St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 9

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1998 Tjl. mi ap Jul Fourth Of July 14 Fourth of July celebrations will fill streets, light up shy Review Music The Doobie Brothers rev up the Harley, fair crowd ByJohnBurnes The Doobie Brothers kick-started Fair Saint Louis' entertainment bill Friday in Harley-Davidson fashion. The sounds of a revving Harley the motorcycle is one of the band's icons announced to the midday crowd that the Doobies were "Roc kin' Down the Highway. The Doobies have always been more about songs than personnel, which explains how the band has gone through several phases and various bandmen without losing its beat The concert emphasized the group's earlier, guitar-based rockpop.

The band's more than 25 years on the road has refined the group's sound to something akin to a Bay area take on the Allman Brothers less aggressive -and more pop-oriented, but still raucous enough to put the cat out Drummers Keith Knudsen and Mike Hossack drowned out the vocals as the show began, but the sound engineers corrected the imbalance within three songs. In recent years, the group has come back around again to its initial roots-rock influence and that was evident Friday, as Patrick Simmons plucked a clean, flavorful dobro on "Dangerous" and Tom Johnston led a lively The Doctor both from the past decade. The songs complemented Doobie mainstays like "Jesus Is Just Alright," "Black Water" and "Long Train Runnin." There were marginal forays, too, into the blues with "Take Me In Your Arms;" and "Rock Me a Little While." In a nod to the Doobie keyboard-based phase, Simmons did "Takin' It to the Streets," with Mark Russo blaring well on sax. That led it up to Johnston, whose voice sounded raspier with every minute, to rally the big crowd with "China Grove and finally, the song that started it all, 'Listen to the Music I heard no Harley rumbling into the distance as things concluded, but The Doobies had already made clear enough that rock's free-wheeling nature can be awfully enjoyable. Wesley Law POST-DISPATCH Aerobatic pilot Sean D.

Tucker maneuvers his 1-800-COLLECT Challenger II over Fair Saint Louis on Friday. strong Elementary School, Hazel-wood Baptist Church, St. Martin Des Porres Church, Village Square Shopping Center; disabled parking at Knights of Columbus Fatima Council. Free. (Info: 731 -0980).

i Kaskaskia Island (III.) Independence Day Celebration, Kaskaskia Bell Shrine Historic Site, 12:30 p.m. Patriotic music, historic re-enactments. i Kirkwood: Annual "Freedom Fiesta," 6:45 p.m., Kirkwood Park, Geyer Road and Adams Avenue. The Danny David Orchestra will perform on the Diamond 4 Main Stage. The fireworks spectacular begins about 9 p.m.

Other activities include game and food booths sponsored by the Kirkwood Lions Club. Free. (Info: 822-5855) i Manchester: Evening program with music by The Mighty Mississippi River Rats at 7 p.m., under the large pavilion at Paul A. Schroeder Park, 359 Old Mera-mec Station Road. Fireworks finale at 9:1 5 p.m.

Parking is limited. Free. (Info: 391 -6326). i Troy (III.) Olde Fashion Fourth of July Celebration, Tri-Township Park, Route 162, 8 a.m. to dusk.

Car show, food, live music, crafts village, kids' fishing derby (starts at 7 a.m.), games, bingo, raffles, contests, horseshoe tournament. Fireworks show around 9 p.m. i Lafayette Park concert by the Ralph Butler Band; 6 to 8 p.m. at the gazebo in the park, Mississippi and Lafayette avenues. Free.

i VFW Ceremony: The St. Louis 1 1 th District Veterans of Foreign Wars will hold its annual salute to the signing of the Declaration of Independence at 1 0 a.m. at the Soldier's Memorial, 1 31 5 Chestnut Street. Music by the Lewis Clark Drum Fife Corps from St. Charles and the St.

Louis Letter Carriers Band. Flag-raising ceremony followed by wreath laying in the court of honor. (Info: 631 -7730). Continuing: Collinsville party, Jaycee Sports Complex, 1 1 a.m.-1 1 p.m. Granite City Patriots in Park, Wilson Park, 1 p.m.-midnight.

O'Fallon celebration, 7 a.m.-1 0 p.m., Civic Park. Parade at 1 0 a.m. St. Charles Jaycees, noon-1 0 p.m., Frontier Park. Parade at 1 1 a.m.

Webster Groves Community Days, Memorial Field, 1 0 a.m.-1 1 p.m. Great War Fly-in, Creve Coeur Airport, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Miller Music Blast 98 contin-ues at Laclede's Landing. SUNDAY i Ballwin: The Ballwin Athletic Association's annual fireworks show at dusk at Ballwin Ball Park, Jefferson Road and Lyons Avenue, south off Manchester Road af Rees Road. The show is the finale TODAY Arnold: July 4 celebration starts at 6:30 p.m.

at Arnold City Park on Bradley Beach Road. TKO Disc Jockeys perform until 9:45 p.m. Magic show at 7:30 p.m. Concession stands open at 5:30 p.m. Fireworks finale at 9:1 5 p.m.

