Get Off the Couch: B-Ball, Keen, more on tap

Friday, January 1, 1904

LISA DENTON: Barry, I've been wondering what our nicknames might be if we played basketball for the Harlem Globetrotters. I ask because Globetrotter Buckets Blakes was in town last week to promote the upcoming game, which will start at 7 p.m. Friday at McKenzie Arena.

"Stretch," "Slick" and "Flight Time" are among the nicknames already in use, but what about "Dunk It" Denton for me and "Crazy Legs" Courter for you? Of course, to live up to "Dunk It," I would have to grow another foot. Taller, I mean. Although playing with a third foot might give me a leg up, so to speak.

BARRY COURTER: "Crazy Legs" sounds fluid and dynamic. It's way better than "Corpulent," though "Corpulent" Courter has a ring to it. Anyway, the 'Trotters are back to introduce their brand of basketball skill and humor to a whole new generation of fans.

LISA: Yes, and the twist this season is that fans can vote for new rules of the game. The teams might play with two balls at once or get double points for each basket. You can vote from among five options at www.harlemglobetrotters.com/rule.

BARRY: There are some pretty good musical shows next week also, and regulars of the Brass Register back in the day may be interested to know that Darryl Rhoades, the drummer for the Retreads, is back at the Vaudeville Cafe for a stand-up comedy show Friday and Saturday.

LISA: Music fans shouldn't be disappointed. If you like Texas-style country, check out Robert Earl Keen at Track 29 on Thursday. If you like classic rock, the Black Jacket Symphony will perform Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" at the Tivoli Theatre on Friday.

BARRY: "Go Your Own Way," "Don't Stop," "Dreams" and "You Make Loving Fun" were all hits on that Grammy-winning album. The cover is also one of the most easily recognized with Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks dressed in Renaissance-style costumes. The fact that more than 40 million people bought it might also contribute to its familiarity.

LISA: On Saturday, you can catch six artists, including TK-Soul and Bobby Rush, at the Soul and Blues Celebration at Memorial Auditorium. And fans of classical music have two chances to catch clarinetist David Shifrin and the Miro String Quartet. They'll perform Tuesday and Wednesday for ChamberFest at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., and Thursday at the Hunter Museum of American Art as part of the String Theory season.

That's not a bad lineup for January.

BARRY: A little bit of everything.