Music
Legendary Shack Shakers
Rock Island Brewing Company
Friday, November 14, 9 p.m.
On November 14, the Rock Island Brewing Company hosts an evening with the Legendary Shack Shakers, rockabilly/blues musicians whom Stephen King has called a "dynamite group" whose output "I actually play when I'm working, pretending to work, or just goofing around." Given that the band's discography includes the songs "Blood on the Bluegrass," "The Hills of Hell," "Sin Eater," and "Hellwater," why King is goofing around when he could instead be adapting Legendary Shack Shakers songs into horror novels is beyond me.
Formed in Paducah, Kentucky, in the mid-'90s by lead vocalist and harmonica and banjo player J.D. Wilkes - a talent whom Chicago's Alarm Magazine describes as "the closest thing there is to the Ambassador of Genuine Traditional Southern Culture" - the Legendary Shack Shakers got their big break in, of all things, a GEICO commercial. (The company used the band's "CD Song" in its 2005 "Sunglasses" spot, which ran on TV for a full year.) But it certainly didn't take long for the group's signature blend of rock, country blues, old-timey stylings, and even carnival music to appeal to a far larger demographic than strapped-in geckos wearing shades.
During the year that commercial hit big, Robert Plant called the Legendary Shack Shakers' Believe his favorite album of 2005, and recruited the musicians as openers on his European tour. They went on to share touring engagements with the likes of the Black Keys, Hank Williams III, and Rancid, and found their "Swampblood" tune included on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack for HBO's True Blood. They also became occasional stage stars in Denmark, where the Legendary Shack Shakers occasionally perform in the illegal-gun-trade drama FUBAR. for Copenhagen's Mute Comp Theatre.
And critics have gone suitably wild for the famously invigorating band, with Billboard magazine raving about the group's "mind-blowing lyrics rife with biblical references and ruminations on life, death, sin, and redemption," and News of the World deeming it "the maddest, baddest, most outrageous band in America." Pitchfork magazine, meanwhile, simply calls the Legendary Shack Shakers "a shit-kickin' good time." So have a blast at their RIBCO engagement. Preferably in shoes that won't stain.
The Legendary Shack Shakers perform locally with opening sets by Aaron Lee Tasjan and the Krank Daddies, and more information is available by calling (309)793-4060 or visiting RIBCO.com.
Theatre
The Dames of Denmark in Hamlet
QC Theatre Workshop
Friday, November 21, through Sunday, November 23
For classical-theatre troupe the Prenzie Players, the abridgment of Shakespeare's texts isn't unusual. Double-, triple-, and quadruple-casting isn't unusual. Female performers playing male roles isn't unusual. But four women enacting a 70-minute Hamlet with each of them getting to play the titular prince? That's unusual.
"It's really kind of an intense and crazy-fun thing," says director/adapter/co-star Cait Bodenbender of this particular Hamlet, which will be staged, as a Prenzie Players fundraiser, at the QC Theatre Workshop November 21 through 23. "It's extremely edited," she admits, "but all of the soliloquies are there, and it's definitely still Hamlet's show. Maybe even more than it was originally."
It's also a showcase for the Prenzie Players offshoot the Dames of Denmark, a female ensemble composed of Prenzie veterans - among them Hamlet's Bodenbender, Stephanie Burrough, Maggie Woolley, and Denise Yoder - who longed to tackle Shakespeare's male-dominated classic. "About three years ago, Stephanie was talking about really wanting to tell Hamlet's story," says Bodenbender. "And a group of us said, 'Well, we all want to do that, so let's just try it and see what happens.'"
Following three iterations (and public performances) of the work, Bodenbender says the Dames' current Hamlet lets each principal deliver at least one of its lead's soliloquies. "We're designated Hamlets One, Two, Three, and Four in the script," she says. "As a group, we were very interested in exploring Hamlet's language, so the show is very much focused on him.
"But," Bodenbender continues, "I'm also playing Claudius and Old Hamlet, the ghost. Denise is also Polonius and Gertrude and Marcellus, who's the only member of the Watch to survive the cuts. Maggie is Laertes and Orsic, who's now kind of a combination Orsic/Horatio character. And Stephanie is Ophelia, the Norwegian captain, and the gravedigger. I was really excited that I managed to keep the gravedigger."
