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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 2015)
ENTERTAINMENT Saturday, January 31, 2015 MUSIC REVIEW East Oregonian Retro Ed and his ‘River of Life’ Go see it DATE: Friday, Feb. 6 TIME: 9 p.m. to midnight WHERE: Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon COST: No cover charge A t its lowest common denominator, all folk music has one thing in common: ‘Shadows in the Night’ Bob Dylan Bob Dylan has never called “Shadows in the Night” a Frank Sinatra tribute album. The idea seems nuts: one of the last century’s greatest songwriters challenging perhaps its greatest voice, on Sinatra’s turf. No wonder it was the butt of jokes before anyone heard a note. The fact remains that each of the 10 standards here, written between 1923 and 1963, was recorded by Sinatra. Some, like “Some Enchanted Evening” or “That Lucky Old Sun,” are fairly well known, others more obscure. Dylan closed his last few concerts with one of them, “Stay With Me.” The precise, and even more intimidating, comparison is Sinatra’s superb 1955 concept disc, “In the Wee Small Hours.” For these are all songs that come to mind when the night gets long, when missed oppor- tunities, regrets and lost loves come to mind. They’re the songs you’d expect the 73-year- old man sitting at the end of the bar to request. Here they are performed in muted fashion, not with an orchestra, but with Dylan’s band, supplemented by a mournful pedal steel guitar and the occasional subtle horn. The hushed arrangements put even more emphasis on a voice that, let’s face it, was never considered classic even before being ravaged by age. The remarkable thing is that he pulls it off, with crooning you’ve heard from Dylan be- fore. Unlike his holiday album from a few years back, where his croak played like unin- tentional comedy at times, he works hard to do justice to the songs and setting. Don’t toss your Sinatra discs aside. By the time Dylan reaches for the last line in the album closer, “That Lucky Old Sun,” you’re rooting for him to nail it. He does. The disc is consistent with Dylan’s later-period emphasis on classic American songcraft and material that evokes mortality. It LVYHU\VSHFL¿FLQLWVDSSHDO<HW when it’s time to turn down the lights and pick up a tumbler, you could do far worse. stories. Folk music has survived hundreds of years of changing times and cultural pursuits by consistently providing stories set to music. Retro Ed’s new self- released “River of Life” CD is full of 14 individual stories that keep that tradition alive. Johnny Retro Ed was Vinyl born Ed Merriman Comment and grew up in Pendleton in the 1950s and ’60s. As a teenager he VRXJKWWRSXUVXHKLV¿UVWSDVVLRQ rock and roll. He was in several bands during his teen years, like Sonic Vibration and the Living Souls, culminating with his last band, Spring Rain, which released a single that went, well ... nowhere. Deciding his professional music career needed to take a back seat to life, he went to work as a journalist after obtaining a degree from University of Oregon. Now that he has retired from the career in journalism, he is devoting much of his current quality time to Katy Perry Super Bowl performance to feature animals PHOENIX (AP) — Katy Perry says her Super Bowl halftime performance will make you “Roar” — with animals. The singer told reporters at a press conference Thursday that her performance Sunday will include “a lion and sharks.” Perry, 30, said she feels blessed to perform on the Super Bowl stage “at such a young age.” She said she enjoyed past Super Bowl performances from Beyoncé and Madonna, and what she adds “is some lightheartedness.” Lenny Kravitz will join the pop star at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. Perry said her performance will also include an “old school” female singer. When asked if Perry had been checking out football players this week, she imitated Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, saying: “I’m MXVWKHUHVR,GRQ¶WJHW¿QHG´ Lil Wayne sues mentor’s record label for $51M 1(:<25.