Germans have been a part of the American story since its beginnings as a country, and on June 14, visitors at the German American Heritage Center are invited to a discussion on notable citizens who were active in U.S. military affairs in Germans in the Military from von Steuben to WWII, the latest presentation in the Davenport venue's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series.
Appearing locally on his nationally sold-out "Boujee on a Budget" tour, comedian and musician Matt Mathews performs two sets of standup at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center on June 20, the Southern-raised talent lauded by American Songwriter for his "unique brand of no-filter-farm-funny meets observational humor."
An eagerly awaited pre-summer event complete with food, vendors, local history, games, and entertainment for the entire family, the 2026 Quad City Juneteenth Festival will be held at Davenport's LeClaire Park on June 20, the celebration hosted by the Friends of MLK (FoMLK) and held in commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
Continuing last year's exciting twist on the organization's annual Father's Day activity Ride the River, Davenport's River Action will again host hours of outdoor fun in Ride the Island, a June 21 opportunity for cyclists to ride the roads and trails on the Rock Island Arsenal while exploring its rich history and visiting iconic landmarks.
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-plus of the annual Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly "Explore the River Series" programs that, from May 26 through June 27, will address such topics as raptors, barges, Modern Woodmen Park, and the historically wicked night spot that was Davenport's Bucktown.
Six days before the last day of the spring state legislative session, Senator Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, gave me two big reasons why it was so difficult to push a Bears stadium bill across the finish line. Cunningham, as you know, is the chief sponsor of the Senate’s Bears bill.
The 21st century is silly with a vast wealth of data for doing reliable research. Using advanced computer technology to access troves of rich data relative to climate, as well as volumes of historic climate data, we should be able to accurately draw useful conclusions on climate change. So where's the beef?
Here we are again, a decade later, fighting for the preservation of Scott County's exceptional land, with its rich soil, as farmland in perpetuity (and that of Iowa at large), especially due to its 100 rating as the best soil in the world for food production.
As Justice Thomas Waterman of the Iowa Supreme Court has observed, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”
Important determination about city hired outside counsel's obligations to private citizens.
If you visit "David Ezra Sidran vs. City of Davenport, Iowa," you'll find the full text of Ezra Sidran's late May 2026 law suit against the City of Davenport and its elected leaders.
I admit that at Saturday’s opening-night performance, I was initially confused when Genesius Guild's Andy Shearouse explained both the entire plot of William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost and that the set was designed to represent the inner workings of a broken cuckoo clock. One might think both concepts would be self-explanatory. But alas, they were not. In the end, I was grateful for the introductory explanation.
The perfectly suited look and demeanor of each person, and their consistent Southern lilts throughout, made this experience particularly magical.
The winner of three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and being presented locally in celebration of America's 250th-birthday year, the lauded historical musical 1776 enjoys a June 12 through 21 run at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium, the show lauded by the New York Times as "a most striking, most gripping musical" whose "characters are most unusually full."
A delightful, hilarious family show adapted from the winner of a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, the stage romp The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales enjoys its area debut at Moline's Playcrafters Barn Theatre, the show's June 12 through 21 run treating audiences to a comedy in which, per the Broadstreet Review's critic, "the adults around me laughed as much as the kiddos.”
One of the most exhilarating stage musicals ever created, and composed by two of the most stunning musical talents in American history, West Side Story enjoys a June 12 through 21 run at Moline's Spotlight Theatre, its list of unforgettable show tunes including “Something's Coming.” “Maria,” “I Feel Pretty,” “Tonight,” “Somewhere,” and “America.”
On June 13, visitors to Bishop Hill's Village Park are invited to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday by enjoying the 2026 Doodle Folk Music Festival, a day of outdoor events located in a bucolic, historic village of the 1840s.
Touring in support of his album debut, Watershed, released at the tail end of December, county and honkytonk singer/songwriter Jack Fister and his band headline a June 14 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel.
Revered as the most popular and sought-after big band in the world today for both concert and swing-dance engagements, The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra brings their tour to the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts on June 15, the present iteration of this assemblage of gifted jazz musicians featuring Erik Stabnau as musical director and returning female vocalist Hannah Goodwin.
Hailed by Goldmine Magazine for their "unique blend of rock, funk, jazz, reggae, ska, disco, and electro-pop" that "always keeps the crowd on their toes," the rockers of Spafford headline a June 16 concert at Davenport's Redstone Room, Jam & Toast adding that "breathing, listening, and transitions all play big parts in what sets Spafford apart from other jam bands."
Touring in support of his solo debut Hundred Mile Wilderness that the Portland Press Herald called a "play for the big-time, with a robust, radio-friendly sound," singer/songwriter Griffin William Sherry headlines a June 18 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, Nippertown adding that "if you are a fan of The Ghost of Paul Revere (duh.), Mumford & Sons, or Zac Brown Band, you’ll enjoy the future music of Griffin William Sherry."
Even in a sword-and-sorcery saga with considerable sci-fi elements, just how seriously are we supposed to take a movie whose protagonist goes by the moniker “He-Man”? Perhaps anticipating this question, the team behind the new Masters of the Universe has a locked-and-loaded reply: “Not seriously at all.” And when I say “not at all,” I mean Not. At. All.
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 11: Discussion of Masters of the Universe, Power Ballad, Scary Movie, and Fallen Angels; previews of Disclosure Day, Stop! That! Train!, and The Furious; thoughts on the crazy box-office for Obsession and Backrooms (the latest 61 Drive In two-fer); and an appreciation of the still-relevant joys of Siskel & Ebert. We'll see you at the movies!
I'm not sure what it says about the future of horror movies – if it says anything at all – that the year's strongest, scariest creep-out to date is directed by someone not quite old enough to drink.
Presented as the third in a month-long series of screenings held in celebration of Pride Month, 1990's seminal, critically documentary Paris Is Burning lauded enjoys a June 18 screening at the Figge Art Museum, this special series made possible by the Art Bridges Foundation in conjunction with the Felix Gonzalez-Torres exhibition now on view at the Davenport venue.
A trio of gifted Midwest photographers, one of them based in the Quad Cities, will have their latest works featured at Rock Island's Quad City Arts Center through June 19, with the Huang, Jackson, & Terry exhibition showcasing the talents of the Peoria-based Qingjun Huang and Natalie Jackson, as well as those of Davenport's Matthew Terry.
For the Davenport's final new exhibition of 2025, the Figge Art Museum will be taking an up-close-and-personal look at some of its most arresting in-house works in A Surreal Lens: Photography from the Figge Collection, a celebration of the medium on display in the Lewis Gallery hrough June 21.
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 through June 21.
Colorful, playful, and delightfully goofy works will be on display at the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery through June 29, with the shared exhibition Butcher, Hymes, & Murtha showcasing new illustrations on shaped wood by Aaron Butcher and examples of fiber art by MaryKay Hymes and Diane Murtha.
Four Chicago-based artists will present concurrent solo exhibitions across the galleries of Dubuque's Voices Studios through July 31, with the collective Quiet Intersections exhibit a multi-faceted experience that reveals how individual artistic voices can converge, diverge, and share creative space.
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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