The Quad Cities' combat athletes and their mentors in wrestling, boxing, karate, and mixed martial arts (MMA) have a long and storied history Yes, combat sports' art and science has been embedded in the Quad Cities for generations.
Delivering a two-night mega-event that will also be broadcast on pay-per-view, the mixed-martial-arts spectacle Caged Aggression XLII: The Perfect Storm will take place at the Davenport RiverCenter on October 16 and 17, with more than two dozen supremely talented MMA greats facing off in the nightly battles.
Appearing in a special “Evenings at Butterworth” event, archivist, writer, and speaker Neil Dahlstrom will deliver a October 22 program at Moline's Butterworth center, the presenter and Quad Cities native's books including Tractor Wars: John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and The Birth of Modern Agriculture.
Chatting with Ballet Quad Cities' artistic director Courtney Lyon about the professional dance company's The Scarlet Letter, a world-premiere adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's famed 1850 novel, I'm catching the choreographer early in the rehearsal process. How early? I wind up learning who'll be dancing the ballet's principal roles before the dancers do.
A regular at the world-famous Comedy Cellar in New York City admired for his playful personality, clever wit, and refreshingly PG-13 material, comedian Keith Alberstadt enjoys a two-night engagement at Rock Island's Bally's Quad Cities, the Aspen Laff Festival's executive director Gram Slaton praising the standup as "a genius" who performs "the toughest kind of humor to consistently pull off."
There are five supervisor seats on the county board, and elected supervisors serve four-year terms. This year, there are three open seats, and two of the three incumbents are running again, as Ross Paustian did not run again. Only one of the two incumbents, Jean Dickson, responded to the questionnaire. Supervisors are paid $45-50,000 annually plus health and retirement benefits. Five of the seven candidates vying for the three seats participated this year. Responses are in alphabetical order by family name.
The incumbent Scott County Treasurer, Tony Knobbe has served since 2023, and last fiscal year was paid $102,313 plus benefits. Knobbe is not running for re-election and there are two candidates for a single seat that has a four-year term, Greg Guy and Samuel Samara. Responses are in alphabetical order by family name.
According to the Scott County, Iowa Recorder's Office's web page, "The Recorder's Office was created by the First Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Iowa in 1839."
The incumbent Recorder, Rita Vargas has served since 2002, and last fiscal year was paid $102,313 plus benefits. Vargas is not running for re-election and there are two candidates for a single seat that has a four-year term, Tony Paone and Michael Wulf. Responses are in alphabetical order by family name.
My frustration with the looming 2026 midterm election is that so few candidates, whether incumbents or challengers, deserve my vote. Most incumbent career politicians stopped representing voting constituencies long ago. Newbie challengers hit the ground running in place, relegated to the fringe and saddled with newbie duties, such as marathon fund raising for their respective parties – duties deliberately designed to distract away from the serious business occurring elsewhere.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch raised some eyebrows after he attended a meeting in suburban River Forest to talk about the proposed O’Hare Flyer project, which would run express commuter trains back and forth from Downtown Chicago to O’Hare Airport. Speaker Welch told attendees he could prevent two state agency budgets from moving forward if he didn’t get what he wanted out of the project for towns in and around his district.
Boasting music direction by Martin Majkut and stage direction by Abbigail Coté, with Matthew Clarke serving as conductor, the acclaimed Hansel und Gretel enjoys an October 16 through 18 run at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, this enchanting opera inspired by the Brothers Grimm fairy tale performed by gifted students at the University of Iowa School of Music.
With its source material named "the best American children's book of the past two hundred years" by the Children's Literature Association, the stage version of E.B. White's beloved Charlotte's Web enjoys an October 10 through 18 run in St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center.
Make no mistake: This is not a show with a lovely, happy ending. In fact, it’s an altogether dark look at humanity. And October is a perfect time for The Hunchback of Notre Dame, because it’s spooky and dark – ideal for setting the Halloween mood without explicitly being Halloweeny.
From October 9 through 18, Rock Island's youth-theatre venue The Center for Living Arts (CFLA) will present Spring Awakening one final time, closing a chapter with this Tony-winning musical drama that has become part of the organization’s history.
Are you looking for love? For marriage? Or just trying to get past your partner’s daily idiosyncrasies? You may well love I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, whether you attend solo or with a date.
