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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 2017)
ENTERTAINMENT Saturday, June 10, 2017 East Oregonian Page 3C Classic soul artist bringing The Pain to Pendleton Portland’s Ural Thomas revives 1960s act with drummer Scott Magee O ver the past decade or so, there has been a revival of 1960s-era funk and soul music that has resulted in a cavalcade of soul singers experiencing a commercial breakthrough in their later years. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and Charles Bradley are the two names that most readily come to mind. At the age of 77, Portland’s Ural Thomas and his backing band The Pain J.D. are situated to be the Pacific Kindle Northwest’s contribution to Comment this trend. Originally from Portland, Thomas grew up performing music in church. One of Thomas’ first bands during the 1950s, The Invaders, regularly performed throughout the Pacific Northwest, even stopping in Pendleton once. Throughout the early ’60s Thomas’ vocal group The Montereys regularly performed backup vocals with popular Pacific Northwest garage rock bands like The Kingsmen and Paul Revere and The Raiders. He landed gigs opening for the likes of Little Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding and Irma Thomas. Thomas eventually moved to Los Angeles in hopes of furthering his music career. He recorded a few singles for the UNI label, including the searing number “Pain (Is The Name of Your Game),” which all ultimately BRIEFLY Musician performs with awe factor PENDLETON — With a voice described as uninhibited, Brenda Carsey plays with soulful low notes, a raspy, rock belt, and playful, even childish high notes, sometimes all in the same song. Audience members will get an opportunity to hear the Los Angeles-based vocalist when she performs locally. Brenda Carsey & the Awe will play an all-ages show Thursday, June 15 from 7-9 p.m. at Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St., Pendleton. There is no cover charge. Carsey, who’s also a songwriter, multi- instrumentalist and producer, has been performing since the age of 5. From choirs, orchestras, and marching bands to national anthem performances to rock, pop, folk, hip hop and electronic groups, she confidently tackles different genres. For more information, call 541-276-1350. The musician’s website is www. brendacarseyart.com. Chamber Winds blows into Hamley’s PENDLETON — A chamber ensemble comprised entirely of wind instruments will perform the works by Gaetano Donizetti, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Charles Gounod. Conductor and artistic director Beau Benson and the Oregon East Symphony present Chamber Winds Friday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon, 8 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors or $45 for a family. The concert will begin with Donizetti’s “Sinfonia for Winds,” followed by Mozart’s “Serenade No. 11 in E-flat Major,” which was composed for the purpose of currying the favor of a court musician of Emperor Joseph II and written at a time when wind instruments were beginning to be manufactured with a higher degree of accuracy. The evening will conclude with a performance of Gounod’s “Petite Symphonie,” a work composed for French flute virtuoso Paul Taffanel in 1885. Pendleton-based principal flutist Cathy Muller will be filling the role of Taffanel. The show is a rescheduling of a performance canceled this past January due to inclement weather. Tickets from the January date will be honored. In addition, tickets are still available at www. OregonEastSymphony.org, Pendleton Art + Frame, 28 S.W. Court Ave., and the symphony office, 345 S.W. Fourth St. A limited amount of tickets will be available at the door. For more information, call the symphony office at 541-276-0320. Photo contributed by Brud Giles Ural Thomas & The Pain perform at Revolution Hall in Portland. fell flat due to lack of promotion. Frustrated with the music business, Ural hung up his microphone and took on a string of blue collar jobs around Portland and raising a family. It wouldn’t be correct to say he ever went away as he was steadily writing songs and producing homemade demo recordings. Fast forward to 2012, the year that Thomas was “rediscovered” by Portland rock drummer (and past Pendleton Center for the Arts Rock Camp counselor) Scott Magee. Magee is perhaps most well known around Portland as “Cooky Parker,” a DJ specializing in spinning vintage soul and R&B 45s. One of Magee’s regular sources for those 45s is Mississippi Records, the Portland-based record store and label that tends to specialize in re-releasing obscure and rare recordings (southern gospel church field recordings, ’90s Portland punk, early theremin recording experiments, Hindustani classical music, etc). A discussion with Mississippi Records proprietor Eric Isaacson five years ago set into motion the reemergence of Ural Thomas. “There is a stool in front of the counter, like in ‘High Fidelity,’ where people can sit and geek out about records,” recounts Magee. “In one conversation with Eric I offhandedly mentioned my frustration with music in general. Playing soul music was a dream of mine but I was always doing indie rock. I said to Eric, ‘Wouldn’t it be the coolest thing to be in the ’60s and making these records?’” Isaacson suggested, “You should play with Ural Thomas. Nobody has ever heard of him.” At the time Ural was hosting Saturday evening jam sessions at his home in north Portland. When Magee stepped in behind the drum kit there was an instant