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Evansville African American Museum's 2010 Annual Meeting

DG — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:19:33 GMT

"Enhancing the Evansville Community with African American History"
is the theme at this year's annual meeting, to be held at the Museum
on Tuesday, March 16 at 5:30 p.m. The Evansville African American
Museum is located at 570 S. Garvin Street. Museum members attend
for free; non-members may attend for $10.

Call 812-423-5188 or visit http://evansvilleaamuseum.wordpress.com/
for more information about this or any of the other forthcoming events.

DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: 2 Shows in Owensboro

Jam Theatricals — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:12:45 GMT

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to Owensboro as part of the BB&T in association with OMHS presents Broadway at RiverPark series. Produced by NETworks, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at the RiverPark Center on Monday, March 8 and Tuesday, March 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets, starting at $52, are available at the RiverPark Center Box Office, www.riverparkcenter.org or by calling 270-687-2787. Discounts are available for subscribers and groups of 20 or more. For information on the production, visit BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast features the animated film’s Academy Award®-winning score with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, with additional songs with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. The book is written by Linda Woolverton.

The original creators of the Broadway production are together again for this new touring production! The play is directed by Robert Jess Roth and choreographed by Matt West, with Costume Design by Ann Hould-Ward (Tony Award® winner for her work on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Lighting Design by Natasha Katz, Scenic Design by Stanley A. Meyer, Sound Design by John Petrafesa Jr. and Music Supervision by Michael Kosarin.

Director Robert Jess Roth: “It has been wonderful to bring the entire original design team back together to work on this new production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. As a Director, it is rare to have the opportunity to revisit your work fifteen years later. Hopefully I’ve grown and developed as an artist, along with my collaborators, and we can bring 15 years of experience to this new production. We have remained very close as a team over the years of producing the show around the world, and it has been so much fun getting together to re-explore and re-invent the show for this new NETworks tour. The theme of ‘Beauty’ is about seeing past the exterior into the heart of someone, and this is reflected in the design for the show, which is about transparency and layers, seeing past one thing and into another.”

Toon: LittlWhiteT

Andrew Miller — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:25:00 GMT

We Were There, Were You?

Photos by Mark McCoy — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:04:29 GMT

We’re Doomed

Brandon Kaelin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:42:54 GMT

CYNICISM: THE SKELETOR TO THE “JUST KEEP LIVIN” HE-MAN

For operational purposes, cynicism will be described in modern terms:

"an attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others.”

Man, if only we could all channel the psyche of Matthew McConaughey. We could score sh*tty movie roles with ease, nail hot chicks, chief a little tree, get nude and beat the fire out of Cuban percussion instruments until the cops come knocking.

People bash McConaughey and his sometimes oddball, hippie-ish behavior. Associations like nut-job and kook are tossed around more than selfless humanitarian and acknowledged (see: $$$$$) actor. He oozes positivity in a world that harbors oppressing, venal gloom. He’s like Hanson’s pop overdose “Mmmbop!” in rotation on a black metal channel, or like Stuart Smalley affirming at a blazing, cross-burning hate rally--he just doesn’t fit. Bleak and skeptical cynics scoff at McConaughey and his cheesy creed and compass, “Just keep livin,” yet it’s hard to disparage the efficacy of his motto.

Undeniably, McConaughey is successful and (begrudging moan) happy. He’s got fame, fortune, health and family (see: a smoking Brazilian model girlfriend and two blessed children). He’s been People’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” guts out triathlons, has his own foundation dedicated to “helping teenage kids lead active lives and make healthy choices to become great men and women” and dated chicks that most of us can only dream about (and “self-abuse” to). Balancing all of that with a positive outlook, integrity and a little herb, it’s clear he’s done a better job at figuring out and conquering life than most of us slackers and scapegoat slaughterers.

He oozes positivity in a world that harbors oppressing, venal gloom.

I am not a Matthew McConaughey fan. I think his movies suck. Every time I’m pummeled with previews from whatever load of crap he’s starring in, my stomach churns and vomit pools on my tongue. His incessant good mood and brotherly love for everything makes my skin crawl. We are opposite poles: his philosophy repels mine, no matter how furiously you try to jam them together.

Over the years, life has beaten cynicism into me like Ike used to slug authority into Tina. I live in a world engulfed in chaos, crime and stupidity. Even meandering from the safety of my humble dwelling to surrounding idiot-chocked vehicular thoroughfares, I find my fuse of patience growing shorter, fueling my hate for people and society even more. I keep a baseball bat in the backseat of my car and extremely potent pepper spray in my glove box. I’ve got a heavy duty Maglite at arm’s reach and I’ve been suppressing the urge to obtain a pistol with enough caliber to blow a torso into a plume of gore (mostly because I’m afraid I’ll use it and end up in prison, negotiating sexual favors for Dorito’s and toothpaste... yeah, not so appealing is it?). Max Cavalera screaming kill messages and death sounds at me from my Pioneer speakers doesn’t help thwart the rapidly boiling William “D-Fens” Foster animosity much either.

I find hostility and disdain resonating through most dimensions of my life. I holler obscenities when I drop ice on the floor from the freezer, grind my teeth and furl my brow when the phone rings and nearly murdered my cat berserkergang style with a hammer when I was hanging curtains in our living room (and I LOVE cats... yes, I’m that guy.) I’m overwhelmingly uptight and slightly unhinged in every facet of my life, yet I’ve got the stones to judge Matthew McConaughey as a total ass-bag because of the wretched acting he inflicts upon us and his daffy “go life!” philosophy he so effortlessly facilitates and adheres to. I’m snapping like a rat trap in a garbage filled alley in New York City, and he’s kicked back on a beach, Brazilian babe alongside, soaking up the sun and smiling. One of us is doing something wrong here, and it appears to be the guy writing a crappy opinion column called “We’re Doomed.”