$3² Rapper Lil Wayne has had it with his record label. He’s suing &DVK0RQH\LQ1HZ<RUNIRU $51 million after claiming that it stiffed him for $8 million on a record he delivered last month. ,QWKHIHGHUDOODZVXLW¿OHG Wednesday, Lil Wayne is asking to nullify contracts with the company. The New Orleans-born Lil Wayne says his relationship with the label has been deteriorating over the last four years. A lawyer for Cash Money didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment. The label was co-founded by his mentor, Bryan “Birdman” Williams. Contributed photo Ed Merriman, AKA Retro Ed, recently released “River of Life,” a CD that includes several songs written in the 1960s-’70s, while the rest were penned from 2010-2014. songwriting and performance. His style is pretty traditional folk — a man and his guitar. And, of course, there are the stories. Retro Ed will be sharing his stories Friday, Feb. 6 at Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon. There’s no cover charge, but bring along some cash as Merriman will be selling copies of his CD. (They also are available at the Hamley’s gift shop and at the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce, as well as online at CD Baby, iTunes and Amazon). “River of Life” consists of 12 songs, or really, 12 stories that have been given a rhythm and PHORG\7RSLFVLQFOXGH¿UVWORYH machinations of god, nights in 3HQGOHWRQORYHDW¿UVWVLJKWVH[\ women and the crazy men that love them. Facebook even makes an appearance. The musical accompaniment is only an acoustic guitar. Folk albums can get a bit on the tedious side to listen to since the songs commonly sound similar. Not the case with “River of Life.” The accompaniment is varied enough from song to song that each track has its own personality within the disc. And the songs come from multiple spots along the last 48 years. The oldest dates back to DQGWHOOVWKHVWRU\RI¿UVW love titled “My First Girlfriend,” while one of the more recent, “Love Found Us on Facebook,” is about a current as one could get. If folk music is your thing or if you are into hearing word- of-mouth stories, give Retro Ed’s “River of Life” CD a chance — some good old stories accompanied by the warm sound of an acoustic guitar and a reassuring voice. Put another log RQWKH¿UHDQGKDYHDJUDQGRO¶ time. ƒ Johnny Vinyl is a music con- noisseur. His column, Ride the vibe, focuses on entertainment. Contact him in c/o tmalgesini@eastorego- nian.com WHAT TO DO Festivals Art Mom and Baby Expo Kids + Art = Fun! •Saturday, Feb. 7; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. •Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick www.momandbabyexpo. com $5/adults, free/12 and under. Donate a package of diapers for free admission. Vendors, toddler nutrition, car seat safety, cloth diapers and more. Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1; kickoff 3:30 p.m. Mac’s Super Bowl •Mac’s Bar & Grill, 1400 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton No cover. Includes 32 TVs, beer specials, two fans in “hot seat” to win $500, football squares to win Mac’s gift cards. Super Bowl Party •Midway Tavern, 1750 N. First St., Hermiston No cover. Food and drink specials, win a $150 gift card plus other prizes throughout the game. 22 TVs and 100” screen with surround sound. Super Bowl Tailgate Party •Nookies/Hermiston Brew- ing Co., 125 N. First St., Herm- iston No cover. Games, prizes, beer specials. Wear your team FRORUVIRUDVSHFLDOUDIÀHWLFNHW Super Bowl Party BRIEFLY Page 3C •Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St., Umatilla 1R FRYHU 5DIÀH GUDZLQJV drink specials, free buffet, free to enter TV giveaway Red Zone Party •Wildhorse Sports Bar at Wildhorse Resort & Casino, off Highway 331, Mission. No cover. Drink specials, raf- ÀHEHQH¿WLQJ:RXQGHG:DUULRU Project), prizes. •Saturday, Jan 31; 1-4 p.m. •Tamástslikt Cultural Insti- tute, near Wildhorse Resort & Casino. www.tamastslikt.org Free. Pepsi Primetime@the Museum, held in conjunction with the ArtWORKz youth show and competition. Kids can drop in during the afternoon and par- ticipate in different craft stations for a hands-on art-making after- noon. Participants will leave with one or more of their very own creations. Peterson’s New Year’s Show •Saturday, Jan. 31; 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Last day •Peterson’s Gallery and Chocolatier, 1925 Main St., Bak- er City www.petersonsgallery.net Free. Features most re- quested artists in 2014, includ- ing Paul Hoelscher, a painter from Baker City; Pattie Young, a metal artist from Boise; and Terri Axness, a painter and ceramic artist from Haines. Runs through Jan. 31. First Saturday Spin-In •Saturday, Feb. 7, noon-4 p.m. •Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St. Fiber-obsessed folks can drop in and bring a project to work on. Coffee, tea and work space provided. ArtWORKz •Monday - Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. •Tamástslikt Cultural Insti- tute, near Wildhorse