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Thursday, October 8, 2020
GO! magazine — A&E in Northeast Oregon
T unesmiTh n ighT reTurns
■ ■ Saturday concert livestreamed from OK Theatre
Van Tuyl. Lyrics fly upward from
his songs like sparks from a fire.
Verses come delivered with the
humor of cowboy poets. His riffs
have the wood-and-wire wrangling
prowess of the folk singers of the
second revival. The sensation of his
songs hang around like smoke long
after the night is gone.”
— Sean Jewell, American
Standard Time
ENTERPRISE — The 2020
Tunesmith Night season kicks
off in “new norm” mode: a live
concert streamed to music lov-
ers everywhere. The gathering
of singer-songwriters begins at 7
p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, and can be
accessed at www.wvmusicalliance.
org, YouTube and other social me-
dia platforms.
This is the 15th season of Tune-
smith Night, a monthly showcase
of original music hosted by the Wal-
lowa Valley Music Alliance. Last
season’s program was cut short by
COVID-19 restrictions, and Music
Alliance enters into the arena of
livestreaming concerts in partner-
ship with the historic OK Theatre
in downtown Enterprise.
The season opener features
Toney Rocks, An American Forrest
and Margo Cilker.
to Watch in 2017. He sits between
folk, blues and rock with engaging
songwriting. His show is rich in
diversity featuring his soulful sing-
ing supported by acoustic guitars,
ukulele and piano.
“Toney Rocks’ voice is cool and
sweet, rocking and lyrical. His
songs thoughtful and hummable.”
— Kathy Forste, music director
of KC Cafe Radio
Toney Rocks
An American Forrest
Toney Rocks is an artist caught
up in the vortex of erratic cross-
country tours, using a pen to dig for
a not-so
self-
evident
truth,
chas-
ing an
unheard
sound
and
rubbing
a match
against a
brick wall
looking
for a spark. There doesn’t seem
to be another way for him. He’s
crossed the great barrier into the
realms of a chaotic maelstrom. Ask
him what his style or genre is and
he will probably say, “You tell me.
You just gotta listen to it.”
The Las Vegas Weekly named
Toney Rocks one of the top 10 Acts
“An American Forrest is Western
music. Country and folk. Ragged-
voiced tales and wild, hybrid style,
finger-picked and strummed guitar.
Poetic incantations that conjure
images: a lone rider silhouetted
against a sunset, the day’s fading
light, the unspoken bond between
horses and people. Songs as
detailed
as tooled
leather
about
old love
and new
frontiers.
“An
American
Forrest is
the words
and music
of Forrest
WEEKEND OUTLOOK
Margo Cilker
“Voice
inviting
and grainy,
Margo
Cilker
sings
about love
in acute
composi-
tions
feeding off
hard work,
under-
standing, and obscure locales.”
—Austin Chronicle
It’s OK to donate
The unique appeal of presenting
three songwriters, sharing their
original work in an intimate round-
robin format will remain core to
the program, as the musicians
will be performing live (and safely
distanced), on the beautiful stage of
the old OK.
Since an in-person audience is
not permitted at this time, viewers
will be encouraged to show their
support for the program via online
donations.
# # #
Photos and bios contributed by the
Wallowa Valley Musical Alliance.
say HELLO to
lif &
elda
C
JOSEPH — The Josephy Center
for Arts and Culture’s free Brown
Bag lecture and music series
continues Tuesday, Oct. 13, at noon
with a special virtual concert by
Clif & Nelda’s little BIG Band.
Jazz musicians Clif and Nelda
Swiggett, of Seattle, will be in
Wallowa County for a few weeks,
according to the Josephy Center’s
Rich Wandschneider. The duo
features Nelda Swiggett on piano
and her husband, Clif Swiggett, on
trombone and percussion.
“You’ll be tapping your toes when
you hear this lively duo with its big,
warm sound,” said Wandschneider.
The couple has played music
together since the night they first
met at a Halloween party in 1987.
The little BIG Band duo debuted
in 2013. They’ve performed at jazz
clubs, private parties, weddings,and
concert venues around the North-
west and love to share their joy of
music with all audiences.
The little BIG Band plays
hundreds of songs, crossing genres
including classic jazz and swing
standards, lively Brazilian and
Afro-Cuban rhythms, and funky
hits by Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones
and more — all freely interpreted
in the moment.
N
Josephy Center/Contributed Photo
Clif & Nelda’s little BIG Band, a jazz
duo, will perform Oct. 13 in a free
Brown Bag livestream.
To enjoy the free concert as it
happens, join the livestream at
www.josephy.org.
This fall Brown Bag and other
Josephy Center events, exhibits
and programs are archived on the
center’s website and can be view for
free anytime.
Watch last week’s Brown Bag
“Eagle Cap Wilderness” with Rick Bombaci
For the Oct. 6 virtual Brown Bag, Rick Bombaci talked
about the changing use of the Eagle Cap Wilderness.
He has hiked deeply into the Eagle Cap Wilderness and for several
seasons has worked as a Wilderness Ranger. Bombaci was asked to
reflect on his years of experience and how the Eagle Caps have been
impacted by the pandemic. “I see greater concentration of people in
fewer and fewer areas. I see higher percentages of people from urban
and faraway areas,” he said. “And I see the same problems that have
been with us for decades — trash, poop, overuse.…” View the Brown
Bag talk at www.josephy.org.
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
High 74 Low 45
High 65 Low 41
High 55 Low 36
Mostly sunny
Showers possible
Showers possible