Eye Street Entertainment / 5-3-12 by Matt Munoz

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, May 3, 2012

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

Index Cinco de Mayo .......................................... 26 Carlos Mencia .......................................... 27 Arts Alive .................................................. 28 ‘Rocky Horror Show’ ................................ 29 Roy Clark review ...................................... 30 Carrie Underwood/Demi Lovato .............. 32 Winescapes.............................................. 33 Calendar .............................................. 36-37

Growing ... and surviving Relay for Life finds larger site for its 2012 fundraiser BY SYLVIA CARIKER Contributing writer

hen the big hearts in Bakersfield are set on giving, sometimes sheer logistics get in the way. That’s been the case with Relay for Life, the American Cancer Society’s nationwide fundraiser that consistently counts Bakersfield among its top donor cities. Unlike most cities, which hold their events on high school football fields, Bakersfield has needed room to stretch and grow to accommodate the thousands who turn out every year to support cancer research and celebrate the lives of loved ones touched by the disease. But there’s the rub: The $2 million fundraiser is so popular it literally has spilled out of the confines of every one of the sites where it has been held, including the 30-acre sod farm off Taft Highway that hosted Relay last year. So longtime Relay manager Brenda Godbold had her work cut out for her when planning this year’s event, which takes place this weekend on a sprawling property close to Meadows Field. The story behind that move began at Christmas.

Growing and moving Ever on the move, local Relay organizers knew after last May’s event that they needed more space and were hoping for a location north of Bakersfield. Godbold canvassed the area in her car and was curious about a huge empty field. “I spent a couple of weeks trying to find the owner,” she said. “Finally I just stopped, got out of my car, looked at the sign that said The Allen Group and called the number on the sign.” When she received a call back after Christmas, she explained why she wanted to use that property. “The man I spoke to said, and I quote, ‘You don’t have to sell me on it. Let me get with the owners.’ Then he gave me all the names, phone numbers and cell numbers.” Godbold finally connected with the head of the property group, Richard Allen.

ROD THORNBURG / SPECIAL TO THE CALIFORNIAN

Supporters of Relay for Life take the final lap to end the 2011 fundraiser.

RELAY FOR LIFE Partial schedule of events (for a full listing, visit relayforlife.org/bakersfieldca)

Friday 1 p.m.: Stage setup and bannering 6 to 9 p.m.: Fatt Katt & Von Zippers (music) 10 p.m.: Track closes

Saturday 6 a.m.: Track opens 7 a.m.: Registration opens 7:30 a.m.: Parade of teams 8:30 a.m.: Opening ceremonies 9 a.m.: Survivor lap begins, followed by caregivers lap 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Vanity Avenue (music) Noon: Lunch Noon to 1:30 p.m.: The Avia-

“When he called back he said he would be happy to help and told me, ‘Just let me know what you need me to do.’” Goldbold said there was never a negotiation; the land was a gift. “In the history of this event, we’ve never had that. This site is

tors (music) 2 to 3:30 p.m.: Members Only (music) 3:30 to 5 p.m.: Airband competition 4 to 5:30 p.m.: Vowed to One (music) 5 p.m.: Dinner 6:30 to 8:15 p.m.: Thee Majestics (music) 7 to 8 p.m.: Banshees in the Kitchen (music) 8:30 to 9:15 p.m.: Luminar ceremony 9:30 to midnight: Soulajar (music)

Sunday Midnight to 6 a.m.: Various all-night activities 6 to 8 a.m.: Breakfast 8:45 a.m.: Closing ceremonies 9 a.m.: Final lap

better than (any) we’ve ever had because it’s free.” What was a dusty field four months ago is now green, thanks to the hard work of Godbold and Diane Duran from the Chevron Relay team. Working with professionals from Rain for Rent, Ken

Small Industries, Sturgeon and Sons and Destefani Farms, a plan was developed and implemented. “We were looking for guidance and got far more than we ever expected,” said Godbold. “We’ve got 200 acres to work with and we’re going to use every piece of it.”

Traffic in, traffic out Traffic flow last year was, for lack of a better word, a nightmare. CHP officer Robert Rodriguez remembers it well. “We started getting calls about the traffic on Old River Road almost too late to be of help. We had to take units off the road to manage the situation.” This year the Relay committee contacted the CHP for help in keeping traffic flowing freely. The plan calls for all parking to be on site, and 12,000 parking spaces have been allotted. Rodriguez hopes everyone will take advantage of the space. “We’re hoping no one parks on the adjoining lots,” he said. “That would create a safety hazard crossing the roads on foot.” There will be temporary stop signs and signage to point the way to the parking areas and CHP officers on hand. “Especially during the heavy

(traffic) times,” Rodriguez said. “We have eight officers dedicated to the event. Merle Haggard Drive will be backed up, but we’re gonna have a lot of traffic from Airport Drive, too. Our job is to make sure that it’s a smooth flow into the parking area.” The CHP contracted with Relay for Life for the event, so officers will be paid from the Relay budget. The easiest way to the site is north on Highway 99 to the Highway 65 exit and east on Merle Haggard Drive. Once past the airport terminal, the Relay parking gates will be just ahead. An alternate route is Airport Drive north to Merle Haggard Drive and then west. The important thing is to start early. Godbold advised cancer survivors hoping to take part in the Survivor Lap at 9 a.m. to plan to be on site by 7 a.m. “Better yet, stay overnight in your campsite area if you’re on a team because we’ll have security overnight,” she said. Already more than 400 registered teams and nearly 7,000 participants are signed up to reach the 2012 goal of $2.2 million, though, as Godbold said: “Our goal is always to raise one dollar more than last year.”

Thursday, May 3, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street

Bakersfields, here they come Meet riders who will tour U.S. cities by that name BY TERESA ADAMO Contributing writer

all it mobile art, an ode to the open road or paying homage to Americana. Head downtown Friday for an exhibit of five vintage BMW “airhead” motorcycles bound for a 6,500-mile, cross-country adventure known as “Bakersfield to Bakersfield.” During the First Friday event, the bikes — and their riders, Jorgé Gonzalez and his brother, Julio; Ryan Smith; Jose Lopez; and photographer Felix Adamo — will be stationed at Dagny’s Coffee Co. at 20th and Eye streets, the site where a casual quip about checking out the other three “Bakersfields” is now a revved-up reality. “We talked about it for about a month, wondering what the other Bakersfield towns might be like; what if we rode to all of them? Could we ride to all of them?” Jorge Gonzalez said. “It all started more like a joke — then we just said, ‘Let’s just do it, let’s really go.”

Wheels in motion On June 23, the group will depart from the iconic Bakersfield Arch sign, near Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace on Sillect Avenue. Until then, the wheels are in

FELIX ADAMO / THE CALIFORNIAN

A motorcycle exhibit featuring these four classic BMW motorcycles (plus one more) will be on display for First Friday at Dagny’s Coffee Co. downtown. The five motorcyclists on the Bakersfield-to-Bakersfield ride will be present to answer questions and talk all things Bakersfield. Three of the riders are, from left: Jose Lopez, Julio Gonzalez and Jorge Gonzalez.

First Friday at Dagny’s “Bakersfield to Bakersfield,” motorcycle exhibit, 5 to 8 p.m. Iva Fendrick, art reception, 6 to 8 p.m. Dagny’s, 1600 20th St.

motion for trip preparation and promotion, including the artistic display of the 1970s-era motorcycles at First Friday. The term “air-

head” refers to traditional German BMW motorcycles with flattwin, air-cooled engines, last built in 1995. For the First Friday display, the Bakersfield-to-Bakersfield cycles will be packed with the actual travel and camping gear needed for the adventure. The riders will be on hand to answer questions, talk motorcycles and discuss all things Bakersfield. While coast-to-coast road trips

aboard motorcycles are nothing new, this one certainly has its share of unique factors. Committed to visiting each Bakersfield in the United States, the band of bikers will journey from our fair city limits to those of Bakersfield, Texas; Bakersfield, Mo.; and Bakersfield, Vt. On their way home, they also hope to make a pit stop to the recently opened Bakersfield OTR restaurant in Cincinnati. All the while, they’ll serve as loyal ambassadors

for the city of Bakersfield. Along with Friday’s event, the group is planning a chile verde fundraiser dinner for 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Lengthwise Brewery, 6720 Schirra Court. Admission is $10. For more details, including an itinerary of the trip, go to bakersfieldtobakersfield.com or check out their Facebook page. Teresa Adamo is the wife of Bakersfield-to-Bakersfield rider Felix Adamo, a photographer at The Californian.

