The recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship who, in 2016, was also named one of Politico's “50 people across the country who are most influencing the national political debate," a Pulitzer Prize winner engages in virtual conversation with a Chicago-based journalist in Poverty – A Discussion with Matthew Desmond, the May 13 event with Desmond and Natalie Moore presented by Illinois Libraries Present and the Rock Island and Silvis Public Libraries.
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Presented as part of the Davenport venue's popular “Kaffee und Kuchen” series, the German American Center's May 18 program A Great Treasure in Rock Island: The Hauberg Estate will explore how, in 1956, the family of Denkmann-Weyerhauser lumber company heiress Susanne Denkmann and her husband John Hauberg gifted their home to the City of Rock Island, with presenter Annette LeZotte offering insight into the past, present, and future of this magnificent Quad Cities civic center.
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His career trajectory having taken him from being a public school teacher to a national touring comedian, Lucas Bohn shares his journey of following his dreams in the midst of life’s many curve balls in Lesson Plans to Late Night. a special May 22 event at Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse boasting a plethora of jokes from students and ruminations on the joys of mid-life adoption while performing comedy across America.
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Presented by the Quad Cities Bicycle Club and returning to the Village of East Davenport, an eagerly anticipated Memorial Day tradition returns for its 58th year in the Quad Cities Criterium – a May 26 event featuring hundreds of adult and youth cyclists from across the U.S., Canada, and Europe participating in a dozen bicycle races, with thousands of dollars in cash prizes awarded throughout the day.
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Delivering a blend of local history, environmental issues, education, entertainment, and fresh air, Davenport's River Action will again present a series of outdoor presentations in the first month-plus of the annual Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly programs that, from May 27 through June 28, will address such topics as Brazil's Amazon River, invasive species, area raptors, and the home of the Quad City River Bandits.
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As we approach May 28, the second anniversary of a tragedy that shocked the people of Davenport and brought national attention to the issue of building safety, secrecy continues to cloud public confidence in their government officials.
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[The remarks below were delivered during Public With Business at the Scott County Board of Supervisors Board Meeting Thursday April 24, 2025.] "I will save you the suspense: It is a public record. We all know how this is going to end. The only question is if you’re going to write another check for $93,000 to Mike Meloy or not?"
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For two years, lifelong Scott County residents Dr Allen Diercks and Diane Holst (a former Scott County Board of Supervisor) put their money where their convictions are and hired Attorney Mike Meloy to take Scott County, Iowa, and Auditor Kerri Tompkins to court in 2023 to compel her in the direction of greater transparency and participation with Scott Countians by disclosing the list of names and addresses of 27 candidates who submitted résumés for a vacant supervisor seat on the Scott County Board of Supervisors (SCBS).
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I spent some time talking with a top legislative budget negotiator last week who said rank-and-file legislators will very soon have to come to terms with a state budget environment unlike anything many have ever seen before.
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During a rip-roaring speech in New Hampshire last week, Governor JB Pritzker called for mass national protests and “disruption,” assailed “do-nothing” Democrats for their “simpering timidity,” and labeled President Donald Trump a “madman” who cannot be reasoned with. The Jewish Ukrainian-American governor said of Trump: “Stop tearing down the Constitution in the name of my ancestors. Do not claim that your authoritarian power-grabs are about anti-Semitism. When you destroy social justice, you are disparaging the very foundation of Judaism.”
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A special presentation by the Genesius Theatre Guild of the Quad Cities in preparation for its summer season at Rock Island's Lincoln Park, the Shakespearean celebration Songs & Sweet Airs will enjoy a live presentation at the Rock Island Public Library's Watts-Midtown Branch on May 13, this reader's-theatre performance a supercut of some of the Bard's greatest writing that boasts scenes and monologues from many of his plays.
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Given that the new Pope hails from Chicago, it’s likely you’ve heard an uptick of talk of that town in the last week or so. But let me tell you: There’s another Chicago you ought to be talking about, because the current production running at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, directed and choreographed by Ashley Becher, is a visual spectacular and features, I wager, some of the best dancing I’ve ever seen on that stage.
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Conceived by the revered artistic team of Craig Lucas and Norman René, and boasting nearly two dozen songs by the composing legend that is Stephen Sondheim, the two-character musical Marry Me a Little makes its Quad Cities debut at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre, its May 23 through June 1 sure to demonstrate why The Guardian hailed the show as "a carousel of regrets and rapture."
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From May 29 through June 8, one of the most endearing and enduring of all dramatic comedies enjoys a run at Geneseo's Richmond Barn Theatre with the venue's presentation of Steel Magnolias, playwright Robert Harling's charming, riotous, and moving tale of mothers, daughters, and best friends that inspired the 1989 movie classic and led Drama-Logue to call it "a skillfully crafted, lovingly evoked picture of eccentricity in the small-town South."
