The Quad City Arts 43rd Annual High School Art Invitational might not be able to have a live showing due to coronavirus concerns, but Quad City Arts isn’t letting them get them down! QCA has set up the artists’ works online in a Virtual Gallery Live NOW at this link. Each spring, Quad City Arts shows works from top Quad City high school visual artists and their art teachers. The exhibit fills the walls of Quad City Arts’ downtown Rock Island gallery, the opening ceremony is attended by hundreds of Quad Citians supporting young artistic talent, and students receive thousands of... Read More

Among the rising number of local musicians continuing to provide entertainment to the masses, Jef Spradley and Scott Stowe will be combining forces to bring listeners and viewers some Office Jamz! Office Jamz w/Jef Spradley and Scott Stowe will take place on FB Live at 7 p.m. on Monday Mar 30 at https://www.facebook.com/spradleyjef/. Jef Spradley Originally from Houston, Texas this country boy found his way to the Quad Cities and now he’s “Local Livin” in Iowa. Playing music is his passion and he’s been pursuing it full time for the past several years. His music genres range from Classic... Read More

Metallica kicked off their Metallica Mondays series of free livestreams featuring pro-shot video from the band’s archives, last week. Up first was Metallica: Live at Slane Castle – June 8, 2019, filmed at the famed venue in Slane, Ireland last June. “While we’re all doing our part and staying home, we find ourselves missing live music, so how about we dive back into a few of our favorite shows at a socially responsible distance? Not to sound too cheesy, but now more than ever, we’re in this together, and staying connected is how we’ll get through it,” reads a note from the band announcing... Read More

Another area theater has been sunk by the coronavirus. The 2020 season for the Clinton Area Showboat Theater 2020 season has been completely cancelled, theater officials announced Sunday in an e-mail. The theater’s season included “Big River, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,”  “The Addams Family,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Always… Patsy Cline” and “Greater Tuna.” “The decision was made Saturday morning, March 28, 2020, after a lengthy discussion about shortening the season or canceling it totally,” said Showboat President Neil Luker. “The... Read More

Elton John is hosting a “living room” concert aimed at bolstering American spirits during the coronavirus crisis and saluting those countering it, iHeartMedia and Fox said Wednesday. Alicia Keys, Billie Eilish, Mariah Carey, the Backstreet Boys, Tim McGraw and Billie Joe Armstrong are scheduled to take part in the event airing from 8 – 9 p.m. Sunday Mar 29 on Fox TV and on iHeartMedia radio stations. The artists will be filmed with cell phones, cameras and audio equipment in their homes “to ensure the health and safety of all involved,” according to a statement. The event will take the... Read More

“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” His voice, usually brash and loud, is quiet and cracked. “I mean, I’m depressed. Obviously, it sucks, because the money is a big thing. It’s not just me playing out. My wife is a waitress and bartender, and I’m a bartender a couple nights a week. That’s just extra. But we need it.” They have a couple of kids. They have five jobs between them. Or, well, they used to. Now they have one. His. His “day job,” he used to call it. Now it’s their only lifeline to an income that was way too small for them all to live on, but which now has to... Read More

The German American Heritage Center is shutting down through April 16, extending their closure as per the recommendation of the governor. The museum released the following statement today: The GAHC wants to do our part in “flattening the curve” to help stop the spread of Coronavirus. We will extend our closures to April 16, as recommended by Governor Reynolds. But we want to let you know our staff is doing well, working from home and checking on our beautiful property daily. We hope you are all doing well too and we want to let you know about a few things we are working on. We can’t... Read More

Looking for something fun to do today? Why not check a live performance from Chuck Murphy’s garage? Local musician, Chuck Murphy, will be taking his upbeat and entertaining live music to Facebook Live today at 3 p.m. You can check out his show on his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/chuckchuckbobuck79. Make sure to tune in! Maybe he’ll even agree to do some more ‘fun costumes’ for viewers.   Bio: Chuck Murphy is an Iowa-based country and rock musician that creates unforgettable moments with his audience (both in person and remotely). This singer, guitarist and pianist has... Read More

As we all continue to Shelter in Place and practice safe Social Distancing, we are finding that turning away from the news and focusing on uplifting and hopeful messages provided by artists and musicians and the treasures they create, are quite beneficial. Local musician Lewis Knudsen is one of the many Quad Citians dedicated to bringing the community positive entertainment through these times. Lewis, however, may be taking local live concerts to the next level for other artists. Lewis Knudsen is currently (right now!) performing a 12-hour live concert on Facebook! You can find his live stream... Read More

Ted Hicks worked in film in NYC, was in charge of awarding the Christopher Award, and was a college friend of mine at the University of Iowa. Ted has put together a list of good things to stream while we’re all stuck at home social distancing, and I have added my own favorites and added some specifics to his list. “A few days ago, Gary Davis, who I’ve known since 1st grade in Nemaha, Iowa, asked for some TV/cable/streaming recommendations,” Ted said. “I put together a bunch of titles and sent it to him.. I know many of you will already know a lot of these shows, but there... Read More