Variety spices up First Friday Artwork ranges from scenic to abstract BY STEFANI DIAS Californian assistant lifestyles editor

More First Friday Artist Betty Woollomes is not the retiring type. Page 34

sdias@bakersfield.com

“I

f we all did the same things all the time, it would be pretty boring.” While discussing the local art scene in general, artist Diana CampbellRice’s words could easily apply to this First Friday, which boasts a variety of works from photos of familiar scenes to bold abstracts and soothing watercolors. Taking a zen approach for her show “Enso in Abstract” at The Foundry, Campbell-Rice embraced her theme — enso (circle in Japanese) — and a new medium: acrylics.

“It’s been a journey for my first all-acrylic show. Acrylics for me are fairly new. I’ve been in it about a year, year and a half. I’ve always worked in watercolor. “Anytime you move into a new medium, there is a lot to learn. And you don’t want to put your stuff out there too early. It’s always a little hard the first time out.” The 11 works are a visual riot, including yellow, red and black. Each piece, save one (“Motion”), pairs its colors with another companion piece. “The color palette is in

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DON MARTIN

“Arvin Oil and Ag” by Susan Reep, one of the works on display for her exhibit, “Kern Works,” opening Friday at Farmacy Cafe in the Padre Hotel.

pairs. Couldn’t tell you why that happened. Sometimes the paintings just develop themselves. Abstracts are very, very different.” Although some mystery remains, she mapped out her initial process in a book

she will display at the show. “There’s so much about delivering to a gallery in a professional manner. For me, my process is part of that (notebook) — sketches, notes to myself, names of the pieces, notes on

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANA CAMPBELL RICE

“Industrial Jive” by Diana Campbell-Rice is one of the works in “Enso in Abstract,” which opens Friday at The Foundry.

pieces, a sketch of the gallery itself.” Along with the notebook, Campbell-Rice will have a small body of work — liter-

ally and figuratively — with the eight-piece collection called “Lightside. “It’s small works pieces, Please see RICE / 35

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, May 3, 2012

Eye Street

Young musicians keep mariachi sound alive

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mmunoz@bakersfield.com

ith Cinco de Mayo landing on a Saturday this year, a number of local fiestas will offer Bakersfield more opportunities to celebrate, beginning with the festive sounds of mariachi music at the Sueños de México concert tonight at Ridgeview High School auditorium. After months of preparation, directors and show organizers Jorge Luis Laris and Rob Martens are anxious to showcase their students’ hard work with the rest of community. “We wanted to help the students gain an appreciation for something we take for granted,” said Martens, who teaches band and orchestra at Ridgeview High. “Mariachi music can be seen and heard in Bakersfield all the time ... it’s become something we’ve all gotten used to.” During a rehearsal at the school on Friday, the sounds of violins, trumpets and strings could be heard through the lobby of the auditorium, as an attentive audience of more than 100 students offered applause between takes. At the podium, Laris directed the orchestra of 50 students from the Ridgeview String Ensemble and Concert Band, mixed with members of the Kern County Youth Mariachi Foundation. “Today’s kids grow up with so many new sounds of music and when you’re trying to keep their interest, you always have to try something new to help them grow,” said Laris, who also works as a bilingual instructor at Mira Monte High School and directs the Kern County Youth Mariachi Foundation. According to Laris, who graduated from Ridgeview six years ago, the idea for the collaboration sprouted during a conversation between him and Martens at a Ridgeview football game in the fall. A few minutes into their exchange, the enthusiasm was enough to send them home to lay out plans for the project. “The logistics were a little different for a show of this variety,” said Martens, who added that he and Laris had no problem getting backing from the school district and interest from students to participate. “I’ve always been impressed by the big, strong sound of mariachi.” Bakersfield isn’t the only city to offer successful mariachi music programs for young musicians. Over the years, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Jose have formed their own organizations dedicated to preserving

CASEY CHRISTIE / THE CALIFORNIAN

Elisa Quinonez, left, of the Kern County Youth Mariachi Foundation, Juvenil de Aztlan, plays the violin with other mariachi musicians and the Ridgeview orchestra during a dress rehearsal Friday at Ridgeview.

Sueños de Mexico When: 7 p.m. today Where: Ridgeview High School Auditorium, 8501 Stine Road Admission: Free

the music, as have other states in the Southwest. Originating in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, the musical serenading style has grown in popularity around the world. Today, the traditional mariachi band is a staple at restaurants, weddings and other formal occasions, and not just for those of Latino heritage. “Kern is known for athletics in schools and music like jazz and classical — why not mariachi music?” said Martens. The traditional mariachi group generally consists of trumpets, violins, guitar, vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar), guitarron (a large acoustic bass) and harp. Suited in silver or gold-studded suits called charro, the performers’ most identifiable accessory is the flashy wide-brimmed hat. While some groups average five to six members, larger ensembles can reach up to 13 players or more. Not all of tonight’s participating students will be performing on traditional instrumentation and in flashy outfits, but most have the equivalent instruments to achieve an authentic mariachi sound. “Our bass players found that the traditional mariachi bass lines aren’t what they’re used to. Rather than the standard rock and jazz styles, the beat and rhythms are much different and much more syncopated,” Martens said. Among the evening’s repertoire will

Crystal Palace celebrates Cinco de Mayo Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace will be throwing its first ever Cinco de Mayo party Saturday. Joining Mariachi San Marcos will be Latin ska group Mento Buru, cumbia rockers Velorio and DJ Mikey. Tickets are $10; doors open at 5 p.m.; showtime is 7 p.m. All ages. The Crystal Palace is at 2800 Buck Owens Blvd. For a full list of festivities, turn to page 30

be the classics synonymous with the genre: “Amor Eterno,” “Guadalajara,” “Spanish Eyes” and “La Gruta,” among others. Martens added that one of the few challenges for the project was to find sheet music for students, since most mariachi songs are done from memory and passed down through generations. Enter Laris, who has accumulated an impressive library of transcriptions for his foundation. “There’s a different set of difficulties, like trying to retain the street sound of the music, but the arrangements are correct,” he said. “We’re combining two worlds.” When he’s not directing, Laris can be found performing regularly on vihuela with his family’s group, Mariachi San Marcos of Bakersfield, one of the most popular mariachi bands in the city. In addition to a busy Cinco de Mayo schedule, they also make an appearance at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace on Saturday — as the first mariachi group to take the stage at the venue.

Thursday, May 3, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street

Comedian Mencia is a changed man Stand-up star coming off period of evolution BY MATT MUNOZ Californian staff writer mmunoz@bakersfield.com

omedian Carlos Mencia is a changed man in more ways than one. Not only is he confident he will cause a stir with his new physical appearance — the once cherubic comic has lost 70 pounds — but he’s about to get up close and personal during his new nationwide comedy tour, appropriately titled “See for Yourself,” which stops at the Bakersfield Fox Theater on Saturday. “So many changes have happened to me: spiritually, emotionally, physically onstage, that when people run into me, they ask me so many questions about what kind of a person and performer I am now, that I just say, ‘Come see for yourself.’” If you’re familiar with Mencia’s observational brand of comedy, you already know he’s never treaded lightly around heated topics. Instead, Mencia, 44, believes in exposing what he calls “society’s hypocrisy” and making laughter a healthy part of the American diet. And that state of mind is one of the few things that hasn’t changed following the 2007 end of his Comedy Central series, “Mind of Mencia.” “I don’t even have to write anything anymore when it comes to stuff like politics. My friends and I sit around and talk about that stuff all the time — it’s absolutely ridiculous. All you have to do is check out the latest news headlines, wait for some politician to open his mouth, and there you go.” Mencia, no stranger to Bakersfield audiences, looks forward to returning. “Performing at the Fox in Bakersfield is like performing at a quinceanera in my backyard with all my friends and family. There’s nothing like it. I’ve been performing in Bakersfield for 20-some years. The great thing is, most comedians come there and do a show 45 minutes to an hour long. I’ve never done less than an hour and 45 minutes ever in Bakersfield. I have a relationship with those people. They’re my friends, they’re my fans and I’m just always gonna be there for them.” When asked about his weight loss, Mencia said it was a visit to a bed-ridden friend that changed his life. “An obese friend of mine with diabetes in the hospital saw me and said I looked fat, and if I didn’t change my ways I was headed towards him. I don’t think I was ever as big as he was, but it affected me. So, I started to lose weight, and I said to myself, ‘I feel good.’ Then I started hanging out with my gay friends and they started hitting on me, and I’m like, ‘Wow, I look that good?’ So, then I just kept going.” And the comedian’s metamorphosis wasn’t just physical. “You, know when you lose weight, things change, comedy changes, I’m just trying to find my funny. I was doing a lot of soulsearching, and when you find yourself

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLOS MENCIA

Comedian Carlos Mencia, who will appear at the Fox Theater on May 5, says playing here “is like performing at a quinceanera in my backyard with all my friends and family. There’s nothing like it.”

changing physically, mentally, spiritually going through life as things evolve. You ask yourself, ‘Do I still wanna be the same guy onstage or change as a human being, and do I want my comedy to evolve as well? And if my comedy is going to evolve, then what does that involve?’” Mencia found inspiration to move ahead by looking back to his start, in the ’90s, when he was building an audience. “I love performing in different places for different reasons. I like going to Massachusetts and selling out, because when I was a younger comic, sometimes they would say, ‘Well, we don’t have a Latino community here, and we don’t think you’re going to do well. ... “That being said, if I go to Birmingham, South Carolina, or Arkansas and sell out, the owner of that club is going to be much more apt to letting a comedian like Pablo Francisco perform, or Gabriel Iglesias, or whoever else. I think that’s important as far as legacies are concerned, and to give back to people like Paul Rodriguez, and George Lopez, who opened doors for me.”

