6A | JULY 29, 2021 |
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Arts & Culture
Crackin’ Up comedy showcase A symphonic return to CG
brings laughter to CG
by Sophia Edelblute
sedelblute
@cgsentinel.com
Shadows grow long across
Covered Bridge Brewing
Group’s beer garden as peo-
ple settle down for a night
of drinks and comedy on
Sunday, July 25. Thanks to
the Crackin’ Up comedy
showcase, hosted by Alex
Elkin and organized by Jen-
nifer Davis, Cottage Grove
was treated to special guest
Bruce Jingles.
Jingles has two specials
on Showtime, credits on
Vh1, NuvoTV, FOX, TMZ,
USO Tours and has his own
podcast.
He’s been in comedy for
years, since he hopped on
the mic at an amateur night
at Ontario Improv comedy
club. He also happened to
meet Elkin at that very same
club in 2004. That night Jin-
gles won second place in a
comedy contest and it was
only the second time he’d
been on stage.
“The reason I got into
comedy is because nobody
was funny,” says Jingles,
“I swear to god the night I
went nobody was funny.
And my best friend, Josh,
was with me and he said,
‘Man you could do that.’
And that’s it, that’s how I got
in.”
Jingles definitely stoked
up laughs from the crowd
with jokes about his weed
dealer, his mom and other
life experiences. It’s safe to
say he’s found his comedic
“voice,” as Elkin, a fellow
comic, describes.
“When you finally get to
that place in your comedy
when you’re like ‘Okay, this
is me, this is my personal
journey,’ or whatever you
want to call it. It allows me
to bring it you on stage,”
says Elkin.
“Everything you think is
original, isn’t,” says Jingles.
“Somebody’s had their ver-
sion of it. I’m not saying
anybody’s a thief or any-
thing. But there’s only so
many jokes out there. It’s
your interpretation of it.”
Elkin, who started off the
Crackin’ Up showcase in
May with his own perfor-
mance, is set to host the rest
of them through September.
Thanks to knowing a variety
of comics, Elkin is also able
to book talent like Jingles
to come through Cottage
Grove.
Elkin himself started
comedy in 1994 at his high
school talent show and has
been telling jokes since then.
He started doing it full time
professionally in 2007. He
appreciates smaller towns
like Cottage Grove “because
smaller towns, where they
don’t the big entertainment
that comes through, boy
they really treat you well. I
really enjoy that so give me
a Cottage Grove any day of
the week over Portland, or
Salem or Seattle because
they really appreciate it
when you come out here.
They’re good people,” says
Elkin.
Both comics have trav-
eled overseas to entertain
US troops in Iraq or Af-
ghanistan. Jingles has also
been to Bosnia and Germa-
ny.
“That’s an audience that
really feels forgotten by peo-
ple at home. I had somebody
with tears in their eyes. I’ve
been over six times,” says
Jingles. “It’s a thing I always
wanted to do.”
Elkin and Jingles have
been given mementos from
soldiers who were killed
while on duty. Elkin recalls
a time when he performed
and afterwards a man
came up to him and gave
him a copper bracelet with
the man’s brother’s name
engraved on it, who had
heard Elkin’s show overseas.
Jingles has multiple light-
ers with names engraved
on them of soldiers who
passed.
“You captured this per-
son, you brought them into
your world, and they’re
grateful because you took
them out of that just for that
moment, and that moment
lasts a lifetime,” says Jingles.
Sometimes jokes can
come under fire though.
For example, recently, back
in Oregon, Elkin faced
criticism for the topics of
his jokes. Salem’s Histor-
ic Grand Theatre canceled
his show on July 3 based
on protests from the com-
munity citing racist and
transphobic comments, ac-
cording to the Statesman
Journal.
Elkin insists that peo-
ple should just listen to his
comedy and understand
that he’s not racist, he told
the Statesman.
“I don’t have a day job,
this is what I do. And when
you attack the first amend-
ment, which is what I live off
of, it’s my bread and butter,
I get angry about it and it’s
time to speak up about this
kind of stuff,” said Elkin.
“We can’t shut down speech.
We have to hear everything,
even the bad ideas.”
Jingles also weighed in
on the importance of First
Amendment rights for
comics and, more generally,
our lives as a whole.
“Like I’ve told people be-
fore, if the Klan marched
down the street, that’s their
right, you know they have
a right to do that. Just like
BLM. Everybody has a right
to do that, it’s what you do
with that right that makes a
difference,” he said.
SOPHIA EDELBLUTE/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
The Eugene Symphony brought its talents back to Bohemia Park on July 26 for
the first time since 2019.
by Sophia Edelblute
sedelblute
@cgsentinel.com
On Monday, July 26, Bo-
hemia Park was brimming
with an eager audience.
After 18 months of no live
performances, the Eugene
Symphony was back in
Cottage Grove. The last
time they visited was in
2019.
“It feels like you’re com-
ing home,” says Music
Director Francesco Lec-
ce-Chong.
