Eye Street Entertainment / 11-29-12

20

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, November 29, 2012

Eye Street Editor Jennifer Self | Phone 395-7434 | e-mail jself@bakersfield.com

Index Kevin Harvick Birthday Bash .................. 22 Holiday Lamplight Tours .......................... 23 Arts Alive .................................................. 24 Straight No Chaser .................................. 25 The Lowdown with Matt Munoz.............. 26 Masterworks Chorale .............................. 27 Guitar Day ................................................ 28 Calendar .............................................. 32-33

Still making the world sing Tireless Manilow embarks on new tour

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BY MATT MUNOZ Californian staff writer mmunoz@bakersfield.com

H

e writes the songs that make the whole world sing, and after nearly four decades of hit making, Barry Manilow has no plans to settle down.

With 29 studio albums, countless greatest hits and live compilations, plus more than 57 singles that helped secure his place as one of the biggest selling recording artists of all-time, the tireless 69-year-old pop icon is about to embark on a new tour celebrating his rich body of work that includes a stop at the Rabobank Arena on Dec. 7.

From the infectious sing-along of “Copacabana (At the Copa)” and “Can’t Smile Without You” to the anthemic sweetness of “Looks Like We Made It,” “Mandy,” and countless others, few have been able to reach the level of Manilow’s success on the charts and as a pop culture icon.

Through the ’70s and ’80s, he was a regular on radio and TV variety specials, and could even be heard as the voice of the theme song to “American Bandstand.”

Today, Manilow stays busy with a variety of recording projects and his work as an advocate for the arts in public schools through his Manilow Music Project. His latest record, “The Classic Christmas Album,” a compilation of tracks from previously holiday releases just earned him his 50th Top 40 award, making him only the fifth artist to reach such a milestone on the Adult Contemporary music chart.

Manilow took a few minutes for a phone interview to discuss his secret to crafting a holiday classic and the lasting effects of Manilow mania.

As the pop music landscape has changed, how do you maintain your popularity?

One of the ways of being commercial is to not try and be commercial. Every time I’ve tried to write a hit song, I’ve always bombed. Every time I’ve done stuff that just feels good, those are the ones that I have a shot with. Like “Copacabana,” for instance. Nobody believed in it.

The record company thought it was a novelty cut that belonged

JACOB LANGSTON / ORLANDO SENTINEL

Barry Manilow (seen here at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., in 2011) comes to town Dec. 7.

“They want to hear these songs they love that I’ve done, and I’m happy to do it. It’s not a greatest hits show, but it includes more of the hits than I’ve ever done.”

— Barry Manilow, on the angle for his latest tour

on the “Sonny and Cher (Comedy) Hour.” Nobody believed in it, and I loved it. Bruce Sussman (Manilow’s longtime collaborator) and I had a ball writing it with his lyric and my melody.

Ron Dante and I produced it and that was it. The record company didn’t promote it, they just let it go, and they promoted all of the other big ballads that were on that album and here came “Copacabana” out of nowhere and the public just liked it. It

went up the charts little by little until it got to the Top 10. So, who knows how to write a good song?

I don’t. I just do what feels good.

What’s the extent of your online presence?

I don’t use Facebook and I don’t use Twitter. I think it’s just a little too public for me. The people that run my management have a Barry Manilow Facebook page and I can go on there and check out what people are saying and see photos.

You just scored your 50th Top 40 hit with a cover of “Santa Claus is Coming To Town.” How does it feel to keep collecting those awards?

Isn’t that something? It’s just amazing. I just can’t get over it. I thought this would be over years ago, but the public is very kind to me and seem to be still interested in what the music I’m making. It’s just amazing to me.

Your 1990 album “Because It’s Christmas” is a holiday best-seller. What draws you to the genre?

Barry Manilow When: 8 p.m. Dec. 7 Where: Rabobank Arena, 1001 Truxtun Ave. Admission: $7.99 to $137.85 plus service charge Information: 852-7777 or ticketmaster.com

For a Jewish guy, having three Christmas albums? I just love that kind of songwriting. When you do the classic Christmas pop songs, you’re going back to that world of the ’30s and ’40s, and that’s the world I love. The stuff that comes out of the Great American Songbook, written by some of the great songwriters, they’re in that Christmas catalog of music. So, I love arranging, producing and performing songs like that. It’s right up my alley. I love the “Because It’s Christmas” album because it’s my first (Christmas) album.

Is it difficult to compose a Please see MANILOW / 29

Barry Manilow fans who want to follow his philanthropic example can also score a pair of tickets to his Dec. 7 show in Bakersfield.

Through his Manilow Music Project, the artist will donates a Yamaha piano to launch a local instrument drive for the Bakersfield public schools. According to a news release, anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument to the Rabobank Arena box office will receive two free tickets (valid for preselected seats) for the local show.

Manilow said he was inspired to jump into action after recalling the impact music had on his own childhood.

“Where I grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, my high school was a dump, but my high school had an orchestra class. It was the thing that grounded me and it pointed me in the direction I needed to be in.”

After launching in 2008, the Manilow Music Project has helped get instruments into the hands of middle school and high school students across the country, in areas where arts funding is low.

“There may be a baby Barry out there right now that is filled with music and doesn’t know what to do with it, and the schools are not going to help them along, and it just kills me.”

Manilow said the response from fans has been good so far.

“This last tour, I decided to ask the audiences to help me out.

They drop off used instruments they’re not using or collecting dust in the attic or basement at the gig or at a music store, and it’s been working. ... Every city that we’ve played, we’ve collected 75 to 100 instruments. We give them to the school district and they give them to the schools that need it. It’s a small organization. I just do it because I wanted to do it, and it seems to be working.”

Rabobank Arena will be the base for the instrument drive in Bakersfield, from now through Dec. 7.

They are able to accept the instruments in the Rabobank Arena Administration Office, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit manilowmusicproject.org or call 852-7300.

21

Thursday, November 29, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street

CASEY CHRISTIE / THE CALIFORNIAN

New colored lights and displays await at this year’s Holiday Lights at CALM, which kicks off its 10th season on Friday.

CALM ready to light up the night Zoo event celebrates 10 years with new colors and displays

BY MIRANDA WHITWORTH Contributing writer

T

his year it’s time to think pink for Holiday Lights at the California Living Museum. The popular annual event, which kicks off its 10th season Friday, will be a bit more colorful with the addition of pink and purple lights to its more than 2 million bulbs. And that’s just one of the exciting new changes in store.

Steve Sanders, the Kern County Superintendent of Schools chief of staff and CALM Foundation board member, said this year’s additions offer a visually dynamic boost to the existing installations.

“A lot of our displays are just silhouettes with unlit centers. Now they are being filled in with lights and the displays seem bigger, they stand out more and it gives a really dramatic effect.”

The brighter displays are all a part of an ongoing improvement project that’s replacing thousands of old bulbs with new, energy-efficient LED lights. This isn’t the first season the change-outs have taken place, but it will be the first season visitors will be seeing a new part of the color spectrum as pink and purple LED lights are making their way into the collection at CALM. Brighter displays and new colors aren’t the only updates for the Holiday Lights 10th anniversary. Sanders says several new displays have been installed and their theme is fitting for the backdrop that is the zoo.

Holiday Lights at CALM When: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Nov. 30 to Dec. 31 (closed Christmas Day) Where: California Living Museum, 10500 Alfred Harrell Highway Admission: $12; $10, seniors and children 13-17; $6, children 3-12. Tickets, vallitix.com or 322-5200.

Information: 872-2256

“One of the new displays is a crab wreath at the pond area. The crabs sit over the water, so it fits. We also have some swinging monkeys on a vine and an area in the center with lamp posts made out of lights that the public will love. We have more new stuff, but I don’t want to give it all away.”

After 10 seasons, Holiday Lights has developed some great traditions and along with the new, the old is being happily embraced. Apple dumplings, hot cocoa and kettle corn provided by Teen Challenge will be back again this year for purchase on the grounds, allowing guests to nosh under the lights. The Candy Cane Express will also be up and running, offering train rides around CALM’s grounds and through the displays.

Holiday Lights is CALM’s biggest fundraiser of the year and 2011 was a record-setting season for the zoo with 51,000 guests, Sanders said.

“Last year we raised over $200,000 and a lot of that went to our new desert bighorn sheep exhibit.”

Sanders credit that record fundraising

A Jack in the Box greets visitors at the Holiday Lights at CALM.

not only to the thousands of guests but also the countless folks working behind the scenes.

“None of this would be possible without volunteers. We have people helping guide tours through the park, we have people in the parking lot helping Teen Challenge manage parking. Cash donations from sponsors and in-kind donations like diesel to help keep everything running all makes this possible.”

