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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2017)
ENTERTAINMENT Saturday, October 7, 2017 East Oregonian Page 3C Hermiston-grown author finds humor in farm life Brianna Walker writes collection ‘High Heels & Tractor Wheels’ By ANGEL CARPENTER EO Media Group Whether she’s writing about bipolar balers, zucchini advice or country road etiquette, Brianna Renée Walker has a knack for making people laugh out loud. Walker, who writes the weekly column “Farmer’s Fate,” has published a new book titled “High Heels & Tractor Wheels.” “One of my college professors said to write what you know best, and for me that is farm life,” Walker said. “I like to think that my writing is like the ‘farm version’ of Erma Bombeck — just a humorous look at regular, everyday-life experiences that hopefully people can relate to.” Walker lives in the Walla Walla Valley with her husband and their two boys, and they farm 600 acres of corn, wheat and alfalfa. She grew up in Hermiston where her parents have been growing watermelon since 1934. “It keeps me busy running between the two farms, but I love it,” Walker said. “We also have a Contributed photo Brianna Walker grew up in Hermiston and writes a weekly col- umn called “Farmer’s Fate.” Her new book is “High Heels & Tractor Wheels.” few sheep and goats — basically just enough to qualify for old McDonald’s farm!” Writing stories since she was little, her grandma gave her an opportunity to publish her first book when she was a teen. Walker said she was thrilled when she received it, “so thrilled that my teenage self got into my car to go show the book to friends and family, and I backed right into my grandparents’ car!” She said writing the “Farmer’s Fate” column has been a type of therapy for her. “Ripping the hydraulic hoses off the tractor, or blowing a tire with a full load of melons is never fun, but by having a column to write, I am forced to ask myself, ‘Is this a bad day? Or is this a bad five minutes?’ and ‘Will this be funny later? And if it will be, let’s see what we can do to make it funny now,’” she said. She said thinking this way helps her adjust her attitude. “No one wants to read about toil, misery and despair all the time,” she said. Walker offered an example. “So, instead of ‘Honey, the hydraulic hoses just blew, looks like we’re gonna be out $500 and half a day of work,’ my phone call is more like ‘Honey, want to go out for lunch today? Maybe do a little shopping afterward? Like maybe some new hydraulic hoses for the rake? I know I’m an expensive date, but I’m worth it.’” She added, “Because of this constant change in thought, I really do value it as my therapy, which makes me especially thankful for my readers, because without them, I might not be writing so much.” Walker said her grandma, who could quote a poem for nearly any situation, had a big influence on her. “I included several of her poems in my book with topics ranging from zucchinis to cancer,” she said. Walker’s own advice for an overabundance of zucchini from the garden? Just look up “The Ford Zucchini 350” in her book. “Go to a busy feed store. Drive around until you find a pickup without a dog. Put the zucchini in the back and drive away fast!” she writes. Most of Walker’s stories are about a page and a half long, the same length as her columns, and the book is available at some local stores, and can be ordered at bookstores and through amazon. WHAT TO DO Festivals Inland chorale sets fall performances Harvest Festival •Saturday, Oct. 7; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. •SAGE Center, 101 Olson Road, Boardman Free. Family fun event fea- tured kids’ activities, beer/wine tasting, a photo booth, vendors, mule-drawn wagon rides and more. Project Community Connect & Umatilla/Mor- row Veterans Stand Down •Saturday, Oct. 7; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. •Pendleton Convention Cen- ter, 1601 Westgate Free. For veterans, the homeless and those at risk of homelessness. Offers a hot meal, health screenings and ex- ams, information booths for com- munity resources interactive dis- plays, pet care, haircuts, hygiene supplies, clothing and more. For info, call 800-752-1139 or 541- 276-1926. Free transportation on Kayak. Staff photo by E.J. Harris Former Helix residents Tylor Bushman Ketchum, left, plays music with his brother, Jason Bushman, in 2016 in Pendleton. The Boise-based band Tylor & The Train Robbers will play a trio of upcoming shows in Pendleton. Tylor brings the band to town PENDLETON — Tylor Bushman Ketchum is coming ’round the bend — the Helix native is bringing his band to town for several area performances. Tylor & The Train Robbers, a Boise-based band, will be rockin’ a trio of local shows: •Friday, Oct. 13 at 9 p.m. at Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon, 8 S.E. Court Ave., Tylor & The Train Pendleton. There is no cover Robbers charge. •Friday, Oct. 13; 9 p.m. •Saturday, Oct. 14 during No cover •Hamley Steakhouse Oktoberfest Pendleton (noon & Saloon, 8 S.E. Court to 9 p.m.) at the Round-Up Ave., Pendleton Grounds, 1205 S.W. Court •Saturday, Oct. 14; 5 Ave. Admission is $12, which p.m. (during Oktoberfest Pendleton), Round-Up includes a glass mug and one Grounds, 1205 S.W. beer ticket. Non-drinkers and Court