Music
Rhythm Unleashed: The Music of Mark Mellits
The Redstone Room
Saturday, May 19, 8 p.m.
The latest presentation in the Quad City Symphony's Signature Series finds four of the orchestra's members performing Rhythm Unleashed: The Music of Mark Mellits, taking place on May 19 at Davenport's Redstone Room. And if that seems like an ill-fitting venue for a symphony offering, you should know that according to the New York Press, Mellits' compositions suggest "what classical music has in common with rock and pop."
You should also know that according to the All Music Guide, "Mellits apparently draws considerable inspiration from food" ... but then again, who doesn't?
A Maryland native who studied at the Eastman School of Music, Yale School of Music, and Cornell University, Mellits has emerged as one of the most accomplished composers of his generation, with his recent commissions including works for such acclaimed musicians as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Kronos Quartet, and the Canadian Brass. Currently based in Illinois, where he's on the music faculty at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Mellits received the prestigious Foundation for Contemporary Arts Award in 2004, and is also the artistic director and keyboard player for the Mellits Consort ensemble, a group whose Web site (at MellitsConcort.com) describes its output as "hard-edged and rhythmic as well as lyrical and sultry."
Those disparate qualities are sure to be on display during May 19's Mellits celebration, when principal cellist Hannah Holman, pianist Mary Neil, and percussionists Tony Oliver and Aaron Williams present selections from an oeuvre praised for its "viscerally propulsive rhythms" by SanDiego.com and its "indelible sonic pictures" by the Washington Post. The individual works being presented at the Redstone Room, meanwhile, include a quartet titled "Disciplines for Gouda" and a duo for cello and marimba called "Paranoid Cheese," so you should definitely expect the unexpected. And hopefully some wine and crackers.
Tickets to the Quad City Symphony Orchestra's Rhythm Unleashed: The Music of Mark Mellits concert are $18 for adults and $7 for students, and more information on the night is available by calling (563)322-7276 or visiting QCSymphony.com.
Exhibit
David Plowden's Iowa
Figge Art Museum
Saturday, May 12, through Sunday, August 26
From May 12 through August 26, the Figge Art Museum will host the exhibition David Plowden's Iowa, a collection of photographs of Iowans and their communities taken during a 20-year period.
Over the course of a career that has thus far lasted half a century, Plowden has devoted himself to photographing scenes of small-town and rural America, with his beautiful, evocative black-and-white images - such as 2004's Grain Elevators, Manson, Iowa - offering fascinating contrasts in darkness and light, decline and growth, and nostalgia and progress.
Plowden is a 1955 graduate of Yale University and has held teaching positions at the University of Iowa, the University of Baltimore, and the Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute of Design.
He has served on the New York State Council on the Arts, has had works commissioned by Columbia University, and in 1968 was the recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship.
He has produced 20 books of photographic artwork, and has been the subject of articles in Modern Photography, Popular Photography, and Time magazine.
He's included among the entries in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World, and was the subject of an Emmy Award-winning biographical documentary titled David Plowden: Light, Shadow, & Form.
And samples of his work are on permanent display in the Art Institute of Chicago, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Library of Congress.
So I'll admit it: When I first learned that the Figge's latest exhibit was titled David Plowden's Iowa, I thought it sounded a little ... overly possessive, like David Plowden owned the entire state of Iowa. Now I'm thinking that Plowden deserves to own anything he wants.
An artist's reception for David Plowden's Iowa - featuring a discussion and book-signing with the photographer - will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 17, and more information on the exhibition is available by calling (563)326-7804 or visiting FiggeArt.org.
Dance
The Sleeping Beauty
Adler Theatre
Saturday, May 19, 1 & 7 p.m.
Ballet Quad Cities will present a brand-new take on Tchaikovsky's legendary fairy-tale ballet The Sleeping Beauty at the Adler Theatre on May 19, and for fellow admirers of the organization, here's the bittersweet news: The production will mark the last performance for the phenomenally gifted Jacob Lyon as a full-time company member, as the man graduates from St. Ambrose University with a BA in chemistry this month and will pursue his master's degree at the University of Iowa this fall.
