Music
The Zac Brown Band
i wireless Center
Friday, August 3, 7 p.m.
The country-music superstars of the Zac Brown Band will play the i wireless center on August 3, and among the group's output is the 2012 CD You Get What You Give. Considering what the band has been giving over the years, it's no wonder they've been getting so much!
Based in Atlanta and formed in 2002, Brown and his ensemble enjoyed their first taste of smash success with the 2008 album Foundation. Four years later, the Zac Brown Band - acclaimed for its spectacular musicianship, thrilling vocals, propulsive energy, and exhilarating live performances - has yet to hit a professional speed bump, with Billboard describing its latest CD, July's Uncaged, as "the best country release of 2012 so far."
The band's acclaim has been more than matched by its professional recognition; among the laurels amassed by the Zac Brown Band over the past three years are two Grammy Awards, two CMT Music Awards, two Academy of Country Music Awards, and a Country Music Association Award, with those four organizations also bestowing on the group 29 additional nominations.
And you want chart-topping hits? The Zac Brown Band will give you chart-topping hits! Of the following nine songs, which was the only one that did not hit number one on Billboard's U.S. Country chart?
1) "As She's Walking Away"
2) "Chicken Fried"
3) "Colder Weather"
4) "Free"
5) "Highway 20 Ride"
6) "Keep Me in Mind"
7) "Knee Deep"
8) "No Hurry"
9) "Toes"
Sonia Leigh and Nic Cowan perform opening sets for the Zac Brown Band's Moline concert, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 or visiting iwirelessCenter.com.
Answer: 8. That one made it to the number-two spot. Nothing number-two-y about that.
Music
The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Redstone Room
Thursday, August 9, and Friday, August 10, 7:30 p.m.
Appearing locally for a special, extended concert engagement, the Blind Boys of Alabama will display their universally acclaimed gospel and blues talents at Davenport's Redstone Room on August 9 and 10. But while the ensemble's two-night area booking already suggests that these soulful musicians are something truly special, there are a few other arguments for the Blind Boys being the pinnacles of cool. Consider:
· With only minimal membership changes, the group has been performing consistently since 1939, with founding member Clarence Fountain - age 82 - still making occasional concert appearances.
· The Blind Boys are the recipients of six Grammy Awards, winning for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album an impressive four years running, from 2002 through 2005.
· One of those Grammys was the ensemble's 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award - a recognition they also received from the National Endowment of the Arts - and in 2007, the musicians were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
· In 2010, the Blind Boys performed at the White House for President Obama and the First Lady, appearing on a musical guest list that included Bob Dylan, Natalie Cole, and Smokey Robinson.
· The band has been showcased in its own PBS holiday special, on a segment of 60 Minutes, and on such programs as The Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O'Brien
· The group's rendition of Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole" was the theme song for the first season of HBO's The Wire, considered by many to be the coolest show ever.
But here's how I know, beyond a doubt, that the group is as good as it gets: This past Easter, I was watching the movie Hop with my five-year-old niece Gwen, and when the Blind Boys of Alabama started jamming on-screen, and her mother and I mistakenly chose that moment to speak, Gwen spun on us, shot her finger to her lips, and went, "Shhhh!" You can think it was because of the rabbit playing drums. I'm pretty sure it's because Gwen has amazing taste in music.
The Blind Boys of Alabama play the Redstone Room with opening sets by Clarence Bucaro on Thursday and Ed Anderson on Friday, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)326-1333 or visiting RiverMusicExperience.org.
Theatre
The Dixie Swim Club
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse
Thursday, August 2, through Saturday, September 15
Hey, ladies, have I got a play for you!
It's a touching comedy called The Dixie Swim Club, and it's running at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse from August 2 through September 15, and it's all about five Southern women who meet for annual get-togethers at a lakeside beach house. The production follows these disparate characters through the years as they enjoy clever, insightful conversations about men and parenting and the humorous perils of aging, and critics have been wowed by the results, with Tampa Bay Weekly praising the show's "delicious mix of eccentric characters and sweet Southern charm."
