The Hornucopia festival this weekend
in The District of Rock Island could
fall into a pattern of sameness - with
the requirement that all bands feature horns and with several outfits making repeat performances. But the organizers have done an admirable job keeping the event fresh, with a wide variety of sounds within the horn constraint.
The festival runs from 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and features spicy food from all over the world. But the reason to attend is the hot music - 11 bands on two stages over two nights to kick off The District's packed summer season.
The highlight might be Baltimore's high-energy All Mighty Senators (Saturday at 11 p.m.), whose Raw Power Live! album suggests that festival-goers are in for a treat. There's not much you won't hear in the Senators' rap-driven sound, from chunks of metal guitar to horn accents. That type of mixing can sound precious, but the band pulls it off well and has great rapport with the audience.
Wisconsin's Phat Phunktion (Friday at 11:30 p.m.) has been around these parts plenty in the past year, and if you haven't seen the band yet, there's no better time. The horns are front and center in the full sound, setting a strong groove with unexpected sounds and progressions.
Also from Wisconsin, Three Beers 'Til Dubuque (Friday at 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10 p.m.) promises quite a show, with swinging ska, lots of horn solos, and a priceless song called "Honkin' at the Amish." The 10-member band is adept at many different sounds and styles, and it never gets dull.
On the local front, Hornucopia will be a great opportunity to see the new Shane Johnson's Blue Train (Friday at 7 p.m.). Not only does the band feature two new regular members, but guitarist Johnson has added a horn section to meet eligibility requirements.
There's plenty more, including the strong horn hooks of the Regular Boys, the heavier funk of Cedar Rapids' Bohemian Soul Tribe, the poppy sounds of Domestic Problems, the jazzy fusion funk of The Gruv, and the soothing R&B of Fat Time.
New this year is two-for-one admission from 5 to 8 p.m. on both days. "We're trying to draw the early traffic," said Jennifer Fowler, executive director of The District. Admission is $6, but children under 12 are admitted free with an adult.
For more info on Hornucopia call The District at 788-6311.
BAND: All Mighty Senators
PLAYING: Saturday, May 19, 11 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., East Stage
STYLE: funk, acid-jazz, hip hop
linking bits of funk, metal, R&B, blues boogie, acoustic instrumentation, and even frank Zappa-isms
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 4
HOMETOWN: Baltimore, MD
YEAR FOUNDED: 1994
CDs: "Raw Power Live!" 1999, "An Evening with All Mighty Senators,""Flow," "All Mighty Senators," "Superfriends"
BAND MEMBERS: Warren Boes - guitar; Landis Expandis - vocals, drums; David Finnell - trumpet; Jack Denning - bass
WEBSITE: www.allmightysenators.com
BAND: Bohemian Soul Tribe
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 5 - 6:30 p.m., East Stage
STYLE: cosmic funk flava' from the heartland
funk-laden originals and uncanny arrangements of both obscure and classic soul/ rock tunes
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 8
HOMETOWN: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
YEAR FOUNDED: 1998
CDs: "Live - Generic"
BAND MEMBERS: Clyde Purk - lead guitar, vocals; Paul Hala - keyboards, rhythm guitar, vocals; Jeremiah Murphy - bass guitar, vocals; Brian Cooper - drums, percussion; Luke Ziegenhorn - tenor sax; Johnny Cord - trumpet; Jeff Breemeersch - baritone sax; Nassor Cooper - vocals
WEBSITE: www.bohemiansoultribe.com
BAND: Domestic Problems
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 8 - 10:30 p.m., West Stage
STYLE: horn-driven roots rock groove
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 6
HOMETOWN: Grand Rapids, Michigan
YEAR FOUNDED: 1993
CDs: "Patiently" 2001, "Live" 1999, "Play" 1997, "Scattered Pieces" 1996
BAND MEMBERS: Andy Hotgreive - acoustic guitar, vocals; Chris Smail - guitar, vocals; Job Gtotsky - saxohpone, flute, percussion; Earl Tolliver, Jr. - bass; Billy Kenny - trumpet, mandolin; Reggie Ness - drums
WEBSITE: www.domesticproblems.com
BAND: Fat Time
PLAYING: Saturday, May 19, 5 - 6:30 p.m., West Stage
STYLE: classic r&b meets modern funk and groove;
fat, funky grooves reminiscent of the '60s soul of James Brown and the horn-led '70s funk of Tower of Power. Band name taken from Miles Davis song
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 6
HOMETOWN: Chicago, Illinois
CDs: "Pure" 2000
