According to the national website, “The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.”

The Blount County chapter will kick things off on the Maryville College campus, and to entertain the Relayers, organizers have booked some live music for the event. Here’s this weekend’s schedule:

TODAY

• 4:30 p.m.: gospel artist Dave Seratt
• 7 p.m.: soul/R&B band Smooth Groove

SATURDAY

• 11 a.m.: Pistol Creek Catch of the Day
• 1:15 p.m.: country artist Laurel Wright

According to a statement from organizers, “These performers are generously lending their talents to support the efforts to fight cancer and celebrate and remember those who have battled it.”

This year’s Relay runs from 3 p.m. to midnight on Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Check out the Blount County chapter’s Facebook page.

After some grousing by the kids, Mr. Schuester breaks into his rendition of the song, complete with the dance moves made famous by Mr. Ice (born Robert Van Winkle), and by the end of the segment, they’re all into it. (Well, except wheelchair-bound Artie, who sits on the sidelines and sings along.) “I declare this song paroled,” Schuester announces when it’s all said and done. (Here’s the iTunes link to purchase the cast’s version of the song.)

No doubt fans in attendance at the Clayton Center on Saturday night will get that song, although for years Vanilla Ice has taken untold amounts of grief over it. It went from an insanely popular hit single to the butt of jokes on late-night and throughout popular culture, and the guy who made it bore the brunt of them. However, things are looking up for Ice — as he tells us in this Friday’s edition of The Daily Times Weekend entertainment section — so those who continue to deride his name and his music can … well, suck it. (My words, not his.)

“I don’t hear much anymore from the critics,” he told me during a phone interview last weekend. “Most of the haters are sitting on their couch, watching me get another platinum single on ‘X Factor’ (the British TV show, where a mash-up of “Ice Ice Baby” and Queen’s “Under Pressure,” performed by the duo John and Edward with Vanilla Ice guest-singing).

“I embrace all the haters from back in the day, because they had to move on and get mortgages and (stuff) and deal with the economy, but I’m still here, doing what I love to do. I want to thank them, because all of that made me be stronger and helped me see who I really am. It helped me get rid of the ego I didn’t need. I love it all and laugh at it all, and these days the critics don’t faze me.”

A little closer to home, however, there’s still big things happening. Starting Friday night, the newly built Clayton Center for the Arts will kick off its grand opening weekend with a concert by country artist Jo Dee Messina; tickets are still available and range from $36-$46. We put together a nice little Clayton Center package, including an interview with Jo Dee, a look at last-minute preparations for the grand opening gala on Saturday night and a timeline of the center’s construction, in last Friday’s Weekend. But that’s just the beginning of Clayton Center goodness taking place over the next several months. A few concerts have been announced already, a few are late additions to the lineup, and a few are outright surprises. Here’s a roundup of what’s coming to the Maryville College campus as the center’s season gets into full swing:

