June 29, 2006
LOCAL ENTERTAINMENT
Evo’s hosts Pete Bernhard
Member of Devil Makes Three hits the stage solo
Pete Bernhard of the band Devil Makes Three will play solo at Evo’s Coffee lounge, 376 East Main St. on Wednesday, July 5, at 7 p.m. There will be a $5 cover charge.
The song “Snowin’” on Bernhard’s newest album, “Things I Left Behind,” is intended to evoke a sense of time and place, of dusty paths and dead-end railroad tracks, the song is meditative and brooding, according to the singer/songwriter.
Bernhard said his music “resists the empty earnestness and generalized platitudes typically associated with the singer-songwriter genre.”
While his songwriting approach — to begin the process with a story as opposed to a song or melody line — is not a new one, he maintains that the results are, calling his songs “road-worn without being bleak, hopeful without being naive, and display a subtle wit that leavens the often somber tone.”
Leaving his native Vermont at the age of 18, Bernhard crossed the country, including a stint in Nashville, where Bernhard witnessed the music industry’s underbelly and vowed to find a way to play and release his music outside of the machinations of the industry. His nomadic travels eventually landed him in Santa Cruz, Calif., where he reconnected with the old friends and acquaintances from Vermont with whom he would form the Devil Makes Three.
After three years of successful touring and two releases, his barnstorming string band the Devil Makes Three took a short break, and Bernhard yearned for a return to the stripped-down, folk-and-blues songwriting that he had once traveled across the country performing alone with no more than a guitar and an old truck he and his father had rebuilt from spare parts.
Inspired at a young age by the fingerpicked blues and folk records in his childhood Vermont home, Bernhard found himself as a youth mimicing the playing styles of Bob Dylan, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Howlin’ Wolf as his classmates did the same with metal albums. After years of developing his guitar and vocal chops, and the discovery of kindred songwriting spirits such as Townes Van Zandt and Tom Waits, Bernhard came into his own as a unique songwriter, as only time, experience and regret will do to you.
Bernhard now lives in Sacramento, Calif., and he devotes his time exclusively to his music, both solo and with the Devil Makes Three. “Things I Left Behind” is Bernhard’s first proper solo release, but its assurance and timelessness betray a musician who has spent years honing his songwriting and performance chops. Bernhard’s music can be brooding, as evidenced by “Snowin’,” but as on “Fix It Up,” it can be amusing and cutting, or, on “Asheville Blues,” wryly nostalgic.
In and around Ashland
Easy Valley Eight
The Easy Valley Eight will perform at the next Rogue Jazz Exchange meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5, at Paschal Winery in Talent. The group’s presentation and performance will illustrate what gave various big bands of the 1940s their own unique sounds. The event will be held on the winery’s lawn, and the public is invited to arrive early with picnic dinners. Dancers are welcome. Admission is $5 per person, with all proceeds going to the musicians.
For more information, call Jana Kolsbun at 899-9058, or e-mail jkolsbun3@aol.com
The Triple Trouble Tour
The Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice coalition brings the Triple Trouble Tour to Southern Oregon on the Fourth of July weekend for “A Fair and Balanced Brew Of Satire And Songs To Stir The Soul” at 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church, 87 Fourth St.
The trio is performing in 23 west coast cities coming to Ashland for a concert on July 3rd and then will be joining Southern Oregon Jobs with Justice in the 4th of July parade
The event is free, but a $10 donation is suggested.
J. A. Jance signing at Bloomsbury
Best Selling mystery author J. A. Jance will be signing her newest books, Edge Of Evil and Bark M for Murder, at Bloomsbury Books, Saturday July 1 from noon to 1:30 p.m.
J. A. Jance — (Judith Ann Jance) is best known for her mystery novels, especially the books that depict the adventures of Seattle police detective J.P. Beaumont.
