The KlezmaticsMusic

The Klezmatics

Galvin Fine Arts Center

Friday, October 23, 7:30 p.m.

 

Described by Time Out New York as "the fearless standard-bearers in their field," the Klezmatics will perform at St. Ambrose University's Galvin Fine Arts Center on October 23. Mixing traditional folk stylings with everything from jazz to Latin rhythms to punk, the group will no doubt deliver an exceptional evening of live entertainment, but I'm thinking that the Klezmatics' career arc would also make for a pretty kick-ass movie.

Here's how it would go. It's 1986, and a Manhattan musician posts an ad in the Village Voice, seeking anyone interested in forming a klezmer group. Five musicians - gifted on such instruments as the accordion, violin, clarinet, and trumpet - answer the ad, and the newly formed group begins to play small clubs and parties. Then, in 1988, famed producer Ben Mandelson hears the Klezmatics in concert, and invites them to perform at the inaugural Heimatklänge World Music Festival in Berlin. They do, and at the end of the weeklong event, they're offered a record deal.

Playing an evocative blend of older Yiddish tunes and contemporary folk, the group releases 1989's Shvaygn = toyt and 1990's Rhythm & Jews, and begins to capture the attention of world-music fans worldwide. They tour nationally and internationally. They collaborate with Itzhak Perlman and Allen Ginsberg. They make numerous appearances on PBS' Great Performances.

And then, in 2006, the Klezmatics become the first - and thus far only - klezmer band to win a Grammy Award.

And then, in 2009, they get a write-up in the River Cities' Reader! End of movie!

Or, you know, it could end with the Grammys. Whichever is the bigger honor.

More on the Klezmatics can be found at Klezmatics.com, and tickets to the group's St. Ambrose concert are available by calling (563)333-6251 or visiting http://Web.SAU.edu/galvin.

 

 

The Avett BrothersMusic

The Avett Brothers

Englert Theatre

Tuesday, October 20, 8 p.m.

 

The Avett Brothers, who will play Iowa City's Englert Theatre on October 20, made their national television debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 2007, performing their hit song "Paranoia in B-Flat Major." It's a great number (as you can hear for yourselves at Daytrotter.com), but considering the raves and awards that the musicians have amassed in recent years, it's hard to find much justification for major paranoia, as least as far as the group's exploding popularity is concerned.

Formed in 2001, when banjoist Scott Avett and his guitarist brother Seth first teamed with upright-bass player Bob Crawford, the North Carolina-based ensemble is frequently labeled an "indie roots" band. It's an accurate description if, by "indie roots," people mean "bluegrass, country, punk, pop, folk, rock 'n' roll, honkytonk, and ragtime." Incorporating this incredibly diverse mixture of genres, the musicians' unique, high-energy sound has led to the Avett Brothers touring with the Dave Matthews Band and Widespread Panic, Americana Music Association awards for Best Duo/Group of the Year and New/Emerging Artists of the Year, and a citation by Rolling Stone as "the artists to watch in 2009."

Music critics, too, have been lavish in their praise, with the Los Angeles Times raving about the band's "sprightly playing and ravishing sense of melody," and the San Francisco Chronicle lauding the Avett Brothers for delivering "the heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, and the raw energy of the Ramones." Forget sibling rivalry - this is honest-to-goodness sibling revelry.

Tickets to the Avett Brothers' Iowa City performance are $22 in advance and $26 on the day of the show, and reservations can be made at (319)688-2653 or Englert.org.

 

 

Jeri Benson, Scott Naumann, and Barb Engstrom in A Vacation to Die forComedy

A Vacation to Die for

The Lodge Hotel & Conference Center

Friday, October 23, 6:30 p.m.

 

In past years, the comic performers of the It's a Mystery troupe have set their interactive whodunits at such theoretically harmless events as a wedding reception, a golf outing, and a high-school reunion. And now, the group's A Vacation to Die for has all manner of murderous mayhem taking place on our very own Mississippi River. I ask you: Is nothing sacred for these people?!

