The Bakersfield Californian - 'Eye St.' Entertainment

16 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 26, 2010

FELIX ADAMO / THE CALIFORNIAN

“Mrl” by Eye Gallery 2010 artist Brian Demarest. The mixed media piece on illustration board measures 32 inches by 40 inches. The artwork, along with 14 other pieces featuredin Eye Gallery, will go on display at the Bakersfield Museum of Art beginning Sept. 9.

Editor Jennifer Self | Phone 395-7434 | e-mail [email protected]

What is Eye Gallery?Eye Gallery is The Californian’s annual celebration of local visual artists. Along with The Bakersfield Museum of

Art, our partner, we asked 14 artists to interpret the theme “Close to Home.” We will publish their work, and

short biographies of each, on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 9, when the museum will host

a reception in their honor.

EYE GALLERY SUNDAY: DAVID GORDON LOOKS IN HIS OWN BACKYARD FOR INSPIRATION

EYE GALLERY THURSDAY: ALISON BEITZELL DIVES IN

Two famousfaces — EdieSedgwick andIdi Amin —have inspiredBrian De-marest’spiece called“E-DEE.”

Thursday, August 26, 2010 The Bakersfield Californian 19

Eye Gallery

BY JENNIFER SELFCalifornian lifestyles editor

[email protected]

His career brought him to Bakers-field, but his art — and a great circleof friends — are keeping Brian

Demarest in town.Those friends have come in handy in the

last year or so, both in helping the New Jer-sey native get the word out about his art (Imet him through my cousin Rose) and assources of encouragement and support ashe looks for work after losing his job in theBig West refinery shutdown.

“So far the job market has been prettybleak — that includes the entire state ofCalifornia, not just Bakersfield,” Demarestsaid via e-mail.

But while he continues to blanket anyand all potential employers with hisresume, he decided to return to his art inearnest and recently had his first localshow at The Basement gallery in down-town Bakersfield (“They’re doing a reallygood job of showing new artists as well as‘street artists’ and work with an edge to it”).

Much of Demarest’s work offers hisunique interpretation of the famous andinfamous, whose images he projects ontoillustration board as the starting point ofhis process.

One interesting piece, titled “E-DEE,”features his perspective on two folks whoprobably shared nothing but a similarly

pronounced first name: ’60s actress EdieSedgwick and Ugandan dictator IdiAmin.

Another of his pieces is a likeness ofswinging London It Girl Twiggy.

So it’s no wonder that a guy drawn toputting his stamp on celebrity culturewould choose Merle Haggard — perhapsBakersfield’s most famous face — as thesubject of his Eye Gallery piece.

“When I was researching Bakersfieldbefore I came out here, one of the firstthings that came up was Merle Haggardand the Bakersfield Sound,” Demarest said.“I’ve never been a huge country music fan,but I’ve always had respect for older coun-try music ... late ’50s through the early ’70s.It has a kind of unapologetic dark and grittyfeel to it. So I did a portrait of Merlebecause he is such a huge staple of Bakers-field.”

More of our e-mail chat with Demarest,36:

You’re from New Jersey. Did youknow much about Merle Haggardbefore you moved here? Do you listen tohis music?

I remember when I was a freshman inhigh school, my father was very excited toshow me a Merle Haggard tape he got atthe now defunct Crazy Eddie appliancestore. He really wanted me to hear “Okiefrom Muskogee.” That was my first glimpse

of Merle Haggard.

What do people not know, but shouldknow, about art:

Art doesn’t always have to look likesomething you’re familiar with...

How can you tell a great artist from ahack?

I learned the stand-up comedian ver-sion of “hack” to mean someone whomakes the same old tired joke about thesame old common thing you’ve heardagain and again.

You’re new to Bakersfield’s art scene.What do you think so far?

I would like for more people to getinvolved (artists and spectators). If therecan be a Bakersfield “Sound” then therecan be a Bakersfield “look” as well. Bakers-field is in a very good spot right now tohave a really flourishing creative scene —compare it to New York in the early ’70s,where out of a struggling economy and alack of venues, a brilliant music and artscene exploded.

Is art talent inherent or can you learnto be a great artist?

I think you can learn to be a “good”artist, but I think “greatness” is inherent.

Favorite artists:

John Singer Sargent, Austin Briggs, JeanMichel Basquiat, Chuck Jones.

Art builds transplantedresident’s local roots

Behindevery greatwoman is... theartist whopainted herlikeness —in thiscase, BrianDemarest.


Eye Street

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BY MIRANDA WHITWORTHContributing writer

From the depths of The Basementto the open air of downtownBakersfield, Hectic Films is giv-

ing the local film community a muchneeded shot in the arm. Known forInternet short films and locally pro-duced features, the production com-pany is hosting two weekly movienights in downtown Bakersfield, offer-ing local filmmakers a venue to screenthe fruits of their labors.

Go underground Tuesday eveningsfor Films Underground at The Base-ment and then come up for air on Fri-days for Hectic’s outdoor theater TheGrip at Caffeine Supreme.

Both venues kick off the movies at 8p.m. and are giving film lovers theopportunity to catch locally producedflicks mixed in with B-movie horrorclassics — a combination that HecticFilms owner Rickey Bird Jr. says is pro-viding some much needed exposureto the local scene, Bird said.

“We gain the people coming in byshowing these movies like ‘Little Shopof Horrors’ and ‘Night of the LivingDead.’ Then we have intermissionswhere we show locally produced filmsand shorts, Hectic Films trailers andolder pieces that we have producedbut haven’t put up on the Internet.”

Bird likes the diversity that comeswith hosting films in two locations aseach offers something special for theviewer.

“The coffee shop is perfect for this.You go out there and hang out on thegrass and the coffee shop is still open.Picnic tables are there, you can bringcoolers, lawn chairs and blankets.”Bird warns that no alcoholic beveragesare allowed as they do not have a per-mit, but he is working on refreshmentspecials for future screenings.

The Basement, while just aroundthe corner, is a completely differentanimal.

Works of local artists serve as abackdrop for the screenings, givingpeople a taste of the downtown Bak-

ersfield art scene. The venue also brings viewers clos-

er to the heartbeat of Hectic Films asBird has begun to build film sets at thelocation in partnership with Base-ment owner Deon Bell.

“We hooked up because I was goingto start doing some shooting downthere,” Bird said.

“But then I asked him if I could usethe extra space for some sets andmaybe some cross-promotion where Icould bring people down into his

gallery and show movies.”Bell, an artist and longtime patron

of the arts, was happy to have that ele-ment of the scene developed in hisestablishment. “I’ve always wanted todo more with the film side of the artsscene,” Bell said. “There aren’t toomany people here in Bakersfield whomake films the way Rickey does, and Ithought it would be great to get himinvolved.”

As both an artist and gallery owner,Bell knows the importance of an avail-able venue.

“Artists need to have a place to showtheir work. It gives them a reason tokeep on creating,” Bell said. “I have alot of friends who make short filmsand they do it because they love it.Without a place to show their stuffthey lose interest. But with Rickeythere with his screens and projectors,the accessibility will encourage themto produce more.”

Bird agrees with Bell’s predictionsthat the movie nights, which havebeen in operation for a month, willencourage local artists to keep creat-ing.

“The first few weeks we showedmovies made here in Bakersfield like‘Stereotype’ by John F.U., Matt Kieley’s‘Carte Blanche’ and Myron Ward’s‘Who Hit Me,’” Bird said. “Now we aretrying to let our local content build upagain while we show the horrormovies.”

According to Bird, he is beginning tosee a positive response from hisfriends and local filmmakers whohave, for the most part, been takingtheir time when it comes to deliveringa finished product.

“Now that we have started toscreen, two of my other buddies whomake movies have gotten motivatedto start filming and finishing up theircurrent projects,” Bell said.

“I’m hoping this will lead to evenmore people showing their films.Sometimes, unfortunately, this part ofthe Bakersfield scene needs a littlejump-start.”

Local films add todowntown arts scene

Calling all local amateurcooks: Do you want a chance at a$1,000 Urner’s gift card and brag-ging rights as a top local cook? Well,then The Bakersfield Californian’sEye Cook competition is for you!

What you can winGrand prize: $1,000 Urner’s gift

cardTop runners-up: $500 Urner’s gift

card

Third-place winners: $200

Olcotts gift cardsJust for attending the Eye Cook

finals at Urner’s on Oct. 30, you’llhave a chance at any of the $600 indoor prizes from DreamMaker Bath& Kitchen!

How to winWhat we want: We’re looking for

original recipes in one of three cate-gories — main dish, appetizer/sidedish or dessert.

How to enter: Submit your

recipe, name and phone number viae-mail to [email protected] mail entries to Eye Cook 2010Attn: Stefani Dias, P.O. Bin 440, Bak-ersfield CA 93302. (All entriesbecome property of The BakersfieldCalifornian.)

Eligibility: You must be availablefor the semifinals on Sept. 25 andthe finals on Oct. 30 to qualify.Employees of The Californian andUrner’s, plus their families and anyvendors or affiliates, are not eligible.

Films Underground at The BasementWhere: 2001 Chester Ave.

When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays

Admission: $4

Lineup:

AAuugg.. 3311:: “Scream Bloody Murder”

SSeepptt.. 77:: “Attack of the Giant

Leeches”

SSeepptt.. 1144:: “Nosferatu”

SSeepptt.. 2211:: “Carnival of Souls”

SSeepptt.. 2288:: “Drive-In Massacre”

The Grip at CaffeineSupremeWhere: Caffeine Supreme, 20th

and F streets

When: 8 p.m. Fridays

Admission: Free

Lineup:

FFrriiddaayy:: ““Little Shop of Horrors”

SSeepptt.. 33:: “Delano”

SSeepptt.. 1100:: “Night of the Living

Dead”

SSeepptt.. 1177:: “Death Rides a Horse”

SSeepptt.. 2244:: “Door-to-Door Maniac”

(starring Johnny Cash)

OOcctt.. 11:: “The Brain That Wouldn't

Die”

Information:www.hecticfilms.com

YOU CAN WIN A $1,000 TOP PRIZE IN THE EYE COOK CONTEST


Eye Street

BY JENNIFER SELFCalifornian lifestyles editor

[email protected]

As days go, Tuesday had allthe charm of a typicalAugust scorcher — which is

to say, no charm at all. The mercu-ry spiked to triple digits, the airquality was in the don’t-even-think-about-breathing range andkids in stiff new clothes, crashingfrom their first-day-of-schoolhigh, were coming to the soberingrealization they were on day twoof a long, long year.