So for area ballet fans, that's the "bitter" portion. The "sweet" is that Jacob and his wife - Ballet Quad Cities Artistic Director Courtney Lyon - will continue to reside in the Quad Cities, meaning that one day, we'll likely be treated to a return performance by one of the world's few en pointe chemists.
In the meantime, Jacob is lending his talents to the role of the prince in The Sleeping Beauty, which boasts original choreography by Courtney but is roughly half the running length of Tchaikovsky's original three- to four-hour ballet. "What you traditionally see," says Courtney of the ballet's now-excised Act III, "is a huge, grand wedding scene. But once the prince goes through all he goes through to find Sleeping Beauty, and kisses her, and wakes her up, it's pretty much implied that they live happily ever after. I don't think we have to see that scene."
Courtney says that other differences between Tchaikovsky's 1890 work and Ballet Quad Cities' interpretation include the removal of a quartet of dancing fairies in the christening sequence, slight tweaks to the narrative, and the changing of the evil-fairy character Carabosse from a man in drag to a man sans drag, portrayed here by Jason Gomez.
But with leading roles also being danced by company members Emily Kate Long (as Sleeping Beauty) and Margaret Huling (as the Good Fairy of the Forest), Courtney says that her Sleeping Beauty still "honors the integrity of the original ballet and the gorgeous music and the fairy tale itself." And adding that the story's appeal lies in it being "a classic story of good versus evil," she states, "I kind of hope I keep you on the edge of your seat while you're wondering which way it's gonna go."
Performances of May 19's The Sleeping Beauty will take place at 1 and 7 p.m., and tickets are available by calling (800)745-3000 or visiting AdlerTheatre.com or BalletQuadCities.com.
Music
Clutch
Rock Island Brewing Company
Thursday, May 10, 8 p.m.
The hard-rock and funk-metal musicians of Clutch take the stage at the Rock Island Brewing Company on May 10, and the band's many hit songs over its history include "The Regulator," which was played over the closing credits of a recent Walking Dead episode, and the tongue-in-cheek "Release the Kraken," which features a heroic figure called Useless the Younger. These guys dig zombies and goof on Clash of the Titans? No wonder they've got so many fans.
Composed of lead vocalist Neil Fallon, guitarist Tim Sult, bassist Dan Maines, and percussionist Jean-Paul Gaster, Clutch has actually been wowing fans for more than 20 years. Having released nine studio albums, five live albums, and two compilation albums since 1990 - and continuing to appear as hugely popular headliners for music festivals ranging from Bonnaroo to the United Kingdom's Download festival - the group has scored legions of admirers for their propulsive energy and innovative riffs, with a Clutch concert described by Fallon as "a party atmosphere."
So, quiz fans, let's party! Try completing the following Clutch song titles by inserting the appropriate word.
1) "Burning ______"
2) "______ Blues"
3) "Electric ______"
4) "Pure ______ Fury"
5) "Careful with That ______ ..."
6) "The ______ Riders"
A) Rock
B) Worry
C) Mic
D) Pigtown
E) Beard
F) Elephant
Clutch performs on May 10 with special guests Kyng and Monstro, and more information on the concert is available by calling (309)793-4060 or visiting RIBCO.com.
Answers: 1 - E, 2 - D, 3 - B, 4 - A, 5 - C, 6 - F. Though the other titles get a lot funnier if you insert "elephant" into them, too.
What Else Is Happenin'... ?
MUSIC
Thursday, May 10 - Trace Adkins. Chart-topping country-music star in his "Songs & Stories" tour. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $35-52. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Friday, May 11 - The Kris Lager Band. Blues, soul, and rock musicians in concert, with an opening set by The Candymakers. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 9 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, May 11 - Konrad. Independent singer/songwriter and electronic musician in his record-release show, with openers Cowboy Indian Bear and Centaur Noir. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $5. For information, e-mail info@rozztox.com or visit RozzTox.com.
