Kitty: Full disclosure: We once dressed as Mary Poppins and Bert for Halloween. We’re very serious about our Poppins lore.

Mischa: But we promise to be absolutely objective in our reactions to this show.

Hailed by Voyage Memphis Magazine as "a powerhouse, dynamite, and energetic soul singer," chanteuse Dottie Kelly and her Rock the House Band perform a special outdoor concert hosted by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society, their July 27 engagement in Davenport's MLK Park treating audiences to a talent who inspired GigSalad to rave, "Her soulful voice and natural stage presence are a force to be reckoned with."

Delivering what the New York Times called “elegant, often deadpan songs that tend toward manly understatement,” the chart-topping, multi-platinum-selling country superstar Gary Allan brings his national tour to Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center on July 26, each of his 32 singles having landed on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, with 13 of them also crossing over to the Billboard Hot 100.

His repertoire boasting such top-five Billboard smashes as "Whiskey on You," "World on Fire," "Bulletproof," and "Fix What You Didn't Break," multi-platinum-selling country rockers Nate Smith headlines the July 30 grandstand concert at this year's Mississippi Valley Fair, his 2024 album California Gold lauded by Entertainment Focus as "a bold blend of country storytelling and bombastic '90s rock influences" that delivers "both nostalgic and fresh sounds across its 16 tracks."

With Blues Blast magazine calling his playing “speed-freak fast and clean and crisp” and Northwest Music Scene deeming him “a force to be reckoned with,” venerated rock guitarist, keyboardist, and singer Pat Travers brings his ensemble the Pat Travers Band to Davenport's Redstone Room on July 27, the high-energy trio playing from a repertoire of hits dating all the way back to Travers' self-titled 1976 debut.

Lauded by the Chicago Reader for their "wacky wordplay, tongue-twisting verses, and limber instrumentals," the Chicago-based hip-hop duo The Palmer Squares – composed of monikered musicians Acumental (Ac) and Term (Term K) – headline a July 25 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the touring artists also praised by RapReviews for their “talent for earworms and a willingness to let a song shine more than a verse."

Currently touring in support of his forthcoming debut album The Land on Most High, the September release boasting the singles "Azalea" and 'Lonestar," alternative rock, folk, and pop musician Jack Blocker makes his first headlining appearance at Davenport's Raccoon Motel on July 24, the singer/songwriter known for being a finalist on the 22nd season of American Idol.

Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as musicians "whose soulful, stripped-down approach combines the softer moments of the Replacements with a bit of the country coloring of the early BoDeans’ albums," the alt-country artists of Gear Daddies headline a July 26 concert at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, these Midwestern favorites also lauded by the Argus Leader as "one of the most underrated Minnesota-based bands of all time."

Returning to the area for its incredible 105th year, an eagerly awaited six-day festival boasting games, competitions, vendors, and concert sets by more than two dozen national and local acts returns with the 2025 Mississippi Valley Fair, its July 29 through August 3 engagement at Davenport's Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds boasting, as always, grandstand performances by chart-toppers, multi-platinum sellers, and multiple-award winners.