In 1985, she published her first Beaumont book. Jance used her initials because her publisher believed disclosing her gender would be a liability for a book about a male detective. Joanna Brady is her other featured protagonist. She became interested in police work following an incident when her husband was driven home from work, unknowingly, by a serial killer who later began stalking them.
The police investigation that followed inspired Jance to depict police procedures in her work. Although she’s written poetry, and a children’s book, Jance said she plans to stick with her first love: mysteries. “in mysteries, the bad guys get what they deserve and in real life that often doesn’t happen,” she said. Jance doesn’t mind the constant pressure to keep the books coming. Since she began publishing in 1985, Jance has completed a book nearly every six months, regularly landing on the best seller list
Siskiyou Crest hike
The Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center is participating in statewide Wilderness Week by offering free events to the public:
June 29: Siskiyou Crest Evening Hike
Unwind with an evening hike along the Siskiyou Crest adjacent to the Red Buttes Wilderness. Enjoy extraordinary views of Mt. Shasta, the rim of Crater Lake and the Siskiyou Mountains. Hike into a Roadless Area proposed for Wilderness, and learn about the unique “land bridge” that connects the Cascade and Coast ranges. Meet at 5 p.m. at Evo’s Java Lounge in Ashland. Return at 9:30 p.m.. Bring a packed dinner, water, good shoes and clothing layers. Moderate, 4-5 miles with 500 feet elevation gain.
July 1: Zane Grey Hike, Lower Rogue River
Experience the unique geology and botany of the Wild and Scenic Rogue River as you hike this gentle riverside trail. We will hike into the 46,000-acre Zane Grey Roadless Area and discuss the BLM’s plans to log within this national treasure. Moderate, 4 miles. Carpools leave Evo’s Java Lounge in Ashland at 9:30 a.m. and from Sunshine Natural Foods in Grants Pass at 10:30 a.m..
For more information on the statewide celebration of Oregon’s wild areas, see oregonwild.org/wweek2006.html on the Web.
Cultural grant applications
The Jackson County Cultural Coalition (JCCC) recently launched its 2006 call for grant applications for Jackson County non-profit cultural organizations. As the county affiliate of the Oregon Cultural Trust, the Cultural Coalition awards grants for projects that increase access to cultural activities for Jackson County residents, promote cultural educational opportunities, especially for youth, and enhance awareness and coordination of cultural organizations, projects, and programs in Jackson County
Past grantees have included the Arts Council of Southern Oregon, the Dancing People Company, Ashland Parks and Recreation, Ballet Rogue, Britt Festivals, CASA of Jackson County, the Central Point Parks and Recreation Department, the Jefferson Nature Center, the Lithia Arts Guild of Oregon, the Southern Oregon Historical Society, the Woodville Museum, Hanby Middle School, the Public Arts Commission of Ashland, Walker Elementary School, Jefferson Baroque Orchestra, Ashland Independent Film Festival, City of Medford Art Commission, the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon, the Jackson County School District, and the Jackson County Library.
ScienceWorks hosts Circus Chimera
The circus is in town June 29-30
ScienceWorks announces the return of Circus Chimera to the Rogue Valley. This circus has teamed up with the museum to bring family entertainment to the region and help support ScienceWorks’ educational programs. Circus Chimera will be bringing its one-ring big top, one of the tallest circus tents in the world, to the ScienceWorks grounds on June 29 and 30 and to the Rogue Valley Mall on July 1, 2, 3 and 4.
A celebration of extraordinary human feats with theatre and international flair, this year the circus creates an enchanting interpretation of “Alice in Wonderland” featuring a new world-class Chinese acrobat troupe. A natural combination, “Wonderland” and the Circus are both enchanted places where magic happens, where the unusual is the ordinary, where imagination shares the spotlight with an amazing cast of performers. This performance is a journey that includes acrobats, balance and aerial artists as well as jugglers, clowns and contortionists.
Proceeds benefit ScienceWorks’ educational programs. Proceeds from both locations will benefit the educational programs at ScienceWorks, which last year served over 10,000 school children from all over southern Oregon and northern California.
