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The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, April 11, 2013
Eye Street Editor Jennifer Self | Phone 395-7434 | e-mail jself@bakersfield.com
Index Brian Regan .............................................. 22 Homeless Art Show .................................. 23 Arts Alive .................................................. 24 Memphis Belle flights.............................. 25 The Lowdown with Matt Munoz.............. 26 Paint and All-Breed Horse Show.............. 27 Scott Cox ................................................ 30 Calendar .............................................. 34-35
Theater from the âHeartâ Beloved play balances the dark and light BY STEFANI DIAS Californian assistant lifestyles editor sdias@bakersfield.com
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dultery, suicide, attempted murder, heartbreak, sisters, birthday desserts â all the makings of a great story. Those themes come together this weekend as The Empty Space opens its production of âCrimes of the Heart.â Director Bob Kempf describes the play as âa very funny and very touching look at three sisters who are each dealing with their own versions of heartbreak. When one of the sisters shoots her husband, the sisters have a hilarious (if uneasy) reunion.â That pistol-toting woman is Babe Magrath Botrelle, played by Ellie Sivesind. Fellow Empty Space veterans Cody Ganger and Amy Hall round out the Magrath sisters as wild child Meg and dutiful caretaker Lenny. If the story seems familiar, you may have seen the 1986 film starring Sissy Spacek, Jessica Lange and Diane Keaton. But Kempf
âCrimes of the Heartâ When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; runs through April 27 Admission: $15; $10 students and seniors Where: The Empty Space, 706 Oak St. Information: 327-PLAY
Also at The Empty Space âKreative Allusions,â reception for artist John Kirkeby, 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday. Free.
came to the production untouched by any adaptations of Beth Henleyâs play. âI have never seen the film or a stage production of âCrimes of the Heart,â so Iâm coming at it without any preconceptions! I am a fan of all three of those actresses, so Iâll probably watch it once we have closed.â Kempf is also a big fan of his lead actresses, who gelled in the roles, having performed together before in other Empty Space shows. âThe ladies do have an existing Please see CRIMES / 32
PHOTO BY MICHELLE GUERRERO
The Magrath sisters â from left, Meg (Cody Ganger), Babe (Ellie Sivesind) and Lenny (Amy Hall) â appear in âCrimes of the Heart,â which opens Friday at The Empty Space.
Whoâs average? White Band brings R&B heat to town BY MATT MUNOZ Californian staff writer mmunoz@bakersfield.com
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cotland was so immersed in soul and R&B in the mid1960s that if a visitor closed his eyes in a Glasgow club, heâd swear heâd been transported to Detroit or Muscle Shoals. Just ask Alan Gorrie, bassist for seminal â70s funk outfit Average White Band, who recalls being mesmerized by the trance-like syncopation of American records from the likes of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, King Kurtis and others. Gorrie and his bandmates channeled those inspirations into some of AWBâs most potent grooves, including âPick Up the Pieces,â âCut the Cakeâ and âA Love of Your Own.â Bakersfield will get a chance to harness some of that energy into
Average White Band When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: Bright House Networks Amphitheatre, 11200 Stockdale Highway Admission: $10, plus service charge Information: 852-7777 or ticketmaster.com
their dancing feet Saturday when the Average White Band appears at Bright House Networks Amphitheatre, kicking off the venueâs outdoor concert season. âIt was pretty much the only music anyone ever went out dancing to,â said Gorrie, 66, describing the sights and sounds of the 1960s Glasgow music scene during a phone interview. âIt was
Stax, Motown and Atlantic Records. Soul music was kind of the lifeblood of the Scottish music scene in the mid-to-late 1960s. If you didnât play soul and R&B, you didnât get many gigs.â Gorrie went into detail about musical tastes in Great Britain, which varied according to region. âLondon was all about the blues. The midlands were pure rock, things like Black Sabbath, Slade, and they still are to an extent, still stuck in that groove. Scotland has always been a soul country, because the background of Celtic music lends itself to the very idea of soul music.â Within a year of formation in 1972, the band became a sensation, attracting attention from the labels, after scoring a coveted spot on Eric Claptonâs comeback concert tour. Following their
PHOTO COURTESY OF AVERAGE WHITE BAND
Scottish funk legends Average White Band appear at Bright House Amphitheatre on Saturday.
American debut, âShow Your Hand,â the groupâs self-titled sophomore album solidified its reputation as both a dance band and electrifying live act. Anchored by the hit single, âPick Up the Pieces,â the album became a million-seller. Gorrie recalled the organic nature of the song, which became the groupâs calling card, begin-
ning with a basic riff from guitarist Hamish Stuart. âHamish got up one morning, started playing that upside-down kind of guitar riff, that skank soul that we threw. Then, drummer Robbie (McIntosh) joined them on drums. I got the bass out and we had the three of us playing the groove. Guitarist Onnie (McInPlease see BAND / 33