Hall of Fame trio to play Peoria
- Details
- Published on 11 December 2013
- Written by The Peorian
Crosby, Still & Nash, the rock-and-roll Hall of Fame group that first performed together at Woodstock, will play at the Peoria Civic Center on March 12.
The concert, part of the group's limited 13-date spring tour that starts March 4, will be in the Civic Center Theatre. Tickets will be $103, $93 and $83 and go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. at the Civic Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster locations or by calling (800) 745-3000.
Advance ticket sales begin Wednesday at noon central time on the Crosby Stills & Nash website. Go to http://bit.ly/csn2014. The complete March tour schedule can be seen at www.crosbystillsnash.com.
Crosby, Still & Nash said they will perform new songs along with favorites spanning the 40-plus years since they started. The group announced it will donate to charity $1 of each ticket sold.
The trio will be accompanied by Shane Fontayne on guitar, Steve DiStanislao on drums, Kevin McCormick on bass, James Raymond on keyboards and Todd Caldwell on organ.
The group toured Europe throughout 2013. The March tour follows David Crosby's solo tour in January and February to support release of his new solo album, "CROZ," scheduled for release Jan. 28, 2014. It will be his first solo release in 20 years, the group said.
Stephen Stills and Graham Nash also have released new works in recent months. Stills recently toured with The Rides, which includes Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Barry Goldberg, to support a new album called "Can't Get Enough." Nash recently finished a solo tour and is current on a book tour to tout his autobiography "Wild Tales: A Rock & Roll Life."
Crosby, Stills, and Nash have each been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — with Crosby, Stills & Nash, and a second time with The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and The Hollies, respectively. They are also in the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, honored both for CSN as a group, and as individual solo artists, according to their website.
Hall of
PAAR offering grants to tornado victims
- Details
- Published on 09 December 2013
- Written by Paul Gordon
Victims of the Nov. 17 tornadoes that ripped through Washington and other parts of the region can receive financial assistance for housing purposes through the Peoria Area Association of Realtors.
The association will host a housing outreach program from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Countryside Banquet Center in Washington for those displaced by the tornadoes who need help with a mortgage payment, expenses for temporary housing or a rent payment. Countryside Banquet Center is at Washington Road and School Street.
The association said in a news release that residents will be able to apply for a financial assistant grant worth up to $1,500 made available through the Realtors Relief Foundation. The foundation was establish for this type of purpose, to provide financial assistance to victims of disasters whose homes were damaged or destroyed.
"This will benefit those affected by the disaster in Washington, Pekin and East Peoria and other impacted communities in Illinois," the association said. "These one-time grants could make a big difference for people who have lost everything."
To qualify, a brief grant application must be completed and submitted with documentation, including a copy of last mortgage statement, rental agreement or information related to temporary housing.
Volunteers will be on hand to assist residents with completing the grant application, discuss rental options in the area, and also gather information regarding furnishings and household items needed to help start over.
Residents who are not able to attend the Housing Outreach Program but still desiring assistance from the REALTOR® Relief Foundation may apply by downloading and filling out the form from IAR's website. It can be accessed at http://www.illinoisrealtor.org/sites/illinoisrealtor.org/files/Forms/IAR%20Grant%20Application.pdf
'Joseph' ready for another run at Eastlight
- Details
- Published on 04 December 2013
- Written by Paul Gordon
What would Christmas be without the one musical that has come to signify the Christmas season in central Illinois, even though it isn't a musical about Christmas?
"It just isn't the same, especially for those people who are involved in the show," said Jeremy Kelly, who is director of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" for the second consecutive year.
Added Steve Cordle, executive director of Eastlight Theatre in East Peoria, "It is not a Christmas show. It is not a show about Christmas. But around here, they consider it one. And that is why people keep coming to see it. It has become tradition."
"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" will open Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Eastlight Theatre, in East Peoria High School, It is the 23rd consecutive year at the theatre. The show will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6, 7, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Matinees starting at 2 p.m. are scheduled Dec. 8 and 15. Tickets are $19 and can be ordered online at tickets.eastlighttheatre.com or by calling 699-7469.
Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" is based on the "coat of many colors" from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis and tells the story of Joseph and his 11 brothers.
It was the first Webber and Rice musical performed publicly. Written in the late 1960s it did not make it to Broadway until 1982, nine years after it debuted in London.
It was first presented at Eastlight Theatre in 1991.
Cordle has been there, first as technical director before becoming executive director, for all but that first one.
Yet, he never gets tired of it, he said. "It's probably safe to say I have seen this show more than anybody and I have to tell you, I never get tired of it. It is the best selling show we've ever done. People just love it," he said. "I think the appeal is the high energy of the show. It's colorful, fast paced. People look forward to it every year and I can honestly say, I do, too."
For Kelly, directing came after many years of being in the show, starting with the children's choir and advancing to become one of Joseph's brothers.
"I remember once, I decided to take a year off after being in the show for six or seven straight years. I regretted it because that year it just didn't feel like Christmas. And I know others fell the same way. It is just show a energetic and fun show you can't help but enjoy doing it. It's light-hearted and free spirited and can be enjoyed by people of any age," Kelly said.
There is little dialogue in the show save for a narrator, this year performed by Carmen McCarthy. Most of the story is told in song.
McCarthy has been involved with "Joseph" in the past but this is her first year as narrator.
Joseph is being portrayed this year by Kevin McClelland, making his "Joseph" debut. Kelly said McClelland is not new to performing, however, as he has been involved in barber shop singing. When the need for a Joseph arose, Kelly said McClelland's name was brought up by several other cast members.
Other principals in the show, including Joseph's brothers, include Deric Kimler, who portrayed Jesus in Peoria Players Theatre's production of "Godspell" last spring, and Kyle King, who played Billy in Corn Stock Theatre's "Anything Goes" last summer,
Other veteran performers in the cast include Joel Shoemaker, Aaron Elwell, Kerri Rae and Kristen Williams, who also is music director of the show.
"We've got a great cast and they are a lot of fun to be around. I miss being up on stage with them, playing on stage and having a good time. I keep teasing that they better not get sick or anything or I'll step right into it since I know the show so well. At least as director, I still get to experience the fun," Kelly said.
Not many things about the show have changed through the years, though the set was rebuilt three years ago and new lighting has been added. "As Steve Cordle said to somebody else, 'if it ain't broke, why fix it?' He's right."
Gordon: They're giving away the Civic Center!
- Details
- Published on 05 December 2013
- Written by Paul Gordon
There is something unprecedented planned in Peoria for next August; now it is up to local arts organizations for which it is planned to take advantage.
The Peoria Civic Center will be given away for a full weekend. That's right; given away, free of charge.
The purpose is so the inaugural IGNITE Peoria! event can take place, showcasing anything and everything this region has to offer from the arts. The idea came from the Civic Center itself, namely General Manager Jim Wetherington.
Other than through his job and the fact he has a great tenor voice that used to put him on community theatre stages, Wetherington isn't involved too much in the arts. But he knows the importance of the arts to this community and wants to help promote them in any way that he can. Anybody who knows him can tell you he's the type that says "let's get it done."
Wetherington gathered together representatives of various local arts groups a few months ago and said, basically, "the building is yours to do what you want" for a weekend in August, the Civic Center's slowest month of the year. He offered the Civic Center's staff to assist putting things together and has appointed some to the small IGNITE Peoria! steering group to get the event off the ground.
All that was left, for the most part, was for the arts groups to step up and say, "We want to be part of it! Tell us what we can do."
Those at that first meeting came away feeling energized, grateful, excited. The person more or less leading the charge is Kathy Chitwood, a can-do person if ever there was one, so confidence was high. Others on the steering committee are Suzette Boulais, executive director of Arts Partners, Megan Pedigo, assistant director of marketing for the Civic Center, and Kaci Osborne, tourism manager for the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The possibilities sent imaginations soaring at that meeting last August. There was not one part of the world known as the arts that would have to be left out. Every genre from film to photography, music to dance, theatre to prose, from painting to sculpture and so forth, could participate.