Answer: Nope. Playing at Bettendorf's The Lodge Hotel & Conference Center on October 23 (and again on November 13 and December 11), this madcap comedy by Kim Eastland finds matriarch Zelda Eckstazee coming up with a sure-fire fix for the family's financial woes: the transformation of their dumpy summer home into the Eckstazee Lo-Cost Resort, located on an island in the middle of the Mississippi. She enlists preparatory aid from her peculiar nephews and nieces, but on the night of the grand opening, poor Zelda is found dead, the victim of a lethal bubble bath. Yet which of the resort's eccentric staffers did her in? And why? And what are they serving for dessert?

With its cast composed of such frequent - and hilarious - area performers as Scott Naumann, Barb Engstrom, Jamie Em Johnson, Michael Callahan, and Eastland himself, A Vacation to Die for will allow you and fellow patrons to suss out the suspects, among them off-Broadway star Trixie, "mystic reader" Zorastro, and family legal counselor Rychard. Untrustworthy actors and fortune tellers and lawyers? What kind of mixed-up world is this?

Tickets for A Vacation to Die for's dinner and show are $35 and can be reserved by calling (563)359-1607; for more information on the evening, visit ItsAMysteryQC.com.

 

 

Imagination MoversMusic

Imagination Movers

Adler Theatre

Wednesday, October 21, 7 p.m.

 

Parents, please hand the paper over to your grade-school-aged children for a moment. I promise they'll give it right back. Thank you.

Hey, kids!

You see those guys in the picture? You know who they are? That's right! The Imagination Movers! You know the Imagination Movers - they're those funny guys who sing and dance and have their own show on the Disney Channel, and who released those CDs Stir It Up and Juice Box Heroes and For Those About to Hop. They're awesome!

Well, you'll never guess what the Imagination Movers are up to now. They're traveling the country on their very first national tour, and they're coming to Davenport! I know - I can't believe it, either! They're going to be playing at the Adler Theatre on October 21, which means that you get to see Rich, Dave, and the two Scotts live and in person! They're sure to sing a bunch of your favorite songs - maybe even "Toothache" and "Boing Cluck Cluck" and "Achoo!" - and rock the house with energetic dances and audience-participation games and their one-of-a-kind trashcan drum set ... . I'm excited just thinking about it!

And best of all, since they've won an Emmy Award, and since the New York Times said their songs are "prized by many parents for non-condescending music and lyrics that evoke the Beastie Boys or Red Hot Chili Peppers," your folks are excited, too! They're so excited, in fact, that they told me they'd buy you tickets if you did the dishes and set the table tonight! So remember this phone number - (800)745-3000 - and this Web address - AdlerTheatre.com. That's how they can get tickets. So have fun at the Imagination Movers show! You can hand the paper back to Mom or Dad now!

So yeah, there's this concert coming to downtown Davenport, and ... .

What's that?

No, I have no idea why your kids just ran to the kitchen ... .

 

 

Kimberly Furness and Lora Adams in Swimming in the ShallowsTheatre

Swimming in the Shallows

Village Theatre

Thursday, October 15, through Sunday, October 25

 

For the first production of the company's 2009-10 season, New Ground Theatre will stage playwright Adam Bock's Swimming in the Shallows at the Village Theatre from October 15 through 25. This 2005 comedy has been called "a screwy little jewel of a play" by the New York Times and praised for its "highly idiosyncratic characters and uproarious situations" by TheatreMania magazine, with the Village Voice lauding its "sweetly absurdist view of life" that "manages to achieve something unexpectedly, if quietly, profound."

That's all well and good. But chances are that if you're planning to attend director Chris Jansen's tale of modern (and somewhat surreal) friendship and romance, you'll be doing it for one of the following three reasons:

1)You want to watch Pat Flaherty (excellent in the Curtainbox Theatre Company's recent Glengarry Glen Ross) and Susan Perrin-Sallak (outstanding in the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre's recent Rabbit Hole) portray a long-married couple struggling with their new Buddhist lifestyle.

2) You want to watch gifted area performers/directors/producers Lora Adams and Kimberly Furness portray an about-to-be-married couple struggling with one partner's nicotine addiction.

3) You want to watch Eddie Staver III - voted best local actor in the Reader's latest Best of the Quad Cities poll - make out with a shark.

And don't think I don't know which reason you're leaning toward. Sickos.

Swimming in the Shallows will be performed on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Thursdays and Sundays at 2 p.m., and more information is available at (563)326-7529 and NewGroundTheatre.org.

 

 

What Else Is Happenin'... ?

