360 March 21 2013 by Skagit Publishing

It’s just around the corner PAGE 3

Skagit Valley Herald Thursday March 21, 2013

Tina Fey

Reviews

At the Movies

Comedic actress fills a need that public didn’t quite know it had

Music: Justin Timberlake, Anthrax Video Games: “MLB 13: The Show”

Comedic look at college admissions process too scattered, ambitious

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PAGES 12-13

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

E2 - Thursday, March 21, 2013

NEW ON DVD THIS WEEK “Zero Dark Thirty”: “Zero Dark Thirty” (a military term that means 30 minutes past midnight), from Oscarwinning director Kathryn Bigelow, offers a detailed accounting of the years the CIA spent following every tiny lead in its quest to find Osama bin Laden. This lengthy accounting is so tedious at times that the finale seems as illusive as the man at the center of the manhunt. If nothing else, this movie is thorough in its telling of the story, an attribute that’s not always the best when it comes to a movie where so much detail remains top secret. “Rust and Bone”: Jacques Audiard’s film starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts is extremely melodramatic, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing when you have actors this good. Cotillard and Schoenaerts turn in such powerful performances that they both should have been nominated for Oscars. Cotillard is amazing as a woman who learns to live again after she loses her legs in a freak accident. She gets help from a street fighter (Schoenaerts) who is dealing with his own personal problems. “Les Miserables”: If you like this story by Victor Hugo that’s set during the French Restoration without all the singing, then this is the DVD for you. It’s a 2002 miniseries set at the beginning of the 19th century. Gerard Depardieu plays Jean Valjean and John Malkovich is Javert. “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”: Bilbo Baggins goes on an epic adventure to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. “Soul Food Junkies”: Culinary tradition goes under the microscope. “Strange Frame”: Animated sci-fi story explores the transformative power of love. “Starlet”: An unlikely friendship develops between a young actress and an elderly woman. “Quincy M.E.: Season 5”: Jack Klugman plays a crime-solving medical examiner. “A Mind to Kill: The Complete Collection”: All three series of the Welsh detective drama. “Thor: Legend of the Magical Hammer”: Animated story of a teen and his hammer. “NOVA: Decoding Neanderthals”: A look back 60,000 years at the first modern humans. “Jersey Shore: The Complete Series”: This is all the antics of the real-

YOUR ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION GUIDE TO WHAT’S GOING ON IN SKAGIT COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS

Upcoming movie releases Following is a partial schedule of coming movies on DVD. Release dates are subject to change: MARCH 22 This Is 40 -- Universal

This Weekend / Page 5

MARCH 26 The Collection -- Lionsgate Killing Them Softly -- Anchor Bay Parental Guidance -- Fox APRIL 9 Hyde Park on Hudson -- Universal Planet Ocean -- Universal APRIL 16 Django Unchained -- Anchor Bay APRIL 23 Gangster Squad -- Warner A Haunted House -- Universal APRIL 26 The Impossible -- Lionsgate/ Summit APRIL 30 The Guilt Trip -- Paramount

ity show gang. “The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season Three”: Mike Henry is one of the voice talents of the Fox animated show. “Sesame Street: Best of Friends”: Includes past guest stars such as Elvis Costello, Julianne Moore and Ricky Gervais. “Straight A’s”: An outcast’s return to his hometown creates chaos. Anna Paquin stars. “Chance in a Million: The Complete Collection”: Includes three seasons of the 1980s comedy starring Simon Callow. “No Job for a Lady: The Complete Collection”: Jean Price plays a woman who must deal with politics and chauvinists as a member of Parliament. “Dark Feed”: A film crew uses an abandoned psychiatric hospital to shoot a horror film. “The Great Magician”: Action and fantasy film from director Derek Yee. “Secret Millionaires Club”: Animated series that teaches financial lessons. “Angus Buchan’s Ordinary People”: Three men attend the Mighty Men Conference. “Timerider”: An off-road racer is thrown into the past. “The Other Son”: Two very different young men make a huge discovery about their lives. n Rick Bentley, The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.)

Skagit County Fairgrounds site of annual SICBA Home & Garden Show

Inside

SUBMISSIONS Email features@skagitpublishing.com vrichardson@skagitpublishing. com (recreation items) Phone 360-416-2135 Hand-deliver 1215 Anderson Road Mount Vernon, WA 98274 Mailing address P.O. Box 578 Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Travel............................................6-7 Get Involved.................................... 8 Hot Tickets...................................... 9 On Stage........................................ 10 Tuning Up..................................... 11 Music, Game Reviews..............12-13 At the Lincoln Theatre.................. 17 Movie Listings, Mini-Reviews...... 17 Out & About.............................18-19

Online events calendar To list your event on our website, visit goskagit.com and look for the Events Calendar on the home page HAVE A STORY IDEA? w For arts and entertainment, contact Features Editor Craig Parrish at 360-416-2135 or features@skagitpublishing.com w For recreation, contact staff writer Vince Richardson at 360-416-2181 or vrichardson@ skagitpublishing.com TO ADVERTISE 360-424-3251

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Thursday, March 21, 2013 - E3

COMMUNITY

2013

Carlos Roques, 11, and Jennifer Ramirez, 10 2013 Tulip Ambassadors

SKAGIT VALLEY TULIP FESTIVAL

TULIP FESTIVAL CALENDAR For the full month’s listing of events, maps and directions, visit www.tulip festival.org.

