Music
Craicmore
Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center
Saturday, March 14, 7 p.m.
I know, I know ... St. Patrick's Day falls on a Tuesday this year, and you're having a hard time rationalizing an evening of rollicking Irish celebration when, the following Wednesday, you'll have to get up for work at the crack of dawn. Join the club.
Thankfully, though, Quad City Arts is giving us all the chance to celebrate early with a public performance by Craicmore, the fiery Celtic musicians here as the latest Quad City Arts Visiting Artists. Playing the new Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center on Saturday, March 14, the group promises to live up to its moniker - a combination of "craic," the Irish word for "fun," and the Anglicization of "mór," the Irish word for "big" - with the driving rhythms of guitar, bass, Bohdran drum, whistles, flutes, and, of course, bagpipes.
Formed in 1992, and drawing on the traditional music of Ireland and Scotland, Craicmore has toured extensively over the past decade-plus - recently performing a 14-concert engagement in Shanghai, China - and has earned critical praise for its recent CD release, too bad for heaven, too good for hell ... ; the folk magazine Sing Out! called it "a rich, absorbing listening experience from the get-go," and Dirty Linen raved about the CD's "wonderfully harmonious Gaelic vocals" and "crisp instrumental sets."
Yet no Celtic celebration worth its salt would be complete without a few Celtic dance moves, and Craicmore's concert event will also feature the exhilarating sight of traditional hard-shoe dancing, with steps performed by group vocalist Nancy Johnston, whose biography lists her as "possibly the only living person ever to fall asleep at a Jimi Hendrix concert." Smart of her to add that "living" there, 'cuz I'm betting Hendrix himself conked out once or twice ... .
Tickets to Craicmore's public concert are $12 and can be reserved by calling (309)794-7306; for more information on Quad City Arts' Visiting Artist series, visit QuadCityArts.com.
Theatre
Murder at the Howard Johnson's
Playcrafters Barn Theatre
Friday, March 6, through Sunday, March 15
Scene I: Arlene, an unfaithful wife, and Mitchell, her illicit lover, meet at a Howard Johnson's Motor Inn and plan to kill Paul, Arlene's husband.
Scene II: Arlene - having discovered that Mitchell, too, has been unfaithful - and Paul meet at a Howard Johnson's Motor Inn and plan to kill Mitchell.
Scene III: Mitchell and Paul - having discovered that they have a little too much in common - meet at a Howard Johnson's Motor Inn and plan to kill Arlene.
Hmph. You'd never see this kind of carrying on at the Radisson.
You can, however, see it at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre, which opens its new production of Murder at the Howard Johnson's on March 8. Described by Variety magazine as featuring "enough laugh lines, mirth-provoking situations, and extravagant sight gags to outfit two rapid-fire farces," this popular offering by Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick has been a theatrical mainstay since its 1979 Broadway debut, and its Moline incarnation stars Jeff Adamson, Gary Koos, and Monta Ponsetto, who have lent their collective talents to such comic endeavors as Greater Tuna, Tony & Tina's Wedding, and the improv troupe ComedySportz.
Murder at the Howard Johnson's runs March 6 through 15, and tickets are available by calling (309)762-0330 or visiting Playcrafters.com.
Music
Juan de Marcos & the Afro-Cuban All Stars
Iowa City West High School
Tuesday, March 10, 7:30 p.m.
In a concert hosted by the University of Iowa's Hancher Auditorium, the big-band sounds of Juan de Marcos & the Afro-Cuban All Stars will fill Iowa City's West High School on March 10, and in a press release, ensemble leader Juan de Marcos González offered a simple explanation for the group's appeal: "It's all about the electromagnetic waves that the brain transmits and receives through the pineal gland."
Hey, the guy's got a doctorate in engineering from the Agronomic Science Institute. I'd trust him.
He's also a musical legend, having served as director for the celebrated Buena Vista Social Club project - concerts and recordings that salute the historical impact and stylistic diversity of Cuban music throughout the world. For his current outfit, González and his equally renowned musicians offer a variety of contrasting, high-energy styles that includes contemporary timba, swinging guajira, Afro-Cuban jazz, and the tribal rhythms of abakua, and while this marks the group's first American tour since 2003, reviewers abroad have been ecstatic in their praise.
After a recent London concert, The Guardian wrote that "the way the All Stars' singers toyed with the underlying beat in their phrasing, and the instrumentalists unfurled their forceful and quirky virtuosity, made the music spring to life." And praising the "warm guitars, funky horns, and infectious vocals," What's on in London described a performance as "the best wedding reception you've ever been invited to." No word on whether their show includes crab cakes and an open bar, but I'm hopin'.
Iowa City West High School is located at 2901 Melrose Avenue, and tickets to the Juan de Marcos & the Afro-Cuban All Stars concert are available by calling (319)335-1160 or visiting http://www.hancher.uiowa.edu.
Music
Nickelback
i wireless Center
Sunday, March 15, 7 p.m.
"So what happened in this dream, Mike?"
"This one was really strange, doc. I was a Hollywood rock star in a cowboy hat, feelin' way too damn good, when this animal popped in front me. I thought he was a little friend, but that was my mistake, because, believe it or not, he knocked me flat on the floor, and I could barely breathe - it was like someone was yanking out my heart."
"Hmm."
