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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2017)
ENTERTAINMENT Saturday, December 16, 2017 BRIEFLY Bart Budwig offers holiday download ENTERPRISE — In the spirit of the holiday season, musician Bart Budwig is offering a free digital download of his upcoming release, “Sabai.” The album’s namesake is a cabin located on a bluff overlooking the Minam River in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. It was at that location that Budwig immortalized his solo tunes. It includes some fan favorites, like “The Captain & the Dreamer” and “Four Leaf Clover,” and some brand new songs, including “Two Night Stands” and “Strong Coffee.” It also features “Every Word,” which he wrote but had forgotten about until discovering it on YouTube via a friend. To get the download, visit https://bartbudwig.bandcamp. com by Monday, Dec. 18, click “Buy” and enter $0 or a larger amount. Gratuities, Budwig said, are greatly appreciated and will be used for warmth and food for the wintry months. The album will be officially released Feb. 1. Budwig is the resident sound engineer at Enterprise’s OK Theatre. For more information contact Budwig at bartbudwig@gmail.com. East Oregonian Page 3C MISSION Chicks with Hits brings top country artists to Wildhorse East Oregonian Among the most recognizable female artists in country music, Pam Tillis, Terri Clark and Suzy Bogguss will take the stage together at Wild- horse Resort & Casino. The Chicks with Hits tour welcomes the trio Friday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. in the Rivers Event Center. Tickets for the 21-and-older show are $49 to $79 and are available at the Wildhorse Gift Shop or www.wildhorseresort.com. Active military personnel and veterans can purchase up to four tickets at a 20 percent discount by showing identi- fication at the gift shop. A no-host bar will be available during the show. In addition, a country dance after party, which includes free line dancing lessons, will be held in Cayuse Hall following the show. The trio has racked up nearly 40 top 10 hits, sold more than 10 million records and received numerous awards. Each of the ladies possesses extraordinary guitar skills and captures their audiences with amazing acoustic sounds. Tillis was born with country music in her blood as the daughter of country music star Mel Tillis. Determined from a young age to find her own way as a singer and songwriter, Tillis’ decades-long Contributed photo Chicks with Hits — featuring Terri Clark, Pam Tillis and Suzy Bog- guss — will perform Jan. 26 at Wildhorse Resort & Casino. career has accomplished just that. Her rise to stardom began in the early 1990s with hits like “Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life),” “Maybe It Was Memphis,” “Shake the Sugar Tree” and “Spilled Perfume.” She has six number ones and 14 top 10 singles. In addition, Tillis is a two-time Grammy Award winner and has received two Country Music Association awards. As a songwriter, Tillis’ songs have been recorded by respected names throughout all genres of music, including Chaka Khan, Juice Newton, Dan Seals and Conway Twitty. Clark, a dynamic, no-holds- barred live performer, is capable of throwing down some impressive guitar work. The winner of eight CMA Entertainer of the Year awards and five Female Vocalists of the Year awards, Clark has sold more than five million albums, with 13 top 10 singles. Her major hits include “If I Were You,” “You’re Easy on the Eyes,” “Better Things to Do,” “I Just Wanna be Mad” and “Girls Lie Too.” Clark is the only Canadian female artist to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Rounding out the trio, Bogguss has sold four million records with radio hits like “Outbound Plane,” “Someday Soon,” “Letting Go,” “Drive South” and “Hey Cinder- ella.” But, you can’t peg Bogguss into one genre that easily. In 2003, she made an album of modern swing music with Ray Benson, “Asleep At The Wheel,” and in 2007 an album of original music landed her at number four on the jazz charts. While she can be called a country singer, that’s just the beginning of her talents. Bogguss is also a radio host, author and Grammy Award winner. The three musicians are excited to be on the road together. Clark said she had been pondering putting together an all-female package for several years. “There is a short list of women who can play and sing and have the hits to back it up,” she said Bogguss agreed, saying each of them love singing, and have a desire to make people feel something with their songs. “Our music blends beautifully, we all have an appreciation for