East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, December 28, 2019, WEEKEND EDITION, Image 21

Historic Oregon Newspapers

East Oregonian : E.O., December 28, 2019, WEEKEND EDITION, Page 21, Image 21

Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR

About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 2019)

Prev Page of 30 Next Prev Issue Next Text PDF JP2 (1.4 MB) Clip/Print Image

Return to Top

Prev Page of 30 Next Prev Issue Next

Newspaper Page TextENTERTAINMENT Saturday, December 28, 2019 East Oregonian C3 Johnny Vinyl counts ’em down By JOHNNY VINYL Ride the vibe W hile it’s been a great year for vinyl releases, it has been a rough year for the national social fabric. In recognition of J OHNNY V INYL the Orwellian existence RIDE THE VIBE the nation ﬁ nds itself in, this year’s list attempts to correct history as needed. And for those who have not read George Orwell’s “1984,” please do so or that fabric is only going to unravel more and more! 10. Brittany Howard: “Jaime” Brittany Howard, a Grammy award-win- ning singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Alabama Shakes, decided that she had a lot of “things” she had to deal with. She told her fellow Shakes that they were going to sit this one out. The album is dedicated and named for her sister, who died from retinoblastoma as a teen. From the opening track, “History Repeats,” things get personal. Nothing quite prepares the listener for the ﬁ rst time through “Goat Head,” a song about the horrors of bla- tant racism toward a family with a black father and white mother from the perspective of their young daughter. This is the album to play when you want to “feel” something. 9. Samantha Fish: “Kill or Be Kind” Samantha Fish has been showcasing her blues-infused guitar-slinger skills for a decade-plus, ﬁ rst with the Girls With Gui- tars tours and then with the Samantha Fish Band. On her sixth album, “Kill or Be Kind,” she proves her songwriting prowess is in full effect as well. The title track opens with “Back before I was a home wrecker, I was a goodie, good, good girl ... make up your mind, I can kill or be kind” — making clear she’s tired of being messed with. The rest of the album is 10 more of a similar vein. None disappoint. A great party record. 8. Meat Puppets: “Dusty Notes” Arizona’s Meat Puppets have ﬁ nally crafted the album they have been threaten- ing since the early 1980s. “Dusty Notes” ﬁ nds their unique blend of psychedelic, sun- baked country/pop at its twisted best. The album would be equally at home on country, pop, or classic rock radio. Original members brothers Curt and Cris Kirkwood, and drum- mer Derrick Bostrom, are all back and sound energized. The Puppets get extra credit for always releasing high-quality, creatively col- ored vinyl. 7. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: “Ghosteen” Who would have thought back in 1980 the singer for The Birthday Party would have a massively proliﬁ c recording and touring career for the next 40 years? Not only did he accomplish just that, along the way he became the patron saint of darkly elegant rock ‘n’ roll. On “Ghosteen,” the ﬁ rst album written entirely since the death of his teenage son, Arthur, he deals with death, grief and despair in a unique way. The album is split in two. The ﬁ rst LP is eight shorter songs Nick refers to as “the children” and LP 2 is two very long songs with a spoken word piece in the middle referred to as “the parents.” When heard it all makes perfect sense. Here is the “real” St. Nick! 6. Creedence Clearwater Revival: “Live at Woodstock” People often forget that CCR were among the headliners of the famous festival that cel- ebrated its 50th anniversary this year. The powers that be ﬁ nally relented and allowed the entire set released. As the ﬁ rst track, “Born on the Bayou,” begins, the sound is awful; sounding like a poor quality boot- leg. John Fogerty noticeably yells at the sound technician. The second track, “Green River,” sounds much, much better. And the sound keeps getting better throughout. The separation of the four band members