Performances at ScienceWorks will be at 7:30 p.m. on June 29 and 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. on June 30. The circus then moves to the Rogue Valley Mall with performances at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on July 1; 1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on July 2 and July 3; and 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. on July 4.
Tickets are available in Ashland at ScienceWorks and at Small Change Children’s Store at 5 N. Main. In Medford, tickets are available at Grocery Outlet at 35 Stewart. Tickets may also be purchased in advance by calling
1-888-663-7464 or visiting circuschimera.com on the Web.
General Admission Advance tickets are discounted at $7. After you purchase your general admission tickets you may upgrade to Premium ($3 more) or Ringside ($6 more) by calling 1-888-663-7464. Tickets the day of the show start at $10. The performance lasts 2 hours and features a midway with kiddie rides and treats. For more information call 541-482-6767.
Proceeds from the circus will benefit ScienceWorks’ educational programs. ScienceWorks provides school field trips that include innovative science programming and labs, to schools throughout the region. ScienceWorks also has an Outreach Education program which provides teacher training, workshops and science performances for schools, community groups and youth organizations.
ScienceWorks is open Wednesdays through Sundays. During the summer the museum will be open later with hours Wednesday through Saturday 10 to 5 and Sundays 12 to 5. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $5 for Seniors and Children 2 to 12, and free for Members and children under 2. Located at East Main near Walker in Ashland the museum has ample parking and is conveniently located a few minutes drive from downtown. For more information on events, directions and membership call 482-6767 or see scienceworksmuseum.org on the Web.
Middle Eastern sounds
The Brothers Of The Baladi perform live at 8 p.m. Friday, June 30, at the Mobius, 281 Fourth St. Ashland
The band mixes the sensual sounds of the Middle East with western guitars, drums and keyboards, the plaintive wail of ancient folk-horns, exotic string melodies and timeless rhythms to create what organizers call “infectiously danceable” Middle Eastern/world music.
2005 was the band’s 30 Anniversary. Since 1975 the Brothers’ filial bond has been at the root of their music. Known for their traditional Middle Eastern performances, the Brothers have bridged the gap between traditional Middle Eastern music and American rock ’n’ roll.
The Brothers of the Baladi have headlined at many colleges, festivals, concert halls and clubs. They have shared the stage with Maria Muldaur, It’s a Beautiful Day, The Mamas & the Papas, 3 Mustaphas 3, Leon Redbone, Paul Horn, The Lovemongers (Heart), Poi Dog Pondering and Zachary Richard.
Their credits include the 2000 Desert Rose Grammy Award, featured music on USA Network’s Core Culture [Oct. 2000], “The Holy Family of Egypt” — a documentary scheduled to show on the History Channel and PBS this year, soundtracks for the Tony Award winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and Comedy of Errors, and soundtracks for more than 50 Middle Eastern Dance videos.
The Brothers of the Baladi offer a cohesive rhythmic package that transcends borders and animates an audience. They will be performing with local Bellydancers Ayesha, Oneida, Kajmir, Serena and Emily. These local instructors and performers will all perform to the live music of the Brothers.
Tickets are $10 advance at Soundpeace: 199 East Main St. or at themobius.com on the Web and will be $12 at the door, all ages.
Call 488-8894 or see baladi.com/epk.html on the Web.
American Band College plays on the Fourth
Group will match music with fireworks show
Ashland’s July 4th celebration would not be complete without the 18th Annual American Band College Directors’ Bands Fireworks Concert at the Ashland High School Football Stadium.
Watch the fireworks and listen to music performed by college and high school band directors under the baton of world-renown conductors Lowell Graham and Frank Ticheli, with soloist clarinetist Robert Spring. Other conductors include: Tim Lautzenheiser, Master of Ceremonies; Scott McKee, ABC Managing Director; Cynthia Hutton, SOU Director of Bands; and Larry Hudson, ABC Board Member.
