River Cities Reader - Issue 853 - April 3, 2014

River Cities’ Reader • Vol. 21 No. 853 • April 2-16, 20142 Business • Politics • Arts • Culture • Now You Know • RiverCitiesReader.com

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River Cities’ Reader • Vol. 21 No. 853 • April 3-16, 2014 3Business • Politics • Arts • Culture • Now You Know • RiverCitiesReader.com

WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

Does Our Silence Make Us Accessories to the Bad Acts of Government?

I believe that when we pass from this life, we will face accountability for both our actions and inactions. I also believe that account-

ability directly corresponds to the degree of responsibility each of us has to the Creator first, family second, and our neighbors third.

I don’t pretend to know people’s relationships with God. But most of us have a pretty good sense of what we are obliged to with family, friends, and associates. It gets murkier when we consider our responsibility to community because community can be defined by myriad levels of relationships from cursory to expansive.

Each of us has a far greater responsibility to family members than to neighbors than to folks in our county than to state residents than to Americans as a whole than to global inhabitants. My guess is that we will be held more accountable for actions or inactions that harm our family members compared to those that impact our fellow citizens at large. But we will still be held to answer for whatever harm is caused by our government’s destructive actions at home and abroad – especially for our own indifference to it.

Do you imagine that those in Germany who stood by and did nothing while their

countrymen were rounded up and exterminated by Nazis are guiltless? Are Americans any less guilty for permitting our elected representatives and appointed bureaucrats to send drones overseas that indiscriminately slaughter innocents? Few of us had any part in instigating or implementing such horrific conduct, nor did the majority of us even know about most of it occurring until well after the fact.

Nevertheless, every one of us is responsible for future remote-control executions by the silence that forms our consent. Moreover, our greater sin lies in not exacting consequences for these war crimes, past and present, once exposed. Where are the demands for arrests of U.S. leaders who did instigate, approve, and implement the murders? Where are the impeachment proceedings for any and all leaders who knowingly permitted such operations, including but not limited to the president? (Former U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich did attempt to impeach President George W. Bush with exhaustive evidence of war crimes. Rather than proceed with impeachment, a majority of Democrats in the House voted to refer the matter to the House Judiciary Committee, where no further action was taken.

His reward was getting redistricted out of his seat in Ohio.) No country’s people are blameless for its leadership’s crimes against humanity, including America. Especially America, precisely because, as a republic of laws, we the people have the means to hold our leaders accountable at every level of government.

But we collectively choose not to. Therefore it is in this choosing that our culpability lies.

I broach this subject of drone strikes again because every one of us must examine ourselves to determine who we are as Americans moving forward. Ignoring this drone program will not absolve us in the end. We do know. We are silent. Meanwhile overseas, innocent men, women, and children are being killed while going about their daily lives.

In January, the UK-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) published an exhaustive analysis of the U.S. drone campaigns of both presidents Bush and Barack Obama. The site has extensive support documentation and links to government-published sources and mainstream-news accounts.

The Potter Foundation-funded site reports: “Across Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, the Obama administration has launched more

than 390 drone strikes in the five years since the first attack that injured Qureshi – eight times as many as were launched in the entire Bush presidency. These strikes have killed more than 2,400 people, at least 273 of them reportedly civilians.” Qureshi was a 14-year-old victim of the CIA’s 2009 drone strike that killed most of his family members. According to the BIJ, Bush launched 51 done strikes in his eight-year presidency, while Obama’s Administration is credited with 390 and counting. (See RCReader.com/y/bil1. The site’s methodology for statistics is available at RCReader.com/y/bil2.)

The stats are dependent upon a very subjective determination of noncombatants killed with no due process whatsoever. Meanwhile, our own government agencies continue to obfuscate and deceive the public. BIJ summarized: “U.S. news agency McClatchy obtained documents in April showing the CIA’s own assessment of drone strikes in Pakistan. They showed drones were used to kill Afghans, Pakistanis, and ‘unknown’ militants, despite U.S. assertions that drones only target senior al-Qaeda members. Documents also showed that a June 2011 claim by Brennan that no civilians

by Kathleen [email protected]

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The Ounce of Prevention Fund lavished praise on Quinn’s proposal after the speech, and warned of the “potentially devastating cuts that would be necessary without adequate revenue,” which seemed like an all but

endorsement of the governor’s proposal to keep income taxes at their current levels.

Why is that so important? Well, Bruce Rauner’s wife Diana is the Ounce of Prevention Fund’s president.

So while Rauner blasted the governor’s budget address as yet another “broken promise” to Illinoisans, said Quinn was “doubling down on his

failed policies” by proposing to keep the tax hike permanent, and asserted that he could “balance the budget without more tax increases,” Mrs. Rauner’s highly respected organization was saying just the opposite – that the budget proposal was a “vital investment in the state’s future at a critical juncture.”

Then again, Diana Rauner’s more liberal approach could help soften her husband’s hardcore image.

Before the speech, Madigan warned his House Democrats during a closed-door caucus meeting to “keep their powder dry” about the governor’s proposals. Madigan doesn’t want his members getting too far ahead of the game and making statements that they might have to take back when the velvet hammer comes down on their heads later in the session.

As a consequence, not many were eager to talk about the governor’s income-tax proposal. It wasn’t difficult to see in their faces that they knew what was coming, however. They are all in for yet another extremely tough vote this year. Few want to take that vote, but most know they’ll probably have little to no choice in the matter.

One nervous member expressed the hope that the tax hike would simply be extended until the end of the fiscal year – so Rauner could deal with it if he’s elected. But that idea was quickly shot down by a top Madigan lieutenant.

“And vote for this again?” he asked. They already took one vote, after an election during a late-evening lame-duck session that they’ve been hammered with constantly for more than three years. No more of those, apparently.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax (a daily political newsletter) and CapitolFax.com.

It turns out that Governor Pat Quinn and the two Democratic legislative leaders met privately for at least several days to negoti-

ate details of the governor’s budget address.The highly unusual move means that most

if not all aspects of Quinn’s budget proposals last week have already been agreed to by the Democrats who run the Illinois Statehouse.

House Speaker Michael Madigan tipped his hand after the governor’s address during Jak Tichenor’s invaluable Illinois Lawmakers public-television program when he twice insisted that the governor’s property-tax proposal was actually his idea.

The governor proposed eliminating the state’s property-tax credit, which is currently worth 5 percent of property taxes paid, and replacing it with an automatic $500 tax refund.

That idea was apparently just one of Madigan’s demands in exchange for supporting the governor’s proposal to make the “temporary” income-tax hike permanent, which was the centerpiece of Quinn’s speech.

Both Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton offered their full support for the governor’s income-tax proposal on Tichenor’s show, with Madigan saying he planned to move a bill forward this spring and Cullerton saying he’d let Madigan go first to make sure there were enough votes, and then move ahead in his own chamber, which tends to be far more liberal than Madigan’s on stuff like this.

The Senate Republicans have claimed that the Democrats were in cahoots this entire spring legislative session to make it appear the budgetary outlook was so bad that the tax hike absolutely had to be made permanent. At least in one respect, they were right. The Democrats have apparently been working closely together for the first time in anyone’s memory. Budget addresses are rarely, if ever, negotiated this much in advance of the actual speech.

Quinn spent quite a bit of time during his address not-so-subtly attacking his Republican opponent, Bruce Rauner. Quinn ruled out ever supporting a tax on retirement income, saying he wouldn’t balance the budget on the backs of senior citizens; Rauner has said he’d be open to the idea. Quinn also said he would oppose any effort to tax small businesses that provide services; Rauner has said he’d be open to a service tax.

Quinn also announced a five-year, $1.5-billion investment into his Birth to Five initiative, which he has claimed would focus

Quinn Lines Up His Ducks for Budget Address

by Rich MillerCapitolFax.com

ILLINOIS POLITICS

The Democrats have apparently

been working closely together for

the first time in anyone’s memory.


In 2006, U.S. Repre-sentative Jim Leach of Iowa introduced

a resolution urging President George W. Bush to appoint a “Special Envoy for Middle East Peace.” The resolution said, in part, that “history has demonstrated that the Middle East region is likely to lurch from crisis to crisis without sustained diplo-matic and economic engagement by the United States.”

In an interview March 24, Leach amended that statement. “I would say not only without our engagement, [but] ... with or without our engagement.”

That revision is a reflection of all that has happened in just the past few years: the continuing conflict between Israel and Palestine; developments regarding Iran’s nuclear program; the Arab Spring; turmoil in Egypt; and the Syrian civil war – the last of which has grown more complicated given newly escalated tension between Russia and the West.

It also hints at a frustration Leach clearly has with American foreign policy in the region – and not merely the long, costly war with Iraq.

So when Leach presents his lecture “What is Old, New, & Unprecedented in America’s Relationships with the Middle East” on April 10, he’ll have a lot to talk to about. (The speech is the first public event of St. Ambrose University’s new Middle East Institute.) But don’t expect many answers.

Take the example of Syria. Perhaps the United States should have provided military hardware to anti-government forces earlier, Leach said, but “there’s no necessary certitude that that would have made a difference.” (Syria could turn out to be another example of short-sighted United States policy with long-term negative effects. In 2012, the New York Times reported that arms sent to Syrian rebels – with the aid of the United States – “are going to hard-line Islamic jihadists, and not the more secular opposition groups that the West wants to bolster.” The article questions whether the U.S. “strategy of minimal and indirect intervention in the Syrian conflict” is “sowing the seeds of future insurgencies

Sparking Peace or Conflict?by jeff Ignatius

[email protected]

hostile to the United States.”)

As for the current situation, Leach said: “We have a humanitarian trauma of seldom precedented scale.” And while the current government of Bashar al-Assad should not “be supported or allowed to continue, ... I’m not of an ilk that thinks necessarily that intervention is a wise course of action.

There are a lot of counterproductive things that can devolve from intervening in a society in which you have these extraordinary religious cleavages” between Shia and Sunni Muslims. For example, he said, “people of like religious faith in so many other countries in the Middle East lining up on one side or the other. If America comes down on one side of a religious battle, it could be that people on the other side will have reason to intensify conflict in the region or out of the region.”

So should the United States just let these terrible things continue? “There’s no ‘letting,’” Leach said. “Can we stop it? Do you have a technique? ... We have an awful civil war and we have a humanitarian crisis. [But] the capacity to intervene constructively is limited.”

Generally speaking, Leach said, “we have the potential to play a constructive role [in the Middle East]. And we also have the potential of being counterproductive. ... I would argue that we have been less productive than we should have been, and downright counterproductive in certain circumstances.”

But Leach was vague on what that constructive role is – and in our interview could not give examples of recent U.S. policy that furthered stability in the region. “We have sparked possibly a democratic movement in the Middle East – the so-called Arab Spring,” he said, “but we’ve also sparked a much darker set of religious conflicts.”

That’s a function, he said, of the Middle East’s complexity – which few American administrative, military, and legislative

Jim Leach Discusses the Middle East, April 10 at St. Ambrose

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“Look into my eyes and keep still,” Socibot says to me in its pleasant

but mechanical voice. Before I can do anything to comply with the command, the Putnam Museum’s machine continues: “I would say you are a 44-year-old man.” I laugh. “Your face is happy,” it says.

Clearly, Socibot needs to learn that when it comes to age, it’s better to guess low – as I’m on the cusp of 43, thank you very much.

This was a demonstration of Socibot’s facial-recognition feature, but the talking, moving head is no one-trick robot. It does impressions – including of some famous cinematic artificial intelligences (2001’s HAL 9000, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cyborg from the Terminator series). It can play card games using QR codes – which can also be employed to tell visitors about other features in the Putnam’s new Science Center.

But mostly, it shows the complexity of human expression. Using the “compose” touch-screen interface, users can program Socibot to communicate – not merely typing the words it will speak but controlling its voice and nonverbal cues that impart meaning, from the movement of the eyes and head to flushed cheeks to the set of the mouth.

This teaches the challenges and skills involved in getting machines to complete multifaceted tasks. Nichole Myles, the Putnam’s vice president of education and exhibits, noted that Socibot allows visitors to “experience what early coding and programming is.”

And because the Science Center is geared to children – with the goal of getting them interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers – Socibot has also been programmed to chide users who try to put inappropriate words and phrases into its mouth.

Socibot is undoubtedly one of the most sophisticated (and expensive) components of the STEM center, and you could spend a few hours trying to fine-tune the proper expressions involved in, for instance, Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” monologue.

