Music
Twenty One Pilots
iWireless Center
Sunday, January 29, 7 p.m.
One year ago this month, Rolling Stone published the article “13 Things We Learned Hanging Out with Twenty One Pilots” – a getting-to-know-you with the indie-pop/alt-rock duo that included factoids such as “They avoid Twenty One Pilots fan fiction” and “Their mothers used to go to the same hairdresser.” If, however, you’re a fan of Tyler Joseph’s and Josh Dun’s chart-topping album Blurryface but want more rudimentary info prior to January 29’s concert at Moline’s iWireless Center, we humbly present “13 Other Things You Can Learn Without the Benefit of Hanging Out with Twenty One Pilots.”
1) Based in Columbus, Ohio, the duo was originally a trio formed by Joseph, Nick Thomas, and Chris Smith, whose self-titled debut album was released in 2009.
2) Thomas and Smith left in group in 2011 and were replaced by former House of Heroes drummer Dun, who accompanied Joseph on Twenty One Pilots’ sophomore release Regional at Best.
3) Twenty One Pilots’ third album – 2013’s Vessel – went platinum, and led to the band’s first charting singles with “Holding on to You,” “House of Gold,” and “Car Radio.”
4) Between 2013 and 2014, the duo toured with Fall Out Boy, played Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, appeared on Conan and Late Night with Seth Myers, and performed “Car Radio” at the MTV Movie Awards.
5) Released in 2015, Blurryface has sold roughly 1.3 copies in the United States alone, and spawned three number-one hits on Billboard’s Alternative chart.
6) Last year, Twenty One Pilots became only the third musical act – after The Beatles and Elvis Presley – to have two concurrent top-10 singles in the U.S.
7) Beyond the U.S., the group’s current “Emotional Roadshow Tour” has found the artists performing for sold-out crowds in Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.
8) Trophies the duo has thus far won include two American Music Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, two Alternative Press Music Awards, and an MTV Video Music Award
9) Twenty One Pilots is currently up for three 2017 Grammys: Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for the song “Stressed Out,” and Best Rock Performance for “Heathens.”
10) The band name comes from a reference to 21 World War II pilots whose deaths haunt the leading character in Arthur Miller’s Tony-winning play All My Sons.
11) Joseph and Dun may soon be Oscar nominees, as they’re on the list of those eligible for Best Original Song for co-writing the Suicide Squad number “Heathens.”
12) With numerous major labels hoping to sign the pair in 2011, Joseph and Dun finally went with the Atlantic Records subsidiary Fueled by Ramen.
13) I’d make an excellent third member of the group. That’s not a fact – just a hunch based on our shared fondness for Arthur Miller, heathens, and Ramen.
Twenty One Pilots performs locally with special guests Jon Bellion and Judah & the Lion, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 or visiting iWirelessCenter.com.
Theatre
Water by the Spoonful
Village Theatre
Friday, January 20, through Sunday, January 29
January 20 is, of course, Inauguration Day. And what a treat it will be, after so many long and frequently contentious months of electioneering, for our country’s radically opposed political parties and bitterly divided citizenry to finally let bygones be bygones and clasp hands in an inspiring demonstration of unity and peace!
That’s obviously a joke. Yet regardless of whether you’ll be celebrating or mourning on January 20, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate day for Davenport’s New Ground Theatre to debut its first 2017 production: author Quiara Alegria Hudes’ Pulitzer-winning Water by the Spoonful. Running through January 29, this critically acclaimed drama would no doubt be worth catching at any time of year, but its arrival on Inauguration Day feels especially poignant, given that the Los Angeles Times describes the work as concerning “a concept that has sadly faded from national consciousness in recent years: community.”
In Water by the Spoonful, Hudes – who also won a Tony Award as book writer for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical In the Heights – presents two distinct narratives. One concerns Elliot Ortiz, a former Marine, wounded in Iraq, who now cares for his dying aunt with the occasional help of his older cousin Yaz. The other focuses on an Internet chat room for recovering drug addicts, in which a female administrator monitors the progress of group members including a wealthy businessman, a middle-class IRS employee, and a recent transplant to Japan. How and why these plotlines eventually converge forms the thrust of Hudes’ drama, resulting in a play of evocative ideas and oftentimes wrenching emotion.
According to the New York Times, what also resulted was a work of “shimmering, sustaining warmth,” as well as “empathy and vibrant humor.” The Los Angeles Times described the play as “a magnificent whole that is beautiful not because it is lovely but because it is brokenheartedly tender and true.” And in praising Water by the Spoonful for its “warm, welcoming spirit and life-affirming message,” Time magazine’s Richard Zoglin wrote, “It inspired the Pulitzer folks, and it did the same for me.”