For Sanders, it’s an important event for

CALM’s operations but it’s also an important event for the people of Kern County who have built family traditions among the glittering lights.

“Whether you are a 1-year-old seeing the lights for the first time or are in college coming back and reliving your childhood memories, the lights are an amazing thing to see. And it’s great as a volunteer to see all of the families coming out every year and bringing their friends who maybe haven’t experienced it before.”

22

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, November 29, 2012

Eye Street

Harvick ready for fun at birthday fundraiser Craig Morgan show to benefit foundation that aids youths

BY MATT MUNOZ Californian staff writer mmunoz@bakersfield.com

N

ASCAR racing champ Kevin Harvick knows how to throw a party. Since collecting his 19th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at the AdvoCare 500 in Phoenix earlier this month, the Bakersfield native has been on a whirlwind of press tours across the country with racing enthusiasts following his every move.

Now he’s ready to pull the brakes for a quick return to his old stomping grounds to celebrate his 37th birthday a week early with a big concert fundraiser featuring country singer Craig Morgan at the Fox Theater on Saturday.

The charity event, which benefits the Kevin Harvick Foundation established two years ago by Harvick and wife DeLana, will also feature a special appearance by country singer Bridgette Tatum. According to Harvick’s website, the foundation provides scholarships as well as supports youth sports programs in underprivileged communities.

“The foundation has had a lot of success in 2012, but I think the one event that stands out the most was the North High event we did last month,” wrote Harvick in an email interview. Harvick visited Bakersfield Nov. 7 to hand out a $11,000 in scholarships and present new uniforms to the wrestling team at his alma mater.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CRAIG MORGAN JEFF SINER / CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick Birthday Bash with Craig Morgan and Bridgette Tatum When: Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Saturday Where: Fox Theater, 2001 H St. Admission: $23.50 to $44.50, plus fees; $129, plus fees, for VIP package Information: 324-1369, vallitix.com or kevinharvickfoundation.org

“Having the opportunity to help four students with college scholarships, as well giving the wrestling program a new look when it comes to uniforms and travel apparel means a lot.”

In addition to setting up an athletic scholarship program at CSUB and assisting the North High wrestling program, Harvick’s Foundation has also worked with the

Country singer Craig Morgan appears Saturday at the Fox Theater.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Las Vegas Camper Cabin at Victory Junction, the holiday Christmas For Kids gift program and more. Harvick said the response to the foundation has been overwhelming.

“We have had a lot of positive support from both the NASCAR community as well as the local Bakersfield community.”

Harvick also attributed much of its ongoing growth and success to his wife, whose direct involvement has proved to be invaluable while he’s on the racing circuit.

“DeLana has been a big part of help getting the foundation started as well as where it is today.”

Saturday’s concert headliner Craig Morgan is a best-selling country entertainer whose latest album, “This Ole Boy,” spawned three singles. Like Harvick, Morgan is known for giving back, actively bringing attention to programs in support of U.S. troops and their families.

“Craig has some great music and we are

very fortunate that he was willing to come out and perform. We looked at a few different artists, but Craig seemed like the best fit for what we were looking to bring to the Fox Theater.”

For adults wanting to feel a bit like celebrities themselves, there is a VIP package, which includes entrance to a pre-party (5 p.m.) and the VIP after party, both at the Padre Hotel. Tickets cost $129, plus fees.

Affectionately nicknamed “Happy Harvick” for his temper outbursts on the tracks, NASCAR racing’s esteemed birthday boy anticipates a wildly festive night for his birthday and looks forward to seeing old friends and fans as he toasts to another successful year on and off the track.

“Thank you to all my fans in the Bakersfield area that have supported not only myself, but the Kevin Harvick Foundation as well. It is going to be a great concert and a lot of fun.”

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23

Thursday, November 29, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street

Enjoy the feel of holidays past Volunteers in period garb spruce up museum event

BY GENE GARAYGORDOBIL Contributing writer

A

lthough new Kern County Museum director Roger Perez has only been on the job about two weeks, he spent a lot of that time working on one of his favorite holiday traditions — the annual Holiday Lamplight Tours — which takes place Saturday.

This year’s event, which runs from 4 to 9 p.m., will feature nearly 200 volunteers, many in traditional period wear, and some tour guides holding historic lanterns allowing visitors to stroll back in time and experience the sights, sounds and smells of the late 1800s to early 1900s, Perez said.

This year, three new activities join the lineup that includes tours of the museum’s historic homes, Christmas caroling, old fashion magic, holiday performances and wagon rides, Perez said.

“We are really excited about this year’s event,” he said. “We think that many visitors will enjoy

Holiday Lamplight Tours When: 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday Where: Kern County Museum, 3801 Chester Ave. Admission: $5 to $10 Information: 868-8400

the new activities we have included this time around.”

Perez said that events director Elizabeth Herrera had the idea for the first new activity, an actual Victorian Tea taking place in the exhibit’s Fellows Hotel, dating to 1910. For a small fee, participants can actually sample some of the tea from the era.

The second activity is a Santa’s workshop, geared toward children to give them a hands-on experience through time.

“Kids will actually get to make holiday candy, Christmas cards and ornaments from the period just like they used to do,” Perez said. “It’s an awesome craft area for kids.”

The workshop is mostly outside, but kids can also go in and play, because part of it is also

inside, he said.

“It’s a great hands-on learning experience for them,” Perez said.

Though this has been a family event for 20-plus years, the 2012 version is trying something new just for adults.

“We are trying this as an experiment to see how it goes,” he said.

It’s called the Winter Wine Garden, and can be purchased as a combo admission ticket for $15, Perez said.

The garden will be available to only those 21 and over in the historic Chamber of Commerce Building. Guests will be allowed to relax in an intimate setting of holiday music and wine and food tasting before stepping back in time during the regular tour.

And when you go on the tour, Perez says the highlight of the night is those volunteers who make the transportation back in time possible.

“It’s the thing I really enjoy, and our volunteers are a main component of the event,” he said. “They are decked out in period costume, and they know their stuff about the village and time period. ... The tour guides do a fantastic job of

literally taking folks back to a simpler time, when family and friends gathered to celebrate these special holidays.

“They are a super group of people who put on a really good show,” he said. “And that really adds to your experience. It feels like you are transported back to the late 1800s.”

The army of volunteers is a mix museum staff, local groups and even teens, Perez said.

“We’ll also get kids from different schools,” he said. “Volunteers come from all ages, from about 13 to adults easily in their 80s.”

The one-day Holiday Lamplight Tours event brings hundreds to the museum each year to view some of the historic buildings it has on its grounds.

However, hundreds more can come through and see many of the nearly 50 buildings during the museum’s regular hours for the whole month of December.

“Even though we have spent the past two weeks decorating the entire museum, you won’t have that extra effect of our docents dressed in period costumes,” Perez said. “And you won’t have

CASEY CHRISTIE / THE CALIFORNIAN

Bob Powers was dressed as a gentleman out for a stroll during the Lamplight Tours in 2011.

that extra layer of having so many volunteers at one moment during our Lamplight Tour event.”

He said not only is it a highlight of the holiday season and an overall fun experience, “but it is an educational look back into our own local history,” he said.

“It makes a great holiday tradition, just like going out with the family to see the lights in Haggin Oaks,” Perez said. “It’s a neat way to get the kids out for a nice stroll, and have a good time together.”

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24

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, November 29, 2012

Eye Street Camille Gavin CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

Girl reaching out to help Haiti Local art show to benefit relief effort

GO & DO Candlelight Stroll

I

When: 6 p.m. Friday Where: Circle Park in Kernville Admission: Free Information: 760-376-2629

t’s not often that we hear about a teenager organizing a fundraising effort for a humanitarian project, especially if the project is in another country.

So it’s a pleasure to share with you the story of Grace Savage, a senior at Valley Oaks Charter School who’s using her interest in art as an avenue for raising $5,000 for the construction of a water well in Haiti.

Her endeavor is linked to a school project and driven by her firsthand knowledge of conditions in Haiti. In the past two years she has made two 10-day trips to the impoverished country as a member of her church’s missionary team.

All of this has culminated in the past few weeks into a show and sale of artwork donated by local artists on Saturday evening at Olive Knolls Church. Participating artists have the choice of giving back the entire purchase price or 25 percent of the sale.

“It all goes straight to the fund,” Savage said.

I learned the details of how this all came about during a phone conversation with the 17-yearold. Home-schooled until about two years ago, Savage began taking private art lessons about four years ago. She also has received art instruction at Valley Oaks.

Her first trip to Haiti was in 2010, six months after the 7.0 earthquake that struck the small Caribbean republic. Her job was to help build a shelter for generators in a rural community several miles from Port Au Prince, the capital.

