CITY OF ROSES MUSIC FESTIVAL OPENS TODAY

Downtown streets will be alive with the sound of music tonight.

The fourth annual City of Roses Music Festival begins at 7 with a full moon, warming temperatures and music at four outdoor stages and at downtown nightspots. (See schedule)

The music continues Saturday afternoon and Saturday night.

Three of the city's most influential musicians -- Homer Gilbert, William Shivelbine Sr. and Eddie Keys Sr. -- will be honored at the opening ceremony at 7 tonight on the Spanish Street Stage. Gilbert will be present along with members of the Shivelbine and Keys families.

The City of Roses Music Festival has established scholarships in their names at Southeast Missouri State University. Central High School has published a booklet with biographies of the three musicians.

The Main Stage is located at Independence and Main streets, the Spanish Street Stage at Spanish and Themis streets and the Water Street Stage at Water and Themis streets. The fourth stage will be located at the River Campus.

The heart of the show will be local talent, 55 bands worth. The festival boasts a variety of music, from country, blues and rock to Christian contemporary and swing.

Most of the under-21 bands are scheduled at the River Campus. The St. Louis alternative rock band Just Add Water will perform tonight at the Main Street Stage. Scheduled Saturday on the same stage is Ullin, Ill., harp player Snooky Pryor along with two of his children, Skee and Lady Pryor.

Salsa Descarga is a supercharged Latin outfit from Cape Girardeau headed by Mark Ellison, a band teacher at Central High School.

Straight Street, a contemporary Christian band headed by Lindsey Bowerman, will play Saturday at the Water Street Stage.

The Southern Illinois band Crossfire plays country music. Bill Booth of Sikeston plays a variety of acoustic styles.

Mobile Chicken Party Unit is a Grateful Dead-influenced Carbondale, Ill., band.

"City of Roses Rock 2000," a CD of music by participants in the music festival will be sold at venues.

The Southeast Missourian is one of 28 sponsors of the event.

A $10 wristband gets anyone 21 and over into all venues for one night. A $5 wristband is available for anyone under 21 and is good for admission to the River Campus and all outdoor venues for one night.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Today

Main Street Stage

(Independence and Main streets)

7 p.m. -- Third Gear

8 p.m. -- DC Tryal

9 p.m. -- Van Gogh's Ear

10 p.m. -- Papa Aborigine

11 p.m. -- Just Add Water

Spanish Street Stage

(Spanish and Themis streets)

7 p.m. -- Opening ceremony with Vi Keys and family and Cat'z Meow

8 p.m. -- Disposable Heroes

9 p.m. -- Mud Puppy

10 p.m. -- The Influence

11 p.m. -- Drivin' Rain

Water Street Stage

(Water and Themis streets)

7 p.m. -- Crossfire

8 p.m. -- Circles End

9 p.m. -- Mobile Chicken Party Unit

10 p.m. -- Acme Blues Band

11 p.m. -- Funky Donkey Cheese

River Campus

7 p.m. -- Freaks of Nature

8 p.m. -- Thred

9 p.m. -- Third Gear

10 p.m. -- Polyduster

11 p.m. -- Element 67

Port Cape/River City Yacht Club

9 p.m. -- Trademark

10 p.m. -- Bruce Zimmerman & the Shysters

11 p.m. -- Van Gogh's Ear

Midnight -- DC Tryal

Jeremiah's

9 p.m. -- Squeeler (upstairs), Bill Booth (downstairs)

10 p.m. -- Switch

11 p.m. -- The Influence

Midnight -- All That Matters

Broussard's

9 p.m. -- The Big Boys

10 p.m. -- Uncle Big Bad

11 p.m. -- Neon Nites

Midnight -- Mobile Chicken Unit

Rude Dog Pub

9 p.m. -- Neon Nites

10 p.m. -- Circles End

11 p.m. -- Cape Rock Drive

Midnight -- Papa Aborigine

Ragsdale's

9 p.m. -- Matt & Lucas

10 p.m. -- Mike and Mark

11 p.m. -- Doug Rees

Midnight -- Bruce Zimmerman

Rufus Mudsuckers

9 p.m. -- The 13th Floor

10 p.m. -- Disposable Heroes

11 p.m. -- Mud Puppy

Midnight -- Salsa Descarga

Bel Air Grill

9 p.m. -- 50 Cent Buddha

10 p.m. -- Matt & Lucas

11 p.m. -- Bill Booth

Midnight -- Mike and Mark

In the Wine Cellar

8-11 p.m. -- Southeast Jazz Quartet, classical guitarists

Mollie's

9 p.m. -- The Influence

10 p.m. -- Turner Up

11 p.m. -- Emaciation

Royal New Orleans

8-11 p.m. -- The Cat'z Meow

Saturday

Main Street Stage

7 p.m. -- Turner Up

8:30 p.m. -- Melroys

9:30 p.m. -- All That Matters

10:30 p.m. -- Skee and Lady Pryor

11 p.m. -- Snooky Pryor

Spanish Street Stage

7 p.m. -- Mike and Mark

8 p.m. -- Mana

9 p.m. -- Bruce Zimmerman & the Shysters

10 p.m. -- Crossfire

11 p.m. -- Missouri Breaks

Water Street Stage

(opens 4 p.m.)

5 p.m. -- Straight Street

7 p.m. -- Missouri Breaks

8 p.m. -- Deep Rest

9 p.m. -- Drivin' Rain

10 p.m. -- Neon Nights

11 p.m. -- South Paw

River Campus

3 p.m. -- Stage opens

4 p.m. -- 2 Shy 2

5 p.m. -- I.D.C.

6 p.m. -- Says Who

7 p.m. -- Pushy Mother

8 p.m. -- Squad Car

9 p.m. -- Identity Crisis

10 p.m. -- No Expense

11 p.m. -- Emaciation

Port Cape/River City Yacht Club

9 p.m. -- Uncle Big Bad

10 p.m. -- The Influence

11 p.m. -- Bad Apples

Midnight -- Drivin' Rain

Jeremiah's

9 p.m. -- Salsa Descarga

10 p.m. -- Funky Donkey Cheese

11 p.m. -- Bare Fax

Midnight -- Neon Nites (downstairs), 50 Cent Buddha (upstairs)

Broussard's

8 p.m. -- Don Haupt

9 p.m. -- South Paw

10 p.m. -- Acme Blues Band

11 p.m. -- Melroys

Midnight -- Bruce Zimmerman & the Shysters

Rude Dog Pub

9 p.m. -- Bad Apples

10 p.m. -- The Big boys

11 p.m. -- Cape Rock Drive

Midnight -- Deep Rest

Ragsdale's

9 p.m. -- Bare Fax

10 p.m. -- Bill Booth

11 p.m. -- Doug Rees

Midnight -- All That Matters

Bel Air Grill

9 p.m. -- Doug Rees

10 p.m. -- Don Haupt

11 p.m. -- Mike and Mark

Midnight -- Bill Booth

In the Wine Cellar

8-11 p.m. -- Southeast Jazz Quartet, classical guitarists

Mollie's

8 p.m. -- Turner Up

9 p.m. -- Switch

10 p.m. -- The Influence