Frank Varga Skagit Valley Herald

POSTER ARTIST APPEARANCES Tulip Festival poster artist Karen Sistek will sign 2013 festival posters and offer other artwork on the following dates: April 6, 14, 20, 28: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., RoozenGaarde, 15867 Beaver Marsh Road, Mount Vernon. April 7, 13, 21, 27: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tulip Town, 15002 Bradshaw Road, Mount Vernon.

TULIP DAYS BASKETBALL TOURNEY March 22-24: Boys and girls teams in grades 5-8 play between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily at various gyms throughout Skagit County. Daily admission charge for spectators. 360-336-9414 or www. skagitcounty.net.

GALA OPENING CELEBRATION Thursday, March 28: The 2013 Tulip Festival Gala opening celebration, “Our Community Garden,” will take place from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Skagit Valley Casino Resort, 5984 N. Darrk Lane, Bow. Celebrate the start of the festival with live music, delicious dinner, dessert auction, raffles and more. $60. Advance purchase required. 360-428-5959.

DISPLAY GARDENS

SALMON BARBECUE

n Tulip Town, 15002 Bradshaw Road, Mount Vernon: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. $5, free for ages 10 and younger. 360-4248152. n RoozenGarde, 15867 Beaver Marsh Road, Mount Vernon: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. $5, $4 military with ID, free for ages 10 and younger. 360-424-8531. n Azusa Farm and Gardens, 14904 Highway 20, Mount Vernon: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Display gardens, plants, flowers, art and more. 360-424-1580. n Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Gardens, greenhouses, art and more. 360-466-3821. n Skagit Valley Gardens, 18923 Peter Johnson Road, Mount Vernon: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Gardens, gifts, cafe and more. 360-424-6760. n WSU Discovery Garden, 16650 Highway 536, Mount Vernon: Dawn to dusk daily. Gardens showcasing plants that do well in the Pacific Northwest.

The 26th annual Kiwanis Salmon Barbecue will dish out alder-smoked, butter-slathered slabs of fish with all the necessary sides, from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. daily at the Hillcrest Park Lodge. Cost per plate: $12 adults, $10 children, seniors (Visa/MC will be accepted). For groups of 15 or more, call 360-428-5959 or email betsy@tulipfestival.org.

April 1-30

The 2013 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival doesn’t officially begin until Monday, April 1, but related events begin this weekend, and the gala opening celebration is scheduled for Thursday, March 28. The month-long festival brings visitors from dozens of states and countries, as the unique flavors of Skagit Valley — from flowers to food, from chocolate to beer — are on full, vibrant display.

April 6-28

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

E4 - Thursday, March 21, 2013

ENTERTAINMENT

aylor Swift says Tina Fey is going to hell; Sarah Palin would probably like to send her. Fey recently suggested to some Hollywood paparazzi that they perform anatomical acts which, if not by definition hellish, are certainly impossible. But wait just a second — doesn’t everyone love Tina Fey? We’ll find out Friday, with the opening of “Admission,” directed by Paul (“Little Fokkers”) Weitz. The film stars Fey as a proper Princeton admissions officer who suspects an offbeat applicant is the son she gave up for adoption. En route to self-realization and romance, Portia Nathan (Fey) proceeds to bend over backward to help Jeremiah (Nate Wolff) join the Ivy League, along the way violating everything she stands for. Which would be absolutely nothing like the maverick Fey appearing in a formulaic rom-com about crossroads, conscience and finding the path to true love. Nothing like that at all. Fey is a singular quantity; she’s been an eminently likable, attractive alien in the world of network television. If the affectionately regarded actress and writer has had any significance — as the star of “30 Rock,” onetime “Saturday Night Live” head writer, “Weekend Update” anchor and Palin impersonator par excellence, as John Kerry might put it — it’s been as an island of intelligence in a roiling sea of idiocy. Like many a great invention, Fey filled a need the public didn’t quite know it had — the need for a moderate voice, alternately smart, snarky and even