But given the breadth and depth of science-related experiences available at the Putnam’s Science Center, to spend too much time at one station would be wasting opportunities. There’s the feature

Fostering Failure – in a Good WayThe Putnam’s New Science Center Opens April 12

that visibly demonstrates turbulence; the lift-yourself-up pulley; the airways fountain; ferrofluid; the gravity wall; the lever tug-of-war; the 3D-printing station; robot vision; the dinosaur dig scheduled to open this summer ... .

I’ve spent a lot of time as a kid, a kid at heart, and a parent at children’s museums and science centers, and the Putnam’s STEM center is a marvel – especially considering how quickly it came together and how little it cost.

“It Was Carefully Planned to Turn Out This Way”

When I did an article on the planned Science Center a year ago (see “Pivot and Progress,” River Cities’ Reader Issue 826, March 21-April 3, 2013), several things were clear. It was exciting. It was necessary. And it was ambitious.

But it was also a bit concerning. The Putnam, under President and CEO Kim Findlay, was trying to remake itself using under-utilized space and (relatively) little money. “STEM careers are growing at four times the rate of other types of careers,” Findlay said back then, “and the more we’re able to play a role in helping kids to see the fascinating side of science and math, and want to learn about it, I think that’s a tremendous role that the museum can play.”

She also said: “The need is very immediate. ... We’re not embarking on a capital campaign to build a wing, add a floor, build an addition – which could cost $15 [million] to $20 million. ... The price tag on

this is ... about 10 percent of what you would expect it would cost if you were trying to put an addition on.”

In the end, the Putnam raised $2.2 million for its STEM center – a little larger than the budget Findlay gave last year, but that’s a function of some funds being used to staff the center and pay for its long-term maintenance.

Findlay believes the need is so pressing that she made sure the Science Center opened two months earlier than its original target of June. “The majority of our classroom visits ... happen in April, May, and June,” she said this week. “And when we realized that two years would take us to the end of June – from inception to opening – that just was not acceptable ... .”

The idea behind and conceptual framework of the STEM center were undeniably sound and carefully considered. What remained to be seen was whether the Putnam’s execution – constrained and to an extent defined by decisions about cost, scope, and time – would match its lofty goals. One could easily see how budget, space, and schedule could result in a center that met the immediate need but felt cheap or half-formed.

Visitors will get to decide for themselves when the Science Center opens to the public on April 12. But the center appears poised to exceed my hopes and wipe out my fears.

On two visits in March, I got the opportunity to see and sample more than a dozen new interactive components. I didn’t get a full sense of the whole, as roughly half of the more than 45 components were

COVER STORY

installed and operational when I visited, and storyboarding and graphics tying the science to careers and individual stories weren’t yet up.

But what I did see were thoughtful, polished, seemingly durable hands-on displays that are fun, educational, open-ended, and likely to reward curiosity and developing skills over many visits and many years.

Findlay said she “couldn’t be happier” – and she’ll even sing that to you from the musical Wicked. “It’s everything we conceptualized and envisioned ... ,” she said. “I’m not surprised, because it was carefully planned to turn out this way. But I am completely energized that it is turning out this way.”

Very few science centers, Findlay said, make the leap from fun activities and cool, gee-whiz science to careers. The Putnam’s, she said, will “surround the visitor with ideas for career exploration, [and] stories about how STEM-related careers and work ... make the world a better place.” Beyond the hands-on science, she said, “there’s an inspirational aspect to the center.”

“Driving People Toward the Museum”

In the Putnam’s Grand Lobby is the first indication that the Putnam has been transformed.

“We did want something that would be a hallmark in the center of the Grand Lobby – something that the visitor would come in and realize that things had changed right away,” Myles said. “This is a big building, so it can be hard to communicate that.”

Hovering over the lobby is a hexagonal kinetic sculpture by Reuben Margolin, made from 198 reclaimed white-plastic tubes attached with 109 unique strings to a motor. Myles described it as “mathematics in motion”: “When that motor moves in a circle,

Socibot and the infinity mirror

Color wheel

Photo by AJ Brown


by Jeff [email protected]

it ... shows what a sine wave would look like if it were consistently moving.”

The piece illustrates several aspects of Science Center.

First, it encourages exploration of a mathematical concept, as it plays differently depending on whether it’s viewed from below or from the balcony.

Second, it demonstrates how the Putnam was able to accomplish so much on a tight budget. When the Putnam contacted the artist, he offered the existing piece to the museum at a fraction of the cost of building a custom sculpture; it was being de-installed from its temporary home at the Chabot Space & Science Center in California.

Third, it shows how math and science can

lead to careers – in this case, admittedly, unconventionally. “The core of the center is to encourage people to explore science, technology, engineering, and math and how they might be able to use it in their lives,” Myles said. “So for people who say, ‘Applied mathematics. I would never want to do that.’ This is an artist using applied mathematics.”

Up the stairs from the lobby on the way to the Science Center proper is another hint about the new Putnam: a color wheel with two layers. Panels are either colored or clear, and while the scientific principle is obvious and familiar, it took me a while to figure out which were clear and which were colored.


The Marx generator Photo by AJ Brown


Vol. 21 · No. 853 April 3-16, 2014

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Jay Strickland, Doug Wilming

For all of about six sec-onds, the Quad Cities band Bedroom Shrine’s

new album No Déjà Vu seems content to set a mood.

The first sound on “Brown Recluse” is the whirring of a tape machine, whose unsteadiness makes the opening notes of acoustic guitar tremble plaintively.

But before that old-time folk vibe can register, the wind chimes tinkle softly, leading to some gentle feedback that builds to the simultaneous entrance (at the 19-second mark) of hand claps and electric slide guitar. Those two elements pull against each other, the hand claps establishing a pleasant groove with the acoustic guitar while the slide concisely articulates its grudge.

The instrumental is clearly meant as a table-setter, but it illustrates that Bedroom Shrine has no interest in dawdling. At all of 85 seconds, the track musically sketches out the band’s Facebook blurb of “rock ’n’ roll gets lonesome” and scurries off.

That’s the basic method of the album, whose 12 songs run a total of 32 minutes. That by itself means nothing, but it relates to both the album’s charm and its shortcoming: The vivid, sharply drawn songs leave you wanting more (good!), but they also feel like sketches that would be even better given the time and space to grow into more-mature form (less good!). It’s telling that the only two songs that run more than three minutes – “You’re Gonna Lose” and the title track – feel most like they’ve reached the ends of their natural lives.

Led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Johnnie Cluney and also featuring guitarist Bambi Suits, drummer Dennis Hockaday, and bassist Aiden Landman, Bedroom Shrine grew out of the demise of Mondo Drag – of which both Cluney and Hockaday were members.

Cluney is also the illustrator for Quad

“You Cannot Let Up”by Jeff Ignatius

[email protected]

Cities-based taste-maker Daytrotter.com, and that job likely informs this debut album. In an interview last week, he said that bands can’t afford to assume that people will have patience or attention for the whole; albums need to grab ears and hold on tight. “If you don’t have their attention by the third song, fourth song, you’re in trouble,” he said. “There are too many bands in the world now as it is ... .” Listeners are “going to move on to something else, I think. ... You really do have to have their attention. All the time. You cannot let up.”

By that measure, No Déjà Vu – released on the local Cartouche Records label – is an unqualified success. The album takes two basic approaches – the aforementioned “lonesome” (with much of the emotion carried by the electric guitar) and bratty pop-rockers – and nearly every track offers just the right amount of essential detail. The overall aesthetic is airy yet pleasantly full.

“I was thinking about having catchy choruses,” Cluney said, “and I was thinking about having these tiny little hooks.”

Keening strings erupt aggressively on “Cash for Gold,” transforming a love

song into loss by foregrounding sharp emotion – an effect augured by the strangely evocative opening words: “I want my head replaced by a dog’s.” In certain vocal sections, a deeper voice enters that cements the lead singing to the low strings.

Clouds of guitar sounds create anxiety on “Get Tuff,” swirling around the plainspoken vocals and core acoustic guitar.

On many tracks, the flourishes are minimally employed but still effective – such as the punctuating reverb effect, increasingly insistent keys, and (in the break) expressive guitar distortion on “You’re Gonna Lose.” Unexpected saxophone adds

some buoyant soul to “Celebrations.”And then there are times when the

absence of unusual detail becomes an unusual detail.“White Highway” brings the album back to the opening home-tape-recording hints of “Brown Recluse,” but instead of quickly obliterating and expanding on that vibe, it carries it through to the end – a simple, unadorned song over a gentle hiss.

While No Déjà Vu does feel more fragmentary than I’d like overall, that’s far better than an album or songs that hang around too long. Cluney drew a subtle but appropriate distinction: “I don’t feel like it’s short; I feel like it could be a little brief. ... If you hear something you like, you’re going to listen to it again.”

Bedroom Shrine will mark the release of No Déjà Vu with a concert on Saturday, April 5, at RIBCO (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island; RIBCO.com). The show starts at 9 p.m. and also features Chrash and Skye Carrasco. The $10 cover includes a CD copy of the album.

For more information on Bedroom Shrine, visit Facebook.com/bedroomshrine.

Bedroom Shrine, No Déjà Vu; April 5 at RIBCO

MUSIC


One of the cleverest things

about the Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse’s Always a Bridesmaid is its title, and the way it fits its group of women who, because of a promise made at their senior prom, continue to be bridesmaids in each other’s weddings well into their 50s. That, how-ever, is as clever as playwrights Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten get, as their show’s humor is amusing, at best, but never hilarious. The plot and comedy play out more like that of a television sitcom than a theatrical comedy – which might be expected given Wooten’s work as a writer and producer on The Golden Girls.

In truth, this piece seems a bit of a play on The Golden Girls, at least character-wise. Among Always a Bridesmaid’s four friends, there’s a sexpot-y, self-absorbed Blanche type in Monette Gentry (Miranda Jane). The ever-friendly, somewhat daft nature of Rose is present in Libby Ruth Ames (Rachelle Walljasper). And Deedra Wingate (Lora Adams) possesses Dorothy’s dry, condescending wit. Only Charlie Collins (Tamarin K. Lawler) seems original, with her hippie, anti-feminine attitude and attire.

While I did find Friday’s performance entertaining, my greatest delight stemmed from its wardrobe. Costume designer Gregory Hiatt came up with some ridiculously funny bridesmaid dresses, playfully creating unwearable-anywhere-else garments like those oftentimes forced upon the best friends of brides at many a wedding. I especially liked a holiday-themed outfit that Deedra dons during Charlie’s wedding – the new bride having forced her bridesmaids to wear the same dresses they once mandated she wear in their weddings. Deedra’s ensemble is a light-green gown with red opera gloves and a white-fur-trimmed, red capelet, and while well-crafted, the combination also had the audience in stitches when Adams first appeared in it. Costume comedy also came from a misunderstanding among the ladies regarding Deedra’s own wedding; she requested festive dresses of a French fashion, which her friends interpreted as French costumes, arriving in get-ups more suitable for can-can dancers and French maids.

Director Warner Crocker also came up

Gown but Not Forgottenby Thom White

with an enjoyable way to execute scene changes. Instead of tasking a crew of stagehands with swapping out floral arrangements and pillows in the sitting room of the women’s Laurelton Oaks venue, Crocker has the venue’s hostess,

Sedelia Ellicott (Janet Ellen Brucken), take care of it with the help of Always a Bridesmaid assistant stage manager Nicholas Munson, who is dressed as a member of her staff. Brucken, without a word, makes clear that she’s the boss, pointing with authority at tasks Munson still needs to complete, and impatiently waving him out of the room when they’re done. As for the space itself, scenic designer Christopher Gadomski’s sitting room is beautifully dated and grand, with an especially impressive treatment on the yellow walls: a pattern of stenciled diamonds and dots that looks like a wallpaper design.

I just wish the script were as fine as these elements of Crocker’s production. Though the cast members’ efforts at delivering their comedic lines are commendably adroit, the material itself is merely okay. The playwrights also make what seems clunky use of Libby’s daughter Kari (Cara Chumbley) as the play’s narrator, having Kari deliver her lines as though recounting the story of her mother’s friends’ weddings at her own reception. It feels unnecessary and, while Chumbley’s characterization seems pitch perfect, Kari’s monologues aren’t nearly as funny as they’re apparently meant to be, nor is the running gag involving her yelling at (unseen) relatives when they get too wild.

While adequately pleasing, I had higher hopes for Circa ’21’s Always a Bridesmaid, given how much I enjoyed the theatre’s 2012 production of The Dixie Swim Club by the same playwrights. Unfortunately, the main strength of that play – the sincere sisterhood between its characters – isn’t as present in this one, with the authors’ efforts (and they remain efforts) to be funny outweighing their attempts to be touching.

Always a Bridesmaid runs at the Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island) through May 17, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visiting Circa21.com.