She adds, though, that her Hamlet features "only one gravedigger, not two," and that many of the edits made for the show's 70-minute length "really hurt to do. There were some beautiful lines I tried really hard to keep. But if I kept them, I would've had to keep so much else for context that added too much time." So even though Tom Stoppard gave a play of their own to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? "Yeah, they're out," says Bodenbender, laughing. "They're cut right out."
The Dames of Denmark's Hamlet will be staged Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. - with Saturday's performance featuring the 7 p.m. vocal history "Prenzie: Past & Present" - and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)278-8426 or visiting PrenziePlayers.com.
Comedy
Bill Maher
Adler Theatre
Sunday, November 23, 7:30 p.m.
Comedian/pundit Bill Maher brings his nationally touring stand-up act to Davenport's Adler Theatre on November 23. Maher is the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, and the former host of the Comedy Central and ABC series Politically Incorrect. His 2008 film Religulous is the eighth-highest-grossing documentary feature of all time. He won his first Emmy Award this past August and has amassed an additional 33 nominations. He serves on the board of PETA and the advisory board for Project Reason. He's a frequent news-program commentator. He's a frequent headliner of televised comedy specials. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
But fear not: I promise that, in this article, I won't even try to be as smart or funny as Bill Maher.
Instead, let's see how versed you are in the wit of the masterful socio-political comedian! Which of the following quotes is not one of Maher's?
1) "All marriages are 'same sex' marriages; you get married, and every night, it's the same sex."
2) "Can we go back to using Facebook for what it was originally for: looking up exes to see how fat they got?"
3) "Kids - they're not easy, but there has to be some penalty for sex."
4) "Suicide is man's way of telling God, 'You can't fire me; I quit!'"
5) "Women cannot complain about men anymore until they start getting better taste in them."
For tickets to Bill Maher's Davenport performance, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Answer: Trick question - they're all Maher quotes. I thought about coming up with a smart, funny one to try to fool you, but a promise is a promise, I suppose.
Theatre
Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
Playcrafters Barn Theatre
Friday, November 14, through Sunday, November 23
We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of the Reader:
Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in the Reader, it's so." Please tell me the truth: Is there a Santa Claus?" - Virginia
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They may have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. How do I know? Because that's also the title of a holiday play that proves it - one that opens at Moline's Playcrafters Barn Theatre on November 14.
Inspired by a letter written by a little girl just like you more than 100 years ago, this charming and heartwarming tale by Andrew Fenady imagines the story behind the writing of that missive, and the response its question provokes in the grieving journalist entrusted to compose a reply. The script is also based on Fenady's beloved 1991 television movie of the same title, which found Richard Thomas, Edward Asner, and even Charles Bronson learning the true meaning of Christmas. Alas! how dreary the world would be if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.
But there is a Virginia in Playcrafters' Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, and she's played by a gifted young actress named Lena Slininger. And joining her in director Jordan Smith's cast are 20 additional theatrical talents, among them many performers you may recognize, such as David Bailey, Don Faust, Ashley Hoskins, Lisa Kahn, Josh LeFebvre, Grace Moore, Dana Moss-Peterson, Bill Peiffer, Donna Weeks, and Chris Zayner.
So take heart, Virginia. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
But you'd better get those Playcrafters tickets now, because this Santa Claus will only be around 'til November 23. And tell Papa he's right.
Sincerely: An Editor.
Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus will be staged Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)762-0330 or visiting Playcrafters.com.
