• David Casas: “An Evening of Magic & Wonder,” November 23 and 24

    Boasting more than 25 years of experience dazzling audiences across the Midwest, a homegrown talent will amaze guests of Moline's Sound Conservatory with two presentations of David Casas: An Evening of Magic & Wonder, the November 23 and 24 events filled with mind-bending illusions, masterful sleight-of-hand, and plenty of interactive fun.

  • “Trucking: A Lifeline Across America,” November 24

    On November 24, Dave Meier, curator for the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum in Walcott, Iowa, will share local history, industry connections, innovation, and engineering feats of the last century in Trucking: A Lifeline Across America, a program in the German American Heritage Center's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series boasting discussion on trucking in America through the years and the impact of the Interstate Highway System.

  • Turning Tchaikovsky on His Head: “The Hip Hop Nutcracker,” November 27 at the Adler Theatre

    You may think blending the exquisite classical beauty of the Nutcracker ballet with the gritty urban energy of hip hop would be like oil and water. Yet The Hip Hop Nutcracker making its Quad Cities debut at Davenport's Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street) on November 27 – has entertained audiences nationwide since 2013. The beloved holiday story and enchanting music, paired with staggeringly limber breakdancers, will be performed as part of a tour to more than 25 U.S. cities.

  • 19th Century Christmas, December 1

    In the eagerly awaited return of a seasonal Quad Cities tradition, visitors can experience the wonders of a classic Victorian holiday season in Moline's unique Deere-family homes through 19th Century Christmas, the Butterworth Center's and Deere-Wiman House's annually beloved December 1 event boasting litany of yuletide treats including live music performances, interactive tours, make-and-take activities, refreshments, and, of course, a special visit by Santa Claus.

  • “Disney on Ice Presents: 'Frozen' & 'Encanto,'" December 5 through 8

    In a beloved seasonal tradition, family audiences are invited to the Vibrant Arena at the MARK from December 5 through 8 to experience the wonderful world of Disney – on Ice – in the brand-new touring sensation Disney on Ice Presents: "Frozen" & "Encanto," with the Moline venue transformed into an enormous skating rink for thrilling takes on two of the studio's most popular and acclaimed animated films of recent years, both of which won Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature.

  • “A Nat King Cole Christmas,” November 21

    Praised by Broadway World as a "marvelous" performer whose vocals deliver "crystal-clear perfection," touring artist John-Mark McGaha brings his concert celebration A Nat King Cole Christmas to Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse on November 21, this festive cocktail of signature songs and yuletide favorites including suich hits as "The Christmas Song,” "Route 66," "L-O-V-E," “Unforgettable," and "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth."

  • The Thing with Feathers, November 21

    Lauded by Ease Up Mag for their "strong indie pop and rock sound that is seamlessly correlated with the stories told in their songwriting," the touring musicians of The Thing with Feathers headline a November 21 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the magazine adding that the trio is "a band you truly don’t want to miss out on."

  • Snakes & Stars and The Tripp Brothers, November 21

    A night of thrilling electronic dance music is guaranteed at Davenport's Redstone Room on November 21, with Snakes and Stars – the new musical project of Michael Travis (The String Cheese Incident, EOTO) and Aaron Johnston (Brazilian Girls, David Byrne's American Utopia) – headlining a pulsating night of EDM with an opening set by the Midwestern sensations of The Tripp Brothers.

  • “A Tribute to Motown,” November 22

    With the November 22 concert event at Davenport's Redstone Room presented by Rocktown Entertainment Group, a host of familiar fan favorites by two iconic artists will be delivered in A Tribute to Motown, the night boasting the talents of Alphonse Franklin, offering a tribute to Smokey Robinson, and Rob Willis, crooning compositions by Bobby Womack.

  • Terra Lightfoot, November 22

    Her 2023 album Healing Power hailed by Americana Highways for its "freshness and consistent melodic assets," Canadian folk and roots-rock singer/songwriter Terra Lightfoot headlines a November 22 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, her famed touring partners over the years including The Posies, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Bruce Cockburn, Blue Rodeo, and, in his lone Canadian date for the 2018 Outlaw Music Festival, country icon Willie Nelson.

  • To Grandmother's House They Go: “A Real Pain,” “Red One,” “Emilia Pérez,” and “Hot Frosty”

    There's a kick in watching actors play their widely recognized “types” so flawlessly, and with such fresh enthusiasm, that these roles feel like ideal distillations of their portrayers' talent and presence. I'm thinking of Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood and Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich … and also, now, Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain.

  • Mike Schulz with Dave & Darren on Planet 93.9 FM

    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, November 14: Discussion of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Anora, and previews of Red One, A Real Pain, and the Netflix two-fer of Emilia Perez and ... wait for it ... Hot Frosty. The guys are so-o-o-o stoked for that one.

  • The Expendables: “Anora” and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”

    Both the funniest and saddest Cinderella tale you've ever seen, writer/director Sean Baker's Anora is a great movie with some great big problems.

  • Belief It … or Not: “Heretic,” “Absolution,” and “Here”

    Hugh Grant is is stunningly threatening in this Beck/Woods horror thriller, his recognizably benign shrugs, cheerful mugging, and self-effacing manner never masking the fact that there is one person in charge of this situation, and it isn't one of the visiting Mormons.

  • Now Playing: Friday, November 22, through Thursday, November 28

    Now playing at area theaters.

Art

  • Artwork Screening: Cosmic Bloom NFT Series, November 21

    On November 21, patrons of the Figge Art Museum are invited to enjoy a fascinating screening of select NFTs (non-fungible tokens) from visual artist Leo Villareal's series Cosmic Bloom, which is featured in his current Davenport exhibition Interstellar, a series that reflects the ordered randomness found in nature starting with simple geometric forms that evolve into complex, arresting layers.

  • “Louise Kames: I Don't See Anything That's Not Beautiful,” November 30 through April 6

    Boasting large woodcut prints and charcoal and pastel drawings of a dying willow tree from her yard in Dubuque, the arresting, fascinating exhibition Louise Kames: I Don’t See Anything That’s Not Beautiful – on display November 30 through April 6 – will be showcased in the Gildehaus Gallery of Davenport's Figge Art Museum, the artist focused on creating works that explore the beauty of natural decay, the line between life and death, and what remains after.

  • Ellen Wagener and Greg Gossel Exhibits, through November 30

    Between now and November 30, Dubuque's Voices Studio will host a new and compelling dual exhibition featuring the works of renowned artists Ellen Wagener and Greg Gossel, whose works displayed in separate galleries will deliver a full visual experience that juxtaposes the serene, ethereal landscapes of Wagener with the bold, provocative explorations of pop culture by Gossel.

  • “It's Fine. Everything Is Fine.”, October 11 through December 6

    A wide variety of artworks – thoughtful, arresting, disturbing, even hilarious – by nearly four dozen area artists will be on display at the Quad City Arts Center from October 11 through December 6, with the Rock Island venue presenting a series of fascinating takes on the prompt of the exhibit's title: “It's Fine. Everything Is Fine.”

  • “Heartfelt & Handmade Ornament Competition Exhibit,” through December 7

    From now through December 7, local and regional artists and crafters are sharing their talents for a good cause in the Muscatine Art Center's Heartfelt & Handmade Ornament Competition Exhibit, with beautifully designed ornaments on display and available for purchase beginning December 7, and each sale benefiting the Friends of the Muscatine Art Center and its mission to support educational programs.