Directing Circa '21's production is the gifted Jim Hesselman, who also helmed the theatre's acclaimed productions of Legally Blonde: The Musical and Hairspray, and included in the cast are popular area performers Lora Adams, Autumn O'Ryan, and Shelley Walljasper, whose local credits include roles in Spreading It Around, Southern Crossroads, and the male-stripper comedy The Full Monty. So expect this new show to be full of cheek! Ha ha!
For more information and tickets to The Dixie Swim Club, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 ... and be sure to bring your husband or boyfriend! He'll thank you for it!
Hey, guys, have I got a play for you!
It's a riotous comedy called The Dixie Swim Club, and it's running at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse from August 2 through September 15, and it's all about five Southern pals who ditch their significant others for annual getaways at the beach. The production follows the friends through the years as they enjoy hysterical, sometimes argumentative conversations about life and relationships and sex, and critics have been wowed by the results, with CurtainUp.com raving that the "thoroughly entertaining" show "moves along with swift abandon."
Directing Circa '21's production is the gifted Jim Hesselman, who orchestrated the crazy-good special effects and swashbuckling of the theatre's Peter Pan, and included in the cast are popular area performers Lora Adams, Autumn O'Ryan, and Shelley Walljasper, whose local credits include roles in the comedic murder mysteries Catch Me If You Can and Whodunit? and the bloody musical Sweeney Todd. So expect this new show to positively kill! Ha ha!
For more information and tickets to The Dixie Swim Club, visit Circa21.com ... and be sure to bring your wife or girlfriend! She'll thank you for it!
Theatre
Hello, Dolly!
Prospect Park Auditorium
Friday, August 3, through Sunday, August 12
(Sung to the opening of "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" from Hello, Dolly! ... and, of course, WALL·E.)
Out there,
There's a show performed in Moline,
Music Guild will stage a great show, Barnaby -
A first-rate show, Barnaby!
Out there,
Full of shine and full of sparkle,
Grab a friend and see it glisten, Barnaby -
Listen, Barnaby ... !
Put on your evening clothes and catch Hello, Dolly!
The Tony-winning classic is the best!
You're gonna love the songs and the romance - you'll see!
The sets are cool, and the actors rule ...
And just wait and see how they're dressed!
Put on your evening clothes for Jerry Herman's score,
With the lyrics that are just divine!
You'll laugh and smile, tap your feet a while,
And then beg the Guild for some more,
Because Hello, Dolly! has great times in store!
Featuring such timeless numbers as "Before the Parade Passes by," "It Only Takes a Moment," and the unforgettable title tune, Quad City Music Guild's Hello, Dolly! is directed by Eric Lounsberry, and stars Charlene Engstrom, Mike Millar, Tristan Tapscott, Bryan Tank, Heidi Pedersen, and Harold Truitt. The show runs at the Prospect Park Auditorium August 3 through 12, and information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-6610 or visiting QCMusicGuild.com.*
*With apologies for my inability to make that information scan properly in the song. I blame Jerry Herman.
What Else Is Happenin'... ?
MUSIC
Thursday, August 2, through Sunday, August 5 - Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival. Annual celebration of the jazz legend and Davenport native, featuring workshops, seminars, and performances by more than a dozen ensembles. Concerts held at venues including the Adler Theatre and RiverCenter (136 East Third Street, Davenport) and LeClaire Park (River Drive and Ripley Street, Davenport). For information and a schedule of events, call (563)324-7170 or visit BixSociety.org.
Thursday, August 2 - Banshee. Heavy-metal rockers and frequent touring artists in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $10-12. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, August 3 - Sofia Talvik. Acclaimed Swedish folk singer-songwriter in concert. Cool Beanz Coffeehouse (1325 30th Street, Rock Island). 7 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (309)558-0909 or visit CoolBeanzCoffeehouse.com. For an interview with Talvik, visit RCReader.com/y/sofiatalvik.
