Payton Baggett and Nicole June Reporting
news@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Rivers & Spires Festival kicks off Thursday, April 24 with Throwback Thursday, an evening of 80s music in Clarksville’s Public Square.
Cover band Rubiks Groove takes the stage at 6:30 p.m. with a performance full of elaborate costumes and a lot of dancing.
Rubiks Groove is an interactive 80s dance cover band complete with a cast of quirky characters, including: Pee Widdy, Johnny Lawrence, Funky Brewster, Beetle Dude, Scott “Team Wolf” Howard, and Super Stario. The band blasts all of the 80s hits while making sure the crowd gets involved in the action. 
The group was formed in 2010 by Todd St. John and Brian Holliday. Despite several lineup changes along the way, the band manages to stay professional while maintaining an upbeat vibe, according to the band’s manager, David Lee. “This group really loves playing together and hanging out before and after shows, so the chemistry you see on stage is real,” he said.
Initially, the band dressed up in generic 80s costumes, but quickly realized the audience loved more iconic characters. Pee Widdy and Johnny created most of the characters, who resemble some of the most recognizable symbols of 80s pop culture.
The band members change costumes frequently during their set to match the songs as well. Some “real characters” like Vanilla Ice, Prince, and Freddie Mercury are mixed in with fictional personas, such as “Sensual Vanilla” (disco guy) and “Creepy Guy” (interpretive dancer in tights).
“On very special occasions (and budgets), the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles may appear and play horns, and rumor has it there may even be a Transformer coming soon to the band,” Lee said.
Rubiks Groove chooses only the most energetic and danceable songs to keep the crowd energized and on their feet during performances. “The bottom line is that we like to keep the dance-floor packed,” Lee said. “We will do some strange and unpredictable things (interactive with the audience) from time to time, like crawling on top of tables or even climbing into the ceiling to entertain the crowd.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BcqjVfBfBM
Check out the wild antics of Rubiks Groove Thursday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. on the Public Square Stage, and be sure to stop by at 5 p.m. for the announcement of the winners of ClarksvilleNow.com’s Top Picks.
Slippery When Wet: The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute takes the stage at 8:30 p.m.
The official kickoff of the Z97.5 Last Band Standing talent competition is also Thursday night at 6 p.m. on the Strawberry Alley stage.
For a full schedule of events for the festival, which is held April 24-26, visit https://riversandspires.com/schedule/.