Chris Jansen, director of the New Ground presentation, no doubt hopes it will for local audiences, as well, and is bringing the show to life with a cast that includes Cindy Ramos, Ana Ziegler Loes, Kermit Thomas, Beau Gusaas, and Jordan Smith, the latter a co-star in the company’s recent productions of Uncle and This Side Up. The characters of Elliot and Yaz, meanwhile, are portrayed by Eric and Kathryn Reyes, meaning that the roles of cousins are being played by spouses. Thank Heaven the show is being produced here rather than in Appalachia, or it’d probably be the other way ar– ... .
Nope. That joke’s too crass even for me.
Water by the Spoonful will be staged at the Village Theatre Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)326-7529 or visiting NewGroundTheatre.org.
Frederic Remington's Touchdown, Yale vs. Princeton, Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 1890, Yale 32, Princeton 0, 1890, oil on canvas
Exhibits
Young Artists at the Figge, The Art of Persuasion, and Scrimmage
Figge Art Museum
Saturday, January 21, through Sunday, May 14
We could all do with a little more art in our lives. We Quad Citians could also do with a few more respites from these January temperatures (he typed, still shivering after returning from his lunch break). Why not treat ourselves to both, then, by getting out of the cold and popping into Davenport’s Figge Art Museum, which will open no fewer than three new exhibitions between January 21 and 28?
An eagerly awaited museum tradition starts up again on January 21 with the displayed works in the 2017 Young Artists at the Figge series, which will boast contributions from elementary art students from seven school districts through mid-spring. On display from the 21st through the 29th are artistic creations by grade-schoolers in Muscatine – one of whom will receive a scholarship to a Figge class during January 22’s reception and recognition ceremony – with forthcoming exhibits in the series showcasing the fledgling talents of students in Moline (February 4 through 12), Pleasant Valley (February 18 through 26), Geneseo (March 4 through 12), North Scott (March 18 through 26), Bettendorf (April 1 through 9), and Davenport (April 15 through 23).
Debuting on January 28 and on display through May 14, The Art of Persuasion: American Propoganda Posters & the Great War will mark the centennial of the United States’ declaration of war on Germany and its entry into World War I. With such masters of the form as Howard Chandler Christy, Harrison Fisher, Edward Penfield, Jessie Willcox Smith, Ethel Betts Bains, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s sister Maginel Wright Enwright showcased, this poster exhibition explores how artists of the day supported the war effort and encouraged a reluctant nation to do the same – a fascinating slice of framed history exploring patriotism, liberty, fear, and the period necessity of buying war bonds.
And with the Super Bowl right around the corner, the time seems ideal for the Figge’s pigskin salute Scrimmage: Football in American Art from the Civil War to the Present, on display January 21 through May 14. Featuring 78 artworks dating from the 1850s to a mere three years ago, Scrimmage not only celebrates its highlighted game but, according to the Figge’s Web site, “raises questions about sports, art, and their roles in our history and culture, revealing attitudes and transitions in American life over the past 150 years.”
Works by such noted artists as Andy Warhol, Winslow Homer, J.C. Leyendecker, Helen Post, and others will be showcased, and I gotta say: Some of the inclusions sound absolutely fascinating. Diego Romero’s Never Forget: Jim Thorpe All American, for example, which honors Thorpe’s legend through traditional Pueblo Indian pottery. And Geoff Winningham’s Super Bowl (Houston), with its images of Vikings and the Goodyear blimp, which makes no sense to me. Why would a blimp be hovering over 10th Century Scandinavia?! That just seems – .
Oh. I get it now. Guess some of us maybe need this exhibit more than others.
For more information on Young Artists at the Figge, The Art of Persuasion, Scrimmage, and all other Figge exhibits and events, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
What Else Is Happenin’ …?
MUSIC
Friday, January 20 – Thompson Square. Concert with the Grammy-nominated country-music duo composed of spouses Keifer and Shawna Thompson. Rhythm City Casino Resort (7077 Elmore Avenue, Davenport). 8 p.m. $27-47. For tickets and information, call (563)328-8000 or visit RhythmCityCasino.Showare.com.
Friday, January 20 – David Zollo & the Body Electric and Ernie Hendrickson & the Citizens of Love. Americana musicians and their ensembles in concert, featuring an opening set by Christopher the Conquered. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $11.50-14. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, January 20 – Hairbanger’s Ball. Hair-metal tribute musicians in concert. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. For information, call (309)793-1999 or visit RIBCO.com.
Friday, January 20, through Sunday, January 22 – QC Jantopia. Annual celebration of independent musicians, with dozens of bands performing at area venues. Friday: Daytrotter (324 Brady Street, Davenport), 6 p.m., $10. Saturday and Sunday: Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island), 2 p.m., $10-15. For information, visit Daytrotter.com, RozzTox.com, and QCJantopia.com.