• Identical twins Richard and John Contiguglia will continue the grand opening weekend with a concert of piano duets at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 28, in the center’s Recital Hall; tickets are $26 for adults/$11 students.
• The BANFF Mountain Film Festival takes place at 7 p.m. Monday, March 29, in the Main Hall; tickets are $10 advance/$12 at the door.
• Mezzo-soprano Delores Ziegler and tenor John Wesley Wright will perform a joint vocal recital at 8 p.m. Monday, March 29, in the Recital Hall; $15.
• Alcoa Middle School and High School will perform choral concerts, respectively, at 6 and 8 p.m. April 8; tickets are $6 adults/$4 students.
• The United Way “April Foolies” fundraiser is at 7 p.m. April 10 in the Main Hall; $10.
• FREE: Maryville College Community Concert Band spring concert at 4 p.m. April 18.
• FREE: Maryville College Jazz Band concert, 7:30 p.m. April 22.
• Appalachian Ballet Co.: “Peter Pan and Other Works” at 7:30 p.m. April 24 and 2 p.m. April 25; $16.
• Orchestra at Maryville College, Maryville College Community Chorus and Maryville College Concert Choir: spring concert at 7:30 p.m. April 26; tickets TBA.
• FREE: Spring concert for the Youth and Children’s Chorales, 7:30 p.m. April 27.
• Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys with Cherryholmes, 7:30 p.m. April 29; $24.50, $29.50 and $36
• Maryville College Department of Theatre: “Our Town” at 8 p.m. April 29-May 1, 2 p.m. May 2. $7.
• Ball in the House (five-man R&B/pop vocal band) at 7:30 p.m. April 30; $20.
• FREE: Alcoa Middle School Band (at 6 p.m.) and High School Band (at 8 p.m.) concerts on May 4.
• Dance Ensemble Performance, 7 p.m. May 6 and 7. Tickets TBA
• Women of Courage Celebration featuring Amanda Ingram, 7 p.m. May 7. $50.
• Vanilla Ice with The Jaystorm Project and DJ Eric B., 7:30 p.m. May 8. Tickets (on sale Friday, March 26) Are $19, $26 and 39 in advance.
• FREE: Maryville High School Orchestra concert, 7:30 p.m. May 10
• FREE: Maryville Middle School Orchestra concert, 7:30 p.m. May 13
• Wood & Strings Puppet Theatre, 7 p.m. May 14; $12/$5 students
• Van Metre School of Dance, 7:30 p.m. May 29; tickets TBA
• Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series: Johnny Bellar, Adam Granger, Joe Collins and Cindy Gray at 7 p.m. June 14; $15
• Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series: Adam Masters, Mary Flower, Rusty Holloway, Jeff Jenkins and Robert Shafer at 7 p.m. June 15; $15
• Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series: Barbara Lamb, Keith Yoder, Jim Pankey and Ivan Rosenberg at 7 p.m. June 16; $15
• Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series: Russ Barenberg, Casey Henry, Pat Kirtley and Marcy Marxer at 7 p.m. June 17; $15
• Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series: Pete Huttlinger, Steve Kaufman and Friends, Kamp Kompanions at 7 p.m. June 18; $15
• Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series: Tyler Grant, Andrew Collins, Mike Clemmer, Richard Starkey and Kathy Barwick at 7 p.m. June 21; $15
• Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series: Gary Davis, Mitch Corbin, Tim May, Rolly Brown and Radim Zenkl at 7 p.m. June 22; $15
• Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series: Carlo Aonzo, Kathy Chiavola, Chris and Sally Jones, Ned Luberecki and Keith Yoder at 7 p.m. June 23; $15
• Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series: Alan Munde, Roland White, Emory Lester, Mark Cosgrove, Murphy Henry and Casey Henry at 7 p.m. June 24; $15
• Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series: Beppe Gambetta, Sharon Gilchrist, Steve Kaufman and Friends, Kamp Kompanions at 7 p.m. June 25; $15

Beyond that, the fall season is currently being booked, and while official announcements have yet to be made, there are a few hints out there online. Bluegrass goddess Missy Raines lists on her website an Oct. 7, 2010 date at the Clayton Center with fellow bluegrass maestro Sam Bush.

I’m sure a number of them follow it, as well as participate in it and appreciate it, but more often than not, whenever I have a conversation with an MC student and ask them about a particular local band, I’m met with a blank stare.

Which is why it does my heart good to see two great local bands coming to the MC campus on March 27 for a concert that will benefit a good cause.

The Dirty Guv’nahs will headline a performance on Saturday, March 27, in the Alumni Gym on the MC campus to raise money for Invisible Children Inc., a charity that educates orphans in war-torn countries. Also on the bill: local rockers 1220 and MC duo Daniel and Kevin, “a rock band from the college that has a large internal following that will start off the show with powerful covers of famous songs.”

Food, drinks, concert T-shirts and band merch will be for sale as well; it starts at 7 p.m. and proceeds from all sales will benefit Haitian relief efforts.

Buy tickets in advance by clicking here.

Here are a few free downloads from the performing bands:

The Dirty Guv’nahs, “We’ll Be The Light”: Right-click here (choose “Save Link As” or “Save Target As”)
The Dirty Guv’nahs, “Saguaro”: Right-click here (choose “Save Link As” or “Save Target As”)
The Dirty Guv’nahs, “Brown Little Bird”: Right-click here (choose “Save Link As” or “Save Target As”)
Buy “The Dirty Guv’nahs,” the band’s self-titled new album: Click here

1220, “The Motor Mile”: Right-click here (choose “Save Target As” or “Save Link As”)
Buy 1220 music: Check the 1220 Myspace site frequently for links

Clayton Center Announces Spring 2010 Entertainment Lineup

The Clayton Center for the Arts is proud to announce the first events scheduled for the newest entertainment venue in East Tennessee.  There are six premier events on the calendar in March, April and May presented by the Clayton Center.

A Grand Opening weekend in March features the Premier Gala, Saturday, Mar. 27.  The Gala highlights East Tennessee talent from a wide array of artistic forms.  The evening promises dancers, musicians and singers.  Also available for the public will be art displays in the three galleries featured at the Center.

