ENTERTAINMENT
Saturday, December 23, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 3C
JOHNNY VINYL’S TOP 10
Rock and roll isn’t dead —
it’s just gone underground
By JOHNNY VINYL
Ride the vibe
6. Dream Syndicate: “How Did I Find
Myself Here?”
As one of the main purveyors of the
Paisley Underground (amalgam of jangle
f one were to listen to Kiss’ Gene
pop, punk and psychedelic), The Dream
Simmons or refer to Rolling Stone’s Top
Syndicate have decided that the 2017
20 albums of 2017, it might seem that
music scene really needed an influx of
rock music is indeed dead.
electric guitar music. “How Did I Find
For those who care, rock and roll is as
Myself Here?” accomplishes that task in
alive and well in 2017 as it has ever been,
it’s just not mainstream anymore. There were spades, especially on the 11-minute title
track. Former bassist/vocalist Kendra
some great albums released in 2017, maybe
Smith performs on the album’s closing
even a classic or two.
track, “Kendra’s Dream,” bringing
10. King Woman: “Created in
everything full circle. A very
the Image of Suffering”
welcome return.
Finally something completely
5. Mavis Staples: “If All I Was
fresh in the metal scene. A three
Was Black”
piece sludge-metal band with a
Mavis Staples, along with her
powerhouse vocalist in Kristina
father Roebuck and various siblings
Esfandiari that catapults them far
as the Staple Singers, was often the
from any genre limitations. This lady
opening act for Martin Luther King
can go from sinister to serene and
Jr. when he gave public addresses.
all points in between with operatic
Johnny
If there is anyone qualified to deal
precision and control. She could
Vinyl
with race issues in the U.S. with
give Diamanda Galas a run for her
Comment
credibility, it’s Mavis. However,
money. The band guides her where
white musician Jeff Tweedy of
few have gone before.
Uncle Tupelo/Wilco fame wrote all of the
9. Mogwai: “Every Country’s Sun”
songs from a black perspective. On paper,
To attend a show of these men from
it appears to be a train wreck. In actuality,
Glasgow is to experience sonic bliss. There
it’s one of the most compelling releases
is truly nothing quite like them. Sadly, they
of the year. Together, they make some
are one of those artists who have a really
pretty bold statements. Musically, it’s all
difficult time recreating that feeling in the
over the place. As you’d expect a gospel
studio. Mogwai have been focusing on
groove exists throughout, but there are
soundtracks (Zidane, Atomic, Before the
jams heavier than anything Wilco has done
Flood) as of late and it has helped them
in years. This is the third time that Tweedy
harness the studio more effectively than
has produced Staples and there’s an
ever before. “Every Country’s Sun” is the
obvious mutual love and respect that flows
soundtrack for you, the listener, to play as
equally between the two that permeates
you live.
these proceedings.
8. Lincoln Barr: “Trembling Frames”
4. New Pornographers: “Whiteout
Lincoln Barr has taken off his Red Jacket
for this intimate jazz record. With song titles Conditions”
All three internationally recognized
like “Admit You’re a Monster,” “How To
Escape,” “Desperate Tormentors,” “Memory Canadian musical collectives (Broken Social
Scene, Arcade Fire and New Pornographers)
Up and Die,” “Giving Up My Inheritance,”
released albums in 2017. Broken Social
“Tell it to the Judge” and “Fellowship of
Scene’s “Hug of Thunder” is a pleasant
Hunted Things” you know going in that it’s
though largely innocuous affair; Arcade
not a party record. What it is — it’s one of
Fire’s “Everything Now” is one of the worst
the most poignant collections of music to
albums ever released, by anyone! The New
come out this year.
Pornographers “Whiteout Conditions” is the
7. Robyn Hitchcock: “Robyn Hitch-
sublime, “feel-good” record of the year. It’s
cock”
one of those releases that gets better as the
Robyn Hitchcock’s 21st solo release is
listeners’ familiarity with the songs increase.
his first eponymous album. His career is
How can you lose when one of your five
what Syd Barrett’s should have been. Few
can infuse their songs with such clever word singer/songwriters is Neko Case?
