Music
Lyrics Born
The Redstone Room
Friday, August 26, 9p.m.
On August 26, Davenport's Redstone Room presents a special evening with record producer, songwriter, and hip-hop and rap artist Lyrics Born. I'm sure the man's parents are thrilled about his success, because if you christen your child "Lyrics" and he doesn't go into the music industry, it's really just a waste of the name.
I kid. The son of a Japanese author and an Italian/Jewish-American union organizer, Born was actually born Tsutomu "Tom" Shimura, moved from Tokyo to Salt Lake City at age two, and moved from Utah to Berkeley, California, at age six - early prep for a successful music career that's resulted in tours around the globe.
After releasing his first single, "Send Them," in 1993, Born went on to form the hip-hop group Latryx in 1996, and executive-produced the compilation LP Quannum Spectrum in 1999. His own solo debut - 2003's Later That Day - spawned a hit single in "Callin' Out" and introduced future fans to Lyrics Born's signature blend of complex rhythmic patterns, internal rhymes, and infectious melodies, a blend that led Pitchfork.com to rave about the musician's "ability to get structurally and rhythmically adventurous in his flow while still remaining perfectly simple to follow linguistically."
The accolades Born has received from both critics and listeners have led to an average of 150 tour destinations per year throughout North and South America, Australia, Europe, and Japan. And in addition to his frequent work as a voice-over artist for television - with credits including the animated series Batman and Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Born has released eight LPs over the past eight years, with titles including Overnite Encore: Lyrics Born Live (which Rolling Stone magazine awarded three and a half stars), last year's As U Were, and 2005's Same !@#$ Different Day. M#g@$y #mpre!!#ve, @u@?
Lyrics Born's 9 p.m. concert opens with a set by hip-hop duo Skins & Needles, and for more information and tickets, call (563)326-1333 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.
Music
Slick Rick the Ruler
Rock Island Brewing Company
Saturday, August 20, 8 p.m.
A genuine hip-hop legend and icon of rap music will soon be appearing at the Rock Island Brewing Company, and I feel the need to let you down gently by saying, no, it's not me. Sorry to disappoint.
Instead, RIBCO has booked the Grammy-nominated, English-American artist Slick Rick the Ruler, who will perform from his extensive repertoire of acclaimed hits on Saturday, August 20. Best known for his platinum-selling LP The Great Adventures of Slick Rick and such smash singles as "Children's Story," "Teenage Love," and "I Shouldn't Have Done It" - all of which landed in the top 10 on the U.S. rap charts - Slick Rick the Ruler found his most recent album, The Art of Storytelling, hitting number eight on Billboard's Top 200 charts. His musical influence, meanwhile, has been so powerful that his songs have been sampled and interpreted by such fellow genre performers as TLC, Snoog Dogg, and Notorious B.I.G.
Admittedly, there may be those more familiar with Slick Rick's checkered history with the law than with his music, as the artist, in the 1990s, spent five years in prison after being indicted on two counts of attempted murder. (In 2008, Slick Rick - whose studio album Behind Bars was released while he still incarcerated - was granted a full and unconditional pardon on the charges.)
Those more familiar with Slick Rick's music, however, will likely rave about the artist's impassioned gifts for rhyme, rhythm, and structure, and echo the opinion of The Rough Guide to Hip Hop's Peter Shapiro, who wrote that "he largely introduced the art of narrative into hip hop ... . None of the spinners of picaresque rhythms who followed did it with the same grace or humor." The All Music Guide, meanwhile, stated that Slick Rick the Ruler "has the reputation as hip hop's greatest storyteller." Again, no, that's not a description originally intended for me. I am so appreciating the support, though.
Performing with openers Skool'd Life and DJ GMJ, Slick Rick the Ruler's concert begins at 8 p.m., tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the show, and more information is available by calling (309)793-4060 or visiting RIBCO.com.
Event
Floatzilla 2011
Sunset Marina's Late Potter
Saturday, August 20
You see the accompanying photo from last summer's Floatzilla event? That's me! I'm the one in the blue shirt! You know, the guy with the hat? Next to that lady in red? The one who's holding the paddle?
