Music
Local H
Rock Island Brewing Company
Friday, April 6, 9p.m.
Before embarking on an East Coast tour that takes the duo to New York, Massachusetts, and Delaware, the alternative rockers of Local H will, on April 6, play a concert at the Rock Island Brewing Company.
Rock Island? Hey, that's where I live! "Rock Island! Woo-hoo! Ye-e-e-e-ea-a-ah-h!!!"
Sorry. Just thought it'd be fun to act like one of those concertgoers who does that sort of thing.
If you catch Local H's RIBCO gig, though, plan on hearing a bunch of similarly excited outbursts. Following the band's humble, 1987 beginnings in Zion, Illinois, the original Local H duo of Joe Daniels and Scott Lucas recorded and released a trio of studio albums - 1995's Ham Fisted, 1996's As Good as Dead, and 1998's Pack Up the Cats - that were greeted with considerable critical and commercial success; their single "Bound for the Floor" reached number five on Billboard's U.S. alternative-rock chart, and tracks "Eddie Vedder" and "Fritz's Corner" landed on the top 40 on both the alternative- and mainstream-rock charts.
Daniels left the band in 1999, but Lucas quickly found his new partner in former Cheap Trick drum technician Brian St. Clair ... and the rest, as they say, is rock history. Over the past dozen years, Local H released three additional studio albums, one live album, and one compilation album; scored another top 40 hit with the single "Half-Life"; and has become nearly as famous for its unconventional live shows as it has for its pulsating, exhilarating duets.
During 2005's "All-Request Tour," menus of Local H song titles were handed out to audiences prior to the shows, and the set lists determined by which seven songs were the most requested. In 2010's "6 Angry Records Tour," the group's album titles were placed in a hat, a title was drawn at random, and that night's show consisted of that album played in its entirety. And in 2003, Local H auctioned off a live show on eBay, and subsequently performed a concert for the highest bidder in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake, Illinois.
Crystal Lake? Hey, that's where I used to live! "Crystal Lake! Woo-hoo! Ye-e-e-e-ea-a-ah-h!!!"
Wow. That is fun.
Local H performs with special guests The Last Glimpse and Satellite Heart, and more information on the evening is available by calling (309)793-4060 or visiting RIBCO.com.
Event
Tracing Footsteps: A Journal of Music, Photography, & Tales of the Road
The Redstone Room
Thursday, April 5, 8 p.m.
As you've likely noticed, we preface our What's Happenin' articles with headers indicating what category the featured subjects fall under: "Music," "Literature," "Exhibit," et cetera.
The Redstone Room's April 5 presentation of Tracing Footsteps: A Journal of Music, Photography, & Tales of the Road might be the first event we've covered here that could conceivably fall under all of them.
The entertainment begins with a program by Dennis McNally, the freelance journalist who served as The Grateful Dead's publicist from 1984 to 1995. McNally will offer stories from his careers as an author and publicist and discuss a number of his written works - among them his lauded New York Times bestseller A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead - and will then cede the stage to the evening's other guest: Bill Payne, the co-founder of the beloved rock band Little Feat.
A much-in-demand session musician who's worked with the likes of Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Seger, Emmyou Harris, and Pink Floyd, Payne will perform on piano and keyboards while sharing commentary on his music, his career with Little Feat, and his other notable endeavors. Chief among them are his explorations in photography, and during Payne's presentation, samples from his works will also be shown on large screens and subsequently discussed. Finally, as a capper to the evening, McNally will return to the stage as moderator for a special question-and-answer session with Payne, allowing patrons an up-close-and-personal experience with the songwriter of such classics as "Oh Atlanta," "Day or Night," and "Time Loves a Hero."
So we're listing this special Redstone Room happening under the catchall header "Event," but it might just as easily be "Music" or "Literature" or "Exhibit." Or "Lecture," really. And if enough people groove to Payne's tunes, I guess "Dance." Plus, there's audience participation, so I suppose "Theatre" would qualify. And if McNally and Payne crack a joke or two, "Comedy" wouldn't be totally inaccurate ... .