connection, and the two conspired to start a band. Magee dipped into his extensive musician contact list that he had built from playing music for over a decade in Portland. Hence “The Pain,” named after the aforementioned single from Thomas’ stint on UNI, was born. Last year Ural Thomas and The Pain released their self-titled debut album through Mississippi Records. The album is half compilation of Thomas’ “hits” from the first act of his life and half new recordings with The Pain, many rearrangements of old songs some covers of 1960s-era soul songs. The group is ready to move forward with the recording a new album by mining the trove of demo recordings dating from Thomas’s desert years. According to Magee the new recordings will be The Pain’s “first true album, representative of what we are as a band and our connection together.” Ural Thomas & The Pain play for free on Main Street Pendleton on Friday, June 16. ■ James Dean Kindle is the East Oregonian’s entertainment columnist, the executive director of the Oregon East Symphony and a Pendleton musician. Contact him at jamesdeankindle@gmail.com. WHAT TO DO Festivals Park series rolls out season with marimba band Summer Music Block Party The Boardman/Irrigon Music in the Parks outdoor concert series kicks off its season with a Zimbabwean marimba band. The free summer concerts alternate between Boardman and Irrigon marina parks each Monday at 7 p.m. through Aug. 14. The first concert is Monday, June 12 in Boardman. It features the 15-member Bahuru Marimba Band. The group includes middle and high school students under the direction of Walt Hampton. Those planning to attend are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Concessions will be available for purchase from Judy’s Chuck Wagon. The rest of the season includes Brady Goss (June 19, Irrigon); Zac Grooms (June 26, Boardman); 98% Angels (July 3, Irrigon); Jamie Nasario and Luke Basile (July 10, Boardman); Melissa Cunnington (July 17, Irrigon); Dallin Puzey (July 24, Boardman); The Buttercreek Boys (July 31, Irrigon); Blue Mt. Spanish Sound (Aug. 7, Boardman); and Cruise Control (Aug. 14, Irrigon). •Friday, June 16; 6:30 p.m. •400 block South Main St., Pendleton No cover. All-ages event features Ural Thomas and the Pain. Beer garden available for 21-and-over. Prestige Championship Wrestling 2 •Friday, June 23; 7-11 p.m. www.pcprowrestling.com •Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center, 1705 Airport Road, Hermiston $15-$50. Features the best independent talent in the Pacif- ic Northwest as well as former WWE superstars Val Venis and Shannon Moore, current UFC star Tom Lawlor, current Impact! Wrestling star Davey Richards. Summer at Frazier Farmstead Museum •Saturday, June 24; 6-19 p.m. •Frazier Farmstead Mu- seum, 1403 Chestnut St., Mil- ton-Freewater www.frazierfarmsteadmuse- um.org $40. The outdoor event, taking place on the museum’s picturesque grounds in front of a 1918 barn, features a farm- fresh dinner by Simply Catering, dancing and live music. Art, Museums & Authors Steve Nilson •Saturday, June 10, 2-4 p.m., opening reception •Saturday/Sundays; noon-5 p.m. •Arts Portal Gallery, 508 N. Main St., Milton-Freewater Free. Artist’s reception In- cludes refreshments and en- tertainment. With a variety of mediums and styles, the Mil- ton-Freewater artist said, “Inspi- ration for me can pop up at any time and in any place.” Open Regional Exhibit •Tuesday-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. •Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St. www.pendletonarts.org Free. View work of 100+ artists from across the region, who will be vying for more than $1,200 in prize money. Runs through June 23. “Spirit of Place” •Monday-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. •Pendleton Art + Frame, 36 •Saturday, June 17; 4 p.m. •Condon City Park •Sunday, June 18; 4 p.m. • Geiser Pollman Park, Bak- er City Free. The Inland Northwest Musicians, under the direction of R. Lee Friese, present their out- door Summer Pops concerts. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Dan Faller •Saturday, June 17; 6-9 p.m. •Hamley Steakhouse & Sa- loon, 8 S.E. Court Ave., Pend- leton No cover. All ages event as part of the Music on the Lawn concert series. Pendleton Men’s Chorus Contributed photo Bahuru Marimba Band will kick off the Music in the Parks summer concert series Monday, June 12 at 7 p.m. at Boardman Marina Park. For more information, call Tami Sherer at 541-571-0844. depicting the summer season in Eastern Oregon. Runs through June 30. available for purchase. In case of inclement weather, will be held at Heppner Elementary School, 235 E. Stansbury St. Music Brenda Carsey & The Awe “Celilo: Progress Versus Protest” •Saturday, June 10; 6-9 p.m. •Hamley Steakhouse & Sa- loon, 8 S.E. Court Ave., Pend- leton No cover. All ages event as part of the Music on the Lawn concert series. “Starting Summer” •Tuesday-Sundays, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. •Peterson’s Gallery and Chocolatier, 1925 Main St., Bak- er City www.petersonsgallery.net Free. Features a collection of artwork by regional artists •Friday, June 16; Saturday, June 17; 8 p.m. No cover •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission Summer Pops S.W. Court Ave. www.pendletonartandframe. com Free. Landscape oil paint- ings of the changing seasons and colored pen and ink images by Paulette Carter are on dis- play through June 30. •Monday - Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. •Tamástslikt Cultural Insti- tute, near Wildhorse Resort & Casino. www.tamastslikt.org $10/adults, $9/senior cit- izens, $6/youths, free/5 and under or $25/family of four. The building of The Dalles Dam on the Columbia River in 1957 and the resulting submersion of Celi- lo Falls was done under the flag of progress. Biologists, sport and commercial fishermen, con- gressmen and citizens opposed and protested the dam. Runs through July 14. The Run Up Carter Freeman Ian Thomas & the Band of Drifters •Saturday, June 10; 7-10 p.m. •Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St., Pendleton No cover. All-ages show. Funk Factory •Saturday, June 10; 8 p.m. No cover •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission Frazer Wambeke & Luke Basile •Sunday, June 11; 5-7 p.m. •Heppner City Park, 444 N. Main St. Free. Regional musicians team up to kick off Heppner’s Music in the Park series. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Food •Thursday, June 15; 7-9 p.m. •Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St., Pendleton No cover. All-ages show. Live Music Thursday •Thursdays 7-9 p.m. No cov- er •40 Taps, 337 S.W. Emigrant Ave., Pendleton Mark Holt •Friday, June 16; 6-9 p.m. •Hamley Steakhouse & Sa- loon, 8 S.E. Court Ave., Pend- leton No cover. All ages event as part of the Music on the Lawn concert series. Chamber Winds •Friday, June 16; 7:30 p.m. •Hamley’s Steakhouse & Saloon, 8 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton $20/adults, $15/students, seniors, $45/family. Oregon East Symphony conductor and artistic director Beau Benson leads a chamber ensemble of wind instruments. They will per- form works by Gaetano Doni- zetti, Wolfgang Amadeus Mo- zart and Charles Gounod. •Saturday, June 17; 7 p.m. •Bob Clapp Theatre, BMCC, 2411 N.W. Carden Ave., Pend- leton $10. Spring concert featur- ing an eclectic program. Brady Goss •Monday, June 19; 7 p.m. •Irrigon Marina Park Free. As part of the Music in the Parks series, which alter- nates weekly between Board- man and Irrigon marina parks. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs. Food available for purchase. Night life Sherlock Holmes: The Prom is Afoot! •Saturday, June 10; 7-10 p.m. •Vert Club Room, 345 S.W. Fourth St., Pendleton $20/single, $38/couple. Open to ages 18-and-older, the Adult Prom serves as a fund- raiser for the Pendleton Friends of the Library. Enjoy DJ music by Joe Pitt, photo booth, silent auc- tion, raffle, costume contest and a whole lot of dancing. DJ music •Saturdays, 8 p.m. •The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston Karaoke w/DJ David •Saturdays; 8 p.m. •Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St., Umatilla Yoga & Wine Tasting •Saturday, June 17; 3:30 p.m. •Echo Ridge Cellars, 551 N. Thielsen St., Echo $20. Includes yoga, wine tasting, hors d’oeuvres and a raffle ticket for a bottle of wine. Bring a yoga mat and wear com- fortable clothes. State fair offers colorful line-up, coloring contest East Oregonian Reserved tickets are now on sale for the concert lineup during the Oregon State Fair. Free general admission seats are available for each concert except the special Sunday performances. Also, limited VIP tickets are available for the shows. Unless otherwise noted, the VIP seats are $35 each. The dates, times and entertainers are: Friday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m., Dwight Yoakam; Saturday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m., Joan Jett & the Blackhearts; Sunday, Aug. 27 at 8 p.m., Salem Symphony/Windborne’s Music of Pink Floyd ($40); Monday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m., Josh Turner; Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m., For King & Country; Wednesday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m., Kenny Loggins; Thursday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m., Third Eye Blind; Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m., Vince Neil; Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m., Trace Adkins; Sunday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m., Salem Symphony/Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (VIP/$39, general adult/$19, general child/$9); All adults 18 and older are invited to enter a coloring contest of musicians from the Oregon State Fair season for a chance to win prizes. Contributed photo and Monday, Sept. 4 at 4 p.m., Eddie Money. Regular gate admission to the Oregon State Fair, which runs Aug. 25 through Sept. 4, is $8 for adults, $6 for kids 6-11 and $1 for seniors 65 and older. In addition, discounted daily tickets are available if purchased in advance. Fair and VIP tickets can be purchased at www. oregonstatefair.org. Touted as the most colorful concerts of the summer, adults 18 and older are invited to enter a coloring contest for a chance to win prizes. The Big Concert Coloring Contest includes an opportunity to win a Green Mountain Pellet Grill, an outdoor dinette set or two nights at The Landing Condominiums in Newport and four admissions to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The nine semi-finalist winners will receive two free admissions to the Oregon State Fair, two VIP concert tickets, an opportunity to meet the concert artist backstage before the show and a courtesy parking pass to the fair. In addition, they will automatically be entered into the drawing to win the grand prize, which is valued at $1,500. To enter, visit the fair’s website and down- load the coloring page of your favorite concert artist, color the page and submit it by Monday, June 19. The website includes complete contest details and rules.