Bobby Durham, on the otherhand, liked his Tuesday just fine.In fact, you could say it was hisday — and he has the proclama-tion, signed by no less an authori-ty than Mayor Harvey Hallhimself, to back him up.

Aug. 24, 2010, was officially pro-claimed Bobby Durham Day inBakersfield, in honor of the coun-try music singer and purveyor,champion and keeper of the Bak-ersfield Sound, who’s been kickingout the footlights (as his closefriend Merle Haggard might put it)for 58 years now.

“Any day they want to give mean honor like this, God, I don’tcare what the temperature is, itmakes me no difference,”Durham said in an interviewTuesday. “What an honor. I justcan’t believe this.”

In the true spirit of politics,once other local leaders got windof the hoopla, they glommed onas well, with accolades and cer-tificates presented to Durham athis Crystal Palace concert andcelebration Tuesday night. Rep-resentatives for Rep. KevinMcCarthy, state senators RoyAshburn and Dean Florez andAssemblyman Danny Gilmorewere on hand to honor the Bak-ersfield native. County Supervi-sor Jon McQuiston was expectedto show up himself. But it allstarted with country music fanHall, who was approached by afriend of Durham’s about givingthe performer his due.

“I’m a happy person when itcomes to giving recognition topeople,” Hall said. “It’s alwaysvery special. It’s the part of thejob I like the most.”

Hall said his office bestowsabout 50 to 60 of these proclama-tions a year and that the hon-orees must have done somethingsignificant to deserve it.

In selecting Durham, the may-

or pretty much hit the mark.Consider these career highlights:A gold album, an appearance atthe Grand Ole Opry, a recordingcontract with Capitol Recordsand lifelong friendships with thelikes of Buck Owens, Haggard,Waylon Jennings, Billy Mize, RedSimpson and other visionaryperformers.

Bobby Durham Day: not a badway to end a respectable career,right? Not so fast with the retro-spectives, buddy. This performeris busy writing chapter two.

A few years ago, just as thefather of five grown daughterswas settling in to a contentedniche playing bars around town,along came a second wind —make that a gust — in the form of

his great love, SanDee, and a newsong he recorded now gettingplay on KUZZ. The song? “TheBakersfield Sound” naturally. Thevideo was set to be filmed atTuesday night’s event, and thesingle is to be included on analbum Durham is cutting.

The performer owes much ofhis career resurgence to Owens,the “second father” to whom hewent for advice on so many occa-sions, including when Durhamwas approached awhile backwith some career opportunities.

“The last time I saw Buck wasabout two weeks before hepassed away. He told me, ‘Bobby,your age is not going to hinderyou. Your age and the experienceyou have had, the years you’vebeen playing, is going to be aplus. Believe what I’m telling you.I’ve never told you wrong.’”

Durham can’t say enoughabout the influence Owens hashad on his life. He remembersbeing a newly minted recordingartist in 1962 and touring withBuck and the Buckaroos.

“The first place I played withBuck was the Golden Nugget inLas Vegas. I wore my first Nudiesuit. He told me I could borrow(Buckaroo bass player) Doyle Hol-ly’s suit. ‘You have to look like astar if you’re recording for CapitolRecords,’” Durham remembers hismentor saying.

It was the friendships andcamaraderie of those days — asmuch as the music itself — thatled someone with a genius formarketing to coin it “The Bakers-field Sound,” Durham said.

“When one of us went to

record, everyone went to help.When I recorded, Tommy Collinsand Billy Mize played rhythmguitar, Merle played bass, RedSimpson played piano. All Bak-ersfield people.”

Of the old gang, Mize and Hag-gard (“he’s like a brother”) could-n’t make Tuesday’s celebration— Mize because he wasn’t feel-ing up to it and Haggard becausehe’s on tour. That’s OK. Durhamunderstands — both the life of atroubadour and the aches andpains. (“I have problems with myback, arthritis. Maybe from oneparty too many.”)

Though the party days areover, the fun isn’t, said Durham,68, who credits his wife for hishappiness. They’ve been togeth-

er about five years.“When I met SanDee I was

playing at Trout’s. I played therefor 20 years. I figured that wasgoing to be it. I was done. I wasnever going to record again. Iwas just too old. But then whenall this started happening, I justhad to pinch myself.”

So how does this latest honorcompare with a gold record, hitsongs and performing on theOpry?

“It’s right up there at the topwith the rest of them wonderfulthings. I can’t believe the mayorwas the one that said ‘We’ll makethis Bobby Durham Day. Whatan honor coming from MayorHarvey Hall.

“I finally got contentment andthat’s all I asked for in my entiremy life.”

Singer Bobby Durhamhonored by mayor

The day ofhis life

MICHAEL FAGANS / THE CALIFORNIAN

Bobby Durham was in his element on stage at Buck Owens’ CrystalPalace on Tuesday night.

Bobby Durham and his wife, SanDee, speak with Bakersfield MayorHarvey Hall at the Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.

Friends, family and fans worktheir way around the dance flooras Bobby Durham performs.

Bobby Durham hugs a friend inthe lobby of the Crystal Palace.

SanDee Durham spends a quietmoment with a Bonnie Owensand Merle Haggard album displaybefore going on stage with herhusband Bobby for the debut ofhis song “The Bakersfield Sound.”


Eye Street

Afairy tale with a twist is the way direc-tor Bruce Saathoff describes “OnceUpon a Mattress,” now playing at

Stars. And that’s a fair description because this

musical comedy has all the elements ofHans Christian Andersen’s tale of “ThePrincess and the Pea.” But everything —both the characters and the action — isslightly out of whack.

I have yet to see the show but judgingfrom the comments of readers who attend-ed the opening last Friday, it’s definitely inthe “thumbs-up” category.

However I did speak with Jeff Malone,one of the actors in the show. He playedSaathoff’s police officer sidekick in Stars’recent production of “Urinetown,” andemphasized that “Once Upon a Mattress” isa family friendly show.

In “Mattress” he has a dual role. Maloneis a singing minstrel as well as the narrator,who tells the story and keeps the audienceabreast of what’s going on in this make-believe royal court.

At times, though, he simply stands asideand enjoys the action, as is the case withMark Price’s portrayal of King Sextimus theSilent.

“I love working with Mark Price,” Malonesaid. “He’s mute — it’s like a curse that’sbeen put on him — and it’s so funny towatch him mime everything.”

Malone, who’s a vocal music teacher forthe Panama-Buena Vista School District,also praised the performance of TamaraShepherd-White, who portrays the princesswho’s “auditioning” to be the bride ofPrince Dauntless, played by Jon Jones.

“Tammy is phenomenal as Princess Win-nifred,” Malone said. “She’s hysterically fun-ny — funnier than Carol Burnett,” whoplayed the part in the original Broadwayproduction.

Others in lead roles are Evan Boler,Bethany Rowlee, Jason Sliger, Jayde Nicole

Stever and DarrenMcDonald. There’salso a 12-memberchorus of singersand dancers.

Amber O’Reilly isthe show’s vocaldirector. Frank Sier-ra and Alexandra

De La Mora did thechoreography.

The setting, designed by Cory McCall, isthe interior of a castle, and the colorful cos-tumes were rented from a company in LosAngeles.

“We have a fantastic set and costumes,”said Saathoff. “And that’s important, espe-cially if you’re doing a period piece(because) you can’t just slap it together.”

Saathoff said the cast includes a numberof new faces, including quite a few youngpeople who were students in Stars School ofPerforming Arts.

Crossroads open to guest artistsMel White of Crossroads Gallery in

Tehachapi, says monthly exhibits, eachwith a different focus, are open to guestartists. Themes for each month, and White’s

descriptions, are:September: Silly Smiles — anything

that makes someone smile — the sillier thebetter

October: Ooooks and Spoooks — themonth of Halloween we like creepy thingson our walls

November: Fall Colors — Concentrateon oranges, golds, browns (not just trees).

December: Anything Goes — Theannual December show is wide open to allthemes and subjects.

Entries for each exhibit will be receivedonly on the first Wednesday of each month,between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Feeis $15 for each piece accepted for the show.Exhibits open on the first Friday of themonth.

For other details, visit crossroadsgallery-tehachapi.com.

‘The Blue Room’A controversial play recommended for

adults only opens Friday evening at TheEmpty Space.

“The Blue Room” is based on “La Ronde,”a play written by Arthur Schnitzler in theearly 1900s.

As adapted and updated by David Hare, ittells the story of five couples who try to find

love and worth through sex and indiscre-tion, only to be left alone and empty,according to information provided by thetheater. It contains nudity and sexual situa-tions.

The play stars Natily Ray, NathanStratton, Angela Hanawalt, Mike Bedard,Julie Jordan Scott, Steve Evans, DeannaMoreno, Marc Halling, Alisha Mason, KosPresas, Billie Joe Fox and Kelly Christopher-son. Michelle Guerrero is the director.

CAMILLE GAVIN: Fairy tale farce

Camille Gavin’s “Arts Alive!” column appears on Thursday.

Write to her via e-mail at [email protected]

Camille Gavin CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

‘Once Upon a Mattress’When: Doors open at 6 p.m., show at

8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; doors open

at noon, show at 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: Stars Theatre Restaurant, 1931

Chester Ave.

Admission: $50 to $54, dinner and

show; show only, $30; for students,

$30 or $15 for show only

Information: 325-6100

First Wednesday When: 9:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday

Where: Bakersfield Museum of Art,

1930 R St.

Admission: $5; $4, seniors; free to

members


‘Silly Smiles’ entries When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Crossroads Gallery, 101 E.

Tehachapi Blvd., Tehachapi

Fee: $15 per work submitted


‘The Blue Room’When: 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Where: The Empty Space, 706 Oak St.