In one of his final moments hosting The Tonight Show, Conan O’Brien cautioned viewers about being cynical. He said, “I hate cynicism--it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen. I’m telling you, amazing things will happen.”

Conan is right. So is McConaughey, and everyone else famous or not that preaches positivity with sincerity and points to hope rather than loathing. Being a tightly wound cynic like me is not the way to navigate life. The landscape around us is despairing enough as it is, and people will always act like unenlightened, boorish fools, but running them off the road, disabling them with 3.5 million SHU of pepper spray and bashing their skulls to a bloody pulp with a chrome Maglite isn’t going to alleviate the grand problem; it will only create more. I know this column, based on cynical thinking, screams otherwise, but I can’t debate results. I’d probably be somewhere besides sitting at my computer in an uncomfortable chair writing this bunk if I paralleled positive thinking and abandoned my seething rage and contempt for humanity. Somewhere like a beach, with shades, bongos and a bong, instead of this desolate, stagnant environment, grinding daily for the hypothetical MAN, drowning in debt, barely surviving without a Brazilian babe in sight.

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Credit Warner Bros. Films

Soundboard

Misc. — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:41:12 GMT

We’re catching the sounds right out of the board, so they’re free of weird reverb, odd ticked-ey-tocks and crowd noise. Check it:

1. Talk about the bands you've been in and when/where you played your first gig.

2. When did you first decide, "Hey, I want to get up in front of people and play music?"

3. Try to narrow it down to three - which bands/artists have you been most influenced by in your playing and why?

4. If you routine before a show had a theme song, what would it be?

5. Give us a story of the most memorable thing you've seen from the stage at a show.

David Miller, Evansville, IN:

1. I've always been this responsible dad and found time for music between Boy Scout leadership and Ballet classes for the girls. That didn't leave much time otherwise so I got hooked up with some guys that were doing the same. Once a week we would go to Bud’s House, Bud Gardner, and we fooled around with a loose list of covers. Bud would play drums and had all kinds of recording equip and sequencers and stuff. Jeff Wilhite was playing lead guitar and Charlie Carper on bass. Every once in a while Jon Vessel would play keys and it was complete. We tossed around the idea of naming the band Jampact.
After Bud moved away it was up to Jeff and me [to] just to meet up in my garage. The rest is recorded on our website www.tdcrocks.com
Top Dead Center had their first gig at Lanhuck’s opening for Hog Luv Dog and the Gasguzzlers on 02/23/2007. That was an exhilarating show and my wife said I was dropping the F Bomb every ten seconds... lesson learned.

2. When I was four or five years old I watched the late sixties TV shows and movies and there was talent ranging from Elvis to The Beatles to Sammy Davis Jr... I remember watching that stuff and getting so pumped up that my sister and I would go play and act like we were entertaining people on stage (more embarrassing stuff). The first time [I] actually did it was at Penny Lane Coffeehouse and that was unnerving. Me and a guitar and a mic. I learned to be humble that night. It went well but just doing a one man show is some tough stuff. Kudos to Troy Miller (no relation).

3. Number one Roy Orbison. My mom and dad had Orbison OCD when I was younger and they would play his stuff on the record player. Led Zeppelin was influential to me in an artistic way. Not to emulate them so much but seeing the way it was arranged and written and performed. Lastly KISS, I mean come on, who couldn't watch a KISS show and not want to become a rock star? Duh.

4. “Will it Go ‘Round in Circles”… My biggest enemy is electricity. Will all of my vintage equipment work right? Nervous energy is there, all right, but it's usually directed at performing NOT Not performing. Know what I mean?

5. Man boobs (OMG Face). A friend of the band was at a show one night and flashed me. I made a comment after the song and some female members of the audience were nice enough to try and erase my memory of that. Didn't turn out that bad after all.

Dave’s new band, The Waywards, will be performing their first gig at The Deerhead on Saturday, March, 6 at 9 p.m.

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Courtesy of the Artist

Arts & Etc.

Misc. — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:40:16 GMT

Credit Evansville Museum Contemporaries

Angel Mounds State Historic Site 812-853-3956

Mar 27-28:4 Winds Native American Fine Arts Bazaar - Centered on Native American art, expressed in various mediums to satisfy all walks of life, 4 Winds has been expanded this year to now feature a total of seven artists. Presented at this year’s event are award-winning, nationally recognized artists, Mitch Battese, Abraham Begay, Daniel Bigay, Marty Gradolf, Victoria McKinney, Katrina Mitten, and Sapphira Scott. Times are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the event is free and open to the public.

Audubon Museum, J.J. Audubon State Park 270-827-1893

Mar 5:Time For Tots - Tiny Tot’s Art is designed for the curious little artist, who is ready to explore the World of Art with mom, dad or grandma. Dress for a mess and have loads of fun with 2D and 3D projects with Miss Kim. The series of four classes will let you and your child dabble in various art mediums to create art. Lines, shapes, color and design will be the focus. Fee: $20 (includes all 4 classes & materials) Pre-registration is required. 10:30 a.m.-11:30am. Info: Kim McGrew-Ligget at (270) 827-1893, Kim.mcgrew@ky.gov or www.friendsofaudubon.org.

Mar 6:Nature's Survivor: American Bald Eagle - From balancing on the brink of extinction to being removed from the Threatened and Endangered Species list in 2007, the American Bald Eagle has stood as a symbol of greatness and perseverance. Learn about this amazing creature’s story and where you see them in our area.

