Frequently, these What’s Happenin’ articles end with quizzes. But in a cheeky change of pace, we’re gonna start with one: Who, or what, are Supersuckers? (A) Characters on an animated Nick Jr. series; (B) Multi-colored, discontinued Willy Wonka candies; (C) Popular rock and cowpunk musicians; or (D) My bosses for letting me run quizzes in lieu of actual editorial content?

The answer, as the band’s many fans know, is “C.” Unless this is the last week you see quizzes in these pages, in which case it’s “D,” and my bosses have clearly had enough.

Based in Atlanta, The Coathangers collective boasts Meredith Franco on bass, Stephanie Luke on drums, and Julia Kugel on guitar, with their stage noms de guerre Minnie, Rusty, and Crook Kid Coathanger. Like those monikers, much of the musicians’ repertoire is intentionally jokey, ranging from their 2007 debut album’s ode to Tonya Harding to Nosebleed Weekend’s “Squeeki Tiki,” in which one of the instruments employed is a dog’s squeaky toy.

But as fans and reviewers will attest, what isn’t a joke is the group’s ferocious talent, and their insistence that full-throttled punk rock needn’t be nihilistic. As ConsequenceOfSound.net attested, the trio’s latest album “exemplifies what The Coathangers have been doing better than pretty much everyone for the past decade: blowing off the rules in the name of fun, and making damn catchy records almost as an afterthought.”

Zombie Prom

Zombie Prom has the distinction of being the first production in the inaugural season for the Mississippi Bend Players (MBP) – a debuting summer-theatre company, with Philip Wm. McKinley serving as producing artistic director, whose works will be staged at Augustana College’s Brunner Theatre Center.

Music

A Giant Dog

Daytrotter

Monday, July 3, 7 p.m.

 

All Quad Citians who routinely travel between the Iowa and Illinois sides of the Mississippi River know to expect occasional delays because of bridge repairs. But if those delays sometimes seem more frequent than “occasional,” I’m not sure that’s because of regular upkeep and enhancements. I think it might be because our area’s annual lineup of summertime festivals and major events keeps us excitedly hopping between states for three solid months. Given the sheer tonage of happenings, no wonder our poor bridges need some TLC.

FESTIVALS

Saturday, June 10 – Gumbo Ya Ya. Mardi Gras celebration with Cajun food, arts and crafts, and concert sets with the Backwater Bayou Band, Environmental Encroachment, Dikki Du, and Playlist QC. District of Rock Island. 4 p.m. gates. $9. For information, call (309)788-6311or visit DowntownRockIsland.org.

Saturday, June 10 – Quad City Juneteenth Celebration. Annual celebration of slavery’s abolition featuring food and retail vendors, history and information booths, live music, games, children’s activities, and more. LeClaire Park (400 Beiderbecke Drive, Davenport). 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. For information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Friday, June 16, through Sunday, June 18 – The Muddy Fest: Motorcycles & Music. Inaugural festival featuring motorcycle activities and two-lane ride-alongs, live music, regional cuisine, vendors, and entertainment, with guests including Sublime with Rome, The Doors guitarist Robby Kreiger, Olympic gold medalist Dan Gable, and actor William Baldwin. Centennial Park (315 South Marquette Street, Davenport). $20-74.99. For information, tickets, and an event schedule, visit TheMuddyFest.com.

Friday, June 16, through Sunday, June 18 – Junetopia. Summer celebration of music, visual art, comedy, and more, with dozens of artists performing at the Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport) on Friday, the Village Theatre (2113 East 11th Street, Davenport) on Saturday, and Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island) and Rooster’s Sports Bar & Grill (2130 Third Avenue, Rock Island) on Sunday. $15 day pass, $25 weekend pass. For information, visit QCJunetopia.com.

Ordinarily, you’d have to leave the interior of Playcrafters to see constellations. But on May 26 and 27, capitalized, italicized Constellations will be viewable on the upper level of the Barn Theatre, and for Moline’s venerable venue, the sight will be an unusual one indeed.

On May 19, Davenport’s Redstone Room hosts an evening with Canadian singer/songwriter and guitarist Chris Antonik, who performs in support of his recently released third album Monarch. As Antonik’s self-titled debut was released only seven years ago, it’s understandable if you’re not entirely familiar with his name. His preferred genre, however, should be apparent simply by scanning the titles of songs he wrote for Monarch, which include “I’d Burn It All Down (For You),” “A Slip in the Rain,” “You’re Killing My Love,” and “The Art of Letting Go.”

So get ready for a night of goofy, vacuous bubblegum pop, folks!

Kidding. He’s totally a blues artist. And judging by Antonik’s acclaim this decade, quite the blues artist.

As an actor in the college’s theatre department, Augustana senior Debo Balogun has triumphed with a number of demanding assignments: the title role in last fall’s Othello; the stylized performance technique required for Sophie Treadwell’s Machinal; the famed “All the world’s a stage” soliloquy in Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

But the Chicago native’s weightiest challenge to date might lie in the drama Balogun is currently directing for New Ground Theatre – because by “weighty,” we’re talking several figurative tons.

On April 22, Rascals Live will host a special acoustic concert with power-rock stalwarts Damon Johnson and Ricky Warwick, whose third album as members of Black Star Riders recently hit number six on the UK charts. Given that they’ve collaborated with the likes of Bob Dylan, Alice Cooper, Sheryl Crow, and Ted Nugent, you may wonder, after their area performance, how we were lucky enough to find them in Moline. But considering their individual backgrounds, the bigger question is: How were they lucky enough to find each other?

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