You're not buying this, are you?
Okay, I confess: I was actually in Wisconsin during last year's Floatzilla. And I'm gonna be in Ohio during this year's. That's why I'm counting on you - yes, you! - to help ensure a victory at River Action's Floatzilla 2011, the Quad Cities' second attempt at breaking the world record for the largest flotilla of canoes and kayaks, taking place in Rock Island's Sunset Park on August 20.
Prior to the record-breaking attempt in the park's Late Potter, Floatzilla attendees will be able to participate in paddling lessons, enjoy live music, check out the latest in outdoor and paddling gear from numerous vendors, and grab lunch-to-order at the Burger Boat. And then, at 2 p.m., the main event gets underway, with paddlers from numerous states and countries joining forces (and hands and arms) shooting for placement in the Guinness Book of World Records.
In preparation for Floatzilla 2011, then, let's test your knowledge with a little quiz.
1) How many individual paddlers participated in the Quad Cities' Floatzilla 2010?
A) 1,068
B) 1,219
C) 1,337
2) How many total canoes and kayaks were in the Floatzilla raft?
A) 772
B) 891
C) 955
3) How many canoes and kayaks are needed to top the current record?
A) 1,393
B) 1,620
C) 1,844
4) What city played host to the current Guinness Book champions?
A) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
B) Grand Rapids, Michigan
C) Atlantic City, New Jersey
5) What was my rejected subtitle for this year's Floatzilla event?
A) Floatzilla's Revenge
B) Floatzilla Raids Again
C) Floatzilla Vs. Mothra
For more information on Floatizlla 2011, contact River Action at (563)322-2969 or visit Floatzilla.org.
Answers: 1 - C, 2 - C, 3 - B, 4 - A, 5 - Trick question: They were all rejected. I canoe they'd be.
Theatre
Nana's Naughty Knickers
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse
Thursday, August 18, through Saturday, September 24
"What do you want, Mike?"
"Well, Jeff, I was thinking of doing one of our Jeff-and-Mike dialogues for the next set of What's Happenin' pages, and I thought that - . Oh my gosh! What are you wearing?"
"What?"
"Why are you dressed up as an 80-year-old woman?"
"What are you talking about? I'm not - ."
"Oh, I know! You're thinking of auditioning as an understudy for the new farcical comedy at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse: Nana's Naughty Knickers!"
"Are you delusional?! I'm not wearing - ."
"There's no shame in it, Jeff - the show sounds like a hoot! It's all about a young woman who moves in with her grandmother for the summer, and who comes to find out that her Nana has been operating an illegal boutique from her Manhattan apartment ... one that's been selling racy lingerie to every senior citizen in a five-borough area!"
"Mike - ."
"Eventually, grandma's landlord and a pair of UPS men get involved, and the cops show up, and it all leads to what the Lancaster Journal called 'a slick comedy' in which 'the dialogue is crisp and funny and the action fast-paced!' No wonder you want to audition for Circa's production!"
"Mike - ."
"After all, you'd get to act alongside such familiar area performers as Michael Kennedy, Lora Adams, Tristan Tapscott, and Cari Downing, and be directed by Jay Berkow, the former artistic director of the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre who also helmed Circa '21's recent production of Oklahoma! And, if I do say so myself, you look fantastic in that house dress! Go for it, Jeff! Try out for Nana's Naughty Knickers! Follow your dreams!"
"Mike, you know perfectly well that I'm not wearing a dress."
"Yes, but our readers won't know that, will they?"
"You do realize that I record all these conversations just so you'll never pull something like this, right?"
" ... ."
"Well?"
"You know, the more I think about it, I'm not sure we need a Jeff-and-Mike dialogue in the next issue ... ."
"I thought not."
Circa '21's Nana's Naughty Knickers runs August 18 through September 24, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 or visiting Circa21.com.
What Else Is Happenin'...?