This program is held in conjunction with the Henderson, KY 2010 Audubon Bicentennial. Info: Julie McDonald at (270) 826-2247 or juliea.mcdonald@ky.gov.

Mar 12:Audubon Adult Artist Retreat - Beginning to advanced artists are invited to attend the all day, monthly retreats at the Audubon Museum. Bring your own artwork and supplies , as we share and network techniques, ideas and exhibits. Throughout the year, we will offer various noon speakers, critiques, optional workshops, tours and group art trips. Potluck lunch from 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Fee: $15. Pre-registration required. Info: Kim McGrew-Ligget at (270) 827-1893, Kim.mcgrew@ky.gov or www.friendsofaudubon.org.

This mask, created by the Edo People, is part of the exhibit, “Art of Africa: Objects From the Collection of Warren Robbins.”

Centre, The 812-435-5550

Mar 11:Tri-State Business Expo - The EXPO is designed to give both event exhibitors and attendees access to a broad knowledge base, successful business practices and top notch decision makers - all in an effort to stimulate the creation of new ideas, new jobs and enhanced economic activity in Southwest Indiana. The RC/Chamber Tri-State Business EXPO will kickoff with Small Business Awards Brunch, at 10:00 a.m. This brunch will showcase 20 of the area’s best small businesses in the following categories, The Give Back Award, The Entrepreneur of the Year Award, The Non-Profit of the Year Award and the Small Business of the Year Award. Admission is free, but a business card is required. Exhibit Hall open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science 812-425-2406

Mar 1-14:Art of Africa: Objects From the Collection of Warren Robbins - In Africa, art is central to life in traditional societies. At every stage of the human life cycle, hand-crafted visual forms are used to fulfill spiritual and practical needs. Art forms are visual representations of certain deities and ancestral spirits, which serve as intermediaries between humans and the spiritual world headed by a supreme deity. The 65 objects in this exhibition, including sculpture, textiles, beaded clothing and jewelry, broadly represent the creativity and diversity of artistic expressions of 30 cultures of sub-Saharan Africa.

Mar 1-28:Dogon Sculpture Exhibtion - On display in the Museum's Main Gallery through March 28.

Glema Mahr Center for The Arts, Madisonville 270-821-ARTS

Mar 13:Pilobolus Dance Theatre - Pilobolus Dance Theatre began in 1971 as an outsider dance company, and quickly became renowned the world over for its imaginative and athletic exploration of creative collaboration. Pilobolus has been featured, with great popularity, on broadcast media: in 2004, CBS’ 60 Minutes; in 2007, the Academy Awards, and shortly thereafter, The Oprah Winfrey Show; and most recently on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Sponsor: Juanita Badgett Performing Arts Endowment. This presentation of Pilobolus Dance Theatre is an American Masterpieces project, supported by the Southern Arts Federation and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, and in partnership with the Kentucky Arts Council. MetLife Foundation is the official tour sponsor of Pilobolus Dance Theatre. Begins at 7:30 p.m.

Mar 27:Paducah Symphony Orchestra - The Glema Center is hosting the 2010 Southern Watercolor Society National Juried Exhibit. We will kick off this exhibit by presenting the Paducah Symphony Orchestra in a concert that celebrates the connections between music and visual art. Exhibit Reception begins at 6:30 p.m.

Koch Family Children's Museum of Evansville (cMoe) 812-477-4339

Mar 22-26:Spring Break Camp at cMoe - cMoe’s popular Camp Kaleidoscope for children aged 5 to 11 (currently in grades K to 5) offers a different theme each day for a week of educational fun! Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and extended care is available from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 5:30 p.m. for an additional daily fee. Choose a one day mini-camp or join us for a whole week of fun! Info: Karen Cox at 812-464-2663, ext. 230 or www.cmoekids.org.

Mesker Park Zoo & Botanical Gardens (812) 435-6143 ext. 409

Mar 1-8:Orchid Escape - Inside the fabulous AMAZONIA exhibit will be hundreds of beautiful orchids. Escape the winter blues while strolling through a tropical paradise of South American orchids. Everyone is sure to appreciate the beauty of the flowers and the exhibit’s lush, tropical environment. There will be no additional charge for visitors to see this special exhibition.

St. Benedict Cathedral 425-5050

Mar 13:Evansville Philharmonic Chorus, Spring Choral Concert - Under the direction of Dennis Malfatti, the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus presents its annual Spring Choral Concert. 7:30 p.m.

USI Mallette Studio Theatre 812-422-3970

Mar 18-19, 27-28:A Doll's House - Part of the USI Theatre's Reperatory Project: Two Plays in Rotation, the Ibsen play has show times of 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

Mar 20-21, 25-27:Hamlet - The Prince of Denmark comes to life as part of USI Theatre's ambitious Reperatory Project: Two Plays in Rotation along with A Doll's House. 7:30 p.m. shows on Saturday; Sunday matinee begins at 2 p.m.

Victory Theatre 812-435-5550

Mar 16:Victory For Kids 'Jigsaw Jones, the Case of the Class Clown' - Athena Lorenzo has been slimed and she doesn't think it's very funny. Someone in Ms. Gleason's class is playing practical jokes. Theodore 'Jigsaw' Jones claims to be the very first detective in the whole school. It's up to Jigsaw and his friend Mila to investigate the sliming and track down the class clown. This could be their stickiest case yet. Brimming with music, charm, and humor, ArtsPower's new production - based on the book by renowned author James Preller - will make audiences laugh and think as they learn the secret codes that Jigsaw must decipher to solve the mystery. Tickets are $5.00 a person. Shows at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Approximately one hour in length.