Admission: $5; Must be 18 or older

Information: 327-PLAY

GO & DO

PHOTO COURTESY OF PETER BECKMAN

In the rousing song-and-dance number “I’m in Love with a Girl Named Fred,” PrincessWinnifred the Woebegone, played by Tamara Shepherd-White, displays her strength toPrince Dauntless, played by Jon Jones.

The Court Jester, played by Evan Boler,dances in memory of his late father, whowas also a court jester.


Eye Street

BY CAMILLE GAVINContributing columnist

Gaslight Melodrama Theatre& Music Hall is whooping itup this evening with a fifth

anniversary celebration thatincludes champagne, cider, birth-day cake and a costume party.

Oh yes! And a special perform-ance of “My Big Fat Oildale Wed-ding.”

Gaslight prides itself on pre-senting family friendly fare, per-haps because it’s athree-generation family run busi-ness.

It’s owned by the husband-and-wife team of Arnie Carlos and Lin-da Larma. Daughter KimberlySlikker, a dancer, actress andteacher, is also hard at work at thetheater. Michael Prince, the artis-tic director, is married to the cou-ple’s other daughter,actress-dancer Jennifer Prince.And Jack, the Princes’ 3-year-oldson, is their close companion dur-ing daytime working hours.

We asked Michael to fill us in onwhat makes the Gaslight one ofthe most popular theaters intown.

What’s the secret of theGaslight Melodrama’s success?

It’s hard to say. That’s not reallysomething we think about. We’remore concerned with putting onthe best possible experience forour audience. If I had to guess, Iwould say it’s because we reallytake an active role in knowing ouraudience and knowing what theywant and what they want to see.

You offer the only live the-ater in northwest Bakersfield.Is that an advantage?

Again, it’s hard to say. We’vefound that most people who liketheater in Bakersfield see all the-ater in Bakersfield. As long aswe’re putting on a quality show,people will come. We have peoplecome all the way from Tehachapi,Fresno, Los Angeles — Las Vegaseven. So I don’t think location hasmuch to do with it.

What was the Gaslight’s fun-niest show?

After taking a poll of our castmembers, we decided that “TheMobfather” was our funniestshow. It was probably one of ourmore ambitious shows that dealtwith family, crime, love, betrayal

and being extremely fun at thesame time.

Most successful show?

“My Big Fat Oildale Wedding.”The first time we did it, we soldout the entire run within two anda half weeks. We had waiting listswith over 100 people on them andso many requests to bring it backthat we brought it back threemonths later for another six-weekrun. Again, it broke box officerecords. This time around ouraudiences voted for us to bring itback for our fifth anniversaryshow. The success of it has beenoverwhelming and humbling.

Biggest flop?

Our second production,“Frankenstein: The Musical.” It’snot that it was a bad show; it was avery dark and very serious show.We had started off with our firstshow being very fun and over thetop and our audience expectedthat to continue and when it did-n’t, attendance just dropped off.We actually had to close that showthree weeks early and rush ourthird show, “Zorro,” onto the stagefast just to get our numbers backup and let people know that we’rehere to bring the funny.

Best performances?

Our best performances arewhen the house is full and theaudience has come to have a goodtime. We really pride ourselves onbeing a place where people cancome and forget their worries andtheir day-to-day problems andhave a really fun experience. We’renot trying to examine the humancondition; we just want to makepeople smile and laugh. And Ithink that’s a good thing.

Show with the most techni-cal difficulties?

There’ve been a few showswhere we felt going into tech weekwe may have bit off more than wecan chew, but we’ve always man-aged to pull it off. “Space: TheMusical” was a challenge becauseof re-creating the bridge from the

Starship Enterprise on our stagebut we did and it looked great.Another one would be “The Sky-light Zone” because the wholeshow, from props and costumes tosets and makeup had to be inblack and white, but again thatwas a lot of fun and looked andsounded awesome.

Best personal highlight?

For me, it’s whenever a newshow that I’ve written opens andthe audience laughs at the firstjoke. That’s when I have a hugesigh of relief and all the worry I’vehad washes away. But honestly,just being able to provide a funexperience for a family is a high-light.

Best compliment you everreceived on the Melodrama?

A note we got in the mail thatsaid: “My friend is going throughthe final stages of cancer and she’sdoing some pretty intensechemotherapy right now and theonly thing that puts a smile on herface is coming to see you guysperform. Thank you for giving myfriend some light in her life.” Thatstuck with us so deeply that wereally use that as our mantra. It isour job to make people happy andput a smile on their faces.

Age of the oldest personyou’ve sung Happy Birthday to?

A young and vibrant 98 yearsold.

Funniest thing that happenedduring a production?

So many unexpected thingshappen during a performanceand the funniest stuff is the stuffthat’s not planned and the way wework those happy accidents intothe show. From shoes flying offduring dance numbers, gunsfalling apart during tensemoments, so many. During “TheMobfather” we gave an audiencemember a part in the show with acostume and character name andall. And at the end they won anOscar for their portrayal. That wasalways fun because we, as thecast, never quite knew what toexpect on any given night.

How many scripts have youwritten?

I’ve co-written six and writtennine on my own.

How big is the theater’swardrobe? How many cos-tumes?

We have two mini barns full ofcostumes as well as an off-sitestorage unit full. I couldn’t evenbegin to count how many wehave. It’s a lot.

How many cast members doyou have? How many staffers?

We have five full-time castmembers and about three parttime. We also have many commu-nity players who work with us on aone-show basis. Many of our play-

ers perform at other theatresaround town. We also have a full-time musical director, technicaldirector and costume designerplus about four others that workin our lounge and box office, notto mention everyone in our familywho works here day in and dayout.

How many shows will you donext year?

We’ve been doing eight shows ayear with six-week runs. Occa-sionally, we’ll do a five-week run.Starting next year we’ll be going toa six-show season with eight-weekruns per show.

Do you see any potential forcollaborating with other the-aters in town?

There’s always potential to col-laborate with other theatres. It justdepends on the project and ifwe’re asked to join.

Ever feel the desire to go alittle more serious?

Not at all. There’s enough seri-ous in the world right now. Andthere’s enough serious being per-formed at other theatres, which isgreat. I think there’s room in anycommunity for all types of theatreto be performed. We just prefer tofocus on comedy and family funentertainment. We don’t take our-selves too seriously around here,but we do take what we do veryseriously.

Family friendly farehas found its niche

The smile’s on us: Gaslightcelebrates fifth anniversary

‘My Big Fat OildaleWedding’When: 7 p.m. today

Where: Gaslight Melodrama

Theatre & Music Hall, 12748

Jomani Drive

Admission: Adults, $20;

seniors, $18; children 12 and

under, $9


PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL PRINCE

Michael Prince, Greg Ramsdell and Scott Hillberry appear in “My Big Fat Oildale Wedding.”


Eye Street

Before “Bakobilly” became allthe rage, The Wichitas werethe original local roots

country rockers through the ’90s.After an extended hiatus and a fewreunions, they’re back again, thistime opening for Jack Ingram atBuck Owens’ Crystal Palace thisSunday at 7 p.m., and Ryan Bing-ham at B Ryder’s on Sept. 12 at 8p.m.

During the ’80s, new wave,punk, and alternative countrywere the sounds of the under-ground. Bands like L.A.’s TheBlasters, Lone Justice along withTexas’ Rank and File andNashville’s Jason and TheScorchers combined countrytwang with punk distortion in citydive bars. Some might say the Bak-ersfield Sound directly inspired its“cowpunk” style.

But for Wichitas lead vocalistand guitarist Olen Taylor, whoformed The Wichitas in ’92, inspi-ration came across the water inthe form of British rock ’n’ rollersRockpile. Led by guitarist DaveMason and bassist Nick Lowe,their “pub-rock” style attractedTaylor.

“Bands like Rockpile taught uswe could do this,” he said. “AndDave Mason should be in the Rockand Roll Hall of Fame.”

Not fond of media hype, Taylorcertainly has earned the right totalk up his band’s resume. Over the

course of their near-ly 20-year exis-

tence,they’vescoredsomeprime gig

slots open-ing forJohnny

Cash, Willie Nelson, Los Lobos,plus a coveted spot on the ’95 BuckOwens/Merle Haggard concert atthe Kern County Fairgrounds.

“The promoters seemed to likeus. I remember some of the localscene reaction when we used to beon these shows would be, ‘Whythese guys?’ Listen, we may beknuckleheads, but we’re not thatbad.”

The current Wichitas lineup alsofeatures Bruce Jones, drums; ChrisGoodsell (aka Purdy Spackle),bass; Robert Tidwell, guitar; andChristopher O’Brien — who’sknown The Wichitas since per-forming with local power-popband Brian Jones Was Murderedback in the day.

“Our bands were sort of mutualfans. I’ve worked with Bruce since’93, and we knew each other fairlywell. When The Wichitas called meup, I jumped at the chance,”O’Brien said.

One member who won’t be join-ing them for the shows is originalguitarist Mark Lipco. Comparativeto an extended family, Lipco’sabsence doesn’t mean he’s out ofthe band.

“This has always been just agathering of friends. We’ve gonethrough a few members, but we’vealways wanted to be in this band,and Mark is still with us.”

Taylor explains that while there

are no solid plans to perform regu-larly, the band is open to do moreshould a good opportunity pres-ent itself.

“We’ll see what happens. It’s notabout the money, it’s just playingon our terms.”

Pac West Sound at Sunset Junction

During my visit to the 30thanniversary Sunset Junctionmusic and arts festival in SilverLake this past weekend, it wasgreat to see Bakersfield soundcompany Pac West in control.

Five stages were all run by famil-iar local faces, including companysound engineer Erik Madera, whobriefly described the massiveundertaking.

“The entire warehouse is emp-ty,” he said before scurrying off tocheck on some cabling.

And it was all put to good use. AsI caught sets from hip-hop legendBig Daddy Kane, indie bands SaintMotel, Girl In A Coma, plus Fish-bone and a newly energized BadBrains, who whipped up thebiggest mosh pit I’ve seen in a fewyears, the Pac West bunch keptthings crystal clear. Now, if onlyour DBA could figure out a way tothrow a similar festival, life wouldbe that much better in Bako.Check out photos from my SunsetJunction experience at: bako-topia.com.