Groups are invited to exhibit, demonstrate, teach, perform, share.
Now I have never been one to like the phrase "it's a win-win situation for everyone," but this seemed like one.
Each first Tuesday of the month that steering group meets with arts groups to discuss progress, to hear what arts groups are planning to do for the event, which is now scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 8. Each month somebody has said they want to do something, but it also seems each month somebody else says what they planned to do cannot be done because of one obstacle or another. The lack of people to help was one obstacle listed in trying to turn plans by next August.
But Wetherington reiterated this week that he and his staff are masters at overcoming obstacles. "There is virtually nothing we cannot do. Tell us your obstacle, tell us your proposed solution and we will make it happen. It's what we do," he said. "We'll even bring in a furnace for glass blowing exhibitions if needed. That's just one small example."
To that end the arts groups are being asked to fill out a planning sheet for their events to give the Civic Center guidelines to go by. Pedigo said the sheet is sort of a brainstorming guideline rather than something hard and fast, but she said it is a necessary one to get an event started.
The planning sheet asks for the event title and description, proposed times to move in, open and move out, the estimated number of participants from the organization (including vendors, speakers, entertainers) and how many patrons are anticipated.
It then asks nitty-gritty questions the Civic Center staff will look for.
- Size of space needed
- Description of how set up will be done
- Electrical needs
- Audio/visual needs
- Expected costs to the arts organization
- Marketing planned, marketing support needed
Finally, it asks, "What obstacles are you facing? How can we help?"
Some may think it's early yet to hit the panic button. But if IGNITE Peoria! is going to get off the ground, much planning has to be done, funding must be found and time is running out already, Wetherington said.
In fact, the Civic Center has set a deadline of Dec. 13 — that's Friday the 13th — to get those planning sheets turned in so it knows what to expect. It also will tell the Civic Center how many groups will actually participate.
"I'm not panicking, but I'm getting frustrated. We are going to give the building away. It helps us, it helps the arts organizations, it helps the community. But people are not stepping up like we need them to do. Now is the time for commitment, not May or June. Now is the time if it's going to get done, even if we end up starting small so we can grow this event. We need more participation from group and from volunteers," he said.
Chitwood said she understands some of Wetherington's frustrations and added that there have been a couple of things that were planning that now appear to be on the back burner. One was for an award to be given out to exhibitors for first and second place to help get the IGNITE Peoria! event better known, but the person who worked his tail end off to make it happen has been unable yet to find financial backing.
Another person, Chitwood said, wanted to start a drumline competition but has been unable to find groups willing to compete, perhaps because of the time of year.
"Whether those obstacles can be overcome, I don't know. We are willing to try, for sure," Chitwood said. "I think more than anything people got very excited when they heard about the event and had these great ideas for what could be included, only to find actually making their idea happen was going to be much more difficult than they thought. With this being so new, I think that is understandable.
"The bottom line is, IGNITE is going to happen. It may start smaller than originally thought but that's ok because it will have room to grow. There are plenty of events being planned and starting in January those Tuesday meetings are going to become real planning session, working out logistics. To me, that's when it really will get more exciting."
The Civic Center and Wetherington, Chitwood said, "have presented us, the arts community, with an opportunity so incredible, one of the most incredible opportunities we've ever had, we will make it happen."
Knight: Tornado victims could use musical recording, too
- Details
- Published on 02 December 2013
- Written by Bill Knight
Weeks after 17 devastating tornados swept a destructive path through central Illinois, and hours before an impressive lineup of Midwest rock 'n' roll recording artists play a benefit for area victims at Bloomington's U.S. Cellular Coliseum, a feeling arises: Perhaps a next step could be a recording of regional musicians to use their talents to pitch in, too.
After all, the outpouring of assistance already has seen local churches and schools do what they could; volunteers, charities and businesses from the heartland lending a hand; and colleges such as Carl Sandburg and Western Illinois University and even pro sports teams offering labor, money or an ear to hear what must be said:
"Help, please."