What Else Is Happenin'
MUSIC
Thursday, November 13, and Friday, November 14 - The Grand Tour: A Tribute to George Jones. Musical revue featuring Larry Tobias as the country-music superstar. Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). Thursday: 6 p.m. buffet, 7:15 p.m. show, $49.12. Friday: noon plated lunch, 1 p.m. show, $43.37. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Thursday, November 13 - Andrew Landers and Ellis Kell: Stories & Songs. Concert of folk songs and folk tales with the area musicians. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $11.50. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, November 14 - Hunter Hayes. Country singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist in concert. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7:30 p.m. $32.50-45. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Friday, November 14 - Judah & the Lion. Concert with the Nashville-based Americana/pop musicians, featuring an opening set by Joseph & Hope Country. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $11.50. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, November 14 - Jason Carl & the Whole Damn Band and Patio. CD-release party with the area musicians. Rascals Live (1414 15th Street, Moline). 9:30 p.m. For information, call (309)797-9457 or visit RascalsLive.com.
Friday, November 14 - Manny Lopez Big Band Veterans Day Concert. Lopez and his ensemble play hits from the Big Band era, with a special tribute to our nation's veterans featuring the anthems for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Circa '21 Speakeasy (1818 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 6 p.m. $13-16. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Friday, November 14 - Chase Garrett's Blues & Boogie Woogie Piano Stomp. Fifth-annual concert showcasing pianists Garrett, Ricky Nye, and Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $30-45. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Saturday, November 15 - The Ballroom Thieves. Alternative, folk, and rock musicians in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $9.50. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Sunday, November 16 - Coleman Harris Quartet. Harris and ensemble members Neal Smith, Jim Betts, and Wayne Allen a concert in Polyrhythms' Third Sunday Jazz Series. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 4 p.m. reception, 6 p.m. concert. $10-15. For tickets and information, call (309)373-0790 or visit Polyrhythms.ning.com.
Sunday, November 16 - My Brightest Diamond. Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shara Worden in a concert co-presented by the Englert Theatre, with opening sets by Dosh and Ghostband. The Mill (120 East Burlington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $16. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Tuesday, November 18 - The Grownup Noise. Boston-based Americana/pop musicians in concert. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $5-10. For information, call (309)200-0978 or visit RozzTox.com.
Wednesday, November 19 - Lucky Break. Bluegrass standards and traditional Jewish music with the Midwestern artists, presented in the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities' "Jews Rock" series. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $5-12. For information, call (309)793-1300 or visit JFQC.org.
Thursday, November 20 - Daytrotter Communion. Concert with independent musicians Mikhael Paskalev, Luke Bell, and other guests. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $12.50-15. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.
Friday, November 21, and Saturday, November 22 - Quad City Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops. Annual holiday concerts with the symphony, area children's choirs, and the acrobats of Cirque de la Symphonie. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 2:30 and 8 p.m. $8-50. For tickets and information, call (563)322-7276 or visit QCSymphony.com.
Friday, November 21 - Bucktown Revue. A celebration of Mississippi River Valley folk music and culture through music, storytelling, poetry, and humor. Nighswander Theatre (2822 Eastern Avenue, Davenport). 7 p.m. $12 at the door. For information, call (563)940-0508 or visit BucktownRevue.com.
Friday, November 21, through Sunday, November 23 - Only a Miracle and The Play of Herod. Opera@Augustana presents works by Seymour Barab and the Fleury Playbook. Augustana College's Denkmann Memorial Hall (3520 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $12-14. For tickets and information, call (309)794-7306 or visit Augustana.edu/arts.
Friday, November 21 - The Giving Tree Band. Folk-rock and bluegrass musicians in concert, with an opening set by the Nick Moss Band. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $12-15. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, November 21 - Madi Diaz. Singer/songwriter performs her record-release show with an opening set by Christian Lee Hutson. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7:30 p.m. $7-12. For information, call (309)200-0978 or visit RozzTox.com.
Saturday, November 22 - Déjà Vu Rendezvous with Vince Amore. Pop, classical, and big-band musician in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $9.50. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Saturday, November 22 - Rosanne Cash. Concert with the chart-topping, Grammy-winning country singer. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $42-57.50. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Sunday, November 23 - A Day of Giving and Receiving: Ann's Helping Hands Fundraiser. Benefit to raise money for Christmas-meal baskets, featuring music by The Last Glimpse, Dusty Liquor Box, 1380, Back in the Day, and Dave's Not Here, Man. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 3 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Tuesday, November 25 - Slipknot. Heavy-metal musicians in their "Prepare for Hell" tour, with opening sets by Korn and King 810. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7 p.m. $35-65. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
THEATRE
Friday, November 14, through Sunday, November 23 - Angels in America: Millennium Approaches. Part one of Tony Kushner's Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning 1980s epic, directed by Tristan Layne Tapscott. District Theatre (1623 Second Avenue, Rock Island). Thursdays through Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. $20. For tickets and information, call (309)235-1654 or visit DistrictTheatre.com.