Resort & Casino. www.tamastslikt.org $10/adults, $9/senior citi- zens, $6/youths, free/5 and un- der or $25/family of four. In its fourth year, the youth art show highlights area youth artists. Awards reception is Saturday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. Runs through Feb. 28. “All Things Bright and Beautiful” •Monday-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. •Betty Feves Memorial Gal- lery, BMCC, 2411 N.W. Carden Ave., Pendleton. Free. Gallery also open by appointment by calling 541-278- 5952. Runs through Feb. 19. Heritage Station Museum •Tuesday-Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. •108 S.W. Frazer Ave., Pendleton www.heritagestationmuse- um.org $5/adults, $2/student, $4/se- niors, $10/family. Music Fusion •Saturday, Jan. 31; 7:30 p.m. •Vert Auditorium, 480 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton www.oregoneastsymphony. org $20/adults, $15/students and seniors, $45/family. James Dean Kindle & the Eastern Oregon Playboys reunite with the Oregon East Symphony & Chorale for an evening of lush, symphonic pop country. Dakota Brown opens the show. 4More •Saturday, Jan. 31, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. No cover •Wildhorse Sports Bar at Wildhorse Resort & Casino, off Highway 331, Mission. Wildhorse Resort & Casino, off Highway 331, Mission. Night life Adam Kessler Comedy Show •Saturday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. •Sub Zero Restaurant & Lounge, 100 W. Highway 730, Irrigon $10. Doors open at 5 p.m., comedy at 7 p.m., live DJ at 9 SP 5DIÀH DQG SUL]HV 'LQQHU VSHFLDOV RIIFRXSOH ZLWK comedy ticket). For reserva- tions, call 541-922-4374. Mix It Up •Tuesday, Feb. 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m. •Plateau, Wildhorse Resort & Casino, off Highway 331, Mis- sion. $20/tastings and food pair- ings. Three cocktails made tableside, showing you how to create the perfect cocktail. Res- HUYDWLRQV UHFRPPHQGHG 966-1610). Wednesday Night Wine Club •Wednesday, Feb. 4, 5:30- 7:30 p.m. •Plateau, Wildhorse Resort & Casino, off Highway 331, Mis- sion. $18/tastings and food pair- ings, $40/four-course wine din- ner. Features Naked Winery. Wednesday Night Live! Comedy •Saturday, Jan. 31; 9 p.m. to midnight. 21 and over. No cover •Hamley Saloon, 8 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton •Wednesdays, 8 p.m. •Feb. 4: Ron Osborne •Feb. 11: Leif Skyving •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, off High- way 331, Mission. Joshua Best Digital Karaoke Lively Music Company •Friday, Feb. 6, 7-9 p.m. No cover •Obie’s Express, 540 S. Highway 395, Hermiston Expertease •Friday, Feb. 6; Saturday, Feb. 7, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. No cover •Wildhorse Sports Bar at •Thursdays and Saturdays, 8 p.m. •The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston Mac’s Trivia Night •Thursdays, 8 p.m. No cover •Mac’s Bar & Grill, 1400 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton 21 and older. Teams of 2-8 compete in trivia contest with other teams. Live host and priz- es. Wine tasting •Fridays, 4-8 p.m. •Sno Road Winery, 111 W. Main St., Echo. Open Mic •First/third Friday each month, 8 p.m. to midnight •The Packard Tavern, 118 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton www.facebook.com/groups/ pendletonopenmic Karaoke )ULGD\V SP SP LI game on) •Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St., Umatilla DJ and dancing •Fridays, 8 p.m. •The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston Theater, stage & film Koontz Manor Murder Mystery •Saturday, Jan. 31; 7 p.m. •Sno Road Winery, 111 W. Main St., Echo Single/$25, couple/$40. Wine, hors d’ouevres, intrigue. Seating is limited, contact 541- 376-0421, info@snoroadwinery. com “Memphis The Musical” •Tuesday, Feb. 3, 8p.m. •Toyota Center, Kennewick www.ticketmaster.com $47-$67. From the under- ground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis comes a musical that bursts off the stage with explo- sive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. “Beauty and the Beast” •Register by Friday, Feb. 6 •Hermiston Parks & Recre- ation, 180 N.W. Second St. www.hermistonrecreation. com Want to get your event listed in our calendar? Send information to tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com, or c/o Tammy Malgesini, 333 E. Main Street, Hermiston, OR, 97838. SAG win sends ‘Birdman’ Oscar hopes soaring Because actors make up the larg- est portion of the Academy of Mo- tion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the