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 of the annual Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly programs that, from May 31 through July 1, will address such topics as ferrying, steamboating, birds of prey, infrastructure, and the Quad City River Bandits.
A pair of famed commentators and humorists familiar from FOX News, MTV, and the Game Show Network will blend their talents on June 3 when The Laughs & Liberty Tour makes its way to Davenport's Adler Theatre, the night boasting observations and insight from standup comedian and author Jimmy Failla and frequent news panelist and correspondent Kennedy.
Hailed by O the Oprah Magazine as "an attentive and precise writer who dazzles with natural and supernatural observations and lyrical details," a bestselling author will take part in a virtual program offered by Illinois Libraries Present and the Rock Island and Moline Public Libraries, her June 6 event Navigate Your Stars: A Conversation with Jesmyn Ward treating participants to an audience with the talent lauded by Entertainment Weekly as "one of the most searing and singularly gifted writers working today."
On June 9 and 10, 30 talented and intelligent young women from across the state will compete for top honors in the preliminaries and finals for the Miss Iowa and Miss Iowa's Outstanding Teen Competitions, with guests at Davenport's Adler Theatre invited to share the excitement as this year's candidates compete in four separate phases: Talent/HERStory, Health & Fitness, Evening Gown, and On-Stage Interview.
Based on extensive research in century-old German congregational manuscripts, period documents, and oral history gathered decades ago, the German American Heritage Center's June 11 virtual program The War Within: World War I & the Assault on German Identity in Iowa will detail a largely forgotten chapter in the history of Iowa and the life of a faithful congregation, one still capable of eliciting strong emotion and providing a sobering, thought-provoking lesson on which to reflect.
I'm weary of the vast constitutional violations by government personnel, both criminal and civil, that are going unaddressed primarily due to the public's toleration based upon political considerations that are shallow, mostly manufactured, and grossly derelict in Americans' stewardship of the Republic.
House and Senate Republicans claimed during budget-related floor debate last week that the super-majority Democrats had masked the true size of their plan by delaying the start of some spending until the second half of the upcoming fiscal year. Yes and no. Republicans pointed to the $317 million cost of increasing Medicaid provider reimbursement rates, including for hospitals. But that new spending doesn’t begin until January 1, the halfway point in the 2024 fiscal year, which begins July 1.
From Illinois law: “No unit of local government shall levy any tax on stock, commodity, or options transactions.” That statute has long been targeted for elimination by the Chicago Teachers Union and its allies. The CTU reliably shuns any proposal to increase property taxes across the board, instead pushing often-times “magical” solutions as alternatives. It’s one way the union has maintained its popularity among Chicago voters.
A few weeks ago, Senator Robert Peters posted a tweet that he knew would generate backlash. What he didn’t know was that it would go national. The tweet was in response to teens converging on downtown Chicago. The Chicago Tribune reported three teenagers were wounded in two shootings and 16 were arrested during the violence: “I would look at the behavior of young people as a political act and statement. It’s a mass protest against poverty and segregation.”
We're very pleased to publish Douglas Tallamay's original essay for the Reader on the importance of oak trees. For an even deeper dive we highly recommend his 2021 book The Nature of Oaks. It's full of richly produced color photos and its presentation is a work of art unto itself. Here's an excerpt from the book, regarding how and why the oak tree is the “keystone species.”
Praised by Talkin' Broadway as "a play that will keep you on the edge of your seat" and "great fun for fans of this genre," William Goldman's Stephen King adaptation Misery enjoys a June 1 through 11 run at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, this terrifying and darkly funny tale beloved by horror devotees who devoured King's bestseller and Rob Reiner's 1990 film version starring Kathy Bates in her Oscar-winning role.
One of the most beloved stage musicals in the history of American theatre, composer Jerry Herman's iconic Hello, Dolly! enjoys a June 1 through 10 run at Moline's Black Box Theatre, this Tony Award-dominating classic a treasure trove of show-tune staples and one of the most successful productions in the history of Broadway.
A Tony Award nominee for both Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical that inspired one of the most popular movie musicals of all time, Grease is the word as the 2023 season-starter at Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse, the endlessly popular show beloved audiences for its unforgettable characters and songs including "Greased Lightnin'," "We Go Together," and the karaoke staple "Summer Nights."
A boisterous, hilarious, critically acclaimed adaptation of Nickelodeon’s long-running animated children’s sitcom SpongeBob Squarepants, The SpongeBob Musical makes its eagerly awaited area debut at Moline's Spotlight Theatre, the show's June 2 through 11 run sure to demonstrate why this family treat earned 12 Tony Award nominations including Best Musical, and why the New York Times deemed it "a ginormous giggle of a show."