 

MUSIC

Friday, October 16 - Hotel California. Eagles tribute band in a touring production. Jumer's Casino & Hotel (777 Jumer Drive, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $20-$25. For tickets and information, call (309)756-4600 or visit JumersCRI.com.

Friday, October 16 - Intensity! Six-piece ensemble performs a live soundtrack to F.W. Murnau's silent vampire classic Nosferatu, with opening remarks by local horror authors Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlin. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 9 p.m. $7. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.

Friday, October 23 - Tesla. Multi-platinum-selling California rockers in their "Forever More" tour. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $32-$52. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.

Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24 - Smooth Jazz Fall Festival. Annual concerts by Great Sound Promotions, featuring performances by the Urban Jazz Coalition and Althea Rene on Friday, and Brian Simpson and Tom Braxton on Saturday. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $48.50. For tickets and information, call (563)324-4208 or visit GreatSoundsPromotions.com.

Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25 - Cathedral Classics. Fall concert by the Nova Singers, performing their first repertoire composed entirely of sacred works. Saturday - First Lutheran Church (364 East Water Street, Galesburg), 7:30 p.m. Sunday - St. Paul Lutheran Church (2136 Brady Street, Davenport), 4 p.m. $10-$15, students free. For information and tickets, call (309)341-7038 or visit http://DeptOrg.Knox.edu/novasingers.

Sunday, October 25 - Insane Clown Posse. Detroit-based hip-hop duo, performing with openers Hed PE. Davenport RiverCenter (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $25-$28. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit RiverCtr.com.

Sunday, October 25 - Mark Schultz & Point of Grace. Platinum-selling and Dove Award-winning Christian-music performers in their "Come Alive" tour. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 6 p.m. $17-$32. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.

 

THEATRE

Friday, October 16 through Sunday, October 25 - The Big Funk. Pulitzer Prize winner John Patrick Shanley's philosophical comedy/drama, designed for mature audiences. Potter Hall - Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts, Augustana College (3701 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). Fridays and Saturdays - 7:30 p.m., Sundays - 1:30 p.m. $8-$10. For tickets and information, call (309)794-7306 or visit http://www.Augustana.edu/academics/theatre/department.

Saturday, October 17 through Sunday, October 25 - Winnie-the-Pooh. Davenport Junior Theatre's student production, featuring A.A. Milne's beloved storybook characters. Nighswander Theatre, Annie Wittenmyer Complex (2816 Eastern Avenue, Davenport). Saturdays - 2 and 7 p.m., Sundays - 2 p.m. $5 at the door. For information, call (563)326-7862 or visit DavenportJuniorTheatre.com.

Saturday, October 17 through Saturday, October 31 - The Rocky Horror Show. Let's do the Time Warp again, in the stage version of the cinematic cult-classic. Harrison Hilltop Theatre (1601 Harrison Street, Davenport). Saturdays - 7:30 p.m. and midnight, October 23 and 29 - 7:30 p.m., October 30 - midnight. $10-$16. For tickets and information, call (309)235-1654 or visit HarrisonHilltop.com.

Thursday, October 22 through Saturday, October 31 - Haunted Lives. One-act ghost stories by Agnes of God playwright John Pielmeier. Scott Community College - Student Life Center (500 Belmont Road, Bettendorf). Thursdays through Saturdays - 7 p.m. $5 at the door. For information, e-mail director Steve Flanigin at sflanigin@eicc.edu.

Monday, October 26 - The Wedding Singer. Touring production of Broadway's Tony-nominated musical comedy, based on Adam Sandler's love-in-the-'80s movie hit. Adler Theatre. (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $28-$47.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.

 

DANCE

Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 - Dracula Returns. Ballet Quad Cities' presentation of the classic horror tale, preceded by the contemporary ballet While I Breathe, I Hope. The Capitol Theatre (330 West Third Street, Davenport). Friday - 7:30 p.m., Saturday - 2 and 7:30 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (563)326-8820 or visit TheCapDavenport.com and BalletQuadCities.com.

 

COMEDY

Thursday, October 15 - David Sedaris. An evening with the best-selling author and Grammy Award-nominated humorist. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $34.50-$39.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.

 

EVENT

Friday, October 16 - Disney Live! Rockin' Road Show. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Tigger, and all your Disney favorites in a new musical-comedy stage presentation. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. $15.75-$45.75. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.

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