Friday, May 11 - Jason Aldean. Country-music superstar in concert, with an opening set by Luke Bryan. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7:30 p.m. $28-52.75. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Friday, May 11 - Eddie Shaw & the Wolf Gang. Concert with the blues tenor saxophonist and his ensemble. The Muddy Waters (1708 State Street, Bettendorf). 9 p.m. $5. For information, call (563)355-0655 or visit TheMuddyWaters.com.
Friday, May 11 - Khaira Arby. A soul, blues, and world-music fusion with the artist from Northern Mali, featuring an opener by Bermuda Report. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $16. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Saturday, May 12 - The Misery Jackals. Concert with the rock, bluegrass, blues, country, and roots musicians, featuring an opening set by As You Were. Rozz-Tox (2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $5. For information, e-mail info@rozztox.com or visit RozzTox.com.
Saturday, May 12, and Sunday, May 13 - Shawn Thomas. Christian-music artist performs in conjunction with his "Covered & Created" tour. Metropolitan Community Church (3019 North Harrison Street, Davenport). Saturday 7 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. Donations encouraged. For information, call (563)324-8281 or visit MCCQC.com.
Sunday, May 13 - Brian Nelson Memorial Concert. Quad City Choral Arts, under the direction of Jon Hurty, performs Fauré's Requiem and Bach's Cantata #106 - Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit in memory of the area performer who passed away on March 17. St. Paul Lutheran Church (2136 Brady Street, Davenport). 3 p.m. $10-12 at the door, students free. For information, call (309)736-9147 or visit QuadCityChoralArts.org.
Wednesday, May 16 - Igor & Red Elvises. Russian-American rockers in concert, with an opening set by The One Night Standards. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $10-12. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.
Thursday, May 17 - Mike Mangini Drum Clinic. Percussion instruction and discussion with the Grammy Award-nominated drummer for the progressive-metal band Dream Theater, presented by West Music Quad Cities. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $10. For information, contact Leif Rehnberg at (309)704-9300 or lrehnberg@westmusic.com, or visit WestMusic.com.
Friday, May 18 - Laurence Juber. Workshop and concert with the two-time Grammy winner and former lead guitarist for Paul McCartney's band Wings. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 6 p.m. workshop, $7 or free for the evening's concertgoers; 9 p.m. concert, $18-22. For information and tickets, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.
Friday, May 18 - Truth & Salvage Co. Los Angeles-based roots rockers in concert, with openers Ghost Town Choir and The Jason Carl Band. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $5. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.
Friday, May 18 - Jared Blake. Country musician in concert, with an opening set by Dirt Road Rockers. Rascals Live (1418 15th Street, Moline). 9 p.m. $10. For information, call (309)797-9457 or visit Facebook.com/RascalsLive.
Saturday, May 19 - Bill Gaither Homecoming Tour. Concert with the contemporary Christian and gospel musician and friends. i wireless Center (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7 p.m. $22.50-37.50. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit iwirelessCenter.com.
Sunday, May 20 - Sam Salomone. Iowa Jazz Hall of Fame musician performs and educates in Polyrhythms' Third Sunday Matinée & Workshop Series, appearing alongside Steve Grismore and John Kazilarmut. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 3 p.m. all-ages jazz workshop - $5/adults, children free; 6 p.m. concert - $10-15. For tickets and information, call (309)373-0790 or visit Polyrhythms.org or RiverMusicExperience.org.
THEATRE
Thursday, May 10, through Sunday, May 20 - The Guardian. The Internet Players present Kevin Straus' debuting play about a "green revolution," told in dialogue, song, dance, and puppetry. Village Theatre (2113 East 11th Street, Village of East Davenport). Thursdays-Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. $5-10, with half-price tickets on May 10 and free admission for mothers on May 13. For information, call (563)940-4785 or visit TheInternetPlayers.com.
Friday, May 11, through Sunday, May 20 - Titanic Aftermath. Michael Wehrli's historical drama about the luxury liner's sinking, directed by Paul Workman. Playcrafters Barn Theatre (4950 35th Avenue, Moline). Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 3 p.m. $10. For tickets and information, call (309)762-0330 or visit Playcrafters.com.
