Music
Corrosion of Conformity
Rock Island Brewing Company
Friday, July 29, 8 p.m.
On July 29, the Rock Island Brewing Company will host a special concert with the acclaimed heavy-metal band Corrosion of Conformity. Which, ironically, is also our office's name for "weekly Reader staff meeting."
Formed in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1982, the group made its first splash on the national music scene with 1984's Eye for an Eye, a 20-track punk-rock release featuring band founders Mike Dean on bass and vocals, Woody Weatherman on guitar, and Reed Mullin on drums. Nearly three decades later, all three men are still with the outfit, although Corrosion of Conformity has certainly undergone a number of personnel changes since the early '80s, with no fewer than nine other musicians and vocalists, at one point or another, touring with the founding members. (Visit the C.O.C. Wikipedia page for a helpful, if rather complex, timeline of just who played when.)
Yet through all its lineup changes, Corrosion of Conformity has maintained an ardent fan base, and can certainly lay claim to some impressive career highlights. C.O.C.'s Deliverance CD - which boasted the top-20 hits "Albatross" and "Clean My Wounds"- spent four months on Billboard's Top 200 chart in 1994, the same year that the group's single "Big Problems" was heard on the soundtrack to Kevin Smith's Clerks. In 1998, the band was nominated for a "Best Metal Performance" Grammy Award for the single "Drowning in a Daydream." In 2005, Corrosion of Conformity toured alongside Motörhead and Disturbed, and earned critical and commercial success for its CD In the Arms of God.
And now, 29 years after its inception, the group is returning to its roots; after years of touring as a four-piece ensemble, the metal rockers will play RIBCO with a lineup composed solely of Dean, Weatherman, and Mullin, whose blend as a trio was last heard, in album form, on the 1985 release Animosity. Which, ironically, is also our office's name for "weekly Reader staff meeting." I tell you, that joke never gets old. [Publisher's note: Oh yes it does.]
Corrosion of Conformity performs with openers The Horde and Lord Green, and more information on the night is available by calling (309)793-4060 or visiting RIBCO.com.
Music
Blackberry Smoke
The Redstone Room
Monday, July 25, 7:30 p.m.
The Atlanta-based musicians of Blackberry Smoke play Davenport's Redstone Room on July 25, and the band's appeal is perhaps best summed up in this quote in Cincinnati's City Beat magazine: "If you've been missing what us old hippies remember as Southern Rock, tip a Shiner, pack a bowl, and take a good long hit of Blackberry Smoke."
For legal reasons, I'm obliged to say that the Reader does not condone tipping a Shiner, packing a bowl, and taking a good long hit of Blackberry Smoke.
Since its debut in 2000, the ensemble has been composed of the same five performing friends: guitarists/vocalists Charlie Starr and Paul Jackson, bassist/vocalist Richard Turner, drummer Brit Turner, and keyboardist Brandon Still. And for more than a decade, Blackberry Smoke has wowed concert-goers with their impassioned Southern-rock stylings, heard in such popular and energizing anthems as "Freedom Song," "Good One Coming on," "Up in Smoke," and "Yesterday's Wine," the latter recorded with country artists Jamey Johnson and the legendary George Jones.
Over the past few years, Blackberry Smoke has seen its exposure and popularity increase significantly, the result of the group's successful Little Piece of Dixie CD, its national headlining tours, and opening for such noted musical acts as ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Zac Brown Band. Yet it's refreshing to know that even given all this success, the members of Blackberry Smoke remain steadfastly down-to-earth. Describing his fellow musicians in GotCountryOnline.com, Charlie Starr revealed, "My bandmates are insane. They refer to their bunk blankets as 'woobies' or 'binkies.' Paul cries on planes."
If these are the last What's Happenin' pages you read from me, it's because, having finally found my soulmates, I've quit the paper and am now touring with the band.
Local musician Derek Frank opens for Blackberry Smoke, and for more information on the concert, call (563)326-1333 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.
Event
Train Festival 2011
Schwiebert Riverfront Park
Thursday, July 21, through Sunday, July 24
Looking for a unique and playful reason to escape the house and spend a summer day outdoors with your kids? Consider taking the family to the 2011 Train Festival in Rock Island's Schwiebert Riverfront Park. How's that for a loco motive?
Ha ha ha ha ha! Get it?! "Loco motive?" "Loco" as in "nutty," and "motive" as in, like ... !