tradition, folk and country rock and share many of the same influences,” Tillis said. “Between the harmonies and the humor, it’s going to be pretty darn fun.” WHAT TO DO Festivals Christmas Light Show •Begins Dec. 1; nightly •SAGE Center, 101 Olson Road www.visitsage.com Free. Light show accompa- nied by Christmas music (tune into 106.9 FM on car radio). Skating with Santa Contributed photo One-man cello band raises ‘Holiday Spirits’ PENDLETON — With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Cellotronik is embarking on a tour featuring hilarious Christmas songs. Cellotronik is Skip vonKuske, founding member of the famed Portland Cello Project. The one-man cello band will give a tip of the hat and a wink to the holiday season during performances in support of his EP, “Holiday Spirits.” In addition, vonKuske will perform original music and covers you’d never expect from one guy with a cello. Catch the holiday fun during the Eastern Oregon Brewery Tour, which provides an opportunity to tip back a glass or two. The tour kicks off Wednesday, Dec. 20 from 7-9 p.m. at Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St., Pendleton. There is no cover charge for the all-ages show. The rest of the tour includes Thursday, Dec. 21 at 1188 Brewing Company in John Day; Friday, Dec. 22 at Barley Brown’s Brew Pub in Baker City; and Saturday, Dec. 23 at Side A Brewing in La Grande. For more information about the Pendleton appearance, contact 541-276-1350 or bookpendleton@gmail.com. For more about Cellotronik, visit www.cellotronik.com. ‘Elf’ raises money for Operation Graduation BOARDMAN — A special showing of “Elf” will help usher in the holiday season and raise money for Riverside High School’s Operation Graduation. The event is Friday, Dec. 22 at 7:15 p.m. at the SAGE Center, at 101 Olson Road, Boardman. People are encouraged to dress in their cozy pajamas The cost is $3 per person, which includes a bag of popcorn. Additional donations will be accepted. The flick features Will Ferrell as Buddy, who was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t quite fit in, the incredibly exuberant adult Buddy (in full elf attire) travels to New York in search of his real father. For more information, call 541-481-7243 or visit www. visitsage.com. ——— Submit information to: community@eastoregonian. com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541-966-0818 with questions. •Saturday, Dec. 16; 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. •Roy Raley Ice Rink, 1205 S.W. Court Ave., Pendleton www.pendletonparksandrec. com Free, but kids 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Pictures with Santa, on ice activities, bonfire and warm drinks. Hermiston Farmers Christ- mas Market •Saturday, Dec. 16; 2-6 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 17; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. •Hermiston Conference Cen- ter, 415 S. Highway 395 www.facebook.com Free. Includes festivities, crafts, food. Pendleton Living Nativity •Sunday, Dec. 17; 6-9 p.m. •Roy Raley Park, 1205 S.W. Court Ave., Pendleton www.facebook.com Free. Features Izzy the Cam- el. In addition, live animals and actors portray the Biblical story of Jesus’ birth. Walk-through only from 6-7 p.m.; drive or walk from 7-9 p.m. Melonville Comedy Festival •Saturday, Jan. 27; 8 p.m. •Hermiston Conference Cen- ter, 415 S. Highway 395 www.facebook.com $35. 21-and-older show fea- tures co-headliners Kermet Apio and Derek Richards. Opening the show is Cory Michaelis. Tick- ets available at the conference center. Food available for pur- chase. Art, Museums & Authors “Season of Magic” •Saturday & Sundays, noon- 5 p.m. •Arts Portal Gallery, 508 N. Main St., Milton-Freewater www.facebook.com Free. Holiday-themed art ex- hibit. Runs through Dec. 17. The Art of the Gift •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. Gallery features cre- ative gifts from craftspeople from across the nation. Runs through Dec. 30. Dean Kindle & the Eastern Ore- gon Playboys, Lincoln Barr and a whole host of other local mu- sicians. Holiday cheer starts at noon and continues into the af- ternoon/evening. 