SanLuisObispo.com: Entertainment

Cuesta College's new Cultural and Performing Arts Center opens

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:29 PST

By Sarah Linn -- Past the sweeping white colonnade and wide green lawn of Cuesta College’s newest attraction, excitement is brewing.

“I’m not sleeping anymore. I’m past the sleeping stage,” joked Jennifer Martin, who chairs the performing arts division at the community college north of San Luis Obispo.

Cuesta College unveils its Cultural and Performing Arts Center on Friday with a grand opening gala.

Ready to strike up the band one last time

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:31 PST

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- More than 40 years after he created Bandfest, William Johnson is getting ready to strike up the band one last time.

And, like everything else he does this year, the retiring Cal Poly music professor wants to go out with a bang.

“It’s exhausting because everything I’m trying to do this year, I’m trying to do it the best I’ve done it,” Johnson said. “It’s not just one more year — it’s the last year. And the students know that, and they’re right there with me.”

Cal Poly professor Al Schnupp's original play 'Zero to Infinity' is a comedy with its own language

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:31 PST

By Joan Crowder -- Al Schnupp’s absurdist comedy, “Zero to Infinity,” takes some getting used to, but when you get into the zany rhythm of it, it becomes a unique and clever theater experience.

Schnupp, who wrote, designed and directed the production, is a professor in the Cal Poly Theatre and Dance Department. This world premiere of his offbeat show offers a peek into his outrageously creative mind.

The characters, the costumes and the set pieces are all cartoonish and colorful. At first the scenario appears haphazard and bizarre, but there is a semblance of story to it. Zero, the hapless heir to a privy empire (toilets), which he inherited under suspicious circumstances, is cajoled by his greedy wife Maxie to run for office. She wants him to be the boinker of Groad. The shenanigans that follow are a parody of politics, as well as of many other aspects of life.

American Indian traditional showcased in two events at the Cohan Center

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:16 PST

By Sarah Linn -- In American Indian culture, the arts are everything.

“An integral part of our heritage is music,” said singer-songwriter Joanne Shenandoah, a member of the Oneida tribe. “Music surrounds everything from birth to death…We know it, we hear it and we can feel the effects of it on almost everyone we know.”

Henry Smith, artistic director of Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre, described dance as “part of everyday life.”

Stage: a Handsome 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' at PCPA

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:17 PST

By Joan Crowder -- A sumptuous, dramatic version of “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” is PCPA Theaterfest’s holiday production.

The enduring tale by C.S. Lewis was the first of seven “Narnia Chronicles,” which have been enjoyed by youngsters as books, films or plays for more than half a century. This dramatization by Adrian Mitchell, with music by Shaun Davey, is beautiful and exciting, but probably too intense for children under 5.

The show, directed by Mark Booher, begins on a dramatic note, with the theater shaking with the blasting sounds and flashing lights of a bombing raid on London. The four Pevensie children, Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund, are being evacuated to the safety of the country, where they will live in a strange old mansion with a kindly but mysterious professor.

Music: Tribute to a Renaissance man

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:17 PST

By Sarah Linn -- It’s been seven decades since Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski last set foot there, but the people of Paso Robles still count him as a native son.

A world-renowned musician, composer and statesman, Paderewski visited Paso Robles frequently between 1914 and 1939 — staying at the El Paso de Robles Hotel, soaking in the hot springs, and cultivating crops on nearly 3,000 acres of farmland.

This weekend, Paso Robles pays tribute to the man known as “the George Washington of Poland” with four days of concerts, mixers and museum exhibits. The Paderewski Festival runs today through Sunday.

An unusual combination: Playing rock music on the flute

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:41 PST

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- It is a little odd to hear flute in a rock song, Ian Anderson admits.

“The flute is an alien instrument in the world of rock music,” he said. “It’s an acoustic instrument that doesn’t really make a lot of noise. It’s difficult to amplify, difficult to integrate. It can become pretty annoying after 2-1/2 minutes.”

Yet, for more than 40 years, Anderson’s flute has provided Jethro Tull its signature sound — that odd, Medieval-meets-prog-rock style that’s a little bit Led Zeppelin and a little bit Pied Piper. While other rock songs have featured the instrument— Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” being one example — Jethro Tull is practically synonymous with it.

Music: A Musical Voice of experience

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:52 PST

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- When I heard Chris Hillman was recording a live album in Nipomo, I had to ask: “If I go and yell, ‘Free Bird!’ can I get on the record?”

Hillman, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, laughed and obliged me.

“I’ll get you on the record,” he joked. “Then I’ll surprise you and do it — acoustically. That would be the worst thing.”

CD Pick: �The McLintocks Saloon Years�/�Thunder Road,� Monte Mills

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:35 PDT

Mills, a horseshoer, is a true singing cowboy, who celebrates more than three decades as a local performer with two CD�s of cover songs. �The Saloon Years� showcases the most popular tunes he performed live at the steakhouse. The second is a tribute to songs about the road. Veteran musicians, Mills and his band do justice to songs made famous by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Chuck Berry and Charlie Daniels. While the �Saloon� CD reflects on yesteryear, Mills still performs regularly, keeping his roadhouse country sounds active. To hear samples from these CDs, visit the Ticket section of www.sanluisobispo.com.

-- Pat Pemberton

'The Producers' coming to Clark Center in Arroyo Grande

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:23 PDT

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- Ryan Cordero remembers sitting in the back row of the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, watching a touring version of �The Producers� and thinking: �I will do this one day.�

�I really consider this show to be what launched me into to thinking, �This is what I want to do,� � said Cordero, a 23-year-old director. �Jason Alexander and Martin Short are two hysterical comedians, and the show is one of the most amazing things I�d ever seen.�

Last summer, Cordero launched his ambitious Sorcerer Productions with �Thoroughly Modern Millie,� which played to good-size crowds at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande.

