Kiss
Events
Adler Theatre and iWireless Center
June through August
Like many of you, when we’re suffering the ravages of a Quad Cities winter, I can’t imagine what price I’d pay just for five seconds of summer. Moline’s iWireless center, however, actually has put a price tag on what five seconds of summer is worth: $29.95. Or up to $79.95 if you want to really feel the heat.
For fans, though, even that is going to be a steal when the Sydney, Australia-based hard rockers of 5 Seconds of Summer land in Moline on July 29, their self-titled debut album from 2014 having peaked at the number-one position in 11 countries. Yet the band is also just one of a quintet of exceptional music acts hitting the iWireless this summer, a season rife with classic rock, hip-hop, and four legends who’ve wanted to rock and roll all night four decades running.
June 10 brings with it a performance by rap and hip-hop artist Lil Wayne, who famously received a recording contract at the tender age of nine and now, at age 35, is a certified music legend, having amassed four Grammy Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, a staggering 26 BET Awards, and sales of more than 100 million records worldwide. Performing with guest O.T. Genesis, Lil Wayne’s iWireless engagement will be followed by the June 28 booking of The Dave Matthews Band, the chart-topping rock, funk, and jazz-fusion ensemble with credits similarly overwhelming: six studio albums that hit number one on Billboard’s charts, multi-platinum sales, a Grammy (with 13 additional nominations), and a prestigious NAACP Image Award.
As someone who, as a 10-year-old, had to hide the band’s albums under his bed so his mom wouldn’t find them, I couldn’t be more stoked about the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Kiss landing at the iWireless on August 5, bringing with them their signature face paint, thrilling musicianship, and 40-plus years of heavy-metal history. And exactly one week later, another rock icon arrives in Moline with the August 12 concert by Rick Springfield, who appears on the night’s bill alongside The Fixx and The Romantics, and who, of course, is the chart-topping Australian Grammy winner of “Jessie’s Girl” fame. (Apologies if that song is now stuck in your head. It’s been in mine since I started typing this article.)
But if, from Moline, you travel across the Mississippi to Davenport’s Adler Theatre, you’ll be treated to even more music – along with pageantry, comedy, wizardry, and, um, less-family-friendly wizardry in a summer season offering a little something for everyone.
Some of that music will come courtesy of July 12’s Chris Cornell concert, as the multiple Grammy-winning, Golden Globe-nominated alt-rock singer/songwriter thrills Davenport crowds with the talents honed from his stints with Soundgarden and Audioslave that enabled him to land at number four on Hit Parader’s list of “Heavy Metal’s All-Time Top 100 Vocalists.” But there will also no doubt be music on hand with the performing contestants of the 2016 Miss Iowa program (June 9 through 11), which will, following Thursday and Friday preliminaries, see the crowning of this year’s Miss Iowa and Miss Iowa’s Outstanding Teen during the Saturday-night finals.
Family audiences will hear some of their all-time favorite songs at the Adler on August 13, when historian John Fricke hosts a rare 35-millimeter film presentation of The Wizard of Oz in conjunction with the Figge Art Museum’s new The Wonderful World of Oz exhibit. He may not be singing, but he’ll likely be eliciting screams of laughter when Grammy-nominated Jim Gaffigan performs two July 24 stand-up engagements in his “Fully Dressed” tour.
And speaking of fully dressed – or, rather, the exact opposite – those in the mood for some R-rated prestidigitation won’t want to miss the Adler’s July 13 booking of Australian illusionists and comedians Mike Tyler and Christopher Wayne, who will pull rabbits out of ... somewhere ... in the international touring sensation The Naked Magic Show. As the title suggests, this cheeky evening promises enthralling “How’d they do that?!” entertainment sans sleeves or pockets – though, as I understand it, Tyler and Wayne do come equipped with magic wands.