Friday, January 20 – The Cleveland Orchestra. Musicians under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst will perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Major, Opus 44 and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Opus 43. Hancher Auditorium (101 East Park Road, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $10-80. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Saturday, January 21 – Denny & the DC Drifters. Prom-themed concert celebration of 1950s rock-and-roll featuring audience participation. Ohnward Fine Arts Center (1215 East Platt Street, Maquoketa). 7 p.m. $13-25. For tickets and information, call (563)652-9815 or visit OhnwardFineArtsCenter.com.
Saturday, January 21 – Iowa City Yacht Club 14th-Anniversary Party. Venue celebration featuring performances by Aaron Kamm & the One Drops and 6 Odd Rats. Iowa City Yacht Club (13 South Linn Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $10. For information, call (319)337-6464 or visit IowaCityYachtClub.org.
Saturday, January 21 – Peace, Love, & the Joy of Music: Ellis Kell Benefit Concert. An evening of appreciation for the late area musician, featuring live music, live and silent auctions, a 50/50 raffle, and more, with proceeds benefiting the Kell family. Davenport RiverCenter (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 5 p.m. $10 suggested donation. For information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Monday, January 23 – Jordan Feliz. Dove Award-winning contemporary-Christian musician in concert, with opening sets by Dan Bremnes and Grayson/Reed. Thrive Ministries Bethel Campus (1208 Third Avenue, Fulton). 6:30 p.m. $15. For information and tickets, call (815)441-5453 or visit NewAnthem.com.
Wednesday, January 25 – Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. Jazz, pop, and rock with the chart-topping musicians. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $45. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Friday, January 27 – RIBCO Battle of the Bands. Round one of the competition in which local groups Sold Out War, Devils Heart, and Mea Culpa perform 45-minute sets of original music, with the winners announced at the February 24 finals. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. For information, call (309)793-1999 or visit RIBCO.com.
Friday, January 27 – Anthony Gomes. Blues/rock singer and guitarist in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $13.75-17. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, January 27 – The Body. Concert with the metal/rock duo composed of Chip King and Lee Buford. Daytrotter (324 Brady Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $8-10. For tickets and information, visit Daytrotter.com.
Saturday, January 28 – Collective Soul. Concert with the Atlanta-based rock musicians. Riverside Casino Event Center (3184 Highway 22, Riverside). 8 p.m. $35-70. For tickets and information, call (877)677-3456 or visit RiversideCasinoAndResort.com.
Saturday, January 28 – yMusic. Six New York City instrumentalists perform classical, chamber, and indie-pop compositions. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $10-15. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Saturday, January 28 – Afroman. Grammy-nominated rap artist in concert, featuring guest performances by Semi Sixteenz, A$thmattic, Derek James, A-Wet$ & Jack Sweno, and C Jones. Gabe’s (330 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7 p.m. $15-240. For tickets and information, call (319)351-9175 or visit ICGabes.com.
Sunday, January 29 – Drive-By Truckers. Concert with the Georgia-based alternative-country and Southern-rock musicians, featuring an opening set by Kyle Craft. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7 p.m. $28.50. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Sunday, January 29 – Naha Greenholtz. The violinist and Quad City Symphony Orchestra concertmaster in a WVIK/QCSO Signature Series concert, accompanied by QCSO Executive Director Benjamin Loeb. Augustana College’s Wallenberg Gall (3520 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 2 p.m. $10-25. For tickets and information, call (563)322-7276 or visit QCSO.org.
THEATRE
Friday, January 20, through Sunday, February 12 – A View from the Bridge. Arthur Miller’s Tony-winning drama about a Brooklyn longshoreman and his family, directed by Sean Christopher Lewis. Riverside Theatre (213 North Gilbert Street, Iowa City). Thursday through Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $18-30. For tickets and information, call (319)338-7672 or visit RiversideTheatre.org.
Friday, January 20, through Sunday, January 29 – As You Like It. William Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy/romance, directed by Jen Brown. Iowa City Community Theatre (Johnson County Fairgrounds, 4261 Oak Crest Hill Road, Iowa City). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $9-17. For tickets and information, call (319)338-0443 or visit IowaCityCommunityTheatre.com.
Tuesday, January 24 – Paw Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue. All-new stage adventure with characters from the Nickelodeon series. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 2 and 6 p.m. $18-33. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Wednesday, January 25 – Once. Eight-time Tony-winning musical romance in a Broadway at the Adler presentation. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $38-58. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Friday, January 27, through Sunday, February 5 – Crimes of the Heart. Beth Henley’s Pulitzer-winning comedy about three Southern sisters, directed by Jennifer Popple. Augustana College’s Brunner Theatre Center (3750 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 1:30 p.m. $9-11. For tickets and information, call (309)794-7306 or visit Augustana.edu/arts.
