Arrived in His Own Skin: Doyle Bramhall II

at the Redstone Room Page 13

Story Highlights the

Human Cost of Illinois
Dysfunction Page 4
Whats Happenin: Simply
Three and Ballet Quad Cities
Wild, Wild West Page 10
Theres No Place Like
Rome: The Prenize Players
Coriolanus Page 14
King of the
Hill: Circa 21s
The Music Man Page 15
#931
March 30 - April 12, 2017
2 River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017 Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com

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Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
GUEST COMMENTARY
Tax Feeders Declare a Truce at the Trough
I
t seems natural that people competing for
scarce taxpayer dollars would argue about
why their area is more deserving and
others less so. But we dont see that. School
superintendents dont complain about
business subsidies, mayors dont criticize the
cash paid to state universities, and Med-
icaid advocates dont denounce state-paid
agriculture marketing. The people who
receive government money in one area
simply dont complain about other areas of
government spending.
Thats because there is a Trough Truce:
The people feeding at the trough of public
dollars implicitly agree to never criticize
when other spending interests receive
money. Instead, they advocate for more tax
dollars. Theres an unwritten agreement for
the community of interests paid by public
dollars to keep the peace among themselves
and use each other to advocate for more
resources for all trough-feeders.
Its a strategy that turns competitors into
friends. The people who might become each
others fiercest critics instead become allies
in grabbing resources from taxpayers.
This is why tax-hike coalitions get so
many partners. There was a tax-hike vote last
fall for more transit in southeast Michigan
that attracted a wide group of supporters.
Environmental groups, fitness advocates,
a union for nurses, and even a cancer-
awareness group signed up to support it. It is
doubtful that each of these groups thought
that transit spending was the best way public
dollars could improve the environment,
encourage exercise, give nurses better pay,
or improve cancer awareness. But the tax
increase would mean more public dollars.
The truce, however, undermines the
tactics that interest groups can use to pursue
their own, specific goals.
Consider, for example, that the Michigan
Municipal League the advocacy group
for cities and villages has for years asked
for more money for cities and villages from
state taxpayers. But it rarely suggests where
legislators can find that money.
There are not many options. More money
for local governments could mean cuts
elsewhere in the state budget. It could mean
higher taxes. But the league does not address
the question.
A more effective technique might be
to exploit the halo that some voters place
on police and fire services as opposed to
other areas of state spending, like the states
licensing department. Yet the truce prevents
advocates for local government from com-
paring the two.
And, perhaps because of their failure to
compare, they have actually received less in
state taxpayer money. As local-government
property-tax collections increased, the
state transferred fewer dollars from state
taxpayers to local governments. The states
discretionary transfers to local governments
have dropped from $913 million in 2001 to
$471 million this year. Optional state trans-
fers to local governments have started to go
up again, but its one of the areas where there
Battles over exactly how many taxpayer dollars go where happen behind
closed doors in budget negotiations.
River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
have been actual cuts. (This contrasts with
reductions in the growth of spending, so fre-
quently referred to as cuts in government.)
Secret Negotiations
The Trough Truce creates a kind of
cartel whose members stick together to
add to their mutual pot of resources. The
downside is that the failure to compete
over resources means there will be win-
ners and losers if that pot of resources is
reduced. Political clout and maneuvering
will determine which cuts take place, and
some members of the cartel wont be able
to protect themselves.
The truce may only go skin-deep,
however. Battles over exactly how many
taxpayer dollars go where happen behind
closed doors in budget negotiations. There,
the state police might claim that higher
education appropriations are a waste of
money. But if they do, such criticisms are
never made public.
Its not just lobbyists who maintain the
truce; politicians do as well. This is evident
in the difference between how tax cuts and
spending increases are treated. Spending
increases happen without controversy,
but many politicians consider tax cuts to
be unaffordable.
Michigan is currently arguing about
whether to drop the states income-tax rate
3
By James M. Hohman
FEE.org
by a modest 0.35 percent, letting people
keep a bit more of what they earn each year.
A watered-down bill would let taxpayers
keep $195 million more in the first year. The
knee-jerk reaction from politicians within
the truce is that this is just too much money.
The recent $780-million spending increase
in the state budget? Thats business as usual,
just doing what needs to be done.
The Trough Truce is an advantage that
the spending interests have over people who
want to limit government. But it is not an
insurmountable problem. Taking it on is
something that think tanks, activists, and
advocates are geared for. We broadcast com-
pelling messages about free-market policies
to people who will listen. We try to persuade
people who are skeptical. We find new
ways to save taxpayers money. We nudge
lawmakers in the right direction.
We also have an advantage over the
people in the Trough Truce: We can speak
the truth about government spending.
James M. Hohman is assistant director of
fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for
Public Policy.
This article was originally published by
the Foundation for Economic Education
(FEE.org).
 4 River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
ILLINOIS POLITICS
Story Highlights the Human
Cost of Illinois Dysfunction
I
ve been going to Statehouse committee
hearings for something like 27 years.
Last week was the first time I can ever
recall having to fight back tears during
a hearing.
The House Appropriations General
Services Committee heard testimony
last week from Kenea Williams, a state
employee who works at the Murray
Developmental Center in Centralia. She
has 15-month-old twins named Kobe and
Kade. They were born prematurely, and
Kobe has something called broncho pul-
monary displasia. His lungs are scarred,
and he requires supplemental oxygen just
to live.
Long story short, the company that
supplied the oxygen tanks for Kobe
dropped out of the states group-health-
insurance system because the state isnt
paying its bills during the long gov-
ernmental impasse, and it wanted its
equipment back. Williams testified that
Representatives John Cavaletto (R-Salem)
and Charles Meier (R-Okawville) helped
convince the company to continue
supplying oxygen equipment to Kobe
until July.
But for whatever reason, company
execs changed their minds and sent some
employees to retrieve the equipment in
January. When a frightened Williams
refused to answer her door, the employees
apparently called the county sheriff. Two
sheriffs deputies arrived, listened to the
desperate mom tearfully plead her case,
and decided not to intervene. Williams
has since found a new supplier for a home
oxygen system.
Think about this for a second. The state
is deducting health-insurance premi-
ums out of Williams paychecks twice a
month without fail. But there is no state
appropriation for group health insurance
in this fiscal years horribly inadequate
stopgap budget, so lots of state vendors
arent getting paid. The bill-payment
cycle for some of these insurance plans is
currently about two years, so providers
such as the company that supplied the
oxygen tanks for Kobe are understand-
ably dropping out.
Im told that the Illinois Department
of Central Management Services played
a big role in finding another oxygen-tank
supplier for that baby, who was also at
the hearing last week with an oxygen
tank and a tube taped under his little
nose. Kudos to everyone who helped
keep that child alive, including those
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
By Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
sheriffs deputies.
But this story, while it currently has a
happy ending, is just so beyond the pale.
If a private-sector company deducted
insurance payments from workers
paychecks and didnt pay the money it
owed to the insurance provider, the state
would clamp down hard. But Illinois
doesnt even bother paying its end and,
in fact, hasnt fully funded that insurance
program in years.
This is basically fraud.
Others testified at the committee last
week that some dentists are demanding
payment up-front from state employees.
So the patients are paying for insurance,
but they cant get treatment unless they
pay in advance and then, presumably
sometime down the road, the insurance
company will reimburse them once the
companies get paid by the state. A lob-
byist for the Illinois State Dental Society
recently told legislators that the state owes
9,000 dentists a total of $174 million.
Lets just hope heart and cancer
surgeons dont start making patients pay
in advance.
Legislators are basically doing the same
thing to the worker-health-insurance
fund that they used to do to the pension
funds. They promise good benefits at a
very reasonable cost to the employee, but
then dont provide nearly enough state
funding needed to make the payouts.
But with the health-care fund, its
worse. The pension funds have always
had enough cushion in them to forestall
an immediate meltdown; they could pay
retirees without any money from the state
for a while.
The health-insurance fund, on the
other hand, has a $3.5-billion nega-
tive balance. And that deficit will only
continue to grow because the only money
currently going into the fund is from
state-employee payroll deductions.
I pay my premiums, Williams told
the House committee last week. I do my
part. Now I feel like the state needs to do
their part. They need to pay their bills.
So how about the governor and the
General Assembly get a real budget deal
done before we, as a state, collectively kill
a supposedly fully insured baby? Is that
really too much to ask?
Rich Miller also publishes Capitol
Fax (a daily political newsletter) and
CapitolFax.com.
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
COVER STORY
Colored Entranced
The Figges Jefferson Pinder: Ghost Light Explores Race Through Different Lenses
H
overing high above the heads of
visitors to the Figge Art Museum,
a neon sign that reads Colored
Entranced points the way into the third-
floor gallery. Anchored to the wall, the
sign sits at an angle so visitors who enter
from either the elevator or the stairs
see it almost immediately. Bright tubes
of clean red-orange light form words
that contrast with and illuminate the
corroded tin support from which they
extend. The glow of the neon affects the
surrounding space by casting light in
shades of pink and violet on the white
walls. A ghostly reflected image with
deep red and cobalt-blue hues can be
seen on the polished gray floor.
Colored Entranced is visually appeal-
ing, but the symbolic history it repre-
sents is abhorrent. Seeing it for the first
time, non-black visitors may feel an
unexpected pang of empathy for those
who were subjected to that kind of direct
segregation. I viewed the authoritative
lights as a kind of primer for the histori-
cal aspect of the exhibit within. The piece
conjures up an oppressive chapter in the
nations history when widespread, overt
racism was common. So unfortunately
familiar are the words that I initially
missed the subtle change that artist Jef-
ferson Pinder made to them. By adding
a d to the expected entrance, new
meanings emerge that transcend the
inherent symbolism.
The sign is one of Chicago-based Pin-
ders seven pieces (four installations and
three performances with accompanying
installations) in Ghost Light, an exhibit
on display at the Figge Art Museum
through June 4. The title refers to the
theatrical tradition in which a ghost
light remains lit when the stage is not
in use, representing all the characters
and stories that ever occupied a space.
Within the confines of the museum,
Pinders work reminds us that the past is
never far away.
Colored Entranced, for example,
encourages us to think about how
segregation, although abolished (and
technically never legal in Iowa), still
exists in our community and in Ameri-
can society at large. The sign reminds us
that this problem endures albeit in an
altered form.
With a thoughtful use of objects
such as this seemingly appropri-
ated and manipulated sign and his
recruitment of local artists and citizens
Works by Jefferson Pinder. Above: Token, featuring a sculpture by Dean Kugler;
below: Joes Barbershop; and on the cover: Colored Entranced.
as collaborators, Pinder invites Quad
Citians to examine their thoughts
about race and racial divisions through
personal and historical lenses. This
approach at times indirect and at
others straightforward is successful
overall, due in large measure to Pinders
varied treatment of the conceptual ideas
that drive his work.
The neon sign resonates because of its
River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
pretend otherwise.
play on words, referring not only to our
history of legal segregation but also to
Americas renewed interest in reading,
writing, tweeting, and talking about the
very real, very serious problems we have
with racism in this country. We are cap-
tivated, emotionally stirred, entranced
when a story breaks about a fatal police
shooting involving a black victim. When
Black Lives Matter protesters are met
5
By Emma Farber
with counter-protesting by whites who
argue that all lives matter. When riots
break out in black communities after
the senseless death of yet another black
youth by non-black hands. When a
grieving family is denied justice.
And yet all of this attention and
awareness dont seem to have spurred
social change.
Pinders Invisible Flag offers an
explanation with a visual approach thats
different from Colored Entranced. Pinder
uses the state flag of Iowa to cover all but
a corner of a Confederate flag that he
painted white. The message appears to be
that although intolerance and a lack of
empathy can be fostered by the people we
grow up around, it can also be reinforced
by the institutions that govern us.
Unlike the nuanced and subtle Colored
Entranced, Invisible Flag succeeds in
getting straight to the point. The state
flag, which ironically proclaims that
Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights
We Will Maintain, is attempting (and
failing) to hide a racist symbol by
obscuring and whitewashing it. This
visual gesture, simplistic and damning,
highlights the institutional racism that
has been present in Iowa, and the rest
of the country, throughout the course
of history no matter how much we
While those two pieces address histor-
ical symbols of racism, Pinder elsewhere
is encouraging empathy.
In the March 11 performance Token, a
simple lesson emerged: We should make
the effort to get to know one another to
overcome our tendency to make judg-
ments based on stereotypes.
After climbing to the top of a tiered
scaffold, local artist Dean Kugler a
white man with a shaved head, muscled
arms, and tattoos sculpted a human
head from brown clay as he told the audi-
ence about the complicated relationship
he had with his abusive stepfather.
Kugler worked the clay with forceful
intensity as he described how visitors to
his art shows derided him for making
work that depicts black figures. To watch
a white artist construct a black figure
in any sort of context is uncomfortable
at best and jaw-droppingly offensive at
worst. How arrogant how ignorant do
white artists have to be to think that its
all right to assume they know anything
Continued On Page 6
 6 River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
COVER STORY Continued From Page 5
Colored Entranced
about being black? That they can repre-
sent black bodies in any way they see fit?
As the performance progressed,
however, it became clear that Kugler was
neither clueless nor insensitive. To the
contrary, he described the touching rec-
onciliation he made with his stepfather
a black man who married Kuglers
mother so that a young Kugler could
receive the insurance coverage neces-
sary for surgery to treat a serious heart
condition. It took years for him to make
amends with his stepfather, but Kugler
explained how doing so had a posi-
tive effect on his relationship with his
half-black sister and her black relatives.
It took less than an hour for me to see
Kugler in a different, more positive, light.
Adjacent to Tokens installation is
Hairstyle, a cryptic piece made of stacked
TVs that look like they were manufac-
tured in the 1980s or 90s. Each screen
shows a loop of two to three angles
(front, back, side) of a male models head
and shoulders. The pieces label only
states that the installation is composed
of 16 cathode-ray-tube televisions and 16
single-channel videos, giving the impres-
sion that 16 is somehow important.
Further observation, however, fails to
answer the question of why that might
be. Other than the fact that one model is
white, the subjects themselves give few
clues. The men, whose ages vary, seem
to be in no particular order. Some have
their heads tilted up, some tilted down,
but at no point did it appear that the
figures were somehow trying to look at
their counterparts on the other screens.
There was no apparent pattern in hair-
style, facial expression, or clothing.
Given the lack of clues, it seems as
though we are supposed to focus on
the recognition that there is a white
face amid the black ones. Perhaps this
Above: Hairstyle; below: Invisible Flag
is a statement about our subconscious
expectations; if the models were white,
would we even take note of the pres-
ence of a token black model? Without
further assistance from the work itself or
the label, it appears that Hairstyle, like
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
Invisible Flag, is meant to direct attention
to a single thought.
Although it also has a hair theme,
the installation directly across from
Hairstyle titled Joes Barbershop is far
more warm and open. The significance
of the barbershop as a gathering place for
black men is reflected in the details of the
piece. A barbers chair rests on a platform
covered in black-and-white-checked
flooring. Behind the chair is a mirror
that hangs on a wood-paneled floating
wall. Illuminated by bare bulbs above the
mirror are a casual assortment of family
photographs, newspaper clippings, old
images of famous black men including
Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali, a docu-
ment with the headline SYPHILIS/HIV
ALERT!!!, an article about prostate-
cancer screenings, inspirational quotes,
and a framed certificate of membership
from the National Honor Society.
The STD warning and the article
about prostate cancer stand out among
the items taped around the mirror. They
indicate that in the barbershop, black
men are encouraged to discuss issues
related to their health. This stands in
direct opposition to the stereotype that
American men do not want to visit the
doctor for any reason, and this aversion
may lead them to delay or altogether
avoid important routine screenings.
The presence of the articles suggests
that there is a concern for the physical
well-being of the men who visit Joes.
Furthermore, their location in front of
the men who are getting their hair styled
implies that a dialogue about self-care
is encouraged.
Collectively, the items tell a story of
achievement, pride, and responsibility and
reflect an outlook that is family-oriented
and enduring. If the April 1 performance
by barber Joe McLemore is able to match
the intimacy and approachability of the
installation, viewers will be treated to an
honest glimpse of what life is like for black
men in a space that is truly their own.
The contrast between the cool,
detached TVs of Hairstyle and
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
McLemores deeply personal environ-
ment in Joes Barbershop helps illuminate
Ghost Light overall. The strength of the
exhibit thus far is how its varied elements
sync to generate a meaningful dialogue
about race, history, community, and
empathy.
Jefferson Pinder: Ghost Light runs
through June 4 at the Figge Art Museum
(225 West Second Street, Davenport;
FiggeArtMuseum.org).
Upcoming free performances include
Joes Barbershop (featuring barber
Joe McLemore) at 2 p.m. on Saturday,
April 1; and Soule Bowl (featuring Gaye
Shannon-Burnette and Pamela Couch) at
6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 5.
Emma Farber is a local artist and art
educator who received her BA in graphic
design and fine arts from St. Ambrose
University in 2011 and her MFA in paint-
ing from Illinois State University in 2016.
Ghost Light
Adding Poetry to Platforms: Jefferson Pinder on Ghost Light
By Jeff Ignatius, jeff@rcreader.com
I f you visit the Figge Art Museum to see
Jefferson Pinders exhibit Ghost Light, the
artist will be satisfied if you leave enlight-
ened. Or thoughtful. Or angry. Or confused.
Hell also be okay if you see the neon sign
reading Colored Entranced and choose
not to enter the gallery.
Ive seen people walk to the front door of
the exhibition, look at it, and walk right out
without going in, the Chicago-based artist
told me in a phone interview last week.
Theyre like, This aint for me. That is a reac-
tion. That is just as legitimate as spending a
few hours in the space.
Of course, Pinder hopes that people will
walk through the gallery door and spend
some time with the handful of works inside.
Its really about what level of engage-
ment people want to have, Pinder said.
How much do you want to get involved? ...
Do you want to look at those individuals on
the TV screens and spend time looking at
each individual? And maybe begin to deter-
mine which ones are professionals versus
the ones that are gang-bangers?
Hes referring to the piece Hairstyle, a col-
lection of 16 television sets with each one
showing a different individual who just got
his hair cut at Joes Barber Shop on Harrison
Street in Davenport. The best and worst
come through that barbershop, Pinder said.
The prominence of Joes Barber Shop in
the exhibit represented by Hairstyle but
more obviously in the re-creation of Joe
McLemores barber station in the gallery
space illuminates Pinders approach to
the show.
Initially, I wasnt quite sure if I was going
to show some older work and some studio
work, he said. But it became obvious that
they [representatives of the Figge] really
wanted to do a project interacting with
the community. ...
Its a bit of a double-edged sword, he
River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017 7
added. On the
one hand, you
want to make
something thats
uniquely your
own. But at the
other extent, you
also want to get
to know the com-
munity a little
better.
The problem,
he said, was
that I knew
very little about
Davenport.
He did online
Jefferson Pinder
research for a
couple of months, but his conception of could get on stage, and they would have
the show was kind of stagnant for a while. a platform? ...
Something like this demands ... time in I became a facilitator. ... I didnt feel that
the community. ... lessened my role at all. That was creating a
Gradually, I met a couple gatekeepers context in which community voices could
people in the community who seemed to be seen in a different light. ...
really be well-informed. And I was like, You You want to know about blackness in
know what? This exhibition has to be differ- this community, Im not going to pretend to
ent than what I would necessarily want to tell you I know. But I can tell you about Joe
do. Rather, it has to be highlighting individu- McLemore.
als in the community that are doing work. It Those connections with people in the
quickly shifted. Quad Cities were really beneficial, Pinder
Pinder said he spent time with Virgil said. I think everything began to change.
Mayberry, McLemore, and Gaye Shannon- But unfortunately I was running out of time.
Burnette the last two of whom will be ... I began to really sink my teeth into what
spotlighted in Ghost Light performances on this community is all about, but that was
April 1 and May 5, respectively. [only] six months ago. ... It was showtime.
I wanted to put the emphasis on these Given that Ghost Light deals with issues
individuals, Pinder said. Theyve been of race, theres a strong social component
around for a minute. ... And all of them can to the work, Pinder said. But on the other
tell you various different things about what hand, I had to try to understand: Where can
its like to be black in the community. ... the poetry come into it?
What is more important? Was it that The combination of social issues and
Jefferson Pinder had a show in Davenport, poetry is most obvious in that neon
Iowa? Or would it be more important if the sign, Colored Entranced. Pinder said both
people in the community had an exhibi-
tion that really was about them? That they Continued On Page 8
 8 River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
COVER STORY Continued From Page 7
Adding Poetry to Platforms:
Jefferson Pinder on Ghost Light
Maybrerry and McLemore told him about
segregation signs in the Quad Cities,
although theres this perception that they
didnt exist here in Iowa.
But rather than simply placing a replication
of one of those signs in an art museum to
re-contextualize it, Pinder added the letter d
to entrance.
I thought about this fascination with
blackness, he explained. I wanted the sign
to be something that had a duality. On the
one hand, if you werent really looking at it, it
was a Colored Entrance sign. But you took a
second, its more about What is it like to find
out about the other?
The alteration, he said, was intended as
a way of creating a bit of a buffer. But this
history kind of comes into it and subverts the
work itself, the piece.
History is also unavoidable in Invisible Flag,
which seems to have a blunt political mes-
sage by having the Iowa flag mostly cover a
painted-white Confederate flag.
But Pinders explanation of the work makes
it richer and more nuanced: That piece is
inspired by a Confederate flag that hangs
every day right off of Brady, ... [near] Green
Thumbers. ... I asked some people about
the flag, and nobody saw it. And I thought it
was really kind of fascinating. So Im in Iowa,
and theres a Confederate flag hanging in a
mixed neighborhood, and I went literally to
the woman right next door to that house and
I said, What do you think about that? And
shes like, What? And I said, That flag. Shed someone gets something. ... There are things
never noticed it.
And then I asked people at the museum. I
said, Can you guys do me a favor and ... take
a picture of the flag? And they were like, We
cant find it. ... It drove me crazy. I kept point-
ing this out, and I was like, Maybe Im the
only one seeing it.
And then I began to see them a lot
more. I see them on cars. ... I saw one on a
Harley-Davidson. ...
Its like theres a certain invisibility. Maybe
folks arent connected with it.
While Colored Entranced and Invisible
Flag will, by their natures, create discomfort
for both white and black patrons of the
museum, Pinders goal with Joes Barber-
shop was to build a welcoming space for
McLemores April 1 performance.
The artist said: I thought, Wouldnt it be
great if we could take a barber shop and
drop it in a museum? The installation was:
How can I make this as comfortable to Joe as
possible? Because it is his space. Im creating a
space for him to be himself in the museum.
He said he started with a larger design,
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
By Jeff Ignatius
jeff@rcreader.com
TCH IT
WA
but then I realized what was most important
was Joes chair. Working with Figge curator
Andrew Wallace and local artist Steve Banks,
Pinder created a chair that was more a
throne somewhere between Captain Kirks
chair and some kind of monarchy throne. It
had this presence. Schulzs Review of
All of the clippings and certificates on the Latest Movies On Demand
the mirror, he said, are reproductions from
McLemores shop. This is all for the perfor- FENCES
A stage adaptation so powerful
mance, Pinder said, adding that he was just and immediate that you can
trying to capture the essence and not trying practically feel the actors spit, this
to disrupt that. August Wilson adaptation boasts
The museum setting is somewhat detri- the sorts of towering yet life-sized
mental to the carefully crafted environment portrayals led by those of Denzel
of Joes Barbershop. The prohibition against Washington and Viola Davis that
exploring the installation sitting in either even great theatre too rarely
provides. (Same day as DVD.)
of the chairs or just getting close enough to
inspect the documents and pictures taped
to the mirror literally keeps visitors at a dis- JACKIE
tance, and prevents them from truly feeling This endlessly fascinating bio-pic
the space. emerges as an unusually personal,
Ghost Light also suffers at times from an even unnerving character study,
avoidable lack of context. Several pieces and star Natalie Portman gives us a
Jacqueline Kennedy of
resonate without explanation, but the blank extraordinary, somewhat
televised faces of Hairstyle were, to me, frightening power and control a
inscrutable. Its not clear from the piece (or quietly ruthless warrior in a pillbox
the label) that these are customers at Joes hat. (Same day as DVD.)
Barber Shop a tiny bit of information that
would have tied it to the barber-shop instal-
lation across the gallery and enlivened both MISS SLOANE
Jessica Chastains lobbyist fights for
works without prescribing meaning. stricter gun-control laws, and the
Pinder said, however, that comprehension results are a true blast in this
is overrated: Too much value is put on if beautifully paced, delightfully
verbose, enjoyably vicious thriller
that sometimes you dont understand, but that s like a John Grisham novel
that doesnt mean they have less value. And I with juicier twists and a more
think thats the premise of the show. But, he
ruthless central character.
(Same day as DVD.)
added, youll get it if you put the time into it.
Ghost Lights third-floor gallery also seems
sparsely populated at this point which is at
least partly intentional. Audio will be added
to the exhibits entrance, Pinder said, and
documentation of its three performances will
also supplement works before the exhibit Catch your favorite movies
closes on June 4. (Pinder stressed that visitors and shows from ABC, NBC, CBS,
shouldnt expect straight video recordings of
FOX, STARZ, ENCORE and more.
those events: A performance is just that. But
the documentation I think we can be really Plus, watch over 19,000 titles
playful with.) at the press of a button!
The exhibit will evolve, he said: Thats why
theres a closing reception, and not an open- WANT EVEN MORE? VISIT
ing reception. We wanted to allow the show
to grow. ... At the end, hopefully its going to mediacomtoday.com
be a different experience, and also people & CLICK ON TV EVERYWHERE!
can see how it develops. ...
There are empty spaces in that gal-
lery that are going to be filled. Were still
digging.
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017 9

