When the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) and Donald Schleicher took to the bandshell in LeClaire Park on September 8, ominous rain clouds hovered overhead with the promise of rain. That didn’t keep an estimated crowd of nearly 8,000 from trickling in, spreading their picnic munchies, and readying themselves for a Quad Cities late-summer staple: the annual Riverfront Pops concert.
• Phish is following Pearl Jam's venture into beating the bootleggers to the punch this coming week as they unveil the Live Phish series on the Elektra label. Five full-length concerts - simply titled 01, 02, 03, 04, and 05 - were selected by the band from the years from 1994 to 2000 and mastered by sound engineer Paul Languedoc.
• My big pick of the week is this Tuesday's release of And The Word Became Flesh, the new album from Public Enemy's architect of sound, Professor Griff. The new Right Stuff Records album, his first in three years, is a fantastic return of the beat believer and system cheater, extending his legacy of ground-shaking boom-bastics into a new territory of smooth R&B and mature, jazz-flavored grooves.
Prints from the Great Day in the Quad Cities portrait taken at this month's ArtStroll are now available. The photo, the second in a planned cycle of four documenting different facets of the arts, is a snapshot of the area's music community.
• This Friday night at midnight the fun folks at The Cartoon Network will broadcast Toonami Midnight Run Special Edition, an hour-long block of all-animated music videos. Hosted by TOM the computer-generated host, the program will feature three cool videos from the Gorillaz and four videos from Daft Punk, including the world premiere of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.
• This Tuesday the Universal label issues a fantastic three-CD set of live recordings from the Velvet Underground as the debut of a planned series of rare live recordings to be sprinkled throughout the coming year.
With big beats, a care-free, soulful groove, and a big-ass smile on every song, Minneapolis’ Iffy couldn’t be more different than its name when it comes to its status as a party band. What is uncertain is whether the trio will get credit for being supreme craftsmen and smart songwriters.
• New solo projects abound this Tuesday from members of Giant Sand, Shudder to Think, and Buffalo Tom - all showcasing a different side of their musical pasts. Howie Gleb of Giant Sand makes a unique departure from his band's Arizona desert psychedelia this Tuesday.
• This Thursday will feature a couple of homecomings at some local taverns. The Ernie Peniston Band reunites for an August 9 show at O'Meara's Pub in Bettendorf. Bo Butler, Joe Collins, and Tony Carton will join Peniston (front man for the Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings) to perform blues tunes from his Quad Cities days.
Gearing up for its 10th year, the Caribbean-themed Ya Maka My Weekend continues a tradition of building on its past this Thursday through Saturday in The District of Rock Island. While last year saw the addition of a Mad Hatter division to the sand-volleyball tournament, the 2001 Ya Maka features comic Ngaio Bealum at the Funny Bone from Thursday through Saturday.

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