Carlos Mencia When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: Bakersfield Fox Theater, 2001 H St. Admission: $34 plus service charge Information: 324-1369 or vallitix.com

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, May 3, 2012

Eye Street Camille Gavin CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

A good time will be had by y’all Legendary Trout’s focus of melodrama

ildale is once again the setting for a musical comedy at the Gaslight Melodrama. Last time around it was a rollicking wedding story, so popular that the theater reprised the production on two other occasions. This time, though, the theater is focusing on a historic Oildale landmark, namely Trout’s, a bar and dance hall on North Chester Avenue. “This show is really a tribute to Bakersfield's rich musical history and The Bakersfield Sound,” said Michael Prince, Gaslight’s artistic director. “Trout’s is the last of California’s honky-tonks and we want to help keep that history alive.” Although the story is pure fiction, the show does suggest the real thing. The setting is the interior of Trout’s and the name of the main character, Rockwell, is the same as the man who currently runs the business. “The real Rockwell has been so gracious with helping put together this show,” Prince said. “From loaning us stuff from Trout’s archives to put on the set, to letting us use his name as well as Trout’s for the show, to giving his time whenever asked to just talk and bounce ideas off of. It’s truly been one of the greatest collaborations we’ve ever had.” Jay Campbell, who has performed with Gaslight before and was a staple of the old Oildale Melodrama, plays the part of Rockwell. To add a contemporary conflict to the story, Trout’s business is suffering, partly due to threats of a character called Big Boss Teague, a land developer who wants to sell Trout’s to the High Speed Railway Commission. Then along comes a former country superstar, now long past her prime, who also happens to be Rockwell’s former “love of a lifetime.” She has been hired, without the owner’s knowledge, by his second-incommand to perform on the Blackboard Stage in hopes of

PHOTO COURTESY OF CROSSROADS GALLERY

Nancy Waldron, watercolorist, will be featuring paintings of eyes like this one at CrossRoads Gallery.

Dethlefson describes it as a “fun introduction to acting.” Each week will focus on a specific theme and the young thespians will also practice for the performance of a show on the final day of the class.

Tehachapi art gallery

PHOTO COURTESY OF GASLIGHT MELODRAMA

Jay Campbell and Shawn Rader star in “Trout’s, The Musical” at Gaslight Melodrama.

returning Trout’s to its former glory.

Pencil drawings exhibit Lewis Leslie, an artist who travels around town on his bicycle, will exhibit his finely detailed pencil drawings Friday and Saturday at Timeless Furnishings. Several days ago he opened his large black portfolio to show me some of his new pictures. Looking at the size of the portfolio, I asked how he manages to carry it from place to place since he has no car. “Oh, it’s easy,” he said. “I just clamp it to my book basket and fasten it with a bungee cord.” Leslie, who’s in his early 60s, earns his living as a gardener. He mows lawns using customers’ equipment. At one time he had about 24 clients, he said, but now has about half that many, so the income he gets from his pictures is welcome. Bakersfield’s older homes are a favorite subject. One he showed

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

me is a charming color rendition of a century-old frame house on 19th Street. In addition to blossoming spring flowers, it features an American flag on the front porch and, on the lawn, a blackand-white cat that looks as if it’s observing the viewer. Leslie likes to do portraits of individuals, using photographs for reference. He often does these on commission for families who want a drawing of an ancestor. On occasion, the artist renders a portrait of a famous person. For example, he recently did one of Winston Churchill, using a picture taken by the internationally famous photographer Josuf Karch. Leslie’s show at Timeless Furnishings includes prints and originals and most are unframed. Prices range from $20 to $200.

Kids’ acting classes Guinevere PH Dethlefson of Tonicism Productions and her team of instructors believe in starting them young. Their sixweek creative dramatics class is designed for children ages 3 to 6. It starts today at The Empty Space.

CrossRoads, a cooperative gallery in Tehachapi, will open its exhibit of artwork with the theme “Time to Play” Friday evening. Four artists, with distinctly different styles and subject matter, will be featured. For example, Nancy Waldron, a watercolor artist, found delight in presenting eyes in unusual ways, including a colorful one outlined with what looks like wads of bubble gum. “I try to keep myself open all the time to new ideas,” Waldron says. “I like to push the envelope, learn new techniques, tackle different subject matter, and experiment with new color. It keeps me fresh, interested and excited about painting.” Also being featured is the artwork of Mary Ann Moore, who chose to do pictures of camels, horses, donkeys and other animals that live at nearby Windswept Ranch and petting zoo; Sandi Thoman, who enjoys painting on unusual surfaces, such as a wooden plate; and Terry Sontag, a landscape specialist.

Rescue Mission statue A dedication ceremony for a statue of Jesus Christ designed and sculpted by Betty Younger was held last Saturday in the garden of the Bakersfield Rescue Mission. “I made it from an 8-foot piece of pipe in my foundry/shop,” Younger said. “I did some of the cutting and all of the prefabrication. However I did have several people help with the welding and

GO & DO Trout’s, The Musical When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Where: Gaslight Melodrama & Music Hall, 12748 Jomani Drive. Admission: $23; $21 seniors; $12 students and children under 12 Information: 587-3377

Creative Dramatics Class When: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. today and every Thursday through June 14 Admission: $125 Information: 861-1314

Lewis Leslie Drawings When: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday Where: Timeless Furnishings, 1918 Chester Ave. Admission: Free Information: 871-9376

‘Time to Play’ When: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday Where: CrossRoads Gallery, 101 E. Tehachapi Blvd., Tehachapi Admission: Free Information: 822-5242

painting.” The piece was done on commission, with some of the funding provided by people from the community, she added. It was completed about four years ago and had its first showing at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Since then, however, it’s been in storage awaiting completion of the Rescue Mission’s new facility. “I’m glad it’s finally in the place it was meant to be,” Younger said.

Thursday, May 3, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street

A fresh take on ‘Rocky’ BCT’s staging of camp classic for adults only

A cause close to their heart Concerts benefit Alzheimer’s group

BY STEFANI DIAS Californian assistant lifestyles editor sdias@bakersfield.com

isneyland and drag. If you think those two don’t have something in common, then you haven’t talked to David Lollar, director of “The Rocky Horror Show,” opening Friday at Bakersfield Community Theatre. “I had the hardest time explaining that to people,” Lollar said. “The main message of ‘Rocky Horror’ is ‘Don’t dream it; be it.’ I had an epiphany last year when celebrating my son’s third birthday at Disneyland. Heading toward Sleeping Beauty’s castle, I heard over the loudspeaker, ‘Whatever you can dream, we can make it happen.’ Disney has the same message (as ‘Rocky’)! “As a high school teacher, that’s what I try to preach. They’re (students) told that you can’t be who you are. Someone needs to tell them it’s OK to be who you are. Your life has meaning, go live it.” Even though Lollar said the message is important for teens, they’ll have to appreciate it from a distance since this an adults-only show. “My kids (at East High) want to come so bad. But I’ve said, ‘It’s 18 or older; you cannot come.’ “We want to make it clear this is an adult show,” he said of the production that lists Exotic Kitty, Deja Vu and the downtown bar The Mint among its sponsors. “... We have a set dressed in a way which requires us to say ‘no one under 18 admitted.’” Despite the colorful set and mature subject matter, Lollar said BCT’s show isn’t racy just for raciness’ sake. “We’re not doing this in any titillating way. It has the costumes, but we’re not trying to distract from it (the show’s message). I’m really grateful my cast understood that.” Headlining is local theater veteran Maceo Davis as sweet transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter. And Davis’ interpretation will have to be seen to be believed, Lollar said. “This is a dream role of his. It’s going to surprise the audience. He is not Tim Curry (who starred in the stage show and 1975 film), but he is amazing. He’s 6’2”, very fit and buff.” The good doctor serves as just one of the updates in the show. “Forty years have passed since the film came out, and contemporary

BY SUSAN SCAFFIDI Contributing writer

PHOTO BY MICHELLE GUERRERO

Kara McDonald as Janet and Brian Purcell as Brad appear in Bakersfield Community Theatre's “The Rocky Horror Show,” which opens Friday.