Their first live audience
performance was on Satur-
day, July 24 at the Cuthbert
Amphitheater in Eugene.
The second, was in our very
own Cottage Grove.
“Making music, you got-
ta have people to share it
with,” says Lecce-Chong.
“It feels really great and
there’s that extra intensity
too within the orchestra.”
The concert includ-
ed nine pieces, from
Tchaikovsky’s “1912 Over-
ture” to “Wicked” the musi-
cal’s “Defying Gravity,” vo-
calized by Evynne Hollens,
who is a Eugene native and
a guest vocalist with the
Proud Sponsor of the
Summer Reading Program
Symphony.
Getting the Symphony to
Cottage Grove was no easy
feat. Transporting instru-
ments and people takes a
lot of combined effort.
“We have an incredible
crew, I can’t take any credit
for that,” says Lecce-Chong.
“They are able to load ev-
erything, especially all the
percussion. Whenever you
have something like 1812
overture, you’re gonna have
a lot of percussion.”
Scott Freck, executive di-
rector of the Eugene Sym-
phony, appreciates coming
to perform in Bohemia
Park, and all the hard work
it took to get everything
put together. This was the
Symphony’s sixth perfor-
mance in Cottage Grove.
“It’s just such a great
partnership and we’re so
grateful. We love coming
here,” says Freck. “It’s a
great audience. After a year
off it’s all the more special.”
BLUEBERRIES (No Spray)
U Pick…$2.50 / lb. • We Pick…$4 / Pint
Half Flat...$20.00 • Full Flate...438.00
Picking from 9-5 Daily until the
season is over.
Bring your own containers and
check in at the at the Tasting Room.
Please, call ahead with Visa,
MasterCard, Discover or American
Express to reserve your half/full flats.
Open Daily for
Complimentary Tasting
942-1364 X www.saginawvineyard.com
SUMMER
WORKSHOPS
FOR AGES 5-18
Comprehensive Eye Care
and Optical Services
Visit Robin
Bautista, OD
-NOW ENROLLING-
Dr. Bautista spent four years
providing hospital-based eye health
care in the United States Air Force,
is experienced in diagnosis and
management of conditions such as
glaucoma, diabetic eye exams, dry eye,
cataracts, and children’s eye care.
OPAL CENTER for
ARTS & EDUCATION
513 E. Main St.
Cottage Grove
opalcentercg.org
For More Information: 541-623-0513
Call 541-942-5000
257 N. 8th St. • www.pcvi.com
Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm
NOW OPEN!
2775 Row River Rd, Cottage Grove
541-942-4415 • bradschevy.com
Official LASIK and
Eye Doctors of the
Oregon Ducks and
Eugene Emeralds
10th Annual Elementary Triathlon
Saturday, July 31st • 9-11AM
Is that A/C not blowing as cold as last year?
SUMMER A/C SERVICE SPECIAL
$
99
*
(Normally
$136.00)
Bring your car in today and take advantage of our
SWIM
BIKE
RUN
• Registration is $3 per child, due by July 26th
• $5 per child aft er July 26th
This is not a race but, a fun event!
All finishers will receive a ribbon. Please bring a mask for pool deck.
Summer A/C service special!
1440 S. 8th St. Cottage Grove
Please contact JOSH for a waiver
and any additional information.
820 E. Main St. Cottage Grove, Oregon
Store 541.649.1625 | Cell 541.514.0022
OPEN TUE-SAT 11:00 TO 6:00
(541) 942-5533
All bike riders need a helmet.
SUMMER
Tune-Up
FROM
*Excludes automatic temperature control vehicles. Includes up to 2 lbs. of R134A
$
$
Anytime.
Anywhere.
Any day...
Matt Bjornn, Agent
Bus: 541-942-2623
www.bjornninsurance.com
That’s when you can count
on State Farm ® .
I know life doesn’t come with a
schedule. That’s why at State Farm
you can always count on me for
whatever you need – 24/7, 365.
GET TO A BETTER STATE ™ .
CALL ME TODAY.
2,549
*
2,299 *
BEST OF HAWAII FOUR-ISLAND TOUR
12 days, departs year-round
Oahu • Hawaii Island • Kauai • Maui — Enjoy a fully
guided 4-island Hawaiian vacation with centrally
located lodging in Waikiki on Oahu, and beachfront
lodging on the “Big Island” of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui.
Guided throughout by our friendly Tour Directors—
your local experts. Includes 3 inter-island flights.
TM
promo code N7017
1-866-523-0103
1101198.1
State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL
*. Prices are per person based on double occupancy plus up to $299 in taxes & fees. Single supplement and seasonal surcharges may apply.
Add-on airfare available. Offers apply to new bookings only, made by 9/30/21. Other terms & conditions may apply. Ask your Travel Consultant
for details.
O
nly
$
We’ll make sure your system is
running eff ectively and effi ciently.
Call for details and an appointment today,
and beat the spring rush!
129*
Complete Heating & Cooling System Service
Reasonable Rates • All Work Guaranteed