Mar 20:Evansville Philharmonic's 'Beauty & Grandeur' - The Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra's Classic Concert 'Beauty & Grandeur' will be March 20 at 7:30pm. Kelly Sulick on flute and Megan Stout on harp will be featured. For more information, call the Philharmonic Ticket Office at 812-425-5050.

Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve 812-479-0771

Mar 6-7:Maple Sugarbush Festival - Take the opportunity to sample some of Wesselman Wood's home grown maple syrup during the Maple Sugarbush Festival and Pancake Breakfast. This event is a celebration of the maple sugar harvest from the trees of the preserve. Visitors of all ages will be guided through the woods to observe how sap harvested from the sugar maple trees becomes the pure maple syrup that we all love to pour over hotcakes. Each visitor is served a hearty breakfast that includes sausage, all you can eat pancakes with pure maple syrup and a beverage.

Mar 17:"Green Tea" - Go “green” and welcome the season of spring with the Wesselman Nature Society. At this second annual eco-friendly event, guests snack on an assortment of tea sandwiches and breads and sip, of course, green tea. Begins at 11 a.m.

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Credit Evansville Museum Contemporaries

The Oscar® Preview

Chad Benefield — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:38:17 GMT

Welcome to my attempt at joining The Psychic Friends Network®. The 82^nd Annual Academy Awards will be televised Sunday, March 7^th on ABC and I, as I typically do, will try to look deep into my crystal balls in an effort to forecast the winners. This will be an interesting year for the Oscarsâ. Gone is all the pretense of former Academy Awardsâ broadcasts. Out of Africa? Best Picture of 1985? Really? I mean, I love you Meryl, but could you pull the tranquilizer dart out of my neck? The English Patient? Best Picture of 1996? Really? I watched it and felt compelled to cut myself to feel alive? This year, the Academy, trying to steal some of the spectacle back from the Red Carpet outside, chose to name ten Best Picture nominees instead of the traditional five. The move was genius. Because, as you will see, some of nominees for Best Picture of 2009 were also some of the biggest blockbusters of the year. But who deserves to win? Any student of Academy Awardâ history knows that the person/film who deserves the trophy isn’t always the one wins it. I mean, Jesus! Halle Berry and Mira Sorvino have won Oscarsâ! I smell dangling chads!

BEST PICTURE

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious: Based on the Novel ’Push’ by Sapphire

A Serious Man

Up in the Air

Five of the movies listed (A Serious Man, District 9, Precious, The Hurt Locker, and An Education – January 2010 issue – ed.) actually hold down positions in my annual Top Ten list. But only one has a chance of actually winning the Oscarâ. If any film has the power to stop the box office battering ram that is Avatar, it is The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow’s gripping study of an American soldier with an insatiable need to tempt and cheat death. Avatar is on the precipice of box office history, though I honestly have no clue what all the fuss is about. While I appreciate James Cameron’s vivid imagination and his gift of the special-effects gab, I personally think the Na’vi look like gigantic Smurfs. But, what the hell do I know? Avatar is shattering box office records and is poised to win the big prize. That is unless history of another kind is made. No woman has ever won an Oscarâ for Best Director. But Kathryn Bigelow, who ironically is James Cameron’s ex-wife, could do it. If she does, she just may put the “hurt” on Avatar for Best Picture!

BEST ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE

Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart

George Clooney – Up in the Air

Colin Firth – A Single Man

Morgan Freeman – Invictus

Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker

Jeff Bridges has been nominated for four Oscarsâ. He’s been nominated in the Supporting Actor category three of the four times (for The Last Picture Show, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and The Contender). In 1984, he was nominated as Best Actor for his role in Starman. After a nearly 40-year wait, he’s finally going to take home the top prize. For his role as fallen country music singer “Bad Blake” in Crazy Heart, Bridges has taken home nearly every acting trophy around. On March 7^th, he’s going to claim the only one he’s been missing.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE

Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side

Helen Mirren – The Last Station

Carey Mulligan – An Education

Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia

Though I realize it’s probably rude and insensitive to refer to Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep in thoroughbred racing terms, the Best Actress category truly is a two-horse race. But, as we head down the final stretch, I think Sandra Bullock is the favorite among odds makers and the photo finish will show she wins by a nose! Bullock has been the unlikely darling of this awards season. She came out of nowhere really (did you see All About Steve?) to claim a Golden Globeâ and the Screen Actors Guild Awardâ and gave impeccable acceptance speeches at both events. And the Academy likes good acceptance speeches. It really, really likes them! Hollywood sweetheart Julia Roberts won her Oscarâ for playing the ballsy, sassy and brassy Erin Brockovich. It’s only fitting that Sandra Bullock, whose career, like Julia’s, has been a series of hits and misses, is going to claim her first trophy for playing the similarly ballsy, sassy and brassy Leigh Anne Tuohy.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE

Matt Damon – Invictus

Woody Harrelson – The Messenger

Christopher Plummer – The Last Station

Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds has been gathering steam as we approach the Oscarsâ. In fact, it won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awardsâ (their equivalent to Best Picture). I personally don’t get it. Tarantino has made much better films, likely the widely overlooked Kill Bill series. But for me, Inglourious Basterds had one saving grace and that was Colonel Hans Landa, the most glorious bastard of them all. As Hans, actor Christoph Waltz chewed up the scenery and his enemies and painted, like a genius, the portrait-perfect rendering of evil. Having won the Golden Globeâ and the SAGâ, Waltz is a sure bet to win the Oscarâ. But don’t expect to understand a damn word he says. I mentioned Sandra Bullock gives great speeches. Christoph Waltz is the antithesis to that.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE

Penelope Cruz – Nine

Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhaal – Crazy Heart

Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air

Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the Novel ’Push’ by Sapphire

Maggie Gyllenhaal is surely thanking Jeff Bridges for her surprise nomination (it was believed Julianne Moore would get the final nod in this category for her work in A Single Man). While accepting his bounty of trophies, Bridges praised his co-star’s work in Crazy Heart endlessly and the Academy took notice. But notice is all Gyllenhaal will leave with. This trophy belongs to Mo’Nique, who, in Precious, gives a heart-breaking performance as a woman torn between the man she loves and the duties required of a good mother. Mo’Nique is so unbelievably convincing in this movie she manages to make a truly despicable woman worthy of our pity. It’s an amazing performance that will earn this stand-up comic Oscarâ gold!