Pre-concert music by small ensembles begins at 7 p.m. Concert by the two 110-member directors’ bands begins 8 p.m. The last half hour of music is coordinated with the Ashland fireworks display. Families are encouraged to bring blankets and picnic on the grounds.
Tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for seniors 62 or older, and free for kids 12 and under when accompanied by a paying adult.
Tickets are available at Cripple Creek Music in downtown Ashland, on line at www.bandworld.org, or at the gate on July 4 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Spring, Professor of Clarinet at Arizona State University and principal clarinet of the ProMusic Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, Ohio, has been described as “one of this country’s most sensitive and talented clarinetists,” by the Arizona Republic. The Clarinet Magazine described his recording of Joan Tower’s works for clarinet as “truly outstanding…one would be hard pressed to find better performances of contemporary music….first rate music performed with the highest professional standards.” Of his recording Dragon’s Tongue, the Instrumentalist Magazine said, “His musicality and technique make this recording a must for every CD collection.” Fanfare Magazine praised his CD Tarantelle (music originally recorded on violin by Jascha Heifetz) with: “This recording was meant to amaze and, man, it succeeds.”
Spring performs as a recitalist or soloist with symphony orchestras and wind bands in the US, Canada, Europe, Asia and South America. He has been heard on NPR’s Performance Today. Spring frequently serves as a clinician and adjudicator and teaches on the faculties of several summer music festivals. He has published numerous articles on multiple articulation and other contemporary clarinet techniques.
Graham, currently Department Chair of the Music Department of the University of Texas of El Paso, has conducted ensembles in many musical media, including the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Virginia Symphony, the Spokane Symphony, the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, the American Promenade Orchestra, the Greeley Philharmonic, Chamber Music Palm Beach Chamber Orchestra, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Banda Sinfonica do Estado de Sao Paulo, Orquestra de Sopros Brasileira, the National Symphonic Winds, the Avatar Brass Ensemble and the Denver Brass. Additionally, he is the founder and music director of the National Chamber Players. He has held numerous conducting positions including that of the Commander and Conductor of the United States Air Force’s premier musical organization in Washington, DC. While there he became the senior ranking musician in the Department of Defense.
Graham has initiated many important media projects for American Public Radio and other broadcasting organizations, as well as live telecast/web cast concerts and video productions on which his credits include those of conductor, writer and musical producer. He is a frequent guest on radio talk shows and performed on NBC’s “Today Show” for five consecutive years on Independence Day.
Graham has recordings on four labels — Klavier, Telarc, Mark, and Wilson — that have been recognized for both their artistic and sonic excellence. These recordings have been recognized in Stereophile’s “Records to Die-For” list, The Absolute Sound’s “The Super Disc List,” as well as one having won a Grammy.
Ticheli’s music has been described as being “optimistic and thoughtful” by the Los Angeles Times, “lean and muscular” by the New York Times, and “Powerful, deeply felt…crafted with impressive flair and an ear for striking instrumental colors” by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Ticheli is Professor of Composition at
Southern California’s Thornton School of Music and was the Composer in Residence of the Pacific Symphony from 1991-1998.
Ticheli’s orchestral works have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, and the radio orchestras of Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Saarbruecken, and Austria, as well as many others. His concert band works have become standards. Ticheli has conducted his works at Carnegie Hall, at many American universities and music festivals, and in cities throughout the world.
Awards for Ticheli’s music include: the Charles Ives and the Goddard Lieberson Awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Walter Beeler Memorial Prize and first place awards in the Texas Sesquicentennial Orchestral Composition Competition, Britten-on-the-Bay Choral Composition Contest and Virginia’s CBDNA Symposium for New Band Music.