Other events presented by the Clayton Center during the Grand Opening weekend are:

• Jo Dee Messina in concert, Friday, Mar. 26.  Jo Dee Messina is an award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist who has given her heart and soul to find success.  She’s had nine #1 singles, has been honored by The Country Music Association, The Academy of Country Music and The Grammy Awards and was the first female country artist to score three multiple-week #1 songs from the same album.
• Adams Foundation Piano Series concert, Sunday, Mar. 28.  Richard and John Contiguglia.  The identical twins, Richard and John Contiguglia, are among the most acclaimed and versatile piano duos in the world today.  The Adams Foundation Piano Series features America’s foremost piano performers in venues throughout the nation.

Additional events included as part of the Grand Opening weekend include: Maryville College Choir Concert, Thursday, Mar. 25; Banff Film Festival, Monday, Mar. 29.

Three additional Clayton Center Presents events are on the calendar for the remainder of Spring 2010.

• Dr. Ralph Stanley and Clinch Mountain Boys with Cherryholmes, Thursday, April 29.  Bluegrass royalty and three-time Grammy Award winner, Dr. Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys have teamed up with the first family of bluegrass, Cherryholmes, to showcase the very best of this musical tradition’s past, present and future.
• Ball in the House, Friday, April 30.  Ball in the House is a tour de force of vocal sound that must be heard and seen to be believed.  This five-man, pop/R & B “mouth band” hails from Boston, Massachusetts, where they live when not touring on the road.
• Wood and Strings Puppet Theatre, Friday, May 14.  Wood and Strings Theatre uses the captivating and comprehensive nature of art to engage the imagination, create experiences full of meaning and provide tools to build positive solutions for life’s challenges.  A puppet-making workshop will also be held in conjunction with this presentation.

Tickets for all the above events will go on sale Feb. 5.

Other highlights of the first few months of operation for the Clayton Center for the Arts will feature arts and entertainment from many genres, and some of the events will feature community and Maryville College artists:

• Maryville High School Orchestra Valentine’s Day concert, Sunday, Feb. 14.
• “Chasing George Washington,” a children’s theatre musical brought to Maryville, Tenn. from the Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences, Wednesday, Feb. 24.  Two performances of this musical will entertain more than 1,600 school children from Blount and Knox Counties.
• Alcoa High School Choir concert, Thursday, April 8.
• April Foolies fundraiser and talent show, April 10.
• “Peter Pan and Other Works,” presented by Appalachian Ballet Company, April 24 and 25.
• “Our Town” presented by Maryville College Theatre Department, April 29 through May 2.

Maryville and Alcoa secondary school band, choir and orchestra performances and many more exciting events.

Future patrons of the Clayton Center will be able to receive email updates on scheduling and ticket availability by sending an email to info@claytonartscenter.com and asking to be added to the email list.  To learn more about the Clayton Center for the Arts, visit www.ClaytonArtsCenter.com.

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Media contact: John Cherry, 865-981-8263, john.cherry@Claytonartscenter.com.

“He” is Steve Kaufman, local businessman and a respected flatpick guitarist around the world. “It” is the annual summer instructional camp, held on the Maryville College campus starting June 15. “They” are some of the best musicians on the planet. Between them, they have enough awards, accolades and championships to fill a couple of tractor-trailers.

In their home states (and in some cases, home countries), they’re revered for their skills. Among the students they teach, they’re looked up to as quasi-deities that can do things with their instruments that leave most players staring slack-jawed in amazement. And for two weeks, they’ll put those skills on display at a series of concerts open to the public.

Yes, it’s time once again for Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series, held every night (except Sunday), which will run through June 26. It’s difficult to get across just how rare this gathering of musicians is — all of them, individually, can command ticket prices among their contemporaries and followers that’s a good deal more expensive than the $13 to $15 it takes to get in the door at Maryville College’s Alumni Gym over the next two weeks.

And to have more than one on the same stage in a single night … well, it’s nothing short of extraordinary. And it’s the reason Kaufman himself is at a loss when locals ask him which night will feature the best concert.

“They’ll say, ‘What’s the best night to come out?’, but it really doesn’t matter what night you come out,” Kaufman told The Daily Times last summer. “People tend to buy tickets toward the end of the camps because they hear those nights are the big finale, but I tell them, ‘No — every night is a finale.’ They may not be common names that everyone knows, but these are musicians who are world-famous. They’re all unbelievable.”

