Local musicians playing Chicago soon

Add comment June 12th, 2009

Taste of Randolph Street festival features Miles Nielsen Friday, June 19, and Tinted Windows, headlining act with Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick, on Saturday, June 20.

The Last Vegas, July 2, which includes Rockford-reared Adam and Nate Arling, at the Double Door in Chicago, opening for Duff McKagan’s new band.

Corey Chisel and the Wandering Sons, which includes Miles Nielsen,  plays the Metro on July 30, opening for Josh Ritter.

Cheap Trick gets big, maybe bigger, Vegas gig

Add comment June 12th, 2009

Tickets go on sale Saturday for the  three sets of Cheap Trick performances at the Las Vegas Hilton, the band’s Web site says.  The Rockford-based band will perform Beatles music, “Sgt. Pepper Live,” for nine nights Sept. 13-15, 17-19 and 21-23.

(Photo provided. Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson and Bun E. Carlos)

If negotiations are successful, “Sgt. Pepper Live” will be performed on a recurring basis in the future, perhaps alternating with resident headliner Barry Manilow, this Las Vegas Sun story says.

Young pianist Emily Bear to appear on Good Morning America on Monday

3 comments June 11th, 2009

Emily Bear, the charming 7-year-old piano player and composer from Rockford, is adding another television appearance to her resume: On Monday, she’ll play piano on “Good Morning America.”

The ABC show starts at 7 a.m. on WTVO-17 (Comcast 4).

Her mother, Andrea Bear, said show staff learned about Emily through the Internet and invited her to play. It is her first appearance on a national morning news program.

Earlier this month, an Australian crew filmed Emily in Rockford for a segment on child prodigies that will air down under soon on “Sunday Night,” a news magazine show. Emily also has appeared five times on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and has played at the White House.

EDDY MONTVILLE | RRSTAR.COM
Emily Bear takes a break Tuesday, June 2, 2009, from playing with the Jodi Beach Trio at Franchesco’s Ristorante in the Sinatra Room in Rockford as an Australian crew films her.

All black-box talk reminds me of Sundstrand

6 comments June 11th, 2009

I didn’t realize that the “black box” flight data recorder that is being searched for to reveal clues in the Air France plane that crashed near Brazil last week killing 228 people is actually orange in color, like they all are.

But I do remember that Rockford-based Sundstrand used to make those black boxes in Redmond, Wa., until in 1993 it sold its Data Control division, which manufactured the devices. And I recall that every time there’s an awful plane crash.

Dad blames virtual baby in daughter’s death; what’s been your kid’s experience

Add comment June 10th, 2009

A girl in England with a heart condition died a day after caring for a crying virtual baby for school, and her dad blames the stress of the day she spent caring for the pretend infant, according to this parentdish.com story.

I haven’t heard about any such tragic circumstances surrounding local use of virtual babies, but I know from talking with one mom of a daughter in a Belvidere high school that she was stressed some by having to “babysit” for the virtual infant when her daughter went to work.

Ryan adds comedic private-eye FX pilot to producer resume

Add comment June 10th, 2009

Rockford native Shawn Ryan not only added “Lie to Me” to his executive producer resume this spring, but he’s also been tapped to co-produce a comedic private-eye pilot for FX called “Terriers” with “Oceans Eleven” writer Ted Griffin, according to this hollywoodreporter.com story.

Housewives star, former Rockfordian, to do two days of community service

Add comment June 9th, 2009

“The Real Housewives of New York City” cast member accused of punching her ex-boyfriend reached an agreement Monday in the case, according to this Associated Press story.

Model and Rockford native Kelly Killoren Bensimon must perform two days of community service.

(2008 AP photo)

Mayor’s Arts Awards will be in October as part of new event with broader appeal

Add comment June 9th, 2009

The Mayor’s Arts Awards, a 21-year-old celebration of Rockford area arts people, places and activities that traditionally was held in June, is morphing into an October event targeting a broader audience.

The Mayor’s Arts Awards will be a smaller-but-still-significant portion of the affair that the presenter, the Rockford Area Arts Council, is calling the State of the Arts. The Mayor’s Arts Awards recognizes an artist, advocate, event, business, student and teacher.

