There is a place where elephants flit through the trees, where dignified violists play toy trumpets, and where a visit to the catacombs follows a trip to the park. The Quad City Symphony Orchestra led us on a journey through our imaginations on March 6, and the destinations were of the most unique sort.
Comic book characters have finally come to life. GWAR, or God What an Awful Racket, combined elements of heavy metal, comic books, and horror movies to provide a brutally entertaining experience at Davenport’s QC Live on Saturday, February 26.
With the disappointing news that the River Music Experience will not be bringing any nationally known musical acts to the Quad Cities as previously advertised, jazz fans will seldom have a chance to catch creative jazz musicians and bands from out of this area.
Lon Bozarth, the River Music Experience's new director, has worked in just about every aspect of the music business - outside of a museum. In the 1970s and '80s, he was vice president of operations for Sound Warehouse, overseeing 150 large record stores.
I enjoy music in several different ways. There’s the intellectual satisfaction of learning, being engaged by a piece, and using my imagination to make the music come alive. There are the quirky nuances of the piece, performance, and musicians that spark my interest and make me smile.
When a promising roots-music musician leaves his home environs for Nashville, it's not difficult to guess the reasons: fame and fortune. But Iowa native Kelly Pardekooper left Iowa City for the country-music capital of the world with an entirely different motivation.
After a hot, delectable meal, what would be better than to relax, listen to live music, and enjoy the company of friends? Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart would have agreed. During his lifetime, he wrote hundreds of pieces that were classified as house music, meant to be performed for friends and guests in the home.
• While the film won't open until February 18, fans of Dave Matthews should look forward to his acting role in Because of Winn Dixie, playing Otis, a pet-store clerk who sings to animals and sets them free. The Nettwerk Records soundtrack comes out this week and features music from the Be Good Tanyas, Emmylou Harris, Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer, and a duet from Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins.
Amy Martin, a folk musician now living in Montana, is returning to her native Iowa to perform in Davenport this Saturday, January 22, at the River City Music Experience. Martin, who grew up on a farm near Preston, headed west from Chicago with guitar in hand in 1999.
How do two new releases in January already feel like "best of 2005" contenders? More satisfying with each repeated listening, two new CDs hitting store shelves this Tuesday have dominated my stereo for the past few weeks, and I'm not ready to hit "eject" yet.

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