Movie Reviews By Mike Schulz mike@rcreader.com

Rangers and Dangers, Bro Bits and Obits

F
riday, March 24, 10 a.m.-ish:
My latest back-to-back-to-back-
to-back screenings start with
Power Rangers, director Dean Israelites
big-screen reboot of the 1990s Mighty
Morphin Power Rangers franchise. If
youre wondering whether the film is just
like the TV series, Im gonna take a stab
and say no, unless that Fox Kids show also
opened with a gag about a high-schooler
masturbating a bull. But until it inevitably
turns into typically noisy and endless
action-flick nonsense, this unashamedly
juvenile entertainment is actually kind of
endearing, primarily because it appears
less interested in being the new Trans-
formers than the new Breakfast Club.
Theres an Emilio Estevez in Dacre
Montgomerys sullen jock, a Molly Ring-
wald in Naomi Scotts fallen princess, an
Ally Sheedy in Becky G.s loner misfit, a
Judd Nelson in Ludi Lins secretly sensi-
tive tough, and an Anthony Michael Hall Naomi Scott, R.J. Cyler, Dacre Montgomery, Ludi Lin, and Becky G. in Power Rangers
in R.J. Cylers on the spectrum brainiac.
And before they respectively morph which concerns a group of space travel- 2:35-ish: Speaking of plants, at one point recruiting Amanda Seyfrieds journalist
into costumed crime-fighters Red, Pink, ers who attempt to destroy a murderous, in the action comedy CHIPS, Michael Pea to write her obituary while shes still alive,
Yellow, Black, and Blue which takes a shape-shifting creature while it picks them face-plants into the crotch of a naked Dax and realizing that to get a decent article,
surprisingly, blessedly long time these off one by one. Yes, if youve seen Alien, Shepard, and my fellow audience mem- shes gonna need to be a decent person. Cue
youths prove to be unexpectedly winning youve pretty much seen this, and seen it bers, all six of them, appeared to find that the familial reconciliations, new embrace
company, tossing off screenwriter John done better. Director Daniel Espinosas pretty amusing. The rest of the time the of life, spunky at-risk youth for the crone
Gatins friendly jokes with aplomb and sci-fi freak-out, though, is still chock-full of interminable 100 minutes of writer/direc- to mentor and, I presumed, me throwing
selling their teen traumas with impres- tension and surprises, from the sight of an tor Shepards TV reboot this noxious up in my mouth on a regular basis. Leave
sive sincerity. Once they started battling astronaut literally drowning in a spacesuit buddy flick was the long-sought-for answer it to MacLaine, though, to turn this treacle
ambulatory rock piles and a skyscraper- to the copious blood that, in the films to the philosophical riddle What is the into something genuinely touching and
sized gold demon out of Gods of Egypt, I no zero-gravity setting, doesnt spill so much sound of no voices laughing? I have neither frequently endearing, which she does, para-
longer cared about the kids or their movie, as coagulate and float. (Kudos to those the energy nor the desire to get into the doxically, by steadfastly refusing to be lov-
and kind of wanted to punch elements that responsible for the trailers, which, in a crap-tastrophe of this appalling, incoher- able. Seyfried, Thomas Sadoski, Philip Baker
MMPR fans might dig the most, including wonderful break from the norm, give away ent, misogynist, homophobic, devastat- Hall, and Anne Heche contribute some
Bill Haders wisecracking robot Alpha 5 almost none of Lifes shocks or narrative ingly unfunny tale of California highway lovely work. Yet MacLaine, with her wicked
and Bryan Cranstons inter-dimensional, twists.) Theres not much to the movie, and patrolmen, to say nothing of the maddening wit and blazing directness, so fully scrapes
dully grim Zordon. (I did, however, get a its almost distractingly expensive-looking waste of Peas talent and inherent likability. the saccharin off the cliches and predict-
giggle from the sight of Bryan Cranston considering its just an enjoyably vicious But seriously: Screw you, Shepard, for your ability that this sitcom art film transforms
arguing with Cylers character Billy Crans- B picture with a nasty bait-and-switch insulting treatment of Maya Rudolph, Jane into something much tougher-minded than
ton.) Yet for all of its silliness and noisiness, kicker. Yet its strong and scary and well- Kaczmarek, and Kristen Bell (shes your screenwriter Stuart Ross Finks blueprint.
Power Rangers turns out to be better than performed by Rebecca Ferguson, Ariyon wife, for Petes sake!); for the Sandler-level The Last Word is an okay movie with a
expected, and I havent even mentioned Bakare, Hiroyuki Sanada, Olga Dihovich- odiousness if the built-in Arbys com- thunderously fine lead, and worth it just to
the delirious, hilarious, legitimately scary naya, and a very charming Ryan Reynolds. mercial; and for scoring one of the worst hear MacLaines peerless, gravelly disdain
Elizabeth Banks, whos so smashingly fun Its also, for muscial-theatre fans, about fight scenes in living memory to Aretha when bemoaning sarcasm the wit of
as villainous Rita Repulsa that you practi- as close to a serious-minded Little Shop Franklins R-E-S-P-E-C-T, which is clearly the witless.
cally root for her to vanquish our heroes. of Horrors as you could imagine, with the a concept thats utterly foreign to you. The
Though I wouldve preferred Repulsa turn- baby alien looking just like little Audrey movie is CHIPS; those of us who paid to see 6:40-ish: I was gonna make a sarcastic
ing her malicious attentions on whoever II, and the grown version a truly mean it were CHUMPS. comment here. Shirleys scared me out
gave her that stupid name. green mother from outer space. It even has of it.
a Seymour, as star Jake Gyllenhaal played 4:40-ish: Director Mark Pellingtons
12:10 p.m.-ish: It has the most generic, that adorable nebbish in a 2015 Little Shop The Last Word, in outline, sounded For reviews of Beauty & the Beast, The Belko
not-at-all-helpful title of the days releases, on Broadway! Whatever it offers you, Jake, almost unbearably precious, with Shirley Experiment, and other current releases, visit
but I wind up having a great time at Life, dont feed the plant! MacLaines cantankerous 81-year-old RiverCitiesReader.com.
10 River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017 Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com

Whats Happenin
Dance
The Wild, Wild West
Adler Theatre
Saturday, April 1, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

F
or their penultimate production in the
companys 20th-anniversary season,
the professional talents of Ballet Quad
Cities will grace the Adler Theatre stage
on April 1 bedecked in their finest jeans,
flannel shirts, and Stetsons.
And no, this is not an elaborate April
Fools Day prank.
Instead, its the presentation of two
of composer Aaron Coplands most
cherished ballets 1938s Billy the Kid
and 1942s Rodeo under the blanket title
The Wild, Wild West. Choreographed,
respectively, by Ballet Quad Cities Artistic
Director Courtney Lyon and Ballet
Mistress Margaret King, the works are
not only being staged by the company for
the very first time, but will let audiences
witness what Lyon calls real ballet history
a big part of how ballet was first brought
to America.
Inspired by the 1925 bestseller The
Saga of Billy the Kid, the first piece on the
Wild, Wild West program was originally
choreographed by the young dancer Eugene first performed, it was a smash hit. The at least not for public viewing. I didnt, of accompany Ballet Quad Cities dancers
Loring of New Yorks School of American topic is great and Coplands music is epic course, want to just re-create the original. Lyon says, We listened to the score basically
Ballet what Lyon calls kind of the prequel and legendary, but I mean ... . It was ballet But when a piece of music has been created note-by-note and he explained that Copland
company to New York City Ballet. Loring as a Western with gun fights! It just had specifically for a ballet scenario, every note was a very cinematic composer. When
was asked to choreograph something that mass appeal. in that score matters. So if I was going to youre hearing his music, its so expansive,
would tap into America, giving audiences While taking on the challenge of Lorings choreograph this, I had to teach myself how and theres such strong feeling in it, that you
dance the way they wanted it. So he worked and Coplands 35-minute achievement was to read a score. And mind you, she says can envision landscapes and atmosphere.
with Aaron Copland to create Billy the Kid both exciting and daunting, Lyon says it with a laugh, I am no musician. He gives you sounds that sound like an open
Copland wrote the score while Loring became more so with the realization that Working alongside Tim Hankewich prairie. So basically, I just used the music as
was writing the scenario and when it was no footage from the original ballet existed, the conductor whose Orchestra Iowa will my guide, figuring out how to express that

Music
Simply Three
Bettendorf Performing Arts Center
Tuesday, April 11

I
n our recent Spring Guide edition of the Reader, I suggested that one of my articles was
best enjoyed if listened to on Audible, which was obviously a joke. But now Im writing an
article on the classical/pop trio Simply Three the Quad City Arts Visiting Artists who
will perform an April 11 public concert at the Bettendorf Performing Arts Center and this
time Im not joking: I really, really, really wish this article were available on Audible.
There are a few things I can tell you about Simply Three. The ensemble is composed of
Zack Clark on cello, Nick Villalobos on double bass, and Glen McDaniel on violin. Clark
and Villalobos were childhood friends who eventually received music-performance
degrees from Arizona State University, and formed Simply Three in 2010 with violinist
and fellow ASU graduate Olivia Lemmelin. Performing a blend of original compositions
and covers of famed pop tunes, the group released its self-titled debut album in April of
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017 11
By Mike Schulz
mike@rcreader.com

expansiveness through dance. what youd see in a Broadway musical, and

Happily, says Lyon, Whats really fun
and great about dancers is theyre creative
artists. So when putting this together, I can
say things like, Give me a shape thats really
open, or Give me a shape thats twisted,
and theyll give me something Ive never
seen before that can then be manipulated
to look like theyre riding on horseback, or
carrying a rifle, or things like that. You can
mime things in ballet. But my goal was to
stick to the Billy the Kid scenario without
a tremendous amount of mime, and just
evoke the feeling of the time period and all
those colorful characters through the danc-
ers bodies. Its kind of like a new movement
vocabulary that I havent used before, and it
is so much fun.
While Lyon found her primary
inspiration in Coplands music, King
says she found hers in Rodeos original
choreographer.
Agnes de Mille actually choreographed
cover a lot of different styles. So I just kind of
re-imagined Agnes de Mille and made the
ballet my own trying to mimic what would
happen at a rodeo, and how these men and
women might move, through dance.
For instance, in the first scene, Bucka-
roo Holiday, I wanted something like
barrel racing that thing where the guy
rides the horse around barrels as fast as he
can. We dont have a horse, obviously, so I
have men stationed at different points on
stage, and then the champion roper races
around and picks them up and kind of
slings them around. Its the idea of barrel
racing. And in the last two sections, I have
a lot of square dancing. But its ballet square
dancing taking actual square-dance steps
and morphing them into ballet movement.
Although, to hear King tell it, incredibly fast
ballet movement. Olivia vonGries A Moms Work Is Never Done in the Berskin Fine Art Gallery & Studios
That final hoedown in Rodeo is wild, Embracing Hard & Soft Edges - opens March 31
she says, referring to the legendary Copland