Fine. No more terrible train gags for the remainder of the piece. Happy?
It's a safe bet that, from July 21 through 24, railroad enthusiasts certainly will be. Nearly a dozen steam and diesel locomotives from around the country will be on site, and the festival will allow visitors to tour the cabs, watch demonstrations, and even take all-day or two-hour excursions behind various vintage trains.
As it also boasts numerous model-train layouts on display, a railroad-themed children's activity and play area, twice-daily performances by recording artist James Coffey, vendors selling one-of-a-kind mementos, park rides on trains built to one-eighth scale, and more, the 2011 Train Festival is sure to tickle to train lover in everyone. And to help whet your appetite for this special summertime event, try your hand at this quick railway quiz, courtesy of our friends at FunTrivia.com.
1) In what year was the first steam locomotive built?
A) 1804
B) 1806
C) 1808
2) In railway parlance, what is a roundhouse?
A) A building for service and repair of engines
B) A location for passengers to buy tickets
C) A place where train tracks cross
3) What type of railway car is used to transport liquid or gaseous cargo?
A) Box car
B) Tank car
C) Hopper
4) Which train's route runs between Paris and Venice?
A) Thalys
B) Eurostar
C) Orient Express
5) What country boasts the world's longest railroad bridge?
A) Russia
B) Brazil
C) China
For more information, event tickets, and a schedule of daily activities, visit TrainFestival2011.com.
Answers: 1 - A, 2 - A, 3 - B, 4 - C, 5 - C. That Chinese bridge, by the way, is more than six miles long. Wow. That's something to choo-choo on. (Oh, come on, I said no terrible train gags! That one's just ... borderline-terrible.)
Theatre
The Wasps
Lincoln Park
Saturday, July 30, through Sunday, August 7
"Hey there, Jeff!"
"Hi, Mi - . Oh, lord. You really have to stop doing this."
"You like the outfit? Diggin' the wings?"
"Let me guess. You're auditioning for the Genesius Guild show, aren't you?"
"Absolutely! It's the Aristophanes comedy The Wasps, the Guild's annual season-ending farce that Don Wooten adapts from a classic work of Greek literature!"
"And you want to play a wasp."
"Well, duh! They're only the title characters! I mean, there are definitely more prominent characters in the play, since The Wasps is actually about a father who's obsessed with lawsuits and trials, and a son who wants to keep his crazy old man locked inside the house ... ."
"Uh huh."
"But seriously, any role in this show would be a great one! The Wasps features all sorts of nutty comic scenarios, like that father trying to escape the house by pretending he's chimney smoke, and an out-of-control drunk disrupting a fancy dinner party, and a courtroom dispute over a stolen slab of cheese ... !"
"Right."
"And you just know that Wooten's going to come up with situations even more outrageous than those! His updated season-enders, after all, always take a few jabs at figures of local and national interest, and he really likes going after politicians, so you can just imagine the fun that he's going to have at the expense of nightly-news fixtures from the past few months!"
"I'm sure."
"Plus, of course, there'll be satiric songs, and dances, and a wacky chase at the end, and creative and colorful costumes by Ellen Dixon ... !"
"But if the costumes are provided for you, why are you going to the audition dressed as a wasp?"
"I just want to show them how right for the role I am!"
"But you realize that Aristophanes' wasps aren't actual wasps, right? They're elderly jurors who try to help the father escape from his house arrest. They're not going to be literal wasps."
"Oh, Jeff. You've never seen a Don Wooten comedy, have you?"
The Wasps will be performed on Saturdays and Sundays July 30 through August 7 at 8 p.m. Admission is free, donations are appreciated, and more information is available by visiting Genesius.org.
What Else Is Happenin'...?
MUSIC
Thursday, July 28, and Friday, July 29 - Branson on the Road. Country music and comedy with the Missouri-based touring performers. Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island). Thursday 6 p.m. dinner, 7:15 p.m. show; Friday noon plated lunch, 1 p.m. show. $41.28-47.55. For tickets and information, call (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visit Circa21.com.
Friday, July 29 - Ernie Haase & Signature Sound. Grammy Award-nominated gospel performers in their Cathedrals-Influenced tour. Adler Theatre (136 East Third Street, Davenport). 7:30 p.m. $22-27. For tickets, call (800)745-3000 or visit AdlerTheatre.com.
Friday, July 29 - Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge. 1970s music icon performs such hits as "We Are Family" and "Take Me Back to Love Again." Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf). 7:30 p.m. $20-40. For information, call (800)724-5825 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.