Matt’s picks“Little Shop of Horrors” at

Caffeine Supreme, 20th and F, 8p.m., Friday, Free, 873-4712.

Not the 1986 musical version,this is the original 1960 Roger Cor-man black-and-white comedywith Jack Nicholson. Shot in twodays using leftover movie sets, itsoriginal running title was “ThePassionate People Eater.” I’vechecked out the cool outdoorscreen the Hectic guys built forthese free screenings and the pic-ture is nice. Just be careful not to

wreck your car while you’re drivingby to catch a glimpse like I almostdid last time. Pull over and watch.

Operation Comedy at Fishlips,1517 18th St., 8 p.m. Saturday, $20,324-2557.

Operation Repo’s Matt Burchand Froy Tercero headline thisshow, along with comedians JimTrino, Fat James, Rick Shapiro andBig Mike. I was a huge fan of theOperation Repo TV show until Ifound out it was fake. Oops, did Ispoil the surprise? Don’t forget toask Matt and Froy how it is co-star-ring with the Sea Witch from Dis-ney’s “The Little Mermaid.” They’llget it.

Funky Fight Night 3 at BRyder’s, 7401 White Lane, 6 p.m.Saturday, $10, 397-7304.

Current IBF boxing champJames Toney makes his MMAdebut against Randy Couture inwhat has become a monthly gath-ering of Bakersfield’s UFC fans at BRyder’s. The sport has come a longway from the original “no rules”approach of the early bouts. Nowat UFC 118, that’s a lot of brokennoses lined with good sportsman-ship. After the fight, stick aroundfor the “funky” portion with musicby Mento Buru and DJ Mikey. Noprotective gear required.

Welcome back, WichitasThe Lowdown with Matt Munoz

Influential localband playing again

Bakotopia Radio9 to 10 p.m. Sundays on 106.1

FM. KRAB Radio

Hosts: Matt Munoz and

Miranda Whitworth

This Sunday:

In-studio performance by Live

lead vocalist Ed Kowalczyk

Interview with Hectic Films’

Rickey Bird

Interview with comedian

Ralphie May, appearing Sept.

23 at the Fox.

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.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WICHITAS

The Wichitas in 1995.

MATT MUNOZ / THE CALIFORNIAN

Erik Madera and Danny Almeydaof Bakersfield’s Pac West Soundat Sunset Junction in Silver Lake.

MATT MUNOZ / THE CALIFORNIAN

Solrak of The B-Side Players per-forms at Sunset Junction in Sil-ver Lake on Aug. 21.


Eye Street

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One woman’s promise to herdying husband is being real-ized Saturday with the Bill

Brannon Memorial Fundraiser CarShow at Buttonwillow Park.

Organizer Cindi Brannon says shewill donate proceeds to VanderbiltResearch Center in Nashville in honorof her late husband, Bill, who suc-cumbed to Multiple System Atrophyin January 2009. The little-known butdevastating disease is somewhat simi-lar to Parkinson’s Disease, Cindi Bran-don said.

“If you are diagnosed with Parkin-son’s you can live for 20, 30 or even 40years. But MSA is atypical, meaning 10years or less.

“I made a vow to my husband tocontinue to fight against this disease. Ipromised to become an advocate andthis is how I’m doing it.”

Brannon is a member of an onlineMSA support group throughYahoo.com and helps local MSApatients with physical therapy. Someof those patients will be in attendanceat the benefit, along with the facilita-

tor of the support group, who will betraveling from San Diego for the event.

Bill was a longtime member of OldFarts Car Club. His old friends haverallied around Brannon to help makethe fundraiser a success. They will beout in force, showing their cars along-side Bill’s five automobiles, whichBrannon is rolling out for this specialoccasion.

“I need to show Bill’s cars. He had a’57 Chevy, ’56 Ford pickup, ’63 ChevyImpala, a ’65 Ford Mustang and a ’36Chevy Sedan.”

Brannon reminds would-be partici-pants that all cars are welcome at the

event with a $20 entry fee. In addition to the car show, the

event will feature fun for young andold. The Bobby Durham Band will betaking time out from regular stints atBuck Owens’ Crystal Palace to per-form.

Attendees can also enter a raffle,with more than 300 prizes waiting tobe given away. Arts, crafts and foodvendors will also be on sight and abarbecue lunch will be available cour-tesy of Buttonwillow’s Willow RanchRestaurant.

This is Brannon’s first year hostingthe benefit and she hopes her hardwork will pay off when it comes towriting a check to Vanderbilt Universi-ty. After doing a little research she saysit was clear to her which medicalresearch facility would put the moneyto the best use.

“There are two medical centers thatdo MSA research, one in Michigan andone in Tennessee. I just felt the pro-gram at Vanderbilt was more to myheart and to my needs when it cameto Bill.”

Car show to raise fundsto fight deadly disease

BY ALLIE CASTROCalifornian staff writer

[email protected]

For those itching for the start ofdove-hunting season, the BoyScouts of America is providing

the perfect opportunity for a pre-sea-son warmup that also serves a goodcause.

The 11th annual Sporting ClayTournament will take place Friday atFive Dogs Shooting Range. One of thebiggest fundraisers of the year, thetournament came about due to theabundance of hunting enthusiasts inthe community. Scout Executive Dan-ny Tucker says, “It was a niche that fit

into the Bakersfield climate. We sawthat opportunity, and that people hereenjoy hunting here in Kern County, soit was a natural progression for us.”

During the tournament — in boththe expert and the novice categories— teams of five will shoot at 20 sta-tions with each station having somesort of variation.

At the end of the tournament, prizesdonated by AT&T will be given to thewinning team in each category, alongwith a prize for the overall winner andan award for a newcomer still trying toget the hang of shooting. Teams arewelcome; individuals who sign up willbe placed on a team.

Attendees will also be treated to arib eye lunch, and will have the oppor-tunity to win prizes — such as shot-guns, a pig hunt for two donated byTejon Ranch and a 100th anniversaryshotgun specially designed to com-memorate the Boy Scouts’ 100-yearanniversary. The raffle takes placeafter the tournament.

All of the proceeds will go towardsupporting the various programs ofthe Kern, Inyo, and Mono counties’chapters of the Boy Scouts of Ameri-ca.

Scouts provide chanceto sharpen skills

Shooting tournament set for Friday

Bill Brannon BenefitMemorial Fundraiser Car ShowWhen: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Buttonwillow Park,

Highway 58 and Meadow Street

Admission: $20 entry fee per

vehicle; no cost for spectators

Sporting Clay TournamentWhen: Friday; registration starts

at 7:15 a.m., tournament begins

at 8 a.m., lunch and awards begin

at 11:45 a.m.

Where: Five Dogs Shooting

Range, 20238 Woody Road

Admission: $150 per shooter


Ska-punk band Sublime withRome have just announced theyare adding a show in Bakersfield

Nov. 5 to the second leg of their 2010concert tour. Tickets for the concert atthe theater at Rabobank ConventionCenter go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Original members of Sublime, BudGaugh and Eric Wilson, with newfrontman Rome officially returned to

the stage this spring, their first outingin 14 years.

In addition to performing their newsong “Panic” on tour, the band hasbeen performing songs from Sub-lime’s back catalog, many of whichhave never been performed live.

Sublime has sold over 17 millionalbums worldwide. Formed in LongBeach in 1988, Sublime’s final per-

formance — until the recent tour —was in the spring of 1996.

Doors for the Nov. 5 concert open at6:30 p.m.; the show is at 7:30 p.m. Tick-ets are $35 in advance and $40 the dayof the show, not including fees.

Tickets are available at theRabobank box office, 1001 TruxtunAve., at ticketmaster.com and byphone at 800-745-3000.

Sublime returns to stage at Rabobank on Nov. 5


Eye Street

BY MATT MUNOZBakotopia.com editor

[email protected]

It’s back to school for local jazz phenomIsaiah Morfin. Making a special concertappearance tonight at Metro Galleries,

the 20-year-old saxophonist is looking for-ward to continuing his music studies at theprestigious Berklee College of Music inBoston this September. But before hebegins his next round of studies, he’s throw-ing a jazzy farewell show.

“I just finished my third semester. But it’sa four-year program, and I have some timeto go,” said Morfin, who will be performingat Metro backed by an all-star band, includ-ing Doug Davis, keyboard; Glen Fong, bass;Jim Scully, guitar; Micah Nactia; CanaanMcDuffie on drums; along with JenniferScully and Joy Wright on vocals.

With a reputation for tearing up localstages and festivals like CSUB’s annual JazzFestival, Morfin has enjoyed the challengesof being in Boston since fall of 2009.Enrolling with a double major of perform-ance and professional music, he admitsadapting to life in the big city away fromfamily and friends took some time.

“It was crazy the first time I went, and itwas so cold you just don’t know what to do.It’s easy to get discouraged. There are somany musicians in the area and everyone’strying to gig. But it’s great being aroundpeople who are as excited as you are.”

Over the past year, Morfin has beenunder the direction of Berklee faculty musicheavies like saxophonist Joe Lovano anddrummer Terry Lynn Carrington to name afew. Ready to absorb even more musicknowledge upon his return, he plans on

performing some new jazz originals, plussome inspirational compositions at Metro.

“We’ll be playing some Latin and groovin’swing tunes to make you snap your fingers— music people can emotionally respond,too. It’s going to be a great concert,” Morfinsaid.

Morfin preparing to headback to college this fall

Local jazz musicianset for performance

BY ALLIE CASTROCalifornian staff writer

[email protected]

Now that Dewar’s has passed the 100-year mark, the candy and ice cream shopis spreading the love to others in theexclusive club, offering a brand-newpeanut butter-filled chocolate chew inhonor of the centennial of OildoradoDays in Taft.

The chew is available at both Bakers-field locations of Dewar’s and at the head-quarters of the festival, a newlyrefurbished beauty of a building at 430Main St. in Taft. The two-story brickbuilding, which opened in 1927 as aMasonic temple, has been returned to itsformer grandeur after remaining in direneed of a makeover these last 20 years.