‘The Rocky Horror Show’ When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; runs through May 26 Where: Bakersfield Community Theatre, 2400 S. Chester Ave. Admission: $15; $12 seniors/students/military Information: 831-8114

times call for a contemporary look. It’s a much more muscular, glamorous and exciting production than the movie. Our Frank brings back the horror to ‘Rocky Horror,’ and our band makes it truly a rock show.” Putting the rock in “Rocky Horror” is The Dead Side — composed of Brandon Lucas, keyboard; Robert Trobaugh, guitar; Marc Smith, bass; Jared Baker, drums; and Stephen Brewer, xylophone and cowbell. Also populating the castle are servants Riff Raff (Brian Brown), Columbia (Amanda Castruita) and Magenta (Deanna Rodgers) along with the doctor’s greatest creation, Rocky (played by Evan Boler).

Lollar effusively praised his cast, including newcomer Brian Purcell and BCT regular Kara McDonald, who play naive lovebirds Brad and Janet. “Brian is brand new. This is his debut. He’s being very courageous (performing in his underwear). Kara has been on the BCT youth board and she’s in adult shows now. She’s doing some really gutsy work.” The director has taken it all in, but few outside the cast and small crew have seen even a sneak peek. “I know what the expectation is (for ‘Rocky Horror’). I’ve been keeping a lot of the rehearsals under wraps. They’re (audiences) going to be surprised. They don’t know what’s coming.” Surprises, thrills and laughs await this weekend, but Lollar hopes theater-goers also walk away with that positive message. “If you can get past the way Richard O’Brien wrote it — past the corsets, the cross dressing, the sexual interplay — what you’re left with is a really positive message. It’s keeping the dream alive.”

COLLEGE-BOUND SENIORS: DEADLINE FRIDAY There is only one day left until the deadline for The Californian’s salute to college-bound seniors. To honor your student, we need: the student’s full name, photo, high school, name of college, submitter’s name and phone number (which will not be published).

Materials must be emailed, dropped off or postmarked by Friday. Photos will not be returned. Email collegebound@bakersfield.com, drop off at The Californian, 1707 Eye St., or mail to College-Bound Seniors, The Bakersfield Californian, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302.

group of homegrown musicians will perform this weekend to raise money and awareness for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions. Brothers and pianists Johnathan and Christopher Smith will be joined by singers Stephanie Bloemhof, Care’n Chato and Jonathan Sandberg in two benefit concerts for the Alzheimer’s Disease Association of Kern County at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Mennonite Brethren Church in Shafter. The Smith brothers perform as a piano duo and have received national recognition for their work in the regional Ellis DuoPiano competition. They’re including their award-winning performance piece, “Kaleidoscope,” in the concert program. Singers Stephanie Bloemhof, Care’n Chato and Jonathan Sandberg will perform selections from the musical theater repertoire, especially music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Bloemhof, a Shafter resident, is wellknown to Kern County audiences for her concert and theater performances; Chato, a Kern County native, holds an MFA degree from UC Irvine and is a performer and teacher in Orange County. Fellow UC Irvine graduate Jonathan Sandberg will join the two sopranos. The ADAKC provides support to the families of people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and similar conditions, by providing adult day care programs, education, support groups and other services. “At our last meeting, the number of people estimated in Kern County who (suffer from Alzheimer’s) is around 1,000,” said Patty Flores, family services coordinator at ADAKC. Among the families affected by the disease is

Concerts to benefit Alzheimer’s Disease Association of Kern County When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday Where: Mennonite Brethren Church, 400 Kern St. in Shafter Admission: Free, though donations to ADAKC accepted

that of performers Johnathan and Christopher Smith, whose grandmother suffers from dementia. In between the two generations is Kathie Smith, the pianists’ mother, who is coordinating the concerts. Kathie Smith said their personal experience with dementia not only inspired the concert but led to a family business, Just Make Sense, that provides a service to improve the quality of life for victims of dementia and their families. “Johnathan created a program for (his grandmother) that enabled her to stay at home two years longer,” Smith said. Called “Relative Peace of Mind,” the program is a memory viewer, also known as an m-viewer, a dynamic list of events projected on a screen or wall to remind the family member of appointments, calls, visits, directions and other information likely to be forgotten. “It’s basically like a giant message board,” Smith said. “Dementia sufferers are always trying to remember and when they don’t, they become agitated, even paranoid.” “For people who are just beginning to discover they have memory issues, this helps them and allows them to stay in their homes longer,” said Ellen Renner, executive director of Rosewood Senior Living Community in Bakersfield. Renner said Rosewood Gardens is piloting the mviewer. “(Residents) are calling it their executive assistant,” Renner said. “It’s always available to them on a TV screen, a flat screen or on the wall.”

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, May 3, 2012

Eye Street The Lowdown with Matt Munoz

A step slower, but he’s still got it “Thank God and Greyhound” and “Yesterday, When I Was Young” — it was all a big love fest. There was no reason to be overly critical at this point. It was all about enjoying some time with good ol’ Roy Clark. For the show’s big closer, Clark stood up, took a jab at Charlie Daniels with fiddle in hand and blazed impressively through “Orange Blossom Special,” bringing the crowd to its feet for a standing ovation. And with one big final bow, no encore, he made his exit, leaving us all to wonder why this show hadn’t happened back in, say, the ’90s?

At 79, Clark knows wit, charm go a long way

here was a lot to “Hee Haw” about at the Crystal Palace when Roy Clark took the stage Tuesday night. “Hey, Buck, guess who showed up?” said KUZZ radio jock Chris Connor, looking up just before the band kicked in to the obligatory country intro. The 79-year-old country performer entered the Crystal Palace waving to the near-capacity crowd as he gleamed with that shiny man-in-the-moon smile of his. He walked slowly up to the mic as the audience — a mix of old-timers and middle-aged fans — applauded politely as if welcoming a long lost brother. This was Clark’s Palace debut and his first visit back to Bakersfield since 1977, so anticipation was high leading up to the show. I’m not going to lie: As the band jumped into the hillbilly pop standard “Alabama Jubilee,” Clark’s appearance had me just a little worried. Maybe I’d spent far too much time watching YouTube videos of Clark in his prime, but the man I saw before me had me doubting. But in no time at all, my skepticism was dispelled by Clark’s sheer showmanship. Just as self-effacing as he was on “Hee Haw,” Clark kicked off the show joking about his hipreplacement surgery and medication deliveries. We all laughed along, and not just out of respect. He may not be fast on his feet, but when a guy his age can talk that openly about the hallucinogenic power of capsules that cause you to speak in foreign lan-

Festival of Beers another success

HENRY A. BARRIOS / THE CALIFORNIAN

Roy Clark plays and speaks to his fans during a show at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace Tuesday night.

guages, how can you not love the guy? Following up the banter with one of his classic singles, “Love Takes Two,” Clark filled in the breaks with various words of wisdom like an old sage, before segueing into a cover of “What a Wonderful World.” His performance, similar to Louis Armstrong’s original, was perfectly matched with grandfatherly warmth, causing a wave of loving embraces throughout the room. The show continued in much the same classic country theater style: song here, story there, along with a couple wisecracks. Clark’s lightning licks were sparse, but thankfully his back-up band was more than up to the task. Follow-

ing a few short intros, mandolin and fiddle player Justin David took over as one of the evening’s emcees and so began an energetic cutting session between various members. As Merle Haggard has done over the years with the Strangers, Clark has assembled a show-stopping group of talents to keep the pickin’ and grinnin’ going. There was a string of covers, including “Ring of Fire,” “Man of Constant Sorrow,” along with “Ghostriders in the Sky,” and always more onstage jokes at the expense of no one’s feelings. To be honest, there were no low points in the show. Between the band keeping the momentum flowing and the presentation of his most recognized hits —

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.

If proof was necessary that Bakersfield loves a good party, it was produced in abundance at Saturday’s 20th Annual Active 2030 Club Festival of Beers at Stramler Park. Almost two hours before the event gates were scheduled to open, the line snaked through the venue parking lot as eager attendees applied sunscreen. Once the festivities began, it was a four-hour romp perfectly suited for Bakersfield. According to festival chairman Blake Palla, attendance was slightly up from last year at more than 2,000 with no problems to report other than the occasional misfit. “Things went great — no real snags,” he said. “We tried a lot of new things this year: electronic scanners for tickets, recycling the bottles and having Special Olympics cater the food. The recycling went well for our first year attempt at going green. I think there’s a few changes we can make for next year that will make it go a lot smoother, and all of the feedback regarding food was positive.” On the outdoor stage, local Latin rockers Velorio launched into a cumbiafied set of originals and covers before ’80s tribute band Members Only had everyone doing the “Carlton” dance. Then came reggae rockers Dub

PHOTO BY JEREMY GONZALEZ

Chris Taylor of the Bakersfield reggae band Dub Seeds performs at Saturday’s Festival of Beers at Stramler Park.