Always a Bridesmaid, at the Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse through May 17

Miranda Jane, Tamarin K. Lawler, Rachelle Walljasper, and Lora Adams

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artists Ingalena Klenell of Sweden and Beth Lipman of Wisconsin.

ExhibiTion opEning

Ingalena Klenell and Beth Lipman, Landscape, 2008-2010, kiln-formed glass. Collection of Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington, gift of the artists. Photo by Russell Johnson and Jeff Curtis.

Exhibition sponsored by Andy & Debi butler


by Mike Schulz • [email protected] Mike Schulz • [email protected] Reviews by Mike Schulz • [email protected]

tortured madness of Crowe’s Noah, and, in a lovely surprise, the fully realized arc of Noah’s wife Naameh, whom Jennifer Connelly plays with such luminous conviction that you hardly have time to think, “Hey ... didn’t she play this same role opposite Crowe in A Beautiful Mind?” (I had less success here watching Logan Lerman, as Noah’s son Ham, pine over Watson, who played the object of his affections in The Perks of Being a Wallflower.)

In terms of sheer visceral impact, Noah delivers the goods and then some; on more than a few occasions, I gasped at the startling ferocity of the on-screen violence, and couldn’t help but wipe away a tear at the happy ending we all saw coming. Yet what, in the end, was even more impressive to me was Aronofsky’s utter conviction in his project, and in his willingness to go to such incredible narrative and visual extremes that so frequently risk the audience’s contempt, he has made what might be the most thrillingly alive biblical epic since The Last Temptation of Christ. Noah may be its hero’s story as seen through a Hollywood-blockbuster lens, but in nearly every regard, it’s a Hollywood blockbuster suffused with grace.

For reviews of Divergent, Muppets Most Wanted, God’s Not Dead, Bad Words, Sabotage, Enemy, the Putnam Museum’s The Earth Wins, and other current releases, visit RiverCitiesReader.com.

Follow Mike on Twitter at Twitter.com/MikeSchulzNow.

NOAHLike most of you, I’d presume, I’ve

known the biblical story of Noah’s Ark since early childhood. And also, presumably like most of you, I’ve always kind of wondered how Noah was able to construct a floating vessel big and sturdy enough to carry “two of all living creatures, male and female” through 40 days and 40 nights of torrential downpours and Earth-engulfing floods. But with the release of Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, the answer to the question of “Who built the Ark?” has finally been provided, and – who woulda thunk it? – apparently we have Frank Langella and Nick Nolte to thank.

Well, not the actors so much as the characters they voice here: enormous, six-legged creatures of stone referred to as the Watchers. In Aronofsky’s and co-screenwriter Ari Handel’s re-imagining of the Noah tale, you see, the Watchers are former angels who risked God’s wrath by displaying undue empathy for human beings, and who were subsequently banished from heaven, their earthbound spirits encased in ambulatory slabs of granite. Yet while it clearly sucks to be a Watcher – a point underlined by Langella’s and Nolte’s growling, dolorous readings and the mournful, lumbering movements of this pair and their fellow fallen angels – boy, are these things convenient!

They help Noah (Russell Crowe) locate his aged, berry-craving grandfather Methuselah (Anthony Hopkins), and they babysit Noah’s children while he’s gone; one of the kids is shown having a great time playfully running between a Watcher’s

legs shouting, “You can’t get me!” (An exclamation, as I recall, that we won’t find in Genesis.) When God creates a miraculous forest from which Noah can cull timber for the Ark, the gigantic rock figures, for years, do most of the heavy lifting and, their size would suggest, probably all of the work on the craft’s upper levels. And when, with good times clearly not in store, an Ark-jacking is attempted by the descendants of Cain – a grimy, murderous collection of hundreds led by Ray Winstone’s Tubal-cain – it’s again up to the Watchers to save the day; they swat the hordes away while Noah and his clan safely enter the Ark, and sacrifice themselves to ensure humanity’s survival. Not since Lassie saved Timmy from the well has a screen pet shown such fanatical devotion.

If you’ve noticed more than a twinge of derision in the preceding paragraphs, it’s not unintentional, and there were other elements in Aronofsy’s latest that I found nearly as ridiculous as those contrived, Lord of the Rings-y Watchers. (Personally, I could’ve done without the climactic, mano a mano slugfest between Noah and the stowaway Tubal-cain that began with the latter screaming, “I should’ve killed you when I killed your father!”, which is a line I’m pretty sure we just heard in Pompeii, as well as in a few dozen other movies over the years.) Yet here’s the rub: As a plot device, the combined presence of the

Watchers works. It works because of the deep imagination behind the Watchers’ conception and the unbridled, unembarrassed sincerity with which Aronofsky stages their actions (and because, really, no one else has yet

come up with a more plausible explanation for the Ark’s creation and successful launch). You go with the notion of these stony, heaven-sent saviors – at least I did – because Aronofsky so obviously, fervently believes in them, just as he believes in Noah’s escalating, completely understandable insanity, and his family’s gnawing terror before and after they’ve boarded the Ark. With Noah, Aronofsky isn’t interpreting the Bible literally. He’s interpreting it emotionally, and what results is both occasionally silly and, oftentimes, staggeringly powerful – a fever dream of moral conundrums and theological debate that’s also, almost throughout, fantastically entertaining.

The literal-minded and the devout may well hate Aronofsky’s achievement, or at least hate the director’s hubris in peppering Noah’s saga – an inarguably thin one in Genesis – with invented situations and characters (among them Emma Watson’s initially barren, eventually pregnant love interest Ila). Viewed solely as a movie experience, however, I was nearly blown away by the beauty and horror and grandeur of the effects, and the harrowing,

Listen to Mike every Friday at 9am on ROCK 104-9 FM with Dave & Darren

There’s Gonna Be a Floody, Floody

Jennifer Connelly and Russell Crowe in Noah

laughs

One race FOR All cancers!

Gilda’s Club QC will host its annual 5K & 1 mile fun run/walk on Sunday, April 27th at the Waterfront Convention Center in

Bettendorf. $30 registration includes a tee shirt & breakfast buffet for all participants following the run. All funds raised will be used to continue the free programs and services provided by Gilda’s Club to all those affected by cancer. For more information or to register call

Gilda’s Club at 563-326-7504 or visit www.getmeregistered.com

Run Event Presented by:

For

Gilda’s


What’s Happenin’MusicDamon FowlerThe Muddy WatersSunday, April 6, 6 p.m.

Singer/songwriter and blues guitarist Damon Fowler, who

plays Bettendorf ’s The Muddy Waters on April 6, is a Florida native whose exceptional musicianship has allowed him to share stages with the likes of Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Gregg Allman, Jimmy Vaughn, Jimmy Brown, Johnny and Edgar Winter, and Little Feat. But his amassing of national plaudits and citations? A major feat.

For instance, following a recent Chicagoland concert, radio’s Juke Joint Soul program stated, “Fowler’s heavy helping of swamp rock and slide blues guitar conjured

up a huge lighting storm. Having full command of his voice as an equal instrument to his guitar, Fowler can just as easily croon you to sleep as he could belt out a jump-blues or a Credence-like swamper.”

AllMusic.com wrote: “Damon Fowler’s swampy mix of blues, bayou R&B, country, rockabilly, sacred steel, and swing has, at its best, a taut, precise, and haunting tension underlining Fowler’s gently hoarse, easy, and naturally flowing everyman vocals.”

NoDepression.com insisted, “Fowler’s music is a primal, atavistic sound that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up,” while ChicagoBluesGuide.com lauded the artist’s “well-placed lead- and slide-guitar licks,” adding that “it is obvious that he has mastered the art of blues- and swamp-rock performance and writing.”

Reviewing Fowler’s most recent solo-CD release – this past January’s Sounds of Home – GratefulWeb.com called the album “raucous, moving, and fulfilling” and raved, “From the fiery, heartfelt blues of ‘Thought I Had It All’

to the soothing, soul rendering gospel of ‘I Shall Not Be Moved,’ this is an effort worthy of a start-to-finish listen, bursting with fresh originality.” Twangville.com, meanwhile, said that Fowler’s latest “employs his beefy guitar sound and rugged vocal talent to paint a vivid musical portrait of the South,” while OffBeat.com simply stated, “When it comes to a record such as Sounds of Home, a listener should not want to change a thing.”

And in its 2013 “Best of Tampa” poll, Fowler was named “Best Guitarist ... and Slide Guitarist ... and Lap-Steel Player ... and Dobro Player” by Creative Loafing magazine.

Wow. Nearly 300 words of praise lifted solely from online sources. Guess who else could work for Creative Loafing?

Damon Fowler’s 6 p.m. area concert s is presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society, and more information on the night is available by calling (563)355-0655 or visiting TheMuddyWaters.com.

TheatreWilly WonkaProspect Park AuditoriumThursday, April 3, through Sunday, April 6

(Sung to a melody that should be fairly obvious.)

Oompa loompa, do-ba-dee-do,I’ve got a Music Guild show for you!

Oompa loompa, do-ba-dee-dun,It’s Willy Wonka! It should be fun!

There was a book written by Roald Dahl,That be-came a movie beloved by all.Then, Johnny Depp’s came in two-thousand-five.Now you can see it on ... stage ... live!April third through April sixth!

Oompa loompa, do-ba-dee-doons,So many costumes! So many tunes!Oompa loompa, do-ba-dee-dast,And Bill Marsoun di-rects a great cast!

Wonka is played by one Zach Hendershott;As Char-lie, the sweet Laila Haley they’ve got!Plus, Steve TouVelle – Heidi Pedersen, too ... !And who will fall in choc- ... -late ... goo?Logan Ewing’s Augustus!

Oompa loompa, do-ba-dee-dan,“I Want It Now!” and, of course, “Candy Man,”And more that you’ll sing along to – Like the ... oompa ...Oompa loompa do-ba-dee-do!(Do-ba-dee-do!)

To reserve your own golden tickets for Quad City Music Guild’s performances of Willy Wonka – running at Moline’s Prospect Park Auditorium Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. – call (309)762-6610 or visit QCMusicGuild.com.

TheatreThe Importance of Being EarnestSt. Ambrose UniversityFriday, April 11, through Sunday, April 13

From April 11 through 13, St. Ambrose University’s theatre department will be presenting Oscar Wilde’s farcical-comedy classic The Importance

of Being Earnest. And for the role of the play’s imperious dowager Lady Bracknell, director Corinne Johnson has cast the helmer of Broadway’s Tony-winning The Boy from Oz – and the show-saving creative consultant for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark – Philip Wm. McKinley.

If you really need reasons to reserve tickets beyond seeing McKinley in drag, I guess I can continue.

Ever since its 1895 London debut, The Importance of Being Earnest has been one of the most frequently revived and adored of all stage comedies – a tale of mistaken identity, romantic entanglements, and the trials of burdensome social conventions that has

resonated with audiences through the generations. (Earnest has enjoyed nine Broadway productions to date, and was Tony-lauded as recently as 2011.) Its characters – from best friends and rival suitors Algeron Moncrieff and John Worthing to the stuffy governess Miss Prism – have become beloved cultural archetypes, and will be

embodied at St. Ambrose by such gifted performers as Jordan McGinnis, Chris Galván, Brooke Schelly, Becca Brazel, and Shannon Rourke.

And, of course, Wilde’s play is such a treasure trove of sensational dialogue that a listing of its most enjoyable lines could cover the What’s Happenin’ section five times over. In lieu of that, how about my listing just five of its best? To prep for St. Ambrose’s latest, try your hand at this quiz: Which one of the above is not a quote from The Importance of Being Earnest?

The Importance of Being Earnest plays at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday, and tickets are available by calling (563)333-6251 or visiting SAU.edu/galvin.

1) “All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does, and that is his.”

2) “I never change, except in my affections.”3) “If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up

for it by being always immensely over-educated.”4) “If you ask me, people rely too much on sex in

relationships anyway.”5) “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”6) “To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up.”

Answer: 4. That’s actually a line from a Golden Girls episode titled “The Impotence of Being Ernest.” Please don’t ask me how I know that.

Ally Zahringer, Laila Haley, Zach Hendershott, and

Kayla Lee


MUSICThursday, April 3 – Philip Glass.

Concert with the master composer, with VIP tickets including a pre-show reception and post-show meet-and-greet. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7:30 p.m. $25-100. For information and tickets, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.

Friday, April 4 – Those Poor Bastards. Gothic-country musicians in concert, with opening sets by the Blind Staggers and Pork’s A$$ Pig. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $10. For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.

