One of the most popular columns I’ve ever written was a fun whirl through the predictions of an alleged time traveler from the year 2485. Since it was published last fall, it’s been read by hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Every day, it gets hundreds, sometimes thousands, of views. When I first wrote it, I had no idea it was going to be so popular. I was just fascinated and amused by this person claiming to be from the future, putting predictions out there on the Internet. If I had known it was going to be so popular, I probably would’ve included a plug for one of my... Read More

Missing iambic pentameter? Then don’t miss improve with The Late Nite Show “Shakespeared” coming to The Black Box Theatre July 31 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10 and available at theblackboxtheatre.com. “Shakespeared” is performed by the comedy crew behind GIT and the former Comedy Sportz in downtown Rock Island. All of their Late Nite Shows have moved to Black Box Theatre in downtown Moline, the new home for late night improvisational comedy in the Quad-Cities!    Read More

This year’s Art in the Garden is Saturday, Aug. 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Quad City Botanical Center, 2525 4th Ave., Rock Island. The 5th-annual event features local and regional artists — including potters, painters, sculptors, jewelry makers and others who are inspired by nature to create. Their works will be exhibited and sold at this outdoor show. The handcrafted works will be on display in tents throughout the gardens and a variety of art price points will be offered. Pieces to be sold include sculpture, jewelry, pottery, quilts, paintings and painted objects, charcoal and pastel... Read More

Claud (@claud.mp3) is coming to the Motel on July 30th to play songs from their INCREDIBLE album Super Monster LIVE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!! Tickets are on sale here: https://www.tixr.com/groups/raccoonmotel Claud Mintz is an American bedroom pop musician from the suburbs of Chicago. Claud is a non-binary artist and performs under the stage name Claud. Claud began releasing music under the pseudonym Toast, releasing an EP in 2018. In 2019, they dropped out of college at Syracuse University to pursue music full-time. Claud released an EP called Sideline Star on October 25, 2019. In 2020, Claud... Read More

Attention Rock and Roll Fans: Come out for a night of fun and party at 8:30 p.m. Friday at The Gypsy Highway, 2606 W. Locust St., Davenport! Toxic Blonde is an Iowa-based rock band quickly gaining attention for its intense and energetic live performances. Featuring some of the areas finest musicians, Toxic Blonde is the perfect mix of entertainment and technical skill. Covering everything from Prince to Van Halen, each show is a must-see event.  Read More

The economy is in shambles. The world is a mess. Young people feel as if they have little to no hope to achieve the American dream they’ve been promised. And so, for many young people struggling with this realization, escapism is paramount to balancing out their lives and getting them through. Sound familiar? It should, because it certainly describes the world today, particularly for the millenial and Gen Z generations, and, as Circa ’21’s great and gritty musical adaptation of “Saturday Night Fever” displays, there’s a fine line between the blinding dazzle of... Read More

Moline Centre is presenting FREE Thursday night outdoor concerts downtown as part of the Bass Street Landing Summer Concert Series, off 17th Street and River Drive. Moline Centre’s  Thursday night lineup for the free 7 p.m. concerts is: July 29: Been There Done That Aug. 5: Blues Rock-it Aug. 12: Smooth Groove Aug. 19: Avey Grouws Band Aug. 26: Alewife Sept. 2: Dynoride  Read More

Looking to check out some local shows, whether outdoors or in, this weekend? Here’s a couple of resources for your perusal, from Local Scene Magazine and our partners at The Echo QC, two awesome resources for area music. From The Echo, for their music calendar, click HERE! From Local Scene, here’s their rundown of shows: Thursday Craig Gerdes at Go Fish Marina, Princeton 6-9 Ky & Ty Acoustic at Twin Span Brewing, Bettendorf 6-9 Alexa Mueller at Whiskey Stop, East Moline 7 PM Funktastic 5 at Schwiebert Park, Rock Island 7-9 Been There Done That at Bass Street Landing, Moline... Read More

The following article is part of QuadCities.com’s partnership with local music website The Echo. For more, check out theechoqc.com! “You’ll save big money! You’ll save big money! When you shop Menards!” If you’re from the Quad Cities you’ve probably heard that jingle a million times. The artist behind one of the catchiest tunes around town is Bob Holtan. You may know him as the father of Jeni Grouws, lead singer of the Avey Grouws Band, who is following her father’s footsteps but carving her own path. Jeni sings the blues with a powerful voice that sticks in your head just like... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: The 50th anniversary of the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, Aug. 5-7, will be live-streamed for the first time. There will be five 5-hour concerts over those three days – at Davenport’s Rhythm City Casino Event Center — and you can pay for one ($20 each) or all five through Eventbrite. This link (also on the Society’s website), https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bix-beiderbecke-50th-jazz-festival-tickets-164015884927, will easily walk you through the process. This year, there will be eight professional bands plus the Bix Youth Band performing. The festival venue will... Read More