Sunday, August 5 - The Israeli Scouts. Songs performed in Hebrew and English by 10 young touring musicians. Tri-City Jewish Center (2715 30th Street, Rock Island). 2 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (309)793-1300 or visit JFQC.org.
Sunday, August 5 - Chris Beard. The "Prince of Blues" performs in a concert presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. The Muddy Waters (1708 State Street, Bettendorf). 5 p.m. $8-10. For information, call (563)355-0655 or visit TheMuddyWaters.com.
Tuesday, August 7 - Steve Earle & the Dukes. Rock, folk, and country music with the popular singer/songwriter and his ensemble. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $35. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Wednesday, August 8 - An Evening with Janiva Magness. Los Angeles-based blues singer/songwriter in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $16. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Thursday, August 9 - Taj Mahal Trio. Blues and roots music with the legendary vocalist/multi-instrumentalist and his ensemble. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $35-50. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Friday, August 10 - Herman's Hermits with Peter Noone. Concert featuring pop hits including "I'm Into Something Good" and "I Am Henry VIII, I Am." Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf). 7:30 p.m. $20-30. For information, call (800)724-5825 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.com.
Saturday, August 11 - Warrant, Winger, and Firehouse. Platinum-selling rock and pop-metal musicians in concert. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7 p.m. $22.50-39.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Saturday, August 11 - The Awful Purdies. All-female folk quintet in an Intimate at the Englert Series presentation. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Tuesday, August 14 - An Evening with Gaelic Storm. Acclaimed Celtic rockers in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $28. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Wednesday, August 15 - The BoDeans. Famed roots-rock and pop performers in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8:30 p.m. $40. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
THEATRE
Thursday, August 2, through Sunday, August 12 - Hate Mail. The two-character, anti-Love Letters comedy, performed in repertory with Love Letters. Clinton Area Showboat Theatre (311 Riverview Drive, Clinton). Scheduled performances Wednesday-Sunday at 3 and 7:30 p.m. $16-23. For tickets and information, call (563)242-6760 or visit ClintonShowboat.org.
Thursday, August 2, through Sunday, August 12 - Cabaret. Kander & Ebb's musical classic set in Nazi-era Berlin. Timber Lake Playhouse (8215 Black Oak Road, Mt. Carroll). Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Wednesday, and August 4 at 2 p.m. $15-23. For tickets and information, call (815)244-2035 or visit TimberLakePlayhouse.org.
EVENTS
Thursday, August 2, through Sunday, August 5 - 2012 Mississippi Valley Fair. Annual carnival event featuring rides, games, and grandstand musicians Billy Currington and Brantley Gilbert (Thursay), REO Speedwagon (Friday), Hank Williams Jr. (Saturday), and Montgomery Gentry (Sunday). Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds (2815 West Locust Street, Davenport). $3-10 daily admission (not including grandstand acts); $40-45 Fun Cards for full admission and grandstand-act entry. For information, call (563)326-5338 or visit MVFair.com.
Saturday, August 4 - Second-Annual Wine Walk. A sampling of selected wines from around the world, with a glimpse into four premier houses in Rock Island's Broadway Historic District. 6 p.m. $25. For information and to reserve, call (309)786-5562 or visit www.broadwaydistrict.org/
Thursday, August 9, through Sunday, August 11 - 2012 TugFest. Annual tug-of-war over the Mississippi River held at the town levees in LeClaire and Port Byron, featuring carnivals, live music, vendors, children's activities, and more. Tug-of-war on Saturday at 1 p.m. Thursday free admission, Friday and Saturday $3-5. For information, call (309)314-0556 or (563)289-2799, or visit TugFest.com (LeClaire) or TugFest.org (Port Byron).
Friday, August 10, and Saturday, August 11 - Ya Maka My Weekend. Annual outdoor celebration of Caribbean culture, featuring a dozen bands performing on two stages, vendors, art activities, and more. The District of Rock Island. Friday 5 p.m., Saturday noon. $9 one-day entry, $14 two-day entry. For information, call (309)788-6311 or visit YaMakaMyWeekend.com.