“It’s another world,” she said.

“There’s no middle class; you’re either rich or poor.”

One of the first things she learned was the lack of that readily available water — something most Americans take for granted is a precious commodity in Haiti.

There was no such thing as simply turning on a tap.

“People don’t have water there and it was kind of a shock,” she said.

“It’s usually

CBCC Used Book Sale and Holiday Boutique When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday Where: Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center, 6501 Truxtun Ave. Admission: Free Information: 862-7145

Haiti Benefit Art Show When: 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday Where: Olive Knolls Church, 6201 Fruitvale Ave. Admission: $3 or $10 for a family of four Information: 399-3203

the children who do it and they have to walk a long way to get water for their families every day, so they don’t go to school.”

In addition to affecting her emotionally, the experience has made her more aware of the value of water here at home and has even changed her use of it.

“I can’t take a shower anymore — a regular shower,” she said. “I just get in and turn the water on and then turn it off right away.”

The genesis of Savage’s fundraising idea was a need to fulfill a school requirement. To graduate from Valley Oaks, she explained all students must participate in senior seminar which requires each student to pick a topic they enjoy or are interested in and want to know more about.

“It must be somewhat of a learning stretch for the student,” she said. “I picked Haiti for my paper; it ended up being about Haiti's evolution and how it has affected its current economical state today.”

As part of the assignment, the student must do a project related to the subject.

“My dad and I were brainstorming ways that I could raise money and an art show just seemed logical,” she said. “I enjoy art myself and it didn't seem like it would be too stressful for me, or too hard to find great local talent.”

Camille Gavin’s “Arts Alive” column appears on Thursday. Write to her via e-mail at gavinarts@aol.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRACE SAVAGE

Kent Pederson, senior pastor at Olive Knolls Church, right, and Grace Savage are seen in Haiti.

Kern River Valley festivities

Grace Savage poses with Elise, the group's cook while in Haiti.

As a way of recruiting artists, Savage sent a “call to artists” email to Stella Mullins of the Bakersfield Art Association outlining her project. She was surprised at the result.

“It’s actually kind of cool,” she said. “I sent (Mullins) an email and she sent it to 174 people.”

By the following day she had received four paintings and responses from others who said they wanted to contribute.

Savage is looking forward to her next visit to Haiti and she’s passionate about seeing the well become a reality.

“In the long run the community will be safer, it makes it prosper and improves their social status,” she said. “And it helps keep children in school because they are healthier.”

Christmas in the Kernville area gets under way this weekend with a candlelight stroll around Circle Park on Friday. It will be led by the 18 members of the Kern River Valley chapter of the Sweet Adelines who will sing as they lead the way through streets adjacent to the park.

“The whole park is decorated like a Santa’s Village,” said Cheryl Borthick, owner of Cheryl’s Diner and a member of the singing group. “There’s a Nativity scene done by children of Mountain View Church. The children are dressed like shepherds and they use a doll for baby Jesus.”

Borthick advises dressing “warm, warm and warmer,” for the occasion because nighttime temperatures this time of year in the mountain valley are in the 30to 40-degree range.

This is the 24th year for the holiday celebration that continues on Saturday with a “Shop Hop,” which is designed to encourage shoppers to “buy local,” said Ariana Rogers, office manager of the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Businesses that don’t have a presence in Kernville proper can set up shop in the Oddfellows Hall, which is next to the park.

The Shop Hop gets under way

at 4 p.m. Saturday with a parade of classic cars followed by Santa’s arrival at 5 p.m.

The band Billhillyz will perform in the park.

“They’re a really cool band,” Rogers said. “They play hillbilly and front porch music and dress like in the pioneer days. They’ve got one (musician) who plays the hammered dulcimer and she really rocks.”

Used book sale Proceeds from a sale of used books on Saturday will be used to update certain aspects of a library used by patients at the Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center.

“Patients can borrow books or use the laptops and other electronics while they’re there,” said Michelle Avila, director of the CBCC Foundation. “Some of those who are receiving chemo can be there for as much as six hours.”

All materials available from the library must be checked out and used on site.

A Holiday Boutique, which raises money for Relay for Life is being held in conjunction with the book sale.

Items being offered include children’s hair bows and blankets, knitted and crocheted scarves, and decorative tiles and figures for home gardens.

25

Thursday, November 29, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street

Straight No Chaser’s six pack of harmony

BY ALAN SCULLEY Contributing writer

T

he title of the latest release from the a cappella group Straight No Chaser — “Six Pack: Vol. II” — immediately reveals two things.

As the “Volume II” suggests, it follows a 2008 EP called “Six Pack” that, like the new release, included six songs.

A CD would have been nice, said Straight No Chaser vocalist Randy Stine, but a busy schedule — including a show Saturday at Rabobank Theater — has the group thinking of a “Six Pack” sequel.

“We haven’t had a whole lot of time just to sit down and record another full-length album. We’re constantly hearing from fans, ‘When’s another one coming out?’” Stine said in a recent phone interview. “We wanted to get something out there new for the fans after they had been so patiently waiting.”

So the solution was to go the “Six Pack” route, which Stine said ended up working well. And to the group’s surprise, “Six Pack: Vol. II” turned out to mirror the first EP in a couple of ways.

First off, like the first, the second EP includes two fan favorites Straight No Chaser has been performing throughout

Straight No Chaser When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: Rabobank Theater, 1001 Truxtun Ave. Admission: $32.50-$49.50 plus fee Information: ticketmaster.com or 800745-3000.

the year (a medley of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and Bell Biv Devoe’s “Poison” and Madonna’s “Like A Prayer”), a couple of songs the group added to its set over the summer (The Temptations’ “Get Ready” and Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,”) and a pair of songs that are new to the group’s show (Weezer’s “Buddy Holly,” and the medley of the Plain White T’s “Rhythm of Love” and Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love”).

“It (the first “Six Pack” EP) was a good mix of different songs, different genres, different decades, and that’s what this is as well,” Stiles said of the new release.

The 10-member all-vocal ensemble has become one of music’s most unusual success stories.

Please see NO CHASER / 30

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26

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, November 29, 2012

Eye Street The Lowdown with Matt Munoz

Crooked Folk investing in future

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN MCARDLE

Bakersfield alt-rock trio Crooked Folk celebrate the release of their new CD (below) on Friday at On The Rocks.

of prospects, none of whom fit their sound.

Within a matter of a few rehearsals with Hinson, both Pacheco and McArdle knew Hinson’s audition would be their last.

“I could always count on Ryan’s groove,” said McArdle. “But Matt was like chop city once he started playing. He’s the guy fans said was ‘the one.’ Our fans have always fostered and helped develop us and we trust their input.”

Although Culberson had recorded 12 tracks for the new CD, the band had no plans to go back, re-record and replace them with Hinson, but instead chose to record a new song, “Zodiac,” during a few final sessions.

“Recording ‘Zodiac’ and adding it to the disc was the perfect choice,” Pacheco said.

McArdle agreed adding Hinson’s coda to the CD was very much in the spirit of the group.

“We’re closing a chapter in the band with this CD. Nobody’s perfect, we’re all a little crooked.

Embrace your abnormalities.”

“The name fits this band,” said Hinson. “Music is something I enjoy. It doesn’t have to be something physically in front of me.”

For Friday’s show, the band has a limited pressing of 100 copies of the CD, which features original cover art by Bakersfield artist Carlos Fierros and layout from author and cartoonist Erwin Ledford.

According to the band, the release will be available on iTunes and other digital outlets in the coming months. Local independent music promoter Patrick Spurlock is also giving Crooked Folk a big boost by campaigning heavily for the band.

“Trying to finalize the ‘Thank You’ list was probably hardest thing to do,” McArdle said.

I’m still absorbing the new CD from Crooked Folk, but after a few listens, I can share it has mixed elements of rock, jazz and funk, with a ’90s-style hot level mix on the B2 Studio production end. I don’t feel comfortable making comparisons in fairness to a band’s artistry, but for the

“Magical…glorious Irish music… Electric… pure joy… A great Irish night” – The Irish Herald

An Irish Christmas

Sunday, January 27th

Saturday, December 8th

This Saturday, December 1st

Matt Munoz is editor of Bakotopia.com, a sister website of The Californian that devotes itself to promoting Bakersfield’s art scene. Matt’s column appears every Thursday in Eye Street.

sake of this review, this CD should appeal to fans of Wilco, Black Keys, Jane’s Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers. That’s an odd combination, but after hanging with the group and hearing about their influences, I could add a few more.

As a team, Pacheco and McArdle make a great match as equally proficient players with a knack for catchy grooves, especially on the opening tracks, “Cabbie,” and “Breathe,” just two of a number of strong early cuts. Culberson’s drumming presence make it clear of their well-established history, but Hinson doesn’t settle for backseat on “Zodiac.” It’s an honest and overdue debut designed for fans of the classic power trio that should carry over into the live arena with high intensity.