What Else Is Happenin

Rodeo first and then had Aaron Copland composition that audiences will likely recall
write the music for her, says King of the from its employment in all those Beef its
20-minute piece. And so its great that were whats for dinner commercials. I mean,
doing these two ballets together, because
de Mille had seen Billy the Kid in 1938 and
its just go-go-go, hootin and hollerin,
and it never slows down. People are gonna
MUSIC Thursday, April 6 A Tribute to John
Denver. Touring celebration of the singer/
Friday, March 31 Family Groove
really liked how Copland put his music love that. songwriter performed by Chris Collins
Company. Chicago-based jam band in
together for Lorings Western ballet, and And theyll no doubt love it even more and Boulder Canyon. Circa 21 Dinner
concert, featuring an opening set by EGi.
so she commissioned Copland to do hers, knowing that despite the Western-themed Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock
The Redstone Room (129 Main Street,
Island). Noon lunch, 1 p.m. show, $44.41;
as well. hats, shirts, pants, and boots, no one will Davenport). 9:30 p.m. $13.75-17. For tickets
6 p.m. buffet, 7:15 p.m. show, $50.16. For
Usually, my inspiration for choreogra- get a spur in the eye. No, no, says King and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit
tickets and information, call (309)786-7733
phy is the music, King continues. And if with a laugh. No spurs. That mightve RiverMusicExperience.org.
extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
theres a storyline, obviously, I want to get been dangerous. Saturday, April 1 Viking Moses.
Friday, April 7 3 Years Hollow.
that across for the audience. But for this, Ballet Quad Cities presents April 1 Concert with the indie-rock musicians
Concert with the Quad Cities five-piece
my inspiration really came through Agnes performances of The Wild, Wild West at fronted by singer/songwriter Brendon
rock ensemble, featuring opening sets
Massei, featuring opening sets by Hamish
de Mille without, of course, me exactly 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., and tickets are avail- by Shallow Side, Trustfall, and Within the
Hawk and Mountain Swallower. Rozz-Tox
copying what she does. She was a child of able by calling (800)745-3000 or visiting Grey. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street,
(2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island). 9 p.m.
Hollywood and a lot of her moves are like BalletQuadCities.com or AdlerTheatre.com. Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $10. For tickets and
$12. For information, call (309)200-0978 or
information, call (563)326-1333 or visit
visit RozzTox.com.
RiverMusicExperience.org.
Sunday, April 2 Lissie. Pop singer/
Saturday, April 8, and Sunday, April
songwriter and Quad Cities native in
8 Quad City Symphony Orcehestra.
2013. Simply Three has subsequently churned out no fewer than 20 additional CDs and concert, featuring sets by The Deslondes,
Mark Russell Smith conducts and Jon
digital downloads in the 48 month since, with violinist Alex Weill replacing Lemmelin Black Velvet Band, Driftless Sisters, and
Hurty directs the symphony, six vocal
in 2013, and McDaniel replacing Weill the following year. Jeremy Pinnell. Codfish Hollow Barn
soloists, two organs, and members of the
With the trio described as having what it takes on the Boston Philharmonics Web (5013 288th Avenue, Maquoketa). 5 p.m.
Handel Oratorio Society and Quad City
$20-25. For tickets and information, visit
site (BostonPhil.org) and the musicians talents deemed passionate, unique, and Choral Arts on Bachs St. Matthew Passion,
CodfishHollowBarnstormers.org.
awesome by the Huffington Post, Simply Three routinely wows audiences with their BMV 244. Saturday: Adler Theatre (136 East
Monday, April 3 Journey and Asia.
exhilarating, classically modern renditions of Puccini, Gershwin, and numerous pop Third Street, Davenport), 8 p.m. Sunday:
Chart-topping rock and pop musicians in
favorites. And heres where having this article available on Audible would really come Augustana Colleges Centennial Hall (3703
concert. iWirelessCenter (1201 River Drive,
in handy, because as opposed to reading more of my blathering, you could simply enjoy Seventh Avenue, Rock Island), 2 p.m. $6-62.
Moline). 7 p.m. $39-99. For tickets, call
For tickets and information, call (563)322-
Simply Threes takes on Adeles Rolling in the Deep, Coldplays Fix You, Pharrell Wil- (800)745-3000 or visit iWirelessCenter.com.
7276 or visit QCSO.org.
liams Happy, and Janelle Mones Cold War and Tightrope for yourselves. Tuesday, April 4 Rocktopia
Monday, April 10 Golden State:
(For the next-best thing, check out Simply Threes videos for those underlined songs Live! Musical arrangements blending
Lone Star Revue. Blues concert featuring
in the RiverCitiesReader.com version of this article. And lets start a petition to get these Beethoven with Journey, Strauss with The
Mark Hummel, R.W. Grigsby, Anson
articles available on Audible! Typing is such a drag!) Who, and more in mash-ups conducted by
Funderburgh, Mike Keller, and Wes Starr,
Simply Threes April 11 performance takes place at Bettendorf High Schools Betten- Randall Craig Fleischer. Adler Theatre (136
co-presented by the Mississippi Valley
East Third Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m.
dorf Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m., donations are encouraged, and more information
$43-102. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or
is available by calling (309)793-1213 or visiting QuadCityArts.com. visit AdlerTheatre.com. Continued On Page 12
12 River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
Continued From Page 11
What Else Is Happenin
Blues Society. Rock Island Brewing Company
(1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 6:30 p.m.
$20-25. For information, call (563)322-5837 or
visit MVBS.org or RIBCO.com.
Tuesday, April 11 2017 Worship
Night in America. An evening of praise
and music with headliner Chris Tomlin and
sets by contemporary-Christian musicians
Big Daddy Weave, Phil Wickham, Zach
Williams, Mosaic MSC, and Jason Barton.
iWirelessCenter (1201 River Drive, Moline). 7
p.m. $15-69.75. For tickets, call (800)745-3000
or visit iWirelessCenter.com.
Tuesday, April 11 Carine Tinney. A
concert in the WVIK/QCSO Signature Series
with soprano Tinney and pianist Benjamin
Loebb, featuring a repertoire including
Brahms, Schubert, and Strauss. Augustana
Colleges Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh
Avenue, Rock Island). 7:30 p.m. $10-25. For
tickets and information, call (563)322-7276 or
visit QCSO.org.
Wednesday, April 12 Eric Church.
Concert with the chart-topping country-
music singer/songwriter on his Holdin
My Own Tour. iWirelessCenter (1201 River
Drive, Moline). 8 p.m. $25-89. For tickets, call
(800)745-3000 or visit iWirelessCenter.com.
THEATRE
Thursday, March 30, through Saturday,
April 1 The Realistic Joneses. Will Enos
dramatic comedy of suburban neighbors,
directed by Rachael Pribulsky. St. Ambrose
Universitys Galvin Fine Arts Center Studio
Theatre (2101 Gaines Street, Davenport).
Thursday and Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday
3 p.m. $6. For tickets and information, call
(563)333-6251 or visit SAU.edu/theatre.
Thursday, March 30, through Sunday,
April 2 Little Shop of Horrors. Quad City
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
Music Guild presents
the Tony-nominated
musical comedy
based on 1960s
cult horror film,
directed by Matt
Holmes. Prospect
Park Auditorium
(1584 34th Avenue,
Moline). Thursday
through Saturday
7:30 p.m., Sunday 2
p.m. $11-16. For tickets
and information, call Rocktopia Live! @ Adler Theatre April 4
(309)762-6610 or visit
QCMusicGuild.com.
visit CenterForLivingArts.org. Rock Island). Tuesday through Friday 10
Sunday, April 2 Annie. Tony-winning
a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free.
musical comedy based on the comic-
strip classic, in a Broadway at the Adler COMEDY For information, call (309)793-1213 or visit
Saturday, April 8 Pimprov. Sketch QuadCityArts.com.
presentation. Adler Theatre (136 East
comedy, stand-up, and improvisation with Friday, March 31, through Friday,
Third Street, Davenport). 3 p.m. $40.50-
Chicagos touring comedians. Circa 21 April 21 Embracing Hard & Soft Edges.
68. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit
Speakeasy (1818 Third Avenue, Rock Island). Exhibit of works in numerous media
AdlerTheatre.com.
8 p.m. $12-15. For tickets and information, by regional artists Holly Kimball, Kristin
Thursday, April 6, through Sunday,
call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Quinn, Megan Quinn, Olivia von Gries, and
April 9 Stop Kiss. Diana Sons drama about
TheCirca21Speakeasy.com. Emma Farber. Berskin Fine Art Gallery
the lead-up and aftermath to a hate crime,
& Studio (225 East Second Street, Suites
MOVIE
directed by Audrey Johnson. Augustana
102 and 104, Davenport). Wednesday
Colleges Brunner Theatre Center Black
Tuesday, April 11 Bhutan: The Cloud through Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. For
Box Theatre (3750 Seventh Avenue, Rock
Island). Thursday through Saturday 7:30 Kingdom. Screenings in the museums
World Adventure Series presented by Tom
information, call (563)508-4630 or visit
BereskinArtGallery.com.
p.m., Sunday 1:30 p.m. $3-5. For tickets
Sterling. Putnam Museum & Science Center Saturday, April 1, through Sunday,
and information, call (309)794-7306 or visit
(1717 West 12th Street, Davenport). 1 and 6 April 9 Young Artists at the Figge:
Augustana.edu/arts.
p.m. $7-8.50. For tickets and information, call Bettendorf Schools. Exhibition of works by
Friday, April 7, through Sunday, April
(563)324-1933 or visit Putnam.org. student artists. Figge Art Museum (225 West
9 Heathers: The Musical. Stage adaptation
Second Street, Davenport). Tuesday through
of the 1989 cult comedy about murderous
EXHIBITS
Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-9
high-schoolers, directed by Dino and Tina
p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m. Free with $4-7
Hayz. The Center for Living Arts (2008 Fourth Friday, March 31, through Friday, May
admission. For information, call (563)326-
Avenue, Rock Island). Friday and Saturday 7 5 High School Art Invitational. Fortieth-
7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
p.m., Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. $12.50. For annual exhibit of works by student artists.
information and tickets, call (563)940-1956 or Quad City Arts Center (1715 Second Avenue,
Our season finale boasts two orchestras, two choirs,
and two organs in an inspiring English-language
performance of Bachs masterpiece, St. Matthew Passion.
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
MUSIC
T
heres a seemingly obvious reason
Doyle Bramhall II was pretty much out
of the spotlight between the releases
of his 2001 album Welcome and last years
gorgeously mature and textured Rich Man:
The dudes been busy.
As you might guess, the real storys a bit
more complicated and interesting.
In a recent phone interview promoting his
April 14 concert at the Redstone Room, Bram-
halls explanation for the 16-year gap between
albums bearing his name didnt touch on a
hectic schedule. It just took him that long to
be ready. I have arrived into my own skin, he
said. I feel really comfortable here.
By the time Welcome came out, the
Texas-born and -bred guitarist and singer/
songwriter already had an impressive career,
touring as a member of The Fabulous Thun-
derbirds (at age 18), co-founding Arc Angels
(with Charlie Sexton), and working with
Roger Waters and Eric Clapton.
To crib from Wikipedia, the intervening
years have included collaborations with an
enviable gallery of luminaries: T-Bone Burnett,
Elton John, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi,
Gary Clark Jr., Gregg Allman, Dr. John,
Allen Toussaint, Billy Preston, Erykah Badu,
Questlove, and Meshell Ndegeocello. He has
toured with and produced Sheryl Crow and
continued working with Clapton, including
co-producing his 2013 album Old Sock.
But until roughly 2010, Bramhall said,
something was missing that kept him from
going into the studio as a solo artist. I sort
of had a troubled past, and the reason I went
down the road of trouble from the begin-
ning is ... I didnt feel very comfortable in my
own skin, he said. I didnt really know how
to express myself in a lot of ways, and I think
that music was one way, but I was pretty
stifled in other ways, and closed off. It took
me a long time, even though I had a career,
and I raised a family, and I did all these
things that on paper looked really great, and
that Im really proud of. But I also felt like I
wasnt completely, 100-percent connected to
it, and I dont know why.
That changed on a tour with Crow, which
coincided with the failure of his 13-year
marriage. I was going through a really hard
break-up, he said. A really rough time.
River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
Arrived in
His Own Skin
Doyle Bramhall II, April 14 at the Redstone Room
Not an easy separation. And ... through all
the suffering through that and the painful
process of that and being away from my
children, I just sort of blew a fuse. But I blew
the fuse that needed to be blown, apparently.
My life shifted in a way that I just felt con-
nected to everything, and felt like there was
real purpose to my life, and meaning, for the
first time. ...
I was in a constant state of it [connection]
from that point going forward. When my
father [drummer and singer/songwriter Doyle
Bramhall, who worked regularly with Jimmie
and Stevie Ray Vaughan] died a year later, I
was really grateful that I had had that sort of
shift in my life that allowed me to be really
connected and go through the process of his
death. I think that if that would have hap-
pened before that, I would have really missed
out on the beautiful side of the death process.
Rich Mans second track, November,
is drawn from the period after Bramhalls
father died. I had these really deep experi-
ences after his death immediately after,
he said. And it lasted for a few months,
where I was having conversations with him
13
By Jeff Ignatius, jeff@rcreader.com
Photo by Danny Clinch
and feeling like we were finally close and
able to express things that we werent when
he was alive. When I was writing music for
November, it just viscerally felt like this is
the song that needed to be for him. It felt like
the music stylistically that we listened
to, that he played for me on record players in
the home.
Bramhall said that the sea change in his
life also resulted in having more profound
experiences playing live and connecting
with audiences and really enjoying, for the
first time, being on the road and having that
