Composed of New Jersey-based musicians Brandon Asraf (bass guitar and vocals) and John Tacon (drums, electronic samples, and vocals), the indie-rock duo Brick + Mortar headlines a May 16 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel in support of their latest release Melting Up, the 2022 recording that led The Other Side Reviews to state that "the layers of the melody and vocals touch on the light and dark of the world that the band is so wonderfully able to bring to life."

No fewer than four gifted Midwestern artists – two based in Iowa, two in Illinois – are currently showcasing beautiful works at the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery through the fourth of July, with the collective exhibition Boros, Hatchet, Schneider, & Stratton housing woodblock prints by Gabriella Boros of Skokie, Illinois, wood reliefs by William Hatchet of Ankeny, Iowa, stitched textiles by Barbara Schneider of Woodstock, Illinois, and wood sculpture by Jay Stratton of Bettendorf, Iowa.

An eagerly awaited virtual conversation between an Emmy-nominated Queer Eye star and an Olympic gold medalist, On Being Fabulous with Jonathan Van Ness and his idol Kristi Yamaguchi will be presented on May 17 by the Rock Island and Moline Public Libraries, an event in which the talk will turn toward "figure skating, fabulous style, and whatever else comes up."

Mixing true stories with doses of famed wit and wisdom by one of history's most revered authors, acclaimed storyteller Brian "Fox" Ellis steps into the Bettendorf Public Library on May 18 to regale his audience with the live performance piece Steam Boatin' Down the River with Mark Twain, a delightful presentation in the library's monthly Community Connections series.

Nominated for five 2001 Tony Awards and currently the ninth-longest-running Broadway musical of all time, the internationally beloved Mamma Mia! returns to Rock Island's Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse for an eagerly awaited May 10 through July 8 run, with the show's collection of timeless ABBA tunes inspiring the New York Post to call the experience “one of those nights when you sit back and let a nutty kind of joy just sweep over you.”

With Time Out describing the show as “worthy of the gods,” the stage adaptation of Rick Riordan's popular book series opens the Timber Lake Playhouse's 2023 season in the 2019 Broadway spectacle The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, its May 12 through 14 Mt. Carroll run sure to demonstrate why The Hollywood Reporter raved that this family entertainment “provides an excellent if irreverent introduction to Greek mythology.”

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We’re going to talk some history today. According to testimony at the federal ComEd Four trial, then-House Speaker Michael Madigan’s former 13th Ward Alderperson Frank Olivo was brought on as a subcontractor under then-ComEd Chairman and CEO Frank Clark.

Far from the idyllic Shire-like spring paradise in which it is painted by yearning winter minds, May is an unpredictable month in the Mississippi Valley, a season of change unto itself. The polarity of the season is reflected by this month's musical events: a pair of shows as drastically different as the ever-shifting days of May.