Quadsville

The latest by filmmaker Michael Moore (do we even bother calling him a "documentarian" anymore?) will open Friday at Showcase Cinemas 53 in Davenport.

"Capitalism: A Love Story" looks at the roots of the economic meltdown in our country in typical Moore fashion -- with a semi-comically, liberal bent.

Also new in theaters this weekend (both Great Escape in Moline and Showcase) are the comedy (supposedly with theologic undertones) "The Invention of Lying"; the comedic horror flick "Zombieland" and the roller derby movie "Whip It." Members of the Quad-City Rollers will be at Showcase from 6-9:30 p.m. Friday for a meet-and-greet, and to give away tickets to their next match on Oct. 10.

Did artist Jackson Pollock "sign" his famous "Mural," which from the University of Iowa Museum of Art collection and now on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport?

It had been a major question in the art world, but according to a new book on Pollock and his onetime mentor, Thomas Hart Benton, that was the case. A capsule version is here, from the Arts Journal web site's blog. There's even a way to decipher the signature.

Of course the folks at the Figge want you to come and judge for yourself. The exhibit is on display through the end of the year.

It's looking to be a good week next week -- I'm interviewing Oscar-winner Olympia Dukakis -- who's speaking at the Adler Theatre on Oct. 6 -- on Monday night, and "Daily Show" regular Lewis Black -- performing at the Adler on Oct. 9 -- on Wednesday.

Any question ideas always appreciated ...

Hearing of Mary Travers' death from leukemia at age 72 sent me back to the only interview I had conducted with her. It was from 1993, when I was reporting for the Herald & Review in Decatur, Ill., and Peter, Paul & Mary were performing at the University of Illinois Assembly Hall.

A lot of that story looks very dated now -- she was bragging about how fellow group member Peter Yarrow rereleased the group's catalog on compact disc.

“It’s the listening version of looking at a family album: Were my skirts really that short?” Travers asked in a telephone interview from her New York office. “There’s a youthfulness in those early albums, in one’s voice, naivete, a quality that is young.”

The interview came shortly after the release of "Peter, Paul and Mommy Too," which was released shortly after Travers became a grandmother.

“I don’t know if I’ll be making another album when my great-grandchildren are born; that is far off,” she said. “On the other hand, my mother is 75 and was never a great singer but a great whistler. Maybe I can whistle to my great-grandchildren.”

She talked about the multigenerational aspect of the trio's shows.

“Our shows usually encompass about three generations. Sometimes four. It’s

not geared toward any one generation,” she said. “That’s the wonderful thing about folk music. It’s very fundamentally non-ageist, non-sexist. It’s for people whatever their size or shape.”

Any doubt about the connection the Quad-Cities has with country music should be broken with this news. Four of the five nominees for the Country Music Association entertainer of the year have played here since the beginning of the calendar year. (All but George Strait.)

Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban have all been on stage at the i wireless Center in Moline. In looking at the rest of the list, following this blog, several nominees for other awards have played here as well. And more are on the way. The iwC has at least one major country concert before the end of the year, and all signs indicate that two of the new artist nominees, Jamey Johnson and Randy Houser, will play at the RiverCenter in Davenport.

The awards are Nov. 11, televised on ABC.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Kenny Chesney

Brad Paisley

George Strait

Taylor Swift

Keith Urban

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Miranda Lambert

Martina McBride

Reba McEntire

Taylor Swift

Carrie Underwood

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Kenny Chesney

Brad Paisley

Darius Rucker

George Strait

Keith Urban

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Randy Houser

Jamey Johnson

Jake Owen

Darius Rucker

Zac Brown Band 

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Eagles

Lady Antebellum

Little Big Town

Rascal Flatts

Zac Brown Band

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR

Big & Rich

Brooks & Dunn

Joey + Rory

Montgomery Gentry

Sugarland

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

(Award goes to Artist and Producer)

"Chicken Fried"

Zac Brown Band

Produced by Keith Stegall

Atlantic Records

 "I Run To You"

Lady Antebellum

Produced by Victoria Shaw and Paul Worley

Capitol Records Nashville

"In Color"

Jamey Johnson

Produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys

Mercury Nashville

 "People Are Crazy"

Billy Currington

Produced by Carson Chamberlain and Billy Currington

Mercury Nashville

 "Then"

Brad Paisley

Produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois

Arista Nashville

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

(Award goes to Artist and Producer)

American Saturday Night

Brad Paisley

Produced by Frank Rogers and Chris DuBois

Arista Nashville

Defying Gravity

Keith Urban

Produced by Dann Huff and Keith Urban

Capitol Records Nashville

Fearless

Taylor Swift

Produced by Nathan Chapman and Taylor Swift

Big Machine Records

Love On The Inside

Sugarland

Produced by Byron Gallimore, Kristian Bush, and Jennifer Nettles

Mercury Nashville

That Lonesome Song

Jamey Johnson

Produced by The Kent Hardly Playboys

Mercury Records

SONG OF THE YEAR

(Award goes to Songwriter(s))

"Chicken Fried"

Zac Brown/Wyatt Durrette

"I Told You So"

Randy Travis

 "In Color"

Jamey Johnson/Lee Thomas Miller/James Otto

"People Are Crazy"

Bobby Braddock/Troy Jones

"Then"

Brad Paisley/Chris DuBois/Ashley Gorley

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR

(Award goes to each Artist)

"Cowgirls Don't Cry"

Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire

Arista Nashville

"Down The Road"

Kenny Chesney (with Mac McAnally)

Blue Chair Records, LLC & BNA Records

"Everything But Quits"

Lee Ann Womack (duet with George Strait)

MCA Nashville

"I Told You So"

Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis

19 Recordings/Arista Nashville

"Old Enough"

The Raconteurs featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe

Third Man Records/Warner Bros. Records

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR

(Award goes to Artist and Director)

"Boots On"

Randy Houser

Directed by Eric Welch

"Love Story"

Taylor Swift

Directed by Trey Fanjoy

"People Are Crazy"

Billy Currington

Directed by The Brads

 "Start A Band"

Brad Paisley (duet with Keith Urban)

Directed by Jim Shea

"Troubadour"

George Strait

Directed by Trey Fanjoy

Hearing the news this morning that ABC News anchor Charles Gibson sent me back to my notes from last October, prior to his "World News" broadcast live from Davenport's LeClaire Park.

He had mentioned nothing at the time about retiring but now -- at age 65 -- it seems logical. Speaking to me from his bus, he was affable, but quick and to-the-point. It was kind of the same way he was with the crowd, announcing that he'd shake hands, but wouldn't stop to pose for pictures or sign autographs.

Gibson, who I think had better on-air personality as the host of "Good Morning America," got the evening news anchor job the hard way. He was passed up for the job by giving it to the duo of Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas. But a combination of events -- Woodruff's serious injury, since recovered, during covering the war in Iraq, and Vargas' pregnancy -- sent him to the anchor chair.

Diane Sawyer will replace him and, yes, that means two-thirds of network news anchors will be female.

Any thoughts about Gibson's departure?