The Chicago Bears and Blackhawks; the Second City comedy troupe and White Sox legend Jim Thome (and all four of the Major League Baseball teams he played for) all have assisted.
The skills and spirit of Central Illinois musicians make one think a CD anthology of area artists is possible as a fruitful and fun follow-up to this week's "Rock to the Rescue Extends a Hand to Those in Need" show – featuring REO Speedwagon, Styx, Larry the Cable Guy, Richard Marx, Head East, Ted Nugent and more.
It could be done.
Already, in a related effort, "Radio Rescue" in recent weeks involved the area stations owned by JMP Integrated Media and collected more than $47,000 in person at two collection sites.
"We were easy to spot with station vans," said WIRL-AM 1290 DJ Lee Malcolm. "People did not need to get out of their cars. When they came over to us, we went up to meet them. We had a consistent flow of traffic during a 12-hour period, starting at 6 a.m."
Other media rallied to the cause, too, notably the "Help on the Homefront" telethon spearheaded by public TV's WTVP-TV 47 but involving all central Illinois television outfits and raising more than $786,000.
Elsewhere, responding to a different disaster, dozens of musicians from U2 and Linkin Park to Bob Dylan and the Beatles donated songs to a compilation benefiting those affected by last month's super-typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. That album, "Songs for the Philippines," has 39 tracks and is already available on iTunes.
The artists, record companies, and management agreed to donate proceeds from the release to the Philippine Red Cross.
As to a central Illinois effort: Recording studios operate in the area to record, mix existing material or organize an anthology from participating groups (many of whom already have tapes); and it's been done in other ways, such as WWCT's terrific "Basement Tapes" LPs from the 1980s, and the Prairie SUN's "Pointy Feet Beat" (1979) and "Heartland USA (1981). In non-musical endeavors, group-effort books I helped with (such as "Peoria People" by the Peoria Newspaper Guild and "Naked Came The Farmer," a paperback benefiting the Peoria Library) that people often embrace opportunities to help and collaborate, when asked.
A record would make memories of the momentous outpouring of faith, hope and love more than of the devastation, tragedy and grief. Such a memento also would be a keepsake collector's item as well as a fund-raising vehicle for the Red Cross or some other recipient who'd be transparent in their receipts and expenditures. And for musicians who take part, it would have some measure of promotional value but, more importantly, it would show their connection to central Illinois and "pay back" their area audiences.
Think about other artists on the aforementioned "Songs for the Philippines" – Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber; Bruno Mars and Michael Bublé; the Kings of Leon and the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Madonna and Pink; Eminem and Enrique Iglesias; Earth, Wind & Fire and James Blunt; Pitbull with Christina Aguilera and a host of awesome women: Adele, Beyoncé, Cher, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry and more.
Then consider all the abilities in central Illinois, which can make the mind reel and the heart soar. There's the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and the Heartland Festival Orchestra; Ed & Janet Kaizer and Ed & Judy Howard; Jimmy Binkley and Preston Jackson; JammSammich and the Central Illinois Jazz Society House Band; sax maniac Eddie Rushing of Elmwood and Paul Anderson of Avon; the Knox-Galesburg Symphony and guitarist Chris Stevens with or without Cobalt Canopy, Bob "Whale" Miller & Captain Strobe and the Elvis Brothers; high school bands and ensembles; Cadillac Jack and Private Blend; Dave Hoffman and Greg Williams; traditional Irish bands the Bogside Zukes and Turas; the Robin Crowe Band and the West MacQueen Street Band; Dave Chastain and Bernard Allison; Sally Weisenburg & Don Berbaum and Craig Moore with or without the Speechless project; songwriting Catholic Post editor Tom Dermody or maybe a cut from the St. Ann's Band's inspiring "All Are Welcome" or – most appropriately – "Faith+Love+Hope."
If half of these groups donated a recorded tune or recorded a new song with help from area studios, a wonderful fund raiser would result.
It's an idea.
And a feeling.