Friday, April 4, and Sunday, April 6 – Nova Singers: American Genius. Cellist Carolyn Suda and pianist Ian Moschenross join the professional vocal ensemble for compositions by Eric Whitacre, Jonathan Dove, and others. Friday: First Congregational Church of Moline (2201 Seventh Avenue, Moline), 7:30 p.m. Sunday: Knox College’s Kresge Recital Hall (2 East South Street, Galesburg), 4 p.m. $15-18. For information and tickets,

What Else Is Happenin’

What’s Happenin’ by Mike [email protected]


to the soothing, soul rendering gospel of ‘I Shall Not Be Moved,’ this is an effort worthy of a start-to-finish listen, bursting with fresh originality.” Twangville.com, meanwhile, said that Fowler’s latest “employs his beefy guitar sound and rugged vocal talent to paint a vivid musical portrait of the South,” while OffBeat.com simply stated, “When it comes to a record such as Sounds of Home, a listener should not want to change a thing.”

And in its 2013 “Best of Tampa” poll, Fowler was named “Best Guitarist ... and Slide Guitarist ... and Lap-Steel Player ... and Dobro Player” by Creative Loafing magazine.

Wow. Nearly 300 words of praise lifted solely from online sources. Guess who else could work for Creative Loafing?

Damon Fowler’s 6 p.m. area concert s is presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society, and more information on the night is available by calling (563)355-0655 or visiting TheMuddyWaters.com.

DanceSpring Is in the AirAdler TheatreSaturday, April 12, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

The centerpiece of Ballet Quad Cities’ springtime presentation Spring Is in the

Air – being performed at Davenport’s Adler Theatre on April 12 – is the legendary Igor Stravinsky ballet The Rite of Spring, which had its world premiere in Paris just more than 100 years ago. If you know nothing about this ballet, or its original choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky, the title for Stravinsky’s opus may bring to mind warm breezes and butterflies and daffodils. Parisian audiences in 1913, however, would surely have disagreed.

“When it premiered, people were shocked and appalled by what they saw,” says Ballet Quad Cities Artistic Director Courtney Lyon, who is choreographing her company’s area-premiere take on Rite of Spring. “They expected to see what they were used to seeing in a ballet: tutus and pointe shoes and a narrative. And they expected to hear a certain kind of music. But this wild, pounding, shrieking music was so raw and disturbing to people’s ears, and the dancers wore these long tunics with long, heavy wigs and crazy makeup ... . There were actually riots in the theatre.”

Consequently, given the immediate reaction to Stravinsky’s and Nijinsky’s avant-garde experiment (subtitled “Pictures of Pagan Russia in Two Parts”), Lyon says, “There’s always been a fascination with this piece of music.” And she adds that the

process of creating new movement for the piece’s staging – which boasts live accompaniment by Orchestra Iowa – has been equally fascinating.

“It’s been a very collaborative process,” says Lyon. “When I started on this last year, I did a lot of research into rituals and customs – what it is that binds societies. Like birth. So on the first day in the studio with the dancers, I said, ‘Okay, everyone, get really close together, and get as close to the floor as you can.’ Because I had the image of the dancers coming from the earth – like being born from the floor, or blossoming from something.

“And it’s just kind of evolved from there,” she continues. “Because the music is so earthy and raw and natural, and this group of dancers has been working together since last September, they can kind of tell when one dancer will move and another has to follow ... . It’s kind of like a moving sculpture that’s being crafted. We’ve been discovering what shapes we could make, and then layering that on top of the music.

“I do, though, have the last five minutes left to choreograph,” says Lyon during our March 27 conversation, “and in most versions, that’s when the human sacrifice happens. So we’re still waiting to see what happens there.” She laughs. “It’s TBS. ‘To be sacrificed.’”

For tickets to the Adler’s 1:30 or 7:30 p.m. stagings of Spring Is in the Air – which, in addition to The Rite of Spring, will feature performances of choreographer Elie Lazar’s Tehilah – call (800)745-3000 or visit BalletQuadCities.com.

resonated with audiences through the generations. (Earnest has enjoyed nine Broadway productions to date, and was Tony-lauded as recently as 2011.) Its characters – from best friends and rival suitors Algeron Moncrieff and John Worthing to the stuffy governess Miss Prism – have become beloved cultural archetypes, and will be

embodied at St. Ambrose by such gifted performers as Jordan McGinnis, Chris Galván, Brooke Schelly, Becca Brazel, and Shannon Rourke.

And, of course, Wilde’s play is such a treasure trove of sensational dialogue that a listing of its most enjoyable lines could cover the What’s Happenin’ section five times over. In lieu of that, how about my listing just five of its best? To prep for St. Ambrose’s latest, try your hand at this quiz: Which one of the above is not a quote from The Importance of Being Earnest?

The Importance of Being Earnest plays at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday, and tickets are available by calling (563)333-6251 or visiting SAU.edu/galvin.

1) “All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does, and that is his.”

2) “I never change, except in my affections.”3) “If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up

for it by being always immensely over-educated.”4) “If you ask me, people rely too much on sex in

relationships anyway.”5) “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”6) “To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up.”

Answer: 4. That’s actually a line from a Golden Girls episode titled “The Impotence of Being Ernest.” Please don’t ask me how I know that.


call (563)468-7941 or e-mail [email protected].

Wednesday, April 9, through Friday, April 25 – Art Department Faculty Exhibition. Exhibit featuring the work of full-time faculty members Kathryn Anderson, Renee Meyer Ernst, Clea Felien, Joseph Lappie, and Kristin Quinn. St. Ambrose University’s Catich Gallery (2101 Gaines Street, Davenport). Mondays through Fridays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (563)333-6444 or visit SAU.edu/catich.

EVENTSFriday, April 4 – The Monuments

Men: Saving Europe’s Treasures. Art historian Jeff Mishur tells the story of the massive effort to save and repatriate stolen objects during and after World War II. Butterworth Center (1105 Eighth Street, Moline). 7 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (309)743-2701 or visit ButterworthCenter.com.

Friday, April 5 - CCKMA (Cancer Can Kiss My A**) Charity Event. Seventh-annual fundraiser featuring guests speakers Dr. David Bender and Dr. Michael Goodheart of the University of Iowa Gynecologic Oncology Department, plus raffle prizes, silent-auction items, a live auction, a 50/50 drawing, and more. Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (2021 State Street, Bettendorf ). 5-11 p.m. $25 advance tickets, ages 12 and under free. For information, visit CCKMA-qc.org.

Monday, April 7 – Magical Mystery Show. An evening with Las Vegas magicians Garry and Mihaela Carson, with all proceeds benefiting the outreach facility Lydia Home/Safe Families. Davenport Central High School’s Kahler Auditorium (1120 Main Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $10-12. For information and tickets, call (563)322-0382 or e-mail [email protected].

Friday, April 11 – Mad Scientist Ball. Event featuring a tour of the new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) center, science demonstrations, live and silent auctions, hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine, and a cash bar. Putnam Museum (1717 West 12th Street, Davenport). 7 p.m. $125. For information and tickets, call (563)324-1933 or visit Putnam.org.

call (309)341-7038 or visit NovaSingers.com.

Saturday, April 5 – Bedroom Shrine. Quad Cities band performs in support of its new record No Déjà Vu, with opening sets by Chrash and Skye Carrasco. Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m. $10 advance tickets, For information, call (309)793-4060 or visit RIBCO.com.

Saturday, April 5, and Sunday, April 6 – Quad City Symphony Orchestra. The final Masterworks concerts of the season, featuring mezzo-soprano Adriana Zabala and Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. Saturday: Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport), 7:30 p.m. Sunday: Augustana College’s Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island), 2 p.m. $10-55. For information and tickets, call (563)322-7276 or visit QCSymphony.com.

Friday, April 11 – Davina & the Vagabonds. Jazz, blues, and roots musicians in concert. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $10. For information and tickets, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org. For a 2013 interview with singer/pianist Davina Sowers, visit RCReader.com/y/davina.

Saturday, April 12 – Samantha Fish. Blues musician in concert, with an opening set by Marbin. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8:30 p.m. $10. For information and tickets, call (563)326-1333 or visit RiverMusicExperience.org.

Saturday, April 12 – Neil Sedaka. Chart-topping pop singer/songwriter in concert. Riverside Casino Event Center (3184 Highway 22, Riverside). 8 p.m. $42-62. For information and tickets, call (877)677-3456 or visit RiversideCasinoAndResort.com.

Sunday, April 13 – Big Daddy Weave. Contemporary Christian musicians in concert, with opening sets by Group 1 Crew and Tim Timmons. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 6:30 p.m. $17-32. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.

Sunday, April 13 – Iowa Blues Challenge: Preliminary Round. Concert event featuring 30-minute sets by Phineas J’s, The Harris Collection, The Mercury Brothers, and Concrete Slim & the Sidewalks. The Muddy Waters (1708 State Street, Bettendorf ). 6 p.m. $5-8. For

information, call (563)355-0655 or visit TheMuddyWaters.com.

Monday, April 14 – Clint Black. Multi-platinum-selling country musician in concert. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $45-70. For information and tickets, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.

THEATREFriday, April 4, through Saturday,

April 12 – Lear. The Prenzie Players’ reverse-gender take on Shakespeare’s King Lear, adapted and directed by J.C. Luxton. QC Theatre Workshop (1730 Wilkes Avenue, Davenport). Thursdays through Saturdays: 7:30 p.m. pre-show, 8 p.m. show. Sunday: 1:30 p.m. pre-show, 2 p.m. show. $10. For information and tickets, call (309)278-8426 or visit PrenziePlayers.com.

Friday, April 4, through Sunday, April 13 – The Lord of the Underworld’s Home for Unwed Mothers. A stage re-imagining of the Demeter and Persephone myths. Muscatine Community College’s Bob Roach Little Theatre (152 Colorado Street, Muscatine). Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. $3-5. For information, contact David Lane at (563)288-6037 or [email protected].

Wednesday, April 9 – Hair. The counterculture musical smash in a Broadway at the Adler presentation. (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $37-57. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.

Thursday, April 10, through Saturday, April 19 – Crossing Acheron: The Tragedy of Antigone. New adaptation of the Greek tragedy, directed and adapted by guest artist Laura Winton. Scott Community College Student Life Center (500 Belmont Road, Room 2400 through Door 5, Bettendorf ). Thursdays through Saturdays 7 p.m. $7 at the door. For information, e-mail Steve Flanigin at [email protected].

Thursday, April 10, through Saturday, April 19 – Slaughter City. Naomi Wallace’s poetic drama, directed by Meredith Alexander. University of Iowa’s David Thayer Theatre (200 North Riverside Drive, Iowa City). Wednesdays through Saturdays 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $10-17. For information and tickets, call (319)335-1160 or visit Theatre.UIowa.edu.

Friday, April 11, through Sunday, April 13 – Pippin. Stephen Schwartz’s

Tony Award-winning musical comedy, directed by Dino and Tina Hayz. The Center for Living Arts (2008 Fourth Avenue, Rock Island). Friday and Saturday 7 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $10. For information and tickets, call (563)340-7816 or visit CenterForLivingArts.com.

Saturday, April 12, through Saturday, May 10 – Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Family comedy based on Judy Blume’s children’s-book series, directed by Marc Ciemiewicz. Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). Scheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays through Saturdays at 10 a.m. and/or 1 p.m. $8.50. For information and tickets, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.

COMEDYThursday, April 3 – Southern Fried

Chicks. Comediennes perform in their “Cage Free Comedy Tour.” Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 7 p.m. $27.50-32.50. For information and tickets, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.

Sunday, April 13 – Miranda Sings. Touring performance with actress, singer, and comedienne Colleen Ballinger. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 7 p.m. $26-50. For information and tickets, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.

MOVIETuesday, April 8 – Mexico: The Bad,

the Great, & the Ugly. A screening in the World Adventure Series, presented by filmmaker Bill Behrenbruch. Putnam Museum (1717 West 12th Street, Davenport). 1, 4, and 7 p.m. $6.50-8.50. For information and tickets, call (563)324-1933 or visit Putnam.org.

VISUAL ARTSSaturday, April 5, through Sunday,

April 13 – Young Artists at the Figge: Bettendorf. Exhibit featuring the works of student artists. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sundays noon-5 p.m. Free with $4-7 museum admission. For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArt.org.

Tuesday, April 8, and Wednesday, April 9 – The Gallery of Giving. Two-day exhibition event displaying works by local artists submitted by, or partnered with, a local charity. Kaplan University (1801 East Kimberly Road, Davenport). 3-7 p.m. For information,

Continued From Page 13

What Else Is Happenin’


For all the details, go to jumerscasinohotel.com or visit the IMAGE Players Club.

Celebrate spring at jumer’s

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1–800–GAMBLER (1–800–426–2537).

