The daily Astorian., March 26, 2015, Image 29

Enjoy poetry open mic
Ara Lee, Chris Hayes bring gospel sounds
Last Tuesday event hosts Doug Spangle
Peninsula Arts Center hosts evening of soul, blues music
LONG BEACH, Wash. — The
Peninsula Arts Center pres-
ents Ara Lee and Chris
Hayes in concert for an eve-
ning of song, from gospel
and soul to blues, at 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 28.
Lee, when pressed, calls
herself a singer-songwriter.
But the image of a wispy,
soft-voiced, guitar strum-
mer that might come to
mind couldn’t be farther
from what she does. Call it
soul, call it folk, call it gos-
pel, Lee sings like a woman
with something to say, in a
voice that makes you stop
and listen, with lyrics that
make you remember why
you decided to be human,
once upon a time. Known
for her commanding stage
presence, Lee’s shows, often
called “musical church,” cut
straight to the gut.
Raised in the South in a
church where instruments
were not allowed, Lee grew
up
shape-note
singing,
learning to make music only
with the voice. Lee explains,
“Harmonies were a part of
daily life. Music wasn’t mu-
sic without three parts. We
would sing songs from our
old blue church hymnal — it
was the one place where ev-
eryone could meet without
agreeing on dogma.”
A move to New York
City as a teenager gave her
the chance to use her vo-
cal chops beyond her front
Submitted photo
Ara Lee will perform with Chris Hayes at the Peninsula Arts Center on March 28.
Ara Lee and Chris Hayes
7 p.m. Saturday, March 28
Peninsula Arts Center
504 Pacific Ave. N., Long Beach, Wash.
$12
porch, and she began a 10-
year career of working as
a backup singer and studio
vocalist.
Now based in Portland,
Lee’s roots in Appalachia
color the songs she writes.
“People say I sing gospel,
and maybe that’s true, but I
prefer to call it secular gos-
pel. I don’t identify with a
specific faith. I sing about
the things that I think are
simply human. To me, live
music is the place where you
taste something truly sacred.
Lives in Transition classes offered this spring
Program supports adult learners complete, continue education
ASTORIA, SEASIDE and JEWELL
— Are you facing major life
changes? Do you wish you
could complete your educa-
tion, explore a new career or
DFKLHYH ¿QDQFLDO LQGHSHQ-
dence? Are you ready to take
charge of your life, set goals
and problem sole more effec-
tively?
If you answered yes to any
of those questions, then you
may be eligible to participate
in the Lives in Transition Pro-
gram through Clatsop Com-
munity College.
This program is open to
both men and women. College
students of all ages are wel-
come; the youngest participant
has been 16, and the oldest has
been 70.
20 | March 26, 2015 | coastweekend.com
Participants can be work-
ing toward their GED, but they
do not need to have complet-
ed it before attending Lives in
Transition classes.
Students find resources
and support throughout the
Lives in Transition Program
as they work toward future
goals. The program, includ-
ing six college credits, is
ASTORIA — March 31 2013” was recently released
is the last Tuesday of the by GOBQ/Reprobate Books.
month, and you know what
The Last Tuesday Poetry
that means: It’s time for the Open Mic takes place on the
Last Tuesday Poetry Open last Tuesday of each month
Mic at the Port of Call Bis- and is an informal perfor-
tro and Bar. For the first mance venue for practiced
time, the open mic series and amateur poets and spo-
welcomes a featured read- ken-word enthusiasts in the
er, longtime Portland poet North Coast area. All kinds
Doug Spangle.
of poems, short prose and
Spangle has been a the occasional songs appear
Submitted photo
well-known figure in Or- in front of the mic. All are
Guitarist Chris Hayes will perform with egon poetry circles since welcome to come perform,
Ara Lee.
the late 1970s. He hosted a read or listen.
long-running poetry show
Open mic sign-up takes
It’s why I sing, it’s why I on Portland’s KBOO 90.7 place at 6:45 p.m. on a first-
write, it’s why I do what I FM radio, has performed in come-first-served basis, and
numerous readings and open the poetry reading runs from
do,” stated Lee.
Performing with Lee will be mics, and has published 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, March
Chris Hayes, one of the most chapbooks and edited sev- 31. Port of Call Bistro and
in-demand guitarists in the eral literary magazines. His Bar is located at 894 Com-
1RUWKZHVW+H¶VEHHQD¿[WXUH full-length book, “A White mercial St. All ages are wel-
of the Northwest music scene Concrete Day, Poems 1978 – come until 10 p.m.
since 1988. Peninsula Arts
Center audiences will recog-
nize him from past appearances
with The Half Hearted, Kath-
ryn Claire and Hanz Araki.
The Peninsula Arts Cen-
ter is located at 504 Pacific
7 p.m. Tuesday, March 31
Ave. N. Tickets for the con-
Port
of Call Bar and Bistro
cert are $12 at the door.
Wine, beer and other re-
894 Commercial St., Astoria
freshments will be available
Free
for purchase. Concerts at the
Peninsula Arts Center bene-
fit the Long Beach Peninsula
Acoustic Music Association,
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a 501(c) 3 non-profit chari-
W B A L E
F L A P
H A M
T V D A D
table organization.
A I N E D
R O S A
A C E
B R A I S E
The arts center will also
R O N G D R I N K S
S H A R E O N E S B
host a free open mic at 7
T L E O I I
G A T
A E N E I D
D A U
p.m. Friday, March 27.
Last Tuesday
Poetry Open Mic
free to participants. Partial
childcare and transporta-
tion reimbursements may be
available.
Classes begin Monday,
March 30 in Seaside, Asto-
ria and Jewell. The Seaside
class will run from 10:30 a.m.
to 12:30 p.m. Monday and
Wednesday.
Call 503-338-2377 for
more information.
Lives in Transition is a
United Way Agency. CCC is
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opportunity institution.
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