MUSIC
Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20 - River Roots Live. Annual roots-music and rib festival, with performances by Gin Blossoms (Friday), Blues Traveler (Saturday), and 15 other bands on two outdoor stages. LeClaire Park (River Drive and Ripley Street, Davenport). 11 a.m.-midnight. Free admission. For information, visit RiverRootsLive.com. For River Cities' Reader coverage, visit RCReader.com/y/rrl2011.
Friday, August 19 - Chuck Negron. Former member of Three Dog Night in concert. Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf). 7:30 p.m. $20-30. For information, call (800)724-5825 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.
Saturday, August 20 - David Olney and Sergio Webb. Acclaimed singer/songwriters in a concert in the "Intimate at the Englert" series. Englert Theatre (221 East Washington Street, Iowa City). 8 p.m. $15. For tickets and information, call (319)688-2653 or visit Englert.org.
Sunday, August 21 - The Manny Lopez Quartet. Popular area musicians perform and educate as part of Polyrhythms' Third Sunday Jazz Matinée & Workshop Series. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 3 p.m. all-ages jazz workshop - $5 per adult, children free; 6 p.m. concert - $10-15. For tickets and information, call (309)373-0790 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.
Sunday, August 21 - Eric Sardinas. Blues guitarist in a concert presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. Rascals Live (1414 15th Street, Moline). 5 p.m. $12-15. For information, call (309)797-9457 or visit MVBS.org.
Saturday, August 27 - The Boogers. A Back-to-School Bash concert with the kid-friendly punk musicians. Family Museum (2900 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf). 6:30 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (563)344-4106 or visit FamilyMuseum.org.
Saturday, August 27 - Johnny Henry. Country musician performs in a fundraising concert for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. The Redstone Room (129 Main Street, Davenport). 8 p.m. $25. For tickets and information, call (563)326-1333 or visit RedstoneRoom.com.
Saturday, August 27 - Peter Frampton. Grammy Award-winning superstar in concert. Riverside Casino & Golf Resort Event Center (3184 Highway 22, Riverside). 7 p.m. $30-50. For tickets and information, call (877)677-3456 or visit RiversideCasinoAndResort.com.
THEATRE
Thursday, August 25, through Sunday, September 4 - 'Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3. New comedy with the truth-telling nun and plenty of audience participation. Timber Lake Playhouse (8215 Black Oak Road, Mt. Carroll). Tuesday-Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday and Wednesday 2 p.m., August 28 at 6:30 p.m. $15-23. For tickets and information, call (815)244-2035 or visit TimberLakePlayhouse.org.
MOVIES
Thursday, August 25, through Sunday, August 28 - Landlocked Film Festival. Fifth-annual festival of features, documentaries, animated shorts, and more, being screened at five venues in downtown Iowa City. $5-7 for films shown at the Bijou and Englert theatres; all other screenings free. For information, call (319)331-0494; for a schedule of films and venues, visit LLFF.org.
EXHIBIT
Saturday, August 27, through Sunday, October 23 - Museum of Innovative Objects of Design. Models, drawings, 3D renderings, and mock-ups for an imagined museum fashioned by Iowa State University seniors in the architecture program. Figge Art Museum (225 West Second Street, Davenport). Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m. Free with $4-7 museum admission. For information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArt.org.
EVENTS
Friday, August 26 - Extreme Challenge: Mixed Martial Arts. Event featuring bouts between professional and amateur MMA fighters. Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center (1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf). 7:30 p.m. $25-35. For information, call (800)724-5825 or visit Bettendorf.IsleOfCapriCasinos.
Saturday, August 27 - River City Beer Festiv-Ale. Second-annual outdoor tasting, featuring more than 100 craft, import, and micro-brews in the Great River Plaza in front of the Rock Island Brewing Company (1815 Second Avenue, Rock Island). 2-6 p.m. $20. For information, call (309)793-1999 or visit RIBCO.com.
Saturday, August 27 - The Acrobats of Cirque-tacular. Touring stage performance of pageantry, spectacle, and acrobatic skill. Augustana College's Centennial Hall (3703 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island). 8 p.m. $8, free for Augustana students and staff with ID. For information, call (309)794-7306 or visit Cirquetacular.com.
