 through August 4 run at Eldridge's North Scott High School Fine Arts Auditorium, this take on the Oscar-winning film lauded by Broadway World as "a family-friendly stage musical with great visual punch."
Praised by Broadway World as "a nostalgic and enormously entertaining musical revue," the peppy and winning stage treat The Marvelous Wonderettes closes the 2024 summer season at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, the show's July 25 through August 4 run treating audiences to delightful renditions of 1950s and '60s pop classics including "Lollipop," "Dream Lover," "It's My Party," and "It's In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)."
It’s hard to imagine a more ideal venue for a performance of Charlotte’s Web than the Playcrafters Barn Theatre. Because the show's action takes place almost entirely in a barn, the space itself blends seamlessly with the set, inviting the audience to immerse themselves in the world of the play.
Aristophanes wrote Plutus more than 2,400 years ago, and we're still griping that people wealthier than we are haven't necessarily earned it, whether through hard work or by reason of virtue.
The summer-theatre season trundles on with the latest from the Timber Lake Playhouse: The Wizard of Oz. While it features some strong performances, a children’s choir double digits strong, and even an acting dog, certain directing choices made by Chaz Wolcott hinder this timeless classic.
Currently touring in support of his 2023 release Automatic, the artist's first album of original material in five years, the widely adored musician, actor, and daytime-drama icon Rick Springfield takes the stage at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center on July 27, the chart-topping rock singer/songwriter a longtime fan favorite for hits including "Affair of the Heart," "Love Somebody," and the Grammy Award-winning "Jessie's Girl."
A disparate pair of independent-music acts will take the stage at Davenport's Raccoon Motel for two concerts on July 27, the first with the rockers of Deserta performing in support of last year's album Don't Dare Stop, and the second with Georgia-based folk-rock, country, and blues vocalist Pony Bradshaw celebrating the release of his new recording Thus Spoke the Fool, scheduled for release on August 16.
Performing in support of their new recording Olustee, an album that Relix magazine called "a blend of reflection, raucousness, introspection, and exultation," the talents of JJ Grey & Mofro headline a July 27 concert at Mt. Carroll's Rhythm Section Auditorium, Relix adding that "their music encapsulates the spirit of 21st-century Southern swamp boogie, a genre which JJ Grey has been instrumental in defining.”
With the project of married couple Beth Hataway and Johnny Veres delivering, according to Americana UK, "an atmospheric folk sound [that] will capture your attention and draw you in emotionally," the touring artists of Electric Blue Yonder headline a July 28 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the group praised by Slant as “a diamond-bright exploration of rock's past, present, and hopeful future.”
Their springtime release Hum of the Road lauded by Saving Country Music as "instilled with insightful road-worn and real-life wisdom," and the artists themselves hailed as "a band that attentive country music fans across the United States revere," the talents of Tylor & the Train Robbers headline a July 29 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the musicians' latest also praised by Americana Highways for delivering "what made people like Guy Clark and Townes van Zandt legends."
In director Lee Isaac Chung's disaster thriller, you sense them coming, but you're never quite prepared for them. They dominate the screen. They annihilate everything in their path. They leave you awestruck by Hollywood magic. I am, of course, referring to the dimpled grins of Glen Powell. The twisters in Twisters aren't bad, either.
Going to the cineplex or staying in and streaming this weekend? Every Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m. you can listen to Mike Schulz dish on recent movie releases & talk smack about Hollywood celebs on Planet 93.9 FM with the fabulous Dave & Darren in the Morning team of Dave Levora and Darren Pitra. The morning crew previews upcoming releases, too.
Or you can check the Reader Web site and listen to their latest conversation by the warm glow of your electronic device. Never miss a pithy comment from these three scintillating pundits again.
Thursday, July 25: Discussion of Twisters and Oddity, and previews of Deadpool & Wolverine and The Fabulous Four. That's "Fabulous," not "Fantastic." Sorry, superhero-movie fans ... you only get one this weekend.
It makes perfect sense that Nicolas Cage would be cast as the titular monster in Longlegs, considering that writer/director Osgood Perkins' horror thriller is like the cinematic equivalent of most Cage performances: deliberately gonzo, weirdly earnest, alternately transfixing and repellent, and, in the end, perhaps trying a bit too hard.
A modern-day triptych of parables both ludicrous and resonant, and Yorgos Lanthimos' first project set in the United States, the movie probably won't find Academy Awards in the offing. That hardly matters, though, for a work that delivers this many belly laughs, most of them accompanying dropped jaws, and this much thematic meat to chew on.
Showcasing exquisite examples of manuscripts from her gallery, Les Enluminures, along with period jewelry, renowned professor, scholar, and gallerist Dr. Sandra Hindman will participate in an August 1 Scholar Presentation at Davenport's Figge Art Museum, providing a rich, historical context for her remarkable artifacts, and delivering an insightful presentation in celebration of the venue's exhibit Illumination: Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts from the Figge Collection.
From August 2 through September 28, patrons of Dubuque's Voices Studio can witness a spectacular confluence of talent and vision as renowned artists Leslie Bell and Lee White join forces for an extraordinary exhibition Under the Same Sun, the display showcasing a diverse array of artworks that reflect the profound journeys and creative mastery of both artists.
An evocative and inspiring exhibit by esteemed artist Andrew Raeside, A Life Lived in Bright Light, on display at Dubuque's Voices Studio from August 2 through September 28,will showcase a series of abstract paintings that celebrate the shared emotional experiences and connections between individuals, as well as reflect Raeside's lifelong journey of capturing the vibrancy and intensity of human emotions through art.
Held in conjunction with the venue's current Illumination: Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts from the Figge Collection, an August 8 Archivist Talk at Davenport's Figge Art Museum will feature an exploration of the exhibition by the University of Iowa Special Collections and Archives' J. Eric Ensley, the curator of rare books and maps who will offer fascinating insight into the collection and care of illuminated manuscripts.
Arresting blasts of color and trenchant themes will both be on display at the Quad City Arts Center from June 28 through August 9, with the Rock Island venue, in its summer exhibition Danyluk & Goodvin, treating patrons to the exquisite oil paintings of Chantal Danyluk and screen prints of Kate Goodvin.
You'll get both the current official narrative challenge and What's Happenin' in the Quad Cities.
(Did you know we publish a new Amy Alkon Advice Goddess, Real Astrology, Red Meat cartoon and RCR Crossword every week?)
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