that her biggest big-screen success, both financially and comedically, has been “Mean Girls,” which did great things for the former Lindsay Lohan and was also a perfect showcase for Fey, the trenchant observer of mores and mayhem. Her script was the best portrait of extreme girlhood since Amy Heckerling’s “Clueless,” and she brought a tart taste of adult reality to a tale of adolescent indulgence, playing the beleaguered teacher, Ms. Norbury. It was an on-screen role that best defined Fey’s off-screen persona, a kind of Greek chorus crying comically about the stunted adolescence of American society. As a potential movie star, however, Fey seems not only unsuitable but disloyal to the audiences that see her as a fly in the cultural ointment. John Shearer It’s an unlikely paralInvision via AP lel, admittedly, but she’s like Edmund O’Brien’s alcoholic publisher in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” who is appalled to find himself nominated for Congress. O’Brien: “Good people of Shinbone, I … I … By JOHN ANDERSON / Newsday I’m your conscience. I’m the still small voice that thunders in the night. I’m your watchdog that howls smug, that acknowledged Tomlin and Michael Sheen, niacs of “30 Rock” were skewered pretty affection- against the wolves. I’m … the inanity of pop culture, will further Fey’s mission ately. Her humor has been I’m your father confessor. the lowly standards of to transfer her formidable I … I … I’m, what else am political leadership, and small-screen self to the big pointed, but not to the I?” that the world is both screen. And why would she extent of drawing blood. John Wayne: “The town We like that. The fact that unjust and hilarious. want to do that? Because Not to put too heavy it’s irresistible, apparently. Swift would react so petu- drunk.” Tina Fey is a town crier, lantly to the ribbing she got a spin on a career that’s And because, as the Peter from Fey and Amy Poehler who doesn’t howl or thunproduced “Baby Mama” Principle stated some at the Golden Globes says der, but cocks an eloquent and “Date Night,” but she 40-odd years ago, everyeyebrow at the absurdities more about Swift’s thin belongs to a tradition that one rises to their level of skin than the soft “attacks” of contemporary life. Do includes Mark Twain and incompetence. we want such a resource on the singer’s peripatetic Will Rogers. If Washington is Holabsorbed into the system? That the comparisons lywood for ugly people, TV love life. Palin? OK, she has a rea- People of Shinbone, do are all male isn’t insignifiis Hollywood for talented we want Tina Fey to be a son to hold a grudge. cant, either. people who don’t have to movie star? Consider your But Fey is generally Should it click with audi- appeal to the largest numences, “Admission,” which ber of viewers via the least perceived as both nice and options, and vote accordingly. tangential. It’s arguable co-stars Paul Rudd, Lily amount of substance. There’s no question that the best drama is on TV. When allowed to gallop unfettered through the sunny fields of uncensored cable, comedy flourishes far better on television than under the constipated fart-joke mentality of Hollywood. Part of Fey’s appeal, of course, has been that she’s not edgy, not in an E! sort of way. Nor has she been what one would call hilarious. She occupies a very comfortable niche between droll and amusing, embellished by endearing self-effacement and a face that’s certainly pretty, but not enough to be threatening to anyone. But when you get past her Palin impersonation, which was abetted by physical resemblance and a sitting duck, Fey has gone after people with satire’s equivalent of a Nerf bat. The caricatured egoma-

Commentary: ‘Admission’ is a screen test for Tina Fey

Easter events in the area SPRING CARNIVAL

& EGG HUNT FAMILY NIGHT: Skagit Valley Family YMCA will host the event for ages 3 to 8 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 22, at the YMCA Sports Center at Bakerview Park, 3101 E. Fir St., Mount Vernon. Kids can participate in the cupcake walk, lollipop tree, pin the tail on the donkey and more. There will be two indoor egg hunts, one for ages 3 to 5, the other a flashlight egg hunt for ages 6 to 8 (bring your own flashlight). All participants should bring their own basket. $5 per child. Purchase tickets in advance at the YMCA. 360-336-9622. EASTER BUNNY BREAKFAST AND EGG HUNT: 8 a.m. Saturday, March 23, Children’s Museum of Skagit County, 550 Cascade Mall Drive, Burlington. Enjoy breakfast and photos with the Easter bunny followed by an Easter egg hunt in the museum. $3, free for museum members. 360-757-8888 or www. skagitchildrensmuseum .net. EASTER TRAIN: Ride the Lake Whatcom Railway’s special Easter Bunny train at 10 a.m., 12:30 or 3 p.m. Saturday, March 23, leaving from Wickersham, located 10 miles north of Sedro-Woolley on Highway 9. Enjoy the scenic ride aboard vintage passenger cars — dating from 1910 to 1925 — pulled by a diesel locomotive built in 1940. The coffee shop car will be stocked with snacks and souvenirs, and the one-and-a-half-hour ride will feature a visit from the Easter bunny and an Easter egg hunt. $20 ages 18 and older, $10 children, free for ages 1 and younger. Tickets must be purchased in advance from Lake Whatcom Railway, Box 91, Acme, WA 98220. 360-441-0719 or www.lakewhatcom railway.com.

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Thursday, March 21, 2013 E5

THIS WEEKENDin the area SHAKESPEARE FEST Orcas Island’s second annual Shakespeare Festival will be held from today through Saturday, March 23, at various locations around the island. A performance of Julius Caesar will be presented Saturday, March 23, at the Orcas Center. Tickets available at www.orcas center.org, www.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 360-376-2281.

REGIONAL SPELLING BEE The 35th annual Skagit County Regional Spelling Bee will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 23, at Bay View Elementary School, 15241 Josh Wilson Road, Burlington. Competitors are students representing elementary and middle schools in Skagit, Island and San Juan counties. The winner will qualify for the national spelling competition in May. Free. 360-416-2153.

WOMEN’S WORK SPRING SALE Check out

SICBA Home & Garden Show The Skagit/Island Counties Builders Association will host its annual SICBA Home & Garden Show on March 22-24 at the Skagit County Fairgrounds, 1410 Virginia St., Mount Vernon. Show hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Amid home project presentations and workshops, the show highlight will be the fourth annual Playhouse Challenge, a competition between six

teams of builders and landscapers to raise money for area charitable organizations. Each team will build a theme playhouse and donate it to a nonprofit group for display and to raffle during the show. The public can buy raffle tickets for a chance to win the playhouse and benefit the charity. Show visitors also can vote for their favorite playhouse. Show admission: $4 individual, $6 family. 360-757-6916 or info@sicba.org.

a wide selection of fair trade handmade crafts from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 23, at 3016 I Ave., Anacortes. The sale will include hand-loomed naturally dyed rugs from Vida Nueva Women’s Weaving Cooperative, Oaxaca; Corazon scarves from Guatemala; silver and stone jewelry from Milagros, Peru; locally woven Oaxacan bags and more. 360-391-2498 or 360-424-5854.