"Then he spoke! 'It's over,' he said. 'Those good times? Gone. Too bad. You think you're a leader of men, a hero, as if everyone cared. But I've figured you out. You're just a pusher who's gotta be somebody, taking one last run, thinking you're never gonna be alone. You fight for all the wrong reasons - you throw yourself away just to get high - and you can't do this anymore.'"
"I see."
"Then he says, 'If you don't curb the S.E.X. this afternoon, you'll have to learn the hard way - I'll come for you, I'll follow you home, and I'll burn it to the ground.' And then I woke up this morning. What do you think it means?"
"Well, Mike, I think it means you need tickets for the March 15 concert at the i wireless Center. You just referenced 35 Nickelback songs."
"Why ... of course! How deep! Thanks for savin' me, doc - I'll see you at the show!"
"Make that 38."
For more information on the March 15 concert with the rockers of Nickelback - playing alongside Seether and Saving Abel - visit iWirelessCenter.com.
Music
Gordon Lightfoot
Adler Theatre
Wednesday, March 11, 8 p.m.
One of music's most accomplished singer/songwriters will make a long-awaited Quad Cities appearance on March 11, when the legendary Gordon Lightfoot takes the stage at Davenport's Adler Theatre. Famed for such timeless, moving classics as "Sundown," "Carefree Highway," "Rainy Day People," and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," the 70-year-old Canadian is not only accomplished, but hugely influential, as his folk, country, and pop singles have found numerous musicians paying tribute to Lightfoot through their own takes on his extensive discography.
Two Lightfoot songs, in particular, have proved ripe for re-interpretation. From the following list of noted musical artists, name which six had their own recording successes with Lightfoot's "Early Morning Rain," and which six recorded versions of his chart-topper "If You Could Read My Mind":
1) "Early Morning Rain"
2) "If You Could Read My Mind"
A) Tori Amos
B) Glen Campbell
C) Johnny Cash
D) Judy Collins
E) Bob Dylan
F) The Grateful Dead
G) The Kingston Trio
H) Jerry Lee Lewis
I) Johnny Mathis
J) Olivia Newton-John
K) Elvis Presley
L) Barbra Streisand
For tickets to Gordon Lightfoot's Adler Theatre concert, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Answers: 1 ("Early Morning Rain") - D, E, F, G, H, K; 2 ("If You Could Read My Mind") - A, B, C, I, J, L. Collectively, those artists have more than four dozen Grammy Awards. Lightfoot himself has none. The Grammys are funny, aren't they?
What Else is Happenin'... ?
MUSIC
Friday, March 13 - Tim Mahoney. Minnesota-based pop-rock singer/songwriter. Brew by the Slough (Augustana College, fourth floor of the Tredway Library, 639 38th Street). 8 p.m. Free. For information, call (309)794-7306.
Saturday, March 14 - Debbie Davies. Blues Music Award-winning vocalist and guitarist. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 9 p.m. $10. For information and tickets, call (563)326-1333 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.
Saturday, March 14 - Tracy Worth. Recording artist performing numbers by jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan. Moline Public Library meeting rooms (3210 41st Street, Moline). 2:30 p.m. Free. For information, call (309)762-6883 or visit MolineLibrary.com.
Saturday, March 14 - The Chordbusters: Floatin' Down the River, Part Deux. Annual concert with the Quad Cities' barbershop ensemble, offering "a musical tour of New Orleans and its environs." The Capitol Theatre (326 West Third Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $15. For tickets and information, call (563)326-8820 or visit TheCapDavenport.com.
Sunday, March 15 - Quad City Wind Ensemble Concert. Music on the theme "Dance with Me," featuring guest soloist Ronald Romm on trumpet. Moline High School auditorium (3600 Avenue of the Cities, Moline). 3 p.m. $4-5; students free. For information, call (563)449-4556 or visit FreeWebs.com/quad-city-wind-ensemble.
DANCE
Sunday, March 15 - The Mississippi Masala Hafla. Belly-dance demonstrations with Tamarind Tribal and students from the day's bellydance workshops. The Center for Living (2008 Fourth Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $10. For information, call (309)788-5433.
FILM
Tuesday, March 10 - St. Vincent & the Grenadines: Caribbean Jewels. Final screening in the 2008-9 World Adventure Series, with producer and paleontologist Steve Gonser. Putnam Museum & IMAX Theatre (1717 West 12th Street, Davenport). 1, 4, and 7 p.m. $6. For tickets and information, call (563)324-1933 or visit Putnam.org.
EXHIBIT
Saturday, March 14, through Sunday, June 7 - Touched by the Hands of God: Michelangelo's Models. Hands-on exhibit featuring bronze casts of six of Michelangelo's bozzetti - small sculptural models made of clay, wax, and wood. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Tuesdays through Sundays. Free with museum admission ($4-7). For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArt.org.
EVENTS
Thursday, March 5 - Heart & Soul: The 7th Annual New Kingdom Trailriders Banquet. Fundraiser for equine-assisted therapeutic-riding program, with a silent auction, scenes from the Johnny Cash musical Ring of Fire, and featured entertainer Ellis Kell. Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 5:30-9 p.m. $10. For information and tickets, call (309)786-7733 extension 2.
Saturday, March 14 - Kelly's Irish Pub St. Patrick's Day Party. Live entertainment, more than 100 kegs of green beer and Guinness, and one ton of corned beef and cabbage. Kelly's Irish Pub & Eatery (2222 East 53rd Street, Davenport). 6 a.m.-close. No cover charge. For information, call (563)344-0000 or visit KellysIrishPubAndEatery.com.
