The Speakeasy in downtown Rock Island is excited to welcome back Bottoms Up Burlesque to the stage this weekend with two all new shows!  On Friday night the members of the recently completed Bottoms Up school of Burlesque will be showcasing what they have learned in their very own show!  On Saturday, the show cast returns with all the performers you love in a show like never before – Burlesque Roulette!  The performers won’t have idea what number they will be performing to until the show emcee spins the wheel to determine their song.  “We are really excited about these two shows” said... Read More

The Speakeasy in downtown Rock Island has an exciting weekend of entertainment planned this Friday and Saturday night! Tickets for both shows can be reserved by calling 309-786-7733, Ext. 2 or online at www.thecirca21speakeasy.com.   FRIDAY NIGHT – WINDY CITY DUELING PIANOS Windy City Dueling Pianos combines high-energy live music played on two pianos by highly skilled and talented players! The performers, hailing from Chicago and across the Midwest, have decades of dueling piano experience performing in nationally renowned clubs! The musicians play off each other in the traditional... Read More

It’s bottoms up for Bottoms Up this weekend as the local burlesque troupe throws down some drinks in cheers of five years on stage bringing entertainment to the Quad-Cities, and continues the legacy with shows Friday and Saturday. Five years ago a group of young performers all of whom shared a love of burlesque decided to join together and form their own troupe.  That troupe became known as Bottom’s Up Quad City Burlesque.  Five years later performers have come and gone but Bottom’s Up still continues to entertain Quad City audiences. “I remember the first phone call I received... Read More

There’s something fun, relaxed, goofy and familiar about the Quad Cities Lip Sync battles that’s utterly charming, which is why, if you haven’t done so already, you really should check one of them out. This weekend, the regular gigs at the Rock Island Speakeasy return, and if you’re looking for something fun and light to do, make the trip. I checked out the last Lip Sync event and not only wasn’t disappointed, but was, honestly, surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The show, for sake of familiarity and comparison, posits itself as similar gigs to those on Spike TV and “The Tonight Show... Read More

Bottoms Up Quad City Burlesque has been a strong presence in the Q-C nightlife scene since its debut five years ago. And, in all that time, as host and admin to our Facebook page, I have read so many messages asking for more. The requests for classes, auditions, bachelorette parties, festivals, and the list goes on and on. This year we were finally able to make a dream come true. The Bottoms Up School of Burlesque was brought to life after all this time. Over the past 15 weeks students have learned the building blocks to burlesque. Not only the “how to” but also what lies behind burlesque. If... Read More

When I was first asked to take on the job writing about the local comedy scene for Quadcities.com I knew immediately what my first article would have to be about. I wanted to look back at where I personally got my start in comedy but because nearly every opportunity to do comedy in the Quad Cities stems from one organization’s timeline in our hometown; ComedySportz Quad Cities. If you’re reading this but have no idea who or what ComedySportz is, I will tell you what you are in for if you attend a show. The style of comedy performed is improv comedy. Meaning everything you see and hear... Read More

It’s a gloomy Monday morning in winter in a coffee shop filled with sleepy drones and the only full-time magician in the Quad-Cities is performing an amazing trick – he’s making my case of the Mondays disappear. And all without two dozen pieces of flair, shrimp poppers, pizza shooters or extreme fajitas! That’s because David Casas is more than a magician, he’s a magical performer. He’s got a charm, style and panache that makes him compelling to watch on- and off-stage when he’s talking about his craft. Casas, 36, mixes self-deprecating humor and a down-to-earth persona with quicksilver... Read More

There’s something fun, relaxed, goofy and familiar about the Quad Cities Lip Sync battles that’s utterly charming, which is why, if you haven’t done so already, you really should check one of them out. This weekend, the regular gigs at the Rock Island Speakeasy turn their spotlight on songs from Disney, so if you’re a fan of the house of the mouse and its signature showtunes, you can get on board Saturday night. But if not, make sure you make time at some point in the future to include these unique events on your planner. I checked out the last Lip Sync event the first week in February... Read More