B.B. King proved that while he might be older, he’s also better. The legendary “King of the Blues” played to a packed house at the Adler Theatre on Monday night as part of his 75th birthday tour, and the crowd was appreciative to have him.
On the evening of November 18, anyone who is even remotely festive couldn’t help but feel the holiday spirit. The weather was chilly outside, the Festival of Trees holiday parade marched through downtown Davenport, Thanksgiving was less than a week away, and the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) was gearing up for the annual Holiday Pops concert at the Mark of the Quad Cities.
In my college years – and that feels so very long ago right now – the CD player was loaded with the likes of Ministry, Skinny Puppy, and Skrew. It was the 15-minute heyday of industrial, and all those bands had my ears.
Returning to the podium after a six-year absence, James Dixon on November 4 conducted the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) in a concert that merged the best of European impressionistic and romantic traditions.
When the Anger Management Tour rolled into the The Mark on November 5, the rage was evident. The reason behind it was not. Why are these guys so pissed? The show began with Xzibit, who doesn’t even have an album out but is opening for some of the hottest bands on the scene.
When you’re a blues singer and guitarist, it’s a little dangerous to lead off an album with a song called “I Ain’t Got No Blues Today.” Especially when there’s nothing tongue-in-cheek about it: “I ain’t got no blues today / No matter what them folks might say / I done my best / I paid my dues.
It's hard to believe that The Beatles have yet to authorize an official Web site, but in conjunction with the release this week of the 27-track number-one-hits collection, the much-anticipated site (http://www.
On September 30, to better my life and society, I stood in line at HyVee for tickets to this weekend's Limp Bizkit/Eminem show. I knew I was a bit out of place when the ticket lady came outside and said she could get floor seats for all of us, and I was the only one who said, "No! Lower bowl, please.
I dig Chicks. Not just because they have perfect harmony. Not just because they are superior instrumentalists. And not just because they are trendy, creative, and fun. I dig the Dixie Chicks because while they take their jobs seriously, they also know that they have to laugh along the way.
There might be nothing more difficult in rock music than crafting a good pop song. Except to make a couple albums full of them. Pop songs are so tricky because they need to sound effortless and ebullient while being catchy and tight – and that requires hard work, which makes effortless and ebullient all that more difficult.

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