is par- ticularly sharp. Never before has Tom Forg- erty’s rhythm playing been given such focus. It’s blatantly obvious in the silence between songs that the relationship between the four had begun to fray. But when they played it was magic. The two ﬁ nal tracks, “Keep On Chooglin” and “Suzie Q,” each clocking in at 10 minutes-plus, remind why chooglin was important in the ﬁ rst place. meant to be the follow-up to “What’s Going On.” The title track was released in 1972 and, not pleased with initial results, Gaye pulled the project, never to touch it again. Marvin was not known for making good decisions and that was one. The estate has remastered the original tapes and added a few nuggets. The songs from the original sessions have that same supple groove that “What’s Going On” had throughout. There are two versions of the title track, one released as a single and an alternate version that suggests that Mar- vin thought the best man to be U.S. presi- dent is a woman. A few odds and ends were tacked on to make a more complete package, but it’s the core songs that make up that long lost album which make this such a signiﬁ cant release. 3. Mercury Rev: “The Delta Sweete Revisted” Out of nowhere in 1967 Bobbie Gen- try released “Ode to Billie Joe” as her very ﬁ rst album. The title track was a huge hit. In 1968, she released her second album, “The Delta Sweete,” which was avant-country for the time and sounded nothing like her “hit.” The album was a commercial fail- ure, her career never saw the heights gained from that ﬁ rst album, and by 1981 she had retired from music completely. The music buying public doesn’t always see greatness the ﬁ rst time exposed to it. Alternative rock band Mercury Rev recruited a number of female vocalists to revisit that album, includ- ing Norah Jones, Hope Sandoval, Rachel Goswell, Margo Price and Beth Orton, to set the record straight. Every single vocal- ist nailed their performance. The incompara- ble Lucinda Williams closes the album with a weathered cover of “Ode to Billie Joe” as an homage to what Ms. Gentry might sound like today if things had gone differently way back when. Cover contributed by Mavis Staples “We Get By” 5. Mavis Staples: “We Get By” Mavis Staples decided to celebrate her 80th birthday in 2019 by going on tour in Europe. She had such a good time and the band was so hot that she immediately got them all in the studio, and gave each co-pro- ducer credit on the entire album. Ben Harper wrote all of the songs and produces, but other than one duet with Mavis, he stays out of their way. Smart move on his part because they ended up with what rivals any of her solo releases as her best yet. The album cover, a Gordon Parks photo from 1956, enti- tled “Outside Looking In,” is a social com- mentary all its own. 4. Marvin Gaye: “You’re the Man” Ever wonder how Marvin Gaye got from 1971’s social and environmental masterpiece “What’s Going On” to the smooth crooning of 1973’s “Let’s Get It On” in just two years? “You’re The Man” is the album that was Cover contributed by The Cranberries “In the End” 2. The Cranberries: “In the End” The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan had a singular voice. Her vocals made the band’s songs instantly recognizable. At the time of her death in 2018 she had recorded an album’s worth of songs in vocal demo form. The remaining Cranberries knew how excited Dolores had been about the new music that they felt they owed it to her to complete the songs for ofﬁ cial release and ultimately put a formal end to the band. They must have loved her greatly, based on the magical farewell they have created. So sad that they’ll never be able to share these songs with their fans live. “Wake Me When It’s Over” will be especially bittersweet for hard- core fans — they’ll want to sing along until they realize Dolores will never wake again. If you’ve never really gotten into the Cran- berries before, this is actually a good place to start. If you’re already a fan, you have to hear this record. Cover contributed by Black Mountain “Destroyer” 1. Black Mountain: “Destroyer” The