Superjoint Ritual could just be the strangest metal band in the world. For one thing, it's the now-full-time project of Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo, the "chosen one" of what seemed like a dozen side projects he participated in over the past few years.

The Carmody boys didn't plan to get into the bar business when they bought the building at 1815 Second Avenue in Rock Island. The family - patriarch John and his sons Dan and Jerry - wanted to renovate the building and lease it out, but when two tenants fell through, they opened the Rock Island Brewing Company in 1979.

Forming the band The Metrolites was just "something to do," said the band's leader, Scott Morschhauser. Oh, how things change in less than two years. The story of the Quad Cities best (if only) surf spy noir spaghetti-western lounge band is one of steadily increasing expectations and aspirations.
Less than two minutes into A Is Jump’s My Ice-Fingered Ghost, it’s readily apparent that even though this isn’t a typical release from the Quad Cities-based Future Appletree label, it’s a good match for the imprint’s oddity-laced pop sound.
After 32 years, the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival's audience isn't getting any younger. "Our crowd is usually quite old" - typically over 45 - said Ray Voss, president of the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society, which runs the annual festival featuring jazz styles from the 1920s and '30s.
Lennon hates playing acoustic. It makes her "scared to death," she said in a recent interview with the River Cities' Reader. "I have terrible anxiety. I don't like being alone." So, naturally, she ended last year with an acoustic tour.
Unless you follow the developments in the world of guitar, chances are excellent you've never heard of Johnny Hiland. But if you like intense country-flavored guitar, you'd be remiss not to check him out when he headlines Muscatine's Independence Day festivities.
Eric Sanko knows all about new beginnings. When the seasoned bassist and vocalist brings his "junk" rock group Skeleton Key to the Brew & View on Tuesday, he'll be embarking on yet another one. After a decade of playing with John Lurie's famous avant-garde jazz/rock band Lounge Lizards, Sanko formed Skeleton Key in 1994.
Chris Smither, Patty Larkin, and Kris Kristofferson are booked for future performances. The opening day will feature music by local bands, the Blue Band, and Pieta Brown & Bo Ramsey. Local and regional talent will be featured in the coffee shop, Mojo's, on Thursdays and Fridays.
The District of Rock Island kicks off its festival season this weekend with Hornucopia, an event whose only musical parameter is that the bands must feature horns. Hornucopia this year features a wide variety of bands from throughout the Midwest, as well as a pair from Canada.

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