City of Roses Music Festival in full bloom

Downtown Cape Girardeau on a normal weekend is already a rocking place, with multiple bands often taking stages around the clubs downtown. For the Ninth Annual City of Roses Music Festival, taking place on Sept. 23 and 24, organizers hope to take the party atmosphere already in place and twist it up a couple of notches, adding some new features to appeal to a wider audience.

The most important part of the City of Roses Music Festival is the music, this year taking place on four stages. Three stages will be set up along Water Street downtown, with one stage each at the corners of Broadway, Independence, and Themis. In addition, acoustic acts will be playing at the Courthouse Gazebo. Playing on these stages will be bands representing many different genres.

"We're trying to get diversity," said Don Ganim, this year's City of Roses director. "We've got some blues, and a gospel band, and a rap band, along with a lot of local bands."

Talent booker Daryn Brooks said the festival hopes to draw in more people with a family-friendly atmosphere. Brooks said organizers have established a code of conduct for bands in addition to increased musical diversity and vendors on the street.

Prom Night Heroes

"The rock and roll generation's growing up and having kids," said Brooks.

People that have attended the music festival in the past will also notice other changes.

"We're going to have a lot more vendors and we're going to have food," said Ganim. "Burritoville will be having a burrito-eating contest. The preliminary round will be on Friday, and the finals will be on Saturday."

In another change from the past, the different bars downtown will be independent of the festival and will be given the choice of whether or not to have a cover charge, Ganim said.

Many of the acts playing can be divided into the following three categories.

Hard Rock/Metal

Hard rock and metal acts will dominate the stage at the corner of Independence Street.

Drivin' Rain

Drivin' Rain are not only veterans of the Cape Girardeau music scene, but they've also played as a part of almost every City of Roses Music Festival so far, singer Timexx Nasty said.

Drivin' Rain, who have been around since 1994, play hard rock 'n' roll in the style of Eighties metal bands like Motley Crue, Skid Row, and Guns 'n Roses. In addition to their busy touring schedule that includes opening slots for national acts, Drivin' Rain also recently signed a distribution deal with Perris Records that allows their music to be bought around the world in places as far away as Japan.

"We play what we love and we love what we play," said Nasty. "Hard rock 'n' roll for a hard rock life."

Drivin' Rain will be playing on Friday, the first night of the festival.

Inkognito

The hard rock/metal bands Emaciation and Inkognito are also expected to perform at this year's City of Roses Music Festival. Emaciation, playing the first night of the festival, are a band known for their painted faces and on-stage theatrics, as well as their solid playing. Inkognito, a band with a style reminiscent of the early Nineties grunge explosion, will be playing on Saturday.

Rock

Rock, classic rock, blues and other bands will take the stage at Broadway.

The Melroys

The Melroys have played several City of Roses Festivals already, with the first time coming in 2000 after the band was formed in 1999. The band is currently working on the followed to their debut album "The Melroys" and plan on playing some new songs.

"We'll be playing as many as we can," said Jordan Leiner, singer and guitarist for the Melroys. "We're working right now on how to play these live as a three piece."

The Melroys are well known in the Cape Girardeau area, but their album has also received nice reviews from all over the world. One reviewer referred to their sound as "Beatle-billy," referencing how the band's sound sometimes channels the Beatles.

Leiner, however, believes the term "roots-rock" is the best summation of the Melroys' sound.

"We do a lot of Beatle-influenced things, especially songs my dad wrote," said Leiner, referring to the late Randy Leiner, his father and also former singer and guitarist for the Melroys. "We might be alt-country," he continued. "But they need a new term for country that doesn't make people think of Toby Keith. Until then, we're roots-rock."

"I thought it was well planned out last year," said Leiner of City of Roses. "I liked the three stages blocking Water Street, it made it more personal than the barge [they once used]."

The Melroys will be performing on both Friday and Saturday at Broussard's and one night on the Broadway stage.

Many other acts also under the broad "rock" category will be performing at this year's festival. Steve Ewing, former singer for the Urge, will be at Breakaway's on the twenty-third, as will Lojic, a band that combines reggae with explosions of distortion.

Acoustic

Acoustic acts will have dominion over the Common Pleas Courthouse Gazebo.

Dale Haskell

Dale Haskell will be performing for the fourth time at the City of Roses Music Festival. Haskell, a singer and guitarist as well as an English professor at Southeast Missouri State University, says that his music is often put into the Americana category.

"I don't like to be put into a category," said Haskell, although concluded his style could be called "middle-aged white-guy music."

Haskell will be playing songs from his two cds, including his recently released second cd titled "Ineloquent Heart."

"I have a comic attitude toward things," said Haskell. "The new album is not goofy, it's more relationship-based."

A prolific songwriter, Haskell will also be including new, not yet recorded songs in his set.

Mike Renick

Other acoustic-minded acts that will be performing include the Mike Renick Band (on the Broadway Stage) and Doc Bertram.

Festival organizers are also working to get musical ensembles from Southeast Missouri State University to play the festival.

The organizers have their eyes on the future, with a vision of making the festival something everyone can enjoy, not just a rowdy rock party.

"This festival is bigger than any one person," said Brooks. "It's for the city."

Matt Sanders contributed to this report.