New Tripmaster, NPR For Local Band, Hug A Book, Tomfoolery And More In The Good News!
So, what are some of the cool and positive things happening in and around the area?
Glad you sorta asked!
There’s always plenty of good news happening around the Quad-Cities, and here in What’s The Good News?, our cooperative effort with the good folks at KWQC-TV6’s “Paula Sands Live,” we highlight some of the awesome things happening around our area!
Have something you want included next time around? Email Sean Leary at Sean@QuadCities.com. We’re happy to help!
Now let’s get started in taking a look around the local spots for some positive and upbeat news…
Tripmaster Monkey Trekking Back For New Album
Tripmaster Monkey, one of the most commercially and creatively successful bands in Quad-Cities music history, has reunited to begin recording a new album, and has begun a kickstarter campaign to get fans involved in the process and raise money for the project.
The group — guitarist and singer Jamie Toal, singer Chris Bernat, drummer Marty Reyhons, and bassist Wes Haas — is not signed to a label and is recording the disc locally with producer Patrick Stolley, who also co-produced the album “Practice Changes” with the band. The album is tentatively slated for release in the fall, and the band is looking at debuting it at a Sept. 27 gig at the Redstone Room, River Music Experience, Davenport.
The band’s facebook page featured the following announcement this week: “26 years ago we recorded and released our first of three projects with Sire Records. It was called “Faster than Dwight”. We remember the work put into it, and the excitement for you all to hear it.
We are just as excited today, as we were then, for you all to hear our next project. We are asking for your help. If you can, please click on the link below to contribute today to our Kickstarter campaign. Thanks!”
Fans can donate and check it out at Tripmaster Monkey New LP
Hug A Book!
The Rock Island Library’s Hug-A-Book early learning program and the Quad City Botanical Center’s KinderNature program have teamed up this spring help grow young readers with a Garden Starters event.
The Hug-A-Book Garden Starters event is Tuesday, April 9, from 10:30 am to 11:30 am in the tropical sun garden of the Quad City Botanical Center, 2525 4th Avenue, Rock Island. The event features stories and songs from the library’s Hug-a-Book program and nature fun and crafts from the botanical center’s KinderNature series. Preschoolers will plant a seed to take home their own garden starter. Admission is included, and each child gets to select a free book to take home, thanks to funding from the Merrill Harris Fund of the Rock Island Public Library Foundation.
The free event is for children ages two to five and their families. No registration is necessary.
Hug-A Book is the library’s ongoing early learning series designed to help create young readers. The library offers four to five Hug-A-Book events each year, all funded by the Merrill Harris Fund of the Rock Island Public Library Foundation.
For more details, see the library website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, or contact the library at 309-732-READ.
Jenny Lynn Stacy and The Dirty Roosters Crowing For NPR
Local band Jenny Lynn Stacy and The Dirty Roosters is recording a song and video called “Another ******* Day” for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest.
The contest draws songs and videos from bands across the country through April 14. There are two panels of judges to pass through. The judging is concluded by May 10th, and the winner is announced May 14th. Grand prize is playing a Tiny Desk Concert on May 28th in D.C., with four tour dates in June/July in Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; Austin, TX; and Seattle, WA.
“I’m a big fan of NPR, and have submitted into the contest twice before,” Stacy said. “I think this year could be different. Well, I hope. We’re really trying to kick 2019 in the ass. (Winning it all)…that would be best case scenario. Which would be just amazing. I would probably die for a second or two.
“There’s not much the public can do to help except sharing the video and getting it out there. Visibility is our friend. Since this is judged by a set of panels, it’s really up to them. I think if they see high numbers in views it might sway them, but that’s all speculation on my part.
”Unfortunately, our website is down,” Stacy said. “Until the website is up, you can find us on youtube, facebook, soundcloud, and bandcamp under Jenny Lynn Stacy and the Dirty Roosters.”
Jenny Lynn Stacy and the Dirty Roosters have been a thing for 3.5 years now. “Shayne (Quade) has been with me for three of those years,” Stacy said. “He’s my right hand man for sure. Joel (Swanson), our bassist, joined up 8/9 months ago. He fit in right away. One of my favorite things about him, other than his bass playing itself, is that he’s super prompt and easygoing. I dig that. Mark (Gordon) hooked up with us 4/5 months ago as an emergency fill in when our previous drummer had to step down. We liked him so much we decided to keep him. He brings a great energy to the band, and he’s a quick learn. I appreciate these fellas quite a bit.
“Being in a working band with original content is difficult, and the fact they’re willing to stick it out speaks in volumes. I wouldn’t have this great sound behind me if it wasn’t for them, so they really deserve a lot of attention themselves. I’m grateful for them often.