BAND MEMBERS: Scott Leff - guitar and vocals; Derek Henderson - drums; Andy Cutting - percussion; Delby Littlejohn - keyboards; Marqueal Jordan - saxophone, vocals; Eric Sittner - vocals, bass
WEBSITE: www.fattime.com
BAND: Flashlight
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 5 - 7:30 p.m., West Stage
Saturday, May 19, 6:30 - 9 p.m., East Stage
STYLE: funk in the classic tradition of George Clinton
HOMETOWN: DeKalb, Illinois
BAND: The Gruv
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 11 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., West Stage
Saturday, May 19, 5 - 6 p.m., East Stage
STYLE: jazz, funk, with a rock attitude
a band playing an indescribable combination of funk, jazz, rhythm and blues, rock, and soul
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 5
HOMETOWN: South side of Chicago, Illinois
YEAR FOUNDED: 1998
CDs: "Busted" 1998, untitled live CDs
BAND MEMBERS: Mike Gallagher - vocals, guitar, keyboards; Garret Degnan - vocals, bass; Kevin Burns - vocals, guitar; Louis Kholodovsky - alto and tenor saxophone; Frank Alongi - percussion
WEBSITE: www.thegruv.com
BAND: Phat Phunktion
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 11:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., East Stage
STYLE: funk, rock and roll tour de force combining the polish of top 40, with the smoothness of 60's soul, and the raw energy of 70's funk
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 9
HOMETOWN: Madison, Wisconsin
YEAR FOUNDED: 1996
CDs: "Here We Go," "Phat Phunktion"
BAND MEMBERS: Jon Schipper - trumpet; Al Falaschi - tenor saxophone and vocals; Courtney Larsen - trombone; Daniel Wallach - baritone and alto saxophone; Tim Whalen - keyboards and vocals; Vincent Jesse - guitar and vocals; Sheldon Allen - drums; Jason Braatz - bass; Pauli Ryan - percussion
WEBSITE: www.phatphunktion.com
BAND: Planet Groove
PLAYING: Saturday, May 19, 7 - 9:30 p.m., West Stage
STYLE: classic funk with horns
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 7
HOMETOWN: La Grange, Illinois
YEAR FOUNDED: 1984
CDs: "Coolest Plant From the Sun," "Planet Groove Live"
BAND MEMBERS: Ben Arcara - lead vocals, drums; Brian Ives - tenor and alto sax, vocals; Dave Militello - keyboards, vocals; Bill Weisshaar - trombone, vocals; John Marino - guitar; Dale Weisshaar - trumpet; Evan Katzke - bass guitar
BAND: Regular Boys
PLAYING: Saturday, May 20, 9:30 - 10:30 p.m., East Stage
STYLE: rhythm & blues, blue eyed soul
a blastin' four-piece horn section and a rock solid rhythm section
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 9
HOMETOWN: Detroit, MI
YEAR FOUNDED: 1984
CDs: "Right from Wrong" 1997
BAND MEMBERS: Jeanne Staels - vocals; Craig Scott - bass, vocals; Vinnie Scalabrino - drums, vocals; Billy Cooper - guitar; Bernie Palo - keyboards; Danny White - tenor saxophone; Dave Muczinski - trumpet; Rob Richards - bari saxophone, vocals; Bob Weber - valve trombone
WEBSITE: www.regularboys.com
BAND: Shane Johnson's Blue Train
featuring Nervous Neal and special guests
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 7 to 8 p.m., East Stage
STYLE: high energy blues, funk
newly reformed with 2 new members, they're adding a horn section for a special jam
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 4 regular members
HOMETOWN: Quad Cities
YEAR FOUNDED: 1998
CDs: currently recording new CD, "Shane Johnson's Blue Train," "Big Legged Women" 2000
BAND MEMBERS: Shane Johnson - guitar; Scott Willman - drums; Jason Otero - vocals; Spencer Zimmerman - bass
WEBSITE: www.sjbluetrain.com
BAND: Three Beers 'til Dubuque
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 8:30 - 11 p.m., East Stage
Saturday, May 19, 10 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., West Stage
STYLE: swingin' ska with a dash of salsa
"How much further do we have? 'Til Dubuque? About Three Beers"
6 horn players line the front of the stage
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 10
HOMETOWN: La Crosse, Wisconsin
YEAR FOUNDED: 1998
CDs: "Blame it on the Fat Kid" 2000
BAND MEMBERS: Jesus Arellano - bass trombone, trombone, baritone saxophone; Chris Bluske - trumpet; Joe Funkmeister - bass guitar; Bob Graham - guitar; Brendan Hogan - trombone, trumpet, EWI; Kevin Klemme - trumpet; Keith Larsen - drums; Jeff Nelson - bass guitar; Chip Schreader - alto saxophone; currently searching for lead vocalist, Ross Martin filling in
WEBSITE: www.threebeers.com
The festival runs from 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and features spicy food from all over the world. But the reason to attend is the hot music - 11 bands on two stages over two nights to kick off The District's packed summer season.