I-280 and Hwy 92 • Exit 11-A, Rock Island, IL • 309-756-4600 • 800-477-7747 Open 7am-5am daily

F O R � Y O U R � E N J O Y M E N T , A L W A Y S � S M O K E � F R E E !

Sunday FundayG IVEAWAY !�

WIN UP TO $7,500 CASH!• DRAWINGS held on Sunday, April 13 and 27 at 2pm.• Earn entries all month long! • DEPOSIT YOUR ENTRIES from 10am-2pm on the drawing dates.

5 WINNERS WILL BE DRAWN.Each winner will spin the Sunday Funday wheel to determine which game will be played to win cash prizes. Games include: Punch Board, PLINKO, Jumbo Dice, ME & My Gang

EARN10X ENTRIES ON MONDAY APRIL 7, 14 & 21.

Say no more; this bu� et will feature carved Prime Rib, Lobster Tails, cheddar biscuits, baked potatoes, American Station, Asian Station, full salad and dessert bars.

ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT

Lobster Tail and Prime Rib Buffet!April 18, Good Friday, 11am-10pm

$��Save more based on your play

$19.99 with 50 earned points.


YOU KEEP THE POINTS!

Points must be earned on Friday, April 18.Print discount voucher from any IMAGE Rewards Kiosk.

Say no more; this bu� et will feature carved Prime Rib,

EASTER�BRUNCH�BUFFETSunday, April 20 | 9am-3pm Our Easter brunch bu� et is the perfect place to spend your holiday. This bu� et includes a Bloody Mary and Mimosa Bar and all of your favorite foods with these special menu items:

Desserts include Cheesecake, Cream Pies, Cookies, Gelato, Wa� es, Chocolate Tiramisu and Apple Pie.

Signature Spiced Roast Beef

Roasted Leg of Lamb

Crab Legs

Shrimp Cocktail

Honey Glazed Ham

Country Style Chicken and Dumplings

Made-To-Order Omelets and Eggs

Pancakes

Bacon

Country Sausage

Crepes

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River Cities’ Reader • Vol. 21 No. 853 • April 2-16, 201416

won’t explain them. Do the odd-shaped gears need to have the arrows aligned to work? Do they work with gears of other shapes?

“We want to really encourage exploration of learning,” Myles said. “We don’t want to give answers. We want to encourage them to find the answers. So we want [people] to see that there are arrows on the funny-shaped ones. Why are they there?”

The 10,000-square-foot center is divided into two basic sections – “How Things Work” and “Innovations” – and there are typically three or four interactive elements in each of 11 areas, such as “Simple Machines,” “Electricity,” “Light & Color,” “Aerospace,” “Robotics & Mechatronics,” “Engineering & Design,” and “Architecture & Structures.”

Connections among interactive elements are sometimes strongly implied. For example, the “Film & Music” area offers

Business • Politics • Arts • Culture • Now You Know • RiverCitiesReader.com

“You think of something as simple as a color wheel,” Myles said. “It actually turns out to be something pretty complex. We stand here as two grown adults needing to figure out how this mixing is actually occurring. That’s what we’re encouraging our visitors to do. ... This looks, at least to our eye, far more sophisticated than the kind of color wheel you might see at a center aimed at much younger children. It’s still a color wheel, it’s still going to be fun for my five-year-old, but the conversation level based on what’s happening here with the multiple levels is a lot more sophisticated ... .”

As with the lobby’s kinetic sculpture, the color wheel affords a glimpse into the thoughtfulness that has gone into the STEM center.

The museum was working with vendor Science Kinetics on the color wheel’s location, pushing it around on a dolly and trying to figure out just the right spot for it. Somebody complimented the piece, and the vendor replied: “It is phenomenal. You should see it in natural light.” And by showing it in the ample natural light leading to the Science Center, its resting place was decided.

“Not everything goes where you think it’s going to go,” Myles said. “Now it serves as another tease to the visitor, to keep driving people toward the museum.”

Of course, the large color wheel naturally lends itself to eight-year-old boys giving it a Wheel of Fortune or Price Is Right spin, but it’s made of steel and is engineered to have a 15-year lifespan, Myles said. The pieces in the STEM center will over time become worn, and many will certainly need regular maintenance or repair, but the things I saw were clearly tough and seemed designed for long lives.

“We try to take many of the exhibits ... down to their simplest, most-durable form so there’s little to no maintenance,” said Christopher Westhoff, design engineer and product engineer for Science Kinetics. “I know that whatever we as adults intend, we have to put our little-kid cap and go, ‘Well, what happens if I do this?’”

“That Higher Level of Engagement”

That question might be the most concise way to describe both the point of the STEM center and how it works. What happens if ... ?

There’s the durability aspect, for example with the Science Center’s impact gauge – which measures force in Newtons. The idea is to strike the pad with your hand to see how much force you can generate. Myles, however, has seen kids head-butt it. “I was

fully prepared to see somebody try to get up on this and use their body,” she said. “I wasn’t prepared for a young child to run up to it and go like this.”

Fortunately, she added, vendors anticipate this sort of misuse – including an adult testing the impact gauge with a pro-wrestling knee-drop: “The good thing is that this ... goes through quality control.”

While head-butts and knee-drops are discouraged, other “What happens if ... ?” play is strongly advised.

There’s the wave tube, which challenges visitors to combine volume and frequency to create a visible manifestation of a sound wave in foam balls.

The magnetic gear wall includes unusually shaped gears with arrows printed on them. The storyboarding on the feature will include hints about why the arrows are there, but it

COVER STORY

Fostering Failure – in a Good WayContinued from Page 7

three interrelated features: a stop-motion animation station; a track matrix in which visitors create music with pitches, chords, duration, and silence; and a video-editing station in which one can experience how sound affects and changes the mood and meaning of video.

A robotic-instruments station fuses the concepts behind the track matrix and Socibot’s “compose” screen, to cite another example.

Some elements are mostly demonstrations, such as the 230,000-volt Marx generator. “You are going to see, hear, and smell lightning,” Myles said.

Similarly, the flat infinity mirror gives the illusion of lights receding forever.

And the laser harp, while more interactive than those two, mostly shows how lasers can serve the function of strings on a musical instrument.

Other features will be familiar in some sense – although presented in an unusual way. A Newton’s cradle demonstrates the conservation of momentum and the conservation of energy, but at eight feet tall you won’t find this version on anybody’s desk. While other museums have large versions of this famous executive toy, Myles said this one is special because people can reach under it to pull back and release balls to see what happens. It’s distinguished by the combination of scale and touch.

The rocket launcher is also a variation on the common. Instead of launching by stomping on a plastic soda bottle, users turn a hand crank to increase the air pressure – which they can see on a PSI meter – before releasing the rocket. Beyond having a crank to accommodate people with disabilities, the station elevates a favorite play activity by connecting it directly to science.

Cub Scouts and people who have visited the Iowa Children’s Museum in Coralville will feel right at home at the Putnam’s Lego-racing feature, as kids are able to build cars and see whose is fastest. But aside from different components, there’s a key distinction that highlights what the Putnam is doing: At the Quad Cities museum, each track is timed.

Because the Putnam is geared toward older children, it needs to facilitate deeper learning, Myles said: “We’re a museum that’s family-friendly ... but we’re not a children’s museum. It’s incumbent upon us to be a little more challenging with content, because our age group is a little more sophisticated. ... We want to encourage that higher level of thinking, that higher level of engagement.”

So instead of merely racing against other people, you can race against yourself. “We want people to go back and have a look,” she

Pulley table


leaders fully understand. “Change may be a hallmark of our age everywhere,” Leach said. “But the Middle East itself is exceptionally unique,” in part because of deep religious divisions within countries. “One might say there’s a lot of change in Russia today, but it’s of a very different dimension than the change in the Middle East, which is incredibly profound and relates to very precise individual-country issues as well as inter- and intra-religious conflict, as well as democratic versus autocratic politics.”

Yet the United States can’t stand to the side. “I’m not an isolationist,” Leach said. “But I am skeptical of militaristic policies which are not rooted in a deep understanding of regions, and where the direct national interest of the United States is not ... in peril. That does not mean that one doesn’t use other means of engagement.”

The challenge, he said, is trying to figure out what will happen or might happen because of specific actions – whether they’re diplomatic, financial, or military. And to determine the costs and benefits of inaction. “We have an effect by refusing to engage,” Leach said. “It is really hard to measure in advance effects, especially when policymakers are not deeply rooted in the history and the culture of the region.”

Leach, who was born and grew up in Davenport, finished his 30-year career representing eastern Iowa in the U.S. House in 2007, after losing his seat to Dave Loebsack. (He was chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2009 to 2013, and he now serves as a visiting professor of law and a senior scholar at the University of Iowa.)

In Congress, Leach was not a GOP hawk. In 2002, he was one of six House Republicans to vote against authorizing force against Iraq.

In 1991, he had supported the first Gulf War – which he said successfully countered Saddam Hussein’s naked aggression against Kuwait.

But, he said, 11 years later “we were back in Iraq on a decision on our part, not based upon on act on their part.” Leach certainly deserves credit for his foresight, as he opposed the war before it was widely accepted that the premises for military action were untrue (the claimed involvement of Iraq in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks) or based on false information (the country’s biological- and nuclear-weapons programs). “We had an enormous intelligence failure

and a propaganda initiative that didn’t do us proud,” Leach said.

And while the U.S. might have found the Iraqi regime deplorable, he added: “There are many dictators in the world. We don’t attack them all.”

In response to nearly all my questions, Leach focused on military intervention. “I am one that is extremely doubtful that direct U.S. engagement in another war in the Middle East is likely to be constructive,” he said.

But, as he emphasized, military action is but one possible tool. Yet the United States hasn’t used other options well, either: “I personally think we’ve advanced policies that have, in the short term at least, proven to be counterproductive.” Leach didn’t provide examples, but the U.S. support of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq conflict – in the forms of financial aid, training, and weapons – stands out given the two wars that followed against Saddam Hussein’s regime.

I asked what recent diplomatic and financial/trade actions by the United States in the Middle East had increased stability or resulted in positive change. Leach’s answer was instructively cautious.

He noted that the U.S. had a minor role in the Libyan revolution, but “whether that’s going to prove to be productive or counterproductive, time will tell.”

He also cited brokering negotiations between Palestine and Israel. Earlier in our conversation, he said it was incumbent on the U.S. to “precipitate discussions that might have a chance to lead to some sort of modus vivendi that is more peaceful than currently exists.” But in response to this question, he said: “To date that record is disappointing and in some cases disappointing to the point of truly being tragic.”

I asked about Iran’s agreement to freeze aspects of its nuclear program in exchange for relaxed sanctions, and Leach was similarly circumspect: “It’s a step forward. Whether it’s simply one of [Iran] buying a little time or something more serious, we don’t know yet. I think these are the types of negotiations that ought to be pressed. Whether the result is as good as we’d want, no.”

Jim Leach will present his lecture on Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m. in St. Ambrose’s Christ the King Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information about St. Ambrose’s Middle East Institute, visit SAU.edu/mei.

Sparking Peace or Conflict?by jeff Ignatius

[email protected] Continued From Page 5by Jeff Ignatius

[email protected]

said. “What happened? Can I beat that time? Why did my car go faster? That’s open-ended learning, ... that there’s more than one right solution to these things. ... There are as many possibilities as there are people who try to build it.”

Other times, there’s only one way to make something work. Visitors, for instance, can construct a bridge of five wooden blocks held together by gravity. “It has no glue,” Myles said. “It has no nails, no anything. And yet I can get up here and walk on it.”

I asked whether stability was affected if the blocks weren’t perfectly aligned. Of course, Myles said that we should find out. “You have this implied cooperative activity, where it’s taking us both to get this right,” she said.

Most of these interactive exhibits lead to one or more key lessons of the Science Center.

First, that details matters in STEM. One small miscalculation can be the difference between success and failure – for example, with the bridge-building exercise. “You can’t have imperfection,” Myles said.

Second, getting the details right is a function of trial and error. “Engineering, architecture, these kinds of things are really built around failing 99 times to get it right the hundredth,” she said. “That’s a really difficult concept in a world where you turn it on and it works. That’s what makes this kind of experience really valuable. ... They have to learn it’s okay to fail.”

And, third, while imperfection can be disastrous, there are often many paths to perfection and many forms it can take – such as with the rockets and Lego cars.

You can boil those down to one essential concept: problem-solving.

“In many ways that’s a national crisis we have,” Myles said, “because we’re raising generations of kids who believe there’s only one right answer, that if they don’t know it, someone hasn’t told them yet, they haven’t gotten to that chapter in the book yet, as opposed to creating kids who are eager problem-solvers who understand the value of failure.”

