2023 Alternating Currents Festival, August 17 through 20

Thursday, August 17, through Sunday, August 20

Downtown Davenport IA and Rock Island IL

Taking place in two cities, two states, and more than two dozen venues, the popular summertime traveling festival Alternating Currents returns to Davenport and Rock Island from August 17 through 20, a Quad Cities celebration of music, film, comedy, and visual arts boasting more than 100 musical performances, comedy sets, film screenings, local art displays, and even pro-wrestling.

Among the 2023 live-music events, Rock Island native and folk rocker Lissie and her band will perform on August 17 at Rock Island’s Schwiebert Riverfront Park. Ax & the Hatchetmen are bringing their rock & roll and blistering horns back to Alternating Currents, while Chicago pop-punk legends The Smoking Popes return to AC for the first time since 2017 as part of their journey to “melt America, one face at a time.” Nominated as the 2023 Emerging Act of the Year at the Americana Music Honors and Awards, Adeem the Artist will perform their roots and country music at Alternating Currents, with the Midwest Country Music Organization’s reigning Entertainer of the Year, Muscatine's Monica Austin, will belt out her country tunes. Quad Cities musician CJ Parker, named “a rising star” by MTV in 2022, will make an appearance with his full band, while at the Quad City Arts Silent Disco, attendees will bust a move to a variety of music as they use their headphones to switch from one DJ to the next at the Davenport Skybridge.

But Alternating Currents is about much more than live music. Among arts-related events, Made Market QC, a handmade and vintage maker’s market, will showcase more than 100 vendors covering two blocks on Davenport's East Second Street. The Beaux Arts Fair will celebrate their 70th Anniversary bringing artisan booths and one-of-a-kind artwork to the weekend festival on the Figge Art Museum’s Bechtel Plaza. And Alternating Currents' 2023 Art Partner TBK Bank will provide artists an opportunity to create a community mural in downtown Davenport.

Festival attendees searching for funny will find it when comedy veteran and underground hero Richard Reese dishes out some big laughs during his standup performance. Recently voted The Kansas City Pitch’s “Best Local Comic,” comedian Brittany Tilander will deliver her radical sense of honesty to the Alternating Currents comedy stage, while standup comedian Tyler Walsh, who has emerged as a unique Midwestern comedic voice, is schedule to transform his experiences into relatable laughs.

The Alternating Currents Film Festival will also return with in excess of 30 film screenings in various genres, and cash and trophy prizes given to the top films in their categories. The Rumble in Rocktown returns to Wake Brewing in downtown Rock Island with an action-packed lineup of SCW professional wrestling talent. The Idea Factory is again on the Alternating Currents lineup, delivering panel discussions and interactive forums on engaging topics. And included among the festival's events for the first time is River Action’s annual popular Floatzilla, with paddle enthusiasts attempting to break the world record of 3,150 kayaks and canoes in the water at once.

Alternating Currents festival was founded in 2017 by the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP), a division of the Quad Cities Chamber. Now the event is powered by DDP and has expanded to include the Downtown Bettendorf Organization and Rock Island Downtown Alliance. This year, the festival's presenting sponsors are Regional Development Authority (RDA) and Rhythm City Casino Resort, with programming support provided by investments from Music Partner GreenState Credit Union and Arts Partner TBK Bank.

For more information and a full schedule of Alternating Currents happenings, visit AlternatingCurrentsQC.com.