Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Vince Vaughn, and Kevin James in The DilemmaTHE DILEMMA

Leaving a screening of The Dilemma, a friend sitting several rows away caught up with me, and asked if the film we just saw would likely make my list of the year's worst movies. I can't tell you how much I'm hoping it will, because if not, 2011 is going to be positively excruciating.

Created in 1997, this band quickly grew in popularity, playing a mix of classic rock, country rock, alternative,  heavy metal and ballads. Over the years the band also has opened and performed with national bands such as Kansas, Foreigner, Blue Oyster Cult, The Guess Who, The Drifters, Steppenwolf, The Grassroots, Head East and Tommy Roe. After 14 years, the band has decided to play their farewell shows at the Rusty Nail in Davenport. "It's been a great run! Larry's moving out of town later this year and after much thought and discussion we decided we would put NINE-1-1 to bed and go out with a bang!" says Dale Attwood, bass.
Fronting NINE-1-1 is lead singer Steve (Reno) Ebens. Having been in bands since 1976 in the Kewanee and Peoria area as a drummer in the band Quest, Steve moved to lead vocals in Main-Line and Triax. After a six-year break, Steve took his position with NINE-1-1.

Larry Heitzler, on the Hammond B-3 organ, Roland and Univox keys, studied 14 years of classical piano, over 35 years of classic and current rock 'n' roll with some blues, country and ragtime added to the mix.

Roger Canny has been playing drums for over 40 years. While playing for the U.S.O. tour overseas, he was awarded the Certificate of Esteem from the Department of Defense for Patriotic Service, Outstanding Showmanship and High Caliber of Entertainment.

On bass, Dale Attwood has played everything from classic rock to alternative, country to club dance, to concert events. He handles the rhythm, the bottom end, backup vocals, and even some lead.

Kurt Rocker grew up on guitar thanks to early influences from local greats like The Baker Bros., Jim DePoorter and Tim Compton, and later by Eddie Van Halen and David Gilmore.

NINE-1-1 FAREWELL SHOWS:
Friday & Saturday, February 4 & 5
@ The Rusty Nail
2606 W Locust St, Davenport, IA
9:00pm - 1:30am
Cover charge applies

Nicolas Cage in Season of the WitchSEASON OF THE WITCH

For one of my New Year's resolutions, I thought I'd attempt a pretty tough one: To not accidentally (or intentionally) doze off during any 2011 movies. Mind you, this isn't something I do at a lot of screenings - a Skyline here, a Speed Racer there. But falling asleep at the cineplex is, for me, rather like snoozing while in your office cubicle; it seems the least I can do during a stretch of daytime work is stay conscious. And as a test for my new resolve, what trickier challenge could I have asked for than the very first 2011 feature out of the gate: Season of the Witch?

Clay Cook Vs. Levi LowreyMusic

Clay Cook Vs. Levi Lowrey

The Redstone Room

Thursday, January 13, 8 p.m.

 

Now that the warm-hearted spirit of the holidays is over, we can finally get back to some good, old-fashioned, American brawling. With that, I present what is sure to be the acoustic grudge match of 2011: January 13's Clay Cook Vs. Levi Lowrey concert at the Redstone Room! Prepare for a nasty, no-holds-barred, folk-rock battle royale in this presentation by Dirty Water Events - hell, even the presenters' name is nasty!

Justin Timberlake and Jesse Eisenberg in The Social NetworkBefore commencing with the annual fawning, I thought I'd begin by exercising one of my God-given rights as a reviewer: the right to bitch about the sorry state of movies. I think it's supposed to go something like this:

Boy, are the movies in a sorry state!

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg in The Other GuysRunners-Up to the 10 Favorites: Exit Through the Gift Shop, Fair Game, Get Him to the Greek, The Ghost Writer, I Am Love, Inception, The Other Guys, Restrepo, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, Waiting for "Superman."

Runners-Up to Those Runners-Up: Babies, Brooklyn's Finest, Despicable Me, Going the Distance, Hot Tub Time Machine, The Karate Kid, The King's Speech, Megamind, Please Give, The Town.

And Since it Was Such a Good Year ... : Cyrus, Easy A, For Colored Girls, Iron Man 2, It's Kind of a Funny Story, Ramona & Beezus, Salt, Tangled, Unstoppable, Youth in Revolt.

Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush in The King's SpeechTHE KING'S SPEECH

A tony odd-couple comedy in the guise of a historical prestige pic, The King's Speech boasts a pair of exceptional performances by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, and is a terrific amount of fun. But am I alone in thinking that its central storyline is the least interesting thing about it?

Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld in True GritTRUE GRIT

Over the course of their careers, the films of Joel and Ethan Coen have, of course, inspired a wide variety of responses: amusement (and quite a lot of it), excitement, fascination, terror, confusion, astonishment, mortification. (Oh, the depressing spectacle of Intolerable Cruelty ... .) But while we audiences have laughed and gasped and occasionally scratched our heads, we haven't, prior to the Coen brothers' True Grit, been moved to tears by scenes of unbridled yet honestly earned sentiment. Guess we can now scratch that one off the list, too.

Family Groove Company @ The Redstone Room"Happy Holidays, Jeff!"

"Happy Holidays to you, Mike. So, what do you have planned for New Year's?"

"I was actually thinking about hopping around, checking out some music ... ."

"Uh huh."

"But I just put together our annual 'What's Happenin' on New Year's Eve' piece, and I'm starting to reconsider that idea."

"Too much hopping?"

"Yeah. Looks like I'd be hopping to more than 40 different places."

Joseph Obleton, Fred Harris, Jr., Renaud Haymon, Reggie Jarrell, and Shanna Cramer in the Playcrafters Barn Theatre's FencesAs we've come to annually expect, there was practically no end to the highlights from this past year in area theatre.

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