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.
The event runs from 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, with lots of hot food to match the music. This year's version also features the "world's largest touring grill": the Johnsonville Big Taste Grill, a 65-foot-long, 53,000-pound monster that can grill 750 brats at a time.
For more information on Hornucopia, visit (http://www.ridistrict.com).
THE DYNAMICS
Friday, May 21, 5-7:30 p.m. East Stage; Saturday, May 22, 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m. West Stage
Style: R&B, funk, and blues classics by such artists as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Parliament/Funkadelic, Santana, Prince, Dave Matthews Band, and Peter Gabriel
Bio: won the 1990 National W.C. Handy Blues Award in Memphis
Number of members: 8
Hometown: Bloomington, Indiana
CDs: You Ain't Got to Go Home, 2001; Doin' It ... LIVE, 1999; Make That Change, 1996
Web site: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~tj/dynamics.html
CHRIS GREENE & NEW PERSPECTIVE
Friday, May 21, 5-6:30 p.m. West Stage
Style: combo of funk and jazz, organic, rhythmic, guerilla
Number of members: 4
Hometown: Evanston, Illinois
Founded: 1998
CDs: Jazz, 2001; On the Verge, 1998; Funk from the Basement, 1995
Web site: http://www.chrisgreenejazz.com
RON HAYNES
Friday, May 21, 9:45-11 p.m. East Stage; Saturday, May 22, 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m. East Stage
Style: jazz and blues
Bio: Grammy-nominated trumpeter known for his work with Liquid Soul, the Ohio Players, Bernie Mac, Lucky Peterson
Hometown: West side of Chicago
CDs: 2 Man Crew, 2004; Can You Hear Me; Cool Work, 1997
Web site: http://www.ronhaynes.com
THE KINGPINS
Friday, May 21, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. East Stage; Saturday, May 22, 9-10:30 p.m. West Stage
Style: old-school ska with a solid brass section, warm organ sounds, spy-flick guitar licks, and rock-steady rhythms
Bio: first single "On the Run" won a Montreal Independent Music Industry award for Best Single in 1995
Number of members: 5
Hometown: Montreal, Canada
Founded: 1994
CDs: Plan of Action; Let's Go to Work, 1999; Lootin' Shootin' and Wailin'; Watch Your Back, 1996; On the Run, 1995
Web site: http://www.thekingpins.com
MATHEW JON'S MILLION
Friday, May 21, 8-9:15 p.m. East Stage; Saturday, May 22, 7:30-9 p.m. East Stage
Style: New Orleans-style funk with dash of blues rock
Number of members: 8 (featuring members of Shane Johnson's Blue Train and Jungle Dogs)
Hometown: Quad Cities area and St. Louis
Founded: 2003
MINIMUM WAGE
Friday, May 21, 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m. West Stage; Saturday, May 22, 5:30-7 p.m. East Stage
Style: '70s funk and R&B
Number of members: 10
Hometown: Carbondale, Illinois
Founded: 1999
CDs: one in progress
ORQUESTA DE JAZZ Y SALSA ALTO MAIZ
Saturday, May 22, 7-8:30 p.m. West Stage
Style: salsa, merengue, and Latin jazz
Number of members: 11
Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa
Founded: 1986
CDs: Anejando, 2001; Live at Montreux, 1999; Decada, 1996; Azucar Caliente, 1994; Dancing in the Corn, 1992
Web site: http://www.salsaband.com
POCKET DWELLERS
Friday, May 21, 7-9:30 p.m. West Stage; Saturday, May 22, 9:30-10:45 p.m. East Stage
Style: jazz-funk, groove funk, soul, hip-hop, rock, jazz, drum & bass, all representing the sound of today's streets
Bio: a manifesto that reads "to change and blur the lines of music"
Number of members: 7
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Founded: 1996
CDs: Lifecheck, 2003; Digitally Organic, 2000; Limited Edition, 1999
Web site: http://www.pocketdwellers.com
PUBLIC DISPLAY OF FUNK
Saturday, May 22, 5-6:30 a.m. West Stage
Style: funk-hip-hop-rock-jazz-Latin; groove band with a horn section
Bio: started out as a high-school band, continued past graduation, and is now spreading funky goodness across the country
Number of members: 10
Hometown: Normal, Illinois
Founded: 2000
CDs: Audiological, 2003; In a Box by Itself, 2001
Web site: http://www.publicdisplayoffunk.com
The event runs from 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, with lots of hot food to match the music. This year's version also features the "world's largest touring grill": the Johnsonville Big Taste Grill, a 65-foot-long, 53,000-pound monster that can grill 750 brats at a time.