The highlight might be Baltimore's high-energy All Mighty Senators (Saturday at 11 p.m.), whose Raw Power Live! album suggests that festival-goers are in for a treat. There's not much you won't hear in the Senators' rap-driven sound, from chunks of metal guitar to horn accents. That type of mixing can sound precious, but the band pulls it off well and has great rapport with the audience.
Wisconsin's Phat Phunktion (Friday at 11:30 p.m.) has been around these parts plenty in the past year, and if you haven't seen the band yet, there's no better time. The horns are front and center in the full sound, setting a strong groove with unexpected sounds and progressions.
Also from Wisconsin, Three Beers 'Til Dubuque (Friday at 8:30 p.m. and Saturday at 10 p.m.) promises quite a show, with swinging ska, lots of horn solos, and a priceless song called "Honkin' at the Amish." The 10-member band is adept at many different sounds and styles, and it never gets dull.
On the local front, Hornucopia will be a great opportunity to see the new Shane Johnson's Blue Train (Friday at 7 p.m.). Not only does the band feature two new regular members, but guitarist Johnson has added a horn section to meet eligibility requirements.
There's plenty more, including the strong horn hooks of the Regular Boys, the heavier funk of Cedar Rapids' Bohemian Soul Tribe, the poppy sounds of Domestic Problems, the jazzy fusion funk of The Gruv, and the soothing R&B of Fat Time.
New this year is two-for-one admission from 5 to 8 p.m. on both days. "We're trying to draw the early traffic," said Jennifer Fowler, executive director of The District. Admission is $6, but children under 12 are admitted free with an adult.
For more info on Hornucopia call The District at 788-6311.
BAND: All Mighty Senators
PLAYING: Saturday, May 19, 11 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., East Stage
STYLE: funk, acid-jazz, hip hop
linking bits of funk, metal, R&B, blues boogie, acoustic instrumentation, and even frank Zappa-isms
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 4
HOMETOWN: Baltimore, MD
YEAR FOUNDED: 1994
CDs: "Raw Power Live!" 1999, "An Evening with All Mighty Senators,""Flow," "All Mighty Senators," "Superfriends"
BAND MEMBERS: Warren Boes - guitar; Landis Expandis - vocals, drums; David Finnell - trumpet; Jack Denning - bass
WEBSITE: www.allmightysenators.com
BAND: Bohemian Soul Tribe
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 5 - 6:30 p.m., East Stage
STYLE: cosmic funk flava' from the heartland
funk-laden originals and uncanny arrangements of both obscure and classic soul/ rock tunes
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 8
HOMETOWN: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
YEAR FOUNDED: 1998
CDs: "Live - Generic"
BAND MEMBERS: Clyde Purk - lead guitar, vocals; Paul Hala - keyboards, rhythm guitar, vocals; Jeremiah Murphy - bass guitar, vocals; Brian Cooper - drums, percussion; Luke Ziegenhorn - tenor sax; Johnny Cord - trumpet; Jeff Breemeersch - baritone sax; Nassor Cooper - vocals
WEBSITE: www.bohemiansoultribe.com
BAND: Domestic Problems
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 8 - 10:30 p.m., West Stage
STYLE: horn-driven roots rock groove
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 6
HOMETOWN: Grand Rapids, Michigan
YEAR FOUNDED: 1993
CDs: "Patiently" 2001, "Live" 1999, "Play" 1997, "Scattered Pieces" 1996
BAND MEMBERS: Andy Hotgreive - acoustic guitar, vocals; Chris Smail - guitar, vocals; Job Gtotsky - saxohpone, flute, percussion; Earl Tolliver, Jr. - bass; Billy Kenny - trumpet, mandolin; Reggie Ness - drums
WEBSITE: www.domesticproblems.com
BAND: Fat Time
PLAYING: Saturday, May 19, 5 - 6:30 p.m., West Stage
STYLE: classic r&b meets modern funk and groove;
fat, funky grooves reminiscent of the '60s soul of James Brown and the horn-led '70s funk of Tower of Power. Band name taken from Miles Davis song
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 6
HOMETOWN: Chicago, Illinois
CDs: "Pure" 2000
BAND MEMBERS: Scott Leff - guitar and vocals; Derek Henderson - drums; Andy Cutting - percussion; Delby Littlejohn - keyboards; Marqueal Jordan - saxophone, vocals; Eric Sittner - vocals, bass