sound of freedom and the open road. The sound of classic Mopar-powered muscle thundering down the highway. It’s also the sound and energy that pervades Vancouver, B.C.’s Black Mountain’s 2019 ﬁ fth album, “Destroyer.” The album’s title and theme circles around the fact that Black Moun- tain’s Stephen McBean, for whatever rea- son, didn’t feel the need to obtain a driver’s license until his mid-40s. A driver’s license equates independence for most. “Destroyer” is named after an ‘80s single-run Dodge muscle car, and the sound contained therein gives off the same sense of freedom as one feels the ﬁ rst time they legally rip down the road. The music on “Destroyer” gives off that same self-powered energy. It might be easier to clarify what they don’t sound like rather than attempt to classify. What they accomplish in the format of a traditional band, by recognizing all of their inﬂ uences openly, is to create music that is more futur- istic-sounding than any progressive or post- rock artist today. Jeremy Schmidt deserves merit for use of the vocoder and making it actually sound musical. If Yoko Ono were to describe their sound she would simply call it “Yes.” Like all great “albums,” it can be enjoyed in any situation; but it’s great for rockin’ down the highway. ——— A retired educator, Johnny Vinyl spends his days with Lucifer, a 10-year-old German shepherd, reading and riding the vibe. His column focuses on entertainment. Contact him via tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com. WHAT TO DO NEW YEAR’S EVE Tuesday, Dec. 31 Bootlegger’s Ball •5 p.m.; Oregon Grain Growers Brand Distillery •511 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton No cover. Enjoy Prohibi- tion-style cocktails, a special New Year’s Eve menu, live music with Equinox Quartet, photo booths, bootlegger cars on dis- play and more (541-276-0070). 2020 New Year’s Eve •8 p.m.; Rivers Event Center, Wildhorse Resort & Casino •oﬀ I-84 Exit 216, Mission www.wildhorseresort.com No cover. Dance to ’70s disco band The Aphrodisiacs. James Dean Kindle & The Eastern Oregon Playboys •9 p.m.; Great Paciﬁ c Wine & Coﬀ ee Co. •403 S. Main St., Pendleton No cover. All ages. (541-276-1350). Roaring Twenties New Year’s Eve Party •9 p.m.; Midway Bar & Grill •1750 N. First St., Hermiston No cover. Don pearls and pin- stripes and feather boas; food and drink specials all night long. New Year’s Eve Party •9 p.m.; Union Club •201 E. Main St., Hermiston No cover. Party with a Roaring ’20s theme with food, dancing and live entertainment, includ- ing Jamie Nasario & Luke Basile. New Year’s Eve Fireworks •midnight; Festival Street •180 N.E. Second St., Hermiston Free. Fireworks and Water- melon Explosion FESTIVALS Festive Christmas Light Display •December, nightly •S.E. Emigrant Ave./Ninth St., Pendleton www.pendleton.or.us Free. Light show with a vari- ety of Christmas music (tune into 89.3 FM on car radio) (541-966-0370). Christmas Light Show •Daily Dec. 4-31; 5-10 p.m. •SAGE Center, 101 Olson Road www.visitsage.com Free. Light show accompa- nied by Christmas music (outdoor speakers on site or tune into 106.9 FM on car radio) (541-481-7243). Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race •Jan. 22-25 •Joseph, Enterprise, Fergi Ski Area www.eaglecapextreme.com Free, except Saturday night banquet ($20/adults, $12/volun- teers $9/ages 5-12) People can watch races, which include the Iditarod & Yukon Quest qualiﬁ ers; meet-and-greet with mushers at vet checks; Race Central and Kids’ Corner. ART, MUSEUMS & AUTHORS The Art of the Gift •Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays; noon-4 p.m. •Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St. www.pendletonarts.org Free admission. The East Orego- nian Gallery features creative gifts, unique stocking stuﬀ ers, one-of-a- kind items. Runs through Dec. 31. “Yellowstone in Winter” •Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m-8 p.m., Friday/Saturday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. •Pendleton Public Library, 502 S.W. Dorion Ave. www.pendletonlibrary.weebly. com Free. Exhibit