MUSIC & MORE The Anacortes Unknown Music Series will present “Ours” from 4 p.m. to midnight Saturday, March 23, at the UNKNOWN, 1202 Seventh St., Anacortes. Performers from all over the Pacific Northwest include Broken Water, Lori Goldston, Lois, O Paon, Allyson Foster, Lloyd & Michael, Jae Choi, DJ Weird Cactus and Marianna Ritchey. $25, includes dinner. Tickets and information available at The Business, 402 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, or visit www.anacortesunknown.com.

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

E6 - Thursday, March 21, 2013

TRAVEL

Powder, AK-47s and hashish: Skiing in Kashmir LEFT: An Indian Army soldier carries a snowboard and an automatic rifle as he walks past a skier below the gondola at Gulmarg, Kashmir. Gulmarg, a ski resort nestled in the Himalayans in Indian-held Kashmir, is one of the most militarized places on earth. RIGHT: A snowboarder rides in the back country.

By SEBASTIAN ABBOT Associated Press

GULMARG, India — There are very few ski resorts in the world where you see a soldier in uniform waiting for the gondola with a snowboard in one hand and an AK-47 in the other. Welcome to Gulmarg, nestled in the Himalayan mountains in Indian-held Kashmir, one of the most militarized places on earth. India and Pakistan have fought two major wars over Kashmir, which is divided between the two countries and claimed in its entirety by both. Tension flared earlier this year when the worst violence along the disputed border in a decade left half a dozen troops

Photos by Kevin Frayer / AP

dead — one of them an Indian soldier who was reportedly beheaded. The clashes hurt business in Gulmarg, according to local tour operators, but a few hundred skiers and snowboarders were on the mountain during my visit at the end of February — almost all of them foreign. It’s good to know there is

a hearty breed of outdoor enthusiasts willing to brave conflict between nucleararmed archenemies to hit the slopes — admittedly ones that rival any major ski resort in the world, are much less crowded and cost a little over $100 for a whole week. Imagine sharing Jackson Hole resort in Wyoming

with just 200 fellow skiers and snowboarders. That’s what Gulmarg has to offer, complete with knee-deep powder and a wealth of offpiste terrain easily accessible from one of the highest gondolas in the world. Did I say easily accessible? That doesn’t include the experience of getting on and off the small, fourperson gondola. Many of the cars lack a place to store skis or snowboards while you ride. That leads to what feels like a Three Stooges routine every time you and your companions try to pack into the gondola carrying skis and poles and wearing bulky backpacks. It doesn’t help that you only have a few seconds before the car starts moving and are already unsteady on your feet in ski boots. The trip to the top of the gondola, at a height of nearly 13,500 feet, is breathtaking and can offer views of one of the tallest mountains in the world, Nanga Parbat, in Pakistan. But there is always a hint of trepidation knowing you have to untangle yourself and do a timed tumble out of the gondola at the end of the ride.

You can forget about finding another way up, unless you want to hike. The gondola and a chairlift that starts halfway up the mountain are pretty much the only game in town. But the trip is definitely worth it, especially when there is three feet of fresh powder, as there was during my recent visit. One of the first things you see when you step off the gondola is a small army outpost, one of many throughout Indian-held Kashmir that house at least 500,000 troops in an area the size of Utah. It’s no surprise soldiers seem to be everywhere in Gulmarg: milling around the gondola, driving convoys of trucks over twisty mountain roads and even waiting in line to use the ATM. Until recently, the resort was using military-grade plastic explosives procured from the army to control avalanche risk on its “inbounds” slopes, said Brian Newman, Gulmarg’s snow safety officer. Resorts around the world set off controlled blasts to trigger avalanches before they consider slopes safe for skiers, but they normally

use commercial explosives from the mining industry that are more suitable. Newman, who hails from near Boulder, Colo., began using military explosives when he arrived six years ago because they were more readily available, but was finally able to get his hands on the commercial type this season. Many visitors to Gulmarg are advanced skiers and snowboarders who have little interest in the resort’s relatively small in-bounds area and have come here for the off-piste terrain — and perhaps also for the readily available hashish that sends wafts of fragrant smoke over your head in the lift line and at lunch. Given the avalanche danger, basic safety gear like a beacon, shovel and probe is vital in the backcountry, and many people sport more advanced equipment such as backpacks equipped with air bags you can trigger if you get caught in a slide and AvaLung devices to help you breathe under the snow. GoPro video cameras are also ubiquitous, sticking up from helmets in the gondola line like minisubmarine periscopes.