“Show How Things Work”For its Science Center, the Putnam

employed five different vendors that specialize in science-based exhibits, with the majority of interactive elements created by Science Kinetics and Roto – both based in central Ohio. (Roto was also involved in the master-planning phase of the STEM center.)

In addition to hiring outside vendors, the Putnam also worked with local partners. Genesis Systems Group is donating a robotic arm with a 3D-printed hand, for example. Another local company,

Cobham Life Support Systems, created the thermodynamics exhibit.

And other local organizations have been engaged to round out features, for example providing information on specific STEM careers. While a planned outdoor water feature – which was delayed until summer because of the harsh winter – will likely be engineered by Science Kinetics, the Army Corps of Engineers and a local plumbers-and-pipefitters union will consult on career and skill information. The laser fog station is sponsored by Shive-Hattery, which Myles said is “using laser technology right now to create 3D point clouds in their surveying.”

The Putnam staff – specifically Exhibits Manager Shaun Graves – has also built or will be building other interactive features, such as the Bernoulli blower that was part of the Spark Lab.

“It’s not someone else’s idea about what our museum patrons want or what the community wants,” he said. “It’s talking with visitors coming through, seeing how they play with things and break things, and what we can do to make it better the next time.” (Graves could serve as the poster child for the STEM center. “I just built a lot of things and made a lot of mistakes ... ,” he said. “The hands-on, the learn-as-you-do-it type of thing.”)

Community partnerships and in-house capacity have been a key factor in keeping the cost of the Science Center down.

They have also allowed the Putnam to target exhibits and informational panels not just to careers generally but to local companies that offer them; there’s a concrete connection between the science and jobs.

But all the noble goals will amount to nothing if the Science Center isn’t fun, or if it doesn’t beg for patrons to return time and time again. It is fun, and I can’t imagine anybody exhausting its potential in a single visit – a result of the volume of activities, their replay value, and the attention to detail in the interactive features.

Those touches aren’t always obvious. Science Kinetics’ Westhoff, for example, was showing me the pulley table and pointed to the clear case underneath.

The motor, it turns out, uses magnetic fields that act as teeth to turn the wheel – meaning that there’s no physical connection between the motor and what it’s turning. He demonstrated by grabbing the wheel on top of the table. “When I grab this, it doesn’t pinch” somebody’s finger, he explained. “That’s something I added in there as a safety feature.”

This has little to do with the principle on display, but it’s a fascinating detail nonetheless – and a demonstration of the little things that distinguish the Putnam’s Science Center.

“You put it in a clear case and show how things work, it’s always interesting,” he said.


their partner doesn’t respect them, they tend to take one of two paths: chasing that person’s approval or retiring from seeking it.

Still, in the moments you aren’t running after your boyfriend with a wheelbarrow and a broom, you love the guy and he loves you, and you seem to have something together. You do need to repair the hard feelings between you, starting by admitting that you were both expecting the impossible in trying to live together. Next, pledge to discuss things that bother each of you instead of silently seething about them – for, oh, eight years. And yes, probably the best way for you to stay together is to live apart. After years of living together, it’s easy to see this as a failure. It’s actually anything but. You’re just making your relationship love-centered by removing all the subjects that cause perpetual disagreement – like why anyone would waste time cleaning until whatever’s growing on the coffee table starts hissing at you when you reach for the remote.

Better Sherlock Holmes and Gardens

I had to leave town when prospective buyers were coming to see a used water pump I was selling. My wonderful wife cheerfully agreed to sell it for me. I showed her exactly the parts that went with it. A guy bought the pump, but I saw that an extra box of parts, worth about $100, was also gone. Do I ask my wife where it went? Can I forgive her without an apology?

– Annoyed

Prepare to get laughed out of marriage counseling after you grumble to the therapist that what’s missing from your marriage is $100 worth of junk from the garage. Tempting as it must be to spend the weekend waterboarding your wife for answers, a wiser approach when somebody tries to do something nice for you is to reward their intentions, even when the outcome is less than ideal. Your wife’s intention – to help you by standing in for you – tells you she’s a loving partner. The outcome – an extra box of parts apparently growing legs and sneaking off into the buyer’s car – tells you she may not be the shrewdest salesperson and maybe takes too kindly a view of human nature. Sadly, all relationships come with trade-offs. You have a decision to make: whether to settle for cheery wonderfulness or dump your wife for a woman who can help you open a used-car lot or get rich swindling the elderly by telephone.

Got A Problem? Ask Amy Alkon.171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405

or e-mail [email protected] (AdviceGoddess.com)©2014, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved.

Askthe Advice GoddessBY AMY ALKON

The Fastidious and the Furious

My boyfriend of nine years is extremely messy, while I prefer things tidy and clean. Cajoling, asking, and flat-out begging him for consideration and help on this hasn’t worked, nor have tactics like establishing certain areas for clutter. He contends I’m too picky about how he cleans. He says this started when we moved in together, eight years ago, and I rewashed dishes he’d washed. He says he then stopped trying to do much cleaning up and hoped I’d tire of doing everything myself and learn a lesson. I was shocked and hurt by this attitude, especially since he’s otherwise a good and loving man who does many sweet things for me. Neither of us wants kids, and I love him dearly, so I’m contemplating something you’ve written about: being in a relationship but living separately. Could this possibly work after living together for so long?

– Worried

You just have different styles of mess management. You can’t sleep if there’s an unwashed glass in the sink. He likes to let housecleaning wait until it’s a toss-up between tidying the place and trying to get away with arson.

Animals get it. The bunny does not shack up with the thing that tears small furry creatures apart with its teeth. And here we humans are, all top-of-the-food-chain snobby about our ability to reason. Yet no sooner do we fall in love than we start looking to sign a lease together, bright and optimistic about the dreamy home life the neat freak will have with the guy whose idea of housecleaning is picking up a three-year-old magazine off the floor so he’ll have a “plate” for his pizza.

Because you happen to care about what we generally value – order over chaos – you made the assumption that a devotion to neat-itude is The One True Path and should be as important to him as it is to you. It just isn’t. (Chances are he doesn’t even notice the messes.) Your distress at his passive-aggressive withdrawing of effort is understandable – as is his feeling that if he can’t tidy up right, why bother tidying up at all? The thing is: People will often support their partner in goals they find meaningless or even dopey, but not when their ego is under attack – verbally or in the form of dish-rewashing. When a person realizes

Americans will experience a different result than the status quo is absolutely delusional. We have decades of evidence to the contrary. It simply doesn’t matter who is in office, who controls the purse strings, or who controls the various chambers or the administration. Growth of government, even at the cost of blood and treasure, is the prime directive.

Americans have run out of excuses for rewarding such corrosive anti-American behavior. Continuing to repeat the same mistakes at the polls is just sad. The two-party political system is a con, and voters know it. It is time to use the power of our votes to invoke our own term limits by excising incumbents in favor of opposing candidates, regardless of party, who at least have a chance to make a difference.

There are two elections coming up in 2014 – an Iowa primary in June and a general election in November. At a minimum, especially on the federal level, every single incumbent needs to be voted out. Consequences are the only way that our leaders will begin to stand against the status quo and make freedom and civil society the new norm.


were killed in ‘almost a year’ was false.” (See RCReader.com/y/bil3.)

Whether you support or object to drone strikes by our government, your silence condones the largely indiscriminate program, making you every bit an accessory.

As Americans, we each have far greater responsibility for the actions of our government because our form of government is a republic of laws with a representative democracy. Those who continue to blindly vote in incumbents, predominantly based on falsely perceived differences in party affiliations, are electing leaders who endorse drone strikes with continued funding for this reckless program of mass murder. Re-electing incumbents based solely on party affiliation allows them to operate with impunity, with no consequences criminal or political. Therein lies the greatest con in modern times.

Whether Democrat or Republican, the legislators and bureaucrats directly responsible for crimes against humanity are shielded by one another. To continue believing that, by voting for an incumbent Democrat over a Republican or an incumbent Republican over a Democrat,

Does Our Silence Make Us Accessories To the Bad Acts of Government?

by Kathleen [email protected]

WORDS FROM THE EDITOR


a tiger prowls. You’re protected by the cage, so the tiger can’t hurt you. On the other hand, you’re trapped. In the second stage, the tiger is inside the cage and you roam freely through the forest. The beautiful animal is trapped. In the third stage, the tiger is out of the cage and you have tamed it. It’s your ally and you are riding around on its back. I believe this sequence has resemblances to the story you’ll be living in the coming months. Right now you’re inside the cage and the tiger is outside. By mid-May the tiger will be in the cage and you’ll be outside. By your birthday, I expect you to be riding the tiger.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): What is “soul work,” anyway? It’s like when you make an unpredictable gift for

someone you love. Or when you bravely identify one of your unripe qualities and resolve to use all your willpower and ingenuity to ripen it. Soul work is when you wade into a party full of rowdy drunks and put your meditation skills to the acid test. It’s like when you teach yourself not merely to tolerate smoldering ambiguity, but to be amused by it and even thrive on it. Can you think of other examples? It’s Soul Work Week for you.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): Are you close to anyone who is

a catalytic listener? Is there a person who tunes in to what you say with such fervent receptivity that you get inspired to reveal truths you didn’t realize you knew? If so, invite this superstar out to a free lunch or two in the coming days. If not, see if you can find one. Of course, it is always a blessing to have a heart-to-heart talk with a soul friend, but it is even more crucial than usual for you to treat yourself to this luxury now. Hints of lost magic are near the surface of your awareness. They’re still unconscious, but could emerge into full view during provocative conversations with an empathetic ally.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): On my blog, I quoted author Ray Bradbury: “You must stay drunk on

writing so reality cannot destroy you.” I asked my readers what word they would use in place of “writing” to describe how they avoided being destroyed by reality. Popular responses were love, music, whiskey, prayer, dreams, gratitude, and yoga. One woman testified that she stayed drunk on sexting, while another said “collecting gargoyles from medieval cathedrals,” and a third claimed her secret was “jumping over hurdles while riding a horse.” There was even a rebel who declared she stayed drunk on writing so she could destroy reality. My question is important for you to meditate on, Scorpio. Right now you must do whatever’s necessary to keep from being messed with by reality.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): Does your mother know what you are up to these days?

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny's EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES

& DAILY TEXT MESSAGE HOROSCOPESThe audio horoscopes are also available by phone at

1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY by Rob BrezsnyARIES (March 21-April 19): In his novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera says that the brain has

“a special area which we might call poetic memory and which records everything that charms or touches us, that makes our lives beautiful.” In the coming days, it will be especially important for you to tap into this power spot in your own gray matter, Aries. You need to activate and stir up the feelings of enchantment that are stored there. Doing so will make you fully alert and available for the new delights that will be swirling in your vicinity. The operative principle is like attracts like.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Our ancestors could see the Milky Way Galaxy spread out across the heavens on every

clear night. Galileo said it was so bright, it cast a shadow of his body on the ground. But today that glorious spectacle is invisible to us city-dwellers. The sky after sundown is polluted with artificial light that hides 90 percent of the 2,000 stars we might otherwise see. If you want to bask in the natural illumination, you’ve got to travel to a remote area where the darkness is deeper. Let’s make that your metaphor, Taurus. Proceed on the hypothesis that a luminous source of beauty is concealed from you. To become aware of it, you must seek out a more profound darkness.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Dear Gemini: I don’t demand your total attention and I don’t need your

unconditional approval. I will never restrict your freedom or push you to explain yourself. All I truly want to do is to warm myself in the glow of your intelligence. Can you accept that? I have this theory that your sparkle is contagious – that I’ll get smarter about how to live my own life if I can simply be in your presence. What do you say? In return, I promise to deepen your appreciation for yourself and show you secrets about how best to wield your influence. – Your Secret Admirer.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Cancerian artist Rembrandt became one of the world’s greatest painters. It

was a struggle. “I can’t paint the way they want me to paint,” he said about those who questioned his innovative approach. “I have tried and I have tried very hard, but I can’t do it. I just can’t do it!” We should be glad the master failed to meet his critics’ expectations. His work’s unique beauty didn’t get watered down. But there was a price to pay. “That is why I am just a little crazy,” Rembrandt concluded. Here’s the moral of the story: To be true to your vision and faithful to your purpose, you may have to deal with being a little crazy. Are you willing to make that trade-off?