You get the idea. For a little bit of everything in the world of entertainment, secure tickets for Tracing Footsteps: A Journal of Music, Photography, & Tales of the Road, which are available by calling (563)326-1333 or visiting RiverMusicExperience.org.
Theatre
Titus Andronicus
The Stern Center
Friday, March 30, through Saturday, April 7
The latest presentation by the area's classical-theatre troupe the Prenzie Players is the William Shakespeare tragedy Titus Andronicus, which will be staged in the District of Rock Island's new venue the Stern Center (1713 Third Avenue) from March 30 through April 7.
Set during the latter days of the Roman Empire, Titus Andronicus is the fictional tale of the titular Roman-army general who engages in violent revenge against Tamora, Queen of the Goths, and the work is widely considered one of the Bard's most controversial achievements.
The Prenzies' production features Aaron Sullivan as Titus, Jessica Nicol White as Tamora, and a host of similarly gifted and familiar area actors surrounding them, in a cast that includes David Cabassa, Cara DeMarlie, Bobby Duncalf, Bri Kinney, Andy Koski, Andy Lord, Jeb Makula, Cole McFarren, Angela Rathman, Nikki Steinbaugh, Maggie Woolley, and Bryan Woods.
Jake Walker, a veteran of such Prenzie offerings as Cyrano de Bergerac and The Taming of the Shrew, serves as director. The show's crew finds Stephanie Burrough serving as assistant director, Denise Yoder as fight master, and Alaina Pascarella in charge of "makeup and gore."
And if you're a wee bit curious about that last credit, know in advance that among the more, shall we say, memorable elements of Titus Andronicus are the murder of Titus' son, the rape of Titus' daughter, the forced removal of hands and feet, the severing of heads, the slitting of throats, one character buried alive, one thrown to a pack of wild dogs, and two more baked into a pie and subsequently eaten.
Man, Alaina's gonna be busy, huh?
Doors for the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 8 p.m. shows open at 7:30 p.m., doors for the 2 p.m. performance on April Fool's Day open at 1:30 p.m., and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)278-8426 or visiting PrenziePlayers.com.
Music
Lady Antebellum
i wireless Center
Thursday, April 5, 7 p.m.
Among their formidable accomplishments in 2011, the country-music superstars of Lady Antebellum released the chart-topping album Own the Night; emerged victorious at the Grammy Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Teen Choice Awards; appeared as musical guests on Saturday Night Live; and performed on American Idol's results show ... which was somewhat ironic, considering that on two occasions, the group's Hillary Scott didn't make the show's first-round lineup. Somewhere, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, and Jennifer Hudson are smiling.
Not that Scott - or bandmates Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley - have needed the American Idol seal of approval, as fans will again be reminded when Lady Antebellum plays the i wireless Center on April 5. With three number-one albums under their belts since the group's recording debut in 2007, these country-legends-in-the-making are among the fastest-rising successes in modern music. And while they've been thrilling audiences with their pop-fueled harmonics, the musicians of Lady Antebellum have scored loads of industry hardware in the process, winning, to date, three trophies from the Academy of Country Music, six from the Country Music Association, two from the American Music Awards, two from the CMT Music Awards, and seven from the Grammy Awards, including this past February's Grammy for Best Country Album.
They've also, thus far, released 14 singles that have landed among the top 10 on Billboard's U.S. Country charts. So how familiar with their output are you? Fill in the blanks to complete the titles of these top-10 Lady Antebellum hits:
1) "Hello ____"
2) "Need ____ Now"
3) "Dancin' Away with My ____"
4) "Our Kind of ____"
5) "Lookin' for a Good ____"
6) "We Owned the ____"
7) "American ____"
A) You
B) Love
C) Time
D) World
E) Night
F) Heart
G) Honey
Lady Antebellum will perform in Moline with special guests Darius Rucker and Thompson Square, and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 or visiting iwirelessCenter.com.
