With the virtual program boasting an interview with the bestselling author of six books including his most recent, Pulitzer Prize-winning King: A Life, the Rock Island and Silvis Public Libraries join Illinois Libraries Present in hosting Bringing History to Life with Jonathan Eig, this January 13 event finding the author in conversation with The Interview Show's Mark Bazer.
Performing as the first guest in the "Laugh QC" Thursday Night Comedy Series held in the Mississippi Hall of the Davenport RiverCenter, comedian and ventriloquist Taylor Mason brings his act to the Quad Cities on January 15, demonstrating his quick wit, flawless delivery, and polished material that have made him a hit with audiences of all ages.
An Augustana College graduate, former Moline teacher/coach, and Superintendent of Rock Island-Milan Public Schools takes part in a conversation about his recent memoir From Dubuque to Selma & Beyond, a pair of January 15 "Community Connections" book talks with Dave Markward that finds the author, at the Bettendorf Public Library, sharing his personal journey of understanding racism in America.
An eagerly awaited wintertime treat and annual celebration of Jack Frost's powers returns to downtown Davenport in Icestravaganza 2026, with this family-friendly event at the Freight House – taking place from January 16 through 18 – boasting an array of ice sculptures, live carving demonstrations, and interactive outdoor activities.
One of the most lauded and beloved comedians of all time makes his long-awaited return to the Adler Theatre on January 17 when the Davenport venue hosts an evening with Jerry Seinfeld, the legendary, Emmy-winning creator/writer/star of Seinfeld and the Netflix smash Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
Governor JB Pritzker set off a chain reaction last November when he told reporters he’d be open to changes in the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail and replaced it with a new pre-trial release/retention system, among other things. Governor Pritzker was asked about the case of a woman, Bethany MaGee, who was horrifically set ablaze while riding on a Chicago commuter train.
Over my 67 years in the Midwest, I’ve watched generations leave small towns for larger cities. I understand the appeal: opportunity, stimulation, anonymity, convenience. Alongside this pervasive trend, a political shift is taking place: socialism has become more acceptable and capitalism less revered, especially in the nation’s largest metros.
Whitey’s entire life was shaped by the game of golf. Growing up during the Great Depression with a single mother who worked 12-hour shifts to care for her three children – with little help and no car – Whitey’s story is one of resilience and determination.
Propaganda has proven itself to be among the most useful tools in the behavior modifiers' toolbox for capturing human cognitivity and strategically directing it to predetermined, highly specific conclusions. The success of propaganda campaigns depends on the techniques used, and the resources available for deploying and anchoring propaganda, including whether said messaging induces harmony or discord relative to the established hierarchy of social norms and mores.
If housing were free, what kind of house would we live in? A mansion? Maybe a cardboard box? If a third party bought our food, even a close neighbor, would we eat well? Despite the obvious flaws in this logic, politicians have been enticing voters with empty promises of “free” healthcare while simultaneously making it both unaffordable and often unavailable.
Opening its 2026 with a musical comedy hailed by Tripod as "sublimely silly and highly entertaining," the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse presents the Quad Cities debut of Lucky Stiff from January 21 through March 7, this delightful song-and-dance slapstick inspiring RachelReviewsTheatre.com to rave that the stage treat "has that energy a good farce should have, and I was laughing throughout."
Returning to Iowa City's Riverside Theatre with her first solo show in years, area favorite Megan Gogerty – a co-star in last spring's The Lifespan of a Fact – performs her self-written autobiographical play Fair State from January 22 through February 1, this debuting dramatic-comedy monologue production designed by Chris Rich and stage managed by Meenakshi Chinmai.
From January 23 through February 1, the Center for Living Arts, the Penguin Project of the Quad Cities, and Augustana College's theatre department will team up to help turn adolescents and adults with special needs into stage stars for the eagerly awaited Frozen Jr., a one-act version of the Tony nominee based on Disney's Oscar-winning animated classic that stands as one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time.
With the latest stage presentation by Barely There Theatre a trio of brand-new one-act plays making their world premieres in the Quad Cities, playwright, producer, and Reader theatre reviewer's What Might Have Been runs at Moline's Black Box Theatre January 29 through February 7, the production boasting stories that explore the roads not taken, as well as the choices, chances, and curiosities that shape our lives.