Ave., Pendleton minors are $5. Costs $12/adults; $5/mi- nors, non-drinkers •Monday, Oct. 16 at 7 •Monday, Oct. 16; 7 p.m. p.m. at Great Pacific Wine & All ages, no cover Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St., •Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., 403 S. Main Pendleton There is no cover St., Pendleton charge for the all-ages event. The group, which has created a unique blend of gritty Americana and outlaw honky tonk, recently released “Gravel.” The album is said to be inviting with honest confessions and memorable guitar shreds. Frenchtown Rendezvous • Saturday, Oct. 7; 2-6 p.m. •Assumption Church Parish Hall, 2098 E. Alder St., Walla Walla $35/admission. $5/raffle tickets. Historical presentations about Frenchtown, silent auction items, historic displays, a raf- fle and hands-on family history workshop. Oktoberfest Pendleton •Saturday, Oct. 14; noon-9 p.m. •Pendleton Round-Up Grounds $12/includes beer bug and drink ticket. $5/non-drinkers. Live music, kids activities, food and, of course, beer. Altrusa Oktoberfest •Saturday, Oct. 14; 4 p.m. •Hermiston Conference Cen- ter, 415 S. Highway 395 www.facebook.com/Altru- saInternationalOfHermiston $30. Festive fun with authen- tic German meal catered by Din- ner Thyme (5-7 p.m.), silent/live auctions, raffle for $2,000 VISA card. Art, Museums & Authors “Places to Thrive” •Monday-Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. •Betty Feves Memorial Gal- lery, BMCC, 2411 N.W. Carden Ave., Pendleton. Free. Features professional and emerging Pacific Northwest artists. The annual invitational art exhibit is organized by the Ore- gon State University College of Agricultural Sciences through its Art About Agriculture program. Gallery also open by appoint- ment by calling 541-278-5952. The exhibit runs through Oct. 26. Fall Fantasia, an eight-piece “Soon-a Will Be Done,” with soloists performance by the Inland Northwest Becky Henshaw of Pendleton and Salli Chorale, will feature such familiar tunes Ketchersid of Hermiston; and “The as “Shenandoah,” an American folk song, Heavens Are Telling,” with Arlene and “Goin’ Home” from Thompson of Pendleton the Largo of the New and Phil Hector and Inland Northwest Chorale •Saturday, Oct. 14; 4 p.m. World Symphony by Dean Mason, both of •Umatilla High School Anton Dvorak. Hermiston. •Sunday, Oct. 15; 4 p.m. An ensemble of Ensembles of the •Pilot Rock Elementary School. the Inland Northwest Inland Northwest Musicians, a pair of free Musicians provide free shows are Saturday, Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. at live performances throughout Eastern Umatilla High School and Sunday, Oct. 15 Oregon and southeast Washington. The at 4 p.m. at Pilot Rock Elementary School. group is open to all interested musicians Receptions follow each of the concerts. and doesn’t hold auditions. The performance also features For more information, contact “Great Day,” featuring soloists Ra Niel 541-289-4696, inwm@machmedia.net Dunn of Hermiston and Phil Rudd and or visit www.inlandnorthwestmusicians. Harvey Foreman, both of Pendleton; com. “Fall Colors” •Tuesday-Sundays, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. •Peterson’s Gallery and Chocolatier, 1925 Main St., Bak- er City Free. Features a collection of artwork by regional artists de- picting the fall season in Eastern Oregon. Runs through Oct. 31. “Parts of a Life” •Thursday, Oct. 12, 5-7 p.m. opening reception •Monday-Saturdays 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. •Pendleton Art + Frame, 36 S.W. Court Ave., Pendleton Free. Lorie Baxter will be on hand Oct. 12 to discuss her new- est works; refreshments. Runs through Nov. 18. First Draft Writers’ Series •Thursday, Oct. 19; 7 p.m. •Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St. Free. Features Ki Russell and Matt Schumacher. Also, short open mic readings from the au- dience. Music •Monday-Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. •Nightingale Gallery, Eastern Oregon University, La Grande Free. John Whitten, a Port- land-based artist and art instruc- tor at Oregon State University, explores the philosophical signif- icance of what it means to wan- der. Runs through Nov. 3. “Bookworks: Recent Excavations” •Tuesday-Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. •Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St. Free. James Allen creates compositions with pages of dis- carded books and fragments of images. Also, local artist featured in Lorenzen Board Room Gallery. Runs through Oct. 31. A Kaleidoscope of Color: American Indian Trade Blankets •Monday-Saturdays, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. •Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, near Wildhorse Resort & Casino. $10/adults, $9/senior citi- zens, $6/youths, free/5 and un- der or $25/family of four. Show- cases pre-1925 Indian trade blankets from historic manu- facturers, including Pendleton Woolen Mills. Runs through Oct. 14. Night life Sawyer Brown •Saturdays in Sept.; 9 p.m. •The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston No cover. Night with DJ Di- ego! Features music, videos, live mixing and fun. •Saturday, Oct. 7; 8 p.m. •Rivers Event Center, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission $89-$99. All tickets for the 21-and-older show