21 and older. Eat. Drink. Think. Teams of 2-8 compete in trivia contest with other teams. Live host and prizes, including $50 gift card for winning team. Great Gifts Show “Holiday Spirits” •Wednesday, Dec. 20; 7-9 p.m. •Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St., Pendleton No cover. All-ages. Features Cellotronik. Skip vonKuske, founding member of the Portland Cello Project, presents hilarious Christmas songs in support of his holiday EP release. •Wednesday, Dec. 20; 8 p.m. •40 Taps, 337 S.W. Emigrant Ave., Pendleton No cover. Includes ugly sweater contest and prizes. •Tuesday-Sundays, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. •Peterson’s Gallery and Chocolatier, 1925 Main St., Bak- er City www.petersonsgallery.net Free. Features hand-select- ed recommendations for Christ- mas gifts from new productions by local favorite artists. Items include ornaments, vases, pho- tography and unique pieces that can be used as stocking stuffers. “Art of Survival - Enduring the Turmoil of Tule Lake” •Monday-Saturdays, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., •Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, 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. Exhibit probes the complexity of the Jap- anese-American confinement site in Newell, California, during World War II. Runs through Jan. 7. Music The Spirit of the Season •Saturday, Dec. 16, 4 p.m. •Echo Community Center, 20 Bonanza St. •Sunday, Dec. 17, 4 p.m. •Connell High School, 1100 W. Clark St., Connell, WA www.inlandnorthwestmusi- cians.com Free, donations accept- ed. Holiday cone of the Inland Northwest Musicians (due to limited seating, reservations are required for the Echo concerts by calling 541-289-4696). Debra Arlyn & the Good- ness •Saturday, Dec.16; 8 p.m. No cover •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission. Great Pacific Christmas Extravaganza •Sunday, Dec. 17; noon-8 p.m. •Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St., Pendleton No cover. All ages. Music from 3-7 p.m. Get ready to amp up your holiday spirit with James Nuketown Christmas Trivia Men’s Shopping Bazaar •Thursday, Dec. 21.; 4:30-8 p.m. •The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston No cover. Grab a drink and shop with bazaar vendors. •Friday, Dec. 22; Saturday, Dec. 23; 8 p.m. No cover •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission Wine tasting Open Mic at GP •Fridays; 8 p.m. •Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St., Umatilla •Thursday, Dec. 28; 7-9 p.m. •Great Pacific Wine & Coffee Co., 403 S. Main St., Pendleton No cover. All ages are wel- come during the last Thursday of each month. Bring your instru- ment, voice, family and friends. Funk Factory •Friday, Dec. 29; Saturday, Dec. 30, Sunday, Dec. 31; 8 p.m. No cover •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, off I-84 Exit 216, Mission. Jam Night with Josiah •Friday, Jan. 19; 6:30-9 p.m. •Historic Balch Hotel, 40 S. Heimrich St., Dufur No cover. Bring your favorite instrument and share the tunes. Extra percussion available for musicians to play. Night life Christmas Charity Pool Tournament •Saturday, Dec. 16; 2 p.m. •Midway Tavern, 1750 N. First St., Hermiston $10/tournament entry; $5/ spaghetti feed. Benefits Hermis- ton Senior Center. Call 541-567- 5180 for more information. Karaoke w/DJ David •Saturdays; 8 p.m. •Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St., Umatilla DJ & Trivia •Saturdays; 9 p.m. •Midway Tavern, 1750 N. First St., Hermiston Mac’s Trivia Night •Tuesdays; 7 p.m. No cover •Mac’s Bar & Grill, 1400 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton •Fridays, 4-8 p.m. •Sno Road Winery, 111 W. Main St., Echo. Karaoke w/DJ David Fugly Sweater Party •Friday, Dec. 22; 8 p.m. •40 Taps, 337 S.W. Emigrant Ave., Pendleton No cover. Costs $5 to enter ugly sweater contest. Everyone MUST wear an ugly sweater to attend. DJ and dancing •Fridays, 8 p.m. •The Pheasant, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston Karaoke •Fridays; 9 p.m. •Midway Tavern, 1750 N. First 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 Live Cinema: “The Nut- cracker” •Sunday, Dec. 17; 2 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 19, 6 p.m. •Power House Theatre, 111 N. Sixth St., Walla Walla www.phtww.com $15/adults, $10/students. Filmed live in London, it features the Royal Ballet. Beer, wine and snacks available for purchase. “Elf” •Friday, Dec. 22; 7:15 p.m. •SAGE Center, 101 Olson Road, Boardman www.visitsage.com $3/includes popcorn. People are encouraged to wear their pa- jamas. Fundraiser for Riverside High School Operation Gradu- ation. Additional donations ac- cepted. “As the Ball Drops on Times Square” •Sunday, Dec. 31; 5:30 p.m. •Maxwell Siding Event Cen- ter, 145 N. First Place, Hermis- ton $45. Murder mystery dinner theater presentation features prime rib or lemon chicken din- ner. Also, party favors and toast- ing in the new year with sparkling cider. Formal wear encouraged, but not required. For tickets, call 541-571-7293 or 541-567-8774. Swim Team Talent Show •Saturday, Jan. 6; 7 p.m. •Hermiston High School commons, 600 S. First St. $10/person, $30/family. Raises