Saturday, November 15, and Sunday, November 16 - A Grateful Nation. Reader-theatre drama about a small Iowa community during World War II, written by Ron Clark and Rick Williams. Riverside Theatre (213 North Gilbert Street, Iowa City). Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $15-20. For tickets and information, call (319)338-7672 or visit RiversideTheatre.org.
Thursday, November 20, through Sunday, December 20 - A 1940s Radio Christmas Carol. Holiday-themed sequel to the musical comedy The 1940s Radio Hour. Old Creamery Theatre (39 38th Avenue, Amana). Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 2 p.m. $18.50-28. For tickets and information, call (319)622-6262 or visit OldCreamery.com.
Friday, November 21, through Sunday, December 7 - Assorted Nuts! Musical comedy with singer/musician Kerry Christensen and local comics Meg Merckens and Deborah Kennedy. Iowa Theatre Artists Company (4709 220th Trail, Amana). Thursdays through Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 2 p.m. $10-22.50. For tickets and information, call (319)622-3222 or visit IowaTheatreArtists.org.
DANCE
Thursday, November 13, through Saturday, November 15 - Healing Wars. Multimedia dance experience created and directed by Liz Lerman and featuring actor Bill Pullman, in a Hancher Auditorium Visiting Artists presentation. University of Iowa's Space/Place Theatre (20 Davenport Street, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $10-40. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Friday, November 21 - Augustana Dance Company. Choreographed vignettes with the school's dance troupe. Augustana College's Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $3-7. For tickets and information, call (309)794-7306 or visit Augustana.edu/arts.
COMEDY
Thursday, November 13 - W. Kamau Bell. Socio-political stand-up comedian performs in his "Oh, Everything! Comedy Tour." The Mill (120 East Burlington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $16. For tickets and information, call (309)351-9529 or visit ICMill.com.
Saturday, November 15 - Paul Rodriguez. Touring event with the stand-up comedian and TV/film star. Quad-Cities Waterfront Event Center (2021 State Street, Bettendorf). 8 p.m. $30. For information, call (800)843-4753 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.com.
Saturday, November 15 - An Evening with Henry Rollins. Comedy, insight, and rants with the spoken-word artist. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $30. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org. For a 2010 interview with Rollins, visit RCReader.com/y/rollins.
EXHIBIT
Saturday, November 15, through Sunday, March 15 - Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum. Nationally touring exhibit featuring quilts, furniture, paintings, sculptures, books, and assemblages dating from the 18th to 21st centuries. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sundays noon-5 p.m. $4-7 museum admission. For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
EVENTS
Thursday, November 13 - Lights, Camera, Literacy! Food for Thought Fundraiser. A night of dining around the library, featuring food stations from area chefs, soft drinks, wine, beer, and music by the Edgar Crockett Duo and Lee Blackmon. Rock Island Public Library (401 19th Street, Rock Island). 5 p.m. $35-40. For tickets and information, call (309)732-7326 or visit RockIslandLibrary.org.
Friday, November 21, through Sunday, November 23 - Pandora's Circus. Cirque du Soleil-style theatrical production inspired by Greek mythology. Coralville Center for the Performing Arts (1301 Fifth Street, Coralville). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $12-20. For tickets and information, call (319)248-9370 or visit CoralvilleArts.org.
Saturday, November 22, through Sunday, November 30 - Quad City Arts Festival of Trees. Annual fundraising exhibit featuring hundreds of decorated trees, presentations, live music, a parade, children's activities, and more. Davenport RiverCenter (136 East Third Street, Davenport). $3-10. For tickets and daily-schedule information, call (309)793-1213 or visit QuadCityArts.com/festivaloftrees.