Friday’s show starts at 9 p.m.

Admission is $10 and includes a copy of the CD while supplies last. Also appearing are rising local trio Stocks and Blondz and pop punk legends the Lebecs. On the Rocks is located at 1517 18th St. For more information, call 327-7625 or visit facebook.com/ crookedfolk.

The Whammy hits B Ryder’s On Saturday, all-star rockabilly outfit The Whammy will be rantin’ and ravin’ over at B Ryder’s.

For the legions of local tattooed, pompadour-coiffed fans of the genre, this may be the closest things you’re going to get to realdeal rockabilly music. Sure, we’ve hosted numerous touring hybrid bands that branch out into styles with “billy,” added to the end of their description, but let’s not confuse people.

The Whammy features Stray Cats’ Slim Jim Phantom on drums and UK imports Jonny Bowler of Guana Batz on bass and guitarist Tim Polecat of rockabilly legends The Polecats. If those names sound familiar, it’s because all three are partly responsible for keeping the hearts of rockabilly revivalists alive and beating for decades.

“When we were kids in 1979 in New York, there was nothing like

Christopher Titus

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHAMMY

UK rockabilly guitarist Tim Polecat appears with The Whammy Saturday at B Ryder’s.

this going on the way it is now,” said Phantom, 51, whose given name is James McDonnell. “You had radio stations that played oldies, some old guys with old cars. We loved all that stuff, but nothing had any sort of edge of today’s rockabilly scene. I don’t think any of that existed prior to that time on the East Coast or before the Stray Cats put out ‘Built For Speed,’ in ’82. … The West Coast back then had groups like The Blasters who were playing some classic rock ’n’ roll, but it wasn’t like today with festivals like The Hootenanny in Southern California.”

The group set list include a variety of Stray Cats and Polecats songs along with rockabilly classics, some more obscure hits and Whammy originals.

Saturday’s show also marks the kick-off of a 12-date tour running through the end of the year. If all goes well, the band hopes to keep performing into next year.

“This is the first leg of the tour, so everyone who comes to the Bakersfield show will get to hear a lot of songs, a lot of ’em we’ll be trying out for the first time.”

Saturday’s all-ages show begins at 8 p.m. Admission is $10. Also appearing is Fatt Katt & the Von Zippers and Stella & the Steel Cats, featuring Bakersfield vocal newcomer LaShay Munoz. B Ryder’s is located at 7401 White Lane. For more information, call 397-7304.

Sunday, March 17th

A

fter putting the final touches on their long-awaited debut CD, the members of Bakersfield trio Crooked Folk are ready to celebrate its arrival this Friday with a release party at On the Rocks.

A project nearly three years in the making, the group’s name fits their reputation as consummate grassroots rockers. Not only have they played just about every dive and watering hole in town, but they’ve also taken the hardearned monies from those shows and put them back into funding the recording, production and packaging of their project.

Whether it be a $5 drop in the bucket or $50 and couple of free brews, guitarist and vocalist Ricardo Pacheco, 25, says every cent is accounted for.

“Getting paid has always just been a bonus for us. We’re happier to see our fan base grow with each show.”

Pacheco, bassist Scott McArdle and drummer Matt Hinson resemble a motley crew of Austin transplants with thick hair and laidback personas. Not to mention McArdle’s imposing beard that seems to be growing longer as our conversation treads along.

“I really want Crooked Folk trucker hats, with that mesh in the back,” said McArdle, 37, the veteran of the band who’s already logged in his share of live performing as a member of Bakersfield’s The Bird Channel and others. Hinson, 23, who joined the group last year replacing original drummer Ryan Culberson, was found via the Active Musicians in Bakersfield Facebook group.

McArdle compared finding Hinson to discovering a needle in a cyber haystack after auditioning a number

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Thursday, November 29, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

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or 80 years, the Bakersfield Masterworks Chorale has been singing George Frederick Handel’s oratorio, “Messiah.� But instead of celebrating being 80 years old, a rejuvenated Masterworks Chorale will prove it’s 80 years young with a performance Saturday.

The Masterworks Chorale starts this season with a new director, more than 30 new singers and new repertoire. CSUB choral director Robert Provencio makes his debut with the choir with this concert, after collaborating with former director Phil Witmer for previous concerts.

One of Provencio’s responsibilities since taking over has been to rebuild it. At the end of the last season, the choir’s membership had shrunk to under 50 singers. Provencio was hired in part because he could recruit singers from among his numerous former students. “We’ve got 85 (singers) on the roster now, and we’ll have 75 on the risers for the concert,� Provencio said.

Since the summer, Provencio said he has also been working with the choir’s board of directors to “professionalize� the choir — updating office procedures and rehearsal guidelines.

The audition process has also been changed. Provencio said it’s both more formal, and also more accessible to singers who aren’t sure if they’d be a good fit for the choir. Provencio has initiated what he calls “open rehearsals� that allow nonmembers to sit in with the choir and sample how the choir works. “They can try us on for size, and we can try them on for size,� Provencio said of the rehearsals taking place Dec. 4 and 11.

This isn’t the first time the choir has undergone fundamental changes.

Leroy Gates started the Masterworks Chorale in 1932 under the auspices of the First Baptist Church, which was located on Truxtun Avenue in what is now known as Old Church Plaza. The choir was originally named the Messiah Chorus and its sole purpose was to perform the oratorio, which it has done since that time without a break. “Even during the Second World War they did ‘Messiah,’� said Philip Dodson, conductor of the choir from 1962 to 1991. “They didn’t have many men, but they did do it.�

It was just as Dodson became director that the choir gained a new focus and a new name. “The pastor at the time, Rev. John Lavender, said ‘Why don’t we change its name and expand its repertoire?’�

Dodson said. “That was a glorious time, and a great experience for me.�

During those years, the renamed

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The Masterworks Chorale is seen at its 1988 Christmas concert. The group is celebrating its 80th anniversary.

80th anniversary performance of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ When: 7 p.m. Saturday Where: Olive Drive Church, 5500 Olive Drive Admission: $20; $10, students and seniors. Available at the door.

Open rehearsals When: 7 p.m. Dec. 4 and 11 Where: Laurelglen Bible Church Choir Room, 2801 Ashe Road Information: 392-0619

Masterworks Chorale continued to perform “Messiah,� but also started performing first at the Harvey Auditorium, then at the Civic Auditorium (now the Rabobank Theater), and then returned to First Baptist Church, now on Olive Drive and known as Olive Drive Church. After Dodson retired, the choir became a separate nonprofit organization and began its partnership with the Bakersfield Symphony, acting as a symphonic chorus and performing a diverse repertoire of opera choruses, cantatas, symphonic Masses and other great choral masterpieces. “It’s one of those things that I had the privilege of being part of in the early stages of its becoming the Masterworks Chorale,� Dodson said.

Although he is quick to point out that he serves “at the pleasure of the board,� Provencio said that the choir’s directors have been enthusiastic in accepting his changes, which point to the future. Another addition to the choir’s operations is an artist

development program. “We’ve got some younger singers at the earliest stages of their career and they’re getting to work on some pretty sophisticated solos,� Provencio said.

Under the program, selected choristers serve essentially as understudies for the professional soloists.

Provencio said this gives these singers experience, and allows the choir to rehearse with the solo parts provided instead of skipping over them. “It’s all part of professionalizing how we do things, and offering more responsibilities to those who are able to take them,� Provencio said.

In Saturday’s concert, the Masterworks Chorale will perform some of the most famous excerpts from what is known as the “Christmas section� of “Messiah,� including the arias “O Thou that Tellest Good Tidings to Zion,� “Every Valley Shall Be Exalted� and “Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion,� and the great choruses “For Unto Us a Child is Born� and “Halleluiah.�

Soloists are soprano Susan Kane, alto Cynthia Jansen, tenor Robert MacNeil and baritone James Martin Schaefer. Featured instrumentalists include Dodson and Meg Wise on organ, and Liz Cervantes and Charlene Sargent on piano.

The choir is also adding to its repertoire with a performance of Randol Alan Bass’ “Gloria,� and two works made famous by Fred Waring and The Pennsylvanians: “The Nutcracker� and “Twas the Night Before Christmas,� both arrangements by Harry Simeone.

The concert will conclude with a Christmas carol sing-along for the audience, choir and orchestra.

