Advocates Argue for Medical Marijuana
On June 20, the Marijuana Policy Project hosted a medical-marijuana forum at the Bettendorf Public Library. The event featured a screening of the documentary Waiting to Inhale as well as a discussion...
Goldmans Donate Properties to Rock Island Economic Growth
The Goldman family has donated six properties in the 1600 block of Second Avenue to Rock Island Economic Growth Corporation. Stanley and Ann Goldman, owners of Hyman's Furniture Store, were honored Friday...
Deserters or War Resisters?: “Breaking Ranks,” June 29 at the Bettendorf Library
Some people call them "deserters," while others choose the nobler-sounding words "war resisters." The term you use almost certainly betrays how you feel. But the issue is more complicated than it was...
Woodcarvers’ Show Moves to Bettendorf
After being in Davenport for 42 years, the International Woodcarvers Congress is moving its annual show to Bettendorf's new Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center. The event runs Thursday, June 25,...
Summer’s Hottest Wines: Tapping the Trends for Your Warm-Weather Pleasure
Though wine-making has been around for thousands of years, it is still susceptible (much like fashion) to trends, often driven by marketing and buzz. Remember the movie Sideways and the mad rush to a...
How Does AG Madigan Feel About a Tax Increase?
Every Republican governor this state has had in the past 40 years has raised taxes. Republican legislators and most of their leaders have always been involved with those tax hikes. So it's probably...
Iowa Politics Roundup: Barbour Downplays Sanford Scandal, 2012 Presidential Run
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour said Thursday in Iowa that he didn't think South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's disappearance and extramarital affair would have any effect at the polls, downplayed...
Audio from Harkin "Listening Post on Health Reform"
On June 25, Alison Hart -- an aide to U.S. Senator Tom Harkin -- addressed health-care-reform issues in an open discussion with members of the public at Trinity at Terrace Park. Hart briefly spoke about...
The Declaration of Independence
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands...
Get Used to It: Fixing the Illinois Budget Will Be Painful
Usually when polls are taken about tax hikes, the respondents are "informed" about the benefits of raising more government money, whether it's for education, public services, or what have you. So, not...
Charmed and Dangerous: "Public Enemies," "Away We Go," and "My Sister's Keeper"
PUBLIC ENEMIES With a low-key yet intensely charismatic Johnny Depp as its lead, you could describe Michael Mann's Public Enemies as the story behind the criminal activity of the infamous, Depression-era...
Sittin’ at the Dreck of the Bay: “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
Within the first minute of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, it'll be pretty apparent that the movie wasn't exactly designed for (or by) Mensa members, as a title card shows the military time in China...
Mike Schulz with Dave & Darren on 104.9
Going to the cineplex or IMAX this weekend? Every Friday morning at 9 a.m. you can listen to Mike Schulz dish on recent movie releases & talk smack about Hollywood celebs on the Quad City Rocker...
... And They All Lived Wealthily Ever After: "The Proposal" and "Year One"
THE PROPOSAL "All right, you've got five minutes to sell me your pitch. Go." "Well, it's a romantic comedy - I'm thinking about calling it The Proposal - and it's about this bitchy, selfish book...
Subway Training Day: "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" and "Imagine That"
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3 Set in modern-day New York City, director Tony Scott's action-thriller The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 finds Denzel Washington playing transit-authority executive Walter Garber,...
Four-Ring Circus: Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers, July 4 at RIBCO
If you want to know what Th' Legendary Shack Shakers sound like, just take a look at some of the band's album titles: Hunkerdown, Cockadoodledon't, Pandelerium, Swampblood. Three recordings compose the...
Music for People: Listener, July 5 at Fireworks
The Listener engenders confusion. Is it Listener, or the Listener Project? Yes. But not anymore. The albums Whispermoon (2003) and Ozark Empire (2005) sure sound like hip-hop, but their creator prefers...
Photos from the Keith Urban/Taylor Swift Show, June 28 at the i wireless Center
Images by photographer Chris Jones from Sunday's Keith Urban/Taylor Swift show at the i wireless Center. Click on any photo for a larger version.
Full Coverage of the 2009 IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival
(Here you'll find links to all the content in the official guide to the 2009 IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, along with previous coverage of this year's performers from the River Cities' Reader.)...
IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival 2009: A Note from the MVBS President
Welcome to the 25th-anniversary IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival! On behalf of the blues society, I would like to say we are proud of our quarter-century of bringing you, the fans, the best quality...
Color Me Tickled: "Pinkalicious," at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse through July 25
The Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse's current family musical, Pinkalicious, is as lightweight and sweet as cotton candy, and about as nourishing; it gives you a friendly sugar rush and all but evaporates...
Reaching Out: Playcrafters Inaugurates Its Diversity Initiative with "A Raisin in the Sun"
"Literally thousands of people have come through this building to perform on our stage," says Craig Michaels, past president of the Playcrafters Barn Theatre's board of directors. "But without demeaning...
Mike Schulz on WVIK's "Midwest Week"
The following is the Friday, June 26 broadcast of WVIK's "Midweek Week," with host Herb Trix discussing the area's summer-theatre season with the River Cities' Reader's Mike Schulz. "Midwest Week" can...
Slaying His Way to the Top: "Richard III," at Riverside Theatre's Festival Stage through July 10
Review: Richard III Theatergoers, be forewarned: Richard III is not for the faint of heart. Riverside Theatre's production of the Shakespearian play is not only packed with violence, death, and one of...
Ocean Breeze: "South Pacific," at North Scott High School through June 27
South Pacific comes to us with an intimidating load of pedigreed baggage: Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards, Rodgers & Hammerstein. And if you add its dramatic World War II setting, its themes of interracial...
Venus Envy 2009 Art Preview
The fifth-annual Venus Envy Quad Cities female-arts festival will be held on Saturday, May 2, from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Bucktown Center for the Arts (225 East Second Street in Davenport). Below is the...
Modern Art in a Modern Space: “A Legacy for Iowa,” April 19 Through August 2 at the Figge
Pamela J. White speaks about the painting like it's a pet. "It doesn't like to travel," she said. She's talking about Ad Reinhardt's Abstract Painting, which is the work most likely to get blank...
Augustana Sights & Sounds: Through February 26 at Bucktown
Augustana Sights & Sounds, an exhibit of photographs from Augustana College and high-school students, will be on display at the Bucktown Center for the Arts (open Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m....
MidCoast Gallery West Seeks New Model to Keep Its Doors Open
Following the departure of the Left Bank Art League from Gallery West in the District of Rock Island, MidCoast Fine Arts plans to launch a new artist-staffed sales gallery at the site next month. ...
Winners of the River Cities’ Reader Fall 2008 Photo Contest
For our fall photo contest, we made your job easier, and ours harder. We asked for photographs of babies and pets for this year's contest, and we received 166 entries.
Ask the Advice Goddess: July 2, 2009
Where the Rubber Meets the Toad My boyfriend of eight months is 38, with two kids. I'm 27 and divorced. He has unofficially moved into my apartment, but he isn't pulling his weight. He pays $500 a month...
Free Will Astrology: July 1, 2009
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Time to diversify your energy sources, Aries. It's as if you've grown too dependent on oil - metaphorically speaking - and have neglected to develop relationships with wind...
Crossword Puzzle: June 30, 2009
To download a pdf of the puzzle, click here. For the answers, check back on Tuesday, July 7. For the answers to last week's puzzle, click here.