WEBSITE: www.fattime.com
BAND: Flashlight
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 5 - 7:30 p.m., West Stage
Saturday, May 19, 6:30 - 9 p.m., East Stage
STYLE: funk in the classic tradition of George Clinton
HOMETOWN: DeKalb, Illinois
BAND: The Gruv
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 11 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., West Stage
Saturday, May 19, 5 - 6 p.m., East Stage
STYLE: jazz, funk, with a rock attitude
a band playing an indescribable combination of funk, jazz, rhythm and blues, rock, and soul
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 5
HOMETOWN: South side of Chicago, Illinois
YEAR FOUNDED: 1998
CDs: "Busted" 1998, untitled live CDs
BAND MEMBERS: Mike Gallagher - vocals, guitar, keyboards; Garret Degnan - vocals, bass; Kevin Burns - vocals, guitar; Louis Kholodovsky - alto and tenor saxophone; Frank Alongi - percussion
WEBSITE: www.thegruv.com
BAND: Phat Phunktion
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 11:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., East Stage
STYLE: funk, rock and roll tour de force combining the polish of top 40, with the smoothness of 60's soul, and the raw energy of 70's funk
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 9
HOMETOWN: Madison, Wisconsin
YEAR FOUNDED: 1996
CDs: "Here We Go," "Phat Phunktion"
BAND MEMBERS: Jon Schipper - trumpet; Al Falaschi - tenor saxophone and vocals; Courtney Larsen - trombone; Daniel Wallach - baritone and alto saxophone; Tim Whalen - keyboards and vocals; Vincent Jesse - guitar and vocals; Sheldon Allen - drums; Jason Braatz - bass; Pauli Ryan - percussion
WEBSITE: www.phatphunktion.com
BAND: Planet Groove
PLAYING: Saturday, May 19, 7 - 9:30 p.m., West Stage
STYLE: classic funk with horns
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 7
HOMETOWN: La Grange, Illinois
YEAR FOUNDED: 1984
CDs: "Coolest Plant From the Sun," "Planet Groove Live"
BAND MEMBERS: Ben Arcara - lead vocals, drums; Brian Ives - tenor and alto sax, vocals; Dave Militello - keyboards, vocals; Bill Weisshaar - trombone, vocals; John Marino - guitar; Dale Weisshaar - trumpet; Evan Katzke - bass guitar
BAND: Regular Boys
PLAYING: Saturday, May 20, 9:30 - 10:30 p.m., East Stage
STYLE: rhythm & blues, blue eyed soul
a blastin' four-piece horn section and a rock solid rhythm section
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 9
HOMETOWN: Detroit, MI
YEAR FOUNDED: 1984
CDs: "Right from Wrong" 1997
BAND MEMBERS: Jeanne Staels - vocals; Craig Scott - bass, vocals; Vinnie Scalabrino - drums, vocals; Billy Cooper - guitar; Bernie Palo - keyboards; Danny White - tenor saxophone; Dave Muczinski - trumpet; Rob Richards - bari saxophone, vocals; Bob Weber - valve trombone
WEBSITE: www.regularboys.com
BAND: Shane Johnson's Blue Train
featuring Nervous Neal and special guests
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 7 to 8 p.m., East Stage
STYLE: high energy blues, funk
newly reformed with 2 new members, they're adding a horn section for a special jam
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 4 regular members
HOMETOWN: Quad Cities
YEAR FOUNDED: 1998
CDs: currently recording new CD, "Shane Johnson's Blue Train," "Big Legged Women" 2000
BAND MEMBERS: Shane Johnson - guitar; Scott Willman - drums; Jason Otero - vocals; Spencer Zimmerman - bass
WEBSITE: www.sjbluetrain.com
BAND: Three Beers 'til Dubuque
PLAYING: Friday, May 18, 8:30 - 11 p.m., East Stage
Saturday, May 19, 10 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., West Stage
STYLE: swingin' ska with a dash of salsa
"How much further do we have? 'Til Dubuque? About Three Beers"
6 horn players line the front of the stage
NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 10
HOMETOWN: La Crosse, Wisconsin
YEAR FOUNDED: 1998
CDs: "Blame it on the Fat Kid" 2000
BAND MEMBERS: Jesus Arellano - bass trombone, trombone, baritone saxophone; Chris Bluske - trumpet; Joe Funkmeister - bass guitar; Bob Graham - guitar; Brendan Hogan - trombone, trumpet, EWI; Kevin Klemme - trumpet; Keith Larsen - drums; Jeff Nelson - bass guitar; Chip Schreader - alto saxophone; currently searching for lead vocalist, Ross Martin filling in
WEBSITE: www.threebeers.com