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Updated: Monday, May 12
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On May 13, the artist whom The Rolling Stone Album Guide calls “the world's most beloved heavy-metal entertainer” makes a special appearance at Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK with the Quad Cities return of Alice Cooper, whose 2023 recording Road was hailed by Classic Rock as "a cohesively themed album lathered in multi-tiered guitars, anthemic choruses, and high-density power riffage, tempered by road-honed dynamism and built for the stage."
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An Alabama-based singer/songwriter and guitarist who is also member of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Dead Fingers, folk, rock, and blues artist Taylor Hollingsworth headlines a May engagement at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artist's 2020 album Country Visions lauded by Blackwater Collective as "a true psychedelic wanderer with a gritty glow of downhome goodness."
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With his 2024 release Frank's Full Moon Saloon praised by Glide magazine as a "raw and intimate" recording that "seems to mark a new chapter" for the artist, Matthew Logan Vasquez returns to Davenport for a May 14 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the acclaimed singer/songwriter and guitarist also a member of the rock band Delta Spirit and the indie super-groups Middle Brothers and Glorietta.
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Touring in support of their 2024 album Sam's Place, a Grammy Award nominee that AllMusic described as "filled with excellent songs that will undoubtedly satisfy blues enthusiasts," the venerated rockers of Little Feat bring their national "Strike Up the Band Tour" to Davenport's Capitol Theatre on May 16, the band's discography over more than a half-century including 17 studio albums, 14 live albums, and 30 singles including Billboard chart-toppers “Hate to Lose Your Lovin'” and “Texas Twister.”
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Hailed by Rolling Stone as “a powerhouse unit” and by American Songwriter for delivering “introspective lyrics and world-class musicianship,” the progressive Americana and bluegrass musicians of Nefesh Mountain headline a May 16 concert event at Davenport's Redstone Room, their 2025 release Beacons inspiring Americana Highways' John Hancock to rave, “I loved every song and am excited to see this band on tour.”
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In this horror comedy, at least a dozen wannabe killers dress as a small town's costumed mascot Frendo, and while it would be nice to report that this circus freak resembles Javier Bardem's Anton Chiguhr, he's really just a low-rent Pennywise. It would be nicer to report that the movie was even the least bit scary, yet given the genre and my personal expectations, I happily settled for funny.
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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, May 8: After a week off, the boys are back with a jam-packed segment: discussion of Thunderbolts* , Another Simple Favor, The Surfer, Rust, The Accountant 2, and Until Dawn; previews of Shadow Force, Fight or Flight, and Clown in a Cornfield; and a reveal of the summer blockbuster Darren is most eagerly anticipating. It might not be what you think. Or maybe it is.
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Is it possible that, over the past three years, Marvel Studios has been experimenting with a release strategy designed to get audiences excited for every other MCU movie?
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On May 15, patrons of Davenport's Figge Art Museum are invited to the venue's John Deere Auditorium for the definitive documentary about George Nakashima's famed furniture design and woodworking practice in George Nakashima, Woodworker, the film's screening followed by a discussion and Q&A with the director – and George's nephew – John Nakashima.
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Now playing at area theaters.
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You only turn 100 years old once. And while the Figge Art Museum – which originated as the Davenport Municipal Art Gallery in 1925 – is marking its centennial year in many ways, it's pulling out all the stops on Saturday, May 17, with a “Glow Up” party, celebrating a landmark $4-million lighting of its building at 225 West Second Street in Davenport.
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An ideal afternoon escape for garden and flower lovers, live-music fans, art enthusiasts, families with kids, and those shopping for unique gifts, the Muscatine Art Center's For the Love of the Garden event will take place on May 17, this outdoor celebration boasting a performance by the Mad Creek Mudcats, live painting demonstrations, studio crafts, a vendor market, and more.
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Davenport's Figge Art Museum is delivering some extra-special kick with its colorful and arresting exhibit on display from May 24 through August 24, as the footwear-themed exhibit Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks enjoys a stay in the venue's fourth-floor gallery, the exhibition co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, and curated by he latter's director and senior curator Elizabeth Semmelhack.
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Always an eagerly awaited series at the Figge Art Museum, the latest incarnation of Young Artists at the Figge will be on display through May 25, with the Davenport venue celebrating the accomplishments of budding creative talents of local elementary and junior-high art students whose works will be showcased in a continuing series of individual exhibitions.
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Offering a bold, provocative critique of societal structures through collaborative, resistance-driven prints, the exhibition Delusion of Choice, by the art collective Fatherless Print Posse, enjoys a showcase at Dubuque's Voices Studios through May 31.
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