Barry Cloyd presents “Jules Verne & H.G. Wells: The Birth of Sci-Fi and the First Citizens of the Future" at the Moline Public Library -- July 1.
Tuesday, July 1, 6 p.m.
Moline Public Library, 3210 41st Street, Moline IL
In a special Moline Public Library on July 1, two science-fiction visionaries who were able to imagine the world we now inhabit – and beyond – will be celebrated through story in song in Barry Cloyd's solo performance Jules Verne & H.G. Wells: The Birth of Sci-Fi and the First Citizens of the Future, a salute to the literary geniuses who peered beyond the curtain of time to predict the far distant future.
Jules Verne (1828-1905) and Herbert George Wells (1866-1946), largely thought to be the creators of a then-new literary genre called science fiction, are largely unknown quantities beyond their names and a few of their most well-known imaginative tales. While there is no doubt that they deserve lasting fame for their amazing accomplishments, there were other contributors to what was termed “Scientifiction" ... and those who were able to imagine formerly unimaginable lands and inventions live on in their stories. In his edu-tainment adventure Jules Verne & H.G. Wells: The Birth of Sci-Fi and the First Citizens of the Future, singer/songwriter/historian Barry Cloyd celebrates the men, the women, and the incredible journey into our consciousness of a new form of literature and what it has spawned, both the triumphant and the tragic. Through story and song – some original, some you might remember, and some just plain strange – Cloyd brings to life the world created by the minds behind what we now just call sci-fi.
Cloyd is a Midwestern based, touring singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, performing over 200 shows per year, who has spent a lifetime creating a performance style that weaves the genres of blues, folk, Celtic, and roots music into a unique blend all his own. A strong vocalist and multi-instrumentalist as well as a storyteller, theatrical performer, and historian, Cloyd delivers his music on a multitude of guitars (6 & 12 string, Dobro, high-strung, etc.) and other stringed instruments, such as 5-string banjo, mandolin, requinto and bouzouki. Honored by Chicago’s Millennium Park with inclusion as part of their series “Great Performers of Illinois," Cloyd is also a member of the Illinois Arts Council ArtsTour Roster.
His first CD release The Wind and the Water features all original music and some of Nashville's finest session musicians including members of Amy Grant’s, Stephen Stills’ and EmmyLou Harris’ bands. The follow-up CDs are After the Storm, a Celtic/Americana piece, Yuletide Fire, an acoustic Christmas CD, The Rainmaker’s Garden, featuring 12 original songs, and the latest all-original Spirit Dance, with 11 of Cloyd's newer songs. He tours primarily as a solo artist, but also associates with a fine group of musicians who can accompany him in various formats. Cloyd fronts a duo called Clones and a band named Celtricity, which has appeared as a three piece, four piece or five piece group, depending on the requirements of the venue. Celtricity is jam band/fusion group that weaves together the genres of folk, Celtic, blues, roots, world, and Cloyd's original music.
Cloyd has co-written, produced and toured more than 20 original folk musicals, written more than 350 songs, and has appeared in over 300 TV commercials and 70 industrial films, some of which have been shown internationally. He is also a regular guest on radio and television programs wherever he travels. In addition, he has performed/toured in Ireland, England, Wales, Mexico, the Caribbean and much of the U.S. and is a co-founder, with Brian “Fox” Ellis, of Prairie Folklore Theatre. PFT is a touring theatre company which creates and produces original musical theatre based on the history of the Prairie and Great Lakes States. Prairie Folklore Theatre has also produced CD’s of four of its original shows, Prairie Fire, A Prairie Christmas, River Ghosts, and Civil War Ghosts and Legends.
Barry Cloyd will perform Jules Verne & H.G. Wells: The Birth of Sci-Fi and the First Citizens of the Future at the Moline Public Library on July 1, participation in the family-friendly 6 p.m. event is free, and more information is available by calling (309)524-2470 and visiting MolineLibrary.com.