Kaufman, who makes a living through flatpick guitar instruction — both workshops and instructional merchandise — organized the first camp, a week of flatpicking, 14 years ago. Over the years, the camps have grown to include classes in mandolin, banjo, fingerpick guitar and old-time banjo. The camps make up the largest banjo, mandolin and flatpicking camps in the world, and the difficulty ranges from advanced classes to courses for those who have never played an instrument before.As the classes have grown, so have the need for instructors, and Kaufman annually recruits some of the best instrumentalists in the world every year. One of the traditions has been the nightly concert series, which has gained a reputation in its own right.

SCHEDULE

Monday, June 15: Steve Kaufman and Friends, Steve Baughman (Calif.), Cindy Gray (Nev.), Mike Clemmer (Townsend)

Tuesday, June 16: Fred Sokolow (Calif.), Mike Muddox (Colo.), Evie Laden (Calif.), Keith Yoder (Idaho)

Wednesday, June 17: Rusty Holloway (Knoxville), Casey Henry (Tenn.), Rolly Brown (Penn.), Johnny Bellar (Tenn.)

Thursday, June 18: Laura Boosinger (N.C.), Jeff Jenkins (Tenn.), Stacy Phillips (Conn.), Just Us Bluegrass Band (Tenn.)

Friday, June 19: Mark Cosgrove (Penn.), Chris Proctor (Utah), Dan Crary (Calif.), Bobby Hicks (N.C.), Kamp Kompanions

Saturday, June 20: Steve Kaufman and the Instructor Concert Finale

Monday, June 22: Steve Kaufman and Friends, Keith Yoder, Andy Owens (N.C.), Eric Thompson (Calif.)

Tuesday, June 23: Robin Kessinger (W. Va.), Mike Kaufman (N.J.), Kathy Chiavola (Tenn.), Gary Davis (Tenn.), Scott Nygaard (Calif.)

Wednesday, June 24: Tony McManus (Scotland), Cindy Gray, Casey Henry, John Moore (Colo.), Just Us Bluegrass Band

Thursday, June 25: Robin Bullock (Washington, D.C.), Bill Keith (N.Y.), Beppe Gambetta (Italy), Bill Evans, John Reischman (Canada)

Friday, June 26: The Kruger Brothers (Switzerland), Don Stiernberg (Ill.), John Carlini (N.J.), David Harvey (Tenn.), Kamp Kompanions

Saturday, June 27: Steve Kaufman and the Instructor Concert Finale

All concerts will be held in the Alumni Gym on the Maryville College campus. All of them begin at 7 p.m. and cost $13 in advance and $15 at the door. For more information, call 982-3808 or 983-3330 to order over the phone prior to the day of the show or stop by Murlin’s Music World in downtown Maryville to pick up tickets. For more information, check out the concert series web site.

According to a press release from the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville, Wagner has been selected as the next Betsy Worden Artist-in-Residence at the Emporium Center from April through September 2009.  According to the press release:

“Wagner received a BA in Photojournalism from Western Kentucky University and has worked for and been published in The Los Angeles Times, The Hartford Courant, WIRE magazine and various other publications across the nation.  He currently teaches Fine Art Photography at Maryville College and has also taught at Pellissippi State Technical Community College.

“Though his roots are in documentary photography, his appreciation of the arts and music has inspired him to photograph local musicians in a self-built photo booth.  Wagner then creates large original prints via the Xerox transfers process using acrylic on canvas.  This series, which takes some time to complete, is ever evolving.  ‘With a background in photojournalism, my work has been void of many artistic printing techniques and has resided at a distance from the art community,’ he says. ‘I once said that my work, predominantly created for news print, was exhibited on the refrigerators of America.  But through these transfers and other printing processes, I hope to bring my work to exhibition walls.’  For more information on Brian Wagner, visit www.brianwagnerphotography.com.

“As the Artist in Residence, Wagner receives free and exclusive access to a 10’ x 10’ artist studio in the Emporium Center (Suite 105), a materials stipend of $200 each month during the residency, complimentary membership in the Arts & Culture Alliance for one year, and an exhibition of new work in The Balcony in September. The Alliance will also display at least one piece of his new work in the public areas of the Emporium each month of the residency.  Wagner agrees to spend a significant amount of time creating work in the Emporium studio, show new work each First Friday of the month, and possibly help hang monthly exhibitions in the Emporium and/or offer curatorial input.”

For more information, please contact the Arts & Culture Alliance at (865) 523-7543.