With The Irish Times raving that it's "refreshing to hear a traditional band reference the present with such subtlety and finesse," the Celtic musicians of Grosse Isle will spend much of St. Patrick's Month as the latest gusts in Quad City Arts' Visiting Artists series, performing an octet of area concert events between March 18 and 23, and delivering what Songlines magazine succinctly described as "splendid stuff."

Having spent the past 12 years solidifying their singular brand of blues and R&B across the Midwest, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean, the Madison, Wisconsin outfit The Jimmys headlines a March 15 concert at Davenport's Redstone Room, the group lauded by Alligator Records' Bruce Iglauer as "excellent musicians" and "wildly fun entertainers" who are "a treat for any fans of roots rock, old-school R&B, and straight-up blues. Every performance is like a party!"

On St. Patrick's Day, area jazz fans are invited to dig out their lucky leprechaun suits and join the Polyrhythms Third Sunday Jazz Series for an inspired evening of music with the Lynne Hart Trio, this special event at Davenport's Unitarian Universality Congregation of the Quad Cities featuring Hart on saxophone and clarinet, Pat Smith on guitar, and Richard Wagor on bass.

Hailed by The Fire Note for their "ability to craft compelling walls of shoegaze melodies while experimenting with textures and instrumentation," the psychedelia, prog-rock, and blues artists of In the Pines headline a March 16 concert event at Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox on their "Painting by Numbers" tour, with The Fire Note also praising the musicians' "virtuosity with intricate arrangements and a rich sonic palette."

With the group's 2023 accomplishments including their album Stampede topping the Alt-Country Specialty Chart, a five-star review from Country Music People UK, and the musicians' debut at the legendary Grand Ole Opry venue, The Shootouts headline a March 14 concert event at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, with No Depression raving of their latest as "effortlessly combining western swing, Americana and roots sounds, and honky-tonk twang into a scrumptious and satisfying punch that goes down easy.”

Combining their own original, melodic, old-school songs with a modern take on traditional Irish music, the Celtic pop and folk singers of Screaming Orphans headline a St. Patrick's Weekend concert event at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, the March 16 event treating fans to the exquisite vocal and instrumental talents of the four Diver sisters: Angela on bass and violin, Joan on drums, Marie Thérèse on keys and accordion, and Gráinne on guitar.

Boasting an unmistakable comedic style and stage voice that have endeared him to audiences since his breakout in 1985's hit comedy prequel Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, actor, filmmaker, and frequent voice-over artist Bobcat Goldthwait brings his standup set to Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center for two shows on March 16, his credits ranging from the Bill Murray comedy Scrooged to his long tenure as a panelist on NPR's radio-quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Appearing in a special March 20 program offered by Illinois Libraries Present, a two-time Oscar winner will reflect on her remarkable career in the virtual conversation Ruth E. Carter: Interweaving Tradition & Imagination Through Costume Design, this creative force behind Black Panther and its follow-up Wakanda Forever noted for being the first Black woman to win multiple Academy Awards in any category, as well as the first costume designer to win for a first film and its sequel.

Winner of seven New Zealand Film & Television Awards including Best Film, Director, and Screenplay, and a work whose 2010 release made it the highest grossing New Zealand film to date, writer/director Taiki Waititi's Boy enjoys a March 21 Figge Art Museum screening in the venue's Free Film at the Figge series, its critical consensus at Rotten Tomatoes stating that the movie "possesses the offbeat charm associated with New Zealand film but is also fully capable of drawing the viewer in emotionally."

From March 15 through 24, audiences at Moline's Playcrafters Barn Theatre are invited to help celebrate Women's History Month with the area debut of author Carey Crim's Paint Night, a sweet and salty tale of friendship, and a comedic drama praised by Broadway World for "understanding the emotions and the universe of these characters" while delivering "the catharsis so vital to a good theatrical experience."

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