Lauded by The Guardian for his "wonderfully straightforward, unfussy approach" and by the New York Times as an artist who "has long been, and continues to be, one of the finest American pianists," seven-time Grammy Award-winner Emanuel Ax will be the featured guest in the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's annual springtime Gala Concert, the April 27 performance at Davenport's Adler Theatre boasting a stunning repertoire of works by Mahler, Beethoven, Mozart, and Stravinsky.

Described by the Examiner as “a band unlike any other” and by Blurt magazine as “a hybrid of Idris Muhammad, George Clinton, Ohio Players, and Earth, Wind & Fire,” the tightly-wrapped funk, rock, and R&B musicians of Here Come the Mummies headline a n April 26 concert at East Moline venue The Rust Belt, their infectious grooves leading The Bob & Tom Show co-host Bob Kevoian to call one of their concerts “the most fun I've had in 20 years.”

A gifted country-music singer/songwriter and daughter of genre legends George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Georgette Jones headlines an April 26 Country Vibes Series event at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Rhythm Room, her most recent album Skin inspiring Saving County Music to rave that "her talent for singing and finding songs that embody all that's great about the country genre is on full display."

With the artist's work with James Cotton resulting in Grammy Award-nominated albums such as Giant and Cotton Mouth Man, distinguished Chicago blues guitarist Tom Holland and his ensemble the Shuffle Kings perform a special April 28 engagement presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society, the performance at Davenport's Best Western Steeplegate Inn showcasing the gifts of a musician who honed his skills through personal mentorship under John Primer, one of Muddy Waters' last guitarists.

With the country-music artist praised by Obscure Sound for how his "mellow vocals lead into a soulful vocal lushness," singer/songwriter Jake Simon headlines an April 27 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the native of Grinnell, Iowa having made his debut to country radio with "I Still Think About You," which became a top-40 single on the Music Row Country Breakout chart.

Praised by Bainbridge Island Review as a singer/songwriter whose "voice is beautiful and distinctive" and whose lyrics are "stark yet lush over gritty electrified guitar," Marty O'Reilly headlines a May 1 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artist also lauded by Glide magazine for crafting "music you’ve never heard before, music you can’t compare to anything, music that is its own genre that has only been defined, in sound, by those who play it."

Billboard chart-toppers whose album hits include the top-10 The Silence in Black & White, If Only You Were Lonely, Fragile Future, and Bad Frequencies, the rockers of Hawthorne Heights play two April 27 concerts at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, the artists currently on their “The Sound in Black and White Acoustic Tour” alongside the special guests of Bike Routes.

Deemed "a side-splitting spectacular" by the Washington Blade, the touring celebration of a beloved and iconic TV sitcom comes to Davenport's Adler Theatre in Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue, an adult-themed comedy that, with its all-male cast, Play Off the Page described as "a wonderful blend of nostalgia and witty dialogue mixed with the sex appeal of drag."

Enchanting audiences of every age with dramatic storytelling using myths and fables from ancient and modern Japan, Kuniko Yamamoto enjoys a residency as the latest guests in the Quad City Arts Visiting Artist series, her area performances from April 29 through May 4 spiced with social revelations to educate and amuse.

The latest guest in the college's River Readings at Augustana series, renowned author and poet Anders Carlson-Wee will deliver examples of his lauded works at Augustana's Wallenberg Hall on April 23, his 2023 poetry collection Disease of Kings lauded by The Los Angeles Review as a work in which "readers are presented with readable poetry that resonates with the heart of humanity," adding that the work "reveals our deepest secrets and failings with complex sympathy."

Presented by Dustin Joy, director of Muscatine's National Pearl Button Museum, Iowa's Pearl Button Industry continues the popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series at Davenport's German American Heritage Center, the April 28 program designed to explore the fascinating history behind the state's formerly massive export, as well as its lingering legacy.

A trio of chilling, humorous, and entirely surprising tales by history's master mystery writer will be told at Moline's Black Box Theatre when the venue houses its latest series of live "radio" plays, the April 26 through May 4 production of Murder in the Studio treating audiences to three mesmerizing works by the legendary Agatha Christie.

With the April 28 event hosted by Quad Cities Pride in Memory, Inc., audiences are invited to Davenport venue The Last Picture House for an exciting and important red-carpet fundraiser for Our Story: Pride in Memory, a forthcoming documentary, currently in production, by Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Moline's Fourth Wall Films,

A celebration of work completed by graduating seniors in the Department of Digital Art and Design, the DART Senior Thesis Art Show will be on display at the University of Dubuque's Bisignano Art Gallery through April 27, the exhibit boasting a variety of pieces in illustration, animation, digital painting, motion graphics, and digital artwork, and displaying the wide range of skills students cultivated during their time at UD.

To download a PDF of the puzzle, click here.

Unbiased journlalists may seem hard to find these days. But as Alex Garland's film reminds us, they're still out there, and they're not the problems – they're the messengers. And you don't shoot the messengers. Except that here, other Americans very much do.

I've visited this little theatre, and knew it was in the mainstage's large green room, but o, my brothers and sisters – I'd never seen it like it is now.

Director Aaron Baker-Loo created a memorable musical production – though, admittedly, I found the whole saga more depressing than I remembered. Luckily for the Spotlight, their presentation is also an enchanting spectacle that is more than enough to keep even the youngest viewer interested.

Chicago-area news outlets have been so intent on amplifying every possible angle on the proposals for new publicly-financed sports stadiums that they’ve sometimes missed the bigger picture. Senate President Don Harmon last week tried to make it simple for everyone what that bigger picture is.

2013's Exit Laughing is at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, and it is a damn good time. Director Mike Skiles and his cohorts have built an entertaining, satisfying production on the foundation of a solid script.

Pages