Described by the Examiner as “a band unlike any other” and by Blurt magazine as “a hybrid of Idris Muhammad, George Clinton, Ohio Players, and Earth, Wind & Fire,” the tightly-wrapped funk, rock, and R&B musicians of Here Come the Mummies play East Moline venue The Rust Belt on October 16, their infectious grooves leading The Bob & Tom Show co-host Bob Kevoian to call one of their concerts “the most fun I've had in 20 years.”
Delivering a high-energy, fresh sound blending pop, rock, vaudeville jazz, and show tunes, their sets packed with original music, modern hits, and timeless classics, the Quad Cities musicians of Minus Six reunite for an October 16 concert at Davenport's Redstone Room at Common Chord, this upbeat, inclusive, and family-friendly concert boasting the return of lead singer and present Arizona resident Kevin Carton.
Having been inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame twice this decade – first as a member of New Grass Revival in 2020, and then as a solo artist in 2023 – Grammy-winning string player Sam Bush headlines an October 16 concert event at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and guitar musician widely lauded as an originator of progressive bluegrass music.
With his 2024 album Livin' My Best Life hailed by Blues Rock Review as a "testament to his enduring talent and versatility in the blues rock genre," the gifted singer/songwriter and guitarist Rocky Athas headlines an October 18 concert at Davenport's Gypsy Highway Bar & Grill, his exhilarating local performance co-presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society.
Headlining a stellar evening of metal that will boast sets with Rahvn, Fed to Vultures, Cheeseburger Murder Cult, and Facecarver, the Midwestern musicians of Ancient Entities play Davenport's Redstone Room at Common Chord on October 18, Decibel Magazine lauding the group's “intense performance visuals” and “tech-heavy approach based on ancient civilizations.”
I may have been disappointed in Other Mommy, but it's hardly an ignoble failure, and it was kind of thrilling to see several genre norms smartly upturned before the picture was a half-hour old.
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, October 15: Discussion of Other Mommy, The Social Reckoning, and Angel & the Badman, and previews of (deep breath) Street Fighter, Whalefall, Sense & Sensibility, Musk, You Can See Everything, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, You Can't Leave, Crawlers, and Trust Me, I'm a Doctor. Mike's gonna try to get to at least six of 'em. While cursing Hollywood's mid-October release strategy.
In director Michael Showalter's adaptation of Colleen Hoover's Verity, the title figure is a fabulously wealthy celebrity who appears willing to go to psychotic extremes to get a little peace and quiet. Having now appeared in five films over the past six months, and with a new baby on the way, it's no wonder Anne Hathaway is so good in the role. She must relate to Verity Crawford like crazy.
With Robert Pattinson supplying a demented stare, wicked grin, and one of his signature affected accents, this big-screen Chris Hansen is magisterially icky: sweaty, scary, pathetic, and wholly deserving of the downfall you know is coming.
Now playing at area theaters.
With the showcased photographs captured by class-of-2025 alumna Hannah Bauch, patrons of the University of Dubuque's Bisignano Aet Gallery are invited to explore the multifaceted identities of student athletes, and the many layers that exist beyond their roles in competition, in the exhibition Beyond the Game: A UD Athletic Homecoming, on display through October 30.
With the artists encouraging their audience to pause and find hidden details in their work., two Midwestern talents are showcasing pieces at the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery through November 2, the Bowden & Shultz-Hetrick exhibit hosting abstract paintings by Peotone, Illinois' James Bowden and fused-glass art by Cedar Rapids' Barbara Shultz-Hetrick.
Presenting a fascinating display of sumi-e art, the traditional Japanese form of ink-was painting that uses black ink, water, and minimalist brush strokes to capture the inner spirit of natural subjects, Karen Kurka Jensen's Coming Home will be on display in Black Hawk College's ArtSpace Gallery through November 6, a closing reception and artist talk scheduled at the Moline gallery on November 5.
An arresting and thought-provoking group show featuring 38 pieces of art made by 27 Midwestern artists whose work explores the many forms our “monsters” can take, The Monster Under My Bed will be on display at Rock Island's Quad City Arts Center through December 4, this exhibition designed to demonstrate ways in which creativity can help us give shape to experiences that are difficult to put into words.
Timed to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States' Declaration of Independence, the Figge Art Museum exhibition Connie & Michael Roberts: Portrait of America will be on display in the Davenport venue's Lewis Gallery through January 3, this arresting collection of works inviting audiences to reflect on the individuals who helped shape our nation’s history.
You'll get both the current official narrative challenge and What's Happenin' in the Quad Cities.
(Did you know we publish a new Real Astrology and RCR Crossword every week?)
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