ABOUT THIS SERIES:
“Music Venues in the Quad Cities” is a series providing an insider’s peek into live music venues in the Quad Cities area, with a specific focus on venues whose audience capacity is below 500. The series aims to highlight the vibrant, diverse music scene in the Quad Cities and shed light on the more intimate venues that may often be overlooked.
By highlighting venues with an audience capacity below 500, the series aims to showcase the intimate and personal experiences that these venues provide. The series acknowledges that larger venues, and bars often dominate the music scene conversation with either touring musicians or cover bands and seeks to shed light on the charm and character of the Quad Cities’ smaller music venues.
A SPACE BETWEEN COMFORT AND CHANGE:
Theo’s Revived in Rock Island
Photographed & Written by: Matthew Terry
There’s something seductive about sitting at a table watching as the steam rises from your coffee, slowly mixing in with the smoke climbing from the cigarettes resting between fingers a bit more youthful than they first appeared. A dance has begun as these two players become fuel for conversation. Revolutions breathe between sips.
While I have never been, and still am not attempting to be, some staunch supporter of this nicotine-powered pastime, the allure of this scene is undeniable. Director Jim Jarmusch even compiled a cult classic of a film showcasing the strength of this trio so aptly dubbed, Coffee and Cigarettes.
It calls me back to my time as a teenager when the local coffee shop was an escape from not only the seasonal cold but from a world that didn’t seem made for us. It was during these formative years that I first found a love for a particular coffee shop in downtown Rock Island, Theo’s. We’d find ourselves sitting in a booth, often several times a week, while bands full of friends and musicians with names I can’t recall filled the room with a rhythm that at times ran incongruent to our own speech, spoken over borrowed board games and notebooks full of loose-fitting poetry.
I’m not sure who first introduced our group to this space, but it quickly became one of our favorites. Coffee shops weren’t just a place to drive your car through to grab the latest energy drink concoction – they were a living space that somehow helped us feel more alive in the process. We weren’t old enough to go to bars, and we weren’t spending our nights cheering on whatever high school sport was in season, so this is where we would convene.
Times have changed, as we all hopefully have ourselves over the past two decades since my first introduction, and thankfully smoking indoors is long enough removed that the stale reminders of that pastime have all but disappeared. However, the familiar feeling from that earlier age comes on immediately when I open that door and take in one of my favorite scents: freshly ground/brewed coffee beans.
While my friends and I first discovered this local jewel in the early 2000’s, the story of Theo’s began nearly a decade prior, before we knew the role it would play in our adolescent lives. In 1994, Theo Grevas opened Theo’s Java Club, and it has since become a Rock Island staple. Theo operated this shop for 27 years, and it was put up for sale when he retired in October 2021, to the dismay of many customers. However, through a joint partnership between Jamie Anderson and business partner Barry Morris, what has been dubbed by some as “Theo’s 2.0” reopened to the public in September of 2023.
There was a serious restoration done, and these changes can be seen as soon as one walks through the entrance. The old tile has been replaced with laminate wood flooring and the coffee bar itself has received a few updates, bringing with it a more modern and crisp appearance without feeling like you are walking into the monotony of a national chain.
While the old tile was removed from half the building, the familiar flooring is still alive on the stage side of the cafe. They also restored the original tin ceiling in this room, and painted a Rock Island sign above the stage, keeping the old energy of this space alive. They have made updates that – while being a change – actually harken back to an era that predates Theo’s by decades. The old booths that used to line the wall have been replaced with a bar similar to when this building housed the Silver Grill Bar nearly 100 years ago. (Though Theo’s taps serve kombucha.)
The stage, which is the star of this side of the cafe, was expanded when Anderson and team renovated the building with the intent of bringing more events into the space. They feature a weekly Thursday night jam from 6-8, as well as showcasing live music nearly every Saturday during the lunch hour, in addition to other events.
There’s more than enough room to fit a full band, but it’s still an intimate space, and being a coffee shop it supplies a more relaxed atmosphere in comparison to the average venue, making it a great spot to sip on a toddy paired with a scone. The scones are one of their more popular baked items, but you may want to get there early as they are known to sell out. These scones, along with other items are made by Anderson’s son, who also showed his talents as a singer during the jam, with his father happily watching along and recording on his phone.
Theo’s has always seen itself not only as a part of the community, but a community in and of itself, and Anderson plans on keeping this feeling of community going beyond the slight realignment of this Rock Island institution. The feeling of family and community came across clearly and quickly, and from the owner to the musicians on stage you can feel the pride they have in this space.
I was informed how the classic folk song “Rock Island Line” is the theme for the cafe, and with great excitement was told how English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg even played the song on Theo’s stage when Theo still ran the place. There’s a picture behind the bar that documents this occasion, with the Rock Island sign featured prominently behind Bragg. Next to the photo, it’s hard to miss the origami left by Japanese artist, Kuniko Yamamoto who came here as a visiting artist with Quad City Arts earlier this year. Yamamoto left them for good luck after she frequented Theos daily during her visit and made it known that they made the best breakfast sandwich she’s ever had.
Theo’s has fans that had to cross oceans to get here, so you have no excuse not to make a trip across town – or the mighty Mississippi – to the District. Whether it’s your first visit, or you were a fan before the renovation, stop in and experience the modern movement of this downtown landmark. Familiarity is good, and change is good, but finding a space between the two is where we thrive.
Venue Name: Theo’s Java Club
Website: www.theosjavacafe.com
Venue Address: 213 17th St, Rock Island, IL 61201
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theosjavacafe
