High-energy blues often come off as a touch disingenuous; if one’s truly stuck in the blues, one’s more likely to be in a torpor than firing off lightning-quick licks. The Quad Cities’ own Whatever Blues Band seems to understand this.
When the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) and Donald Schleicher took to the bandshell in LeClaire Park on September 8, ominous rain clouds hovered overhead with the promise of rain. That didn’t keep an estimated crowd of nearly 8,000 from trickling in, spreading their picnic munchies, and readying themselves for a Quad Cities late-summer staple: the annual Riverfront Pops concert.
Prints from the Great Day in the Quad Cities portrait taken at this month's ArtStroll are now available. The photo, the second in a planned cycle of four documenting different facets of the arts, is a snapshot of the area's music community.
With big beats, a care-free, soulful groove, and a big-ass smile on every song, Minneapolis’ Iffy couldn’t be more different than its name when it comes to its status as a party band. What is uncertain is whether the trio will get credit for being supreme craftsmen and smart songwriters.
• This Thursday will feature a couple of homecomings at some local taverns. The Ernie Peniston Band reunites for an August 9 show at O'Meara's Pub in Bettendorf. Bo Butler, Joe Collins, and Tony Carton will join Peniston (front man for the Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings) to perform blues tunes from his Quad Cities days.
Gearing up for its 10th year, the Caribbean-themed Ya Maka My Weekend continues a tradition of building on its past this Thursday through Saturday in The District of Rock Island. While last year saw the addition of a Mad Hatter division to the sand-volleyball tournament, the 2001 Ya Maka features comic Ngaio Bealum at the Funny Bone from Thursday through Saturday.
Led by singer, songwriter, artist, and multi-instrumentalist Pat Stolley, the Quad Cities’ The Multiple Cat – on record, at least – is a one-man studio band to which various others contribute their talents periodically.
The St. Louis sextet Eli-Stone wields all the weapons that any militant industrial metal band needs: a propulsive guitar attack and rhythm section, unexpected tempo changes, hair-raising screams, spooky samples, ample aggression, and mechanical precision to spare.
Over the next few months, four weekends of music will be distilled into one compact document of the Quad Cities music scene in summer 2001. This past weekend, the Blackthorn Pub & Eatery in Moline began a four-Sunday series of concerts featuring more than 20 Quad Cities bands and solo acts.
Among the summer festivals in the Quad Cities, none is more diverse than Summerfest, scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, July 12 through 14, in The District of Rock Island's Great River Plaza. The event features carnival rides, live music, food, and on Saturday, an antique market that's new this year.

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