“The store is the centerpiece for all thethings going on leading up to Oildorado,”said Taft Oildorado Inc. president EricCooper.

Events include open-mic coffeehouse

entertainment nights, talks by well-known residents of Taft, maybe a mid-night sale or two, and more. Visitors mayalso purchase Oildorado tickets and sou-venirs, including Oildorado T-shirts,polos, blankets, pocket knives, clocks, beltbuckles, glasses, even bronze sculpturesfrom the artists involved in the creation ofcommemorative sculptures made for theOildorado event.

In addition to the Dewar’s chews,snacks, soda, ice cream and candy areavailable.

For a listing of all of the events the storewill host in the weeks leading up to Oildo-rado, check the official Oildorado websiteat oildoradodays.com in the comingweeks.

Oildorado Days takes place Oct. 14-24.The store will be open now through Nov.1. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.every day but Sunday. (Hours will beextended during Oildorado Days in Octo-ber.)

Oildorado gets its own Dewar’s chew

An Evening with Isaiah Morfinand friendsWhen: 7 p.m. tonight

Where: Metro Galleries, 1604 19th St.

Admission: $8


PHOTO COURTESY OF ISAIAH MORFIN

Isaiah Morfin will perform at Metro Gal-leries tonight.


Eye Street

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Taking a cool dip in the UnionAvenue Plunge, driving past thequaint Lebec Hotel, crossing

your fingers that the family sedan hadone more trip up the Grapevine in it,the spiffy service station attendant:They’re all memories of one artist’schildhood spent roaming up anddown the 99 visiting family. But theycould just as easily be from the mem-ory scrapbook of any 40-plus native ofthe valley.

Now those images form a collec-tion of paintings at a gallery in Lodi,and if the photos sent our way are anyindication, the exhibit, called “OldU.S. 99,” might warrant a ride of yourown up the highway.

More from the media release wereceived from the Knowlton Gallery:

Dennis Ziemienski, whose work hasbeen featured on book covers, postersfor the Super Bowl and Kentucky Der-by, as well as his work with RollingStone magazine and the New YorkTimes, has chosen the road trips hetook as a kid as inspiration for his newbody of work.

Old U.S. Highway 99 was Califor-nia’s first major north-south highway,at one time reaching from Mexico tothe Oregon border. Built in the 1910sand ’20s, many Dust Bowl refugeestraveled this road looking for employ-ment.

“A large part of the Sicilian side ofmy family,” says Ziemienski, “livedalong this route, so it became our fam-ily’s favorite road trip.”

His show will lead the viewer downthe mid-century eucalyptus andpalm-lined U.S. Highway 99, fromCalifornia’s capital south through theSan Joaquin Valley to greater LosAngeles. Take this journey and re-livea refreshment stop at a Giant Orange,the panorama of mile upon mile ofrow crops punctuated by producestands, competing neon arrows, DairyQueens and sleepy Main Streets.

“Nearly all these images have beenlost to highway upgrades and moderntastes, but the memories live on in theimagination of the people who trav-eled Old U.S. 99.”

99’s past as a roadsideculture is unveiled

Artisttravelingin reverse

Opening reception for ‘OldU.S. 99’ by Dennis ZiemienskiWhen: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday;

exhibit runs through Sept. 25

Where: The Knowlton Gallery,

115 S. School St. #14 in Lodi

Information: 209-368-5123;

www.ziemienski.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN KNOWLTON

A swimmer at the old Union Avenue Plunge by Dennis Ziemienski, who isshowing a collection of paintings at a Lodi gallery inspired by trips he tookas a child with his family up and down Highway 99.

DennisZiemienski’swork “Trou-ble in theGrapevine”will beamong thepieces onexhibitstarting Sat-urday at theKnowltonGallery.


Eye Street

In celebration of National HispanicHeritage Month, all of Kern County isinvited to join the next communityread organized by One Book, One Bak-ersfield, One Kern.

The book, “Burro Genius” by VictorVillaseñor (“Rain of Gold,” “Macho!”),is a memoir of the author’s experienceas the child of Mexican immigrantsgrowing up in Southern Californiaduring the 1940s and ’50s. It is asmuch a commentary on the educationsystem that discriminated againstSpanish speakers — and failed to rec-ognize the author’s severe dyslexiathat made him seem like a “stupidMexican” — as it is a story of family,culture, heritage and coming of age.

Lead part-ners KernCounty Libraryand Cal StateBakersfieldhave organizedtwo months ofprogrammingrelated to thecommunityread, startingwith a kickoffon Sept. 16(Mexican Inde-

pendence Day) at the Beale MemorialLibrary, and culminating with theauthor himself giving a free talk atCSUB on Nov. 9.

One Book, One Bakersfield, OneKern encourages all community mem-bers, young and old, to read the book,hold book discussions, and participatein the many events related to NationalHispanic Heritage Month this fall.

According to hispanicheritage-month.gov, this year’s theme “recog-nizes the strength and hard work ofHispanic Americans, whose zeal forfamily and country has helped shapesociety” — a very fitting theme for acommunity read of “Burro Genius.”

For more information about OneBook, One Bakersfield, One Kern, con-tact organizer Kristie Coons at 325-9584 or [email protected].

— Cal State Bakersfield news release

Community reading eventsrecognize Hispanic heritage

(Events free unless otherwise

noted.)

5 p.m. Sept. 3: Opening reception

for “Latination II,” Metro Galleries,

1604 19th St.

Sept. 10 to 25: “Bordertown” at

Bakersfield Community Theatre,

2400 S. Chester Ave. Call 831-8114

for ticket prices.

11 a.m. Sept. 16: Kickoff of “Burro

Genius” community read and

National Hispanic Heritage Month

with speakers and entertainment,

Beale Memorial Library, 701 Truxtun

Ave.

2 p.m. Sept. 18: Pam Muñoz Ryan

Day, celebrating Bakersfield native

and children’s author Pam Muñoz

(“Esperanza Rising”), with

entertainment, reception and book

signing, Russo’s Books at The

Marketplace, 9000 Ming Ave.

7:30 p.m. Sept. 24: Showing of “Sin

Nombre,” a film made in Mexico

touching on themes of immigration

and gangs, Fox Theater, 2001 H St.

$5. flics.org.

Oct. 1 and 2: “Hispanic American

and Spanish Literary and Cultural

Symposium,” 9001 Stockdale

Highway. Free with $2 parking. Call

654-2359 for time and location.

9:30 to 11 a.m. Oct. 6: Panel

discussion on themes related to

“Burro Genius,” Bakersfield Museum

of Art, 1930 R St. Free for museum

members, $5 adults, $4 seniors.

bmoa.org.

7 p.m. Oct. 6: Showing of “The 800

Mile Wall,” a documentary about the

U.S.-Mexico border, Dorothy

Donahoe Hall, Room G102, 9001

Stockdale Highway. Free with $2

parking.

7 p.m. Oct. 7: Salsa y Salsa, a

celebration of Latin dance through

demonstration and instruction from

local experts with salsa tasting from

the best local salsa makers, Beale

Memorial Library, 701 Truxtun Ave.

7 p.m. Oct. 13: Discussion with

author Carlos Fuentes on

“Globalization: A New Deal for a

New Age,” Doré Theatre, 9001

Stockdale Highway.

7 p.m. Oct. 14: CSUB’s History

Forum with Dr. Gabriel Gutiérrez,

director of the Center for the Study

of the Peoples of the Americas at

Cal State Northridge, who will

present the historical context of

“Burro Genius,” Doré Theatre, 9001

Stockdale Highway. Free with $2

parking.

3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 15: Book

discussion about “Burro Genius,”

Russo’s Books at The Marketplace,

9000 Ming Ave.

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 24:Guelaguetza 2010, a festival

celebrating Oaxacan culture with

folkloric dances, music, art, crafts

and food, CSUB Outdoor

Amphitheatre, 9001 Stockdale

Highway. Adults, $7.50; children

under 12, free; $2 parking. upbj.org.

Noon to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 1: Dia de los

Muertos workshop with guest

speaker Eva Patino, Student Union

Multipurpose Room, 9001 Stockdale

Highway, free with $2 parking.

5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 2: “Altares de

Familia,” a Day of the Dead

celebration, Bakersfield Museum of

Art, 1930 R St.

7 p.m. Nov. 9: Victor Villaseñor,

author of “Burro Genius,” will speak

about his memoir and sign books,

CSUB Icardo Center, 9001 Stockdale

Highway. Free admission and

parking in Lot I.

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“Reach,” a play commissioned bythe Arts Council of Kern to teach the-ater to kids, will be presented Satur-day.

Local playwright Mary Amelia Rey-na taught the participants, who rangein age from 5 to 18, over four weeks atthe Martin Luther King Center insoutheast Bakersfield.

“Reach” consists of 10 vignettes thatdepict real-life stories of conqueringfear, realizing dreams and aspirations,triumphing against all odds, andreaching for the stars in a world full ofviolence and uncertainty.

“Although the kids could not envi-sion a final production, they readilyagreed to recount their stories ofeveryday lives for me to spin into aplay.

“Then they became not just actors,but also writers, directors, producers,set designers, and PR persons,” Reynasaid.

Also, under the tutelage of Bakers-field muralist Sebastian Muralles, thesame students discovered their ownartistic talents by adapting their sto-ries onto a mural that will hang out-side the center on the Stop theViolence building.

The program was made possible bya grant from the California TableGrape Commission.— Arts Council of Kern

‘Reach’ puts kids in the producers’ seatPerformance and mural unveilingWhen: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday

Where: Martin Luther King

Center, 1000 S. Owens St.



Eye Street

BY DIANNE HARDISTYContributing writer

You won’t find a lot ofmoaning and groaning atEthel’s Old Corral on

Alfred Harrell Highway as thetemperatures climb over thetriple-digit mark. In fact, youwill find people cheering thethermometer in hopes it climbsover 105 degrees.

That’s because the northeastBakersfield restaurant and bardrops the price of its draft beeras the temperature climbs.When it reaches 100 degrees,draft beer drops to $2 a glass.When it hits 105 degrees, theprice drops to $1 a glass.

“It gives people a reason to beglad it’s hot, rather that justcomplain about it,” said NatalieMears, the restaurant’s owner.

As Bakersfield’s “dry heat” gothotter in July, Mears cooked upher “beat global warming” idea.She says she has made good onher offer at least five times thissummer, mostly serving up $2-a-glass beer as temperaturescrested 100 degrees.

She predicted $1-a-glass beer

would be flowing freely thisweek as temperatures were pre-dicted to be well above 105degrees.

“One dollar beer tones downthe heat. It’s not so much adrudgery,” said Mears, who hasowned Ethel’s for six years.

“It’s a fun thing,” said JohnHayes, a retired Chevronemployee and East BakersfieldHigh graduate who stops by forlunch nearly every day.

Ethel’s, which also goes by thename The Old Corral, is north-east Bakersfield’s equivalent to“Cheers,” where regulars hangout and everyone seems toknow your name. But even“newcomers,” like Mike andLoretta Schield, who moved toBakersfield in 1996, find Ethel’senduring. “It’s one of Loretta’sand my very favorite places,”Mike wrote in an e-mail alertingThe Californian to the discount.

The discount beer offer isbased on the readings from asimple thermometer hung onEthel’s patio.

“There’s nothing fancy atEthel’s,” Mears said.

Best benefit of theheat? Cheap beer

BY MIRANDA WHITWORTHContributing writer

Are you a music enthusiast, Bakersfield HighSchool supporter or just looking to settle ascore? Head out to Yokuts Park Saturday as the

Bakersfield High School Instrumental Music Boostersattempt to break the world record for largest waterballoon fight.

“It will be Drillers against all. So if you are from Bak-ersfield and have always wanted to drench a Driller,here’s your chance,” said band director and eventorganizer Randy Bennett.

Bennett is hoping to have 5,000 people come to Sat-urday’s event to snatch the title from current GuinnessBook of World Records holders Brigham Young Univer-sity for their “Cougar Cool Down” on July 23, whichboasted 3,927 attendees. A turnout of 5,000 is a loftygoal, but Bennett says he and the Band Boosters havebeen doing the legwork to get the numbers on the field.

“We have commercials running on four radio sta-tions, we have big electronic billboards, we’ve beenhanding out fliers at the malls and we have peoplecoming from as far away as San Diego to support thehigh school. We want anybody and everybody.”

Bennett knows what it’s like to travel for a goodcause. He grew up in Oceanside and went to LongBeach State. He says that while Bakersfield is not hishometown, he was happy to come here and has been

happy to stay. “I moved here for the school. I couldn’tbeat the opportunity. It has been a blast!”

While the water balloon fight may be the mainattraction, the club has organized a daylong event sur-rounding the fundraiser.

A carnival will be held at Yokuts Park from noon to 5p.m. with food, games and rides for the whole family,including bounce houses, face painting, virtual battingcages and more. Chick-fil-A and the Bakersfield Con-dors will be on hand with games and prizes. At 5 p.m.,Bennett says the fighters will be loaded into a tempo-rary fenced stadium and the balloons will fly at 6 p.m.

“For the Guinness record, there are rules to follow.We need to fence people in so we can verify the count.We are taking the soccer field and creating a game are-na. One side will be for Drillers, the other will be foreveryone else.”

The cost to participate is $5. The fee earns you a T-shirt, two water balloons and a sandwich provided byChick-fil-A. All proceeds from the event will benefitthe Bakersfield High School Band.

Bennett says due to recent budget cuts there isn’tmuch money left over for students to take part inmany activities beyond their work in class.

“This is band, it’s performance ensemble. If we wantto perform at any venues, go anywhere or do anythingoutside of the classroom, we need to push this our-selves. From traveling to even repairing instruments,this is what the money will go to.”

Ready, set,duck! Waterballoons flying

Water balloon fightWhen: Carnival starts at noon; water balloon

fight at 6 p.m.

Where: Yokuts Park, Empire Drive and Truxtun

Avenue

Fee: $5, which includes a T-shirt, sandwich and

two water balloons.


GO & DO

TodayConcerts by The Fountain, ska,

rock and funk with Mento Buru, 7

to 9 p.m., The Marketplace, 9000

Ming Ave.

Jazz Live with Isaiah Morfin &Friends, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Metro

Galleries, 1604 19th St. $8 at the

door. 634-9598.

Grand Opening Celebration,and presentation of “Two Faces

of Plastic Surgery” by Dr.

Lawrence M. Birnbaum who

relocated to Essentiels Spa, 6:30

p.m., Essentiels Spa Et Beauté,

9000 Ming Ave., Suite K7.

Celebration continues through

Saturday. For appointments or a

complimentary consultation, call

322-2025.

City of Bakersfield Departmentof Recreation & Sports offers a

wide variety of lessons, sports,

classes and more. For more

information, call 326-3866.

FridayLocal music showcase, with

Right Cross, 8 p.m., Bright House

Networks Amphitheatre, Stockdale

Highway and Buena Vista Road.

Free. bakersfieldamphitheatre.us

or or 852-7300.

11th annual Boys Scouts ofAmerica Sporting ClaysTournament, 7:15 to 7:45 a.m.,

check-in/registration, 7:30 a.m.

warmup trap shooting, 8 a.m.

tournament begins, 11:45 a.m.

lunch, noon awards/raffle, Five

Dogs Shooting Range, 20238

Woody Road. $150 per shooter.

325-9036.

CSUB Women’s Soccer vs.Eastern Washington, 7 p.m.,

CSUB campus, 9001 Stockdale

Highway. $4 to $10. 654-2583.

Fire Donation Collection, for

helping local victims from two

fires this summer, The Salvation

Army will be collecting cash

donations, gift cards and gently

used items, 2 to 4 p.m., Interim

Healthcare, 4801 Truxtun Ave. All

proceeds go toward assisting

relief efforts. 395-1700.

Late Night Skate, 7 p.m. to

midnight, Rollerama West, 7850

Brimhall Road. $10, rental

included. 589-7555.

“Spontaneous Expression withPaint,” an Art for Healing

program of Mercy Hospitals of

Bakersfield; 9:30 to noon, Mercy

Hospital, Truxtun Campus, Truxtun

and A streets. Free.

mercybakersfield.org/art or to

register, 324-7070.

Wine Bar Flight, featuring a look

back at the great Cabernet of

2003 Harvest, Karl Lawrence Dr.

Crane Vineyard, Harlan, Bryant

Family (96/100 WA) and more, 4

p.m., Imbibe Wine & Spirits

Merchant, 4140 Truxtun Ave.

Tastes, $5 to $30. 633-WINE.

Wine Tasting, includes different

wines and appetizers, 5:30 to 8

p.m., Cafe Med, 4809 Stockdale

Highway. $25 per person. 834-

4433.

SaturdayFish Pierce Summertime BlueRevue, presented by Fish

Entertainment and the Asthma and

COPD Education Center; featuring

Fish Pierce and friends, 12 blues

bands with special guests, 3 to

10:30 p.m., Trout’s & The

Blackboard Stages, 805 N. Chester

Ave. $15 advance, $20 at the door

and can be purchased at Front

Porch Music. 325-7161.

Jack Ingram, 7 p.m., Buck Owens

Crystal Palace, 2800 Buck Owens

Blvd. $23.50 to $33.50 plus fee.

vallitix.com or 322-5200.

Operation Comedy with Mattand Troy, 8 p.m., Fishlips Bar &

Grill, 1517 18th St. $20 plus fee; 21

& over only. vallitix.com or 322-

5200.

World’s Largest Water BalloonFight, Drillers vs. All, hosted by

Bakersfield High School Band

Boosters; with food, raffle prizes,

dunk tank, carnival is from noon to

5 p.m., arena gates open at 5:30

p.m., balloons begin flying at 6

p.m., Yokuts Park, 4200 Empire

Drive. $5. E-mail

[email protected].

Bakersfield Speedway,Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Mini

Stocks, Mini Dwarfs, gates open at

4:30 p.m.; races begin at 6 p.m.,

Bakersfield Speedway, 5001 N.

Chester Ave. $10; $5 ages 6-12;

under 5 free.

bakersfieldspeedway.com or call

393-3373.

Summer Lecture Series:Archaeology, Up Close &Personal, on “Basin Religion and

Animal Ceremonialism and

Egyptian Mummies Uncovered,” 6

p.m., Tehachapi Museum, 310 S.

Green St. $15. 822-8152.

Ceramic Group ProjectWorkshop, for items that will be

entered into the Kern County Fair;

10 a.m., The Ceramic Shop, 2550

E. Belle Terrace, Suite 300. Free

but registration required. 834-

1000.

CSUB Men’s Soccer AlumniGame, 7 p.m., CSUB campus,

9001 Stockdale Highway. $4 to

$10. 654-2583.

Drag Racing, gates open at 3

p.m., Buttonwillow Raceway, 24551

Lerdo Highway, Buttonwillow. 764-

5333.

Family Skate Night, 7 to 10 p.m.,

Rollerama West, 7850 Brimhall

Road. $30 includes admission for

four (two adults/two children),

skate rental, one pizza and pitcher

of soda. 589-7555.

Free How-to-Work Workshops,Saturday classes: 10 to 11 a.m.

“Decorative Painting Solutions”; 11

a.m. to noon “Do It Yourself

Flooring Made Easy”; 1 to 2 p.m.

“Small Bath Updates”; and Sunday

class: 1 to 2 p.m. “Storage & Closet

Organization Solutions”; Home

Depot. homedepot.com or call

800-430-3376.

Street Teams, opportunity to

reach the hurting and needy parts

of our community with food, love

and prayer, 10:30 a.m., Jesus

Shack, 1326 30th St.

jesusshack.com or call 324-0638.

Kids Free Day, last Saturday of

every month, CALM, 10500 Alfred

Harrell Highway. 872-2256.

Performance & "REACH" MuralUnveiling, local children create

play and mural depicting every day

challenges, 10 a.m. to noon

Saturday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Community Center, 1000 S. Owens

St. Free. 324-9000.