Free. (Info: 282-2380). Belleville: Annual Freedom Celebration; from 5 p.m., Belleville Area College main campus; German band, church choirs, clowns, other entertainers, concessions. Fireworks finale at dusk. Bridgeton: Annual parade at 1 0 a.m.

along Fee Fee and Natural Bridge roads. Fireworks at dusk at the Bridgeton Athletic complex, 1 321 7 Ferguson Lane. Entertainment, food and music featured throughout evening. Shuttle buses from Carrollton Shopping Center at Natural Bridge and McKelvey roads, Corporate Woods Office Park at Earth City and Hussmann Corp. at Natural Bridge and Taussig roads.

(739-5599) Caseyville: "Fireworks '98," 9:30 p.m. in Caseyville Park, Reynolds Street, two blocks from Illinois Route 1 57. Free. (61 8-344-1233). Ellisville: Celebration takes place from 6 to 1 0:30 p.m.

at Bluebird Park, 1 18 mile south of Manchester and Clarkson roads, off Kiefer Creek Road. Inflatable games will be featured throughout the evening and refreshments will be available. The oldies group Sh-Boom will perform from 7 to 9:1 5 p.m. and from 1 0 to 1 0:30 p.m. A short ceremony and dedication begins at 9:1 5 p.m.

followed by a fireworks display from 9:30 to 1 0 p.m. Shuttle buses will be available from parking lots at Buss-mann, Citicorp and Fru-Con. Handicapped parking available in the park. Free. (227-7508).

Ferguson: Annual blast starting with parade at 1 0 a.m. from Florissant Road and Brotherton Lane to January-Wabash Park, 501 North Florissant Road. Music by Jim Dandy's Dixieland Band entertains following parade until noon. Food and game booths, petting zoo, magic show, crafts, pony rides and face painting. Fireworks finale at 9:1 5 p.m.

Free. (Info: 521 -4661). Florissant: Annual Fourth of July Outdoor Concert of old-time favorites of the '40s and '50s by Gary Dammer's Big Band; 7:1 5 p.m. on the grounds of the Florissant Civic Center, Parker Road and Waterford Drive. Bring own lawn chairs or blankets.

Fireworks finale at 9:1 5 p.m. Free. Hazelwood: "Pyromusical" fireworks display, 9:40 p.m. in White Birch Park, 1 1 86 Teson Road. Public viewing of display from 6 to 7 p.m.

Off-site parking only. Shuttle service from 7 p.m.; from How-def shell Park," Hazelwood West" Junior-Senior High School, Arm 9:15 p.m. Florissant, Civic Center, 9:1 5 p.m. Granite City, Coolidge Junior High athletic field, 9:1 5 p.m. Hazelwood, White Birch Park, 9:40 p.m.

Kirkwood, Kirkwood Park, dusk. Lake Saint Louis, Wharf Street at the large lake, dusk. Manchester, Paul Schroeder Park, dusk. Millstadt, Liederkranz Park, dusk. O'Fallon, Civic Park, 9:1 5 p.m.

St. Charles, Frontier Park, 9:30 p.m. Troy, Tri-Township Park, dusk. Valmeyer, Borsch Park, dusk. Webster Groves, Memorial Park, 9:15 p.m.

OTHER FIREWORKS Ballwin, Ballwin Ball Park, Sunday, dusk. WHAT'S OPEN AND CLOSED OPEN: Shopping malls, discount stores, supermarkets, Zoo, Art Museum, Missouri Botanical Garden, History Museum, Science Center, Arch will be open today. CLOSED: Most banks and public li- I braries and all post offices will be closed today. Today only special delivery and express mail will be handled, with retail window service available at postal stores at the Galleria (1 0 a.m.-5 p.m.), Crestwood Plaza (1 -5 p.m.), South 1 County Center (1-5 p.m.) and Alton Square (1-4 p.m.). to the five-day American Legion Baseball Tournament featuring 1 8 teams from the seniors division.

Free. (Info: 227-8950). St. Louis Symphony: "Star-Spangled Spectacular" with the orchestra conducted by David Amado in a program of patriotic works by Copland, Grofe, Ives, Meacham, Cohan, Schumann, Gershwin and Bernstein, concluding with Sousa's "Stars Stripes Forever" and Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture;" 8 p.m., Faust County Park, 1 51 85 Olive Boulevard, Chesterfield. Free.

Continuing: Collinsville celebration, noon-6 p.m., Jaycee Sports Complex. Granite City Patriots in the Park, 1 0 a.m.-1 1 p.m., Wilson Park. Webster Groves Community Days, noon-1 0 p.m., Memorial Field. Great War Fly-in, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Creve Coeur Airport. Miller Music Blast '98 contin-ues at Laclede's Landing.

JULY 4 FIREWORKS Arnold, City Park, 9:1 5 p.m. Belleville, Belleville Area College, dusk. Bridgeton, Athletic Complex, dusk. i Caseyville, City Park, 9:30 p.m. Collinsville, Jaycees Sports Complex, 9:30 p.m.

Columbia, American Legion Memorial Park, dusk. Ferguson, January-Wabash Park,.