26 Jun 2017

Doppel-giggler: “The Comedy of Errors,” at Lincoln Park through July 2

By Mike Schulz

“Welcome to theatre in the park!” announced Genesius Guild Executive Director Doug Tschopp at the June 24 presentation of The Comedy of Errors. Tschopp didn’t, however, say this during his customary greeting and introductory remarks. He said it during an unplanned break roughly 20 minutes into the Shakespeare comedy while he, director Bryan Woods, and a stagehand used makeshift mops to soak up the accumulating rain that had been causing performers to slip.

22 Jun 2017

Camelot? Camelot. I Know. It Sounds a Bit Bizarre: “Transformers: The Last Knight”

By Mike Schulz
Transformers: The Last Knight

It can’t be easy directing solely with your middle finger, but somehow Bay has pulled it off; in one fell swoop here, he’s turned his humans into robots, his robots into pests, and his worldwide audiences into saps whose goodwill, patience, and money he appears all too willing to waste.

20 Jun 2017

What's Happenin': Thursday, June 22, through Wednesday, July 5

By Mike Schulz

Music

A Giant Dog

Daytrotter

Monday, July 3, 7 p.m.

 

18 Jun 2017

Lightning Strikes Thrice: “Cars 3” and “Rough Night”

By Mike Schulz
If asked to list Pixar features I felt more deserving of a second sequel than 2006’s Cars, I’d offer a simple “all of ’em except The Good Dinosaur.” So maybe it was low expectations that allowed me to find Cars 3 the best of its bunch, and by a considerable margin, to boot.
18 Jun 2017

A Bum Rap: “All Eyez on Me” and “47 Meters Down”

By Mike Schulz
Why do bad bio-pics happen to good people?
15 Jun 2017

Crossover Appeal: Jazz Meets Classical with Mike Conrad’s All Angles Orchestra, July 2 at the Village Theatre

By Mike Schulz

Bettendorf native Mike Conrad is an acclaimed jazz trombonist, composer, bandleader, and educator who’s currently completing his doctorate in jazz studies at the University of Northern Colorado. But in tracing his musical gifts and professional success back to their grade-school beginnings, the 29-year-old actually has another doctor to thank – one with the surname Seuss.

11 Jun 2017

E-gypped: “The Mummy,” “It Comes at Night,” and “Megan Leavey”

By Mike Schulz
Director Alex Kurtzman’s The Mummy aims to be an action blockbuster, a supernatural freak-out, a tongue-in-cheek comedy, a tentpole-starter, and the ultimate Tom Cruise vehicle all at once, and I have to give it a weird kind of credit, because I never imagined a film could fail so spectacularly on quite so many levels.
06 Jun 2017

What's Happenin': Summer 2017

By Mike Schulz

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.

06 Jun 2017

What's Happenin': Thursday, June 8, through Wednesday, June 21

By Mike Schulz

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.

05 Jun 2017

Breastplate Armor and Cotton Briefs: "Wonder Woman" and "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie"

By Mike Schulz
Obviously, the summer months – by which I mean Hollywood’s May through August – bring with them superhero movies. On some weekends, they bring with them only superhero movies. But I can honestly say I never planned on a superhero two-fer quite as delightful, unexpected, and satisfying as this past weekend’s debuts of Wonder Woman and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. Despite their shared release date and origin-story setups, you wouldn’t think that much would connect director Patty Jenkins’ live-action blockbuster and director David Soren’s featherweight animated comedy. In truth, though, the works are nearly identical in basic yet crucial ways that too many costumed-crime-fighter sagas aren’t: They’re blessedly unpretentious, they’re (mostly) angst-free, and they’re entertaining as hell.

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