For more on this summer’s lineups at Moline’s iWireless Center and Davenport’s Adler Theatre, visit iWirelessCenter.com and AdlerTheatre.com, and tickets for both venues are available by calling (800)745-3000.
Outdoor Festivals and Events
Davenport
June through August
Every year, Davenport’s lineup of exciting outdoor festivals climaxes with LeClaire Park’s River Roots Live, the Americana and roots-rock celebration that brings with it an amazing array of musical talent. And this year’s fest, scheduled for August 26 and 27, is no different, with concert sets by a baker’s dozen of sensational acts: Alanna Royale, O.A.R., Guitar Army, Booker T. Jones, The Stone Foxes, Luke Bell, The Main Squeeze, Valey Queen, Ghost of Paul Revere, Brooks Strause & the Gory Details, Tara Terra, The Candymakers, and Condor & Jaybird.
But as the event’s fans know, music is only half of the River Roots Live experience, because it’s accompanied by the annual Ribfest, featuring a delectable sampling of smoked meats and sauces from top-tier barbecue masters nationwide. In honor of the event, I had planned to accompany this article with the most mouth-watering shot of smoked ribs I could find. But then I remembered that we probably have a lot of meat-averse readers out there, so I went with the Alanna Royale shot instead. You’re welcome, vegetarians.
River Roots Live and Ribfest, though, are hardly the only destinations for those seeking excellent music and tasty treats in Davenport this summer. Six days worth of them, in fact, will be on hand in the annual Mississippi Valley Fair at the Mississippi Valley Fairgounds, with the August 2 through 7 event – with its numerous vendors, games, rides, pageants, contests, and more – boasting a different grandstand concert every night: country sensations Chris Janson (August 2), Gary Allan (August 3), Rascal Flatts (August 5), and Montgomery Gentry (August 7); chart-topping rockers 3 Doors Down (August 4); and the Southern-rock and bluegrass legends of Alabama (August 6).
After a year off, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival is back on track for 2016, with July 1 LeClaire Park concerts by Frankie Fontagne & the Ramblers, Toronzo Cannon, Tweed Funk, and Shawn Holt & the Teardrops, and a half-dozen stellar acts set for Saturday the 2nd: Juliana & A Soul Purpose, Shane Johnson’s Blue Train, the Ellis Kell Band, Laura Rain & the Caesars, Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat, and The Cash Box Kings.
July starts with blues; August starts with jazz. Specifically, it starts with the 45th-annual Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, our August 4 through 7 salute to Davenport’s cornet legend boasting performances – at numerous area venues – by jazz talents including the Lakeshore Syncopators, the Dave Bennett Quartet, Miss Jubilee & Her Humdingers, Randy Sandke & Dick Hyman, and Davenport’s own Graystone Monarchs with bandleader extraordinaire Josh Duffee.
Those seeking outdoor entertainment on June 25 and 26 can simply look skyward, as those are the dates for this year’s Quad City Air Show, a blend of stunning aerial feats and earthbound presentations taking place on and above the grounds of the Davenport Municipal Airport. More hilly fare – at least one re-e-eally big hill – is on tap for the hundreds of national and international competitors in the annual Quad-City Times Bix 7 street race, a July 30 event happening in tandem with the annual downtown-Davenport party that is July 29’s and 30’s Street Fest 2016. Consider it your go-to site for live music, food vendors, and family fun that doesn’t require running up a re-e-eally big hill.
Our annual commemoration of slavery’s abolition, the Quad Cities’ June 18 Juneteenth Festival in LeClaire Park will be a joyous community celebration boasting live music, dance performances, historical presentations, vendors, and children’s activities. And kids, of course, won’t be the only ones in thrall to a spectacular fireworks display over the Mississippi River, as July 3’s Red, White, & Boom! will feature multi-hued explosives as well as live music and games in Modern Woodmen Park.
So that’s Davenport’s roster of major outdoor events! But as I’m still thinking of ribs, here’s that pic I referenced earlier. You’re welcome, carnivores.