Folk-pop star Karla Bonoff and Kenny Edwards to perform in the Spanos Theater

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:24 PDT

By Sarah Linn -- For singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff, the turning point in her music career came when versatile vocalist Linda Ronstadt agreed to cover one of her songs.

�At the time I was unsigned. She was really starting to crest in her career,� Bonoff recalled.

Ronstadt featured three of Bonoff�s songs on her 1976 album, �Hasten Down the Wind� � �Lose Again,� �If He�s Ever Near� and �Someone to Lay Down Beside Me.�

SLO musicians seek success outside the area

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:53 PDT

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- Back when he was an English major at Cal Poly, Matt Ward would pack up his guitar and head to Linnaea�s coffee house for a mellow gig before a handful of people.

A decade later, Ward has received much more exposure, having recently performed on �The Late Show with David Letterman,� �Late Night With Conan O�Brien� and �Austin City Limits.� But for Ward, success didn�t occur until he left San Luis Obispo, adding credence to a common perception: If you�re a local musician and you want to make it in the music business, you have to move.

�I don�t know anyone who stuck around SLO and got famous,� said Daniel Whittington, the former front man for the band Rhodes, who now lives in Austin, Texas.

Meet Goldar: Morro Bay man lent voice to 'Power Rangers' villain

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:42 PDT

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- A few years ago, Kerrigan Mahan discovered a unique way to get out of a speeding ticket.

As the police officer was writing up the citation, Mahan walked up and said, �Hey � you got kids?�

�Why?� the officer asked.

Monte Mills and the Lucky Horseshoe Band salutes F. McLintocks Saloon

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:29 PDT

By Sarah Linn -- For nearly three decades, Monte Mills and the Lucky Horseshoe Band were the hottest act in downtown San Luis Obispo.

County music fans flocked to F. McLintocks Saloon on Higuera Street every Thursday to hear the band perform. Some even offered to carry band equipment to get in.

�There used to be lines out the doors in the �70s, people whooping and hollering,� recalled Mills, the band�s lead singer and founder. �They let people dance on the tables in those days.�

On Stage: 'Rip Van Winkle' at the American Melodrama

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:16 PDT

By Sarah Linn -- Rip Van Winkle, the protagonist of the Great American Melodrama�s latest show, is not your typical hero.

A drunk who�s squandered his family�s fortune, Rip prefers hunting, fishing and debating politics at the local tavern to working on his own farm. He�s henpecked by his wife and hounded by his landlord.

�He�s not a cruel man,� explained Billy Breed, who plays the title character in �Rip Van Winkle,� based on Washington Irving�s classic tale. �He loves his wife. He loves his children. He just doesn�t see the consequences of his actions.�

Music: Lance Robison’s songs about the sea

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:16 PDT

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- For 40 years, Lance Robison secretly possessed an important part of Beach Boys history.

Back in the 1960s, Robison’s brother, John, came upon three master reels from the Beach Boys’s 1964 album, “Shut Down Vol 2.” Needing money, John sold Lance the tapes for $15.

The tapes languished in storage for 40 years until one day, on a whim, Robison contacted local author Jon Stebbins, who had written about the Beach Boys.

Superheroes welcome at this year�s gaming convention in SLO

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:55 PDT

By Sarah Linn -- Superheroes and super-villains are welcome at this year�s PolyCon.

Set for this weekend at Embassy Suites Hotel in San Luis Obispo, the annual gaming convention offers more than 150 gaming events including board games, video games, movies and miniatures.

There�s even a chance to mingle with fellow gamers at a Saturday barbecue.

Los Lobos at the Avila Beach Music Festival

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:33 PDT

By Sarah Linn -- After more than three decades with Los Lobos, the Latin rock band best known for the 1987 hit �La Bamba,� songwriter Louie Perez is starting to feel like Mel Brook�s �2,000-Year-Old Man.�

�It�s an amazing thing to be a band for 36 years because we�ve lived many lives and we�ve seen a lot of things come and go,� said Perez, who also plays drums and guitar.

He�s seen the band, formed in East Los Angeles in 1973, go from relative obscurity to instant fame with their cover of Ritchie Valens� �La Bamba.�

Music Scene: John Jorgenson plays at Templeton's Castoro Cellars this weekend

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:39 PDT

Most musicians would lunge at an opportunity to perform with Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan. But when John Jorgenson was asked to audition for the two legends� bands, he passed.

�I wasn�t interested in backing other people up,� said Jorgenson, a multi-instrumentalist who had established himself as a top-notch session player by that time. �I just felt like I�d done that enough, and it was important for me to start working on my own music and not go off on another tangent with someone else�s music.�

After working as a sideman for years, Jorgenson � a founding member of the Desert Rose Band � liked the idea of doing his own thing.

On Stage: Kelrik Productions puts on a creative version of Rudyard Kipling�s �The Jungle Book�

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:41 PDT

By Joan Crowder -- Kelrik�s charming production of �The Jungle Book� embellishes Rudyard Kipling�s classic story with creative costumes, puppets, a nice jungle set and a cast that includes entertaining pros and emerging young talent.

It�s the story of Mowgli, a human baby � a �man cub��who is adopted by a family of wolves, befriended by the bear Baloo and the panther Bagerra, threatened by the fierce tiger Shere Kahn, captured by monkeys and finally returned to the human village.

This performance is a condensed version of the original story, running an hour without an intermission, but the story is intact and exciting, just right for young attention spans.