LEO (July 23-August 22): The Indian spiritual teacher Nisargadatta Maharaj offered a three-stage fable to symbolize

one’s progression toward enlightenment. In the first stage, you are inside a cage located in a forest where

Let’s hope not. I doubt if she would fully approve, and that might inhibit your enthusiasm for the experiments you are exploring. It’s probably best to keep your father out of the loop as well, along with other honchos, cynics, or loved ones who might be upset if you wander outside of your usual boundaries. And as for those clucking voices in your head: Give them milk and cookies, but don’t pay attention to their cautious advice. You need to be free of the past, free of fearful influences, and free of the self you’re in the process of outgrowing.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): For the foreseeable future, I urge you not to spend much time

wrangling with bureaucrats and know-it-alls. Avoid frustrating projects that would require meticulous discipline. Don’t even think about catching up on paperwork or organizing your junk drawer or planning the next five years of your career. Instead, focus on taking long meandering walks to nowhere in particular. Daydream about an epic movie based on your life story. Flirt with being a lazy bum. Play noncompetitive games with unambitious people. Here’s why: Good ideas and wise decisions are most likely to percolate as you are lounging around doing nothing – and feeling no guilt for doing nothing.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Are you waiting? Are you wondering and hoping? Are you

calculating whether you are needed, and if so, how much? Do you wish the signs were clearer about how deeply you should commit yourself? Are you on edge as you try to gauge what your exact role is in the grand scheme of things? I’m here to deliver a message from the universe about how you should proceed. It’s a poem by Emily Dickinson: “They might not need me but – they might – / I’ll let my Heart be just in sight – / A smile so small as mine might be / Precisely their necessity.”

PISCES (February 19-March 20): You will soon get a second chance. An opportunity you failed to capitalize on in

the past will re-emerge in an even more welcoming guise, and you will snag it this time. You weren’t ready for it the first time it came around, but you are ready now! It’s probably a good thing the connection didn’t happen earlier, because at that time the magic wasn’t fully ripe. But the magic is ripe now! Homework: Choose one area of your life where you’re going to stop pretending. Report results to FreeWillAstrology.com.


March 20 Answers: Pg 5ENOUGH ALREADY · April 3, 2014

ACROSS1. Slippery __4. __ __ crow flies9. Hebrew letter13. Cold and price17. Bargain type18. Diving duck19. King in Germanic legend20. Palin or Ferguson21. Start of a quip by Earl Wilson: 4 wds.24. Neo-pagan faith25. Ruddy26. Lover of Psyche27. Sistine Chapel figure28. Fastened29. Turncoat’s crime31. Kind of heel33. Lusterless34. Wrack and __35. French artist36. Egyptian god: Var.37. An explosive40. Stomach: Prefix42. Part 2 of quip: 4 wds.45. Repeat46. Grades48. Item for a fencer49. Monumental50. “What Kind of Fool __ __?”51. Fig genus52. Any dog or fox54. Bottle55. Supplants57. “Kung Fu __”58. Lassie anagram59. Gen. Bradley60. Part 3 of quip: 2 wds.61. Soil: Prefix62. Trowel relative65. Censure66. Of silver70. Valentine figure71. Mat72. Physique73. Kind of ideal74. Word said in unison75. Swiss canton76. Residence type, for short

77. Rights gp.78. Part 4 of quip: 3 wds.82. Hybrid84. Sleeve85. Sagan or Sandburg86. Attempts87. __ vital88. Really dumb90. Packs91. Plant’s response to stimulus94. False report96. Post97. Jacob’s wife98. Homophone for sea99. Rumor: Hyph.100. End of the quip: 3 wds.104. Madden or Martin105. A bone106. Answering machine button107. Fleming and others108. Secrete109. Refection110. Challenged111. Kind of evidenceDOWN1. Eel2. Command3. Apple product4. Inconceivably large5. Descendent6. New Mexico town7. Old nomadic Asian8. Start for center9. Numbers to crunch: 2 wds.10. “ __ Frome”11. Criticize12. SRO show13. Middle14. Perfect, as a specimen15. Contest16. Roe source17. Disunite20. Swaddle22. Race of Norse gods23. Rigid shoe28. Turner’s machine30. __ -da-fe31. __ tour32. Extinct wild ox

33. Made kitten cries35. Miley or Billy Ray36. Reddish brown38. Hubbub39. Eats (with “away”)40. Appurtenances41. Summit43. Japanese martial art44. Wrestling hold47. Maple genus51. Known far and wide52. Kind of corn53. English queen54. Set off56. Part of TLC57. Scuttle58. Clustered together60. Narrow opening61. Saharan62. La __ opera house63. Indulge64. Receptive, in a way65. Reef material66. Relatives67. Help desk employee68. Snow hut: Var.69. Notable success71. Raison __72. Arks75. Label76. Blue-tongued dog77. PDQ relative79. Old-fashioned card game80. Of summer81. Undiminished83. Word at coming or going89. Artless90. Day spa offering91. Tight92. Medicinal plant93. Memory units, for short94. Blackjack95. Opposer96. Double agent97. King in a tragedy100. So tasty!101. Pallet102. Baseball stat.103. Rib


Live Music Live Music Live Music Email all listings to [email protected] • Deadline 5 p.m. Thursday before publication

Live Lunch w/ Brian Marceau (noon) - River Prairie Minstrels (6pm) -RME Community Stage, 131 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

North of 40 -Mulligan’s Valley Pub, 310 W 1st Ave Coal Valley, IL

Paul Cary & the Scarys - Samuel Locke Ward & the Garbage Boys - Brooks Strause & the Gory De-tails -Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA

Pierced Productions Karaoke & DJ featuring Leigh Timbrook -The Old Stardust Sports Bar, 1191 19th Street Moline, IL

Quad City Symphony Orchestra: Masterworks VI -Adler Theatre, 136 E. 3rd St. Davenport, IA

Redrick Sultan -Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Smooth Groove -Poopy’s Pub & Grub, 1030 Viaduct Rd Savanna, IL

Southern Thunder Karaoke -Hol-lar’s Bar and Grill, 4050 27th St Moline, IL

Wild Oatz -The Rusty Nail, 2606 W Locust Davenport, IA

William Elliott Whitmore - The Pines -Englert Theatre, 221 East Washing-ton St. Iowa City, IA

2014/04/06 (Sun)

ABC Karaoke -11th Street Precinct, 2108 E 11th St Davenport, IA

Bettendorf Park Band Spring Con-cert (3pm) -Herber t Goettsch Community Center, 2204 Grant St. Bettendorf, IA

Damon Fowler (6pm) -The Muddy Waters, 1708 State St. Betten-dorf, IA

Glimpse Trio -Gabe’s, 330 E. Washing-ton St. Iowa City, IA

2014/04/03 (Thu)

Boots & Bikinis Rodeo -The Rusty Nail, 2606 W Locust Davenport, IA

C.J. the D.J. -RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Chuck Murphy -Crow Valley Country Club, 4315 E. 60th St. , Daven-port, IA

Danika Holmes -Barrel House 211, 211 E. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

Dessa - Toki Wright - Ion -Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA

Double Dz Karaoke -P urgatory’s Pub, 2104 State St Bettendorf, IA

Jam Sessions w/ John O’Meara & Friends -The Muddy Waters, 1708 State St. Bettendorf, IA

Jordan Danielsen -Harrington’s Pub, 2321 Cumberland Dr Bettendorf, IA

Live Lunch with Remember When w/ Terry Stone (noon) -RME (River Music Experience), 131 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

Mission: Deep - bTsunami - Giant Questionmark - Drumai -Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St Iowa City, IA

Open Mic Night -The Quarry, 2202 W. 3rd St. Davenport, IA

Open Mic Night w/ Rob Dahms -Rustic Ridge Golf Course Grille & Pub, 1151 East Iowa St. Eldridge, IA

Open Stage Night -Theo’s Java Club, 213 17th St. Rock Island, IL

Philip Glass -Englert Theatre, 221 East Washington St. Iowa City, IA

S. Carey - Golden Birds - Jack Lion - Skye Carrasco -The Mill, 120 E Burlington Iowa City, IA

Stardust Talent Night -The Old Star-dust Sports Bar, 1191 19th Street Moline, IL

Manny Lopez Trio (10:30am) -Radis-son Quad City Plaza Hotel, 421 W. River Dr. Davenport, IA

Quad City Flute Association Flute Festival: Dazzling Duets & More (5:30pm) -Fi rst Presbyter ian Church of Davenport, 1702 Iowa St. Davenport, IA

Quad City Symphony Orchestra: Masterworks VI (2pm) -Centen-nial Hall, Augustana College, 3703 7th Ave. Rock Island, IL

Red Molly - Jake Armerding -CSPS/Legion Arts, 1103 3rd St SE Cedar Rapids, IA

Sunday Jazz Brunch (10:30am & 12:30pm) -Bix Bistro, 200 E. 3rd St. Davenport, IA

Sunday Live Jazz (10:30am) -Brady Street Chop House, Radisson QC Plaza Hotel, 111 E. 2nd St. Dav-enport, IA

Vegas Karaoke Contest -The Rusty Nail, 2606 W Locust Davenport, IA

2014/04/07 (Mon)

ABC Karaoke -The Muddy Waters, 1708 State St. Bettendorf, IA

Open Mic w/ J. Knight -The Mill, 120 E Burlington Iowa City, IA

The O’s -Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA

2014/04/08 (Tue)

ABC Karaoke -Creekside Bar and Grill, 3303 Brady St. Davenport, IA


ABC Karaoke -The Rusty Nail, 2606 W Locust Davenport, IA

The Atlantis Dialogue - Molehill - As Big as a Mouse -The Redstone Room, 129 Main St Davenport, IA

The Head & the Heart -Englert Theatre, 221 East Washington St. Iowa City, IA

Those Poor Bastards - The Blind Stag-gers - Pork’s A$$ Pig -RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Vagabond Entertainment presents Kooby ’s Karaoke -Bier Stube LeClaire, 1001 Canal Shore Dr. LeClaire, IA

Weekend - Fake Your Own Death - Common Loon -Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St Iowa City, IA

2014/04/05 (Sat)


Bedroom Shrine - Chrash - Skye Carrasco -RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Chuck Murphy -Daiquiri Factory, 1809 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Cody Road -Circle Tap, 1345 Locust St. Davenport, IA

2014/04/04 (Fri)!!! - Caroline Smith - Trouble Lights

-Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA

ABC Karaoke -Circle Tap, 1345 Locust St. Davenport, IA


ABC Karaoke -Moose Lodge - Dav-enpor t, 2333 Rock ingham Rd Davenport, IA

Central Standard Time (5:30pm) - Wild Oatz (8pm) -The Rusty Nail, 2606 W Locust Davenport, IA

Chuck Murphy -McManus Pub, 1401 7th Ave Moline, IL

Cross Creek Karaoke -Stickman’s, 1510 N. Harrison St. Davenport, IA

Doug Brundies Big Acoustic Show -Rhythm City Casino, 101 W. River Dr. Davenport, IA

Funktastic Five -On the Rock Grille & Bar, 4619 34th St Rock Island, IL

Jerry Beauchamp -Walcott Coliseum, 116 E Bryant St Walcott, IA

Kishi Bashi - Nat Baldwin - The Lonelyhearts -The Mill, 120 E Burlington Iowa City, IA

North of 40 -Mulligan’s Valley Pub, 310 W 1st Ave Coal Valley, IL

Open Mic Night (6pm) -River Valley District Library, 214 S. Main St. Port Byron, IL



Tangent! -The Muddy Waters, 1708 State St. Bettendorf, IA

Cosmic -11th Street Precinct, 2108 E 11th St Davenport, IA

DJ Entertainment -Barrel House 211, 211 E. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

Doug Brundies Big Acoustic Show -Rhythm City Casino, 101 W. River Dr. Davenport, IA

Downtown Rockin’ Daddy’s -The Muddy Waters, 1708 State St. Bet-tendorf, IA

Fanad -Uptown Bill’s Coffee House, 730 S. Dubuque St. Iowa City, IA

Fruition - Muckrockers -Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St Iowa City, IA

Hap Hazard -On the Rock Grille & Bar, 4619 34th St Rock Island, IL

Joe Tingle’s DJ Entertainment -Bar-rel House Moline, 1321 5th Ave. Moline, IL

Karaoke Night -Boozie’s Bar & Grill, 114 1/2 W. 3rd St. Davenport, IA

Lefwitch - Escape the Grind -Rascals Live, 1418 15th St. Moline, IL

The Atlantis Dialogue @ The Redstone Room – April 4

30 5SATURDAY

004FRIDAY

6SUNDAY


003THURSDAY

Palm Sunday – April 13, 3 p.m.St. Paul Lutheran Church2136 Brady Street, Davenport

The Handel Oratorio Society Augustana Symphony Orchestra Quad City Choral ArtsJon Hurty, conductorTimothy Stalter, EvangelistEmily Truckenbrod, sopranoRebecca Ringle, mezzo-sopranoEric Ashcraft, tenorHoward Eckdahl, baritone Saul Nache, baritone

Tickets:$20 general public, $16 senior citizens, $10 students and Augustana faculty/staff

Tickets may be purchased at augustana.edu/tickets, or by calling (309) 794-7306.