Saturday, July 30 - Xtreme Muzik Tour with Big & Rich and Gretchen Wilson. Country-music stars in concert, with opening sets by Cowboy Troy and Two Foot Fred. Riverside Casino & Golf Resort (3184 Highway 22, Riverside). 8 p.m. $35-65. For tickets and information, call (877)677-3456 or visit RiversideCasinoAndResort.com.
THEATRE
Friday, July 22, through Sunday, July 31 - The Wizard of Oz. Countryside Community Theatre's musical stage version of the storybook classic. North Scott High School Fine Arts Auditorium (200 South First Street, Eldridge). Thursday-Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. $11-14. For tickets and information, call (563)285-6228 or visit CCTOnStage.org.
Saturday, July 23 - Be Not Un-Equally Yoked. Stage play focusing on domestic violence and other issues, presented by True Gospel Enterprises, Inc. Nighswander Theatre (2822 Eastern Avenue, Davenport). 6 p.m. $25. For tickets and information, call (563)726-2665 or (563)468-9955.
Thursday, July 28, through Sunday, August 7 - A Midsummer Night's Dream. Davenport Junior Theatre's "Shakespeare in the parks" touring production of the Bard's comedy. Davenport's LeClaire Park Bandshell (July 28), Davenport Public Library Eastern Avenue Branch (July 30), Bettendorf's Veterans Memorial Park Bandshell (July 31), Rock Island's Lincoln Park (August 4), Davenport's Vander Veer Botanical Park (August 6), Davenport Junior Theatre (August 7). All performances 7 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (563)326-7862 or visit DavenportJuniorTheatre.com.
Thursday, July 28, through Sunday, August 7 - Annie. The Tony Award-winning musical-comedy smash. Clinton Area Showboat Theatre (311 Riverview Drive, Clinton). Thursday-Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday and Wednesday 3 p.m. $16-20. For tickets and information, call (563)242-6760 or visit ClintonShowboat.org.
Thursday, July 28, through Sunday, August 7 - Children of Eden. Beloved Biblical musical by composer Stephen Schwartz. Timber Lake Playhouse (8215 Black Oak Road, Mt. Carroll). Tuesday-Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday and Wednesday 2 p.m., July 31 at 6:30 p.m. $15-23. For tickets and information, call (815)244-2035 or visit TimberLakePlayhouse.org.
EVENTS
Friday, July 29 - Bucktown Birthday Bash. Sixth-annual celebration of the arts venue, with exhibits, demonstrations, vendors, screenings of the locally produced science-fiction film Falling Up, live music by Lock & Dam, Ragaman, and Rock Island Rhythm, and more. Bucktown Center for the Arts (225 East Second Street, Davenport). 6 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (309)230-1594 or visit BucktownArts.com.
Friday, July 29, and Saturday, July 30 - 40th Annual Street Fest. Summertime event featuring live music, arts and crafts, family activities, food and art vendors, and more. Downtown Davenport, on Second Street between Brady and Ripley Streets. Friday 10 a.m.-midnight, Saturday 9 a.m.-midnight. Free admission. For information, call (563)823-2667 or visit DowntownDavenport.com.
Friday, July 29 - Quad-City Times Junior Bix Road Race. Annual event with a seven-tenths-mile race for ages 8 to 12, a half-mile race for ages 6 and 7, and a 70-yard race for ages 5 and under. Quad-City Times building. (500 East Third Street, Davenport). 6 p.m. $12-15 registration. For information and to register, call (563)383-2489 or visit Bix7.com.
Saturday, July 30 - Quad-City Times Bix 7 Road Race & QuickBix. The 37th-annual competition featuring the seven-mile Bix race, the two-mile QuickBix, and street entertainment. Downtown Davenport, at the foot of Brady Street. 8 a.m. $32-40 registration. For information and to register, call (563)383-2489 or visit Bix7.com.
Tuesday, August 2, through Sunday, August 7 - Great Mississippi Valley Fair. Annual festival featuring rides, activities, and food and merchandise vendors, with grandstand concerts by Joe Nichols, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, The Steve Miller Band, The Charlie Daniels Band, and Miranda Lambert. Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds (2815 West Locust Street, Davenport). $3-10 daily admission, $40-45 six-day FunCard (needed for grandstand entry). For information, tickets, and daily schedules, visit MVFair.com.