The American Band College is a three-year master degree program on the SOU campus founded 18 years ago by Max McKee, Professor Emeritus of SOU’s Music Department. Approximately 220 college and high school band directors from 40 states are attending this year’s two-week course. During the two weeks on campus, students learn from attend 70 sessions taught by 24 world-class clinicians. Students focus on their weak points, pinpointed through an entrance exam. Music for their two concerts – June 26 at the Ginger Rogers Craterian Theater and July 4 Fireworks show – is learned before arriving at SOU. Third-year candidates gain experience in conducting by preparing the bands for the eventual arrival of the guest conductors at the end of the week.
Oregon Stage Works
THE MEMORY OF WATER: Shelagh Stephenson’s play, “The Memory of Water,” named “Best British Comedy” in 2000, tells of three sisters who reunite for their mother’s funeral, bringing long-held recollections, yearnings and resentments with them. The show runs at 8 p.m. Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays through July 3. Tickets cost $17 for general admission and $10 for students at Grocery Outlet, Medford and the Music Coop, Ashland. Oregon Stage Works, 191 A Street, Ashland. For information call 482-2334.
Bad Film Society offers ‘All-American Barbecue Beach Bash!’
Sand and silliness invade the Elks Club on Sunday
By Ed Polish
For the Tidings
We The People (Of The Bad Film Society) Declare These Truths To Be Self-Evident:
1) That All Men and Women are Created Equal, but Some People are just Way Cooler than everybody else — including Annette and Frankie, Connie Stevens, Dick Dale, Gilligan and the Skipper, Edd “Kookie Byrnes, Wally and The Beaver, Don Adams, Gangs of Punk Rockers Who Scare People on The Beach, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Pee Wee Hermann!
2) That putting all these people in a movie together at the height of 80s excess was a mark of sheer brilliance
3) That as America slips further and further away from it’s true Beach Party Values it is high time we ALL got “BACK TO THE BEACH!”
Join the Bad Film Society on Sunday July 2 for an All-American Old Fashioned Patriotric Beach Party Potluck at The Ashland Elks Club. Bring something to share for the 6 p.m. Potluck while watching rare Beach Party Clips, arrive by 6:30 p.m. for free toasted marshmallows at the door, join our Twist Contest and twist in actual Beach Sand for a chance to win terribly invaluable prizes like videos of weird beach movies, and stick around for our screening of 1987’s Surreal Beach party Reunion Film--”Back To The Beach!” Don’t forget to wear your Craziest Beach Party Attire for a chance to win our Big Kahuna costume contest!
Rated: G — kid friendly.
Who: Ashland Bad Film Society
What: “Back To The Beach” Film Screening, Potluck Beach Party, Crazy Contests, and More
When: Sunday July 2, 6 p.m.
Where: Elks Club, Ashland
How: We never know, but somehow it always works out!
Why: Dick Dale, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Pee Wee Hermann in the same movie and you have to ask why?
Also, bring some wretchedly bad videos you’d love to get rid of as door prizes for our humiliating and hilarious raffle. Loads o’ fun!
Stay tuned for the tenth chapter of the 1941 serial, Jungle Girl! What trouble will that hottie get into next! See terrific vine-swinging, cliff-diving, croc-wrestling, dorky gorillas, and of course, an evil witch doctor.
For information see the Web site: www.ephemera-inc.com/badfilm.
The entrance to the Ashland Elks is on Will Dodge Way (the alley between E. Main and Lithia Way and First and Second Streets). You’ll see the “Elks Dining” sign. The private Elks parking lot will be open for use. To park, enter on Second St. Donations towards hall rental and supplies kindly requested.
This is a unique opportunity for the public to enter the exclusive Ashland Elks Lodge. (Ask me how to join!)
Celtic Celebration
Celtic musicians Brian Freeman, William Greene and Larry Levin play at the United Methodist Church, N. Main and Laurel streets, at 8 p.m. Friday, July 7.
In celebration of his birthday, joyous music and independence in its many forms, Brian Freeman is joined by Celtic compatriots William Greene (fiddle, banjo & vocals) and Larry Levin (guitar, concertina, mandolins and vocals) for an intoxicating evening of Celtic song and tunes.