experience. Fully being connected to what
Im doing, and what the participation is with
the audience with me and how to connect in
that way. I thought that it was time to finally
do that on record.
But the journey to Rich Man had other
components. It was Clapton who pushed
Bramhall to begin producing in about 2008.
I didnt think of myself as being a producer
... , he said. He had pointed out that I did
have a knack for it, and that a lot of the
Continued On Page 14
14 River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
THEATRE
Theres No Place Like Rome
Coriolanus, at the QC Theatre Workshop through April 1
S
hakespeare provided us with tales of
tragedy, comedy, and history. The Prenzie
Players, meanwhile, have been perform-
ing Shakespeares plays for many years and
still exhibit a deep passion for his words and
stories, as evidenced by their latest production
Coriolanus. I attended the March 23 preview in
which the cast and crew delivered an exciting
performance, especially in light of one of the
actors losing his voice. (More on that later.)
Jeremy Mahr directed a talented troupe of
performers while his design crew set the tone,
with Matt Elliott creating a sparse set suggesting
white marble, designer Tyson Danner supply-
ing simple yet stark white lighting, and sound
designer Bret Churchill providing ambiance
that thrums with tension. It all added up to
something cool and edgy.
Set in ancient Rome, the drama finds General
Caius Martius (later renamed Coriolanus)
returning victorious from battle. Having saved
the city, he is entreated by a grateful Senate to
become Romes leader. But the citizens, spurred
on by two tribunes, are in revolt, wanting more
food, more voice in their government, and Corio-
lanus dead. Unfortunately, our hero does nothing
to ingratiate himself to the people, whom he
perceives as scum. Having been raised by a calcu-
lating mother who instilled in him a giant ego, he
is unable to connect with them on any level, and
after his eventual banishment, Coriolanus vows
revenge against Rome.
Mahrs take on Shakespeares story begins
with citizens (Andy Curtiss, Mischa Hooker,
Payton Brasher, and Liz Sager) entering wielding
a variety of weapons and taking seats in the
audience while delivering their lines with
effective anger. Imploring us to join the fray, they
immediately drew the audience into the action,
even getting us to shout as if part of a mob.
Calming the unruly citizens is Menenius
(Adam Michael Lewis), and before the start of
Thursdays preview, it was explained that Lewis
had lost his voice; although the actor would be
on stage, Mahr would be reading Menenius
lines from the audience. Have you ever seen
someone give a speech alongside someone sign-
ing that speech for the hearing-impaired, and
realize you cant take your eyes off the translator
because of his or her expressions and gestures?
That is what this was like. Lewis must have mime
training in his past, because on-stage, his expres-
sions and body language matched the dialogue
so perfectly that I soon grew accustomed to the
evenings unanticipated, quirky idiosyncrasy.
Coriolanus, here, appears incapable of
empathy, and Jarrod DeRooi plays the part
with a not-so-brutish subtlety, at his best when
delivering some of his more fiery dialogue with
intense precision. As his mother Volumnia,
By Victoria Navarro
Beth Woolley and Denise Yoder
Denise Yoder had the formidable task of
presenting her as a toxic combo of dominance,
iciness, ruthlessness, and creepy obsession with
her son. Despite a few stuttered lines early on,
Yoder soon gained focus to deliver an adroit
performance, making Beth Woolleys Virgilia
Coriolanus quiet, loyal wife almost fade,
appropriately, into the background.
Tracy Skaggs and Jake Walker have great
chemistry as rabble-rousing tribunes Sicinius
and Brutus, the actors portrayals making these
secondary characters important and memo-
rable. Jesse Mohrs Cominius, a soldier loyal
to Coriolanus, retains his hardened-by-battle
look and demeanor throughout, but eventually
shows genuine heartbreak when rejected by
him. And I was intrigued when the program
listed that the enemy general Aufidia was being
played by Maggie Woolley. I thought: Score one
for feminists! Until she made her entrance.
While all the other soldiers were in tunics
and ankle-length pants, Wooley appeared in
a short tunic with laced-to-the-knee sandals,
showgirl makeup, and a lot of leg showing, look-
ing like an ancient-Roman Wonder Woman
wannabe. During the post-show Q&A, costume
designer Catherine Bodenbender explained
that because of some acrobatic moves in a fight
scene, the outfit worked better sans pants. But
I found it distracting to what was an otherwise
confident and competent performance by
Woolley, although thanks to choreographers
Yoder, Brasher, and Aaron Sullivan, the fight
scenes are skillfully executed.
Coriolanus is a play that begins with tension
and never lets up, and it has many themes:
economic inequality, power and politics, the
consequences of changing loyalties, determined
mothers, self-destructive heroes. As performed
by the Prenzie Players, this 400-year-old work
drew me in and brought poetry and drama to life.
And, oh, did I mention? There will be blood!
Coriolanus runs at the QC Theatre Workshop
(1730 Wilkes Avenue, Davenport) through
April 1, and more information and tickets are
available by calling (563)484-4210 or visiting
PrenziePlayers.com.
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
MUSIC Continued From Page 13
Arrived in His Own Skin
things that I was doing in the studio with
him on other records was producing. He got
me confident enough to say, Sure, Ill try it
out. And from that situation I got a call to
produce Sheryl Crow and other artists. ...
I always had to rely on other people for
getting things from me, making things
happen. For me to be solely the creator of
something, or solely the visionary person
on it, and know that I oversaw all of it, it
was mine from beginning to end, was a big
deal to me, because in bands I was always
more of the passive person, the foil. It gave
me a confidence, being a producer, that I
knew what I needed to do for myself. And if
I didnt know, I would bring in other people
that I knew could co-produce with me. ... I
really like collaborating ... .
And Bramhall traveled extensively
most notably to Africa for inspiration. I
was just interested in learning about music
and listening to music and being moved
by music, he said. The kind of music that
moves me, traveling to the places that I
could see it firsthand. I was very lucky grow-
ing up in Austin, Texas, in the South, where
I could see a lot of the blues artists that
were still alive. Lightnin Hopkins, Albert
Collins, Albert King, Freddie King. ... I sort
of became only able to listen to really pure
music; there wasnt a lot of pop music that I
could listen to. ...
I just think it made my quest to see really
pure music, or music in its most pure form.
And thats what I did. I traveled the world
doing that. And when I finally decided it
was time for me to make a record, all those
influences and all those things that Id gath-
ered over the years were just innately in the
breadth of my music.
Rich Man does have some flourishes
reflecting those sojourns. They seem
undiluted in the dusty, wordless Saharan
Crossing, while My People builds a bridge
from its beginnings African flavor to its
meats blues.
But the album primarily works in sturdy,
rootsy guitar rock. My favorite is The
Veil, a break-up song with a bright groove
but swells of bitterness and agitation in the
chorus, smoothed over by a closing section of
funk that provides some positive resolution.
That song and the album as a whole are
anchored by Bramhalls warm voice and
thoughtful, full arrangements that bal-
ance virtuosity with songcraft. (Even the
patiently explosive cover of Hendrixs Hear
My Train A Comin that closes the album
has finesse to spare.) This is part of Bram-
halls production philosophy.
Im pretty fickle about the sonic aspect
of things, he said. The tones of things are
By Jeff Ignatius
jeff@rcreader.com
really important to me. Its all expressive.
... The sonic aspect is as important as the
songwriting and the arrangements and the
singing and the playing and all of it. ... These
productions were a really important part of
expressing songs in a way that I was moved
growing up. ...
I dont like when the recording and engi-
neering of records ... start to get in the way of
performance. Then that can be a bummer.
I still dont like to spend a lot of time getting
sounds, but I do like specific sounds. So I
will get the sound that I want before I start
singing or playing. Because theres no point
in me playing unless Im inspired by the
sound of it.
Given the 16-month recording pro-
cess and the care with which Rich Man is
performed, produced, and arranged, its a
bit surprising that it was mostly written in
the studio. Im constantly writing songs;
I always have a stockpile of them around,
Bramhall said. But when I started this
record, I wanted to capture this time in
my life, so I just went in and started from
scratch. I had a few song ideas. I had a piece
of The Veil and the song The Samanas and
November. ... Then everything else I wrote
pretty much the day that I was going in the
studio. Id write a song, and Id go and cut it.
Another unusual aspect of the record is
that once it was finished and ordered an
intuitive, quick process, Bramhall said I
realized that it sort of told the story in the
sequence that it happened in my life.
And he said that, half a year after its
release, hes proud of Rich Man although
he credits experience as much as anything
else for its strength.
The songs are more sophisticated and
more evolved than the records that Id made
[previously], just from 15 or 16 years more of
living, ... traveling the world and learning as
much as I can about music. Delving into all
kinds of music history. It all comes back out
after I take it in.
And theres more to come out sooner
rather than later, he said: Ive been writing
lately. It feels like if I write stuff in whatever
time that I have, as soon as I get a break
maybe at the end of summer I can go back
and record another record.
Doyle Bramhall II will perform on Friday,
April 14, at the Redstone Room (129 Main
Street, Davenport; RiverMusicExperienc.org).
The 8 p.m. show also features Future Stuff.
Tickets plus fees are $32.50 in advance and
$33 the day of the show.
For more information on Doyle Bramhall II,
visit DB2Music.com.
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
Vol. 24 No. 931
March 30 - April 12, 2017
River Cities Reader
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Kathleen McCarthy
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The most comprehensive events calendar in the QC
Since 1993
RiverCitiesReader.com/Calendar
THEATRE
King of the Hill
The Music Man, at the Circa 21 Dinner Playhouse through May 13
I
n the Circa 21 Dinner Playhouses current,
topnotch production of The Music Man,
the signature image is actually an image
in motion: actor Don Denton, in his role as
Harold Hill, strolling or more accurately
gliding across the stage.
When used to describe a performance, the
adjective weightless is generally employed as
a kind of insult implying a lack of emotional
heft. But Denton, as Meredith Willsons leg-
endary huckster, seems weightless in a nearly
literal way; only the laws of gravity appear
to be keeping Hills feet on the ground, and
even then, his shoes are loaded with springs.
(This latter part I mean figuratively ... unless
Gregory Hiatts magnificent costume designs
include, for Hill, some truly miraculous
footwear.) With his brisk stride suggesting a
man determined to stay several steps ahead of
everybody, Dentons Hill doesnt walk so much
as take tiny balletic leaps wherever he goes.
And when the untrustworthy salesman and
faux bandleader makes a particularly sudden
motion jumping onto a table, say, or in front
of Paige Salters Marian Paroo he appears
to stay airborne for just an instant beyond
human capability. You could chalk all this up
to excellent physical acting, and it is. But Den-
tons jubilant air of relaxed confidence, and the
sweetly devilish gleam in his eye, tell you that
Hills movements are mere extensions of his
quick wit and easy charisma. When director/
choreographer Jim Hesselmans presentation
is really rolling, the show exudes a similar
sense of buoyant, effortless charm.
Its certainly there whenever Salter is
showcased. Her light, fluttery soprano is
ideal for the delicate loveliness of Goodnight
My Someone and My White Knight, and trs adorbs.
Salters portrayal gives us a smart, sensible,
wounded Marian whos pretty sure shes being
conned but level-headed and openhearted
enough to realize how little it matters. (In real
life, Salter and Denton are getting married this
fall, and their sweet and salty stage rapport
would seem to explode the popular myth
that happy couples cant share vibrant co-star
chemistry.) But the phenomenally well-sung
Music Man a work thats both a celebration
of, and rebuke to, the customs of small-town
Iowa is teeming with additional unforced
delights, few of which are more delight-
ful than River Citys makeshift barbershop
River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
Paige Salter, Don Denton, and ensemble members
quartet composed of Marc Ciemiewicz, Brad
Hauskins, Doug Kutzli, and Tristan Tapscott.
Given Ciemiewiczs solid bass notes, Tapscotts
cheeky falsetto, and Hauskins and Kutzlis
rich tenor and baritenor, I couldve happily lis-
tened to Ice Cream and Goodnight, Ladies
in hours-long loops.
Yet theres also the bouncy word salad of the
Rock Island opener to enjoy, and the giddy
anticipation in The Wells Fargo Wagon,
and the chirpy gossiping of those Pickalittle
(Talk-a-Little) busybodies. Ive attended
numerous Music Mans (Music Men?) over the
years, and have never seen (Ya Got) Trouble
delivered with so little sweat; at the March
17 performance, Denton spit out Willsons
tongue-twisting lyrics with such no-biggie
aplomb he may as well have been singing
Happy Birthday. Hesselmans choreogra-
phy, meanwhile, is consistently energetic and
oftentimes clever. But he truly outdoes himself
in the Marian the Librarian routine, staging
it as an endearing five-minute sitcom with Hill
coercing a roomful of kids into quietly acting
out and making himself, in the process, look
You may have noticed how many famed
Music Man numbers are given stellar treat-
ment in Circa 21s latest and those titles I
mentioned, which dont even include that
Seventy-Six Trombones ear-worm, only
get us to the end of Act I. (Like me, you may
also be forced to check your program at
intermission wondering what other recogniz-
able tunes could possibly still land, having
momentarily forgotten about Gary, Indiana,
