Touring in support of his fall release Hundred Mile Wilderness that the SMCC Beacon said "manages to pack a folk-rock, foot-stomping punch," singer/songwriter and former Ghost of Paul Revere frontman Griffin William Sherry headlines a July 16 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, his 2024 recording also hailed by Medium as "one of the best albums to come out of the New England region so far this decade."

Performing a special co-headlining engagement on July 11, the Americana and classic-rock outfits Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers and Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts bring their combined talents to Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, the former's discography ranging from 1999's Honky Tonk Union to 2017's Live at the Belly Up, and the latter's OHBAHOY hailed by Maximum Volume Music as “such a staggeringly diverse 11 songs that you can only marvel at it.”

Nominated for seven 2019 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and the basis for 2020's popular Netflix film starring Meryl Streep, the Broadway hit The Prom enjoys a Quad City Music Guild staging at Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium July 11 through 20, this hilarious and touching show inspiring the New York Times to rave, "With its kinetic dancing, broad mugging, and belty anthems, it makes you believe in musical comedy again."

An Elizabethan classic that spans numerous genres and offers its actors a wide variety of complex and thrilling roles, William Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra enjoys a July 12 through 20 run in the great outdoors of Rock Island's Lincoln Park, this meaty and juicy entertainment having previously lured to the stage the legendary likes of Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, John Gielgud, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Hopkins, and Judi Dench.

Praised by Variety magazine for its “charming score that suits the quirky material” and Time Out NY for its “expertly constructed and emotionally satisfying tale of self-liberation in the face of limited options,” the Broadway sensation Waitress enjoys a July 11 through 27 run at Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse, serving up an evening of comedy, drama, romance, and Sara Bareilles compositions that made NBC New York rave, “It's easy as pie to fall for Waitress.”

With the New York Times stating that "the shining achievement of the musical is its winsome country and bluegrass score," and USA Today lauding the book "that's as forthright as it is smart, funny and charming," collaborators Steve Martin's and Edie Brickell's Tony-nominated Bright Star continues the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre's summer season, its July 17 through 27 run treating patrons to a musical treat that Stage & Cinema called "full of unforced goodness and rewarded risk-taking."

Honoring 25 years of creativity, mentorship, and youth expression through Quad City Arts' Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program, the 2025 Metro Arts Showcase will be held at Davenport's Figge Art Museum on July 15, the night celebrating the organization that has empowered young creatives through approximately 113 community-based projects including murals, mosaics, films, and more.

With the exhibition made possible through generous funding from Art Bridges Foundation, and with KLJB FOX 18 serving as media sponsor, the fascinating collaborative exhibit CHAIN RE·AC·TION will be celebrated at Davenport's Figge Art Museum on July 17, with community partners, mural artists. and the public joining together in conjunction with the art experience's continuous cycle of inspiration, reflection, and response.

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 26: Discussion of Elio, 28 Years Later , and Bride Hard; previews of F1: The Movie and M3GAN 2.0; and some early chat about Andor and the new season of The Bear -- though as long as they come with air-conditioning, any indoor entertainments seem worthwhile these days.

With his June recording Broken Branches hailed by Cryptic Rock as "phenomenal from top to bottom," singing/songwriting superstar and Grand Ole Opry member Dierks Bentley performs a July 5 engagement in the 2025 John Deere Classic's "Concerts on the Course" series, the artist's studio albums accounting for 27 singles on Billboard's Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, 18 of which reached number one.

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