For more on Davenport’s summertime schedule, visit DowntownDavenport.com.
Outdoor Festivals and Events
District of Rock Island
June through August
During the snowy months, my gym in downtown Rock Island had a sandwich board at its front doors designed to provide inspiration for its members: “Summer bodies are earned in winter.” Well, I humbly report that as of the first week of June, I absolutely have the summer body I earned in winter. Unfortunately, that body still somewhat resembles a pear, so I will absolutely not be participating in the District of Rock Island’s X-Fit Urban Street Games on June 24 and 25, much as I respect and envy those who do.
This outdoor team event will find those strong of body and mind vying for prizes and bragging rights in viewable lift, squat, push-up, and pull-up competitions, and between July 15 and 17 the summertime workouts will continue in the downtown Holiday Inn’s hosting of Radish magazine’s inaugural Yoga Fest – three days of presentations and workouts with local and regional masters. But if merely reading those descriptions makes you exhausted, fear not: There’s also far-less-strenuous fun on the District’s summertime docket.
Our season begins with Cajun, zydeco, and jazz bands – plus artisans, food and craft vendors, and thousands upon thousands of beads – in this year’s Gumbo Ya Ya festival, the District’s very own version of a New Orleans Mardi Gras taking place June 10 and 11. The following weekend, rock and country take center stage in a pair of music-themed outdoor events co-hosted by the Daiquiri Factory: June 17’s annual Rock the District featuring performances by the rockers of Buckcherry and Adelita’s Way, and the June 18 Boots & Brews celebration, which finds chart-topping, multi-platinum-selling artist Rodney Atkins thrilling country fans alongside musical guests Smoke N Guns, Nick Lynch, and Dirt Road Rockers.
July 9 brings with it the Daiquiri Factory Anniversary Party, in which musical guests to be announced help salute the venue on 12 years of District – a night preceded by the July 8 outdoor concert boasting the tightly wrapped rockers of Here Come the Mummies on their national “Love Fest” tour.
The Rock Island Brewing Company is one of the co-hosts for the Mummies’ local set, and RIBCO is also co-sponsoring this year’s Rivers Edge Homebrew Festiv-ale, a July 16 afternoon that will find more than a dozen Midwestern homebrew clubs serving up samples of more than 50 different beverage selections (for guests ages 21 and older). I gotta say, though, and without in any way suggesting that anyone was a little drunk during the naming of the event: That’s an awfully strange spelling of “festival.” Hmm.
Toward the end of summer, the District will be transformed into an incredibly convenient Caribbean getaway in the August 19 and 20 Ya Maka My Weekend festival, our area’s 25th-anniversary celebration of the region’s food, culture, and island atmosphere, with nearly a dozen bands performing on two outdoor stages. And there’ll be stars and stripes forever, or at least for a night, when Schwiebert Riverfront Park houses this year’s Red, White, & Boom! party on July 3, our local salute to Independence Day boasting children’s activities, games, and a dazzling fireworks display over the Mississippi River.
For more information on Rock Island’s summer of outdoor festivals and ... .
Oh, wait! Festiv-ale! I totally get it now! Wow. Guess I’m the one who’s a little drunk.
Anyway. For more information on Rock Island’s summer of outdoor festivals and events, visit RIDistrict.com.
Theatre
Comedies & Dramas
June through August
Our area’s roster of summertime stage dramas and comedies begins on June 16 at the Timber Lake Playhouse, when Mt. Carroll’s theatre in the woods debuts the Tony-nominated Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years (running through June 25). Based on the acclaimed nonfiction that sat on the New York Times’ bestseller list for 105 weeks, this two-woman drama from 1995 is the story of siblings and civil-rights pioneers Sarah “Sadie” Delany and Annie Elizabeth “Bessie” Delany – and given that the women spent a collective 213 years on the planet, I’m guessing it’s quite a story. The play also boasts quite a title, and I’d argue for a similar one serving as a blanket for the wide-ranging variety of local shows this summer – Having Its Say: World Theatre’s First 2,483 Years.