and Till There Was You, and Lida Rose,
and Shipoopi ... .) Yet thats a measure
not only of Willsons supremely satisfying
accomplishment, but of just how much there
15
By Mike Schulz
mike@rcreader.com
is to talk about ... even if not all that talk,
on the day I saw the show, wouldve been
entirely complimentary.
Although a genial performer and inar-
guably outstanding dancer, Joey Boos was
required to play much younger than his years
as teen scoundrel Tommy and consequently
came off as strained, as did too much of Brett
Mutters initially winning mugging as the
scallywag Marcellus. The amplified sound in
early group songs was muddy, which made us
miss some great Iowa Stubborn lyrics. And
while the scene changes on designer Erica
Zaffaranos impressively functional set were
handled with seamless panache, the same
couldnt be said for how we saw them lit. With
a half-dozen or so different presentational
styles seemingly (accidentally?) attempted,
the shifts were simultaneously amazing for
their deftness and unfortunate for their lack of
cohesive polish.
There were, however, more than enough
pleasures to make up for the random flaws,
and most of them came via Hesselmans gener-
ous direction of his game, gifted ensemble.
Todd Tucker delivered eccentric character
comedy and unpredictable readings as Mayor
Shinn, while the superb Kay Francis pulled off
a full Florence Foster Jenkins as the mayors
aging-debutante wife. Rachelle Walljasper
was typically marvelous as Marians funny,
down-to-earth mom, and had a spot-on Irish
brogue, to boot. (And a Happy St. Patricks
Day to you, Rachelle!) Meanwhile, the child
actors were clearly having a ball, perhaps none
more so than Julian Anderson, who alternat-
ing the role with Brennan Hampton played
the lisping Winthrop on March 17 with such
tonality, vocal clarity, enthusiasm, and joy that
some wise producer needs to sign him, pronto,
for a touring turn as Les Misrables Gavroche.
Taken overall, this Music Man was terrific.
Whenever Anderson stole the show, it was
positively thcrumpthyuth.
The Music Man runs at the Circa 21 Dinner
Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island)
through May 13, and more information and
tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733
extension 2 or visiting Circa21.com.
16 River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
Loot Conquers All
Nobody expects a free meal from a restau-
rant. So whats with wedding guests who think
its acceptable to give no gift or just $100 from
two people? My understanding is that you
are supposed to cover your plate the cost
of your meal (at least $100 per person). If you
cant, you shouldnt attend. Im planning my
wedding and considering not inviting four
couples who gave no gift at my two siblings
weddings. Upsettingly, most are family mem-
bers (and arent poor). Id hate to cut out family,
but if they wont contribute, what else can I do?
Angry Bride
If gift price is tied to meal price, it seems there
should be a sliding scale. Uncle Bob, wholl
singlehandedly suck down 16 trays of canapes
and drain the open bar, should pony up for that
Herms toaster oven. But then theres Leslie,
that raw vegan who only drinks by licking dew
off leaves. Whaddya think can she get by
with a garlic press and a handmade hemp card?
The truth is that this cover your plate thing
is not a rule. Its just an ugly idea thats gained
traction in parts of the country those where
Bridezillas have transformed getting married
into a fierce social death match the wedding
spend-athalon. What gets lost in this struggle
to out-lavish the competition is the point of the
wedding: publicly joining two people in mar-
riage, not separating their friends and relatives
from as much cash as possible. And though its
customary for guests to give gifts, The Oxford
English Dictionary defines gift as a thing
given willingly as opposed to a mandatory
cover charge to help fund the rented chocolate
waterfall, complete with white mocha rapids
and four-story slide manned by Mick Jagger
and Jon Bon Jovi.
But because you incorrectly believe that
guests owe you (more than their company),
youve awakened your ancient inner accoun-
tant, the human cheater-detection system.
Evolutionary psychologists Leda Cosmides
and John Tooby describe this as a specialized
module the human brain evolved for detecting
cheaters people who have intentionally taken
the benefit specified in a social exchange rule
without satisfying the requirement.
Identifying and punishing freeloading slack-
ers was especially vital in an ancestral environ-
ment, where there werent always enough grubs
to go around. These days, however, maybe you
have the luxury to do as I advise in Good Man-
ners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F---:
Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica CA 90405, or e-mail
AdviceAmy@aol.com (AdviceGoddess.com). Weekly radio show: BlogTalkRadio.com/AmyAlkon. Order Amy
Alkons book, Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F--- (St. Martins Press, June 3, 2014).
2017, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved.
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
refuse to let a few (apparent) Stingy McMingies
shape who you are which is created through
how you behave. Instead of grinding down
into tit for tat, you can decide to be generous. Its
a thematically nice way to start a marriage in
which 50/50 can sometimes be 95/Hey, dont
I at least get your 5 percent? It also makes for
a far less cluttered invitation than RSVP
with the price of the gift youre getting us so
we know whether to serve you the Cornish
game hen at the table or the bowl of water on the
floor. Thanks!
Hello Hath No Fury
Though my boyfriend is loving and atten-
tive, hes bad at responding to my texts. Hes
especially bad while traveling, which he does
often for his work. Granted, half my texts
are silly memes. I know these things arent
important, so why do I feel so hurt when he
doesnt reply?
Waiting
Youd just like your boyfriend to be more
responsive than a gigantic hole. (Yell into the
Grand Canyon and youll get a reply. And it isnt
even having sex with you.)
Whats getting lost here is the purpose of the
GIF of parakeets re-enacting the Ali/Frazier
fight or the cat flying through space on the
burrito. Consider that, in the chase phase, some
men text like crazy, hoping to banter a woman
into bed. But once theres a relationship, men
(disproportionately) use texting as a logistical
tool b there in 5 while women continue
using it as a tool for emotional connection.
Thats probably why you feel so bad. Feeling
ignored is also not ideal for a relationship. In
research psychologist John Gottman did on
newly married couples, the newlyweds who
were still together six years down the line
were those who were responsive toward their
partners bids for connection consistently
meeting them with love, encouragement, sup-
port, or just attention.
Explain this bids for connection thing to
your boyfriend. (That mongoose in a dress is
just meme-ese for Yoo-hoo! You still there?)
However, especially when hes traveling, a little
reasonableness from you in what counts as
a reply should go a long way. Maybe tell him
youd be happy with Ha!, LOL, or an emoji.
Youd just like to see more than your own blink-
ing cursor looking like Morse code for If he
loved you, hed at least text you that smiling
swirl of poo.
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
For reviews of current releases,
visit RiverCitiesReader.com FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The
dragon that stole your treasure will
return it. Tulips and snapdragons will
blossom in a field you thought was a wasteland.
Gargoyles from the abyss will crawl into view, but
then meekly lick your hand and reveal secrets you
can really use. The dour troll that guards the
bridge to the Next Big Thing will let you pass even
though you dont have the password. April Fool!
Everything I just described is only metaphori-
cally, not literally, true.
And follow Mike on Twitter at
Twitter.com/MikeSchulzNow TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
According to legend, Buddha had to
face daunting tests to achieve
enlightenment. A diabolical adversary tempted
March 16 Crossword Answers him with sensual excesses and assailed him with
vortexes of blistering mud, flaming ice, and
howling rocks. Happily, Buddha glided into a state
of wise calm and triumphed over the mayhem. He
converted his nemesiss vortexes into bouquets of
flowers and celestial ointments. What does this
have to do with you? In accordance with current
astrological omens, I hope you will emulate
Buddha as you deal with your own initiatory tests.
April Fool! I wasnt completely honest. Its true
youll face initiatory tests that could prod you to a
higher level of wisdom. But theyll most likely
come from allies and inner prompts rather than a
diabolical adversary.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Since I
expect youll soon be tempted to
indulge in too much debauched fun
and riotous release, Ill offer you a good hangover
remedy. Throw these ingredients into a blender,
then drink up: a 1,000-year-old quail egg from
China, seaweed from Antarctica, milk from an
Iraqi donkey, lemon juice imported from
Kazakhstan, and a dab of Argentinian toothpaste
on which the moon has shone for an hour. April
Fool! I deceived you. You wont have to get crazy
drunk or stoned to enjoy extreme pleasure and
cathartic abandon. It will come to you quite
naturally especially if you expand your mind
through travel, big ideas, or healthy experiments.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Hire a
promoter to create gold plaques listing
your accomplishments and hang them
up in public places. Or pay someone to make a
thousand bobble-head dolls in your likeness, each
wearing a royal crown, and give them away to
everyone you know. Or enlist a pilot to fly a small
plane over a sporting event while trailing a banner
that reads, [Your name] is a gorgeous genius
worthy of worshipful reverence. April Fool! What I
just advised was a distorted interpretation of the
cosmic omens. Heres the truth: The best way to
celebrate your surging power is not by reveling in
frivolous displays of pride, but rather by making a
bold move that will render a fantastic dream 10
percent more possible for you to accomplish.
LEO (July 23-August 22): Endangered
species: black rhino, Bornean
orangutan, hawksbill turtle, South
River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
China tiger, Sumatran elephant, and the Leo
messiah complex. You may not be able to do
much to preserve the first five on that list, but
please get to work on saving the last. Its time for a
massive eruption of your megalomania. April
Fool! I was exaggerating for effect. Theres no
need to go overboard in reclaiming your messiah
complex. But please do take strong action to stoke
your self-respect, self-esteem, and confidence.
VIRGO (August 23-September 22):
Race through your yoga routine so you
have more time to surf the Internet.
Inhale doughnuts and vodka in the car as you
race to the health-food store. Get into a
screaming fight with a loved one about how you
desperately need more peace and tenderness.
April Fool! A little bit of self-contradiction would
be cute, but not that much. And yet I do worry
that you are close to expressing that much. The
problem may be that you havent been giving
your inner rebel any high-quality mischief to
attend to. As a result, its bogged down in trivial
insurrections. So please give your inner rebel
more important work to do.
LIBRA (September 23-October 22):
Research shows that a typical working
couple devotes an average of four
minutes per day in meaningful conversations. I
suggest you boost that output by at least 10
percent. Try to engage your best companion in
four minutes and 24 seconds of intimate talk per
day. April Fool! I lied. A 10-percent increase isnt
nearly enough. Given the current astrological
indicators, you must seek out longer and deeper
exchanges with the people you love. Can you
manage 20 minutes per day?
SCORPIO (October 23-November
21): In a way, its too bad youre about
to lose your mind. The chaos that
ensues will be a big chore to clean up. But in
another sense, losing your mind may be a lucky
development. The process of reassembling it will
be entertaining and informative. And as a result,
your problems will become more fascinating
than usual, and your sins will be especially
original. April Fool! I lied, sort of. You wont
really lose your mind. But this much is true: Your
problems will be more fascinating than usual,
and your sins will be especially original. Thats a
good thing! It may even help you recover a rogue
part of your mind that you lost a while back.
SAGITTARIUS (November
22-December 21): You say that some of
the healthiest foods dont taste good?
And that some of your pleasurable diversions
seem to bother people you care about? You say its
too much hassle to arrange for a certain
adventure that you know would be exciting and
meaningful? Heres what I have to say about all
that: Stop whining. April Fool! I lied. The truth is:
There will soon be far fewer reasons for you to
whine. The discrepancies between what you have
to do and what you want to do will at least
17
By Rob Brezsny
partially dissolve. So will the gaps between whats
good for you and what feels good, and between
what pleases others and what pleases you.
CAPRICORN (December 22-Janu-
ary 19): You should begin work on a
book with one of the following titles,
and you should finish writing it no later than
April 28: The Totally Intense Four Weeks of My
Life When I Came All the Way Home , The
Wildly Productive Four Weeks of My Life When I
Discovered the Ultimate Secrets of Domestic
Bliss , The Crazily Meaningful Four Weeks
When I Permanently Anchored Myself in the
Nourishing Depths. April Fool! I lied. Theres no
need to actually write a book such as those. But I
do hope you seek out and generate experiences
that would enable you to write books with
those titles.
AQUARIUS (January 20-February
18): If you were a passenger on a plane
full of your favorite celebrities, and the
pilot had to make an emergency landing on a
remote snowbound mountain, and you had to
eat one of the celebrities to stay alive until
rescuers found you, which celebrity would you
want to eat first? April Fool! That was a really
stupid and pointless question. I cant believe I
asked it. I hope you didnt waste a nanosecond
thinking about what your reply might be. Heres
the truth, Aquarius: Youre in a phase of your
astrological cycle when the single most
important thing you can do is ask and answer
really good questions.
PISCES (February 19-March 20): You
now have an elevated chance of finding
a crumpled one-dollar bill on a
sidewalk. Theres also an increased likelihood
