SOUND CHECK WHAT’S PLAYING AROUND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST 23 JUNE 29�JULY 6, 2022 Side A welcomes Scott Knickerbocker The Side A-lley concert is July 1 By John Vollinger Go! Magazine LA GRANDE — As the weather begins to (finally) become warmer, it might be a good time to lounge in the shade, grab a cool drink (perhaps even some food), and enjoy the live music offered by Side A’s “Side A-lley” concert series. Coming up on July 1, La Grande welcomes Scott Knick- erbocker. The music begins at 7:30 p.m. on the back patio of Side A Brewing, 1219 Wash- ington Ave. Knickerbocker’s original songs center around such themes as, he explains, “love and murder, sin and redemp- tion, whiskey and whimsy” with a variety of stringed instruments, from a banjo and resonator guitar to a fiddle. When not playing music, Knickerbocker is a Professor of English and Environmen- tal Studies at The College of Idaho, and he has also pub- lished a book titled “Ecopoet- ics: The Language of Nature, the Nature of Language.” His work focuses on the ways that language can bring us closer to our ecology, and centers on poets who, rather than bland- ly describing the world, think about language as something that is “rather wild, and…[can recreate] the world, perhaps performing the world on the page.” For an example of his music, check out his performance SIDE A-LLEY CONCERT SERIES Side A-lley concerts are held most weeks at Side A Brewing, 1219 Washington Ave. in La Grande. For updates, visit the Facebook page or sideabeer.com. Schedule: Aug. 6: Chris Baron & the Two Secrets July 1: Scott Knickerbocker July 8: Melissa Ruth Aug. 12: Calico Bones July 15: Alka Mahdi Aug. 20: Megan Alder July 23: Sage & Stone July 30: Jezebel’s Mother Aug. 26: Wes Youssi & the County Champs NOW AVAILABLE! Delivery to La Grande and Baker City medicinal patients twice a week (Tues and Wed.) starting on September the 21st. Order must be submitted by 11 am pst the day of delivery. Side A/Contributed Photo Scott Knickerbocker plays the Side A-lley concert Friday, July 1, at Side Brewing in La Grande. of his song “Dear Reader” by typing “Scott Knickerbocker – A Coyote A Day” into You- Tube. Here, Knickerbocker sings from the perspective of a shelved book, entreating his “dear reader” to pull him down and explore his words and ideas. To the tune of a folk/country guitar strum, he delicately bal- ances two ideas in the song. The listener is able to imagine the book as a metaphor for the singer, asking his love to embrace him again — but the lyrics also make a comment on the importance of language and taking the time to step away from the screen to enjoy the complexities of the written word. For more information about the musician, visit junkerdashrecords.com/ artists/scott-knickerbocker. SKIP THE LINE, SHOP ONLINE Burntriverfarms.com 541-200-6699 1055 NW Washington Ave. Ontario OR License: 050 1003704D5A3 Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For use only by adults twenty-one years of age and older. Keep out of reach of children.