“We’re recording a full length album, we’ll be talking to some sponsors soon, we’re working on an updated logo, we’re getting a new line of merch this year, and we’ll be approaching a few independent record labels. I’ve had my eye on these labels for a few years or more, so we’re pretty excited about that.”
Two Local Icons Celebrate Business Birthdays
Two icons of the Quad-Cities indie scene celebrated birthdays on April Fools Day. Moline’s CoOp Records and Rock Island’s Rozz Tox both blew out the candles (Rozz Tox’ are probably on cupcakes), and although they’re both suffused with a spirit of fun, their success is serious testament to hard work and an example of how to do local business right.
It was 24 years ago that music scene fixture and die-hard Replacements fan Reid Robinson decided to take the leap and open up CoOp at 3727 Avenue of the Cities, Moline. Rozz Tox, 2108 3rd Ave., Rock Island, began eight years ago with Benjamin Fawks opening up a little coffee shop/café/performance space/hangout in a long dead-end section of a town that was headed in the wrong direction.
You look at both of them, and both of them should’ve, by conventional wisdom, failed.
One began just before the complete cratering of its industry, killed along with most retail shopping, by the onslaught of the internet and its ubiquity in our lives.
The other began as a spot in a town and area on the downward slope, branded as a cool hot spot when all the people who would ostensibly be interested in something of that ilk were seemingly spending all their time in other, far more hyped locations being trumpeted as the places to be.
But both defied prognosis and common wisdom because common wisdom is only good at predicting the common, and these locations are anything but.
And that’s the lesson for success in this era, when everyone is torn in so many different directions by a seemingly endless cavalcade of options – when people can go anywhere, you need to give them someplace to go unlike anywhere else, and when they can get anything, you need to give them something they can’t get anywhere else.
And that thing, that irreplaceable thing, is a feeling, a vibe, an experience, that both continue to provide.
So swing by both, take in the vibe, and bid happy birthday to two Q-Cs originals.
Storm Shoot For $150,000
I’ve touted the community efforts by the local hockey team Quad City Storm in this space before, but they still deserve massive kudos.
The team, which plays its last two home games this coming Friday and Saturday at Moline’s TaxSlayer Center, began the year with the goal of raising $100,000 for local charities, and has done so well that now they’re well on their way to hitting $150,000!
The Storm have a number of charitable enterprises on tap for this weekend’s games and are trying to make it a success not just for them but for the area community.
For more information, see www.quadcitystorm.com.
Fish Guy Caught At Tomfoolery On Tremont
The Renwick Mansion and Schlick Team Comedy welcome Q-C Celebrity guest, Peter “The Fish Guy”, Robinson THIS Friday at Tomfoolery On Tremont at 8 p.m. at the mansion at 901 Tremont, Davenport! He will be autographing photos for you! There are still tickets available: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tomfoolery-on-tremont-19-derek-lengwenus-tickets-56538200279 The SchlickTEAM (comedian chris schlichting’s fan page) #TOT #fishman
Tomfoolery on Tremont is a regular gig featuring touring and local comedians at the mansion. Friday’s show begins at 8 p.m. with doors at 7 and is $10/in advance .$15 at the door . Happy Hour is 7-8 p.m.
This weekend’s ToT features Derick Lengwenus, with special guests, and your emcee Chris Schlichting!
Originally from Montreal, Derek currently resides in Chicago where he performs stand-up and studies improv at Second City. His credits include: Winner of Best Comedy in the Montreal Fringe Festival, Winner of the Audience Choice Award at the Just For Laughs Festival, and finalist at the San Francisco Comedy Competition. Derick is a favorite of the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival where he has appeared five times, and he’s made such an impression that he was offered a one-hour television special after only five years in the business. The special was so successful that it earned him his first Canadian Comedy Award nomination. Derick can be seen performing comedy in clubs and theaters all across North America.
Rocky Soccer Helping A Good Cause
The Rock Island vs. Orion/Sherrard girls soccer matches tonight, April 3, (Varsity-5:30pm, JV-7:00pm) will be dedicated to the Rocky Resource Room and Tiger Closet at Sherrard. Part of the night’s proceeds will go to both facilities. The games take place at the Rock Island High School football stadium.
Spectators can get in free with the donation of a hygiene product and may also purchase items at the concession stand to donate.
Requested items for donation are:
-Deodorant -Shaving cream -Razors
-Body wash -Lotion -Shampoo & conditioner
-Paper towels -Toilet paper -Cleaning wipes
For more information see https://www.facebook.com/events/2116558711899954/.
