With Variety magazine calling the musical "smartly conceived" and boasting "catchy tunes and witty lyrics," the tune-filled romantic comedy I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change makes its debut at Moline's Black Box Theatre October 9 through 24, Gannett Newspapers raving that the original production was "hilarious ... the most entertaining show on or off Broadway."

It was interesting to see how this script written in 1987 was still thematically relevant nearly 40 years later. You’d think we’d be further along as a society, but from its concerns about the deportation of undocumented workers to the characters' strain in simply make ends meet, Josefina Lopez’s play speaks to issues that feel very current.

Held in conjunction with the October 4 through 10 Banned Books Week – a celebration of our collective freedom to read – the Midwest Writing Center's and Rock Island Public Library's annual Banned Books Read-In will take place on October 5, with more than a dozen participants gathering at the library's Watts-Midtown Branch to read from frequently challenged works and unite in the fight against censorship.

Opening the organization's astonishing 112th season of thrilling Masterworks repertoires, the musicians of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Mark Russell Smith, present Symphonie fantastique at Davenport's Adler Theatre on October 3 and, in Rock Island, Augustana College's Centennial Hall on October 4.

Touring in support of last year's sophomore breakout The Curse of Caring, the genre-hugging independent musicians of Phabies headline an October 4 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, Americana UK calling the outfit "a great band to catch live" and their latest recording "a very strong set of eclectic tunes which combine to create something which leaves the listener wanting more."

With their 2025 debut Can You Keep a Secret? hailed by New Noise Magazine as "full of high-quality production and catchy choruses," the pop/rock/punk outfit Diva Bleach headlines an October 7 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, New Noise adding that the outfit's first LP is a "fully realized creative vision" that "effectively modernizes pop-rock while still maintaining its fun, colorful elements."

Delivering everything from period-accurate equipment and costumes to spot-on characterizations and musical performances, the vocal and instrumental artists of Rumours bring The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show to Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre on October 8, sharing memorable takes on “Big Love,” “Don't Stop,” “Go Your Own Way,” and other pop classics of their era.

A family-friendly celebration designed to support environmental education and conservation in our community, the Fourth-Annual Nahant Marsh Fall Festival will be held at the Davenport preserve on October 3, the day's guests invited to enjoy a crisp autumn day surrounded by nature, fun activities, and great food all while supporting a great cause.

On October 5, staffers at Davenport venue The Last Picture House are proud to present a special, one-night-only screening of the new documentary This Is Buzz, this exploration of the celebrated cult magazine series also featuring a Q&A session with the film's writer/director Mark Pellington, famed for Hollywood thrillers including Arlington Road with Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins and The Mothman Prophecies with Richard Gere and Laura Linney.