On May 17, patrons of the Davenport Library's Eastern Avenue Branch are invited to meet the victorious general whose strategy and tenacity won the Civil War, the president who struggled to rebuild his country after the war, and the husband and father whose final efforts were devoted to the financial support of his wife and family when Peter Grady delivers an informative, humorous, and touching portrayal in his solo program Unconditional Surrender: A Visit with Ulysses S. Grant.

One of the most cherished animated musicals of all time will roar with glorious theatrical life when the enchanted tale of Disney's Beauty & the Beast enjoys a May 20 through July 16 run at Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, the Tony Award-winning smash reuniting family audiences with beloved characters and songs in a show Variety magazine praised as an “opulent stage musical” boasting “fantastic production values and a memorable score.”

The trademark tenor of Russell Hitchcock's soaring voice and Graham Russell's simple yet majestic songs created a unique sound that would forever be known as Air Supply, and on May 13, the band's co-founders will play an eagerly anticipated concert event at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center, their collection of iconic, adored hits including such pop staples as "All Out of Love," "Making Love Out of Nothing at All," and "Every Woman in the World."

One of the most popular and beloved animated musicals of all time will find its timeless tunes played live on May 14 when the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and Davenport's Adler Theatre present the latest in the QCSO at the Movies Series: a concert version of Disney's Frozen, with the movie itself shown in high-definition on a huge screen, and its magical score and songs performed by the symphony's musicians as conducted by Ernesto Estigarribia.

Lauded by the Milwaukee Record for their “intriguing lyrics, rich harmonies, and excellent musicianship,” the Wisconsin-based bluegrass talents of Chicken Wire Empire make their Quad Cities debut at Davenport's Redstone Room on May 13, the ensemble inspiring Bluegrass Unlimited to rave that “the vocals and harmonies are strong, and they play with a high-energy blend of traditional and modern approaches.”

A quartet of gifted musicians serve as the latest guests in Polyrhythms' Third Sunday Jazz Series, with Davenport's Redstone Room, on May 15, hosting a performance of jazz originals and standards with the 3 Dawgs & a Bone ensemble of Scott Barnum on bass, Jim Dreier on drums, Steve Grismore on guitar, and Rich Medd on bone – trombone, that is.

Lauded by Daytrotter as "one of the greatest indie-folk singer/songwriters around," Minnesota-based musician J.E. Sunde headlines a May 15 engagement at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artist's latest album 9 Songs About Love praised by Americana-UK for its "deep resonant intimacy that provides a warm and welcoming space in which to experience Sunde's songs."

On May 5, Figge Art Museum visitors are invited to experience the landmark 10th season of the Peabody Award-winning Art:21 – Art in the 21st Century, the longest-running television series on contemporary art, in a screening featuring one collective and 12 individual artists – among them photographer Richard Misrach, whose work is currently on view in the Davenport venue's Border Cantos / Sonic Borders exhibit.

An eagerly awaited springtime event taking place over Mother's Day weekend in Davenport's spacious Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, the 2022 Beaux Arts Spring Fair will treat visitors to an outdoor celebration of visual arts and fine crafts on May 7 and 8, with the annual event featuring food, live music, children's activities, and works for sale by nearly 100 artists and Midwestern vendors.

Clutch, May 10

With Louder Sound raving that their most recent album Book of Bad Decisions is "punchy and wise, freaky and funny, and it throbs and hums like an electric fence," the funk-metal musicians of Clutch headline a May 10 concert at East Moline venue The Rust Belt, their 2018 recording also described by Cryptic Rock as "a fine return for this seasoned combination of hardened rockers."

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