Fright Night is moving to Sunset Park! This year the Rock Island Parks and Recreation department will be having a Drive-Through Fright Night on Thursday Oct 22 from 5 – 7 p.m.! Enter Sunset Park (Sunset Road – 18th & 31st Avenues) on 18th Avenue and stay in your car as you travel through the park to have your children trick-or-treat and see all the ghost and goblins from local organizations! This is a family friendly event! Local organizations interested in being involved are encouraged to reach out to Daniel Gleason at Gleason.Daniel@rigov.org. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/2053691228100083.  Read More

The Speakeasy in downtown Rock Island is thrilled to welcome back, for the fifth consecutive year, the 1970’s cult classic, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. The Speakeasy will be presenting THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW on Oct. 23,24,25,30 and 31. Filled with outrageous humor, dynamic musical numbers, unconventional romance, ghoulish delights and plenty of audience participation, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW will be directed by longtime Circa ’21 veteran, Brad Hauskins.  This will be Hauskins third time directing the show for The Speakeasy. “We are thrilled to be presenting Rocky Horror in The Speakeasy... Read More

The 1953 Samuel Beckett classic “Waiting for Godot” has had a long wait for its premiere Thursday at Moline’s Black Box Theatre. But it’s perfect for a pandemic-plagued 2020. Directed by local theater veteran Mike Schulz (an Augustana College alum), he started rehearsals in May, originally as a partnership between QC Theatre Workshop and Mississippi Bend Players. A plan to do the mainly two-person play outside at a pavilion behind Brunner Theatre Center was later shelved, and it’s now going up independently at the small Black Box with a maximum audience of 26 – masks are required –... Read More

I’m sick of the politics. I’m sick of the politicians. With more people struggling than ever, with more businesses closing, with the covid numbers increasing yet again, just like the scientists predicted (amazing how you can listen to intelligent, learned people and get accurate predictions on what’s likely to happen, isn’t it?), IT’S TIME TO PASS ANOTHER STIMULUS BILL TO HELP PEOPLE STRUGGLING FROM COVID. I wrote another story today, one of probably over 100 this year, about a business closing down due to covid. This time it was Big Swing, in downtown Rock Island,... Read More

A new exhibit at Quad City Arts’ Rock Island Gallery through Dec. 11, is called “Extraordinary Women,” large-scale paintings by Jaclyn Garlock. Garlock’s paintings depict life-sized women engaging in non-salaried work — from cooking to laundry to volunteering — and enjoying themselves as they do it. The titles of her paintings are borrowed from song lyrics, which is appropriate since she lives in Clear Lake, Iowa, home of the Surf Ballroom, where some say, “the music died.” That line (from Don McLean’s immortal “American Pie”) memorializes the 22-year-old rock pioneer... Read More

There’s no place like the Raven’s Grin Inn, about an hour north of the Quad-Cities, and Joshua Bentley of East Moline is helping make sure that the unique 19th-century mansion stays open in the future. The leader of the goth rock band Pitch Black Manor, Bentley is assisting the closed year-found attraction with fundraising. If you donate at least $5 on Raven’s Grin Inn’s Paypal, get a free download of the band’s Halloween-themed album “Monster Classics,” which was released over the summer. “This is a culturally relevant experience near the Q-C that needs to stay in business,”... Read More

For decades, the battle has raged: Beatles or Stones? Through their heyday, fans accused London’s Rolling Stones of stealing ideas — even entire albums – from their Liverpool counterparts. At the same time, the Beatles secretly envied the Stones’ “bad boy” image and attitude, often copying their style. Both bands are unmistakably great, scoring an array of hits that changed musical history, but only one can be the best. The most infamous rivalry in rock and roll never played out in a public arena until now as Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown. The two greatest rock ‘n’ roll... Read More

Calling all ghouls and goblins… it’s time once again for the annual iHeartMedia Quad Cities Halloween Walk. Wait! Due to the pandemic, things have been changed up a bit this year. Now you can experience an iHeartMedia Quad Cities Halloween DRIVE THRU this Tuesday Oct 20 from 4 – 6 p.m. at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds (2815 Locust St. Davenport). Let kids dress up, load ’em up in the car/van, and head to the iHeartMedia Quad Cities Halloween Drive Thru! Please remain in your car as you proceed through the line. All participating vendors and iHeartMedia staff will be masked... Read More

We have been wearing masks for a few months, so let’s bring out our best masks for a Mask-erade Party! Big Swing Brewing Company (113 18th Street Rock Island) proudly presents 10 Days of Halloween, which kicks off this Tuesday Oct 20 and continues through Saturday Oct 31. Events will take place every day, like ‘Fright Nite Flicks with Hot Chocolate & Smores,’ ‘Halloweenie Pet Costume Parade,’ and even a ‘Spooky Dinner Party with Ghoulish Grub.’ The fun wraps up on Saturday Oct 31 with the ultimate Mask-erade Halloween Party. Enjoy great food, live music and even prizes for the... Read More

The Putnam Museum & Science Center’s virtual Mad Scientist Ball, on Saturday, Oct. 17, raised $26,735, with donations still coming in. “I am THRILLED with the success of the event,” Nisha Ladlee, the Putnam’s vice president of development, said Monday by e-mail. “Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. Eric Sorenson was a phenomenal emcee and Emily Calandrelli was wonderful as our celebrity guest. This was the Putnam’s first time holding a virtual fundraiser and we are grateful for the support from our community locally, but also to those who tuned in and supported from different... Read More