For more information on Hornucopia, visit (http://www.ridistrict.com).
THE DYNAMICS
Friday, May 21, 5-7:30 p.m. East Stage; Saturday, May 22, 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m. West Stage
Style: R&B, funk, and blues classics by such artists as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Parliament/Funkadelic, Santana, Prince, Dave Matthews Band, and Peter Gabriel
Bio: won the 1990 National W.C. Handy Blues Award in Memphis
Number of members: 8
Hometown: Bloomington, Indiana
CDs: You Ain't Got to Go Home, 2001; Doin' It ... LIVE, 1999; Make That Change, 1996
Web site: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~tj/dynamics.html
CHRIS GREENE & NEW PERSPECTIVE
Friday, May 21, 5-6:30 p.m. West Stage
Style: combo of funk and jazz, organic, rhythmic, guerilla
Number of members: 4
Hometown: Evanston, Illinois
Founded: 1998
CDs: Jazz, 2001; On the Verge, 1998; Funk from the Basement, 1995
Web site: http://www.chrisgreenejazz.com
RON HAYNES
Friday, May 21, 9:45-11 p.m. East Stage; Saturday, May 22, 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m. East Stage
Style: jazz and blues
Bio: Grammy-nominated trumpeter known for his work with Liquid Soul, the Ohio Players, Bernie Mac, Lucky Peterson
Hometown: West side of Chicago
CDs: 2 Man Crew, 2004; Can You Hear Me; Cool Work, 1997
Web site: http://www.ronhaynes.com
THE KINGPINS
Friday, May 21, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. East Stage; Saturday, May 22, 9-10:30 p.m. West Stage
Style: old-school ska with a solid brass section, warm organ sounds, spy-flick guitar licks, and rock-steady rhythms
Bio: first single "On the Run" won a Montreal Independent Music Industry award for Best Single in 1995
Number of members: 5
Hometown: Montreal, Canada
Founded: 1994
CDs: Plan of Action; Let's Go to Work, 1999; Lootin' Shootin' and Wailin'; Watch Your Back, 1996; On the Run, 1995
Web site: http://www.thekingpins.com
MATHEW JON'S MILLION
Friday, May 21, 8-9:15 p.m. East Stage; Saturday, May 22, 7:30-9 p.m. East Stage
Style: New Orleans-style funk with dash of blues rock
Number of members: 8 (featuring members of Shane Johnson's Blue Train and Jungle Dogs)
Hometown: Quad Cities area and St. Louis
Founded: 2003
MINIMUM WAGE
Friday, May 21, 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m. West Stage; Saturday, May 22, 5:30-7 p.m. East Stage
Style: '70s funk and R&B
Number of members: 10
Hometown: Carbondale, Illinois
Founded: 1999
CDs: one in progress
ORQUESTA DE JAZZ Y SALSA ALTO MAIZ
Saturday, May 22, 7-8:30 p.m. West Stage
Style: salsa, merengue, and Latin jazz
Number of members: 11
Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa
Founded: 1986
CDs: Anejando, 2001; Live at Montreux, 1999; Decada, 1996; Azucar Caliente, 1994; Dancing in the Corn, 1992
Web site: http://www.salsaband.com
POCKET DWELLERS
Friday, May 21, 7-9:30 p.m. West Stage; Saturday, May 22, 9:30-10:45 p.m. East Stage
Style: jazz-funk, groove funk, soul, hip-hop, rock, jazz, drum & bass, all representing the sound of today's streets
Bio: a manifesto that reads "to change and blur the lines of music"
Number of members: 7
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Founded: 1996
CDs: Lifecheck, 2003; Digitally Organic, 2000; Limited Edition, 1999
Web site: http://www.pocketdwellers.com
PUBLIC DISPLAY OF FUNK
Saturday, May 22, 5-6:30 a.m. West Stage
Style: funk-hip-hop-rock-jazz-Latin; groove band with a horn section
Bio: started out as a high-school band, continued past graduation, and is now spreading funky goodness across the country
Number of members: 10
Hometown: Normal, Illinois
Founded: 2000
CDs: Audiological, 2003; In a Box by Itself, 2001
Web site: http://www.publicdisplayoffunk.com