Seeds, who kept attendees in a mellow mood during the event’s final minutes. Our Bakotopia booth was another hit, thanks in part to music from DJ Mikey, plus local artists Christina Sweet and Jesus Fidel, who helped decorate our area with popular pieces from The Foundry art gallery. To see photos from the event, visit Bakotopia.com. War headlines Latin Food Fest Tickets are on sale for the 14th annual Latino Food Festival and Menudo Cook-Off June 3 at the Kern County Fairgrounds. Part food competition and family affair, every year the event attracts thousands to bask in the sun to cheer on their favorite chefs. One of the big draws is always the music. Headlining this year’s entertainment will be legendary funk band War, along with my band, Mento Buru, Southern California dance bands Hind Site, The Company Band, and Bakersfield’s Mariachi San Marcos. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the gate. For information on tickets or to sign up for the competition, call the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at 633-5495, or visit kchcc.org.

Thursday, May 3, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street “It’s not just about a department or an institution, it's about the idea that the arts are central to how we understand ourselves as a community, so it is important that we nurture our local culture from its very earliest stages.” — Kris Tiner

How’s BC music unit faring? Just listen Concert will feature entire instrumental department BY SUSAN SCAFFIDI Contributing writer

akersfield College instrumental music students will perform their final concert this evening, not only to show off what they’ve learned, but to remind people that the BC music program is worth supporting. The Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band and Drum Line will all perform at the concert, which will be held at the stage in the college’s campus center, near the cafeteria at 7 p.m. The program includes traditional marches by William Walton and John Philip Sousa, a tribute to the music of film and television composer Henry Mancini, plus arrangements of pop music favorites, as well as some essential charts, including Benny Golson’s “Killer Joe,” Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma,” and Horace Silver’s “Ecaroh.” Also on the program are three compositions by Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, arranged by Jazz Ensemble director Kris Tiner. Tiner said he and Concert Band director Tim Heasley decided to combine their groups to make an impression. “It’s going to be a critical time for us (next year),” Tiner said. “So one of the things we’re trying to do by putting all of our groups together is to have as large a presence as possible.” Tiner was referring to a double-whammy faced by the college music department (disclosure: the reporter is adjunct faculty in the BC music department). Like all BC academic programs, the music department is facing cutbacks as budgets get tighter; but the music department is also operating without its usual rehearsal and performance space, as the planned remodeling of the Speech-Arts-Music building, which includes the indoor and outdoor theaters and the rehearsal rooms, was halt-

BC Instrumental Music Program Concert Where: BC Collins Campus Center, 1801 Panorama Drive. When: 7 p.m. today Admission: $8; $5 students, seniors and BC staff Information: 395-4404

ed last fall just as work was scheduled to begin. The building has been closed since August, and performance ensembles have been working in whatever space is available. “We’ve been sort of homeless this year,” Tiner said, adding that the instrumental groups have been rehearsing in a large classroom space in the student services building. “It’s an OK space; it’s not a music space,” Tiner said. Tiner said it is customary to take the ensembles off campus to perform in good years as well as tough years, which not only gives the students different experiences, but also raises the profile of the ensembles. “I like to provide a diverse range of performance opportunities to the students, expose them to different types of gigs,” Tiner said. “It’s important to get them out into the community; it becomes part of our outreach.” Tickets, available at the concert, are $8 general admission and $5 for students, seniors and BC staff. Proceeds from the concert will support the BC instrumental music program. “It’s not just about a department or an institution, it’s about the idea that the arts are central to how we understand ourselves as a community, so it is important that we nurture our local culture from its very earliest stages,” Tiner said. “These students are the future performers, creators, music teachers and cultural leaders in our community.”

‘CALIFORNIAN RADIO’ We have a music-packed edition of “Californian Radio” planned this morning. Join Eye Street Editor Jennifer Self and entertainment writer Matt Munoz as they host members of popular Bakersfield band Soulajar. The boys have promised to perform their new country single. Then, Californian columnist Herb Benham will drop in with

his music obsession of the moment, the duo called The Adventures of Rodeo and Juliet. We’ll also give away tickets to two shows Saturday: Carlos Mencia at the Fox, and Cinco de Mayo at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace. Listen for your cue, and call 842-KERN. The show airs from 9 to 10 a.m. on KERN-AM, 1180.

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, May 3, 2012

Eye Street

Experience TNA Wrestling in person BY JOSH BEDINGFIELD Californian staff writer

TNA Wrestling

jbedingfield@bakersfield.com

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Rabobank Arena, 1001 Truxtun Ave. Admission: $20 to $35, plus fee. Ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

akersfield has a long history of successful pro-wrestling live events and on Saturday night Total Non-stop Action Wrestling looks to add its own chapter. The company has held events in Bakersfield in the past at The Dome, but this will be its first at Rabobank Arena and promises to be a big show. The Orlando, Fla.-based company started 10 years ago with the goal of providing a more up-tempo style of wrestling, putting more focus on the in-ring action. Christopher Daniels has been with the company since the beginning and has competed in some of the greatest matches in the company’s history. Daniels has also seen the evolution of the company and feels confident about its current direction. “So far, so good. It is sometimes necessary to change things up and I think we are coming up with some good concepts, such as Open Fight Night.”

Though TNA Impact airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. on Spike TV, as far as Daniels is concerned, the best way to experience TNA is live and in person. “It will be bell-to-bell action with great matches. World champion Bobby Roode will face Jeff Hardy for the title, A.J. Styles will take on Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle and myself and Kazarian will be taking on Samoa Joe and Magnus for the tag team championship.” With a solid card from top to bottom, the show is sure to be action-packed and a great time for everyone. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30. Tickets are still available at the arena box office or through Ticketmaster.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER DANIELS

Christopher Daniels works on putting away an opponent during a Total Nonstop Action Wrestling bout.

Lovato, Underwood to play Rabobank BY MATT MUNOZ Californian staff writer mmunoz@bakersfield.com

Tickets for a July 15 concert at Rabobank Arena by pop singer and former Disney TV princess Demi Lovato go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. Lovato, 19, is in the midst of a successful career comeback following a stint in rehab in 2010 that played out in the tabloids. MTV recently aired “Demi Lovato: Stay Strong,” a candid one-hour documentary in which Lovato invited the audience inside to witness her most private moments during her very public recovery. MTV's cameras followed as Lovato spoke honestly about her experiences and her hopes for the future. The audience also witnessed Lovato’s evolution as an artist as she performed an album full of deeply personal material before sold-out crowds across the country. This week her single “Skyscraper,” off her latest album “Unbroken,” was certified platinum. Meanwhile, her new single “Give Your Heart a Break” is cruising up the Top 40 radio

charts while the music video has reached 10 million-plus YouTube views. Tickets are $29.50 to $69.50, plus service charge. Rabobank box office is located at 1001 Truxtun Ave. For more information call 852-7777 or visit ticketmaster.com.

Carrie Underwood returns Another princess — actually, “queen” might be more accurate — returns to Rabobank Arena after a two-year absence. Carrie Underwood, one of the biggest names in country music, has scheduled an Oct. 18 Bakersfield tour date. Tickets for her show go on sale at 10 a.m. Oct. 18 and are $39.50 to $59.50, plus service charge. The Grammy-winning Underwood has released four full-lengths CDs and has sold more than 14 million albums. Underwood sold out the arena during her last Bakersfield visit. Opening her show will be 2012 ACM new artist of the year nominee Hunter Hayes. Tickets are available at the Rabobank box office.

ZUMA PRESS

Demi Lovato makes an appearance in Los Angeles in 2011.

SUMMER CAMP DIRECTORY AND MORE COMING IN THE CALIFORNIAN Our annual listing of the many ways to keep your children entertained, informed and out from underfoot this summer is coming to Eye Street on Sunday. From day camps to arts opportunities to science exploration and more, there’s something for all children to do in Kern County from May to August. Also coming in The Californian: Saturday: World Book

Night is an opportunity for avid readers to share their passion for books with others who don’t find time to read. Bakersfield got on board this year. Follow a couple of volunteers as they selected beloved books to share. Sunday: Californian columnist Herb Benham has written his annual column on sex (don’t say you haven’t been warned). What got him

thinking about the subject — not that he needs much provocation — is “Fifty Shades of Grey,” a racy new book causing quite a stir. Find out Herb’s take on the novel that many are labeling “mommy porn.” And speaking of hot and spicy, Cal State Bakersfield science professor Roy LaFever will tell us in a column Sunday just how the hotness of peppers is determined.