Answers: 1 - D, 2 - A, 3 - F, 4 - B, 5 - C, 6 - E, 7 - G. Of course, at this stage in Lady Antebellum's popularity, the group could probably insert "Honey" into all of those titles and score a chart-busting CD for Winnie-the-Pooh.
What Else Is Happenin'...?
MUSIC
Thursday, March 29 - The Chris Duarte Group. Ensemble led by blues-guitar matstro Duarte, in a presentation by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. Rascal's Live (1414 15th Street, Moline). 7 p.m. $10-12. For information, call (563)322-5837 or visit MVBS.org.
Thursday, March 29 - Rock This Town with Rodney. Cabaret performance with Circa '21 Bootlegger Rodney Swain. Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $10-12. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Thursday, March 29, through Saturday, March 31 - 2012 Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival. The 32nd-annual festival hosted by Knox College, featuring performances by the Noah Preminger Group, Ted Sirota's Rebel Souls, the Knox College Jazz Ensemble, the Knox Alumni Big Band, and the Knox Faculty and Friends Combo, performed at McGillacuddy's (58 South Cherry Street) and the Orpheum Theatre (57 South Kellogg Street) in Galesburg. $7-15/concert. For tickets and information, call (309)341-7265 or visit Knox.edu.
Friday, March 30 - Super Reverbs featuring R.J. Mischo. Blues musicians led by the world-renowned singer, harmonica player, and band leader. The Muddy Waters (1708 State Street, Bettendorf). 9 p.m. $5. For information, call (563)355-0655 or visit TheMuddyWaters.com.
Saturday, March 31 - Rozz-Tox's One-Year Anniversary Show. An all-ages concert with The Daredevil Christopher Wright, Healing Power, and Chrash. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. doors. $5. For information, e-mail info@rozztox.com or visit RozzTox.com. For a 2009 interview with The Daredevil Christopher Wright's Jon Sunde, visit RCReader.com/y/daredevil.
Saturday, March 31 - Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. Acclaimed afrobeat musicians perform in a Mission Creek Festival presentation. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $22-25. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Saturday, March 31, and Sunday, April 1 - Quad City Symphony Orchestra: All Singing! All Dancing! The final Masterworks concerts of the 2011-12 season, with pianist Lydia Artymiw, vocalists Sarah Shafer and Abigail Nims, and a program featuring St. Ambrose University faculty member William Campbell's "Coyote Dances," Falla's "Three Dances from El Sombrero de Tres Picos (Three-Cornered Hat)," Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 20," and Strauss' "Suite and Finale from Der Rosenkavalier." Saturday - Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport), 7:30 p.m. Sunday - Augustana College's Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island), 2 p.m. $11-53. For tickets and information, call (563)322-7276 or visit QCSymphony.com.
Sunday, April 1 - Mal Blum. New York-based singer/songwriter in concert. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. doors. $5. For information, e-mail info@rozztox.com or visit RozzTox.com.
Tuesday, April 3 - Lucero. American roots-rock musicians in their "Women & Work Tour," with special guest William Elliott Whitmore. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $16-20. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.
Tuesday, April 3 - Killer Paisley. Concert with Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse veterans and indie-folk musicians Andrew Crowe and Vaughn Irving, with an opening set by EmJay. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. doors. $5. For information, e-mail info@rozztox.com or visit RozzTox.com.
Thursday, April 5 - Dave Pietro. Concert with the acclaimed jazz saxophonist, in a Hancher Auditorium presentation. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $12.50-30. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
Friday, April 6 - Split Lip Rayfield. Popular bluegrass and Americana musicians in concert, with an opening set by Mountain Sprout. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 9 p.m. $12-15. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org. For a 2005 interview with Split Lip Rayfield's Eric Mardis, visit RCReader.com/y/rayfield.
Friday, April 6 - Hotel California. Touring Eagles tribute band in concert. Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf). 7:30 p.m. $10-15. For information, call (800)724-5825 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.com.