Show Review

Paul Mattingly — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:36:46 GMT

Skelton’s Montourage Live @ Penny Lane

4 ½ stars

I have had the privilege of working as a Jazzflight DJ at WUEV 91.5 fm since 2007. I have met many great musicians and a lot of passionate jazz fans in the Tri-State. Presently the station manager and producer of the Afternoon Jazzflight on WUEV is Monte Skelton. He is also, among other things, the front man of Skeltons’ Montourage. Most of the fans in the area know Monte as a killer sax player, as well as a multi-instrumentalist. The Montourage is a unit comprised of some of the heart and soul of the Evansville jazz scene.

Filling out this fine band it Alex Smith (trumpet), Matt Courtney (bass), Jordan Green (guitar), Jeremy Stevens (keys), Eli Green (percussion), and last, but not least, Jon Kern (drums). Late last year they played at the Penny Lane Coffee House in one of the last gasps of music at this storied establishment. October 24 was the evening their music was recorded “live” for all to hear. Skelton’s Montourage Live @ Penny Lane was the effort and brain child of Ms. Robin Church to initiate the James W. Church & Gary Hester Jazz Assistantship at the University of Evansville. This project is part of an ongoing fundraiser to benefit the talented musicians at the university. It was also a labor-of-love that honors her late father and son.

Also featured on this CD is Tina Kern-Raibley (keys), Andy Gillespie (trumpet0, and Alex Schnaupz (baritone sax). It presents an interesting capsule of the band in its present form. The Montourage is a band that is a must-see, regardless of the venue. This evening they wowed the crowd and left us fortunate-few wanting more.

The Montourage rolls through the classics like “Blue Bossa,” “Afro Blue” or “Watermelon Man” with a modern flair that, at the same time, gives the respect due to the original intent of the composers. Their rendition of “Crazy,” the Gnarls Barkley tune is always a fan favorite. And when they kick it with “Frankenstein” and “Superstition” that’s when the dancing begins.

The recording and production was done by Greg Loomis. He had a small area to work with and handled the limitations of the environment as well as he could. The final product is a good snapshot of this band at that time. My only disappointment is that there is very little bottom and the “presence” of the actual performance is sadly lacking. But, all in all, it is worth being in my collection. Plus, mine is autographed!

Next time you see Paul and Heidi Krause of Penny Lane, thank them for all the great music they allowed the Tri-State to see and hear. And if you would like to get a copy of Skelton’s Montourage Live @ Penny Lane contact Robin Church at churchbird@insightbb.com

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Credit Facebook.com

CD's

People Who See Sound — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:36:06 GMT

Easton Corbin – Easton Corbin

(Mercury Nashville)

4.5

Easton Corbin makes his debut into the world of country music with a strong self-titled album, which features the single “A Little More Country Than That.”

The album opens with “Roll With It,” a laid back love song about falling more in love with someone through the simplicities of life. It’s hard to make a love song that isn’t so sappy you think your ears might actually bleed if you listen to much more, but Corbin seems to accomplish the task of a listenable love song not just once, but again with “The Way Love Looks.” The latter song is full of cutesy lyrics and an upbeat tune, and as Corbin personifies love in the line “I like the way love looks/The way he looks on you,” you can’t help but enjoy it.

Corbin’s strongest song is “A Little More Country Than That” in which Corbin paints us a picture of the country life that’ll bring a smile to our faces and a chuckle to our lips: “Picture a small town/With an old hound/Laying out front/Of the courthouse/While the old men chew the fat/I’m a little more country than that.”

“I Can’t Love You Back” is his forgivable love song. Although the song is cheesy enough to make anyone picture a couple dancing to it, the chorus has a kick to it with an increased melody and louder pitch; so just when you’re about to fall asleep listening to the verse, he kicks you in the head with a change in the frequency, and you’re released from your boredom.

Corbin does not disappoint with his first album as he sings us country fans into a reverie with his deep, country-twanged voice and catchy tunes. In this case, simpler is better.

-- Kristina Kercher

Nitzer Ebb – Industrial Complex

(Artists Addiction/Alfa Matrix)

In the roughly 15 years since the last new Ebb material, Nitzer Ebb's instrumentalist Bon Harris has spent time programming for bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Marilyn Manson, while vocalist Douglas McCarthy has worked with Ebb-inspired dance producer Terrence Fixmer, as well as Alan Wilder's electro-blues project, Recoil. But these influential English electro-dance-punks reunite with the impressively strong "Industrial Complex", and they do a right good job reclaiming the harsh sequencer-driven sound of their earliest work (a la "That Total Age"), especially on the energetic opener, "Promises" (which made it's debut on the "NCIS" soundtrack). The sloganeering and authoritarian ranting of their old days is gone, though, replaced by more developed songwriting and production. There are also softer electro ballads like "Going Away", which reminds of (old friends, tourmates, and collaborators) Depeche Mode. No coincidence that Depeche's Martin Gore himself guests on "Once You Say", which bears a similarity to Mode's "I Feel You" a wee bit. But that's not to say this is a mope-fest by any means. Cuts like "Hit You Back" are more rock-oriented, echoing their later work on albums like "Ebbhead". And the thunderous "Payroll", originally heard on the "Saw IV" soundtrack, is a welcomed injection of aggressive electronics and McCarthy's half-rap-shouted vocals. "I Don't Know You" is a retro-edged bit of synth-driven hypnoticism that shows Ebb's DAF-meets-Die Krupps roots more than amicably. "My Door Is Open" continues this trend, and is easily among the duo's more intense offerings since 1991's "Godhead". "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" is another stomper that could be wicked on a dancefloor, but probably rocks too hard for most club-goers. It all ends on a lighter note with "Traveling", which is a more song-based piece that's as close to a pop song as this lot goes. Surprisingly good, sturdy, and potent work from a group that has successfully resurrected itself from the ashes.