Lauded by DC Metro Theatre as "a fast-paced musical comedy" that's "vastly entertaining and perfect for kids (and grown-ups) of all ages," the area debut of Garfield: The Musical with Cattitude enjoys a June 6 through 24 run at Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, this delightful stage treat a purr-fect entertainment for fans of family musicals and the legendary comic strip created by Jim Davis.
Boasting a discography currently composed of four studio albums, one EP, and 15 singles since 2015, chart-topping, multi-platinum-selling country superstar Chris Stapleton headlines a June 1 concert event at Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK, the artist's professional laurels including eight Grammy Awards, 10 Academy of Country Music Awards 14 Country Music Association Awards, and five Billboard Music Award,
With their 2022 album Wait lauded by Americana UK as "an incredible offering" in which "the songs incorporate heartfelt topical lyrics while embracing old school Texan music," the folk and alt-country talents of Grady Spencer & the Work headline a June 1 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, their newest release also praised by Creative Loafing Atlanta as a work in which "leanly arranged, tight guitars meld together with deep funk grooves to create a sound that is vaguely familiar yet excitingly new."
With their top-10 charting Billboard singles including “Catastrophist,” “What the Dead Men Say,” and “In the Court of the Dragon,” the heavy-metal musicians of Trivium headline a June 2 concert at East Moline venue The Rust Belt, their discography over two decades boasting 10 studio albums, three EPs, two demo albums, 42 singles, and 32 music videos.
With the event's performers including Jason Carl & the Whole Damn Band, CJ Parker, and students from the QC Rock Academy, Davenport's Common Chord will host - at Rock Island's Laborspace venue - the Live at Five: Block Party Kickoff on June 2, an introduction to the venue's three-month music series designed to bring downtown Davenport to summertime life with music and community.
Legendary musicians whose first studio album Dawn Patrol debuted more than 40 years ago, the rockers and glam-metal musicians of Night Ranger bring their national tour to Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center on June 3, the group revered for Billboard-charting hits including "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," "When You Close Your Eyes," and the immortal "Sister Christian."
With its cast of Australian talents including Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, Emmy Award winners Anthony LaPaglia and Guy Pearce, and Succession's Golden Globe winner Sarah Snook, the romantic drama Holding the Man will be screened at Davenport's Figge Art Museum on June 1, this 2015 critical hit the first of four award-winning independent films to be shown throughout June in recognition and celebration of Gay Pride Month.
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, June 1: One last movie barrage before Mike enjoys a vacation, with discussion of The Little Mermaid, You Hurt My Feelings, The Starling Girl, The Machine, and About My Father. Back on the 15th!
Frank Marshall's The Little Mermaid is sincere, reverent, safe. What it isn't, and what the original continues to be, is a joyous blast.
After you've launched your car into outer space, I suppose there's nothing to do but wait for it to crash back down to Earth, and that's basically what happens in Fast X.
A 40-year tradition that has attracted more than 25,000 people each summer to downtown Iowa City, the Iowa Arts Festival, from June 2 through 4, will host more than 100 visual artists, include an Emerging Artist Area geared toward elevating student work, and feature a beverage garden, a variety of culinary delights, children’s activities, and thrilling live-music performances, including by this year's headliner Alejandro Escovedo.
Possibly the most famed and beloved artist in the history of comic strips will be celebrated at the Figge Art Museum from June 3 to September 2 when the Davenport venue houses The Life & Art of Charles M. Schulz, a touring salute to the talent who brightened the world for 50 years with the comedic, and sometimes melancholic, adventures of Charlie Brown, Lucy Van Pelt, Snoopy, and the rest of the lovable Peanuts gang.
On public view at the Davenport venue for the first time in more than five years, the Figge Art Museum's exhibition Edouard Duval-Carrié: Endless Flight will be showcased in the Fourth Floor Gallery from June 10 through September 17, the artist's impressive multi-part altarpiece containing dense imagery referencing Haitian spirituality, history, and politics.
An assemblage of arresting works by a former teacher at the Davenport Museum of Art (now the Figge Art Museum) and Davenport's St. Ambrose University will be on display at the Figge through June 18, with the exhibition Mother, Goddess, Crone: The Art of Maria Cusumano boasting 11 prints that were recently gifted to the venue by Cusumano’s husband and fellow artist Mark Towner.
A trio of gifted Midwestern artists are currently showcasing dozens of glorious works in a variety of mediums at the Quad City Arts Center, with the Rock Island venue's exhibition Raabe, Rial, & Xiao, through June 23, boasting recent sculptures by Lisa Raabe, fused-glass works by Michelle Rial, and paintings by Peter Xiao.
You'll get both the current official narrative challenge and What's Happenin' in the Quad Cities.
(Did you know we publish a new Amy Alkon Advice Goddess, Real Astrology, Red Meat cartoon and RCR Crossword every week?)
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