youll get a coupon for a 5-percent discount from
a carpet-shampoo company, or win enough
money in the lottery to buy a new sweatshirt. To
enhance these possibilities, all you have to do is
sit on your ass and wish really hard that good
economic luck will come your way. April Fool!
What I just said was kind of true, but also useless.
Heres more interesting news: The odds are better
than average that youll score tips on how to
improve your finances. You may also be invited
to collaborate on a potentially lucrative project,
or receive an offer of practical help for a
bread-and-butter dilemma. To encourage these
outcomes, all you have to do is develop a
long-term plan for improved money
management.
Homework: Carry out a prank that makes some-
one feel good. Report results at TruthRooster@
gmail.com and visit FreeWillAstrology.com.
Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsnys
EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES
& DAILY TEXT MESSAGE HOROSCOPES
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at
1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700
18 River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017
Live Music Live Music Live Music
Email all listings to calendar@rcreader.com Deadline 5 p.m. Thursday before publication
THURSDAY 30
David Tahere Claire Kuttler
Perry Mears First Presbyterian
Church of Davenport, 1702 Iowa
St., Davenport IA
Mipso Goosetown Gabes, 330 E.
Washington St., Iowa City IA
Moeller Nights: Dent May Triple
Crown Whiskey Bar & Raccoon
Motel, 304 E Third St., Davenport IA
FRIDAY 31
Bobby Ray Bunch Kilkennys, 300
W. 3rd St., Davenport IA
Chachuba Poppa Neptune Iowa
City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St, Iowa
City IA
Chuck Murphy Riverside Grille,
1733 State St., Bettendorf IA
Cobalt Blue 11th Street Precinct,
1107 Mound St., Davenport IA
Code 415 Parkside Grill & Lounge,
2307 5th Ave, Moline IL
Deb Talan The Mill, 120 E.
Burlington St., Iowa City IA
Eddie Van Haskell Harley Corins,
1708 State St., Bettendorf IA
Family Groove Company EGi
The Redstone Room, 129 Main St,
Davenport IA
Greg & Rich Acoustic Duo The
Grape Life Wine Store & Lounge,
3402 Elmore Ave., Davenport IA
LKB Trio (6pm) 1 Hundred West
Bar & Dance Club, 100 76th St.,
Davenport IA
Material Girl Riverside Casino and
Golf Resort, 3184 Highway 22,
Riverside IA
Mike Cochrane RME Community
Stage, 129 N. Main St., Davenport
IA
The Moods Rhythm City Casino
Resort Rhythm Room, 7077 Elmore
Ave., Davenport IA
Still Shine Sean Ryan Kelsey
Lillion RIBCO, 1815 Second Ave.,
Rock Island IL
The Undertones Cactus Country,
3075 W. Main St., Galesburg IL
Wild Oatz Band The Office Bar &
Grill, 305 3rd St., Sherrard IL
Windy City Dueling Pianos The
Circa 21 Speakeasy, 1818 Third
Ave., Rock Island IL
SATURDAY 1
13th Annual QC Parrot Head
Clubs Havana Daydreamin:
The Bamboozlers Jimmy &
the Parrots (6pm) Davenport
RiverCenter, 136 E. Third St.,
Davenport IA
The Acoustic Project (6pm) Cool
Beanz Coffeehouse, 1325 30th St.,
Rock Island IL
Aseethe Bereft Skellington
Manor Banquet & Event Center, 420
18th St, Rock Island IL
Blue Dog Blues Band Flatted
Fifth Blues & BBQ, 300 Potter Dr.,
Bellevue IA
Bobby Ray Bunch Kilkennys, 300
W. 3rd St., Davenport IA
Chuck Murphy The Black Sheep,
1730 2nd Ave., Rock Island IA
Columbus Symphony Orchestra
University of Dubuques Heritage
Center, 2255 Bennett St., Dubuque
IA
Corporate Rock Rookies Sports Bar,
2818 N. Brady St., Davenport IA
Craig Cardiff Aiden Landman
(6:30pm) Ca DZan, 411 South
Rd., Cambridge IL
Daylight Over Harley Corins, 1708
State St., Bettendorf IA
Flash in a Pan RecordRelease
Party Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S
Linn St, Iowa City IA
Gentian Waller, Crystal Weber, &
Jennifer Danielson Uptown
Bills Coffee House, 730 S. Dubuque
St., Iowa City IA
High Top Fade 11th Street Precinct,
1107 Mound St., Davenport IA
Material Girl Riverside Casino and
Golf Resort, 3184 Highway 22,
Riverside IA
Moeller Nights: Whitney
Helena Deland The Mill, 120 E.
Burlington St., Iowa City IA
The Moods Rhythm City Casino
Resort Rhythm Room, 7077 Elmore
Ave., Davenport IA
The Undertones My Place the Pub,
4405 State St., Bettendorf IA
Viking Moses Hamish Hawk
Mountain Swallower Rozz-Tox,
2108 Third Ave., Rock Island IL
Wild Oatz Band Len Browns North
Shore Inn, 700 N. Shore Dr., Moline
IL
SUNDAY 2 Chordbusters, 606 W. 2nd St.,
A nv i l N i g h t D e m o n
Graveshadow LyinHeart
Black Hilt (6pm) Gabes, 330 E.
Washington St., Iowa City IA
The Chordbusters Barbershop
Chorus (3pm) Bethel Wesley
United Methodist Church, 1201
13th St, Moline IL
Harmonious Wail (5pm) Flatted
Fifth Blues & BBQ, 300 Potter Dr.,
Bellevue IA
John Gorka & Lucy Kaplansky
CSPS/Legion Arts, 1103 3rd St SE,
Cedar Rapids IA
Lissie The Deslondes Black
Velvet Band Driftless Sisters
Jeremy Pinnell (5pm) Codfish
Hollow Barn, 5013 288th Ave.,
Maquoketa IA
MONDAY 3 Trustfall Within the Grey
Journey Asia iWireless Center,
1201 River Dr, Moline IL
Moeller Nights: Liz Cooper & the
Stampede Triple Crown Whiskey
Bar & Raccoon Motel, 304 E Third
St., Davenport IA
TUESDAY 4
Andrew Bird My Brightest
Diamond Hancher Auditorium,
101 East Park Rd., Iowa City IA
Blues Cafe (6:30pm) RME
Community Stage, 129 N. Main St.,
Davenport IA
Hexa TALsounds Ben Highnam
Gabes, 330 E. Washington St.,
Iowa City IA
Preoccupations Jay Som
Anthony Worden The Mill, 120 E.
Burlington St., Iowa City IA
Rock topia Live: A Classical
Revolution Adler Theatre, 136 E.
Third St., Davenport IA
Rootabaga Jazz School Tour
Co n ce r t f e at u ri n g Co r ey
Heppner Knoxville HIgh School
Auditorium, 809 E. Main St.,
Knoxville IL
Simon Schumacher Fir st
Presbyterian Church of Davenport,
1702 Iowa St., Davenport IA
WEDNESDAY 5
Ailie Robertson Laural Almquist
(6:30pm) Ca DZan, 411 South
Rd., Cambridge IL
Bridget Kearney Elizabeth Moen
Paul Cary The Mill, 120 E.
Burlington St., Iowa City IA
Elysia Crampton Lawrence
English MacMillan & Spengler
Gabes, 330 E. Washington St.,
Iowa City IA
Ghostface Killah AWTHNTKTS
Englert Theatre, 221 East
Washington St., Iowa City IA
Lifestyles Gosh Greg Wheeler &
the Polygamist Mall Cops Iowa
City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St, Iowa
City IA
Moeller Nights: 4onthefloor Me
Like Bees Triple Crown Whiskey
Bar & Raccoon Motel, 304 E Third
St., Davenport IA
Tommy Pickett & Friends (5:30pm)
Rivertown Grille & Bar, 2606 W.
Locust St., Davenport IA
THURSDAY 6 The Diamonds (8pm) The Hotrods
The Bad Plus Jack Lion The Mill,
120 E. Burlington St., Iowa City IA
Cloud Nothing Younger Maiden
Mars Gabes, 330 E. Washington
St., Iowa City IA
Colt 45 Band Riverside Casino and
Golf Resort, 3184 Highway 22,
Riverside IA
Davenport Chordbusters Guest
& Family Night The Davenport
Davenport IA
Drama Major (6pm) RME
Community Stage, 129 N. Main St.,
Davenport IA
Hailey Whitters Brian Johannesen
Ryan Joseph Anderson Iowa
City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St, Iowa
City IA
John Corabi Brandon Gibbs
Rascals Live, 1414 15th St., Moline IL
Knox College Faculty & Friends
Combo Fat Fish Pub, 158 N. Broad
St., Galesburg IL
A Tribute to John Denver (1 &
7:15pm) Circa 21 Dinner
Playhouse, 1828 Third Ave., Rock
Island IL
FRIDAY 7
3 Years Hollow Shallow Side
The Redstone Room, 129 Main St,
Davenport IA
Black Hawk College Jazz Ensemble
Concert (noon) Moline Public
Library, 3210 41st St., Moline IL
Chuck Murphy Hy-Vee Market Cafe
- Clinton, 901 S. 4th St., Clinton IA
DIIV Karen Meat Englert Theatre,
221 East Washington St., Iowa City
IA
Frank Derek Douglas Riverside
Casino and Golf Resort, 3184
Highway 22, Riverside IA
Funktastic Five 11th Street
Precinc t, 1107 Mound St.,
Davenport IA
JKB Trio (6pm) 1 Hundred West
Bar & Dance Club, 100 76th St.,
Davenport IA
Jlin & Mission Beat Iowa City Yacht
Club, 13 S Linn St, Iowa City IA
Jordan Danielsen The Faithful
Pilot Cafe & Spirits, 117 N Cody Rd,
LeClaire IA
The Knockoffs Cactus Country,
3075 W. Main St., Galesburg IL
Knox Alumni Big Band (8pm)
Victor Garcia Organ Quintet
(9:30pm) Fat Fish Pub, 158 N.
Broad St., Galesburg IL
Libido Funk Circus Rhythm City
Casino Resort Rhythm Room, 7077
Elmore Ave., Davenport IA
Pieta Brown The Feralings
DICKIE The Mill, 120 E. Burlington
St., Iowa City IA
Simply Three (3pm) Butterworth
Center, 1105 8th Street, Moline IL
The Stone Flowers Harley Corins,
1708 State St., Bettendorf IA
Tennis Sires The Port Authority Eastern Chapter, Polka Club of
Gabes, 330 E. Washington St., Iowa
City IA
SATURDAY 8
Bugeye Sprite Harley Corins, 1708
State St., Bettendorf IA
Cemetery Gatez RIBCO, 1815
Second Ave., Rock Island IL
Chuck Murphy Go Fish Marina Bar &
Grill, 411 River Dr., Princeton IA
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com
Viking Moses @ Rozz-Tox - April 1
Code 415 Hawkeye Tap Sports
Bar N Grill, 4646 Cheyenne Ave.,
Davenport IA
Condor & Jaybird Strange
Americans The Commanders
Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S Linn St,
Iowa City IA
Dallas Hendrix (6:30pm) Erica
Martin Band (8:30pm) Riverside
Casino and Golf Resort, 3184
Highway 22, Riverside IA
The Eli Young Band Riverside
Casino Event Center, 3184 Highway
22, Riverside IA
Future Rock w/ the Tripp Brothers
Gabes, 330 E. Washington St., Iowa
City IA
Greg & Rich Acoustic Duo Green
Tree Brewery, 309 N. Cody Rd.,
LeClaire IA
Gretchen Parlato Quartet Knox
Jazz Ensemble Gretchen
Parlato Quar tet (5pm)
Orpheum Theatre, 57 S. Kellogg
St., Galesburg IL
Have Your Cake 11th Street
Precinc t, 1107 Mound St.,
Davenport IA
John DAmato Blues Flatted
Fifth Blues & BBQ, 300 Potter Dr.,
Bellevue IA
Keith Rea James Herr (6:30pm)
Ca DZan, 411 South Rd.,
Cambridge IL
Libido Funk Circus Rhythm City
Casino Resort Rhythm Room, 7077
Elmore Ave., Davenport IA
Northern Parallels 05 w/ Mike
Derer & Higgy Rozz-Tox, 2108
Third Ave., Rock Island IL
The Old 57s (5pm) Class of 97 Eric Church iWireless Center, 1201
(9pm) Rivertown Grille & Bar,
2606 W. Locust St., Davenport IA
QCSO Masterworks VI: St. Matthew
Passion Adler Theatre, 136 E.
Third St., Davenport IA
Resurrgent Purgatorys Pub, 2104
State St, Bettendorf IA
Rootabaga Kids: The Victor Garcia
Organ Quintet (10:30am)
Galesburg Public Library, 40 E
Simmons St, Galesburg IL
Rufus Wainwright Laura Gibson
Englert Theatre, 221 East
Washington St., Iowa City IA
Wild Oatz Band Missipi Brewing
Company, 107 Iowa Ave.,
Muscatine IA
SUNDAY 9
Iowa Dance w/ Barefoot Becky &
The Ivanhoe Dutchmen (1:30pm)
Walcott Coliseum, 116 E Bryant St,
Walcott IA
Greg & Rich Acoustic Duo (2pm)
Len Browns North Shore Inn, 700
N. Shore Dr., Moline IL
Kickin Back (4pm) Judys Barge Inn,
600 W. Front St., Buffalo IA
Kishi Bashi J.E. Sunde Englert
Theatre, 221 East Washington St.,
Corporate Rock 11th Street
Iowa City IA
QCSO Masterworks VI: St. Matthew
Passion (2pm) Centennial Hall,
Augustana College, 3703 7th Ave.,
Rock Island IL
MONDAY 10
Golden State: Lone Star Revue
(6:30pm) RIBCO, 1815 Second
Ave., Rock Island IL
Moeller Nights: Canyon Spells
Ferdy Mayne Triple Crown
Whiskey Bar & Raccoon Motel, 304
E Third St., Davenport IA
Simply Three (6pm) Rock Island
Public Library - Main Library, 401
19th St., Rock Island IL
TUESDAY 11
2017 Worship Night in America:
Chris Tomlin Big Daddy Weave
Phil Wickham Zach Williams
Mosaic MSC Jason Barton
iWireless Center, 1201 River Dr,
Moline IL
Simply Three Bettendorf High
School Performing Arts Center,
3333 18th St., Bettendorf IA
WVIK/QCSO Signature Series IVa:
Carine Tinney Centennial Hall,
Augustana College, 3703 7th Ave.,
Rock Island IL
WEDNESDAY 12
Burlington Street Bluegrass Band
The Mill, 120 E. Burlington St., Iowa
City IA
River Dr, Moline IL
The Hunts University of Dubuques
Heritage Center, 2255 Bennett St.,
Dubuque IA
THURSDAY 13
Devin Tha Dude Will Murk
Jordan Burgett QonfliQ w/
Freestyle Diamonte Zeke the
Rapper The Guy Fly (6:30pm)
Gabes, 330 E. Washington St., Iowa
City IA
Ed James (5pm) Hy-Vee Market
Grille - Moline, 4218 Avenue of the
Cities, Moline IL
The Ghost Wolves Jenny Lynn
Stacy & the Dirty Roosters Rozz-
Tox, 2108 Third Ave., Rock Island IL
Last Call Band w/ Chad Johnson
Riverside Casino and Golf Resort,
3184 Highway 22, Riverside IA
Liverpool Legends: The Complete
Beatles Experience Isle Casino
Hotel Bettendorf, 1777 Isle
Parkway, Bettendorf IA
Moeller Nights: Six Organs of
Admittance Triple Crown
Whiskey Bar & Raccoon Motel, 304
E Third St., Davenport IA
FRIDAY 14
Bobby Ray Bunch Riverside Grille,
1733 State St., Bettendorf IA
Chuck Murphy Stone Cliff Winery,
474 Bluff St, Dubuque IA
Precinc t, 1107 Mound St.,
Davenport IA
(9:45pm) Riverside Casino and
Golf Resort, 3184 Highway 22,
Riverside IA
Doyle Bramhall II Future Stuff
The Redstone Room, 129 Main St,
Davenport IA
Fred Hersch Trio (7 & 9:30pm)
Hancher Auditorium, 101 East Park
Rd., Iowa City IA
LKB Trio (6pm) 1 Hundred West
Bar & Dance Club, 100 76th St.,
Davenport IA
Live Lunch w/ Tony Hoeppner
(noon) RME Community Stage,
129 N. Main St., Davenport IA
Liverpool Legends: The Complete
Beatles Experience Isle Casino
Hotel Bettendorf, 1777 Isle
Parkway, Bettendorf IA
Lorrie Morgan Jodi Miller Adler
Theatre, 136 E. Third St., Davenport
IA
The Manny Lopez Big Band (6pm)
The Circa 21 Speakeasy, 1818 Third
Ave., Rock Island IL
Molly Conrad John Franco (6pm)
Milltown Coffee, 3800 River Drive
#2, Moline IL
NEHI Deleters The Mill, 120 E.
Burlington St., Iowa City IA
QC Nu Gruv Society Rozz-Tox, 2108
Third Ave., Rock Island IL
Roger Carlson The Grape Life Wine
Store & Lounge, 3402 Elmore Ave.,
Davenport IA
Ton O Fun Band Rhythm City
Casino Resort Rhythm Room, 7077
Elmore Ave., Davenport IA
Tony Hamilton Orchestra Dance
Walcott Coliseum, 116 E Bryant St,
Walcott IA
SATURDAY 15
Aaron Lee Tasjan Daytrotter, 324
Brady St., Davenport IA
Chuck Murphy Main Avenue Pub,
115 Main Ave., Clinton IA
Darren Jay & the Delta Souls
Flatted Fifth Blues & BBQ, 300
Potter Dr., Bellevue IA
The Diamonds (8pm) Pastmasters
(9:45pm) Riverside Casino and
Golf Resort, 3184 Highway 22,
Riverside IA
The Fez The Mill, 120 E. Burlington
St., Iowa City IA
Fifty Shades of Rock Purgatorys
Pub, 2104 State St, Bettendorf IA
Fred Hersch Trio (7 & 9:30pm)
Hancher Auditorium, 101 East Park
Rd., Iowa City IA
Greg & Rich Acoustic Duo Geneseo
Brewing Company, 102 S. State St.,
Geneseo IL
I Love the 90s Tour: Salt n Pepa All
4 One Color Me Badd Coolio
Tone Loc Rob Base Young
MC iWireless Center, 1201 River
Dr, Moline IL
The Knockoffs The Office Bar & Grill,
305 3rd St., Sherrard IL
Lipstick Slick Harley Corins, 1708
State St., Bettendorf IA
Mandy Barnett: Sweet Dreams
Ohnward Fine Arts Center, 1215 E
Platt St., Maquoketa IA
The Pork Tornadoes & Dirty Rotten
Scoundrels: Then Vs Now
Paramount Theatre, 123 3rd St. SE,
Cedar Rapids IA
Tangent 11th Street Precinct, 1107
Mound St., Davenport IA
Ton O Fun Band Rhythm City
Casino Resort Rhythm Room, 7077
Elmore Ave., Davenport IA
Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017 19