Come hear great music this evening

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE SAINT-JOHN

Youngsters attend a “Turning Dreams into Goals” summer camp in 2011 in Frazier Park. Read more about summer camps in Sunday’s Californian.

ther than red wine, ice cold champagne and Garrison Keillor telling a story about the Chatterbox Cafe, there is hardly anything better than live music in an intimate setting (read: less than 100 seats). Other than Springsteen, for whom I have a deserved weakness, some of the most memorable concerts I’ve ever seen have featured musicians you have never heard of in settings akin to your living room. This is to say that Chris and Jan Harris are returning to Bakersfield — the Metro Galleries 6:30 p.m. this evening. Their stage names are The Adventures of Rodeo and Juliet and they were here in November. Folk, gospel, country and bluegrass, they can do it all. Jan has a hauntingly beautiful voice and this is not to say that Chris can’t sing either, because he can as well as play a beautiful guitar too. Like last time, we’re going with RSVPing so we know how many chairs to set up. Tickets are $20 and I suggest you bring your own wine. We will provide the glasses. All the money goes to Jan and Chris and to pay Metro Galleries for the space. This is a heartwarming show. I might even get up at the end and sing with them, but if you pay me enough, I can sit down too. — Californian columnist Herb Benham

Thursday, May 3, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street

Meet you for wine next week at BMoA Fundraiser changes things up a little BY CAMILLE GAVIN Contributing writer gavinarts@aol.com

inescapes is still about wine but there won’t be any artistically enhanced magnum-sized bottles at this year’s Bakersfield Museum of Art event. The 2012 party will feature artwork in a more traditional fashion, mainly paintings that reflect the growing of grapes and the wine industry. Vikki Cruz, an innovative artist and teacher who became the museum’s curator about 18 months ago, selected the 15 local artists who were asked to participate. The only requirement was that they do something with a wine theme. “We tried to change things up and make things fresh,” she said. “Bottles, because of their shape, limit what you can do. This way the artists were free to work in their own style in the medium of their choice on a two-dimensional surface.” Cruz gave me a preview of some of the artwork that will be sold by way of both a silent and an oral auction at the May 10 event. Among those that caught my eye was Cindy Stiles’ still life done in acrylics and notable for the manner in which she handled the reflected light. Another was Felix Adamo’s “Cabernet,” a fascinating photograph of a full bottle of red wine being poured by an unseen hand. One of the intriguing things in the photo is a tiny bubble in the liquid which Adamo said, “just happened to be there.” Chris Romanino did a vineyard landscape, row after row of green vines flourishing in the bright sunlight with pink and gray foothills visible in the distance. Opting for a humorous look at imbibing, Nicole Saint-John did “Wine Stories,” a canvas in graphic, comic-book style. And Linda Osburn did “Screaming Eagle 1992,” a dynamic

“Screaming Eagle 1992” an acrylic by Linda Osburn, will be at the Bakersfield Museum of Art's Winescapes fundraiser.

Winescapes When: 6 p.m. May 10 Where: Bakersfield Museum of Art, 1930 R St. Admission: $40 in advance, $50 at the door Information: 323-7219

poster-like piece showing wine bottles and splotches of bright red paint. Winescapes is one of two major fundraiser for the art museum; the other is Via Arte, a sidewalk art festival held in October. The winethemed party was first

FELIX ADAMO / THE CALIFORNIAN

An oil painting titled “Cooking With the Good Stuff” by Cindy Stiles.

introduced about five years and evolved from a successful five-year run of an event called Guys Cooking, said Jason Gutierrez, director of marketing. “Last year we grossed over $25,000,” he said. “And in the four years BMOA has held the event, we have raised almost $100,000 for education programs.” Like previous events, the upcoming party will take place outdoors, in the museum’s shaded gardens. Volunteers assisting Cruz with planning and preparations are Mary Wegis, Napier Hill, Penny Fulton and

Shelia Fry. Wines to be served are from seven different vintners. During the first part of the evening, local disc jockey Jeff Woods will act as auctioneer and will handle the oral bidding. Later, he will provide music. In addition to the paintings, Gutierrez said fancy gift

baskets containing all sorts of enticing items will be part of the silent auction. Several different education programs for children are offered by the art museum throughout the year. Enrollments are being taken now for its annual summer Art Camp, which consists of weekly classes

on specific subjects related to art. It is open to children ages 7 to 12. Classes are held from 8:30 a.m. to noon , Monday through Friday, from June 11 to Aug. 3. For details, contact the museum by phone at 323-7219 or visit its website at bmoa.org.

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, May 3, 2012

Eye Street

Retirement just a beginning Art career flourishes for plein air painter BY CAMILLE GAVIN Contributing writer gavinarts@aol.com

lot of people I know look at retirement not as an end but a beginning. And plein air painter Betty Woollomes is a significant example. “I taught second grade for 25 years and did all kinds of crafts, weaving and other things — there was always something exciting out there,” she says. “But I had always wanted to do watercolor.” So, upon her retirement from teaching, Woollomes became a student at Bakersfield College. “I am so grateful for BC, for the art classes they offered there,” she said. “So many wonderful teachers — Al Davis and others.” Now at age 87 — and still very active — Woollomes will be honored Friday evening at the Art Center with a reception opening a retrospective exhibit of her work, covering a period of about 20 years. It includes some recent work, and all are originals. As a plein air painter, her subject matter is the natural beauty of her surroundings, wherever that may be. Often it’s scenes of

our inland valleys or the mountains that enclose them. “Bakersfield is so pretty in the fall, that golden color in the fields,” she said. “And up around Glennville and Granite StaWoollomes tion too.” Hart Park is a favorite place at various times of the year. For instance, “Old Swimming Hole” is a peaceful autumn scene showing a tree with russet-colored leaves leaning over a bend in the Kern River. Another, equally serene, is “Poso Park Cabin,” depicting a steep-roofed dwelling in the woods with a creek in the foreground. Woollomes calls Bakersfield home, but she also has a place in Cayucos and many of her paintings reflect scenes of the Central Coast. She has a host of painting companions there as well. “We call ourselves the Wednesday Irregulars and when we go out, we take a sack lunch,” the artist said. “Around noontime we sit down and critique each other’s work — it’s very beneficial.” On some days they go to San Simeon Cove or other refreshing spots around Hearst Ranch. Other destinations include the Los Osos Estuary, where egrets abound, the sandy

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN WOOLLOMES

“San Simeon Cove, Hearst Ranch,” is a watercolor painting by Betty Woollomes, who is the featured artist at the Art Center’s First Friday event.

dunes near Morro Bay, as well as the harbor and the ever-present surf beyond the bay. As the term plein air indicates, painting is done on location. Wildlife often share the same space, but Woollomes said she is barely aware of their presence. “The birds and animals are so quiet and you’re really into what you’re doing,” she said. “You hardly notice.” There have been a few memorable occasions, however. “Once we were painting on the cliffs north of San Simeon and a squadron of pelicans flew over us,” she recalled. “We

‘The Pleasures of Plein Air’ Opening reception: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday Where: BAA Art Center, 1817 Eye St. Admission: Free Information: 869-9320

were in their glide path and they just skimmed right over our heads. It reminded me of watching bombers flying way up high — silent, not a sound.” Woollomes’ exhibit will be on display at the Art Center through May 29.

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Thursday, May 3, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street RICE: CONTINUED FROM 25

5-by-7, 6-by-8, 11-by-14. One pastel, mostly watercolor. “It’s nice to show a different side of my artwork as well.”

Susan Reep at the Padre Another artist showing a different side is Susan Reep, whose photos of the county’s best-known products — oil and agriculture — make up “Kern Works,” which opens at the Padre Hotel’s Farmacy Cafe. When asked to create the show, Reep took inspiration from the hotel and the community. “I love the Padre, love it old and new. The Padre exemplifies Kern County. The theme is cattle- and oil-oriented. “I spend a lot of time driving around the county taking pictures. (These photos) are not flowers, so you don’t get to show them a whole lot.” One of those images, “This Meeting is Called to Order,” took its inspiration from an encounter with cattle on a photo outing. “I was driving along and there were a lot of cows in the field. I started talking to them — I don’t know why I started talking to them — ‘Hey, guys.’ They started walking toward me, then they were all at the fence. I thought, What is going on here? Nutty cows.” Reep’s 12 photos depict Kern’s iconography — oil wells, crop fields and livestock — that first made an impression on her when she and her husband moved to Kern County in 1979. “You'd drive around and there would

FIRST FRIDAY “Enso in Abstract,” Diana Campbell-Rice, 5 to 9 p.m., The Foundry, 1602 20th St. “Kern Works,” Susan Reep, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Farmacy Cafe, Padre Hotel, 1702 18th St. Kathy Schilling, 6 to 8 p.m., Advanced Financial, 1430 17th St. Betty Woollomes, 6 to 8 p.m., Bakersfield Art Association Art Center, 1817 Eye St. (See Page 28 for more.) Elleta Abuliel and Stella Mullins, 6 to 8 p.m., Capitol Real Estate Group, 1700 Chester Ave. Guild House First Friday, music by Ken Fahsbender and Larry Peahl, appetizers, dessert and wine, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Guild House, 1905 18th St. $10. 325-5478.

be oil wells everywhere — outside El Torito. I had never seen that before. “That is Kern County. There's oil and agriculture and water. That’s our lifeblood here and it’s all in one picture. “There’s a whole lot more to Kern County than this but certain things make certain places distinct.” That visual distinction is something that Reep said she hopes makes an impact, both with reception attendees on Friday and hotel guests. “This is going to be up through July. I’m excited about that. It belongs in that hotel. It’s for tourists.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANA CAMPBELL RICE

“Motion” by Diana Campbell-Rice is one of the works in “Enso in Abstract,” which opens Friday at The Foundry.