--Todd Zachritz

Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea

(EMI)
3.5

This one’s been out for about a month, but it’s a decent follow-up to her debut album. I don’t have much to say, other than that it’s worth a listen but maybe not a full-on purchase. As with most albums these days, I advise checking out the iTunes samples or tracking down the full cuts on YouTube before buying.

-- Doug Messel

Shrinebuilder – Shrinebuilder

(Neurot Recordings)

Heavy and and melodic psychedelic metal here, from a new project from prominent members of Om, Melvins, and Neurosis, with Wino (from the Obsessed) on vocals. "Shrinebuilder" draws on everything from stoner rock to classic metal to drone/tribal hybrids to lysergic improv, and to good effect. "Solar Benediction" evolves from heavy groove to mellow psychedelia in it's almost 9-minute duration, while "Pyramid To The Moon" is a huge and head-nodding slab of post-Sabbath groove, albeit with added space-out textures. "Blind For All To See" is a slow, churning drone-stone wanderer, sounding like a massive epic jam from another time and space. If big, monstrously heavy and monolothic doom metal is your thing, Shrinebuilder are certainly a must-hear.

--Todd Zachritz

Josh Turner – Haywire

(MCA Nashville)

2.5

After Josh Turner’s last album Everything is Fine went gold, Turner set the bar high for his following release; sorry fans, but Haywire falls way below that bar.

The up-beat opening song “Why Don’t We Just Dance” gave me hopes for a great album as I made the chorus my ringtone, but my hopes and dreams were shot as the music carried on. The whole album sounds like a soundtrack to a bad romance film; if you want nothing but sappy love songs, look no further than here.

“As Fast as I Could” is a potential hit-radio song, but as for the concept, I think it’s been done. The song reminds me of a happier-tuned Rascal Flats’ God Bless The Broken Road with lyrics like “I ran full speed ahead/ Without stopping to rest/ Not knowing where I was headed to/Now that I’m here/It is perfectly clear/That I was making my way to you.”

The album continues with a promise that each song will sound just like the one before it, and that each song will be full of lousy rhymes. The song “I’ll Be There” is a great example, and with lyrics like “I’ll be a tear dryer/A paper airplane flyer/A monster runner-offer when you get scared/I’ll be a sap/I’ll be a sucker/A story maker-upper” what kid wouldn’t want a song like this to take them to, as Turner says, “sleepy town?”

Other songs like “Friday Paycheck” and “The Answer” show Turner’s lack of originality. “Friday Paycheck” teased me with its title, as I was sure that this song would be cheesy-romance free, but I was yet again disappointed as Turner croons about needing his Friday paycheck because he has “a little hunny” depending on him, and how he needs the money to take her out on the weekend.

The album’s final song “The Answer” begins with the same piano chords and organ sounds as Garth Brooks’ “We Shall Be Free,” just lacking the choir in the background. After that beginning, I couldn’t get into the song knowing that a legend had been ripped off. (Also included on this album: an unworthy version of Don Williams’ 1987 Top 10 hit “I Wouldn’t Be A Man.”)

Haywire also comes in a deluxe version that includes a live version of Turner’s previously released songs “Long Black Train” and “Your Man,” but I wouldn’t say that’s a selling point.

-- Kristina Kercher

Incognito - Tribes, Vibes, & Scribes

(Verve)

Incognito released its first recording in 1981 with Jazz Funk. By the time the band released its third effort in 1993, Tribes, Vibes, & Scribes, the band was becoming a force on the acid jazz scene. In the UK, this form of music was originally called “jazz funk.” There was a house music movement that combined the DJs and bands that morphed into what was called the “acid house movement.” Bands like Incognito, Brand New Heavies, and Jamiroquai where playing at these gigs. When the music was playing it was said that people got “high” on the dance floor. So was coined the term “acid jazz.” The release also ushered the band’s rise as a global phenomenon. The band's frontman is composer, record producer, guitarist and singer Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick. In the over 30 years since the band’s first effort, Maunick has hosted some of the most impressive players and vocalists in the world of jazz, acid jazz, and jazz funk (over 1500 musicians in 31 years).

Incognito’s third album, Tribes, Vibes & Scribes (Talking Loud Records, 1993), gives creedence to the fact that this band is solidly grounded in jazz, funk, and soul. The 11-member band adds a Latin feel to the snazzy cover of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing," while "Magnetic Ocean" has a Weather Report ballad-like vibe. "Change" combines Maysa Leak's channeling Chaka Khan with a great backwash of strings. And "Need to Know" gives props to Roy Ayers and Rick James. The band is at its best showcasing Leak and/or featuring soloists, as on "Colibri" and the Mandrill-sounding "Closer to the Feeling." And while "L'Arc en Ciel de Miles" sounds more like Chuck Mangione than Prince of Darkness, it shows the band’s versatility. This cut also put an early mark on the fledgling smooth jazz scene.

The band flows with a soulful horn section, ready to get up and jump at any moment and still take the listener back with an original Motown groove. There is a lot of programming and synthesizer on this album. The audiophile of today takes that for granted. Over twenty years ago, Incognito was in the forefront of using this to produce the club and dance scene for public consumption.

The release features so many great muscians that I can’t spend space to individually credit and congratulate each of them. However, I must give credit and a great deal of love to Maysa Leak. After graduating from college, Maysa headed to California to perform with Stevie Wonder’s female backup group Wonderlove. While with Wonder, Maysa was a vocalist on the Jungle Fever soundtrack and performed on numerous television shows including Arsenio Hall, Oprah, and The Tonight Show. Maysa got the Incognito gig during an over-the-telephone audition. She then relocated to London and was feature on Tribes, Vibes, & Scribes for the first time. Since that time, she has appeared on seven of the band’s recordings.

Jean Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick interest in music started in his childhood years while he was growing up on Mauritius Island near Madagascar. His musical desires were fueled by the sailors who'd visit the island, spinning exciting, harrowing tales of the Amazon, Bail, and the Nile along with the various beach musicians jamming throughout the seasons. Around 1967, Maunick and his mother moved to London when he was about ten years old. Becoming a part of the vibrant music scene, the guitarist formed the R&B/jazz band Light of the World in 1978. A pre-stardom Sade was featured on the cover of the band's debut LP, entitled Light of the World. Light of the World then evolved into Incognito. The two original members were Maunick and a 16 year old bass player named Paul “Tubs” Williams. Since 1979, Maunick has led Incognito, releasing thirteen studio albums, three albums of remixes and two other albums by bands largely made up of previous members of Incognito.

I am now a featured DJ on WUEV 91.5 FM with an “Afternoon Jazzflight” shift on Mondays (4-6 p.m.) and the “Jazz Café” on Fridays (3-6 p.m.). However, I spent a good part of my worklife on the railroad, traveling over the highways and by-ways in pursuit of the almighty dollar. During one stint of traveling, my work partner, a brother of a different color named Ralph, turned me on to this jam. It has since become one of my favorites. If you want to drive, dance, or… whatever you like to do, this is all-purpose love for your soul.

-- Paul Mattingly

Megasus – Megasus

(20 Buck Spin)

Dense, large, and rumbling aggro-doom-metal from some Rhode Islanders who collect their paychecks from ("Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" video game developers) Harmonix, and a drummer who plays bass in Lightning Bolt. This is their debut, and it whacks handily with mighty riffage and pummeling drumming, akin to some of the better stoner-metal acts around. "Swords" is a massive, primal mountain of droning riffs and thunderous drums, laying waste to the modern world. It's not for the faint-hearted, for sure. "Hexes/Szaadek" is another behemoth of loud, bonecrushing aggression, like if Slayer teamed up with the Melvins, got high together, and then got into a raging fist-fight. "Red Lottery" is another speedy assault of dangerous noise and fury. This is some evil and engrossing metal of remarkable acumen. Fully worthy.

--Todd Zachritz

The Bird and the Bee – Guiltless Pleasures Vol. I: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates

(Blue Note)
4.5

When I first picked this up, I figured I’d hate it. I mean, I really dig The Bird and the Bee, and their song “F*cking Boyfriend” is one of my favorite tracks, but an entire album full of Hall and Oates? Really? I skipped straight to “Maneater” as a matter of pure curiosity and was underwhelmed. Surely that can’t bode well for the entire thing, right?

God, was I wrong. This whole thing (after much repeated listening) is great. A lot of the songs benefit from what feels like a stripped-down treatment, and Inara George’s vocals are pleasantly surprising. It’s an album full of covers, but a lot of these songs feel new and fresh in the group’s capable hands. When this thing comes out on March 23, go buy it. Immediately. I’ve been listening to it on repeat as much as possible.

-- Doug Messel

Wesley Willis's Joy Rides – DVD

(Eyeosaur Productions/MVD Visual)

Chicago-born artist and musician Wesley Willis passed away a few years back, but not before he found a receptive and enthusiastic international audience through his music and drawings. The unlikely (and self-proclaimed) rock star, who was tormented by chronic schizophrenia (and some tumultuous inner "demons"), brought a larger-than-life spirit and over-the-top personality to whoever would lend an ear. This touching documentary succeeds in capturing the essence of what made his life so unusual and so inspiring. It's a non-stop joyride, to use one of Wesley's favorite expressions. Seeing him hawking his CDs on the streets, or reveling in the audience's applause (or chatting with the barbers during a simple haircut) proves to be a funny, entertaining, and charming experience. His simplistic, sometimes-childlike songs were based around his day-to-day experiences, and he wrote songs for nearly everyone he befriended. Directors Bagley and Shively have compiled footage of Wesley in his later years, and it's a fitting tribute to the man and his legend, and includes interviews with Wesley's family, as well as his closest friends. It's evident the filmmakers were close to Wesley, as this loving portrait of an artist who, in his own way, changed the world for the better. He had a larger-than-life joviality and sense of wonder about the world that made him an icon and a character like no other. This DVD is a harmony joy bus ride.

--Todd Zachritz

A Hero En Route – therefore, I fled

(The Room Studio)

3.5

A Hero En Route’s therefore, I fled isn’t a bad album. It’s not great, either. The title names seem to follow the trend started by bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco, wherein we have to use full sentences, but that’s not my only real gripe.

Most of the tracks on this EP seem derivative and really out of place, and by that I mean the whole thing should have been released about 7 years ago. It reminded me instantly of bands like Brand New, Thrice, and Finch—which wouldn’t be bad, if you ignore the fact that these bands reached their heyday in 2003 or 2004.