DJs/Karaoke/
Jams/Open Mics BABY STEPS MARCH 30, 2017
Crossword March 16 Answers: Page 17

THURSDAYS
Cross Creek Karaoke Hey Bryans,
1140 15th Ave., Moline IL
Cross Creek Karaoke (Mar. 30) Jims
Knoxville Tap, 8716 Knoxville Rd.,
Milan IL
DJ Night w/ 90s Music Thirstys on
Third, 2202 W. Third St., Davenport IA
Jam Session & Mug Night (Mar. 30)
Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S. Linn St.,
Iowa City IA
Karaoke Night Bier Stube Moline, 415
15th St., Moline IL
Karaoke w/ Double Dz Purgatorys
Pub, 2104 State St., Bettendorf IA
Open Jam Session My Place the Pub,
4405 State St., Bettendorf IA
Open Mic Night Uptown Bills Coffee
House, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City IA
Open Mic w/ H.C. Wallace (March 30)
Geneseo Brewing Company, 102 S.
State St., Geneseo IL
Rock the House Karaoke Bottoms Up
on 7th, 1814 Seventh St., Moline IL
Thumpin Thursdays DJ Night
Rascals Live, 1414 15th St., Moline IL
Karaoke Night V.F.W. Post 9128, 2814
State St., Bettendorf IA
Karaoke Night w/ Mike Matthews
Hollars Bar & Grill, 4050 27th St.,
Moline IL
Soulshake (Mar. 31) Gabes, 330 E.
Washington St., Iowa City IA
SATURDAYS
Cross Creek Karaoke Jims Knoxville
Tap, 8716 Knoxville Rd., Milan IL
Irish Music Session (Apr. 1, 3pm)
Uptown Bills Coffee House, 730 S.
Dubuque St., Iowa City IA
Karaoke Night The Grove Tap, 108 S.
First St., Long Grove IA
Karaoke Night K & Ts Bike Rack Sports
Bar & Grill, 3303 Brady St., Davenport IA
Karaoke Night Miller Time Bowling,
2902 E. Kimberly Rd., Davenport IA
Karaoke Night Roadrunners
Roadhouse, 3803 Rockingham Rd.,
Davenport IA
Karaoke Night Thirstys on Third, 2202
W. Third St., Davenport IA
Karaoke Night w/ Jim Harker Hollars
Bar & Grill, 4050 27th St., Moline IL
Rock Island IL
Open Mic w/ J. Knight The Mill, 120 E.
Burlington St., Iowa City IA
TUESDAYS
Acoustic Music Club (Apr. 4, 4:30pm)
River Music Experience, 129 N. Main
St., Davenport IA
Acoustic Music Club w/ David G. Smith
(Apr. 11, 4:30pm) RME Community
Stage, 129 N. Main St., Davenport IA
Karaoke Night My Place the Pub, 4405
State St., Bettendorf IA
Karaoke Night w/ Okeedokee Its
Karaoke Lynns BBQ & Saloon, 1151
E. Iowa St., Eldridge IA
Open Mic Night Broken Saddle, 1417
Fifth Ave., Moline IL
Open Mic Night Cool Beanz
Coffeehouse, 1325 330th St., Rock
Island IL
Tuesday Blues Jam w/ Mark Avey &
Detroit Larry Davison Cabanas,
2120 Fourth Ave., Rock Island IL
Underground Open Mic w/ Kate Kane
Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S. Linn St.,
Iowa City IA