The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, May 3, 2012

Eye Street Go & Do Today 61st annual National Day of Prayer, pray for our armed forces, government, community and families; noon to 12:55 p.m., Liberty Bell, 1415 Truxtun Ave. 834-1928. BC Band, Drum Line & Jazz Ensemble, 7 p.m., Bakersfield College, Outdoor Stage, 1801 Panorama Drive. $8 general admission; $5 students/ staff/seniors. 395-4404. 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. Bookseller’s Book Group, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble, in the cafe, 4001 California Ave. 631-2575. California Reads: The Mighty ’52 Quakes, 4 to 5 p.m., Beale Memorial Library, Tejon Room, 701 Truxtun Ave. Free. 868-0770. Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, carnival rides, entertainment, vendors and more, opening 5 p.m. Thursday; 5 to 11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. Saturday beginning with a parade, grounds open at 3 p.m. Saturday; 3 to 11 p.m. Sunday, Memorial Park, Lexington Street and Garces Highway, Delano. 203-2108 or 619-2777. DiGiorgio School P.T.F. Annual Deep Pit BBQ, with carnival, meal includes deep pit barbecue, chili beans, salad, roll and dessert, take out 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., dining room 6 to 8 p.m., DiGiorgio School, 19405 Buena Vista Blvd., Arvin. $7; $4 children. 854-2604. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Annual Spring Barbecue, Harris Ranch steak or teriyaki chicken dinner, beans, salad, dessert, 5 to 10 p.m., Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 124 Columbus St. $25. 3277741. SPCA Book Sale, daily, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; noon to 6 p.m. Sundays, now until May 28, near the old Michael’s store near East Hills Mall, 3501 Mall View Road, Suite 113-114. bakersfieldspca.org or 323-8353. Taft Certified Farmers Market, 5 to 8 p.m., 5th Street Plaza, Taft. 765-2165.

Friday Annual “Junk-A-Tique” Yard Sale, clothing, books, toys, appliances, collectibles and more; 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 6 a.m. to noon Saturday, Calvary Bible Church, 48 Manor St., just below the bluffs. All proceeds go toward missions work. 327-5921. Book Signing, with author Rod Thompson of “The Black Hills,” 2 to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Barnes & Noble, 4001 California Ave. 631-2575. Education & Gaming Symposium, leaders in the video game industry address how game design can be used to engage and educate students, 7 to 9:30 p.m., CSUB, Doré Theatre, 9001 Stockdale Highway. Free. Visit online at

GO & DO

MICHAEL FAGANS / THE CALIFORNIAN

Kash Wilson rides Gypsy Road out of the gate during the bareback riding event at the PRCA Stampede Days Rodeo in 2011. 2012 PRCA Stampede Days Rodeo, gates open at 6 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Kern County Fairgrounds, 1142 S. P St. $16 advance; $18 at the gates; $10 ages 6-12; under 6 are free; $3 parking. stampededaysrodeo.com or 391-7463. campusgamers.org. Electronic Waste Recycling Event, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Olive Drive Church, 5500 Olive Drive. Free. 873-4011. First Friday Downtown, featuring live music, art openings, specialty shops, galleries and boutiques, artists will set up their artwork, 5 to 9 p.m., Downtown Arts District. Email don@themetrogalleries.com or 634-9598. Guild House First Friday, live music by Ken Fahsbender and Larry Peahl, light appetizers, dessert and wine, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Guild House, 1905 18th St. $10. 325-5478. Kids’ Night Out “Mother’s Day Surprise,” for ages 7 and up, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Color Me Mine at The Marketplace, 9000 Ming Ave. $25; $19 for additional siblings. bakersfield.colormemine.com or 664-7366. Sister Helen Prejean, author of “Dead Man Walking: The Journey Continues” will be speaking at 7 p.m., St. Philip the Apostle Church, 7100 Stockdale Highway and 7 p.m., at First Congregational Church, UCC, 5 Real Road. $5. 664-4563. Smith Brothers & Friends, 7 to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church, 400 Kern St., Shafter. Benefitting Alzheimer’s Disease Association of Kern County and Mennonite Central Committee. Spectacular World of Science, Kern County’s winning science fair projects, with guest speaker Jeff Greason, president and co-founder of XCOR Aerospace, 5 to 9 p.m., Elks Lodge, 1616 30th St. $10. 3246350. Wine & Beer Tasting, enjoy wine and beer tasting along with appetizers, 5 to 7 p.m., Steak and Grape Restaurant, 4420 Coffee Road, $20. 588-9463.

Saturday “The French Connection” Cinema Saturday, begins at sundown, Valentien Restaurant & Wine Bar, 1310 Truxtun Ave., Suite 160. 8640397. 13th annual Car Show, pet parade, food, vendors, music, 9 to 3 p.m., Riverside Park, Kern River Drive, Kernville. Visit RotaryCarShow.com or 760-4171008. 18th annual Rose & Design Show, noon to 4 p.m., East Bakersfield Veterans Hall, 2101 Ridge Road. Free. 327-3228. 2012 Relay for Life, opening ceremony 8:30 a.m., survivors lap, 9 a.m., luminaria ceremony, 9 p.m. Saturday; fight back/closing ceremony, 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Wingspoint, Airport Drive and Merle Haggard Drive. Carlos Mencia, 8 p.m., Bakersfield Fox Theater, 2001 H St. $40.50. vallitix.com or 322-5200. Cat Adoptions, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays; 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays, Petco, 8220 Rosedale Highway. $65 includes spay/neuter, vaccines and leukemia testing. 3274706. Central Coast Gun Show & Sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Kern County Fairgrounds, 1142 S. P St. $9; children 13 and under are free; $3 parking. 805-481-6726. Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to noon, next to Golden State Mall, 3201 F St., and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Brimhall Square, 9500 Brimhall Road. Chili Cook-Off, entertainment, noon to 5 p.m., Elks Lodge, 1616 30th St. $15. 323-7536. Cinco de Mayo, with Mayweather vs. Cotto, music by Glam Cobra, 5 p.m., B. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill, 7401 White Lane. $15, includes dinner. 397-7304.

Cinco de Mayo at Jacalito Grill, music by Prisoners of Love, 6 p.m., Jacalito Grill, 4803 Panama Lane. 834-5834. Cinco de Mayo Party, with Mento Buru, Velorio, Mariachi San Marcos, DJ Mikey, 7 p.m., Buck Owens Crystal Palace, 2800 Buck Owens Blvd. $10 at the Crystal Palace box office. All ages. 3287560. FACT Open House, 1 to 4 p.m., CSUB, Environmental Studies Area, 9001 Stockdale Highway. 654-3167. 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. Guitar Class, taught by Mark Albert, for individuals or a group, 1 to 3 p.m., Juliana’s Art Studio & Gallery, 501 18th St. $25. 5784570 or 327-7507. 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; 5 and under are free. Members are free. 324-6350. Kern Humane Society’s Spay/Neuter Assistance, offers discount coupons to the public on the first Saturday of every month, 325-2589. Second annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration, mariachi, talent show, beer tasting, vendors, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 5th St. Plaza, Taft. Free. Visit www.taftchamber.com or 765-2165. Talk about water and other impacts of housing, with TriCounty Watchdogs, Jan De Leeuw and Linda McKay, speaking on development in the Frazier Mountain area, 10 a.m. to noon, Camino Real Restaurant, 3500 Truxtun Ave. Free. 833-1187. TNA Wrestling, 7:30 p.m., Rabobank Arena, 1001 Truxtun Ave. $20 to $35 plus fee. ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Sunday Bakersfield Community Concert Association, presents Rhythm and Passion, 3 p.m., The theater at Rabobank Convention Center, 1001 Truxtun Ave. $80; includes nine concerts for 20122013 season. 205-8522 or 5892478. Circle of Life Remembrance Service, memorial service in honor of dialysis patients and their families who passed away from renal failure, organized by Bakersfield area DaVita dialysis clinics, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Park at River Walk, 11200 Stockdale Highway. Free. Reservations, 3254741 ext. 173. Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Kaiser Permanente, 8800 Ming Ave. 877-524-7373.