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28

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, November 29, 2012

Eye Street

Chilean musician rounds out events CSUB’s Guitar Day plays to fans of the instrument

Guitarist Carlos Perez When: 7 p.m. Saturday Where: Dore Theatre, 9001 Stockdale Highway Admission: Free; and free parking

BY SUSAN SCAFFIDI Contributing writer

C

hilean guitarist Carlos Perez will perform in concert at the Dore Theatre as the final touch to CSUB’s second annual Guitar Day on Saturday.

Guitar students, teachers and enthusiasts will be able to immerse themselves in all things guitar at the event, which begins at 9:30 a.m.

Events include rehearsals for classical guitarists to participate in a late afternoon of student recitals and a performance as the CSUB Guitar Orchestra, performing “Vals” and “Bondens Sang” by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, “Gymnopedie I”

by French composer Erik Satie. Guitarists performing in all genres of music will be able to attend master classes with CSUB faculty Roger Allen Cope and Jim Scully, and Perez himself.

Students who have qualified for the master classes and who show enough ability will be invited to perform in recital.

That concert starts at 4 p.m.

Scully said the event is funded by community sponsors as well as instructional funds, and funding from the university’s First Year Experience program, a grantfunded program designed to assist incoming freshmen.

“Part of what they do includes support-

Guitar Day When: 9:30 a.m. Saturday Where: CSUB, Music Building, 9001 Stockdale Highway Tickets: Registration required. Go to csub.edu/~jscully/guitar/guitarday.html

ing cultural events, so they contacted us and asked if they could help us,” Scully said.

Scully said broad-based activities like Guitar Day are important in encouraging junior high school and high school students to think about college.

“Eighty percent of our students are first generation college students, mostly Hispanic,” Scully said. “Last year 50 of the 60 students who attended Guitar Day were from out of the area — Lindsey and Delano.”

“That goes to our larger mission to bring students to campus to hopefully de-mystify college for students who would otherwise have no opportunity to walk onto a college campus,” Scully said.

The all-day Guitar Day is part of a growing number of guitar-focused activities in

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLOS PEREZ

Chilean classical guitarist Carlos Perez will perform Saturday at CSUB’s Guitar Day.

Kern County, including the university’s Guitar Arts Series, which features performers of national and international stature in concert. While students register and even audition to participate in the daytime activities, Scully stresses that the event is open to the public and all activities, including the evening concert by Perez is free.

Carlos Perez began to earn his international stature when he graduated with top honors from the University of Chile. He spent a decade of his performing career winning major international compositions in South America and Europe, and is regarded as one of the leading classical

guitarists in the world.

“When Perez won the (Spanish composer) Joaquin Rodrigo competition in Spain, Rodrigo’s daughter came up and handed Perez a manuscript of a work by her father that had never been published,” Scully said.

“She left it to Perez to take it, interpret it and perform it.”

Scully said Perez will perform the “Grande Sonate” by Ferdinando Carulli, “Four Pieces Breve pour la guitare” by Frank Martin, the “Fantasy” by Mikhail Vysotksy, and Perez’s own transcriptions of the Cello Suite, BWV 1009 by J. S. Bach, and “Four Pieces” by Ernesto Nazareth.

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Eye Street MANILOW: CONTINUED FROM 20

new holiday song after so many have become established classics?

I got one that they keep going for, and it’s called “Christmas Is Just Around The Corner,” off the “In The Swing Of Christmas” album and they’ve played it a lot over the past four years. It is irresistible, and I think Bruce Sussman and I just nailed it. Bruce wrote a great lyric and I wrote one of those really catchy, commercial melodies. And the Christmas kinds of things are the only way you can get a song like that on the radio. Otherwise, it becomes old-fashioned. But you can get a song like that on the radio in the Christmas style.

“Christmas Around The Corner,” “Because It’s Christmas” and “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve.” Those are three that they play that are my originals, but you only get a month of play, and it takes a long time for those songs to become classics. That’s why “Jingle Bells” is such a classic — it’s a billion years old.

Do you have any backstage rituals to prepare for your show?

I always put my clothes on and try and look my best. Then, before I got onstage, I do get together with the band. We don’t hold hands and sing “Kumbaya” but we do get together in a room and just talk or have a CD player blasting. I think it’s important for us to become a group and walk together down the hallway up to the stage. For me, I really need to feel all of us are together.

How do you pick a set list with such an extensive discography?

Every tour I’ve done, I always sit down

Adam Carolla & Dr Drew’s Loveline Tour Friday December 7th

and take a look at my life and say, “OK, what do I want to say? For this show, what do I want them to walk out feeling, remembering or understanding?” It used to be based on the latest album. The whole evening would be based on that. Every time I go out, I always try to figure out what the angle is to this year. So, this year I see what the audiences want. They want the songs that they grew up with. They want to hear these songs they love that I’ve done, and I’m happy to do it. It’s not a greatest hits show, but it includes more of the hits than I’ve ever done.

What kind of projects do you have lined up for the future?

I’ve got an idea for the next album, but it’s taking me a long time. It may be in the style of an album I made years ago called “Paradise Cafe.” It was my first jazz album.

So, I’m kind of toying around with that style, then I’ve got this Broadway musical that I’ve been trying to mount for years now, that looks good for this (upcoming) year. So, we’ll all cross our fingers for that.

It’s called “Harmony.”

Have you ever thought about recording a Manilow country album?

I think it would be a little crazy. For a guy like me from Brooklyn, are you kidding? I think the country audience would throw me off the stage, but I did do a cover of Garth Brooks’ “If Tomorrow Never Comes.”

I did my pop version of it, slowed it down, and added a backbeat to it. When I do it, the public loves it. It’s a country record, but I did it my style, which goes to prove that if it’s a good song, it will work in any style, arrangement or take on it.

Bob Weir with Special Guest Jackie Greene Sunday December 9th

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Saturday December 15th

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29

30

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, November 29, 2012

Eye Street

Howser quietly retires from ‘California’s Gold’

BY SCOTT COLLINS Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — He was so good at talking to people on TV that “The Simpsons” gently mocked his folksy, aw-shucks demeanor. But now it looks as if Huell Howser intends to fade away without comment.

Howser, the white-maned public TV host with the Southern accent who’s famed for blurting out “That’s amazing!” during interviews, has retired from making original episodes of his program “California’s Gold,” which travels around the state tracking down interesting people and places. The shows air on numerous California public TV stations.

Speculation that the 67-year-old Howser is seriously ill has been circulating among local TV industry veterans in recent weeks, and insiders reported that he has not been seen for months at his Los Angeles office.

On Tuesday The Sacramento Bee reported that Howser was retiring but added that he doesn’t wish to make an official announcement.

“Huell is retiring from filming new shows or making appearances (or interviews) but the show will continue to air in reruns for awhile,” Ryan Morris, Howser’s assistant, wrote in an e-mail to the Los Angeles Times. “We have been gradually winding down all year but Huell has decided to stop, come Dec. 31.”

As for the talk about Howser’s ill health, Morris added: “I have heard the rumors and while Huell does not always tell me everything, he seems to be doing fine. He is just trying to get away from television and enjoy some free time.”

Howser arrived at his unique local celebrity through fate and his own industriousness. A Tennessee native, he worked as a features reporter for the station now known as KCBS in L.A. During the 1980s he

NO CHASER: CONTINUED FROM 25

Today’s Straight No Chaser has its roots in an a cappella group of the same name at University of Indiana in Bloomington.

Several of the singers in the group today were in the inaugural edition of Straight No Chaser at that university.

They expected graduation would mean the end of their a cappella days together.

But then a decision by the University of Indiana to have a 10-year reunion of the original Straight No Chaser in 2006 helped change that.

To mark the occasion, Stine posted a video on YouTube of a 1998 concert that included the vocal group’s wacky rendition of “The 12 Days Of Christmas.”

Soon after, former members of the group had a record deal.

Because of the success of the “12 Days Of Christmas” video, Atlantic had Straight No Chaser debut with a Christmas album, “Holiday Spirits,” in 2008. The CD featured the group’s vocally inventive versions of Christmas classics like “The Christmas Song,” “Carol of the Bells” and “The 12 Days Of Christmas.”

In the fall of 2009, the group released a

switched to making documentaries and interview programs about California, punctuated by his homespun enthusiasms (“Oh my gosh!” is one frequently heard interjection).

He kept the costs low, Howser producing the programs himself with a small staff.

He has no agent or publicist and likes to keep the production techniques primitive to avoid rattling his subjects: “If you have a sound guy with a big boom mike it’s intimidating as hell,” he told The Times in 2009.

But the past few years have proven difficult for Howser. KCET left PBS after a bitter dispute with the network, and Howser, who preferred to keep good relations with everyone, was trapped in the middle, privately unhappy with KCET’s move but determined to remain supportive of the station he’d called his home base for years.

A KCET spokeswoman did not answer an email seeking comment Tuesday.

