Weekend To-Dos: Stella Fancy, "Jump!" and TNA Wrestling
The best web flyer in a loooong time.
9 p.m., Gallery 26. Free.
Some years ago, Jerry and Jeremy Colburn, AKA the rockin'-est father-son musicians in town and two-thirds of the Bloodless Cooties, played in a band with Jen Shaw and Mark Lewis (Moving Front) called New Jazz Assassins. The band called its music “garage jazz,” which was probably a cool way of saying it sounded a little ramshackle. With Shaw singing breathily, occasional whistle solos and dirty cocktail grooves, NJA sounded like they should've been house band for a speakeasy happy hour. Maybe they were. But now they're taking a new, expansive direction. Re-formed as Stella Fancy, the band's added three members — Damian Thompson on congas, Dan Huff on various percussion and Jen Finley on backing vocals — and worked up new originals and lounge covers of B-52s and Dead Kennedys songs. They're debuting the new project with two sets at Gallery 26, an early acoustic one and a later electric jam.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 7/19 and 7/20
'JUMP!'
6 p.m., Wildwood. $50.
“Jump!,” which will be staged in Wildwood's 600-seat Lucy Lockett Cabe Festival Theatre, follows the story of Jordan as told by “himself” (with the help of several Jordanettes, the performer's backup singers) at different stages in his career, Koch says. An all-star cast and crew comes together to put it on. Cliff Fanin Baker, the park's director, co-wrote the play with Koch and directs. The Rep's decorated set designer Mike Nichols contributes. Lawrence Hamilton, the renowned Arkansas performer, stars as Jordan. And Tawanna Campbell, one of Little Rock's most impressive R&B singers, is also featured. A five-man “jump” band also factors in, featuring noteworthy locals like Stratsimir Pavlov and Joe Vick. And video, featuring archival footage of Jordan, will also be included. More here.
SUNDAY 7/20
TNA WRESTLING
4 p.m., Alltel Arena. $21.75-$51.75.
Get it? That's right, Total Nonstop Action. What, you had other ideas? For shame. This is wrasslin' for a new generation, set in a hexagonal ring (more opportunity for ropes bouncing) and featuring some of the baddest brawlers in the “sport.” Like Kurt Angle, a former Olympic gold medalist, who's become the face of TNA. Or Awesome Kong, a nearly 300-pound female wrestler, whose signature move is the Awesome Bomb, a standing neck scissors drop maneuver. Or LAX, short for the Latin Xchange, the Hispanic tag team made up of “high-flying” brawlers Hernandez and Homicide, whose signature moves are the Border Toss and the Gringo Killer, respectively. Also on the bill are Christian Cage, “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles, Motor City Machineguns, “Cowboy” James Storm, Scott Steiner, Tomko, ODB, Jay Lethal, Petey Williams, Shark Boy, Roxxi Lauveaux, Eric Young and Jackie Moore. More than likely, too, there'll be a few “Knockouts,” the full-figured, spandex-wearing, female division of TNA. Say it again: Total Nonstop Action.