Saturday, January 28, through Saturday, February 11 – Murderers. A trio of darkly comedic monologues by Jeffrey Hatcher directed by Lora Adams, presented in the venue's debut stage production. The Black Box Theatre (1623 Fifth Avenue, Moline). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2:30 p.m. $16. For information and tickets, call (563)284-2350 or visit TheBlackBoxTheatre.com.
Tuesday, January 31, through Sunday, February 5 – The Sound of Music. Touring production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musical classic, directed by Jack O’Brien. Hancher Auditorium (101 East Park Road, Iowa City). Tuesday through Saturday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. $36-100. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Hancher.UIowa.edu.
DANCE
Friday, January 27 – Kyle Abraham: abraham.in.motion. Choreographed program featuring Abraham’s recent works “The Quiet Dance,” “Absent Matter,” and “The Gettin’.” Hancher Auditorium (101 East Park Road, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $10-35. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit Hancher.UIowa.edu.
COMEDY
Friday, January 20 – Annual Choice Event: Lindy West & Megan Gogerty. Fundraiser for the Emma Goldman Clinic featuring performances by national comedian and Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman author West and local comedian Gogerty. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7 p.m. $25-60. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Saturday, January 21 – Truly Remarkable Loon. Family presentation with the touring juggler and comedian. Central Performing Arts Center (519 East 11th Street, DeWitt). 10:30 a.m. $5-10. For tickets and information, call (563)249-8541 or visit CentralPerformingArtsCenter.org.
LITERATURE
Wednesday, January 25 – John Holman. A “River Reading” evening with the novelist, short-story writer, essayist, and professor, featuring a post-reading book-signing and reception. Augustana College’s Wallenberg Hall (3520 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. Free. For information, call (309)794-7384 or visit Augustana.edu/arts/river-readings.
MOVIE
Saturday, January 28 – The Barn Raisers. New documentary by area filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle exploring the architecture of Midwestern barns. Putnam Museum & Science Center (1717 West 12th Street, Davenport). 6:30 p.m. Free with museum admission. For information, call (563)324-1933 or visit Putnam.org or BarnMovie.com.
EVENTS
Friday, January 20, through Sunday, January 22 – Rod & Custom Show. The34th-annual automotive celebration featuring vendors, displays, presentations, a Dwyer & Michaels calendar signing, and more. QCCA Expo Center (2621 Fourth Avenue, Rock Island). Friday 1-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $8, ages six and under free; Friday free admission for all military personnel with ID. For information, call (563)326-2541 or visit QCCAExpoCenter.com.
Friday, January 20, and Saturday, January 21 – Bottom’s Up Quad City Burlesque: Birthday Show. Celebrate five years of local burlesque with the troupe and area comedians. Circa ’21 Speakeasy (1818 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $18-20. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit TheCirca21Speakeasy.com.
Saturday, January 21 – Ghost Crier: Haunted Masonic Temple. Event featuring presentations and lectures on the paranormal, live attempts at spiritual communication, demonstrations, food, beverages, a Q&A, and more. Scottish Rite Cathedral (1800 Seventh Avenue, Moline). 6:30 p.m. $75. For tickets and information, visit GhostCrier.com.
Friday, January 27, and Saturday, January 28 – Cinch World’s Toughest Rodeo. Annual touring event featuring cowboys, bulls, rope tricks, rodeo clowns, and more. iWireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7:30 p.m. $19.50-60. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iWirelessCenter.com.
Friday, January 27 – Champagne on the Rocks. The 16th-annual WQPT-TV fundraiser featuring dinner, live music, live and silent auctions, a “Whodunit?!” theme, and more. Davenport Outing Club (2109 North Brady Street, Davenport). 6 p.m. $100. For tickets and information, call (309)764-2400 or visit WQPT.org.
Saturday, January 28 – Winter Wine Experience. Eighth-annual event featuring a wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres, a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, live jazz music from the Steve Grismore Quartet, and more. River Music Experience (129 North Main Street, Davenport). 6 p.m. $32.50-40, $200 for a four-person reserved table. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Saturday, January 28 – Robert Burns Dinner & Celebration. Fortieth-annual event sponsored by the Scottish American Society of the Quad Cities, featuring Scottish food, the Blackhawk Bagpipe Band, harpist Laural Almquist, Scottish items and artwork for sale, and more. Radisson Quad City Plaza Hotel (111 East Second Street, Davenport). 5 p.m. social hour, 6 p.m. festivities, 7 p.m. dinner. $18-45. For information and to reserve, call (563)391-9971 or e-mail thornbj67@gmail.com.