Another main focus of The State of the Arts event will be a trade fair of sorts, in that organizations will man display tables to sell season subscriptions and provide information. Such groups will include the Rockford Art Museum, Rockford Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, Rockford Wind Ensemble, Rockford Dance Company and Kantorei, The Singing Boys of Rockford. The event also will include highlights of the arts community for the past year.

Anne O’Keefe, executive director of the Arts Council, said the event needs to appeal to more people who aren’t so intimately involved in the arts as a means to keep the arts scene vital. “As we are faced with economic constraints, we need to brand the Arts Council,” O’Keefe told me Monday. “We are the ones who can convene all the arts organizations. We want people outside the arts to know what is going on.”

In May, the city cut funding to the arts group by $25,000, giving it $50,000. The funding cut represents 5 percent of its $462,865 budget, but could mean grant reductions to the organizations the Arts Council funds.

The State of the Arts will be a luncheon from 11:30 to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort, 700 W. Riverside Blvd., Rockford.

Cost will be about $40, and the Arts Councils hopes to sell a table of seats to businesses. O’Keefe said moving the celebration to Cliffbreakers during the day is intended to draw more business people. The Mayor’s Arts Awards had been held evenings at the Coronado Performing Arts Center in downtown Rockford since the theater was renovated in 2001. Last year, about 200 people attended, down from 300 the previous year. O’Keefe hopes to attract 400 this year.

The State of the Arts will be a kick-off of sorts for the Fall ArtScene Oct. 2 and 3, a tour of dozens of Rockford galleries and venues featuring local artists’ works for sale. The State of the Arts also celebrates the start of Illinois’ Arts and Humanities Month. “This will be a very upbeat, positive event,” O’Keefe said.

MIKE DONZE | RRSTAR.COM
Artist Alan Mauries hangs out Saturday, April 18, 2009, at ArtScene at The Brewhouse/Rockford Marina Building, 201 Hill St., in Rockford.

Rockford’s singing boys to perform out east

Add comment June 8th, 2009

Kantorei, The Singing Boys of Rockford, will take a nine-day tour to sites in Washington D.C., Gettysburg, Pa., and other eastern cities.

(Register Star photo)

The group will formally perform in Ohio, Maryland and Pennsylvania and will informally perform at places including Gettysburg National Military Park, the Smithsonian Museums, the White House and the Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo will meet the boys at the Capitol on June 18.

Rockford native dishes on old/new TV shows he was/is producing

Add comment June 8th, 2009

Shawn Ryan, former Rockfordian and Keith Country Day School graduate,  is in the news for old — “The Shield” and the just-cancelled “The Unit” — and the new “Lie to Me” TV shows he has/is producing:

He comments on “The Shield: Season Seven The Final Season” ($59.95, Sony, available Tuesday), according to CaliforniaChronicle.com. “This four-disc set has 13 episodes of the controversial FX cop drama starring Michael Chiklis. There’s a commentary for every episode, along with 51 deleted scenes that have an optional commentary by creator Shawn Ryan. Featurettes explore the final season and go on the set for the last episode.”

In a telephone call last week with me, Ryan said he would consider producing a big-screen version of “The Shield.” “I would say it’s something we could think about and possibly do, if there is enough interest,” he said.

With regard to CBS cancelling “The Unit,” Ryan said he was “upset” about the axing of the show about covert military operations and the families involved. “Creatively, it was a very good show and finished in the top 30 with 10 million viewers.”

He said the show was cancelled because of “corporate politics; more a corporate than network decision. CBS did not own the show, like they have ownership of ‘Cold Case’ and ‘Medium.’ ”

Ryan said he’s stoked about his new executive producer job, of the Fox show, “Lie to Me,” which premiered this year. It  centers around Dr. Cal Lightman and his colleagues taking assignments usually from local and federal agencies to help them reach the truth through interpreting facial expressions and body language.

Read more about lying in general and what Ryan has to say about this show in my June 18 Ask Geo column.