Nevertheless, the sizable legion of Howser fans ensures a legacy that will remain for years.

“No one said ‘Wow!’ like Huell Howser — everything about California turned him into a kid on Christmas morning,” said Martin Kaplan, the Norman Lear chair in Entertainment, Media and Society at USC. “He was about as far from irony as you can get. He made corny cool.”

“Simpsons” co-creator Matt Groening is a longtime fan, so much so that in 2005 the animated series mocked him with a character thinly veiled as Howell Huser.

“Everyone at ‘The Simpsons’ does a Huell Howser impression,” Groening told The Times in 2009. “We all love him. I have on my permanent do-not-delete TiVo Huell’s visit to the Bunny Museum.”

holiday sequel, “Christmas Cheers.” Sandwiched between those CDs was the “Six Pack EP,” which served as something of a teaser for the first full-length pop CD, “With a Twist,” which arrived in 2010.

Now “Six Pack: Volume II” figures to further establish that Straight No Chaser’s main priority is not Christmas music but recasting pop songs into its own unique style of a cappella, which in addition to layered vocals, often features bass lines and beats, created vocally by Tyler Trepp, Seggie Isho and Dave Roberts, with occasional contributions from Stine and Walter Chase.

The group’s other five members are Ryan Ahlwardt, Jerome Collins, Michael Luginbill, Charlie Mechling and Don Nottingham.

Fans can expect to see Straight No Chaser perform songs from across its career.

The group has also been at work on a new full-length CD, but it is technically still touring behind “Six Pack: Volume II.” “We’ve got the classic songs that we’ve always done that people kind of expect, and we always want to make sure we play what they are hoping to hear,” Stine said.

Page 31

Bazaars & Crafts

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, November 29, 2012

Bazaars & Crafts

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32

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, November 29, 2012

Eye Street Go & Do Today Light Up a Life, tree lighting ceremony, 5:30 p.m., Circle Park, Kernville. Individual light sponsors are invited to make a minimum donation of $10 in the name of their loved one. 410-1010.

November Classic Series, see “West Side Story,” 7 p.m., Maya Cinemas, 1000 California Ave. $6.

636-0484.

South High School’s sixth annual Rebel Talent Show, 7 p.m., South High School, PAC, 1101 Planz Road. $5 pre-sale; $7 at the door. 831-3680, ext. 851.

Visit with Santa, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, Valley Plaza Mall, in JC Penney’s court, 2701 Ming Ave. 832-2436.

Open House Commemorating World AIDS Day, noon to 2 p.m., Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, 615 California Ave. Free.

Search for Kern County AIDS Advisory Board on Facebook.

Bingo, warmups start at 5 p.m., with early birds at 6 p.m., regular games at 6:30 p.m., Volunteer Center of Kern County, 2801 F St. From $20 buy-in to “the works.”

395-9787.

“Christmas Around the World,” 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, through Dec. 29 (excludes Dec. 24-25), Timeless Furnishings, 1918 Chester Ave. $8; $7 seniors; $5 children; 5 and under are free; or $20 family of four. 326-0222.

“Season of Light,” 7:30 p.m., Bakersfield College, Planetarium, Math and Science Building, room 112, 1801 Panorama Drive. 3954326. Event is sold out.

Friday 10th annual Holiday Lights at CALM (see story on Page 21) “Santa’s Secret Workshop,” for 7 and up, paint holiday gifts, pizza, games, and a classic holiday movie, 6 to 9 p.m., Color Me Mine at The Marketplace, 9000 Ming Ave. $40; $36 additional siblings. bakersfield.colormemine.com or 664-7366.

Candle Stroll, Caroling & Live Nativity, caroling led by Kern Valley Sweet Adelines, live Nativity is performed by Mt. View Baptist Church of Lake Isabella, 6 p.m., Circle Park, Kernville. Free. 760376-2629.

Condors vs. Alaska Aces, first 2,000 fans 5 and older will receive a poster of NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, 7 p.m., Rabobank Arena, 1001 Truxtun Ave. $8-$30. Tickets: Rabobank box office, bakersfieldcondors.com or 324-7825.

Edens Edge, 7 p.m., Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, 2800 Buck Owens Blvd. $11.50-$17.50. vallitix.com or 322-5200.

Enchanted Forest: We Need a Little Christmas, benefitting Kern County firefighters: dinner, entertainment, silent auction, bring an unwrapped toy, 6 p.m., Seven Oaks Country Club, 2000 Grand Lakes Ave. $140. 204-7799.

FLICS International Cinema Society, presents “Sound of Noise,” 7:30 p.m., Bakersfield Fox Theater, 2001 H St. $5. flics.org or call 428-0354.

Paleo Digs at The Ernst Quarries, eight hours of hunting per day, keep all teeth and fossils (some exceptions apply), Friday through Sunday, Buena Vista Museum of Natural History, 2018 Chester Ave. $85 single day; $160 two-day; $225 three-day. Attendees must be museum members.

324-6350.

Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes Signing Event, sign cards to be delivered for service members, 2 to 7 p.m., Valley Plaza Mall, 2701 Ming Ave. Winter Playground, ice skating, Santa Claus, face painting and craft room, 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, San Joaquin Community Hospital Ice Center of Bakersfield, 1325 Q St. $11. 852-7404.

Saturday 80th anniversary performance of Handel’s “Messiah” (see story on Page 27) Craig Morgan (see story on Page 22) CSUB Guitar Day (see story on Page 28) “A Mountain Holiday,” featuring live DJ, parade, vendors, treasure hunt, raffle prizes and more, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce, 3717 Mt. Pinos Way in Frazier Park. Free. 245-1212 or mymountainchamber.com.

“Paint With Santa,” decorate cookies, make a keepsake hand print plate, decorate an ornament, 10 a.m. to noon, Color Me Mine at The Marketplace, 9000 Ming Ave. $35. 664-7366.

Annual Pancake Breakfast, with eggs, sausage, juice, coffee, 8 a.m. to noon, Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired, 1124 Baker St. $6 adults; $3 children under 12. 322-5234.

Christmas Bazaar Craft Show, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Kern County Fairgrounds, Harvest Hall, 1142 S. P St. Entrance at Gate 40. Free. 5491201.

Christmas Wreath Design Class, 10 a.m. to noon, Log Cabin Florist, 800 19th St. $75. 3278646.

Craft Fair & Sale, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., City Trends, 314 Chester Ave. CSUB Men’s Basketball, vs. UTSan Antonio, 7 p.m., Rabobank Arena, 1001 Truxtun Ave. $5-$20. gorunners.com or 654-BLUE. Electronic waste recycling event, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., SPCA, 3000 Gibson St. Free. Email nlagness@yahoo.com or 8734011.

Family Day, 10 a.m., Buena Vista Museum of Natural History, 2018 Chester Ave. Admission for two adults and up to six children, $20.

324-6350.

Fifth annual Holiday Craft Boutique, benefitting the 2013 Relay for Life; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center, parking lot, 6501 Truxtun Ave. 862-8518.

Fossils of the McKittrick, Maricopa & Rancho La Brea Tar Seeps, presentation by geologist Tim Elam, 3 p.m., Buena Vista Museum of Natural History, 2018 Chester Ave. $7 adults; free for museum members. 324-6350.

Fourth annual Christmas Shop Hop, music, raffles, refreshments, entertainment, 5 to 8 p.m., Circle Park, Kernville. Free. 760-3762629.

Garden Project Community Meeting, learn how to plant your own vegetable garden, 10 a.m. to noon, St. Luke Anglican Church, 2730 Mall View Road. 332-3204.

Holiday Lamplight Tours (see story on Page 23) Nebraska Huskers vs. Wisconsin Badgers, the Big Ten championship game, kick-off at 5:15 p.m., Goose Loonies, 816 18th St. All fans welcome.

Just for Kids, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Buena Vista Museum of Natural History, 2018 Chester Ave. $7 adults; $5 students with ID, seniors; $4 for children under 18; free for members and children 5 and under. 324-6350.

Magic of Christmas Bazaar, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Stockdale Moose Lodge, 905 S. Stine Road. 5995505.

Mayor’s Freeway Cleanup, meets prior to 9 a.m., Park & Ride lot on Stockdale Highway, west of Oak Street. Group will travel by bus/van to various cleanup locations. 326-3770.

New Life Christian School’s Holiday Craft Fair, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., New Life Christian School, 4201 Stine Road. Free; interested vendors pay for space, to participate call 831-6252.

Optimal Hospice Foundation Light Up A Life, 11 a.m., The Lodge at Painted Rock, 2908 Pearl Harbor Drive, Lake Isabella. 7168000.

Pawtiques & Treasures Sale, holiday gifts, furniture, home décor, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, SPCA, 3000 Gibson St. 323-8353.

