The Alternating Currents festival will showcase 100+ performances, film screenings and art-related events at more than 20 downtown Davenport venues from Aug. 19-22.

Designed to showcase the vibrant culture of our downtown areas, the annual event is billed as a music, film, comedy and art experience. Alternating Currents is produced by Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP), a division of the Quad Cities Chamber, in collaboration with local talent across our region’s creative community.

Alternating Currents today announced featured live music acts for this year. The four-day festival features all music genres from rock to country, folk, singer/songwriter, funk and more. Among this year’s live music lineup are:

• Squonk Opera, presented by Quad City Arts, features composer Jackie Dempsey and artist Steve O’Hearn who work with an ensemble of 10-20 artists from Pittsburgh, Pa. to create post-industrial performances with original music, design, and staging, outside the rules of mass culture, fashion or academia.
• Radkey, who returns to the Quad Cities, is a punk rock band of three brothers from St. Joseph, Mo. On a quest to help save the world from false rock, they are opening for the Foo Fighters this summer.
• Fox Royale, out of Joplin, Mo., performs anthemic indie rock that crackles with the energy of the rock icons who inspired them.
• Motherfolk, Cincinnati’s strongest gift to the indie rock scene, is gaining increased attention with every release and tour since 2014.
• Tedious & Brief, out of Nashville, uses reflective lyrics and indie pop melodies to create anthemic jams.
• LoPiez will celebrate its second anniversary by providing live music and professional wrestling exhibitions by pro Scott County wrestlers from the Black & Brave Wrestling Academy. The downtown Davenport academy was founded by Colby Lopez, who performs as Seth Rollins in World Wrestling Entertainment.

Alternating Currents is back and stronger than ever with more musicians, performers, artists and opportunities to explore our downtowns. A more detailed schedule and additional acts and entertainment will be announced soon.

“We have something for everyone’s tastes - just come down and check it out,” said Jason Gilliland, director of events for DDP. “If you walk into a bar or venue and decide ‘this one’s not for me,’ you can just walk down the street to another performance. It’s the perfect event to find your next favorite artist you didn’t know before.”  

Gilliland said this year’s Alternating Currents will feature more outdoor stages spread across downtown Davenport. While focused in downtown Davenport, additional Alternating Currents events will be announced soon for some of the neighboring QC downtowns.

Alternating Currents events are free to attend. But other Quad Cities classics are being held in conjunction with the festival, such as Quad City Symphony Orchestra’s Riverfront Pops, and have their own admission and tickets

With more events being added regularly, participants are invited to keep track of the lineup by visiting alternatingcurrentsqc.com.

Alternating Currents is made possible through the generosity of GreenState Credit Union and the Regional Development Authority.

Want to align your brand with this event? Sponsorships are available to support Alternating Currents. Please contact Marcy Hyder at mhyder@quadcitieschamber.com or 563-823-2690.