Music, art, movies, comedy and even pro wrestling. All those – and more – will be featured in the Alternating Currents festival on Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 17-20.
Events for Alternating Currents powered by the Downtown Davenport Partnerships will take place across more than two dozen venues in downtown Davenport along with key performances in downtown Rock Island and Bettendorf.
Each performance takes place inside and out of treasured venues located on the idyllic Quad Cities riverfront, the perfect backdrop for showcasing the creative character of the QC region, according to a news release from DDP, an affiliate of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.
It’s where you’ll find dozens of unique restaurants, shops, bars and more to explore as you move from one venue to the next, just like the flow of alternating currents.
The 2023 lineup can be found on the Alternating Currents app, the go-to resource for discovering everything that the festival has to offer. Users can discover the acts that interest them and customize their personal festival schedule, enabling the creation of their own uniquely captivating Alternating Currents experience. To download the free app, visit alternatingcurrentsqc.com.
2023 AC events include:
Live music
- Rock Island native and folk rocker Lissie and her band will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, at Rock Island’s Schwiebert Riverfront Park.
- Chicago pop-punk legends the Smoking Popes return to AC for the first time since 2017 as part of their journey to “melt America, one face at a time.”
- Nominated as the 2023 Emerging Act of the Year at the Americana Music Honors & Awards, Adeem the Artist will perform their roots & country music at AC.
- The Midwest Country Music Organization’s reigning Entertainer of the Year, Muscatine-based Monica Austin will belt out her country tunes during AC.
- Quad Cities musician CJ Parker who was named “a rising star” by MTV in 2022 will make an appearance with his full band.
- At the Quad City Arts Silent Disco, attendees will bust a move to a variety of music as they use their headphones to switch from one DJ to the next at the Davenport Skybridge.
Art Highlights
- Made Market QC, a handmade and vintage maker’s market will showcase 100+ vendors covering two blocks on East Second Street.
- Beaux Arts Fair will celebrate its 70th Anniversary bringing artisan booths and one-of-a-kind artwork to AC on the Figge Art Museum’s Bechtel Plaza.
- Alternating Currents 2023 Art Partner, TBK Bank will provide artists an opportunity to create a community mural in downtown Davenport during the festival. Artist submissions are still being accepted and will close on Monday, July 24.
Comedy Events
- Comedy veteran and underground hero Richard Reese will dish out some big laughs during his standup performance.
- Recently voted The Kansas City Pitch’s “Best Local Comic,” comedian Brittany Tilander will deliver her radical sense of honesty to the AC comedy stage.
- Standup comedian Tyler Walsh has emerged as a unique Midwestern comedic voice, and he will be transforming his experiences into relatable laughs for the AC crowd.
Film Festival
- The Alternating Currents Film Festival returns with over 30 film screenings in four categories: narrative, experimental, documentary and student. Cash and trophy prizes are given to the top films in their category.
More fun
- The Rumble in Rocktown returns to Wake Brewing in downtown Rock Island with an action-packed lineup of SCW professional wrestling talent.
- The Idea Factory returns to the AC lineup with panel discussions and interactive forums on engaging topics.
- Live music in downtown Davenport will kick off River Action’s Floatzilla, as paddle enthusiasts attempt to break the world record of 3,150 kayaks and canoes in the water at once.