Saturday, April 7 - Papadosio. Noted electronica and rock musicians in concert, with an opening set by Matthew Kylestewa. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 10 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Tuesday, April 10 - Nickelback. Acclaimed Canadian rockers in concert, with openers Bush, Seether, and My Darkest Days. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 6 p.m. $50.50-76. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Tuesday, April 10 - The Revival Tour 2012. Concert with folk singers/songwriters Chuck Ragan, Corey Branan, Tommy Gabel, and Nathaniel Rateliff, accompanied by Joe Gaunt and Joe Ginsberg. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $15-20. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com. For a 2010 interview with Nathaniel Rateliff, visit RCReader.com/y/rateliff.
THEATRE
Thursday, March 29, through Saturday, May 5 - Diary of a Worm, a Spider, & a Fly. One-act musical based on the popular children's books, directed by Kimberly Furness. Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. performances Thursdays-Saturdays and Tuesdays. $8.50. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Thursday, March 29, through Saturday, March 31 - Leading Ladies. Cross-dressing farcical comedy by Ken Ludwig. Black Hawk College's Building 1, Room 306 (6600 34th Avenue, Moline). 7 p.m. $5 at the door. For information, call (309)756-5000 or visit BHC.edu.
Thursday, March 29, through Sunday, April 1 - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Quad City Music Guild presents the Tony-winning musical comedy with audience participants, directed by Ben Holmes. Prospect Park Auditorium (1584 34th Avenue, Moline). Thursday through Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $10-15. For tickets and information, call 309-762-6610 or visit QCMusicGuild.com.
Friday, March 30, through Sunday April 1 - Guys & Dolls. Frank Loesser's Tony Award-winning musical-comedy classic. Assumption High School's Sunderbruch Auditorium (1020 Central Park Avenue, Davenport). Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $6-8. For tickets and information, call (563)326-5313 visit AssumptionHigh.org.
Friday, March 30, through Sunday, April 15 - A Steady Rain. Keith Huff's Broadway hit about two tormented Chicago cops. Riverside Theatre (213 North Gilbert Street, Iowa City). Thursdays-Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. $15-28. For tickets and information, call (319)338-7672 or visit RiversideTheatre.org.
COMEDY
Friday, March 30 - David Cross. Stand-up concert with the comedian and star of TV's Arrested Development and Mr. Show with Bob & David. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7 p.m. $25-75. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Saturday, March 31 - Cross-Country Comedy Competition Finals. Featuring the winners from the weekly preliminaries held March 3-17, with the grand-prize winner receiving $1,000 and entry into October's Iowa Comedy Festival. Circa '21 Speakeasy (1818 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
LITERARY ARTS
Friday, March 30 - A Memory, a Rant, & a Prayer: Readings to Stop Violence Against Women & Girls. Annual readings intended for mature audiences, with proceeds benefiting Family Resources Inc. and female survivors of violence in Haiti. St. Ambrose University's Rogalski Center (518 West Locust Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $5-8. For information, call (563)333-6113 or visit SAU.edu.
Saturday, March 31 - Spoken Word & Poetry with Amber Tamblyn. The Emmy-nominated actress and spoken-word poet curates an event featuring poets Beau Sia and Derrick Brown, as part of the Mission Creek Festival's literary-arts lineup. The Mill (120 East Burlington, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $8. For information, call (319)351-9529 or visit MissionFreak.com.
EXHIBIT
Saturday, March 31, through Monday, May 28 - Anne Frank: A History for Today. Exhibit co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities, featuring photographs of the Frank family and other occupants of the Secret Annex, and touching on such themes as anti-Semitism, racism, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. Putnam Museum (1717 West 12th Street, Davenport). Free with $5-7 museum admission. For information, call (309)793-1300 or visit JFQC.org.
EVENT
Friday, March 30 - Quad City Arts' mARTch madness Retro '50s Sock Hop. A retro dinner buffet, rock 'n' roll, a cash bar, visual art, games, and more, in a fundraiser for Quad City Arts' visual-arts program. Modern Woodmen Park (209 South Gaines Street, Davenport). 6:30 p.m. $30-40/person; $200/table of eight. For tickets and information, call (309)793-1213 or visit QuadCityArts.com.
