I’ve looked all over my closet and it just ain’t there.  Dang.

Guess I’ll have to try and rectify that sartorial omission on Monday the 25th, when I go to Sticky Fingerz and see The Weisenheimers, Ginsu Wives, and Robert Abbott.  9:30 p.m., $5, part of the Thick Syrup series of Monday night shows.  

Hey fellas, what’s up with the CD that was supposed to come out a while back?  Hurry the hell up–my clothes are going outta style.

Chuck D, founder of Public Enemy, will be at in Little Rock at Robinson Auditorium on Thursday, September 25th, in partnership with the Clinton School and Philander Smith College.  Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos!!  Right on!!

CheckOneTwo had the supersurprisepleasure of lucking into a Public Enemy club show in Santa Fe a few years back and–no shit–was close enough to bump knuckles with D and Flav.   One crazy night.

Y’all mark this one down.  From the release:
“Leader and co-founder of the legendary rap group Public Enemy, Chuck D is widely recognized as a prominent supporter of music on the Internet. In 1999, he founded rapstation.com, a site dedicated to empowering rap artists with the knowledge to turn their craft into a viable living.”

Dagnabbit–is it only Thursday?  Yours truly is visibly itching for some good shows coming up over the next few days.  If you were me, here’s where you’d be:

FRIDAY 8 p.m.  RODNEY BLOCK

Time to doll it up, get swanky, and take a journey to Conway, for the Rodney Block & The Real Music Lovers show.  I’m talking about nifty jazz/hip-hop/gospel with one of the finest hornblowers around.  I’ve seen him a few times playing mad trumpet with Epiphany & One Night Stand, but this is the first time I get to see him with his own crew.The setting?  Michelangelo’s, one of those membership joints ($5–I can drink in Conway!!) which looks to be far too posh for Faulkner County.  I predict a night of well-dressed folks sippin’ grappa and gettin’ they jazz on. 

SATURDAY

Saturday is just a dadgum embarrasment of riches.  I must have overloaded on good karma, because there are two super shows within walking distance of each other. 

7:00 p.m. kicks things off with Pop in the Park. 

Saturday’s selection:  Kyoto Boom, 4×4 Crew, and Browningham.  (Word around the campfire is that Suga City ain’t gonna make it after all).  You never quite know what Browningham is gonna pull out, but you can count on some falsetto good times.  4×4 Crew brings the positive energy and Kyoto Boom, well, can I just say that they blew me away a coupla weeks ago when they shared a stage with The Moving Front?  Kyoto Boom is poised to take over in a big way.  You heard it here.   Don’t miss the chance to see these guys.

9:00 p.m.

at Crush Wine Bar:  Sean West and Solefud the Band, plus Epiphany & One Night Stand.  Are you kidding me?  Love these little club sets.  CheckOneTwo has seen Sean West a lot of times, but this will be his breakout solo gig.  A night of crooning and, according to Sean, “church announcements.”  If there’s an altar call, you might just see me rolling down for some salvation.   You might need to get there early for this one, b/c seating is limited.  I also strongly suggest you dress to impress.

Sibilance,

Glen

Man, where’d that weekend go?  For Yours Truly, it was a good weekend of down time.  Thursday:  the return of Dana Falconberry, along with Chris Denny & The Old Soles showing a seriously well-honed and tight set.  Dinner out Friday night, then a little DJ/dance party action at Easy Street.   Saturday was bike buying time, then out to the Riverfront to catch some verrrrrrry hot/sweaty tunes from The Moving Front, The Reds, Rockst*r, and Dre & Jontai doing their one song (with a little of Maxx thrown in at the end). 

On tap tonight–looks like Stickyz may have the only game in town: 

Sticky Fingerz, 10 p.m., $4:  The Evelyns & Frown Pow’r.

Yours Truly has re-joined the ranks of the Two-Wheeled Revolution, and is now the proud owner of a brand-new Electra Townie.  Oooohhhhh, it’s nice.  Perfect for me–I’m not a madcap biker who’s looking to race you, I just wanted a righteous bike to tool around on.  Coaster brake?  Check!

If you’re looking for a cool guy from whom to buy a bike, check out my friend Sam Williamson’s new shop, The Community Bicyclist.  It’s over in the back section of the Tanglewood shopping center, near where Lorenzen Books used to be.  Rad bikes, and Sam’s a super guy.  You should shop there.

So BabySham and I took turns biking around over the weekend, feelin’ free and liberated and all that.  Put me in the mood of counting my happys, you know?  Great sons, great gal, great job, tremendous friends, and now a bike!  I’m grateful for all of you.