Our trip through time begins with Rock Island’s Genesius Guild, which routinely delivers sterling examples of classical works, and they don’t get more classical than the ancient-Greek two-fer running July 9 through 17: Aeschylus’ Seven Against Thebes, a profound meditation on war first produced in 476 BC, and Sophocles’ Antigone, the tragic closer to the famed Theban-play trilogy written circa 441 BC. From there, we travel to 414 BC and the Aristophanes comedy The Birds (August 5 through 7), the sociopolitical satire that serves as Guild’s traditionally wacky end-of-summer lark ... and that, as adapted by Guild founder Don Wooten, will no doubt feature more Donald Trump gags than the ancient Greeks were accustomed to. And filling out Genesius Guild’s Lincoln Park season is a 1598 title that, thanks to a certain genius playwright, manages to feel brand-spanking-new every time you see it: William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing (July 23 through 31).
Like Genesius Guild, the Prenzie Players can always be counted on to bring new life to long-venerated stage plays. And this summer, the verse-theatre troupe and director Matt Moody get Jacobean at Davenport’s QC Theatre Workshop with Thomas Middleton’s 1606 The Revenger’s Tragedy (June 17 through 25), a vivid and violent tale of lust, ambition, and murder in an Italian court. Opening the same weekend on Iowa City’s Riverside Theatre Festival Stage, director Sam Osheroff presents an epic Bard-ian journey with Shakespeare’s 1609 Pericles, Prince of Tyre (June 17 through July 7), a show running in tandem with an adventure romp by director Kevin Theis: author Thomas Heywood’s 1631 The Fair Maid of the West (June 24 through July 10).
Jumping into the 20th Century, The Revenger’s Tragedy will be followed at the QC Theatre Workshop by the company’s and director Aaron Randolph III’s Inheritors (August 19 through September 4), a 1921 Midwestern tale of human rights and free speech by Susan Glaspell – the only Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, to date, born and raised in Davenport. In addition to Having Our Say, Timber Lake goes dramatic with its season-closing production of Gaslight (August 11 through 21), Patrick Hamilton’s delicious Victorian thriller from 1938 whose film version won an Oscar for lead Ingrid Bergman. As for the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, the summer-stock company ends its own season with a renowned stage drama that debuted in 1944 and, astonishingly, won its first Tony Award in 2014: Tennessee Williams’ memory-play masterpiece The Glass Menagerie (August 4 through 14).
The summertime title at Moline’s Playcrafters Barn Theatre, directed by Reader theatre reviewer Jeff Ashcraft, is a dramatic comedy that practically screams summer: author Ernest Thompson’s On Golden Pond (July 8 through 17), beloved for its sharp wit and big heart and “The loons!” (Which, come to think of it, would’ve been a great alternate title for Don Wooten’s Birds adaptation.) Geneseo’s Richmond Hill Barn Theatre brings us director Joe DePauw’s Checkmate (July 7 through 17), playwright Leslie Sands’ 1993 mystery/thriller about the mysterious death of a TV star’s spouse.
Finally, bringing us completely up to date, we have two titles receiving their world premieres in the summer of ’16. New Ground Theatre and directors Chris Jansen and Jordan Smith will present author Christopher Grassi’s funny and touching This Side Up (August 26 through September 4), a tale of a boy and his imaginary friend that’s been expanded from the one-act version staged during New Ground’s 2015 Playwrights Festival. Familiar area actor and writer Don Faust, meanwhile, brings an original comedy to Davenport’s Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities with Dad & Me (June 17 through 26), which tells of an aging father who moves in with his gay son. For a while, I considered writing a play about my own dad titled Having His Say: The Old Man’s First 76 Years, but the Delany sisters’ estate threatened to sue. So did my dad, actually.
