Hailed by Tomorrow's Verse for “unique and soulful songs that don’t often lean on bluegrass clichés – or any clichés, for that matter,” the lauded roots and bluegrass ensemble Pert Near Sandstone headlines an April 10 concert at Rock Island's RIBCO, the group's 2023 bluegrass album Waiting Days hailed by Americana Highways as "all done with finesse and nothing retro despite the genre's age."

With their special concert event performed by husband-and-wife duo Steven Lasiter and Jennifer Barnaba, both currently appearing in the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse's mainstage musical Honky Tonk Angels, Cash, Carter, & Company: A Musical Tribute enjoys a one-night-only staging at the Circa '21 Speakeasy theatre on April 16, the show boasting dozens of Johnny Cash's and June Carter's greatest hits along with songs from the era and an all-star band of talented musicians.

Touring in support of last month's Mud Blood Bone that Americana UK deemed "a delight of a record which will have little trouble landing a spot in any number of year-end 'best of' lists," Ontario-based singer/songwriter Cat Clyde headlines an April 10 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artist's latest also inspiring Americana Highways to call the recording "11 tracks where bluesy, gritty guitars rub shoulders with the intimacy of indie and Americana sounds."

A Chicago-based pianist, composer, arranger, writer, and dancer known for his work in both classical and experimental music, music icon Dr. Charles Joseph Smith headlines a special April 10 event Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox, his creative work and community involvement having made him a major figure in Chicago’s DIY and experimental arts scene.

A revered Egyptian musician and composer who has founded such bands as Bikya, Alif, and The Dwarfs of East Agouza, multi-instrumentalist Maurice Louca headlines an April 16 concert event at Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox, the artist currently touring the country in support of his latest recording Fera.

With the headliner and her bold five-piece band creating impressive, immersive renditions of “Feel the Earth Move," ”Chains," “You’ve Got a Friend," and other beloved songs from the Tapestry album and additional favorites, chanteuse Tina Naponelli brings her stage tribute Tapestry Unraveled: The Music of Carole King to Galesburg's Orpheum Theatre on April 11, the artist's powerful voice and soulful dedication paying homage to the iconic Queen of Pop.

A full-throttle tribute to the music, madness, and legacy that defined heavy metal, Long Live Ozzy lands at East Moline venue The Rust Belt on April 3, with tribute band Sabbath delivering bone-crushing riffs and haunting as they lovingly re-create the sound, spirit, and stage presence that made Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne legendary.

Hailed by A Closer Listen as "an incredibly versatile performer whose music straddles the categories of ambient, electronic and modern composition," lauded pianist Kelly Moran of Warp Records headlines an April 4 concert at Rock Island's Rozz-Tox, this special event supported by the Illinois Arts Council and featuring an additional set by lauded guest musician Randall Hall.

Reggae-rock and punk musicians from Aberdeen, Maryland, who have opened for the likes of 311, Dirty Heads, Tribal Seeds, and Slightly Stoopid, the touring talents of Ballyhoo! headline an April 8 concert at Rock Island's RIBCO, their most recent album Shellshock boasting the participation of fellow reggae-rock artists The Elovaters, HIRIE, Iya Terra, Kyle Smith and Tropidelic, and their home-state friends of Bumpin Uglies.

A beloved area native who plays keyboard with local band Fair Warning and sings with 10 of Soul, 24-year-old music phenomenon CJ Parker headlines an April 3 concert at Rock Island's RIBCO in support of his forthcoming album MOVE, the night also boasting a live recording session and performance by rising Illinois singer/songwriter Charlotte Blu.

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