Time for some bike songs!  Send me yours–here’s a sample of what comes to mind:

Queen: Bicycle Race AND Fat-Bottomed Girls  “Get on your bikes and ride!”

The Smiths: This Charming Man  ““Punctured bicycle on a hillside desolate, will Nature make a man of me yet?”

Cracker:  I Ride My Bike  This is a secret track on 1993’s Kerosene Hat (hands up who doesn’t luuuuuuv this album?  Nobody?  Right on!).  “And I ride my bike, a nd I drive my car.  I drive it all around just to take me back to you….”

Madness:  Riding On My Bike  “ I went riding on my bike….I’ve had my fill of petrol fumes.  Attached myself to big balloons.  And pumped them full of precious air .  The traffic jam looks with despair”

Pink Floyd:  Bike  “I’ve got a bike. You can ride it if you like.  It’s got a basket, a bell that rings and things to make it look good.”

Nazareth:  My White Bicycle   “My white Bicycle, my white Bicycle…Riding all around the street…four o’clock and they’re all asleep…I’m not tired and it’s so late…moving fast everything looks great…”

Melanie:  Brand New Key  “I rode my bicycle past your window last night…I roller skated to your door at daylight…It almost seems like you’re avoiding me…I’m okay alone, but you got something I need”

What else ya got?

Glen

…and I’m going to leave it in you’uns’ capable hands.  CheckOneTwo is headed to a remote patch of South Carolina soil to hang with my fellow enviro lobbyists from this side of the Mason-Dixon line.   We get together once a year or so.  If tradition holds, I’ll be spending the evening sippin’ bourbon and cussin’ polluters.  I do expect to take in a bit o’ music while I’m in the Palmetto State, along the lines of blues and gospel. 

What’ll YOU be doing this weekend?  So many choices:

Cornerstone Pub, 9 p.m., $10:  The Chill (Dime Edition), hosted by Liz & Epiphany.  10-minute sets from your favorite local hip-hoppers.  Acts include:  Rockst*r, Epiphany, Dave Harmony, Fiyah Burnz, BMore Mike, Swang, Shea Marie, Ashley, and Risky Bizness, plus DJ KP on the 1s and 2s.

Whitewater Tavern, 9 p.m.:  Runaway Planet’s CD release show–some of the finest bluegrass around.  I’m sorry to be missing this one, for sure. 

Vino’s, 8 p.m., $7:  KILLING ZOE w/ Sam Walker, A Heartwell Ending & Xoversa  

Sticky Fingerz, 10 p.m.:  Dizzy Reed (of Guns N’ Roses) and his band (dudes from Quiet Riot, the Jani Lane Band, and Puddle of Mudd) on the “Hookers & Blow” tour. 

Rev Room, 9 p.m., $8, 18+:  Big Smith, Charliehorse. 

Juanita’s, 10 p.m.:  B-level Entertainment presents Rodney Block & The Real Music Lovers (sheesh, I hate missing this)sting Hate

I want to see this event jampacked:  Arkansas Community Arts Cooperative (ACAC) “Stanza Extravaganza” open mic night.  Friday, July 18th, 8:30-11:00. 

CheckOneTwo went to one of these at ACAC a while back, and it was an utter blast.  Great funky times for me and the whole crew.  Music, poetry, free-stylin’…the works.  My youngstahs (age 13 and 9) both got up and performed and it was a real cool thing for them.  All ages, and way groovy.

ACAC is just about the coolest thing around.  Please support them.  They do all sorts of really rad events and go out of their way to aim a lot of  ‘em at younger folks.  Outside of Vino’s, there really aren’t too many all-ages places around.  Find out more at http://acacarkansas.wordpress.com/

Sibilance,

Glen

Riverfront Park, sundown, free, all ages:  The original Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory movie, outside on the big screen.  Ohhhhh…yes.  AND THE ROWERS KEEP ON ROWING!  AND I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING!  JUST HOW FAST THIS BOAT IS GOING!…or something like that.  Ahem.

Whitewater Tavern, 9 p.m., $5:  Dale Beavers (from Michigan, via Lake Village). 

Cornerstone Pub, 6 p.m., free:  Match Castashadow (solo indie stuff, outta New Orleans)

Juanita’s, 9 p.m., 6 p.m., $5:  103.7 The Buzz Presents “Buzzaritaville“.  Tonight’s guest:  Jeff Coleman

The Vino’s anniversary show:  Sept 20, featuring the rarely-spotted Ashtray Babyhead.

Mark it down.

Friday, September 12th, as part of the Live At The Garden series at the Memphis Botanic Garden.   If you’re feeling especially sassy, catch Earth Wind & Fire there on July 19th.  Right on!!