THEATER “Evita,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday

through Saturday, Stars Dinner Theatre, 1931 Chester Ave. $45 to $55; show-only tickets $35; matinee $45 to $50. 325-6100. “Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show,” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Bakersfield Community Theater, 2400 S. Chester Ave. $15 adults; $12 seniors/students/military. 831-8114. “The Music Man,” 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2801 S. Real Road. $8. 831-7129. “The Tempest,” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, The Empty Space, 706 Oak St. Suggested donation of $15; $10, students and seniors. esonline.org or 327-7529. “Trouts” The Musical, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, Gaslight Melodrama Theatre & Music Hall, 12748 Jomani Drive. $12 to $23. 587-3377. “Wonderful Time,” 11 p.m. Friday, The Empty Space, 706 Oak St. $5. 327-PLAY. Improv Comedy Show, with Center For Improv Advancement, 8 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Ice House, 3401 Chester Ave., Suite M. Adults: $5, children under 12 are $1. ciacomedy.com. Major League Improv, improvisational comedy show, appropriate for families, 6 p.m. Saturdays, The Empty Space, 706 Oak St. Free but donations are accepted. 327-PLAY. Pitch Day, 11 a.m. Saturday, The Empty Space, 706 Oak St. Call 327-PLAY to make your appointment.

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. All classes are free but some suggest a donation and are held at Mercy Hospital, Truxtun Campus, Truxtun and A Street. Visit mercybakersfield. org/art or to register, 632-5357. Art Reception, with Kathy Schilling, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Advanced Financial, 1430 17th St. Free. Art Reception, for Elleta Abuliel & Stella Mullins, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Capitol Real Estate Group, 1700 Chester Ave. Free. Art Reception, 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, The Empty Space, 706 Oak St. 327-PLAY. Beginning Drawing Class, for high schoolers, 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Bakersfield Art Association Art Center, 1817 Eye St. $15 per session. 869-2320. Family Day, 10 a.m. Saturday, Buena Vista Museum of Natural History, 2018 Chester Ave., two adults and up to six children, admission only $20. 324-6350.

Thursday, May 3, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian

Eye Street First Annual Children’s Art Show, reception and awards, 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Bakersfield Art Association Art Center, 1817 Eye St. 869-2320. First Friday Art Reception, for Betty Woollomes, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Bakersfield Art Association Art Center, 1817 Eye St. 869-2320. Juliana’s Art Studio & Gallery, offers stained glass classes, Juliana’s Art Studio & Gallery, 501 18th St. For times and dates call 327-7507. Opening Art Reception, for artist Iva Fendrick, 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dagny’s Coffee Co., 1600 20th St. 634-0806. The Art Shop Club, 9 a.m. to noon each Thursday, Friday and Saturday, The Art Shop, 1221 20th St. All mediums. 322-0544, 5897463 or 496-5153.

MUSIC Acoustic King Tut, 10606 Hageman Road; Ernie Lewis, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Free.

Blues Eureka! Burger, 10520 W. Stockdale Highway, 241-5999; JT Butler & The Horizon Blues Band, 9 p.m. Thursday. Free.

Classic Rock Ethel’s Old Corral Cafe, 4310 Alfred Harrell Highway, 873-7613; Elevation 406, 7 to 11 p.m. Friday; Open Range, 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday. T-Bones Steakhouse, 8020 District Blvd., 398-1300; The Original Beagles, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge, 3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139; Usual Suspects, 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Comedy Elevation Lounge, 818 Real Road, 325-6864; Improv Tuesday — Live comedy with DJ after party, 9 p.m. Tuesdays. T-Bones Steakhouse, 8020 District Blvd., 398-1300; Bruce “Babyman” Baum, Joey Valenzuela, Jim Trino, 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Friday. $10.

Country Ethel’s Old Corral Cafe, 4310 Alfred Harrell Highway, 873-7613; Road Dawgs, 7 p.m. Saturday. Sandrini’s, 1918 Eye St., 3228900; Vince Galindo, 9 p.m. Wednesdays.

Dancing Bakersfield Rounders, ballroom (cued) transition class levels two and three, 7 p.m. Tuesdays, South Bakersfield Veteran’s Hall, 1905 Wilson Road. $10 per couple. 7477921. 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.

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 Dance, 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Kern City Town Hall, 1003 Pebble Beach Drive. $5 members; $10 guests. 398-5590. Pairs and Spares Dance, with Jerri Arnold, Country George and Ed Shelton, 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 Association Community Center, 205 Rio Bravo Drive. whirlaways.org or 213-3105.

DJ Banacek’s Lounge, 4601 State Road, 387-9224; with DJ Casey Overstreet, 9 p.m. Fridays. 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. 3237111; 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. 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. Imbibe Wine & Spirits Merchant, 4140 Truxtun Ave., 633WINE; live jazz & wine bar featuring Mike Montano, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday. 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. Steak and Grape, 4420 Coffee Road, 588-9463; 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Free. The Nile, Jazz Music, 6 p.m. every Sunday. Cost $10, at 1721 19th St. 364-2620.

Karaoke B. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill, 7401 White Lane, 397-7304; 8 p.m. Thursdays and Tuesdays. Banacek’s Lounge, 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday at 4601 State Road. 387-9224. Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge, 3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139; 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursdays and Sundays. Big Daddy Pizza, 6417 Ming Ave., 396-7499; 7 to 10 p.m. every Tuesday; 8 to 11 p.m. every Friday. 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. Del Rio Cocktail Lounge, 5840 State Road, 393-0262; 8 p.m. every Saturday. 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. Elevation Lounge, 818 Real Road, 325-6864; 9 p.m. Wednesday. 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. Magoo’s Pizza, 1129 Olive Drive, 399-7800; 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. 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., 869-1451; 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesdays. Pizzeria, 4200 Gosford Road, 3971111; 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays.

Pour House, 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 4041 Fruitvale Ave. 589-9300. Pyrenees Cafe, 601 Sumner, 3230053; 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; 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Round Table Pizza, 2060 White Lane, 836-2700; 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. Round Table Pizza, 2620 Buck Owens Blvd., 327-9651; The Junction with host Mac Clanahan, 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. 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. Syndicate Lounge, 1818 Eye St., 327-0070; with Alisa Spencer, 9 p.m. every Wednesday. T-Bones Steakhouse, 8020 District Blvd., 398-1300; 7:30 to 11 p.m. Thursdays. 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. every other Friday. The Wrecking Yard, 9817 S. Union Ave., 827-9192; 7 to 10 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Wright Place, 2695-G Mount Vernon Ave., 872-8831, 8 p.m. every Thursday. Tomi’s Cowgirl Cafe, 7 to 10 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at 1440 Weedpatch Highway. 3635102. 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. Vinny’s Bar & Grill, 2700 S. Union Ave., 496-2502, 7 p.m. Thursdays. 21 and over.

Latin/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.

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. every Wednesday.

Oldies KC Steakhouse, 2515 F St., 3229910; Jimmy Gaines, Bobby O and Mike Halls, 6:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Old school Que Pasa Mexican Cafe, 2701 Ming Ave., 832-5011; Al Garcia & the Rhythm Kings, 8 to 11 p.m. every Thursday. Tam O’Shanter, 2345 Alta Vista, 324-6774; The Press, 8:30 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday. $5 per night.

Open mic Fiddlers Crossing, 206 E. F St., Tehachapi, 823-9994; 7 p.m. Wednesdays. $5. The Canna Cafe, 6 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday, East Hills Mall, Food Court, 3000 Mall View Road, 428-0170.

Rock B. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill, 7401 White Lane, 397-7304; Vanity Avenue and guest, 9 p.m. Friday. $5; 21 and over only. Rockstarz Party Bar, 7737 Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749; live bands, 9 p.m. every Thursday. Underground, 3201 F St., R5, 6 to 11 p.m. Friday. $10. All ages. tgptix.com.

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

Variety Ellie Jay’s Boutique, 1608 19th St., 631-0473; Mike Montano, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday.

UPCOMING EVENTS Monday 5/7 “Crisis or Crossroads: ChurchState Separation,” presented by the Rev. Steven Baines, 7 to 8:30 p.m., CSUB, Student Union, Multipurpose Room, 9001 Stockdale Highway. Free. 654-6587. Kern County Rose Society Meeting, 7 p.m., Calvary Bible Church, 48 Manor St. 327-3228