2 THE OPENING ACT APRIL 6�13, 2022 STAFF What we’re into AURATEUR follow us ONLINE www.goeasternoregon.com TWITTER twitter.com/GoEasternOregon FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ goeasternoregon INSTAGRAM www.instagram.com/ A t the end of a long day, it can be diffi cult to unwind. Even going to sleep is diffi cult, as I am still thinking about work at bedtime. My mind ruminates over tasks accomplished, and anxiety fl ares over work to be done the following day. In years past, I would turn to alcohol to mellow me out. Those days, however, are behind And that is about it. Six days a week, at 8 p.m., a new video is ready for view- me. I do not drink, but my busy ing. We can see Aurateur play mind remains. “Mario Maker,” comment on his Thankfully, I have gameplay and interact found a YouTube channel with other viewers. Most that calms me. It is called often, he plays by him- Aurateur, named after the self, but he sometimes man who appears on the competes against or channel. cooperates with other This YouTuber plays players in games. Peterson the video game “Mario His commentary is Maker” on his channel. As he most often monotone and his plays, his image appears at the demeanor calm, except on the bottom left corner of the screen. occasions when he is irritated RAISING THE CURTAIN ON THIS WEEK’S ISSUE with other gamers. Watching his videos, I am relaxed. As I am not a gamer myself, I have no investment in his online success or failure. Also, I am not trying to learn anything from his excellent play. I am merely zoning out all of my day’s worries. Best of all, his videos are dependable. I can always count on his 8 p.m. uploads, and I know they are there for me for 20 min- utes of relaxation at day’s end. — ERICK PETERSON, EDITOR, HERMISTON HERALD goeasternoregon contact us New releases Lisa Britton Go! Editor editor@goeasternoregon.com 541-406-5274 ‘FIRST GENERATION AMERICAN,’ ELLIAH HEIFETZ Sarah Smith Calendar Coordinator calendar@goeasternoregon.com SUBMIT NEWS Submit your event information by Monday for publication the following week (two weeks in advance is even better!). Go! Magazine is published Wednesdays in the  Wallowa County Chieftain and Blue Mountain Eagle. It publishes Thursdays in The Observer, Baker City Herald and East Oregonian. ADVERTISING AND SUBSCRIPTIONS Baker City Herald 541-523-3673 The Observer 541-963-3161 East Oregonian 541-276-2211 Wallowa County Chieftain 541-426-4567 Blue Mountain Eagle 541-575-0710 Hermiston Herald 541-567-6457 Singer-songwriter Elliah Heif- etz’s debut album is a cheerful reminder Americana has roots in many countries. Heifetz was raised on food stamps in Philadelphia as the son of Soviet political refugees, and his melting pot musical mix ranges from Eastern Euro- pean folk and Yiddish theater to Jimmy Buff ett and John Prine. Heifetz’s voice could be mis- taken for Steve Goodman’s, and there’s a twinkle in his twangy tenor as he fi nds humor in the immigrant experience. But it’s not all yuks as he refl ects on out- liers and outsiders, dislocation, disorientation and striving to belong in the land of plenty. “I’m foreign as the fourth day of July,” Heifetz sings. He shows it by name-checking Waylon Jennings, Donovan McNabb and Chuck E. Cheese, and that’s just The Associated Press on the autobiographical, Cajun- tinged title cut. Other highlights include the stomper “Molly Margarita,” which describes a visit to Costco as a religious experience, and “The Last Great American Cameleer,” a Baghdad-to-Texas lament about trying to ride high. Heifetz, a Yale alum who has enjoyed success as a composer for New York stages and net- work TV, recorded the album in Nashville with a stellar support- ing cast. — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS