Il|e ^Ortlaní» (®bserUcr _________________________
lanuary 7. 2009
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The ‘Get a Life Marching Band,' will perform Jan.2 0 in Washington, D.C. for the Presidential Inaugural Parade.
Local Band Headed to Inaugural
A Portland m arching band has found the
perfect way to launch its 15th anniversary
season - m arching dow n Pennsylvania A v­
enue - for the Presidential Inaugural Parade
in W ashington, D.C.
On Jan. 20, the G et a Life M arching Band,
will join approxim ately 100 other units from
around the country for the parade honoring
President-elect B arack Obama.
T he band hails from all around the Port­
land and Southw est W ashington m etro area
and ranges in age from the 20’s to 6 0 ’s.
“O ur m em bers have three things in com ­
m on," said band director Bob Pulido. “We
were all in high school or college m arching
bands; we still haven't gotten over it; and
we'd rather miss a note than a m eal!"
G et a Life M arching Band m em bers are
know n for spontaneity on the parade route,
engaging crow ds using sing-alongs, humor,
and “ju st for you" solo perform ances.
O ur goal is to send each audience m em ber
h o m e w ith a sp e c ia l an d u n e x p e c te d
m em ory!” Pul ido said.
Challenging Preconceptions
Firehouse hosts provocative play
Cow. Slob. Pig. How many
insults can you hear before you
have to stand up and defend the
woman you love? Tom faces
just that question when he falls
for Helen, a bright, funny, sexy
young woman who happens to
be plus sized - and then some, in
“Fat Pig,” opening Thursday,
Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. at the Interstate
Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340
N. Interstate Ave.
Forced to explain his new
relationship to his shallow but
funny friends, Tom comes to
terms with his own preconcep­
tions of the importance of con­
ventional good looks.
The play by Neil LaBut and
presented by Lucky Apple Pro­
ductions not only critiques our
slavish adherence to Hollywood
ideals of beauty but boldly ques­
tions our own ability to change
w hat we dislike about ou r­
selves.
A gala reception is sched­
uled Friday, Jan. 9 with 8 p.m.
shows continuing Thursdays,
Fridays and Saturdays, and Sun­
day matinees at 2 p.m., through
Jan. 31.
Tickets are $10. Call 503-
205-0715 or visit ifccarts.org.
Singer beats Cancer, Craves Pot
Merle Haggard
doesn’t want to
lose his ‘mojo’
Merle H aggard is not letting a
bout with lung cancer get in the
w ay o f his am bitious touring and
recording plans.
Seven weeks after the 71 -year-
old country legend had a leinon-
sized tum or rem oved in what he
calls "the greatest test o f my for­
titude," he said that he expects to
w ork harder in 2009 than he has in
20 years.
Haggard says he is singing
better now that he is in the throes
ofkickinghisdaily marijuana habit.
More importantly, the son of De­
pression-era Dust Bowl migrants
from Oklahoma views himself as a
cheerleader during tough times.
"I think we can stir up some
good hum or out there am ong the
folks that are crying for good
n ew s, and ju s t g iv e them a
m om ent's happiness," he told
W ith aclean bill o f health, he is
mapping out his 2009 itinerary
and is eyeing some unusual ven­
ues, nam ely churches, hospitals
and prisons.
"Especially w om en's prisons,
they get overlooked," he said.
"We played a w om en's prison in
W yom ing one time, and it was the
greatest response I've ever re­
ceived in my life. Forty women
was all that were there, and 40
women cried when we left."
H aggard can relate to that
crowd. From the ages o f 14 to 23,
he was in and out o f institutions
Merle Haggard
for various petty crimes. He spent
Reuters.
Haggard, w ho once derided his 21s, birthday behind bars at
pot-sm oking hippies in his 1969 San Quentin State Prison, where
hit "Okie From M uskogee," got he served nearly three years for
hooked on m arijuana after a do c­ burglary. In 1959, prisoner45200
tor said it was a good substitute w atched Johnny Cash perform
there.
for his Valium habit.
H ag g ard ev e n tu a lly found
He gave up a few tim es over
the y ea rs, but "nothing w as fame in the late 1960s with such
funny," he said. He quit again, chart-topping tunes as "Branded
four days before going under the Man," which was inspired by his
knife Nov. 3, and prays that he fear that his crim inal pas, would
does not lose his creative mojo. becom e public know ledge.
Topping the Charts Again
Beyonce
(AP) — Beyonce logged a fourth week
atop the Billboard Hot KX) singles chart,
whi Ic near-record digital sales drove dance-
pop singer I^ady G aG a to the No. 2 slot.
Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring
on I,)," a track from her chart-topping
album "I Am ... Sasha Fierce," sold a
m assive 382,(XX) dow nloads last week
according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 157
percent increase.
B utLadyG aG a'sG ram m y-nom inated
"Just Dance" featuring C olby O 'D onis
sold 4 19,(XX)downloads, the second b ig­
gest single-week sum o f all tim e behind
Flo Rida's 467,(XX) from the same week
last year.
7 ASTOUNDING MALE DANCERS
FEATURING CRAIG DEROSA FROM
SO YOU TH IN K YOU C A N D A NC E
ABSOLUTELY DAZZLING
DANCING" - The Boston Globe
3 SHOWS
THURS-SAT,
JAN. 1 5 - 1 7 73<
NEW M ARK THEATRE
TICKETS $20-$58
2 0 * discount li
$03790.2787 - All thtotm atitr outlets «AxXi
Group D’Bi.ounts/Inlt' S03.24S.tS00 ext. 201
www.whitebird.org
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