Saturday, May 12 - 2012 Quad City Playwrights Festival. Staged readings of short scripts submitted by area authors, with a reception following. Augustana College's Black Box Theatre (Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts, 3701 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 7:30 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (309)794-7306 or visit Augustana.edu.
Saturday, May 12, and Sunday, May 13 - Going Back Naked. One-woman memory play written by and starring Melissa McBain. District Theatre (1611 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 2 p.m. $15. For tickets and information, call (309)235-1654 or visit DistrictTheatre.com.
Friday, May 18, through Saturday, May 26 - Chronicles of Lincoln & Grant. Historical drama co-authored and performed by Dan Haughey and Tom Swenson. District Theatre (1611 Second Avenue, Rock Island). Fridays 8 p.m., Saturdays 2 p.m. $15. For tickets and information, call (309)235-1654 or visit DistrictTheatre.com.
Saturday, May 19 - How to Survive Your Adult Relationship with Your Family. One-woman comedy written by and starring New York City-based humorist Polly Frost. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $20-22. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
VISUAL ARTS
Friday, May 11 - Spring 2012 Gallery Hop! Art exhibitions, demonstrations, performing-arts events, and more held in numerous venues throughout the District of Rock Island. 5-9 p.m. For information, call (309)788-6311 or visit RIDistrict.com.
Saturday, May 12, and Sunday, May 13 - 2012 Spring Beaux Arts Fair. Annual fine-art and crafts fair featuring musical entertainment, a children's art-project area, a food court, and more. Figge Art Museum Plaza (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free admission. For information, e-mail BeauxArtsFair@gmail.com or visit BeauxArtsFair.com.
EVENTS
Sunday, May 13 - Mother's Day Tour of Tomes. Tour through Rock Island's Broadway district will include three furnished homes, the Word of Life Church/Buford Mansion, and the new Bent River Brewery, offering tours of its second location and discussions about the history of beer-making. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $10. For information and tickets, call (309)786-1307 or visit BroadwayDistrict.org.
Sunday, May 13 - Mother's Day Celebration Honoring Laura's Legacy. Community celebration benefiting the ALS division of the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois, featuring concerts with Three Years Hollow (3 p.m.), Lissie (4:30 p.m.), and Truth & Salvage Co. (6 p.m.), food vendors, a beer garden, and more. Schwiebert Riverfront Park (between 17th and 20th streets in the District of Rock Island). 1-9 p.m. $10, ages 12 and under free with paid adult. For information, call (309)732-7275 or visit Lissie.com/lauraslegacy.
Wednesday, May 16 - Echoes from the Civil War Era. Riverside Cemetery "residents" who lived during the American Civil War speak about their lives and wartime experiences, in a program enacted by Bob and Dorothy White, Kathleen Seusy, Dennis Harker, and Ann Boaden. Moline Public Library (3210 41st Street, Moline). 7 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (309)524-2440 or visit MolineLibrary.org.
Saturday, May 19 - St. Ambrose University Wine Festival. Annual scholarship fundraiser featuring 120 wines to sample, appetizers, live music, and more. St. Ambrose University lawn (518 West Locust Street, Davenport). 3-6 p.m. $45-50. For tickets and information, call (563)333-6290 or visit SAU.edu.
Saturday, May 19 - Start! Heart Walk. A bi-state walk to raise awareness and funds for the American Heart Association, featuring health and wellness activities, free refreshments, a kids' zone, and more. District of Rock Island. 9 a.m. opening ceremony, 9:30 a.m. walk. For information, call (563)323-4321 or visit QuadCitiesHeartWalk.org.
Sunday, May 20 - The Gizmo Guys. Two-man touring show featuring juggling, comedy, and circus acts, in a Hancher Auditorium presentation. Iowa City High School's Opstad Auditorium (1900 Morningside Drive, Iowa City). 2 p.m. $10-28. For tickets and information, call (319)335-1160 or visit http://www.Hancher.UIowa.edu.