Fiddler William Greene learned to play the fiddle, guitar and 5-string clawhammer banjo when he was 18 under the musical mentorship of Kenny Hall, an internationally recognized mandolinist and fiddler. Larry Levin (guitar, mandolin, concertina, bouzouki, vocals) has been singing folk music and playing guitar for over 20 years. In 1998 he decided to de
The cost is $15, and tickets are available at The Music Coop (A Street Marketplace) and at the door. To reserve tickets or for information call 482-1915.
'1776'
Livia Genise directs “1776,” the 1969 Tony-Award winning for Best Musical which looks at the founding of the nation. The show runs at 8 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, through July 23. Tickets cost $19 for adults and $17 for students and seniors. Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Reserved seats cost an additional $2. Camelot Theatre,: 101 Talent Ave at Main St., Talent. Tickets available through the box office from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call 535-5250. Special show 2 p.m. July 4th.
At The Mobius
Ecstatic Kirtan
Traditional music and singing of India, Sat. July 1 at 8 p.m. Jaya Lakshmi’s singing is filled with true heart and passionate devotion. Her blend of Sanskrit chant, harmonium, and ambient grooves are intended to comfort the heart and free the soul Inspired by the deep devotional mood of Indian singing and music, Lakshmi began leading kirtan with harmonium and 12 string guitar and writing her own devotional songs over 12 years ago on the island of Hawaii, shortly after she received harinam initiation from Srila Govinda Maharaj. In addition to leading kirtan, she is the lead singer and songwriter for the band One at Last, a high-energy tribal trance experience that is currently touring up and down the West Coast.
Tickets are $10, all ages welcome.
Dubconscious
6-piece Dub Reggae band, Thursday, July 6 at 9 p.m.
Dubconscious mixes dub, socially conscious lyrics, and a feel-good vibe. From vibrant upbeats, to heady dub reverberations, Dubconcious traverses the spectrum laid by the genre’s forefathers by embracing a mantra filled with expressive positivism and acute social consciousness. This summer, Dubconscious boards its biodiesel-fueled tour bus on a tour that will deliver its first performances on the west coast, including The High Sierra Music Festival.
Tickets are $5 students/ $7 general. all ages.
The Mobius is at 281 Fourth St. For information call 488-8894 or see the Web site www.theMobius.com.
Film examines Cuba’s peak oil experience
From The Wilderness Publications and The Jackson County Sustainability Network are sponsoring a film screening and presentation with filmmaker Megan Quinn and Michael Ruppert, author of Crossing the Rubicon.
“The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil” plays Friday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Southern Oregon University Stevenson Union Rogue River Room, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd. The event is free, with a $5 donations suggested.
Though reports indicate a impending decline in global oil supply, Cuba’s recent history shows that the solution lies close at hand in our communities and ourselves, according to event organizers.
“The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil” highlights the urban gardens and organic farms Cuba successfully promoted to survive the humanitarian crisis it faced after losing its oil imports in the face of Soviet collapse. It reviews the relationship between food and fossil fuels, and shows how societies can transform their economies to ensure a sustainable future.
“Cuba’s experience provides a living model for how the rest of the world can respond to the coming world oil production peak and irreversible decline some oil experts say will occur this decade.
“Everyone who is concerned about Peak Oil needs to see this film,” said Richard Heinberg, author of “The Party’s Over” and “Powerdown.”
Megan Quinn is a new leader in the sustainability movement and a sought after international speakers on Peak Oil. As Outreach Director of The Community Solution she helps educate people about peak oil and how communities can build resilience as fossil fuel supplies decrease. She has been writing and speaking on Peak Oil and community-based solutions for more than three years.
Michael Ruppert is the author of Crossing “The Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil.” He is also the publisher/editor of From The Wilderness.
For more information see the Web site www.fromthewilderness.com, e-mail jcsn@yahoogroups.com, groups.yahoo.com.jcsn or call 973-3566.
*all photos submitted unless otherwise noted