Touring in support of their 2025 album Kill the Architect, a recording that Americana Highways said "works entertainingly and embodies their bold creativity," the indie rockers of Gasoline Lollipops return to Davenport's Raccoon Motel on January 13, the group also lauded by New Noise for their "a powerful mix of Americana, outlaw country, and just enough punk-rock swagger to appeal to those who won’t admit to liking those other two genres."
A gifted sound artist and composer from Illinois acclaimed for his band Swim Ignorant Fire, Stephen Holliger headlines a January 16 OUTLETProgramme concert event at Rock Island's Rozz-Tox, the artist's work exploring memory, faith, and the quiet rupture of the everyday by turning inward via heavy drones, slow decay, and tone poems that move between grief and transcendence.
For 2025's year-in-music survey, we winnowed contributions down to two lists of top fives – the top five album releases and top five singles (which weren't necessarily on any of the top five albums).
Performing their tribute to classic hip-hop and R&B party anthems from the late '80s, '90s, and early-'00s, the thrilling party band Too Hype Crew plays a headlining concert at East Moline venue The Rust Belt on January 17.
Returning to Moline with two spectacular Saturday-evening performances, the live, multi-sensory musical experience known as the Candlelight Concerts series enjoys its latest Quad Cities engagements at the city's First Congregational Church, the January 17 events boasting Tribute to Adele at 6:30 p.m. and Coldplay vs. Imagine Dragons ay 8:30 p.m.
One can only hope that director/co-writer Johannes Roberts' Primate remains the worst 2026 horror flick to feature a previous Oscar winner. It should be said, however, that Troy Kotsur, who earned a deserved Best Supporting Actor trophy for 2021's CODA, is the finest thing that could've happened to a dopey, rather repugnant shocker about a chimp gone ape.
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, January 8: After several weeks away, it's lightning-round time again! Discussion of Avatar: Fire & Ash, The Housemaid, Marty Supreme, Song Song Blue, Anaconda, The Secret Agent, and We Bury the Dead; previews of Greenland 2: Migration, Primate, Is This Thing On?, I Was a Stranger, and the 40th-anniversary re-release of Labrinth; and Dave making a powerful argument for seeing the documentary I'm Chevey Chase and You're Not. It's good to be back!
Thanks for turning my favorite movie of the year – of many, many years – into the financial, cultural, and awards-season behemoth it's become.
Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2023 Florida Film Festival, as well as the Rising Star Awards at the Naples Film Festival, director/editor/cinematographer Brendan Hall's Out There: A National Parks Story serves as the first presentation in 2026 QC Environmental Film Series hosted by River Action.
Now playing at area theaters.
Boasting a vibrant collection of visual narratives from University of Dubuque students in the ART 367 Digital Photography course, the exhibition Mosaic Moments: Storytelling by Students will be on display in the university's Bisignano Art Gallery through February 13, each image designed to act as a distinct tile in a larger mosaic of storytelling.
Inviting visitors to reflect on themes central to the artist's practice – including the joyful celebration of LGBTQ identity, acknowledgment of ongoing challenges to the community’s rights, and the enduring impact of the AIDS epidemic – Felix Gonzalez-Torres: "Untitled" (L.A.) will be on display in the Figge Art Museum's Gildehaus Gallery from January 24 through June 26.
Always an eagerly awaited series at the Figge Art Museum, the latest incarnation of Young Artists at the Figge will be on display from January 26 through May 24, with the Davenport venue celebrating the accomplishments of budding creative talents whose works will be showcased in a continuing series of individual exhibitions.
Closing 2025, and opening 2026, with an arresting and enthralling collection of surreal paintings and sculpture, Rock Island's Quad City Arts Center will house the Boone & Zahn exhibition through January 30, treating gallery attendees to a series of remarkable works by the Chicago area's Berthold Boone and Moline's David Zahn.
With Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss known for their witty explorations of human nature, the duo's acclaimed 1987 video The Way Things Go will be screened in the Figge Art Museum's Lewis Gallery through February 8, this playful spectacle revered for transforming destruction into art, and embracing absurdity and unpredictability as essential parts of life.
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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