SAG Awards are considered one of Oscar hopes for “Birdman” got the most telling Oscar previews. an enormous updraft over the week- Individual acting winners usually end with big wins from the acting mirror each other exactly, or very and producing guilds, possibly nearly. Last year, the top four win- sending the comedy soaring over ners — Matthew McConaughey, the perceived Academy Awards Cate Blanchett, Lupita Nyong’o, front-runner “Boyhood.” Jared Leto — all went on to win Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s $FDGHP\$ZDUGVDIWHU¿UVWVFRRS- elegantly crafted backstage romp ing up SAG awards. won best ensemble Sunday night The predictive powers of the at the 21st annual Screen Actors SAGs have been more checkered in Guild Awards, a day after it also matching its top award with eventu- won the top honor at the Producer al best-picture Oscar winners. In the Guild Awards. Both guilds are seen last six years, SAG best-ensemble DV KLJKO\ SUHGLFWLYH RI ZKLFK ¿OP and Academy Award best-picture will triumph at the Oscars, which winners have lined up three times will be held Feb. 22. Twentieth Century Fox Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood,” Michael Keaton, left, as Riggan in a scene from the film, “Bird- (“Argo,” “The King’s Speech” and “Slumdog Millionaire”), while di- the acclaimed indie made with the man,” directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. verging just as often. Last year, the unprecedented real-life time-elapse of 12 years, has long held as the to “The Theory of Everything” star “As the World Turns,” in which she actors chose “American Hustle” over eventual Oscar winner “12 awards seasons favorite. But “Bird- Eddie Redmayne, whose exceeding played twin sisters, good and evil. “Then I realized it was super bor- <HDUVD6ODYH´LQWKH\SLFNHG PDQ´¿OOVWKHUROHRIDFODVVLF2V- technical performance as Stephen ³7KH+HOS´RYHU³7KH$UWLVW´DQG car winner, like “Shakespeare in Hawking has equally drawn raves. ing to act by myself,” said Moore. Accepting the award for most in 2009, “Inglourious Basterds” de- Love,” as a celebration of showbiz. Looking down at his blue statuette Its fortunes look especially bright — “this very wonderful skinny outstanding supporting actor for his feated “The Hurt Locker.” So Sunday’s SAG Awards made considering the last seven Produc- man,” he said — Redmayne dedi- performance as a domineering jazz ers Guild Awards winners have also cated the SAG Award to sufferers teacher in “Whiplash,” Simmons two things clear: the Oscar race thanked all 49 actors who appear in will be a nail-biter that likely pits won best picture at the Academy and victims of ALS. The other Oscar favorites — Ju- the drama. ³%LUGPDQ´DJDLQVW³%R\KRRG´DQG Awards. “All of us actors are supporting the other best source of drama will “Actors love this movie for lianne Moore, Patricia Arquette and showing the courage actors have to J.K. Simmons — all cemented their actors,” said Simmons, a veteran probably be Keaton and Redmayne kind of go out there and lay it on front-runner status in a glamorous, character actor. “Each of us is essen- vying for best actor. Sunday’s show kicked things off the line,” “Birdman” star Michael self-congratulatory ceremony that tial, completely crucial to the story Keaton said backstage at the SAG can serve as a test-run for accep- because if there’s one false moment, ZLWKDSDLURIZLQVIRUWKH1HWÀL[ the train comes off the rails.” prison series “Orange Is the New Awards. He accepted the best en- tance speeches. Moore, widely considered the “Boyhood” star Arquette added Black,” honoring it as best ensem- semble award with his co-stars in- cluding Emma Stone, Edward Nor- best-actress favorite, won most out- the latest in a nearly uninterrupted ble in a comedy and naming Uzo standing actress for “Still Alice,” in string of supporting actress awards. Aduba most outstanding actress in WRQDQG=DFK*DOL¿DQDNLV <HW .HDWRQ DOVR ORVW DW WKH which she plays an academic with “This little movie is about human a comedy series. Aduba won over a SAGs, held Sunday at the Shrine early onset Alzheimer’s Disease. beings and it’s about bringing real number of veteran stars, including Auditorium in Los Angeles. In- Accepting the award, she recalled life onto the screen,” she said back- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”) and Edie Falco (“Nurse Jackie”). stead, most outstanding actor went an early lesson on the soap opera stage. By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer