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Thursday, March 21, 2013 - E7

TRAVEL

A Kashmiri sledge puller carries skis at Gulmarg, Kashmir. Perhaps the most important safety gear for heading into Gulmarg’s backcountry is a local guide. We hired 31-year-old Javed Ahmed Reshi, who started skiing at the age of 10 in leather boots nailed to rickety wooden skis made by his father. Fueled by seemingly boundless energy, he guided us down wide open bowls and steep runs through evergreen trees — always mindful of the avalanche risk around us. At one point we stopped in a dense forest, and the only sound filtering through the trees was the Muslim call to prayer from a nearby village.

“I like the adventure and don’t like sitting at a computer in an office,” said Reshi, ignoring the fact that there didn’t seem to be a wealth of office jobs available in Gulmarg, minus the dozen or so hotels that cater to tourists. Our guide also took us to one of the most unusual apres ski events you will ever find: a dance performance by a local hijra, the cross-dressing “eunuchs” common in India and Pakistan. The hijira shimmied in a red dress as foreign tourists danced along and pasted rupee notes on the performer’s forehead. For those seeking even

Local travel TRAVELOGUE: “K2, Monarch of China’s Karakorum Mountain Range”: 7 to 9 p.m. today, Whatcom Museum’s Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St., Bellingham. Follow a group’s 18-day trek to K-2, rising 28,251 feet above the Chinese/Pakistan border. Surrounded by the immense Khartoum mountains, with its glaciers and perpetual snowfields, 15 adventurers climbed a 16,000-foot pass and across ice-fringed streams to reach the rarely visited north face. $3 suggested donation, free for museum members. 360-778-8930 or www.whatcommuseum.org. ART BUS TOUR: “The Masters” and Nicolai Fechin, Sunday, April 28. The Skagit County Historical Museum will lead a bus tour from the Farmhouse Restaurant in Mount Vernon to the Seattle Art Museum to see the exhibits “Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London” and “European Masters: Their Treasures of Seattle.” Afterward the bus will take a short ride to the Frye Museum to view the art of Nicolai Fechin. $50

more adventure, Gulmarg sports a heliskiing operation that can drop you on distant mountaintops and provides foreign guides to lead you down miles of untouched powder — assuming the weather is good enough for the chopper to fly, which wasn’t the case during my visit. Kashmir Heliski has also run into periodic problems with the Indian army stationed in the area, said the organization’s chief guide, Tim O’Leary. The group’s permit to fly was delayed for weeks this year because of the tension along the Kashmir border, said O’Leary.

covers bus ride, admission, box lunch and other refreshments. 360-466-3365. GALAPAGOS, MACHU PICCHU TRIP: The Oak Harbor Senior Center is organizing an Oct. 15-28 trip to the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu. Open to all adults. Space limited. Contact: Pat Gardner, 360279-4582 or pgardner@oakharbor.org. SHORT TRIPS: Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation offers travel opportunities for participants ages 12 and older (adult supervision required for ages 18 and younger). For information or to register, call 360-3366215. Bellevue Botanical Garden and Washington Park Arboretum: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, April 19, departing from and returning to Hillcrest Park, Mount Vernon. Enjoy a docentled tour of the Bellevue Botanical Garden’s 53 acres of cultivated gardens, restored woodlands and natural wetlands. After a no-host lunch, check out the seasonal flora and fauna of the arboretum’s 230 acres on the shores of Lake Washington. Both tours include walking up to one mile and uneven surfaces. $61-$63. Register by April 12.

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

E8 - Thursday, March 21, 2013

GET INVOLVED ART MV ARTS COMMISSION: The Mount Vernon Arts Commission will meet from 3:30 to 5 p.m. today in the Hillcrest Park Conference Room, 1717 S. 13th St., Mount Vernon. 360336-6215.

ART CLASSES ART CLASSES: Dakota Art offers a variety of art classes and workshops at 17873 Highway 536, Mount Vernon. 360-416-6556, ext. 5, or www.dakotaartcenter. com. INTRO TO ILLUSTRATION ART CLASSES: Burlington Parks and Recreation is offering a series of art classes for kids ages 8 to 14. Max Elam will introduce young artists to a variety of styles and art mediums. Each four-session

class costs $45. Supplies are included. To register, call 360-755-9649. Epic Illustrations and Creature Creations: 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, April 9-30. Art students will draw and create four masterworks, with a different focus each week: Star Wars/black & white; fantasy anime/ mixed media; avengers assemble/intro to color theory; and cartoon comic strip/intro to writing and sequential art. Mixed Media: 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, May 7-28. Students will experiment with five mediums other than pencil. They’ll use color partnered with drawings in markers, chalk, ink, watercolor and colored pencil as they complete two pieces of art, ready to display. Basic Cartooning: 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, June 4-25. $40.

AUDITIONS

ANACORTES SALMON to live music. No partner needed. $8 at the door. 360- DERBY: Tickets are on “STEEL MAGNOLIAS”: 1 sale for the seventh annual 755-3969 or www.skagit to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 24, Anacortes Salmon Derby, contra.org. Mount Baker Theatre, 104 set for March 30-31. The N. Commercial St., Bellingderby will feature $25,000 MUSIC ham. A two-minute conin guaranteed purse money temporary comedic monoSKAGIT VALLEY MUSIC and thousands more in logue is preferred, but not CLUB: The club welcomes merchandise prizes, with required. Auditions will performers, listeners and special prize categories include cold readings from guests at 1:45 p.m. Thursfor women, youths and the script. Paid and nonday, March 28, at Vasa Hall, active military. $60 entry paid parts available. The 1805 Cleveland St., Mount fee, includes free launchplay will run July 16-Aug. Vernon. Come and sing, ing at Cap Sante Marina, 11. To schedule an audiplay an instrument or just three night’s moorage, free tion, email Alison.Terry@ enjoy the music. Free. For Friday night fishing film mountbakertheatre.com. information, call Marsha festival, Saturday night For information, call 360Pederson at 360-757-4906. no-host social and Sunday 510-2587 or email Mark. barbecue lunch; limited to Kuntz@mountbaker 1,000 tickets. Proceeds will RECREATION theatre.com. SEEKING VENDORS: The benefit scholarships for students pursuing careers Skagit County Fairgrounds in fishery management and DANCE seeks vendors of all types related science. Tickets can CONTRA DANCE: 7 to for its World’s Largest be purchased at Ace Hard9:30 p.m. Saturday, April Garage Sale, Antiques & ware in Anacortes and Fri6, Depot Arts Center, 611 More, set for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. day Harbor, Holiday Sports R Ave., Anacortes. Learn Friday and Saturday, April in Burlington, LFS in Bellthe fundamentals of contra 12-13, at the fairgrounds, ingham and other locations. dance and practice dancing 1410 Virginia St., Mount For information, visit www. Vernon. Applications are anacortessalmonderby.com. available at www.skagitcounty.net/fairgrounds. For YOUTH SOCCER: Burinformation, call 360-336lington Parks and Recre9414 or email fairgrounds@ ation is offering Mini Kickco.skagit.wa.us. ers Soccer for ages 3-5 on Friday mornings, March 29 CALL FOR YOUNG VEN- to May 31, at Skagit River DORS: Kids ages 18 and Park in Burlington. Mini younger can rent a table Kickers teaches basic socfor $15 and sell their stuff cer skills while developing at the Burlington Parks strength, balance, coordiand Recreation Kids Giant nation, listening skills and Garage Sale from 9 a.m. to teamwork. $99, includes noon Saturday, April 20, at jersey, shorts, soccer ball the Burlington Parks and and player evaluation. RegRecreation Center, 900 E. ister at www.minikicker Fairhaven Ave. Free admis- soccer.com. sion. 360-755-9649. SHORELINE ACADEMY: SEEKING SCRAPBOOK- Friends of Skagit Beaches ING, CRAFT SUPPLY SELL- will present the second ERS: Rent a table for $25 annual Fidalgo Shoreline to sell your extra craft and Academy from 8:30 a.m. to scrapbooking supplies from 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, at the Fidalgo Bay Resort, April 13, at the Burlington 4701 Fidalgo Bay Road, Parks and Recreation Cen- Anacortes. ter, 900 E. Fairhaven Ave., Dr. Ron Lindsay will Burlington. Supplies and present the keynote accessories only, no finished address, “The Changcrafts. Free admission for ing Arctic.” The day will the public. 360-755-9649. include several presenta-

tions and interpretive walks about shoreline education, research and stewardship. Registration: $25. Optional lunch: $10. www.skagitbeaches.org.

THEATER THEATER CLASSES: Anacortes Community Theatre’s Class Act School for the Performing Arts is now enrolling kids from preschool through 12th grade for spring classes on acting and theater arts. Classes are held at ACT, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. 360-293-6829 or www.act theatre.com/classact. Creative Characters: Preschool-age children, 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays, March 26-May 7 (no class April 2), or 1 to 2 p.m. Fridays, March 29-May 10 (no class April 5). $50. Save the Circus!: Kindergarten through second grade, 4 to 5:15 p.m. Fridays, March 29-May 10 (no class April 5). $50. How to Perform in a Musical: Grades 3-6, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, March 27-May 8 (no class April 3). $50. Triple Threat: Grades 7-12, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays, March 28-May 9 (no class April 4). $100. FREE ADULT ACTING CLASS: Anacortes Community Theatre will present a series of acting classes for adults from 10 a.m. to noon the third Saturday each month, at 918 M Ave., Anacortes. Classes will include scripted scenes and a variety of acting games, with a different topic each month: April 20: developing character; May 18: stage presence; June 15: performance. Each class will be independent, so participants don’t have to commit to every session. For information, call 360-293-4373 or visit www.acttheatre.com.

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Thursday, March 21, 2013 - E9

HOT TICKETS MOISTURE FESTIVAL: comedy/variety, March 21-April 14, Seattle. www.moisture festival.org. VOLBEAT: March 22, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www. showboxonline.com. BRIAN REGAN: March 23, Paramount Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www. livenation.com. GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: March 23, Showbox at the Market. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxon line.com. MAJOR LAZER: March 26, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www. showboxonline.com. ANDREW MCMAHON: March 26, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com. DEMETRI MARTIN: March 27, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxonline.com. THE SPECIALS: March 27, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www. showboxonline.com. DIRTYPHONICS: March 28, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www. showboxonline.com. BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND: March 29, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma. 800-745-3000 or www.livenation.com. CLUTCH: March 29, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www. showboxonline.com. COMMON KINGS: March 29, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www. showboxonline.com. PHOENIX: March 29, Paramount Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.livenation. com. LOTUS: March 30, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.show boxonline.com. KMFDM, LEGION WITHIN, NIGHTMARE FORTRESS: March 30, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxon line.com. PEARL DJANGO, ANNE GRIFFITH: March 30, Sudden Valley Dance Barn, Bellingham. 360-671-1709 or www.suddenvalleylibrary. org. ANTHRAX, EXODUS, HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE, HOLY GRAIL: March 31, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000

or www.showboxonline.com. SUPER WHY LIVE: April 2, The Paramount Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.stgpresents.org. RIHANNA: with A$AP Rocky: April 3, KeyArena, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www. livenation.com. NANCI GRIFFITH: April 5, Edmonds Center for the Arts, Edmonds. 425-275-9595 or www.ec4arts.org. LORD OF THE DANCE: April 5, Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham. 360-734-6080 or www.mountbakertheatre.com. OMD: April 6, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxon line.com. TECH N9NE: April 6-7, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showbox online.com. JANIS IAN: April 7, Lincoln Theatre, Mount Vernon. 360-336-8955 or www. lincolntheatre.org. STEPHEN LYNCH: April 7, Neptune Theatre, Seattle. 877-784-4849 or www.live nation.com. NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS: April 7, The Paramount Theatre, Seattle. 877784-4849 or LiveNation.com. THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT: April 8, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-7453000 or www.showboxonline.com. FITZ & THE TANTRUMS: April 8, Columbia City Theater, Seattle. 800-838-3006 or www.columbiacitytheater.com. A DAY TO REMEMBER: April 12, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www. showboxonline.com. FUTURE: April 12, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.show boxonline.com. MASSIVE MONKEES DAY: April 13, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-7453000 or www.showboxonline.com. BAD RELIGION, AGAINST ME!, POLAR BEAR CLUB: April 15, Showbox SoDo, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www.showboxon line.com. CHRIS TOMLIN, LOUIE GIGLIO, KARI JOBE: April 20, KeyArena, Seattle. 800745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. DARK STAR ORCHESTRA (Tribute to Grateful Dead): April 20, Showbox at the Market, Seattle. 800-745-3000 or www. showboxonline.com.

E10 Thursday, March 21, 2013

ON STAGE in the Skagit Valley and surrounding area March 21-28 Thursday.21

Saturday .23

THEATER

MUSIC

“A Rotten Demise”: 1920s murder mystery dinner theater, 7:30 p.m., 1st Street Cabaret & Speakeasy, 612 S. First St., Mount Vernon. $45 dinner and show, $30 dessert and show. Reservations required: 360-336-3012 or www.river belledinnertheatre.com. “Monty Python’s Spamalot”: musical comedy, Anacortes High School Performing Arts Department, 7:30 p.m., Brodniak Hall, 1600 20th St., Anacortes. $15 adults, $7 students. 360-293-2166 or www.ana cortesdrama.com. “Radio Rhythm”: Skagit Learning Center, 7 p.m., Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St., Mount Vernon. Free. 360-3368955 or www.lincolntheatre.org.

Friday.22 DANCE

BodyVox: 8 p.m., Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St., Bellingham. $20-$39. 360-734-6080 or www.mount bakertheatre.com.

MUSIC

Matt Carlton (vocals/piano): 9 p.m. to midnight, 1st Street Cabaret & Speakeasy, 612 S. First St., Mount Vernon. $5 cover. 360-336-3012 or www.river belledinnertheatre.com.

THEATER

“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”: Lyric Light Opera, 7:30 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $19-$45. 360-416-7727, ext. 2, or www.mcintyrehall.org. “Monty Python’s Spamalot”: musical comedy, Anacortes High School Performing Arts Department, 7:30 p.m., Brodniak Hall, 1600 20th St., Anacortes. $15 adults, $7 students. 360-293-2166 or www.ana cortesdrama.com. “SEEDS OF CHANGE: Superhero Boy Band”: musical comedy, 8 p.m., Bellingham Circus Guild, 1401 Sixth St., Bellingham. Come in a superhero costume for postshow dance party. $15-$20, free for babies. www.superheroboyband.com.

Thursday, March 21, 2013 E11

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

TUNING UP Playing at area venues March 21-28

Travis Brass: U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West: 3 p.m., Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St., Mount Vernon. Free. 360-336-8955 or www.lincolntheatre.org. Ria Peth Vanderpool (piano, vocals): 9 p.m. to midnight, 1st Street Cabaret & Speakeasy, 612 S. First St., Mount Vernon. $5 cover. 360-336-3012 or www.river belledinnertheatre.com. Anacortes Unknown Music Series: “Ours,” 4 p.m. to midnight, the UNKNOWN, 1202 Seventh St., Anacortes. Performers: Broken Water, Lori Goldston, Lois, O Paon, Allyson Foster, Lloyd & Michael, Jae Choi, DJ Weird Cactus and Marianna Ritchey. $25, includes dinner. Tickets: The Business, 402 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, www.anacortesunknown.com.

THEATER

“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”: Lyric Light Opera, 7:30 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $19-$45. 360-416-7727, ext. 2, or www.mcintyrehall.org.

“SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS” Lyric Light Opera, McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $19-$45. 360-416-7727, ext. 2, or www.mcintyrehall.org. Check individual listings for times.

“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”: Lyric Light Opera, 2 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $19-$45. 360-416-7727, ext. 2, or www. mcintyrehall.org. “A Rotten Demise”: 1920s murder mystery dinner theater, 6:30 p.m., 1st Street Cabaret & Speakeasy, 612 S. First St., Mount Vernon. $45 dinner and show, $30 dessert and show. Reservations required: 360-336-3012 or www.river belledinnertheatre.com. “Monty Python’s Spamalot”: musical comedy, Anacortes High School Performing Arts Department, 2 p.m., Brodniak Hall, 1600 20th St., Anacortes. $15 adults, $7 students. 360-293-2166 or www.ana cortesdrama.com.

FRIDAY.22

Tuesday.26 MUSIC

Mount Vernon High School Band and Orchestra: 7 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $8, $6, $4. 360-416-7727, ext. 2, or www.mcintyre hall.org.

“SEEDS OF CHANGE: Superhero Boy Band”: musical comedy, 8 p.m., Bellingham Circus Guild, 1401 Sixth St., Bellingham. Come in a superhero costume for postshow dance party. $15-$20, free for babies. www.superheroboyband.com.

THEATER

NICK VIGARINO’S MEANTIME BLUES 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $7 cover. 360-445-3000. TONY & THE TIGERS 9 p.m., Varsity Inn, 112 N. Cherry St., Burlington. No cover. 360-755-0165.

“Monty Python’s Spamalot”: musical comedy, Anacortes High School Performing Arts Department, 7:30 p.m., Brodniak Hall, 1600 20th St., Anacortes. $15 adults, $7 students. 360-293-2166 or www.ana cortesdrama.com.

Sunday.24

SATURDAY.23

FRIDAY-SUNDAY.22-24

VARIETY

Betty Desire: 9 p.m. to midnight, 1st Street Cabaret & Speakeasy, 612 S. First St., Mount Vernon. 360-336-3012 or www.riverbelledinnertheatre.com.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY.22-23 THURSDAY.28 “SEEDS OF CHANGE: SUPERHERO BOY BAND” Musical comedy, 8 p.m., Bellingham Circus Guild, 1401 Sixth St., Bellingham. $15-$20, free for babies. www.superheroboyband.com.

Wednesday.27 No events submitted

Thursday.28

THURSDAY.21

FRIDAY.22

Jerri Mercer (jazz, rock, blues): 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Jansen Art Center Piano Lounge, 321 Front St., Lynden. No cover. 360-354-3600.

Tony & The Tigers: 9 p.m., Varsity Inn, 112 N. Cherry St., Burlington. No cover. 360-755-0165.

The Sandy Carbary Trio: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. 360-445-3000.

Jammin’ Jeff: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon. 360-422-6411.

Steve Meyer, Ben Starner (piano): 8 to 10 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-766-6266.

Scratch Daddy: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., The Bullpen, 701 Metcalf St., Sedro-Woolley. 360-588-4508.

Voyager, The BGB: 9 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $6. 360-7781067.

SATURDAY.23 Matt Carlton: 7 p.m., 1st Street Cabaret & Speakeasy, 612 S. First St., Mount Vernon. 360-336-3012 or www.riverbelledinner theatre.com.

Stacy Jones Band: 8:30 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-7666266.

Br’er Rabbit: 9 p.m., Longhorn Saloon, 5754 Cains Court, Edison. No cover. 360-766-6330.

Jammin’ Jeff: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon. 360-422-6411.

Nick Vigarino’s Meantown Blues: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/ Main, Conway. $7 cover. 360-445-3000.

Don Richards Band: 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., H2O, 314 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-755-3956.

Guitarslinger with Scott Lind, Eric Rice, CD Woodbury, el Colonel: 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-588-1720.

Baltic Cousins CD release, Livingston Seagull, RHOMBU$: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $5. 360-778-1067.

MUSIC

Monday.25

Dana Lyons: 7 p.m., Concrete Theatre, 45920 Main St., Concrete. $10. 360-9410403 or www.concrete-theatre.com.

MUSIC

THEATER

Fidalgo Youth Symphony and Mount Baker Youth Symphony: 7 p.m., Mount Baker Theater, 104 N. Commercial St., Bellingham. $15, $1 ages 15 and younger. 360-734-6080 or www.mountbaker theatre.com.

SUNDAY.24 Gary B’s Church of the Blues (blues, classic rock): 6 to 10 p.m., Castle Tavern, 708 Metcalf St., Sedro-Woolley. 360-855-2263.

WEDNESDAY.27 Knut Bell & The Blue Collars: 5 to 9 p.m., Conway Pub & Eatery, 18611 Main St., Conway. 360-4454733.

Bow Diddlers: 5:30 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-7666266.

Black Tommy, Life N Mine, Hillary Susz: 9 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $3. 360-778-1067.

Fidalgo Swing: 6 to 9 p.m., Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360588-1720.

THURSDAY.28 Mutilation Rites, Inter Arma: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $7. 360778-1067.

Today is The Day, Black Tusk, KEN Mode, Fight Amp: 8 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $10$12. 360-778-1067.

Paul Klein: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Jansen Art Center Piano Lounge, 321 Front St., Lynden. No cover. 360-354-3600.