3. Ryan Adams: “Prisoner”
play, self-deprecating admissions, wry and
Ryan Adams used to record every song
dry sense of humor while adding social
that he wrote. Some years would see three or
commentary in such an articulate presenta-
tion. Musically, “Robyn Hitchcock” is much more releases. Every album had a few gems,
some mediocre and a serious dud or two.
closer in sound to Hitchcock’s former band,
Then he married Mandy Moore. A normal
The Egyptians, than his more recent solo
offerings. Magical storytelling from a master life for a while. The songs came much fewer
and farther between. He and Moore divorce.
of the craft.
I
Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP
Contributed photo
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Mavis Staples performs at the Pilgrimage Music and
Cultural Festival on Sept. 24, 2017, in Franklin, Tenn. Lincoln Barr has played in Seat-
tle-based bands and recently moved to Eastern Oregon. “Hot Thoughts” by Spoon
is Johnny Vinyl’s top album of 2017.
He immediately puts his emotions down in
song. The result “The Prisoner” is Adams’
most complete, rewarding release of his
career. The pain is clear and so is the fact that
he still has a tremendous amount of love and
respect for his ex. The best “breakup” record
in a long time.
2. Grails: “Chalice Hymnal”
They hail from Portland, but they hardly
ever perform anywhere on the West Coast.
They recently started playing infrequently
on the East Coast. They tour Europe
regularly; they’re huge in France. They do an
instrumental form of rock that incorporates
whatever is necessary to convey the groove.
“Chalice Hymnal” is intense and pastoral,
beautiful and brutal, mighty and meek.
Progressive music at its most majestic.
1. Spoon: “Hot Thoughts”
Indie, alternative band from the Austin,
Texas, that is equal parts R.E.M. and Dr.
John infuse their rock with southern hospi-
tality and charm.
Spoon have steadily released entertaining
alternative music with a southern vibe since
the late ’90s. While all of their releases have
their moments, a minor criticism of the band
has been that they are a little monochromatic
— everything begins to sound similar.
As evidenced by the psychedelic human
skull on the cover, that has all changed with
“Hot Thoughts.” On their ninth album,
they finally feel comfortable in the studio
to literally try anything, even a five-minute
instrumental as closing statement that may
be the boldest of the album. This studio
confidence has helped make this their most
consistently engaging album.
Dance beats smash into indie rock social
melancholia creating an amalgam that makes
you go “hmmm” while shaking your booty.
■
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
MOVIE REVIEW
‘Jumanji’ sequel goes back to the jungle with stars, good hearted fun
By LINDSEY BAHR
AP Film Writer
More than two decades after
Robin Williams conquered that
pesky board game, “Jumanji” has
been resurrected with more and
glossier stars (Dwayne Johnson,
Kevin Hart and Jack Black), a
comedy director and a “modern”
twist. The result, “Jumanji:
Welcome to the Jungle,” is a very
sweet, and generally entertaining
body swap lark with some nice
messages about being, and
believing in, yourself.
Why it had to be “Jumanji” is the
head-scratcher. Even speaking as
someone who was 12 when the first
came out, and genuinely enjoyed
the Joe Johnston-directed adventure
and the fantasy of being swept
up in a board game come to life,
the idea that a die-hard “Jumanji”
fanbase exists, or that the “brand” is
so rock-solid that it needs a reboot,
seems dubious at best.
There are pointless sequels
everywhere of course, and
questioning the purpose for their
“Jumanji:
Welcome to the Jungle”
★★★☆
PG-13, 119 minutes
group of mismatched teens sharing
the same detention, including the
nerdy, shy Spencer (Alex Wolff), the
football player Fridge (Ser’Darius
Blain), the superficial popular girl
Bethany (Madison Iseman) and
the too-smart for gym class Martha
(Morgan Turner), transform into
avatars played by Dwayne Johnson
(Spencer), Kevin Hart (Fridge), Jack
Frank Masi/Sony Pictures via AP
Black (Bethany) and Karen Gillan
This image released by Sony Pictures shows Karen Gillan, from left, (Martha).
Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart in “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.”
It’s a role reversal for everyone
existence is a fruitless exercise.
it had evolved into a video game
— the nerdy girl is hot now (and
The only reason I bring it up here is by 1996.
scantily clad), the hot girl is a
because Jake Kasdan’s “Welcome
The conceit here is that when
soft, middle aged man, the skinny
to the Jungle” spends a fair
you’re transported into the game,
guy is The Rock and the big
amount of genuinely unnecessary
you are suddenly a character in the
football player is now tiny and
time straining to justify how it is
game, in body, voice and skillset but wimpy — and they all have to go
connected to “Jumanji” including
with your earthbound personality
through the stages of learning to
a whole prologue establishing how pretty much intact. This is how a
accept their new bodies, talents and
shortcomings.
There is of course a lot of easy
comedy in these situations. And all
the main actors/avatars are kind of
great at imitating the facial expres-
sions of their teenage counterparts,
especially Johnson and Black.
How can you argue with a
bunch of movie stars acting goofy
and hawking a “believe in yourself”
message? There are some odd beats
and choices, especially around
Gillan’s Martha, who is costumed
in nearly nothing (surely as a
send up of what female characters
usually wear in video games, but
however meta it might have been
intended to be, it is still literally her
costume). There’s also a plot line
that hinges on her learning how to
flirt from Bethany (because they all
decide that flirting with the bad guy
security guards is the only way they
can get past them).
But “Jumanji: Welcome to the
Jungle” probably doesn’t warrant
that much scrutiny. Its surface
pleasures are strong enough for
a fun holiday afternoon at the
movies.
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).
Melonville Comedy Fes-
tival
•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
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.
Great Gifts Show
•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
Nuketown
•Saturday, Dec. 23; 8 p.m. No
cover
•Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild-
horse Resort & Casino, off I-84
Exit 216, Mission
James Dean Kindle
•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
•Saturday, Dec. 23; 9 p.m.
•Virgil’s at Cimmiyotti’s, 137
S. Main St., Pendleton
No cover. J.D. Kindle per-
forms late-night lounge set, in-
cluding country & western, jazz
standards and sombre Christ-
mas tunes.
Karaoke w/DJ David
Open Mic at GP
Mac’s Trivia Night
•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.
•Saturdays; 8 p.m.
•Riverside Sports Bar, 1501
Sixth St., Umatilla
DJ & Trivia
•Saturdays; 9 p.m.
•Midway Tavern, 1750 N.
First St., Hermiston
•Tuesdays; 7 p.m. No cover
•Mac’s Bar & Grill, 1400 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton
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.
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
Swim Team Talent Show
•Fridays, 8 p.m.
•The Pheasant, 149 E. Main
St., Hermiston
•Saturday, Jan. 6; 7 p.m.
•Hermiston High School com-
mons, 600 S. First St.
$10/person, $30/family. Rais-
es money for transportation costs
for Hermiston High School swim
team. Intermission includes a
bake sale and a raffle for an iPad
and numerous gift cards.
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
“As the Ball Drops on
Times Square”
•Sunday, Dec. 31; 5:30 p.m.
•Maxwell Siding Event Cen-
ter, 145 N. First Place, Hermiston
$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.
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 Sha-
ron’s Sweet Treats. John Wam-
beke & Friends provide an eve-
ning of music and humor. Tickets
available at Cottage Flowers,
1725 N. First St., Hermiston.
Hot tickets
•Dirty Voltage. (AC-DC trib-
ute band) Dec. 31, Pheasant Bar
& Grill. Tickets ($20)
•Dancing with the Hermis-
ton Stars. Jan. 13, Hermiston
High School. Tickets ($10-$20)
via www.desertartscouncil.com
Want to get your event listed in our calendar? Send information to community@eastoregonian.com, or c/o Tammy Malgesini, 333 E. Main Street, Hermiston, OR, 97838.