money for transporta- tion costs for Hermiston High School swim team. Intermission includes a bake sale and a raffle for an iPad and numerous gift cards. Cabin Fever Concert •Saturday, Jan. 13 & Satur- day, Jan. 20; 6 p.m. •Hermiston Conference Cen- ter, 415 S. Highway 395 $15/show only, $38/dinner & show. Limited tickets available for the Dutch oven dinner by Sharon’s Sweet Treats. John Wambeke & Friends provide an evening of music and hu- mor. Tickets available at Cot- tage Flowers, 1725 N. First St., Hermiston. Hot tickets •Dirty Voltage. (AC-DC trib- ute band) Dec. 31, Pheasant Bar & Grill. Tickets ($20) via https:// thepheasant.ticketleap.com •Dancing with the Hermis- ton Stars. Jan. 13, Hermiston High School. Tickets ($10-$20) via www.desertartscouncil.com •Chicks with Hits (featuring Pam Tillis, Terri Clark and Suzy Bogguss), Jan 26 at Wildhorse Resort & Casino. Tickets for the 21-and-older shows ($49-$79) available via the Wildhorse Gift Shop or www.wildhorseresort. com ——— Want to get your event list- ed in our calendar? Send in- formation to community@eas- toregonian.com, or c/o Tammy Malgesini, 333 E. Main Street, Hermiston, OR, 97838. MOVIE REVIEW ‘The Last Jedi’ a welcome disturbance in the Force By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer A welcome disturbance in the Force, Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi” is, by wide measure, the trippiest, scrappiest and most rule- breaking “Star Wars” adventure yet. Not the exercise in nostalgia that was J.J. Abrams’ “The Force Awakens,” Johnson’s Episode VIII takes George Lucas’ space opera in new, often thrilling, and sometimes erratic directions while finding the truest expression yet of the saga’s underlying ethos of camaraderie in resistance to oppression. Though there are countless familiar broad strokes — rebel escapes, Jedi soul- searching, daddy issues — “The Last Jedi” has discovered some new moves yet, in the galaxy far, far away. As the second installment in this third “Star Wars” trilogy, “The Last Jedi” is like the inverted corollary of “The Empire Strike Back” (long the super fan’s favorite). While it is, like its part-two predecessor, often murky and weird, Johnson’s frequently comic film distinguishes itself by upending the traditional power dynamics of heroes and bit players in the Star Wars galaxy. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” ★★★☆ PG-13, 152 minutes Lucasfilm via AP This image released by Lucasfilm shows Daisy Ridley as Rey in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Here, the odds-defying daredevil flyboy (Oscar Isaac as Resistance pilot Poe Dameron) is an impetuous chauvinist, at odds with a female commander (a purple-haired Laura Dern). “Get your head out of your cockpit,” admonishes Leia (the late Carrie Fisher, to whom the film is dedicated). The master-apprentice relationship — previously Yoda instructing young Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) on a swampy remote planet — is now tilted more toward Rey, the young Jedi (Daisy Ridley), sent to stir a monkish Skywalker from a windswept, Porg-infested isle. And instead of a Tauntaun’s guts being spilled, there are even moments of animal rights reflections creeping into the galaxy. About to bite into his rotisserie dinner, Chewbacca, with a sad groan, is struck by pangs of doubt. Abrams’s finest touch in his zippy and nimble reboot was in his diverse casting — in particular Ridley and John Boyega, as Finn, the Stormtrooper turned good guy. But Johnson, who also wrote the film, has gone further to shake up the familiar roles and rhythms of Star Wars. Scattershot and loose- limbed, “The Last Jedi” doesn’t worship at its own altar, often undercutting its own grandiosity. Those breaks of form — formerly mostly reserved for a smirking Harrison Ford — will throw some diehards. Especially in the surreal isolated scenes of Rey and Luke — where Luke, with a thick gray mane and a hermit’s foul manner is seen drinking a creature’s breast milk and pole-vaulting from rock to rock — “The Last Jedi” teeters on the edge of camp. It’s not surprising that Johnson, the director of the twisty time- traveling noir “Looper,” has made a movie full of clever inversions. What’s jarring is that he’s made a “Star Wars” film that tries to not take itself too seriously, while simultaneously making it more emotional. Yet before its considerable payoff, “The Last Jedi” feels lost and grasping for its purpose. Unlike the earlier films, the less tactile “The Last Jedi” isn’t much for world building, and its sense of place isn’t as firm. As an intergalactic travelogue, it’s a disappointment.