features the pho- tography of Debbie McIntosh. Runs through Dec. 31. “Timber Culture” •Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. •Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, near Wildhorse Resort & Casino. www.tamastslikt.org $10/adults, $9/senior citizens, $6/youths. A visual and interpre- tive look at the history of Oregon’s multicultural logging industry. Runs through Dec. 31. MUSIC Shanks Pony •Saturday, Dec. 28; 8 p.m. No cover Wildhorse yuks it up with comedy nights MISSION — Laugh Out Loud live comedy returns with the new year to Wild- horse Resort & Casino. Adults 21 and older are invited to yuk it up with some of the most entertain- ing comics in the Paciﬁ c Northwest. LOL Comedy Night resumes Thursdays beginning Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. There’s no cover charge for the free shows, which are held in the Wildhorse Sports Bar, located off Interstate 84 at Exit 216. Upcoming acts include Taylor Clark, Bree Jones (Jan. 2), Monica Nevi, Mea- ghan Gross (Jan. 9) Harry Riley, Ryan McComb (Jan. 16), Marc Yaffee, Vanessa Dawn (Jan. 23) and BJ John- son, Jesse Warren (Jan 30). For more information, visit www.wildhorseresort.com. — EO Media Group •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, oﬀ I-84 Exit 216, Mission. Elwood •Friday, Jan. 3; 7 p.m. •Great Paciﬁ c Wine & Coﬀ ee Co., 403 S. Main St., Pendleton No cover. All ages. Folk and soul musician from La Grande. 24/7 •Friday, Jan. 3; Saturday, Jan. 4; 8 p.m. No cover •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, oﬀ I-84 Exit 216, Mission. One Trick Pony •Thursday, Jan. 9; 7p.m. •40 Taps, 337 S.W. Emigrant Ave., Pendleton No cover. Enjoy an evening of Simon & Garfunkel songs with a Paul Simon tribute artist. Groove City •Friday, Jan. 10; Saturday, Jan. 11; 8 p.m. No cover •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, oﬀ I-84 Exit 216, Mission. THEATER, STAGE, FILM & LECTURES Dancing with the Hermiston Stars •Saturday, Jan. 11; 7 p.m. •Hermiston High School, 600 S. First St. www.hermistoneducationfoun- dation.org $20/advance, $25/door, $10/ students. Features Bennett Chris- tianson, Maria Faaeteete, Shawn Lockwood, Kimberly Nevil, Nazario Rivera and Scott Stanton. Melonville Comedy Festival •Friday, Jan. 24; 8 p.m. •EOTEC, 1705 E. Airport Road, Hermiston www.melonvillecomedyfestival. com $35/advance, $40/door, $300/ table for 10. Features headliner James Johann, featured comedian Travis Nelson and emcee Jeremiah Coughlan. (541-567-5180). NIGHT LIFE End-of-the-Year Holiday Spectacular! •Saturday, Dec. 28; 7 p.m. •40 Taps, 337 S.W. Emigrant Ave., Pendleton No cover. Celebrate with your friends and Pendleton Whisky (541-612-8559). Karaoke w/DJ David •Saturdays; 7 p.m. •Riverside Sports Bar, 1501 Sixth St., Umatilla Saturday Night Trivia •Saturdays; 9 p.m. •Midway Bar & Grill, 1750 N. First St., Hermiston Free. Show what you know for fun and prizes. Karaoke Party •Wednesdays & Thursdays; 9 p.m. No cover. •The Pheasant Blue Collar Bar & Grill, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston Wino Wednesdays •Wednesdays, 2-6 p.m. •Echo Ridge Cellars, 551 N. Thielsen St., Echo Karaoke at the Packard •1st/3rd Wednesday, 9 p.m.-midnight •The Packard Tavern, 118 S.E. Court Ave., Pendleton No cover. Thirsty Thursdays •Third Thursday; 6 p.m. •Midway Bar & Grill, 1750 N. First St., Hermiston No cover. Hosts a local brew- ery oﬀ ering tastings and food pairings. LOL Comedy Night •Thursdays; 8 p.m. •Wildhorse Sports Bar, Wild- horse Resort & Casino, oﬀ I-84 Exit 216, Mission. No cover. Jan. 2: Taylor Clark, Bree Jones; Jan. 9: Monica Nevi, Meaghan Gross Karaoke •Thursdays, 9 p.m. •The Pheasant Blue Collar Bar & Grill, 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 Blue Collar Bar & Grill, 149 E. Main St., Hermiston HOT TICKETS •College Community The- atre-Blue Mountain Community College: “The Sound of Music” (February), and “The Two Gentle- man of Verona” (May) individual performances and season tickets available via www.collegecommu- nitytheatre.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.