Pet adoptions: cats, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Petco, 8220 Rosedale Highway. $65, includes spay/neuter, vaccines and leukemia testing.

327-4706; pets from Shafter Animal Shelter, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., PetSmart, 4100 Ming Ave. $55 includes spay/neuter and vaccines. 746-2140.

Santa Breakfast, sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10859 Rosedale & Ladies Auxiliary; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., NOR Greenacres Community Center, 2014 Calloway Drive. $5. Bring camera for photo with Santa. 5885865.

Sierra Club-Buena Vista Group Breakfast Program, with Lynne Plambeck, board member of Newhall County Water District, discussing water issues, 9 a.m., Manuel’s Casa De Mariscos, 700 Truxtun Ave. $11. 833-1187 or 2032619.

Straight No Chaser (see story on Page 25) The Whammy (see story on Page 26) Tree Lighting Ceremony, with music by CSUB Jazz Ensemble, 6:30 p.m., Veteran Hall, 400 Norris Road. Free. 392-2000.

Used Book Sale, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center, 6501 Truxtun Ave. Books: hardbacks, $2; paperbacks, 50 cents. 862-7145.

World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil, 7 p.m., Liberty Bell, 1415 Truxtun Ave. 742-3611 or email audrey1bap@yahoo.com.

Farmers markets: 8 a.m. to noon, next to Golden State Mall, 3201 F St.; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, Brimhall Square, 9500 Brimhall Road; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, Allen and Hageman roads; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, Kaiser Permanente, 8800 Ming Ave.

Sunday “Crafting For A Cure” Holiday Craft Fair, with more than 40 vendors, raffles, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., East Bakersfield Veterans Hall, 2101 Ridge Road. Free. 321-2243.

“The All-American Boys Chorus,” presented by Bakersfield Community Concert Association, 3 p.m., Rabobank Theater, 1001 Truxtun Ave. $80 for six remaining concerts. bakersfieldcca.org or 205-8522 or 589-2478.

Bakersfield Friends of Wine Winterfest 2012, food and fine wines in a casual atmosphere, 11 a.m., Cafe Med, 4809 Stockdale Highway. $35. Reservations must be made in advance, call 871-6463 or 871-6830.

Bakersfield Raider Nation Club, come out and watch the games, 10 a.m., Round Table Pizza, 2060 White Lane.

CSUB Concert Band, Christmas concert, 3 p.m., CSUB, Doré Theatre, 9001 Stockdale Highway. $10; $5 students; CSUB students with ID are free. 654-2848.

Optimal Hospice Foundation Light Up A Life, 4:30 p.m., Kelcy’s, 110 W. Tehachapi Blvd., Tehachapi. 716-8000.

THEATER “A Day in the Death of Joe Egg,” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, The Empty Space, 706 Oak St. $15 general; $10 students/seniors. 327PLAY. “A Rosie Holiday,” 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, Stars Dinner Theatre, 1931 Chester Ave. $52-$57, $37 for students; show only: $37, $22 for students;

matinee: $47-$52, $37 for show.

325-6100.

“Dude, Where’s My Sleigh?” presented by Omnipresent Puppet Theatre; 10 a.m. Saturday, Gaslight Melodrama Theatre & Music Hall, 12748 Jomani Drive. $6. 587-3377.

“Gaslight Holiday Extravaganza,” 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, Gaslight Melodrama Theatre & Music Hall, 12748 Jomani Drive. $12 to $23. 587-3377.

Improv Comedy Show, with Center For Improv Advancement, 8 p.m. Fridays, JC’s Place, 1901 Chester Ave. $5. 322-8209.

ART Art classes, in drawing, watercolor, oils, color theory, for beginners and advanced, Bakersfield Art Association Art Center, 1817 Eye St. 869-2320.

Art for Healing program, classes that alleviate stress, resulting from illness, or grief. Classes are free but some suggest a donation and are held at Mercy Hospital, Truxtun Campus, Truxtun and A streets. mercybakersfield.org/art or 632-5357.

Art in the Afternoon, children and parents can enjoy developing creativity through different art techniques, 4 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Beale Library, Arkelian children’s room, 701 Truxtun Ave. 868-0770.

Artwork on display, “West II” by Clayton Rippey, now through December, Cezanne Gallery, 420 H St. Free. 325-1336.

Stained glass classes, six-week class, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursdays, Juliana’s Art Studio & Gallery, 501 18th St. 327-7507.

The Art Shop Club, a quiet place to paint, 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, The Art Shop, 1221 20th St. All mediums.

New members and guests welcome. facebook.com/pages/artshop-club or 322-0544, 832-8845.

MUSIC Acoustic O'Henning's Bar, 1312 Airport Dr., 345-3048; Jimmy J: Rock the Sierra's to the Pacific Tour, with guest guitarist Ron Brem, 4 to 8 p.m.

Saturday.

Fiddlers Crossing, 206 E. F St., Tehachapi, 823-9994; Gary Mazzola & Friends, 7 p.m. Saturday. $15.

Blues KRBS Open Blues Jam, The Kern River Saloon, 20 Tobias St., Kernville, 760-376-4786; Kern River Blues Society Open Blues Jam, 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday.

Classic rock Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge, 3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139; Really Big Midgetz, 9 p.m. Friday; Blonde Faith, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday; Dub Seeds, 9 p.m. Saturday.

33

Thursday, November 29, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street Comedy Elevation Lounge, 818 Real Road, 325-6864; Improv Tuesday — Live comedy with DJ after party, 9 p.m. Tuesdays.

Country Ethel’s Old Corral, 4310 Alfred Harrell Highway, 873-7613; Token Okies, 7 to 11 p.m. Friday; Road Dawgs, 7 p.m. Saturday.

Sandrini’s, 1918 Eye St., 3228900; Vince Galindo, 9 p.m.

Wednesdays.

Cover The Bistro, 5105 California Ave., 323-3905; Brent Brown, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday.

Dancing Beginner Belly Dance Lessons, 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Mondays, Centre Stage Studio, 1710 Chester Ave. 323-5215. $45 regular session; $65 combo session. bakersfieldbellydance.biz.

DoubleTree Hotel, Club Odyssey, 3100 Camino Del Rio Court, 633-1949; learn Salsa, Cumbia, or West Coast Swing, 4 to 7 p.m. every Sunday. $5 per person, per lesson.

Folklorico Classes, advance dancers/performing group 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays; and beginners, all ages, 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays, Fruitvale-Norris Park, 6221 Norris Road. $22 per month for beginners; $25 per month for advance dancers. 833-8790.

Greenacres Community Center, 2014 Calloway Drive, offers ballroom dance, East Coast swing (jitterbug) and Argentine Tango dance classes; $35, $45 for nonmembers. 322-5765 or 201-2105.

Joaquin Squares, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Rasmussen Center, 115 E. Roberts Lane. $5. 324-1390, 325-3086 or 399-3658.

Laf-A-Lot Dance Club, 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Kern City Town Hall, 1003 Pebble Beach Drive. $10 nonmembers. 324-2231.

Pairs and Spares Dance, with CRS Riders, 7 p.m. Friday, Rasmussen Senior Center, 115 E. Roberts Lane. $7; $9 nonmembers. 399-3575.

Whirlaways Square Dance Club, has workshops every first, third, fourth and fifth Mondays, Park Stockdale Civic Community Center, 205 Rio Bravo Drive. whirlaways.org or 213-3105.

DJ Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge, 3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139; DJ Brian, 7 to 11 p.m. Tuesday.

DoubleTree Hotel, Club Odyssey, 3100 Camino Del Rio Court. 323-7111; live in the mix: old school, ’80s & ’90s music, 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. every Saturday.

Le Corusse Rouge, 4647 White Lane, 834-1611; with DJ Chill in the Mixx, 5 p.m. every Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday.

Rockstarz Party Bar, 7737 Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749; DJ James, 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Free.

‘CALIFORNIAN RADIO’ Join Eye Street Assistant Editor Stefani Dias and entertainment reporter Matt Munoz this morning on “Californian Radio.”

We’ll be giving away tickets to Barry Manilow’s Dec. 7 concert The Bull Shed Bar & Grill, at Hotel Rosedale, 2400 Camino Del Rio Court, 327-0681; with Meg, 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Jazz Cafe Med, 4809 Stockdale Highway, 834-4433; Richie Perez, 7:30 to 11 p.m. Thursdays.

Imbibe Wine & Spirits Merchant, 4140 Truxtun Ave., 633WINE; live music & wine bar with featuring local artist and Jazz Connection, along with 24 wines, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

King Tut, 10606 Hageman Road; live instrumental and vocal jazz, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. each Friday and Saturday. Free.