are standing/ dancing room only. Ticket price includes barbecue from 6-8 p.m.. No-host bar available. Liberty Quartet •Sunday, Oct. 8; 6 p.m. •Stanfield Baptist Church, 310 E. Wheeler Ave. Free, love offering taken. The Southern gospel quartet provides ministry in music. Live Music Thursday •Thursday, Oct. 12; 7-9 p.m. No cover •40 Taps, 337 S.W. Emigrant Ave., Pendleton Acoustic Kings Wasteland Stripdown •Friday, Oct. 13; 6:30-9:30 p.m. No cover. •Nookie’s/Hermiston Brewing Co., 125 N. First St., Hermiston RockBot Brass Fire “Stochastic Resonance” •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission •Saturday, Oct. 7; 7-10 p.m. •Red Lion, 304 S.E. Nye Ave., Pendleton No cover. Features regional horn band, playing the music of Santana, Chicago, Elvis, Earth Wind & Fire. Oldies Night in Mil- ton-Freewater •Saturday, Oct. 7; 7 p.m. •Wesley Methodist Church, 816 S. Main St., Milton-Freewa- ter. Free. BJ the DJ, along with guest DJ Dalena Norton, spins Cajun and Zydeco tunes of southwestern Louisiana. Snacks available. RockNRoll Cowboys •Saturday, Oct. 7; 8 p.m. No cover •Friday, Oct. 13; Saturday, Oct. 14; 8 p.m. No cover •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission Cale Moon •Saturday, Oct 14; 9 p.m. No cover •Midway Tavern, 1750 N. First St., Hermiston J.D. Kindle & the Eastern Oregon Playboys •Wednesday, Oct. 18; 7-9 p.m. •Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St., Pendleton No cover. All ages. James Dean. Kindle •Thursday, Oct. 19; 7-9 p.m. •Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St., Pendleton No cover. All ages. Saturday Night with Diego Karaoke w/DJ David •Saturdays; 8 p.m. •Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St., Umatilla Digital Karaoke •Thursdays and Fridays, 8 p.m. •The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston Wine tasting •Fridays, 4-8 p.m. •Sno Road Winery, 111 W. Main St., Echo. Karaoke w/DJ David •Fridays; 8 p.m. •Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St., Umatilla DJ and dancing •Fridays, 8 p.m. •The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston Cimmi’s Late Night Martini Lounge •Fridays; 9 p.m.-midnight •Virgil’s at Cimmiyotti’s, 137 S. Main St., Pendleton No cover. Features martinis, mixology and music. Theater, stage, film & lectures “Tomás & the Library Lady” •Saturday, Oct. 7; 2 p.m. •Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St. www.octc.org. Free. Bilingual production that’s based on the true story of Mexican-American author and educator Tomás Rivera. Literary musician serves up an ace of a metaphorical record I n tennis, ad out is when the server is sitting at deuce serving what could be the winning shot to his opponent. Using another sport as an analogy, it’s the bottom of the ninth, two outs and a runner on second. The home team is down one run. The batter has a full count ... Minneapolis singer/songwriter and pianist Dylan Johnny Hicks’ latest Vinyl CD “Ad Out,” Comment available Oct. 20 on Soft Launch Records, contains audio-vignettes of 11 individuals who are in ad out-like situations. Hicks, a Minneapolis transplant since his early teens, is a literary author with two well-received novels as well as pieces in the Village Voice, The New York Photo contributed by Wilson Webb Minneapolis-based musician Dylan Hicks, who was born in the bohemian sector of Austin, Texas, releases his fifth album Oct. 20. Times, New England Review and numerous other publications. During those teen years, Hicks started making his own cassettes that led to three releases in the ‘90s via No Alternative/TRG records showcasing his audio storytelling. In the early 2000s, Hicks turned his attention to more literary pursuits. To accompany his debut novel, “Boarded Windows” (2012), he released “Dylan Hicks Sings Bolling Greene,” an album of material to accompany the novel, with most of the songs sung from the perspective of one the book’s secondary characters, bringing both of his worlds together. Musically, the songs are all piano-based, but that’s where the similarities end: lounge jazz, country folk, acoustic ballads and even a few tasty electric guitar licks — truly a little bit of everything. And, as one might expect from an author of fiction, the sense of humor is firmly in place throughout. A standout is “A Chance in Hell,” told from the viewpoint of a scorned lover who will eventually see that person in Hell. Name-dropping from eternal damnation, wow! It’s a blast to see what Bon Scott has been up to. “Ad Out” is a release that rewards repeated attention, because to get the most out of Dylan Hicks and artists like him, you have to pay attention to the lyrics. This album is being released on vinyl, which may be the best way to address this. Vinyl listeners tend to pay closer attention to music because they have to physically deal with the needle every 15 minutes or so. “Ad Out” will probably not make Dylan Hicks a household name. Yet for those who are willing to give Hicks’ characters some quality time, a multidimen- sional experience is available for the taking. ——— A retired educator, Johnny Vinyl spends his days with Lucifer, an 8-year-old German shepherd, reading and riding the vibe. His column, Ride the vibe, focuses on entertainment. Contact him via tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com
