Rehab at the Rust Belt -- May 23.
Thursday, May 23, 6:30 p.m.
The Rust Belt, 533 12th Avenue, East Moline IL
A founding member of the groundbreaking country, rock, and rap group, Danny Boone Alexander brings his legendary outfit to Rehab for a headlining concert on May 23, the touring artist of nearly a quarter-century landing in Moline on the band's "The Fusion of Sound Tour."
Alexander planted the seeds for the band Rehab in Warner Robins, Georgia, in the 1970s. Whether he was listening to his very first album, a present from his father featuring Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job and Shove It,” or sitting on the hood of a car on Dunbar Road at the Crazy 8 Race Track and hearing “Sky Rockets in Flight” during the Bicentennial celebration, most of Alexander's earliest memories revolve around music. Although he listened primarily to rock and Southern rock for much of his childhood (and almost failing fourth grade in his obsession with KISS), the arrival of the Beastie Boys, Run DMC, and NWA birthed and cemented his love for hip hop. Alexander first rapped at age 15 in the Northside High School gym during a pep rally, and since that first performance, he has always worked, in some capacity, to create music.
In Alexander's late teens, he first worked professionally with one of his still close friends, Denny “Steaknife” Campbell. They called their partnership Prime Suspect,, and when they later met Jason Brooks, Rehab was officially born. Steaknife found himself in the legal system and Rehab, as Danny Boone and Jason Brooks, was signed to Epic Records and released Southern Discomfort in 2000, which featured Goodie Mob’s Cee-Lo and Big Gipp as well as Cody Chesnutt. The band sold more than 140,000 units of the cd and hit the top 15 of Billboard's Modern Rock charts with “It Don’t Matter.” They also toured nationally in support of the Vans Warped Tour and bands including Linkin Park and the Kottonmouth Kings.
After Alexander and Brooks parted ways due to creative differences, the band was reborn and Graffiti the World was recorded with the participation of the band members and A-Listers such as Bonecrusher, Phil Tan, and Billy Hume. The CD was released independently before Alexander signed with Universal Records in 2008. Collaboration with Hank Williams Jr. on a remake of Graffiti’s “Sittin at the Bar” resulted in a CMT nomination for the Wide Open Country Video of the Year in 2009. Rehab was also featured on the Rolling Stone Hot List for that renamed single "The Bartender Song," and Alexander continued to make music as Rehab , working with David Jones, signing to Average Joes, and eventually releasing music, again independently, with Jericho.
Rehab's "The Fusion of Sound Tour" comes to East Moline on May 23 with additional sets by Scotty Austin from Saving Abel, Seventh Day Slumber, Magdalene Rose, and Endpass, admission to the 6:30 p.m. concert is $25.75-34.54, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRustBeltQC.com.
