Though long-awaited funding for live-music venues is part of the federal Covid stimulus bill recently signed into law, several Quad-Cities entertainment spaces are taking a “wait and see” attitude regarding the reality. Scott Mullen, executive director of Moline’s TaxSlayer Center, said the $15-billion “Save Our Stages” act that was approved had included language noting some venue owners and arenas like his “don’t qualify due to a requirement they put in that says that 70% of the venue’s events must be artist performances, so buildings with sports tenants are excluded due to the... Read More

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, Rock Island, has only been open for two months since March 14, yet it has creatively, persistently found alternate ways to offer local entertainment for people like me who are desperate for it. Far from a luxury or a frill that can be easily excised, arts and culture have proven to be a vital lifeline during the devastating Covid-19 pandemic. As I’ve said before, the arts – at any time – help define who we are; they tell the story of us through a staggeringly diverse number of forms and genres. They lift us up, comfort us, inspire us, express what we may not... Read More

Many in the Quad-Cities today are mourning the death Saturday night of Joe Terronez, 91, a former longtime leader of Silvis and passionate advocate of the area’s Hispanic heritage. “He showed us that change does not come willingly, that we have to persevere to right some of the injustices in this world,” Tar Macias, publisher of Hola America News, posted on Facebook Sunday morning. “Thank you Mr. Terronez for your leadership, your strong spirit and I am most grateful for your kindness to me all these years. We have lost a giant,” Macias wrote. “Rest in Power dear friend.” Sonya Jasso... Read More

Augustana College in Rock Island had extra special reason to celebrate on New Year’s Eve, as the blue lights on the Old Main dome turned gold to mark the private school exceeding its $125-million fundraising goal. For its ambitious “AUGUSTANA NOW” campaign, Augie raised a total of $133,662,743. “We set an audacious goal, and it took the hard work and shared vision of literally thousands of people to surpass that goal by millions of dollars,” said Kent Barnds, executive vice president for external relations and the leader for philanthropy at Augustana. The public phase of the campaign... Read More

After a year of so much pain, suffering and death, New Year’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate hope, joy and new life – and a little Grace. Trinity on Friday announced that the first Quad-City baby was born at 12:20 a.m. on Jan. 1. Nora Grace Hessman was delivered by team members at UnityPoint Health – Trinity Moline Birthplace. The healthy baby girl was born to parents Brittany and Mark Hessman, of Coal Valley. The birth marks the first delivery for Trinity hospitals in 2021 and the first for the entire Q-C area. “Nora wasn’t interested in making an appearance in 2020 and we don’t... Read More

The day after Christmas is usually a letdown, but a new online concert showcasing Quad-Cities musicians offers another gift – for free. A new two-day holiday extravaganza, “The Festivus Show,” will be held Friday and Saturday nights, with 11 musical acts performing in 11 different downtown Davenport businesses. It aims to celebrate the beautiful originality and talent of the Q-C music scene and many new and loved businesses in downtown Davenport. The lineup of musicians and businesses is as follows: Saturday, Jan. 2 (7 p.m. start) — DJ K Yung (DJ set) at Crafted QC (handmade artisan... Read More

Pleasant Valley theater alum Laura Schutter always wanted to be Broadway star Rebecca Luker. After all, they both had clear, shining soprano singing voices, unpretentious warmth and profound decency. Schutter realized her dream over 10 years ago, as she understudied for Luker as Mrs. Banks in her Tony-nominated role in the musical “Mary Poppins,” and is among legions of theater fans mourning Luker’s death Dec. 23 at 59 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease. “She was always a professional, a loving and compassionate woman. Such a talent, such a voice,” Schutter... Read More

One of my favorite Christmas presents was not something you can hold in your hand – but sometimes those are the best kind. It was an online musical revue – Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse’s “Home for the Holidays,” an outstanding, heartwarming and utterly charming one-hour variety show with a cast of more than 30 students and adults. Conceived and produced by the super-talented husband-and-wife team of Bobby and Ashley Becher, the show features some favorite Circa ’21 performers, and some local Rising Stars (the theater’s new children’s program), as they take you into their homes,... Read More

Saturday In The Arts is a comprehensive weekly feature looking at a trend, personality, or major subject involving the Quad-Cities arts and entertainment scene. Making it through nearly five months of a paralyzing pandemic was bad enough, but for those of us in Iowa and the Quad-Cities, Aug. 10, 2020 and the days that followed seemed especially cruel. I’ll never forget that Monday afternoon, working on my laptop in the basement, a prisoner in my home trying not to go insane during a crazy year. The power suddenly went out, as a freak inland hurricane (or “derecho” – duh-RAY-cho – as everyone... Read More

John Taylor of Cambridge, Ill. – a local cultural guru behind Heartland Connections, the Levitt AMP Galva Music Series and the Ca d’Zan concert series – has been a busy Christmas elf the past couple weeks. He has helped produce several holiday videos featuring area musicians. A “Spreading Holiday Cheer” video from Heartland Connections is more than an hour long, and features performances of many musicians in Illinois and Iowa. You can see it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3-pohv2udk and https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandConnections/posts/3607327219492911. “Originally, I started... Read More