Twilight at CALM, with a wildlife

presentation, scavenger hunt, 5:30

to 8 p.m., CALM, 10500 Alfred

Harrell Highway. Regular admission

prices apply; CALM members are

free. calmzoo.org or 872-2256.

Farmers markets: 8 a.m. to 2

p.m., Caffeine Supreme, on the

lawn, corner of F and 20th streets.

caffeinesupreme.com; 8 a.m. to

noon, next to Golden State Mall,

3201 F St.; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.,

Brimhall Square, 9500 Brimhall

Road; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., “Nuui

Cunni” Native American Cultural

Center, 2600 Highway 155, Lake

Isabella. 760-549-0800.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post97 Steak Dinner, with a DJ, 6

p.m., VFW Post #97, 5350 S. Union

Ave. $10. 304-5654.

SundayBill Brannon MemorialFundraiser Car Show, with food,

DJ, vendor booths, trophies, 50/50

drawing and raffle, 9 a.m. to 2

p.m., Buttonwillow Park, Highway

58 and Meadow Street,

Buttonwillow. $20 entry fee. All

proceeds go toward Vanderbilt

University Research for a cure in

Bill Brannon’s name. 764-5498.

CSUB Women’s Soccer vs.Loyola Marymount, 7 p.m., CSUB

campus, 9001 Stockdale Highway.

$4 to $10. 654-2583.

ART“Artistic Chaos” art exhibit, by

appointment only, on display until

Oct. 8, The Micro Gallery, 6300

Coffee Road. 301-3283.

“Ebb and Flow Kern’sVanishing Water” art exhibit,on display until Oct. 3, JP Jennings

Gallery, 1700 Chester Ave. 323-

1622.

“On the Road Again,” group art

show on display through August,

Bakersfield Mazda, 3201 Cattle

Drive. 328-8000.

All Media Class, by instructor

Phyllis Oliver, all media welcome,

with color theory stressed. For

more information or to register, e-

mail [email protected] or

call 348-4717.

Art classes, beginning

watercolor, beginning drawing,

advanced drawing and watercolor

painters’ group, taught by Carol

Bradshaw. Call or e-mail for

details and enrollment.

[email protected] or

760-376-6604.

Basic Beading & WireWrapping Workshop, with Susi

Klassen, private instruction or by

appointment, The Bead Hut, 610

18th St. To schedule an

appointment, call 324-0975 or

706-6490.

Beginning Oil Painting, with

instructor Glen Jelletich, classes

held 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays. Call

399-3707 for more information or

to register.

Beginning, Intermediate andAdvanced Drawing, by

instructor Nina Landgraff, series of

five two-hour classes. Call for

more information or to register.

304-7002.

Framing Clinic, with Toni Lott,

for artists who want to frame

their work, began April 7, running

noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays. Call

205-3488 for more information or

to register.

Native American ArtsAssociation, meets to learn

basketry, beadwork and more, 9

a.m. to noon each Thursday, The

Stockdale Moose Lodge, 905 Stine

Road. 852-5050.

Shirley Rowles, featured artist

for August, Russo’s, 9000 Ming

Ave. russosbooks.com or 665-

4686.

The Art Center, 1817 Eye St.,

869-2320; offers a variety of

painting and drawing classes. Call

for details.

The Art Shop Club, 9 a.m. to

noon each Thursday, Friday and

Saturday, The Art Shop, 1221 20th

St. All mediums. 322-0544, 589-

7463 or 496-5153.

“Spontaneous Expression withPaint,” an Art for Healing

program of Mercy Hospitals of

Bakersfield; 9:30 to noon Friday,

Mercy Hospital, Truxtun Campus,

Truxtun and A streets. Free.


register, 324-7070.

Ceramic Group ProjectWorkshop, for items that will be

entered into the Kern County Fair;

10 a.m. Saturday, The Ceramic

Shop, 2550 E. Belle Terrace, Suite

300. Free but registration

required. 834-1000.

Free art classes, for home-

school parents, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturdays. Call to reserve your

spot. Moore’s Art Studio, 10205

Hurlingham Drive. 588-7769.

Grand Opening Reception, with

local and international artists, live

music, wine, appetizers, 5 to 11

p.m. Saturday, La Galeria, 1414

High St., Delano. Visit

yessy.com/maryselva25 or 444-

1564.

“Mandala-Making as a Sourceof Healing & Wholeness,” an

Art for Healing program of Mercy

Hospitals of Bakersfield; 6:30 to

8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mercy

Hospital, Truxtun Campus, Truxtun

and A streets. Free.


register, 324-7070.

THEATER“My Big Fat Oildale Wedding,”followed by the Vaudville Revue,

“Everything and the Kitchen Sink

— The Greatest 38 Shows of All

Time,” 7 p.m. Thursday through

Saturday; 2 p.m. matinee Sunday,

Gaslight Melodrama Theatre &

Music Hall, 12748 Jomani Drive. $9

to $20. 587-3377.

“Once Upon a Mattress,” doors

open at 6:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday; doors open at

12:30 p.m., show at 2 p.m. Sunday,

Stars Dinner Theatre, 1931 Chester

Ave. $50 to $55; show-only tickets

$30. 325-6100.

“The Killing Ghost,” 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, The Empty

Space, 706 Oak St. Suggested

donation $15 adults; $10

students/seniors. 327-PLAY.

Auditions for “A Merry Christmas

at Stars” (dancers) noon to 4 p.m.,

(singers) 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday,

Stars School of Fine Arts, 1927 Eye

St.

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.

“The Magic of Frank Thurston,”11 a.m. Saturday, Gaslight

Melodrama Theatre & Music Hall,

12748 Jomani Drive. $6. 587-3377.

MUSIC

AcousticKern River Brewing Company,13415 Sierra Highway, Kernville,

760-376-2337; Mike Fleming, 7:30

to 10 p.m. Friday.

AlternativeFishlips Bar & Grill, 1517 18th St.,

324-2557; Joey Romley & Friends,

9 p.m. Tuesdays.

BluesVinny’s Bar & Grill, 2700 S.

Union Ave., jam session, 2 p.m.

Sundays. 21 and over.

myspace.com/vinnysbarandgrill

blues/rock.

Classic Rock Buck Owens Crystal Palace,2800 Buck Owens Blvd., 328-

7560; Token Okies, 7:30 to 9:45

p.m. Thursday.

Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge,3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139;

Really Big Midgets, 9 p.m. Friday

and Saturday.

Pyrenees Cafe, 601 Sumner, 323-

0053; Mike Montano Band, 1 to 5

p.m. Saturday.

Sandrini’s, 1918 Eye St., 322-

8900; The People’s Band, 9 p.m.

Wednesday.

ComedyB. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill,7401 White Lane, 397-7304; with

Just Another Hangover, Thursday.

Doo Wop Diner, 1534 19th St.,

327-4360; 9 to 11 p.m. Saturday. 21

& over only.

CountryTrouts & the BlackboardStages, 805 N. Chester Ave.,399-6700, offers karaoke, line

dancing, West Coast Swing among

other various activities. Call for

times and days.

Ethel’s Old Corral Cafe, 4310

Alfred Harrell Highway, 873-7613;

Nightlife, 7 to 11 p.m. Friday; Still

Kickin’, 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Eye Street


Iron Horse Saloon, 1821 S.

Chester Ave., 831-1315; Two Timers

Band, 9 p.m. Friday and 2 to 6 p.m.

Saturday; Sunday Snake Oil, 8 p.m.

to midnight Saturday.


8900; Country Club, 9:30 p.m.

Friday.

Tejon Club, 117 El Tejon Ave., 392-

1747; Crossroads, 6 to 10 p.m.

Sunday.

DancingJoaquin Squares, 7:30 to 9:30

p.m. Thursday, Rasmussen

Center, 115 E. Roberts Lane. $5.

324-1390, 325-3086 or 399-

3658.

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.

Mavericks Singles, ballroom and

country dancing with music by

Lost Highway, 6 to 9:15 p.m. Friday,

Kern City Town Hall, 1003 Pebble

Beach Drive. $6 member; $8

guest. 831-9241.

Pairs and Spares Dance, 7:30

p.m. each Friday, Rasmussen

Senior Center, 115 E. Roberts Lane.

$5; $7 nonmembers. 399-3575 or

332-1537.

Country Dance, with music

provided Jerri Arnold & Stars &

Guitars, jam session, all artists

welcome, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Le

Corusse Rouge, 4647 White Lane.

Dance classes, beginning west

coast swing, intermediate/

advanced West Coast swing with

instructor Mimi Johanson, at 8214

Mossrock Drive. Call 330-9616 for

details.

Scottish Country Dancing, with

the Kern County Scottish Society,

beginners welcome, 7 to 9 p.m.

Mondays, Norris Road Veterans

Hall, upstairs, 400 W. Norris Road.

822-3998.

Whirlaways Square DanceClub, with caller Rick Hampton, 7

to 9:30 p.m. every Monday,

Veteran’s Hall, 400 W. Norris Road.

whirlaways.org or 398-3394.

Dance Drill Classes, beginning

belly dancing, 8 p.m. every

Tuesday; advanced belly dancing, 7

to 9 p.m. every Thursday, Centre

Stage Studio, 1710 Chester Ave. $5

drop-in fee for beginning belly

dancing; $15 for advanced belly

dancing. Bring knee pads and yoga

mat to advanced class. 323-5215.

DJIron Horse Saloon, 1821 S.

Chester Ave., 831-1315; 7 p.m.

Thursdays.

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; 9 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays. Free.

Tam O’Shanter, 2345 Alta Vista,

324-6774: with DJ Escandalosa in

the Mixx, 8:30 p.m. Fridays and

Saturdays.


8900; 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

B. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill,7401 White Lane, 397-7304; 8 p.m.

Wednesday.

Jazz Le Corusse Rouge, 4647 White

Lane, 834-1611; Bakersfield Jazz

Workshop, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.

every Wednesday.

Cafe Med, 4809 Stockdale

Highway, 834-4433; Richie Perez,

7:30 to 11 p.m. Thursdays.

Live Jazz & Wine Bar, featuring

Jazz Connection with Lawanda

Smith and Mike Raney, along with

24 wines, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday,

Imbibe Wine & Spirits Merchant,

4140 Truxtun Ave. 633-WINE

Wine & Cheese Cellar, 695

Tucker Road., Suite C, Tehachapi,

822-6300; Richie Perez, 7 to 10

p.m. Saturday.

Live Jazz & Wine Bar, featuring

Jazz Connection with Paul Cierley

and Pat O’Conell, along with 24

wines, 5 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday,

Imbibe Wine & Spirits Merchant,

4140 Truxtun Ave. 633-WINE.

Karaoke Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge,3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139; 9

p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursdays and

Sundays.

Cactus Valley MexicanRestaurant, 4215 Rosedale

Highway, 633-1948; 6 to 10 p.m.

Thursday; beer pong and happy

hour all day with karaoke 3 to 6

p.m. Sunday.

Crossroads Pizzeria, 4200 New

Stine Road, 397-5000; 6:30 to

9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Don Pour House, 4041 Fruitvale

Ave., 589-9300; 9 p.m. Thursday

through Saturday.

Que Pasa Mexican Cafe, 9000

Ming Ave., 664-1400; 9:30 p.m. to

1 a.m. Thursdays. karaoke.

Perico Restaurant, 2660 Oswell

St., Suite 133, 871-2001; 7 to 11

p.m. Thursdays.

The Old River Monte Carlo,9750 Taft Highway, 837-0250; 8

p.m. every Thursday.

The Wright Place, 2695-G

Mount Vernon Ave., 872-8831, 8


Tomi’s Cowgirl Cafe, 1440

Weedpatch Highway, 633-1949;

Karaoke King Show, all ages, 7 to

10 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays.

Vinny’s Bar & Grill, 2700 S.

Union Ave., 7 p.m. Thursdays. 21

and over. myspace.com/

vinnysbarandgrill.

Banacek’s Lounge, 4601 State

Road, 387-9224; 9 p.m. Fridays

and Saturdays.

Casa Lopez, 8001 Panama Road,

Lamont, 845-1000; 7:30 to 10:30

p.m. Friday (country) and Saturday

(Spanish).

Julie’s The Branding IronSaloon, 1807 N. Chester Ave., 6 to

10 p.m. every Friday.

Maria Bonita MexicanRestaurant, 10701 Highway 178,

366-3261, 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays. All

ages.

The Prime Cut, 9500 Brimhall

Road, 831-1413; hosted by Ed

Loverr, 9 p.m. to midnight Friday.

Pyrenees Cafe, 601 Sumner, 323-

0053; 8 p.m. to midnight

Saturdays.

Rocket Shop Cafe, 2000 S. Union

Ave., 832-4800; 8:30 p.m. to

midnight Saturday.

Sports & Spirits, 6633 Ming Ave.,

398-7077; 9 p.m. Thursdays and

Saturdays.

Tejon Club, 117 El Tejon Ave., 392-

1747; 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Camino Real Restaurant, 3500

Truxtun Ave., 852-0493; 9:30 p.m.

Sundays.

The Playhouse, 2915 Taft

Highway; 397-3599; 7 to 10 p.m.

Sundays.

Schweitzer’s Pit Stop, 10807

Rosedale Highway, 587-8888; 8

p.m. Mondays and Thursdays.

The Wrecking Yard, 9817 S.

Union Ave., 827-9192; 7 to 10 p.m.

Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

B. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill,7401 White Lane, 397-7304; 8 p.m.

Tuesday.

Buck Owens Crystal Palace,2800 Buck Owens Blvd., 328-

7560; 7:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays.

Cataldo’s Pizzeria, 6111 Niles St.,

363-7200; 6:15 to 10:15 p.m.

Tuesdays.

Le Corusse Rouge, 4647 White

Lane, 834-1611; Wild West

Entertainment, 8 p.m. to midnight

Tuesdays.

Lone Oak Inn, 10612 Rosedale

Highway, 589-0412; 8 p.m.

Tuesday and Thursday.

Magoo’s Pizza, 1129 Olive Drive,

399-7800; 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday.

McMurphy’s Irish Pub & SportsBar, 14 Monterey St., 869-1451; 7

p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesdays.

Round Table Pizza, 2060 White

Lane, 836-2700; 6 to 9 p.m.

Tuesday.

The Prime Cut, 9500 Brimhall

Road, 831-1413; karaoke with host

Ben Lara, 8 p.m. Tuesdays.

Trouts & The BlackboardStages, 805 N. Chester Ave., 399-

6700; 7 p.m. Mondays and

Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays,

Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays

and Sundays.

Ethel’s Old Corral, 4310 Alfred

Harrell Highway, 873-7613; 6 to 9

p.m. every Wednesday.

Latin/SalsaLatin Salsa Dancing, 8 p.m.

Thursdays, DoubleTree Hotel, Club

Odyssey, 3100 Camino Del Rio

Court. 323-7111.

Camino Real Restaurant, 3500

Truxtun Ave., 852-0493; Son

Tropical, 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays.


324-6774: Salsa dancing, 7:30 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays.

Chencho’s Bar & Grill, 2201 V

St., 327-0190; Salsa Sundays, with

a DJ, 3 to 10 p.m., salsa lessons are

offered at 6 p.m. Sundays. $5 after

6 p.m.

Mariachi Camino Real Restaurant, 3500

Truxtun Ave., 852-0493; Mariachi

Imperial, 6 to 9 p.m. Sundays.

Oldies KC Steakhouse, 2515 F St., 322-

9910; 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, 8:30 to 11:30



324-6774; The Press featuring

Benny and the Bunch, 8:30 p.m.

Friday; Synergy featuring Joey

Zaza “The Rockamole Kid,” 8:30

p.m. Saturday.

The Bistro After Dark, 5105

California Ave., 323-3905; Old

School Saturdays with Noe G, 10

p.m. every Saturday. Ladies

free/$10 cover.

RockRockstarz Party Bar, 7737

Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749;

live bands, 9 p.m. every Thursday.

B. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill,7401 White Lane, 397-7304; Road

Doggs, 9 p.m. Friday.

Elevation Lounge, 818 Real

Road, 325-6864; Elevation 406, 9

p.m. Friday.

Rockstarz Party Bar, 7737

Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749;

Tribute to Nickelback featuring

Nickelband with vocalist Andrew

Freeman and Andreas Fault, 9 p.m.

Saturday. $4 cover.

Rock remixes“Rock It Fridays,” 9 p.m. to 1:30

a.m. every Friday, DoubleTree

Hotel, Club Odyssey, 3100 Camino

Del Rio Court. 323-7111.

Ska/reggaeB. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill,7401 White Lane, 397-7304; UFC

fight at 7 p.m., Mento Buru with

DJ Mikey at 9 p.m. Saturday. $10

includes dinner; $5 after fight.

Trivia nightSandrini’s, 1918 Eye St., 322-

8900; Trivia Night with Dave

Rezac, 10 p.m. Tuesdays. trivia

night.

VarietyCafe Med, 4809 Stockdale

Highway, 834-4433; Shades of

Grey, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Marriott Hotel at theConvention Center, 801 Truxtun

Ave., 323-1900: In the Mixx with

DJ Noe G., mixing all your feel-

good music every Friday. 21 & over

only.

Golden State Mall, 3201 F St.,

Dance to Joe Loco, duet every

Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monday 8/30Recreational Swim Team, year-

round swim team, learn to develop

swimming skills, strokes,

techniques, abilities, 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Monday through Thursday,

McMurtrey Aquatic Center, 1325 Q

St. $60 per month.

www.bakersfieldswim.us or 852-

7430.

Recreational Swim Team, for

ages 5 to 18, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. or

5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through

Thursday, Bakersfield College, 1801

Panorama Drive. Open enrollment.

395-4663.

Senior Discovery Days, each

Monday for seniors 60 and older

receive 50 percent off admission,

10 percent discount in the gift

store, CALM, 10500 Alfred Harrell

Highway. 872-2256.

Tuesday 8/31“Mandala-Making as a Sourceof Healing & Wholeness,” an Art

for Healing program of Mercy

Hospitals of Bakersfield; 6:30 to

8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mercy Hospital,

Truxtun Campus, Truxtun and A

streets. Free.


register, 324-7070.

Sierra Club Conditioning Hikes,three to five miles, 7 p.m.

Tuesdays, meet at corner of

highways 178 and 184. 872-2432 or

873-8107.

Wednesday 9/1Bargain Night, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Rollerama West, 7850

Brimhall Road. $5 per skater; free

rental. 589-7555.

CSUB Men’s Soccer vs. UCSanta Barbara, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, CSUB campus, 9001

Stockdale Highway. $4 to $10.

654-2583.

Farmers Market, 3 to 6 p.m.

Wednesdays, Kern County

Department of Public Health, 1800

Mt. Vernon Ave. 868-0328.

Film Club, with Cody Meek, 7

p.m. Wednesday, Barnes & Noble,

4001 California Ave. 631-2575.

First Wednesday, special events

and refreshments, 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Wednesday, Bakersfield Museum

of Art, 1930 R St. $4 nonmembers.

323-7219.

Food & Wine Pairing Nights,featuring six wines paired with a

plate of small bites tied together

for a delicious tasting theme,

learn how food interacts with

wine, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays,

now until Oct. 27, Imbibe Wine &

Spirits Merchant, 4140 Truxtun

Ave. $25 per person, per session.

633-WINE.

Good Neighbor Day, local florist

will be giving away over 20,000

roses, come pick up a dozen roses,

keep one for yourself and give the

rest away to others, beginning at 7

a.m. Wednesday, Log Cabin Florist,

800 19th St. 327-8646.

Songwriters’ Showcase, hosted

by Chuck Seaton and Billy Russell,

7 p.m. Wednesdays, The Prime

Cut, 9500 Brimhall Road. 831-1413.

Thursday 9/2Asia, 8 p.m. Thursday, Fox Theater,

2001 H St. $15 to $45 plus fee.

vallitix.com or 322-5200.

Eye Street

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The Bakersfield Californian - 'Eye St.' Entertainment