FRIDAYS
Songwriters Round Table (Apr. 8,

Cabana Karaoke Night Cabanas,

2120 Fourth Ave., Rock Island IL
Cross Creek Karaoke Firehouse
Bar & Grill, 2006 Hickory Grove Rd.,
Davenport IA
DJ K Yung Barrel House Moline, 1321
Fifth Ave., Moline IL
DJ Lacey Hawkeye Tap Sports Bar N Grill,
4646 Cheyenne Ave., Davenport IA
Karaoke Night Circle Tap, 1345 West
Locust St., Davenport IA
Karaoke Night The Grove Tap, 108 S.
First St., Long Grove IA
Karaoke Night K & Ts Bike Rack Sports
Bar & Grill, 3303 Brady St., Davenport IA
noon) River Music Experience, 129
Main St., Davenport IA
Twisted Mics Music & Entertainment
Barrel House Moline, 1321 Fifth Ave.,
Moline IL
SUNDAYS
Catfish Jazz Society Jam Session (Apr.
9, 3pm) Knight of Columbus Hall,
Davenport IA
Karaoke Night 11th Street Precinct,
1107 Mound St., Davenport IA
Open Mic Night (5pm) Lynns BBQ &
Saloon, 1151 E. Iowa St., Eldridge IA
WEDNESDAYS
Acoustic Jam Night w/ Steve McFate
McManus Pub, 1401 Seventh Ave.,
Moline IL
Hump Day Wing & Sing w/ Marybeth
Hawkeye Tap Sports Bar N Grill, 4646
Cheyenne Ave., Davenport IA
Karaoke Night 11th Street Precinct,
1107 Mound St., Davenport IA
Karaoke Night Circle Tap, 1345 West
Locust St., Davenport IA
Karaoke Night RIBCO, 1815 Second
Ave., Rock Island IL ACROSS 80. Shape 39. Vexatious
Karaoke Night Thirstys on Third, 2202 1. Tell 81. Kind of month 40. Relative standing
W. Third St., Davenport IA

MONDAYS
5. Pinch into ridges 82. Lacelike ornamentation 41. Sewards Folly
Karaoke Night Miller Time Bowling, Open Jam w/ The Channel Cats Bent
River Brewing Company, 512 24th St. 10. Ninth Circle demon 84. End 42. Set
2902 E. Kimberly Rd., Davenport IA
Karaoke Monday w/ Pierced Rock Island IL 15. Foot part 85. Change biologically 43. Saddled animal
Karaoke Night Roadrunners
Roadhouse, 3803 Rockingham Rd., Productions Grumpys Saloon, Open Mic Night Boozies Bar & Grille, 19. Sub _ 86. Certain chief 45. Mantles cover
Davenport IA 2120 E. 11th St., Davenport IA 114 1/2 W. Third St., Davenport IA 20. Travail 87. Of wings 46. Doctrine
Karaoke Night Thirstys on Third, 2202 Musicians Jam w/ CJ Lomas (Apr. 3, 21. Barnstormers craft 88. Hangs down 49. Treacherous
W. Third St., Davenport IA 6pm) Theos Java Club, 213 17th St., 22. Compositions for one 89. End of quip: 6 wds. 50. Stone that sparks
23. Blue flag 99. _ regia 51. Talons

Comedy
24. Pimpinella 100. Confabs 53. Gets wind of
25. Chief artery 101. Commonly found 54. Black or Walker
26. Cut of meat 102. Origin 55. George or T.S.
27. Start of a quip by anonymous: 5 wds. 103. Think over 56. Senator Kefauver
31. _ leader 104. Inspiring fear 57. Divert
FRIDAY 31 MONDAY 3 SATURDAY 8 32. Like a campus
33. Scuffle
105. Function
106. Believe _ _ not!
58. Like a mink or fox
59. _ Under the Elms
Bix Beiderbomb Presents (8pm) Honeycombs of Comedy (9pm) ComedySportz (7pm) The
Boozies Bar & Grille, 114 W. Third Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S. Linn St., Establishment, 220 19th St., Rock 34. Relations 107. Stack 60. Yoke
St., Davenport IA Iowa City IA Island IL 37. Hurts 108. Crystal-gazers 61. Progress
Judy Tenuta (8pm) Penguins David The Swinger Scott (8pm) 39. Wrongful entry 109. Acquisitive one 62. Union demand
Comedy Club, 208 Second Ave. SE,
Cedar Rapids IA WEDNESDAY 5 Penguins Comedy Club, 208
Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids IA
44. _ Blue Gown
45. Fish basket
110. Reduce 63. Think
64. Yielded, as territory
Stand-up Open Mic (9pm) Boozies Comedy Open Mic (7:30pm) Michelle Wolf Janelle James 46. Burns DOWN 68. Auditorium
Bar & Grille, 114 W. Third St., Penguins Comedy Club, 208 (8pm) The Mill, 120 E. Burlington 47. Term in tennis 1. Part of a boater 69. Mineral springs
Davenport IA Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids IA St., Iowa City IA 48. Part 2 of quip: 2 wds. 2. Down Under parrot 70. Elanet
Pimprov (8pm) Circa 21 Speakeasy,

SATURDAY 1 THURSDAY 6 1818 Third Ave., Rock Island IL

49. Cooked 3. _ _ I cared! 71. Palindromic name
Studio Series: Dont Try This 50. Plant part 4. Church 72. Wing part
ComedySportz (7pm) The Margaret Cho (7:30pm) Englert at Home (9:30pm) The 51. Guardianship 5. Swank 73. Pile for burning
Establishment, 220 19th St., Rock Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Establishment, 220 19th St., Rock 52. Trivial error 6. Tirades 75. Dust ruffles
Island IL Iowa City IA Island IL 53. Transports 7. Volant creature 76. Bowies Ziggy _
Judy Tenuta (8pm) Penguins 54. Court employee 8. _ -favored-nation 77. Exceed
Comedy Club, 208 Second Ave. SE,
Cedar Rapids IA FRIDAY 7 SUNDAY 9 55. Bordens mascot
56. Fishes
9. Homilized
10. Tchaikovskys Queen of _
79. _ lily
80. A pinniped
Open Source Improv (8pm) Circa Bix Beiderbomb Presents (8pm) Circumstantial Comedy Show 57. Otherworldly 11. Audibly 81. Sled
21 Speakeasy, 1818 Third Ave., Boozies Bar & Grille, 114 W. Third (10pm) BREW, 1104 Jersey Ridge
58. Came off in pieces 12. Canvas cover 83. Mexican fare
Rock Island IL St., Davenport IA Rd., Davenport IA
Studio Series: Wisenheimer ComedySportz (7pm) The 59. Part 3 of quip: 5 wds. 13. Pilaster 84. Concludes

(9:30pm) The Establishment, 220
19th St., Rock Island IL
SUNDAY
Circumstantial Comedy Show
(10pm) BREW, 1104 Jersey Ridge
Rd., Davenport IA
Kyle Dunnigan John Busch (8pm)
The Mill, 120 E. Burlington St.,
Iowa City IA
MONDAY 10
Establishment, 220 19th St., Rock 64. Region of France 14. Tender of livestock 85. Austrian composer
Island IL 65. Brag 15. Napping 87. Moving about
David The Swinger Scott (8pm) Honeycombs of Comedy (9pm) 66. Expert ones 16. Leeway 88. Staff
2 Penguins Comedy Club, 208
Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids IA
Iowa City Yacht Club, 13 S. Linn St.,
Iowa City IA
67. Some curves
68. Lift
17. Bit of film
18. Intimate
89. Press down
90. Opp. of aniso-
Kathleen Madigan (7:30pm) 69. Go around 28. Hero or villain, e.g. 91. Invalid
Orpheum Theatre, 57 S. Kellogg
St., Galesburg IL WEDNESDAY 12 71. Symbol of ancient royalty
74. Lowers
29. Christmas
30. Chuck
92. Shakespearean pronoun
93. _ Krishna
Stand-up Open Mic (9pm) Boozies Comedy Open Mic (7:30pm)
Bar & Grille, 114 W. Third St., Penguins Comedy Club, 208
75. Anagram of 79-Across 34. Young deer 94. Bewildered
Davenport IA Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids IA 76. Barbed 35. Jai _ 95. Ottoman
Studio Series: R & D (9:30pm) The 77. Part 4 of quip 36. Moisten a little 96. Tiny amount
Establishment, 220 19th St., Rock 78. Baseball stat. 37. Seed appendage 97. Anchor
Island IL 79. Anagram of 75-Across 38. Letter grades 98. French 101 verb
20 River Cities Reader Vol. 24 No. 931 March 30 - April 12, 2017 Business Politics Arts Culture Now You Know RiverCitiesReader.com

CURRENT EXHIBITION

SCRIMMAGE
FOOTBALL IN AMERICAN ART FROM THE
CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT
THROUGH MAY 14, 2017
Organized by Linny Frickman at the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art at
Colorado State University at Fort Collins in partnership with Danielle Knapp
at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon, Eugene.
Presented at the Figge Art Museum with the support of the Thomas A. and
Mary Waterman Gildehaus Endowment, Tom Figge, and Jeff and Lynda Eirinberg.
Frederic Remington, Touchdown, Yale vs. Princeton, Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 1890, Yale 32, Princeton 0, 1890,
oil on canvas, Yale University Art Gallery, Whitney Collections of Sporting Art, given in memory of Harry Payne Whitney
(B.A. 1894), and Payne Whitney (B.A. 1898) by Francis P. Garvan (B.A. 1897); M.A. (Hon) 1922, Courtesy of the
University Art Museum, Colorado State University, and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon.

Davenport, Iowa 563.326.7804

www.figgeartmuseum.org