Le Corusse Rouge, 4647 White Lane, 834-1611; Bakersfield Jazz Workshop, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. every Wednesday.

Que Pasa Mexican Cafe, 2701 Ming Ave., 832-5011; Jazz Invasion, 9 to 10 p.m. every Saturday.

The Nile, Jazz Music, 6 p.m. every Sunday. Cost $10 at 1721 19th St. 364-2620.

Karaoke Banacek’s Lounge, 4601 State Road, 387-9224; 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Fridays.

Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge, 3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139; 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursdays and Sundays.

Best Western, 2620 Buck Owens Blvd., 327-9651; The Junction with host Mac Clanahan, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesdays through Fridays.

Big Daddy Pizza, 6417 Ming Ave., 396-7499; 7 to 10 p.m. every Tuesday; 8 to 11 p.m. every Friday.

Cataldo’s Pizzeria, 4200 New Stine Road, 397-5000; 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Cataldo’s Pizzeria, 6111 Niles St., 363-7200; 6:15 to 10:15 p.m. Tuesdays.

Chateau Lounge, 2100 S. Chester Ave., 835-1550; 9 p.m. every Saturday.

City Slickers, 1001 W. Tehachapi Blvd., 822-4939; 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Corona’s Cantina, 9817 S. Union Ave., 345-8463; 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays.

Don Perico Restaurant, 2660 Oswell St., Suite 133, 871-2001; 7 to 11 p.m. Thursdays.

DoubleTree Hotel, Club Odyssey, 3100 Camino Del Rio Court; 8 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays.

El Torito Restaurant, 4646 Cali-

at Rabobank Arena and rockabilly act The Whammy’s show on Saturday at B. Ryder’s.

The show airs from 9 to 10 a.m. on KERN-AM, 1180. Comments or questions? Just call 842KERN. fornia Ave., 395-3035, Karaoke with Irish Monkey Entertainment, 8 p.m. Saturdays.

Elevation Lounge, 818 Real Road, 325-6864; 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Ellis Island Pizza Co., 3611 Stockdale Highway, 832-0750; karaoke contest, four $25 gift certificates will be given away, 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Ethel’s Old Corral, 4310 Alfred Harrell Highway, 873-7613; 6 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday.

Iron Horse Saloon, 1821 S. Chester Ave., 831-1315; 7 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Julie’s The Branding Iron Saloon, 1807 N. Chester Ave., 6 to 10 p.m. every Friday.

Le Corusse Rouge, 4647 White Lane, 834-1611; A to Z Karaoke, 8 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays.

Lone Oak Inn, 8 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at 10612 Rosedale Highway. 589-0412.

Long Branch Saloon, 907 N. Chester Ave., 399-8484; 8 p.m. every Wednesday.

Magoo’s Pizza, 1129 Olive Drive, 399-7800; 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Magoo’s Pizza, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every Tuesday at 1129 Olive Drive.

399-7800.

Maria Bonita Mexican Restaurant, 10701 Highway 178, 3663261, 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays. All ages.

McMurphy’s Irish Pub & Sports Bar, 14 Monterey St., 8691451; 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesdays.

Pour House, 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 4041 Fruitvale Ave. 589-9300.

Pyrenees Cafe, 601 Sumner, 323-0053; 8 p.m. to midnight Saturdays.

Replay Sports Lounge & Grill, 4500 Buck Owens Blvd., 3243300; 8 p.m. every Wednesday.

Rocket Shop Cafe, 2000 S. Union Ave., 832-4800; 8:30 p.m. to midnight Saturday.

Rockstarz Party Bar, 7737 Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749; 8 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays.

Rocky’s Pizza & Arcade, 2858 Niles St., 873-1900; Joey Zaza’s Karaoke and Stuff, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays.

Round Table Pizza, 2060 White Lane, 836-2700; 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Round Table Pizza, 4200 Gosford Road, 397-1111; 6:30 p.m.

Wednesdays.

Rusty’s Pizza, 5430 Olive Drive, 392-1482; 6:30 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday.

Sports & Spirits, 6633 Ming Ave., 398-7077; 9 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays.

Sports & Spirits, 9 p.m. every Thursday and Saturday at 6633 Ming Ave. 398-7077.

Syndicate Lounge, 1818 Eye St., 327-0070; with Alisa Spencer, 9 p.m. every Wednesday.

Tejon Club, 6 to 10 p.m. every Saturday at 117 El Tejon Ave. 3921747.

The Bull Shed Bar & Grill, at Hotel Rosedale, 2400 Camino Del Rio Court, 327-0681; 7 p.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Junction Lounge, 2620 Buck Owens Blvd., 327-9651; 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

The Old River Monte Carlo, 9750 Taft Highway, 837-0250; 8:30 p.m. every Thursday.

The Playhouse, 2915 Taft Highway; 397-3599; 7 to 10 p.m. Sundays.

The Prime Cut, 9500 Brimhall Road, 831-1413; hosted by Ed Loverr, 9 p.m. to midnight Friday.

The Regent, 2814 Niles St., 8714140; 8:30 p.m. Fridays.

The Wright Place, 2695-G Mount Vernon Ave., 872-8831, 8 p.m. every Thursday.

Tomi’s Cowgirl Cafe, 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, 1440 Weedpatch Highway. 363-5102.

Trouts & The Blackboard Stages, 805 N. Chester Ave., 3996700; 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Latin Que Pasa Mexican Cafe, 9000 Ming Ave., 664-1400; Prisoners of Love, 8 p.m. Thursday.

Tam O’Shanter, 2345 Alta Vista, 324-6774; Versatil, 8:30 p.m. Friday; Thee Los Moonlighterz, 8:30 p.m. Saturday. $5 each night.

Mariachi Camino Real Restaurant, 6 to 9 p.m. every Sunday at 3500 Truxtun Ave. 852-0493.

Music showcase The Prime Cut, 9500 Brimhall Road, 831-1413; featuring local artists, 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays.

Open mic Fiddlers Crossing, 206 E. F St., Tehachapi, 823-9994; 7 p.m.

Wednesdays. $5.

Juliana’s Art Cafe, listen to local performing artists, guitar and saxophone players, 7 to 9 p.m. Fridays, 501 18th St. 327-7507.

On the Rocks, 1517 18th St., 3277625; musicians, spoken word, poets, comedians, 8 p.m. every Wednesday, On the Rocks, 1517 18th St.

Rock KC Steakhouse, 2515 F St., 3229910; Jimmy Gaines, 6 to 10 p.m.

Tuesday to Thursday; with Bobby O, Mike Hall, and Glenda Robles, 8 to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Rockstarz Party Bar, 7737 Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749; live bands, 9 p.m. Thursdays.

Salsa DoubleTree Hotel, Club Odyssey, Club Odyssey, 3100 Camino Del Rio Court, 633-1949; various levels, 3 to 9 p.m. every Sunday. $5 per person, per lesson.

Ska Sandrini’s, 1918 Eye St., 3228900; Mento Buru and DJ Mikey, 9 p.m. Saturday.

Soft rock Juliana’s Art Cafe, 501 18th St. 327-7507, Without A Paddle Band, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Steak and Grape, 4420 Coffee Road, 588-9463; 7 to 10 p.m.

Thursday through Saturday.

Songwriters The Bistro, 5105 California Ave., 323-3905; Brent Brown, 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays.

Trivia night Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge, 3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139; 7 p.m. Tuesdays.

Chuy’s, 2500 New Stine Road, 833-3469; 7 p.m. Tuesdays.

On the Rocks, 1517 18th St., 3277625; 8 to 10 p.m. Monday.

Sandrini’s, 1918 Eye St., 3228900; Trivia Night with Dave Rezac, 10 p.m. Tuesdays.

Variety Golden State Mall, 3201 F St., 872-2037, Joe Loco Duet, 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays.

UPCOMING EVENTS Monday 12/3 Christmas Wreath Design Class, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Log Cabin Florist, 800 19th St. $75.

327-8646.

Senior Discovery Days, seniors 60 and older receive 50 percent off admission, CALM, 10500 Alfred Harrell Highway. 872-2256.

Taft Christmas Parade, begins on the west end of Center Street at 6 p.m. Taft. 765-2165.

Toys for Tots Needed, drop off new, unwrapped toys between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Edward Jones, 3731 Columbus St. 871-0847.

Tuesday 12/4 Kern Audubon Society Holiday Potluck Dinner, with Mary Dufrain discussing “Birds of Tehachapi,” bring a potluck dish, 6:30 p.m., Larry E. Reider Education Center, 2020 K St. Free. 3227470 or kernaudubonsolciety.org.

Wednesday 12/5 Film Club, with Cody Meek, discussing James Bond films, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 4001 California Ave. 631-2575.