The 2021 Alternating Currents festival will showcase 120+ live performances, film screenings and art-related events from Thursday to Sunday, Aug. 19-22, at more than 30 venues across three downtown Quad Cities: Davenport, Rock Island and Moline. Designed to showcase the vibrant culture of our downtown areas, the annual event features a variety of indoor and outdoor events including musical acts, film screenings, a comedy lineup and many art-inspired activities. Alternating Currents is a festival featuring more than 60 national, regional and local acts over the four-day event at locations across... Read More

It’s Sunday, and QuadCities.com proudly presents Fun10, a list of the top 10 things to do in the Quad Cities this week, and every week! Every Sunday, we drop a new Fun10, to give you a head start on your week and a heads up on what’s going on over the coming seven days. Check out Fun10 every Sunday for the details on ten awesome events happening around town. It’s a cool read, and a great way to get started planning your entertainment for the week. FUN10 — ten ways for you to have fun in the Quad-Cities, this week and every week, running every Sunday, only on your site for fun, free, local... Read More

Saturday in the Arts is a weekly feature covering a trend, subject, event or personality of local interest. It runs every Saturday morning on your site for the best entertainment and arts coverage in the area, QuadCities.com! After a relentlessly punishing pandemic of 17 months (and counting) that’s attacked our bodies, souls and bank accounts, what could be better than four days and nights of free fun, on both sides of the mighty Mississippi? For the first time since it launched in August 2017, Alternating Currents is expanding in a big way beyond its downtown Davenport roots for 100-plus events... Read More

SUSTO, PETEY and HEMBREE/DESERT NOISES are coming to Davenport’s RACCOON MOTEL; ALTERNATING CURRENTS NEXT WEEK!! As the times remain crazy, we’re doing everything we can to keep bringing great artists to the Quad Cities and it’s been a big week for new announcements as we’ve added shows with Susto (a rare and special solo set from Justin Osborne — Aug. 21), Hembree/Desert Noises (Aug. 28), a record release show with Petey (Sept. 12 which also features James Austin Johnson and Bon Iver collaborators 81355), LALA LALA (April 13, 2022) and the return of Joshua Ray Walker... Read More

Despite the brutal Covid pandemic, film and TV production in Illinois last year spent nearly $362 million, down 35% from about $560 million spent in 2019. Doug Miller of Davenport – who heads the Quad Cities Production Coalition – wants to see some of that money come to the Illinois Q-C area. He is working with state and local officials on establishing a regional film office in Rock Island, and is bringing Illinois Film Office director Peter Hawley to the Rock Island Holiday Inn on Thursday, Aug. 19, to talk about state filming incentives and financing. It’s among first events in the Quad-Cities... Read More

The Alternating Currents festival will showcase 100-plus performances, film screenings and art-related events at more than 20 downtown Davenport venues from Aug. 19 to 22. Designed to showcase the vibrant culture of our downtown areas, the annual event is billed as a music, film, comedy and art experience, according to an event release Tuesday. Alternating Currents is produced by Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP), a division of the Quad Cities Chamber, in collaboration with local talent across our region’s creative community. Alternating Currents today announced featured live music acts for... Read More

After getting canceled last summer due to Covid, the popular Bix 7 weekend festivities and Alternating Currents festival are returning to downtown Davenport this summer. Bix 7 race related activities draw some of the largest crowds to the Quad-Cities annually, and now the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) is introducing a new event model to capture its thousands of attendees to immerse them in the downtown experience July 23-24, the Quad Cities Chamber announced Thursday. The traditional Street Fest model — featuring traveling vendors — is being replaced with a local focus. New... Read More

Several Quad-Cities cultural organizations and projects were among 176 grants totaling just over $2 million, announced Friday by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (IDCA), for works in art, film, history, and culture. The funding comes through programs overseen by the department’s divisions: the Iowa Arts Council, the State Historical Society of Iowa and Produce Iowa, the state office of film and media production. “These funds are critical to help sustain arts, film, heritage and cultural vibrancy across the state and showcase Iowa’s world-class cultural programs and destinations with... Read More

Another major Quad-Cities cultural event is biting the dust due to Covid-19. Event organizers from Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) on Wednesday announced the cancellation of Alternating Currents, originally scheduled for August 27-30, as a regional event across five Quad-Cities downtown areas. Downtown Bettendorf Organization’s (DBO) “Be Downtown” event — in its third year originally re-scheduled from June to coincide with Alternating Currents — also has been canceled. Both organizations are divisions of the Quad Cities Chamber. “In order to keep Quad Citizens and visitors... Read More

Come celebrate the Birthday and life of Ellis Kell with a two-day vinyl record sale and musical swap meet! Peace, Love, and the Joy of Music: Ellis Kell’s Birthday Bash will take place on Friday Aug 23 from 4 – 8 p.m. and Saturday Aug 24 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the RiverCenter (136 E 3rd Street Davenport). Multiple vendors will be selling vinyl albums, amps, instruments, and other musical wares, all while being serenaded by sets from local musicians and guest DJ’s that knew and loved Ellis.  A portion of all proceeds will benefit The Karli Rose Kell Music Scholarship Fund, River Music... Read More