A limited number of free tickets are available to Quad-Cities area junior high and high school students and their families, thanks to a generous grant from the Meredith Foundation.

7MONDAY

8TUESDAY



Sones de México -Englert Theatre, 221 East Washington St. Iowa City, IA


Subliminal Chaos -Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA

The Cur tis Hawk ins Band -The Muddy Waters, 1708 State St. Bet-tendorf, IA

The Manny Lopez Big Band (6pm) -The Circa ‘21 Speakeasy, 1818 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Top Notchmen -Walcott Coliseum, 116 E Bryant St Walcott, IA


WAWA (11:30am) -Black Hawk Col-lege - Quad City Campus, 6600 34th Ave. Moline, IL

Wild Oatz -Hero’s Pub, 3811 N. Har-rison St. Davenport, IA

2014/04/12 (Sat)


Archimedes Death Ray - Left 4 Dead - Escape Your Prism -RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Chuck Murphy -Belly up, 304 10th Ave., Orion, IL

Cosmic -Daiquiri Factory, 1809 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Divebomb -Rascals Live, 1418 15th St. Moline, IL

DJ Entertainment -Barrel House 211, 211 E. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

Doug Brundies Big Acoustic Show -The Dam View Inn, 410 2nd St Davenport, IA

Good Graeff -Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Jimkata -Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA

Open Jam Session -Brady Street Pub, 217 Brady St. Davenport, IA

Open Mic Night (6:30pm) -Cool Beanz Coffeehouse, 1325 30th St. Rock Island, IL

Open Mic Nite w/ Alan Sweet -Van’s Pizza, Pub, & Grill, 3333 Harrison St. Davenport, IA

O p e n M i c w / Co rey Wa l l a ce & Friends -11th Street Precinct, 2108 E 11th St Davenport, IA

2014/04/09 (Wed)



Acoustic Jam Night w/ Steve McFate -McManus Pub, 1401 7th Ave Moline, IL

Acoustic Open Mic Night (6:30pm) -RME Community Stage, 131 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

Burlington Street Bluegrass Band -The Mill, 120 E Burlington Iowa City, IA

Cross Creek Karaoke -Hero’s Pub, 3811 N. Harrison St. Davenport, IA

Jam Session w/ Ben Soltau -Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St Iowa City, IA

Karaoke Night -RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Kenny Paulsen Quartet (6pm) - Ve-gas Karaoke Contest (9:30pm) -The Rusty Nail, 2606 W Locust Davenport, IA

Enabler - Northless - Relentless Approach - DIAMONDZ R 4EVA - The Easy Mark -Bier Stube Moline Blackhawk Room, 417 15th St. Moline, IL

Euforquestra Album Release Party - Family Groove Company -Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA

Greg & Rich Acoustic Duo -Jim’s Knoxville Tap, 8716 Knoxville Rd. Milan, IL

Jason Carl & the Whole Damn Band -Purgatory’s Pub, 2104 State St Bettendorf, IA

Joe Tingle’s DJ Entertainment -Bar-rel House Moline, 1321 5th Ave. Moline, IL

Jordan Danielsen & Jef Spradley -Big Shots, 419 15th St. Moline, IL

Karaoke Night -Boozie’s Bar & Grill, 114 1/2 W. 3rd St. Davenport, IA

Lynn Allen -On the Rock Grille & Bar, 4619 34th St Rock Island, IL

Neil Sedaka -Riverside Casino Event Center, 3184 Highway 22 River-side, IA

North of 40 -Wildwood Smokehouse & Saloon, 4919 B Walleye Dr Iowa City, IA


Samantha Fish - Marbin -The Red-stone Room, 129 Main St Dav-enport, IA

Songwriter’s All-Original Open Mic (3pm) -RME Community Stage, 131 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA


The Harris Collection -The Muddy Waters, 1708 State St. Betten-dorf, IA

2014/04/11 (Fri)

10 of Soul -RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Aaron Kamm & the One Drops - Mighty Shady -Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St Iowa City, IA




April Verch Band -CSPS/Legion Arts, 1103 3rd St SE Cedar Rapids, IA

Caught in the Act -Best Western Steeplegate Inn, 100 W. 76th St. Davenport, IA

Chuck Murphy -Big Shots, 419 15th St., Moline, IL

Cross Creek Karaoke -It ’s on the River, 201 N. Main St. Port Byron, IL


New Madrid -Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Open Mic Night w/ Karl Beatty & Mike Miller -Boozie’s Bar & Grill, 114 1/2 W. 3rd St. Davenport, IA

Sweaters - Las Gruff - The PBJs -Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA

The Chris & Wes Show -Mound Street Landing, 1029 Mound St. Davenport, IA

The Harris Collection Open Jam Ses-sion -Brady Street Pub, 217 Brady St. Davenport, IA

2014/04/10 (Thu)


C.J. the D.J. -RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Chuck Murphy -It’s on the River, 201 N. Main St. Port Byron, IL

Double Dz Karaoke -Purgatory’s Pub, 2104 State St Bettendorf, IA


Jordan Danielsen -11th Street Pre-cinct, 2108 E 11th St Davenport, IA

Looking for Astronauts -Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL





Davina & the Vagabonds -The Red-stone Room, 129 Main St Dav-enport, IA

Doug Brundies Big Acoustic Show -Missippi Brew, River Dr Muscatine, IA

E11eventh Hour -Hook’s Pub, 318 N. 4th St. Clinton, IA

Jaiguru -Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Just Chords -Barrel House Moline, 1321 5th Ave. Moline, IL

Live Lunch w/ Ellis Kell (noon) - Mike Cochrane (7pm) -RME Community Stage, 131 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

Midnite Riders (5:30pm) - North of 40 (8:30pm) -The Rusty Nail, 2606 W Locust Davenport, IA

My God, the Heat - AsBigAsAMouse -Rascals Live, 1418 15th St. Mo-line, IL


Smooth Groove -On the Rock Grille & Bar, 4619 34th St Rock Island, IL

Looking for Astronauts @ Rozz-Tox – April 1010THURSDAY


30 12SATURDAY

0011FRIDAY9WEDNESDAY



Dan Dimonte & the Bad Assettes CD Release Party - Weathered Heads -Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St Iowa City, IA

Dosh -Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Doug Brundies Big Acoustic Show -The Smoking Dog Pub, 1800 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Good Friday Blues w/ the Winter Blues All-Stars -Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 121 W. 12th St. Dav-enport, IA

Jazz After Five w/ OddBar (5pm) -The Mill, 120 E Burlington Iowa City, IA

Kip Winger -Rascals Live, 1418 15th St. Moline, IL

Live Lunch w/ Curtis Hawkins & Nic Clark (noon) -RME Community Stage, 131 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

Mason Jennings -The Redstone Room, 129 Main St Davenport, IA

North of 40 -On the Rock Grille & Bar, 4619 34th St Rock Island, IL


Ricky Nelson Remembered -Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Cen-ter, 2021 State St. Bettendorf, IA

River City Radio Hour (5:30pm) -Moline Commercial Club, 513b 16th St Moline, IL


The Horde - Omens - Disintegra-tor -RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL


Vegas Karaoke Contest -The Rusty Nail, 2606 W Locust Davenport, IA

2014/04/14 (Mon)


Clint Black -Englert Theatre, 221 East Washington St. Iowa City, IA

Open Mic w/ J. Knight -The Mill, 120 E Burlington Iowa City, IA

2014/04/15 (Tue)




Darrin Bradbur y - The DuPont Brothers -Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Open Jam Session -Brady Street Pub, 217 Brady St. Davenport, IA

Open Mic Night (6:30pm) -Cool Beanz Coffeehouse, 1325 30th St. Rock Island, IL

Open Mic Nite w/ Alan Sweet -Van’s Pizza, Pub, & Grill, 3333 Harrison St. Davenport, IA

O p e n M i c w / Co rey Wa l l a ce & Friends -11th Street Precinct, 2108 E 11th St Davenport, IA

Quad City Kix Band -RME Community Stage, 131 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

2014/04/16 (Wed)



Acoustic Jam Night w/ Steve McFate -McManus Pub, 1401 7th Ave Moline, IL

Jon Wayne & the Pain -Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St Iowa City, IA

Jordan Danielsen w/ Jef Spradley -The Rusty Nail, 2606 W Locust Davenport, IA





The Janice Ian Experience -The Mill, 120 E Burlington Iowa City, IA

2014/04/18 (Fri)




Acoustic Cage Match -Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA

Bucktown Revue -Nighswander Ju-nior Theatre, 2822 Eastern Avenue Davenport, IA

Caught in the Act -11th Street Pre-cinct, 2108 E 11th St Davenport, IA

Country Dance with the Paul Avers Band -Col Ballroom, 1012 W. 4th St. Davenport, IA


Curtis Hawkins & Nic Clark -The Muddy Waters, 1708 State St. Bet-tendorf, IA

The Harris Collection Open Jam Ses-sion -Brady Street Pub, 217 Brady St. Davenport, IA

2014/04/17 (Thu)


Curtis Hawkins & Nic Clark -RME Community Stage, 131 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

Daytrotter Communion: Johnny Stimson - Sturgill Simpson - Lee Bains II & the Glory Fires - Gloom Balloon - Christopher the Con-quered - Ragged Records DJ Set -RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Double Dz Karaoke -Purgatory’s Pub, 2104 State St Bettendorf, IA

Doug Brundies Big Acoustic Show -Hook’s Pub, 318 N. 4th St. Clin-ton, IA


Acoustic Open Mic Night (6:30pm) -RME Community Stage, 131 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

Bebop Jazz Night -Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Cross Creek Karaoke -Hero’s Pub, 3811 N. Harrison St. Davenport, IA

Fatoumata Diawara -CSPS/Legion Arts, 1103 3rd St SE Cedar Rapids, IA

Jam Session w/ Ben Soltau -Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St Iowa City, IA

Just 4 Fun Band (6pm) -River Valley District Library, 214 S. Main St. Port Byron, IL

Karaoke Night -RIBCO, 1815 2nd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Open Mic Night w/ Karl Beatty & Mike Miller -Boozie’s Bar & Grill, 114 1/2 W. 3rd St. Davenport, IA

Shitstorm -Gabe’s, 330 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA

Songs of the Civil Rights Movement (6:30pm) -Moline Public Library, 3210 41st St. Moline, IL

The Chris & Wes Show -Mound Street Landing, 1029 Mound St. Davenport, IA

Vice Squad -The Rusty Nail, 2606 W Locust Davenport, IA

Wild Oatz -Desperado’s, 112 S. Main St. Wheatland, IA

Youth-Kelele Kids’ Ukulele Club (1pm) -RME (River Music Experi-ence), 131 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA

Yurkovich Band (2pm) - Jim Busta Band (4pm) -Walcott Coliseum, 116 E Bryant St Walcott, IA

2014/04/13 (Sun)


Barefoot Becky (1pm) -Walcott Coli-seum, 116 E Bryant St Walcott, IA

Big Daddy Weave - Group 1 Crew - Tim Timmons (6:30pm) -Adler Theatre, 136 E. 3rd St. Davenport, IA

Five Bridges Jazz Band (10:30am) -Radisson Quad City Plaza Hotel, 421 W. River Dr. Davenport, IA

Huun-Huur-Tu -CSPS/Legion Arts, 1103 3rd St SE Cedar Rapids, IA

Iowa Blues Challenge Preliminary Round: Phineas J’s - The Harris Collection - The Mercury Broth-ers - Concrete Slim & the Side-walks (6pm) -The Muddy Waters, 1708 State St. Bettendorf, IA

King of Prussia - Case Conrad -Rozz-Tox, 2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island, IL

Mandolin Orange -River’s Edge Gal-lery, 216 W 3rd St Muscatine, IA

Rimtocano & the University of Iowa Latin Jazz Ensemble (2pm) -Cen-tral Performing Arts Center, 519 E. 11th St. DeWitt, IA

Sunday Jazz Brunch (10:30am & 12:30pm) -Bix Bistro, 200 E. 3rd St. Davenport, IA

Sunday Live Jazz (10:30am) -Brady Street Chop House, Radisson QC Plaza Hotel, 111 E. 2nd St. Dav-enport, IA

16WEDNESDAY

14MONDAY

15TUESDAY

17THURSDAY18FRIDAY

13SUNDAY

Big Daddy Weave @ Adler Theatre – April 13
