In July 2003, I saw the future of cinema in the work of two teens from Bettendorf. That was when I was asked by Max Collins to be a judge of the Iowa Film Awards. At the time, I was writing for three area newspapers, I was an entertainment correspondent for seven area radio stations and I was on two local TV stations – including KWQC’s “Paula Sands Live,” for which I was one of two film critics with my good friend Linda Cook. That’s why Max asked me to start judging the awards a year or two before, and I saw a number of pretty good local films, but it wasn’t until that summer of 2003... Read More

Since they were boys growing up in Bettendorf, devouring Stephen King novels and vintage chillers, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods have loved thrillers and horror films. With “A Quiet Place,” the two created a screenplay for a classic of their own. And this week, they take it to a new level. “Haunt” is the latest major studio film from the duo, and the first they’ve written AND directed. It also stars a Quad-Cities actor with whom they’re quite familiar – Justin Marxen, with whom they’ve worked for close to two decades going back to their time in the Quads. Most of Marxen’s role and... Read More

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the writers behind the Oscar-nominated “A Quiet Place” will return to their hometown of the Quad-Cities to host a screening of their new film, “Haunt,” their first directorial and screenwriting debut for a major studio. You can join the Bettendorf natives, on Saturday, Sept. 14, to see “Haunt” on the Putnam Museum’s GIANT Screen. (Rated R) For just $9 tickets ($8 seniors, college students and military), you’ll experience this brand-new movie written and directed by the Beck/Woods duo. Members save $1 on tickets. Space is... Read More

Well, from the looks of things, between the stifling humidity, the oppressive sun between monsoons, and the constant harassment of gnats as persistent and unwelcome as guys hitting on newly single women on social media, summer seems to have finally kayaked into the Quad-Cities. And with that new season comes a desperate need for a beverage, known to those over 21 (and ONLY those over 21, of course) as “a beer,” to satisfy the full summer cravings of escape, levity and the blessed sainthood of responsible inebriation. Local brew pubs have, generously, proven up to this crucial task on the annual.... Read More

Just off the foreboding paths of Harrison Street, in the wild jungles of a college-student populated strip, and in the midst of Duck Creek, marked only by a scruffy, makeshift signpost, lies a slice of the Caribbean right here in the Quad-Cities – Zeke’s Island Café. The tropical-themed restaurants have grown like tropical forestry since opening up five years ago in their original Kimberly Road location (now closed), before spreading to the two new locales like palm trees in the rainy season. “It’s pretty cool, I look at how things have grown and I’m like, ‘wow,’” said chef Jason... Read More

In January 2013, Tripmaster Monkey — drummer Marty Reyhons, bassist Wes Haas, guitarist Jamie Toal and singer Chris Bernat — performed at the Rock Island Brewing Company as part of the Bertual Reality Benefit, a gig to raise funds for local producer Rob Cimmarusti, who was battling pancreatic cancer and whose production and performance expertise were crucial to the creative evolution of a plethora of area acts, including the eclectic Tripmaster foursome. Cimmarusti passed away the following year, but still lives on in the memories of local musicians and people who were touched by his... Read More

Back in 1994, the local band Tripmaster Monkey toured the UK to support their debut EP, “Faster Than Dwight,” playing at various locations in support of the disc, released overseas on Che Records. The footage below captures the band in performance at TJ’s, Newport, UK, and includes tracks from “Dwight” as well as the group’s then-upcoming record, “Goodbye Race.” Footage of the show can be seen on YouTube, where you can check it out here:  Read More

Back in 1994, the local band Tripmaster Monkey filmed the video for their first single, “Shutters Closed,” off their album “Goodbye Race” here in the Quad-Cities, featuring a variety of area folks as extras, including this reporter. The video was shown on MTV and other national video shows, and lives on in the recesses of YouTube, where you can check it out here:  Read More

A look back at Quad-Cities indie rock band Tripmaster Monkey, from their start in the late ’80s through their heyday in the mid-late ’90s signed to the Sire and Elektra Records labels, to the recording of their current album, “My East Is Your West.” (Photos are taken from the Tripmaster Monkey Facebook gallery.)  Read More

It was always stunning to me that Tripmaster Monkey never hit it bigger than they did. Back in the mid-late ‘90s, the band – singer Chris Bernat, guitarist and singer Jamie Toal, drummer Marty Reyhons and bassist Wes Haas – had everything going for them. They were of and in the zeitgeist, with a perfectly tuned sound aligned with the times, and had a brilliant string of killer tunes, from the dreamy “Shutters Closed,” to the Nirvana-pop of “Liquid Sky” to the heartbreaking alt-rock beauty of “Colts.” The songs were there, as good as anything else soaring through the stratosphere... Read More