For more on the area’s summertime theatre scene, visit the Reader’s online Theatre calendar.
Theatre
Musicals
June through August
Looking at the lineup of stage musicals heading our way over the next three months, I’m not sure anything more needs to be said than this: The summer season will start with a Bang (two of ’em, in fact), middle with the Marvelous, Funny, and Titanic, and end with something truly Fantastic(ks).
Hmm. Re-reading that incredibly vague sentence just now, maybe one or two more things need to be said.
Let’s begin with that pair of Bangs, and with the pair of Chittys that precede it, as Quad City Music Guild and director Kevin Pieper kick off our area’s summer-musical season with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (June 10 through 19), the 2005 stage adaptation of the adored family film about a down-on-his-luck professor and his magical flying car. Magic of the fairytale variety will be on hand when Music Guild and director Colleen Houlihan tackle Into the Woods (July 8 through 17), Stephen Sondheim’s Tony-winning modern classic that gives a loving and cheeky salute to storybook figures such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and the Jack of beanstalk fame. And Music Guild’s summertime docket wraps up with director Bill Marsoun’s Children of Eden (August 5 through 14), composer Stephen Schwartz’s beloved off-Broadway smash that explores the Bible stories of the Garden of Eden and Noah’s Ark.
Another off-Broadway sensation closes our summer-musical season when Geneseo’s Richmond Hill Barn Theatre and director Jim Brigman present the romantic fable The Fantasticks (August 11 through 21), a tale of young love and warring parents that stands as the world’s longest-running musical, its original New York engagement lasting an astounding 42 years and 17,162 performances. Meanwhile, the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre is offering a trio of much-loved musicals that enjoyed a collective 5,688 performances during their debut runs on the Great White Way: Meredith Willson’s saga of a charlatan, a librarian, and 76 trombones titled The Music Man (June 16 through July 3); Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning wartime romance South Pacific (July 7 through 17); and the go-to destination for greased lightning that is Grease (July 14 through 24).
Across the river in Mt. Carroll, the Timber Lake Playhouse will serve up its own trifecta of highly regarded musical treats: the Tony-nominated, ’80s-hair-metal celebration Rock of Ages (June 30 through July 10); more summertime Sondheim tunes – huzzah! – and toga-rific goofiness in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (July 14 through 24); and decidedly more dramatic material with the many passengers and outstanding scenic design of the five-time Tony-winning Titanic (July 28 through August 7). Those seeking equally serious, albeit far less tragic, fare can also find it in Rock Island with Genesius Guild’s and Opera @ Augustana’s Lincoln Park presentation The Tender Land (June 11 through 19), composer Aaron Copland’s opera concerning a farm family in the Midwest.
Moving from Eldridge to Davenport’s Village Theatre for the summer, Countryside Community Theatre and director Christina Myatt will deliver hip-shaking, toe-tapping, do-wop delights from the ’50s and ’60s in the all-female revue The Marvelous Wonderettes (July 8 through 17). Ironically, at the same time, Rock Island’s Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse will be presenting its own four-woman revue in director Patty Bender’s Menopause: The Musical (July 6 through August 27) – because what better season could there be for two hours of hot flashes? (If you’re groaning at that gag, you will not be the ideal audience for this show.)
And with the theatre’s current, hit production of Sister Act running through July 2, Circa ’21 will offer a third musical treat this season: director Andrea Moore’s family entertainment Lyle the Crocodile (June 21 through July 23). Based on a series of beloved children’s books, Lyle tells of the funny, endearing antics that transpire after a friendly croc turns up in a bathtub on New York’s Upper West Side, and I’m sure the show is adorable. Personally, though, if a crocodile ever showed up in my tub, it wouldn’t be a musical comedy. It’d be a freaking horror movie.
For more on area musicals this summer, visit the Reader’s online Theatre calendar.