If I had to pick a favorite track, it’d be “Thick as thieves,” and that’s really just because I dig the opening bars.

-- Doug Messel

Beer

People Who Taste Hopps — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:35:07 GMT

TWO BROTHERS BREWING - THE BITTER END PALE ALE
(Warrenville, IL)

Jabez: 2.5

This beer had a nice copper color and I could smell a citrus scent to it. This is a very bitter beer. I didn’t care for it and it had an odd metal after taste to it. It had an average malty taste but the bitterness overpowered that very quickly. It was very disappointing.

Todd: 4

A nice, sweet, and floral aroma immediately permeates the air around this one. Certainly a promising opening! Tastewise, it's a smooth and hoppy character with a well-balanced malty presence that counteracts the more acidic and bitter elements that other pale ales exhibit. A standout, and a fine example of the style. Highly enjoyable.

Tom T: 3

Amber-colored ale with medium carbonation and a definitive hop presence in the aroma and taste. The hop levels are moderate, but they are too much on the sour, floral end of the spectrum for me.

Dylan: 4

Lovely amber color when poured into my trusty pint glass. The taste is reminiscent of other American pale ales I’ve had, and compares nicely. Fans of this style won’t be disappointed here.

MICHELOB - HOP HOUND AMBER WHEAT
(St. Louis, MO)

Jabez: 4.5

This was a cloudy amber beer. I had this before and I like it the more I drink it. I could smell a flowery hop odor to it that was nice. I could taste a caramel malt flavor to this beer and some nice hops flavors that flowed together. It is a nice refreshing beer. It is nice to see one of the big brewers make something like this. It was bottled by Michelob and rather inexpensive.

Todd: 3

A nicely clouded golden ale, this seasonal macro features a balanced blend of Northwest hops and sweet malts. It's an appealing combination with hints of citrus and caramel notes, and not as bitter or biting as the name suggests. Hop Hound is easygoing, and not too complex, but more than drinkable. A nice starting point for the inexperienced beer drinker.

Tom T: 3

A hazy, golden-amber ale with better foam and lacing than anticipated. A mild aroma of wheat, malt, and citrusy hops. Taste is crisp, slightly sweet, and mildly hoppy – unoffensive, but only average.

Dylan: 3

To paraphrase the old Wendy’s commercial: “Where’s the hops?” I expected more of the big floral wallop that comes with a heavy hit of hops, but this lacked said quality. But it’s a fine beer nonetheless, and I’d recommend it to someone wanting to graduate from watered-down beers to bottles more in the craft category.

BLUE DAWG BREWING - WILD BLUE BLUEBERRY LAGER
(Baldwinsville, NY)

Jabez: 3

I was really to rip this beer apart but I had to attempt to be fair. When the label says, “Wild Blue”, you have to expect some sort of funky beer. It didn’t look like beer when I poured it, it was a plum color. The flavor was more a weak grape taste than a blue berry. It tasted more like a wine cooler than a beer but what do you expect? I was ready to dump this one down the drain but my friend Joe convinced me to give it a chance. It was a little odd but the 8% alcohol was nice. It was OK for something different but you have to read the label before you drink.

Todd: 1

To start with, I adore blueberries. Fresh, ripe, and real blueberries, that is. Nonetheless, this Nehi grape-colored debacle may say it contains "natural flavors and colors", but beer it is not. And I question the "blueberry" content as well. Maybe the 8% ABV is meant to obscure the fact that this one commits abominable and atrocious acts on the tastebuds? It tastes like an alcoholic grape soda, with no discernable hint of hops, just a weird, artificial fruity flavor that lingers like a Wild Irish Rose in beer-like form. Ugh. Avoid.

Tom T: 2

Just a blueberry wine cooler and decent as far as wine coolers go. It does earn bonus points for being 8% alcohol.

Dylan: 3

I expected to dislike this (fruity beers usually suck in uncountable ways), but I was pleasantly surprised. The blueberry flavor was prominent, but not too forward, and the tannins of the fruit even lurked around in there. Pleasingly enjoyable.

SCHLAFLY No.15 ALE
(St. Louis, MO)

Jabez: 4.5

I am a fan of anything Schlafly puts out. This beer poured a cloudy orange color and had good carbonation. I could smell a fruitiness to this beer. I could taste some wheat with hints of nutmeg and other spices. I would consider this a lighter version of the Pumpkin Ale Schlafly puts out in the fall. It also had a creamy finish to it. I loved this beer.

Todd: 4.5

This nice amber wheat ale brings a frothy appearance and a fragrant spice aroma - delectable! The first impression is a well-balanced maltiness, with a hint of citrusy spice. Compares (very) favorably to it's mainstream counterpart, Blue Moon, and in fact, a source close to me (who happens to enjoy Blue Moon) rated this one better. I do, too. A wonderful beer -- not flashy or showy, just eminently enjoyable and steady. Pick of the month.

Tom T: 3.5

Pours a cloudy light amber color with a nose of wheat, fruit, and cloves. The fruits and clove come through in the taste. A decent beer, but lacked texture and character. A little too understated for me.

Dylan 5:

Yep.

Rick’s 718

Rick’s 718 — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:34:05 GMT

“A friendly little bar.” That’s the simple but apt description given by both Rick Kennedy and his sister, Tina Byrns, about their establishment located virtually in the heart of River City at (where else?) 718 3^rd Avenue, right along Columbia Street.

When I came in on a chilly, snowy afternoon recently, Rick’s 718 was in the middle of their Mardi Gras celebration. And so to begin with – and in a departure from the form I usually like to employ – I’m going to describe a menu item you’ll not find there the rest of the year. But it was so incredibly good that I can’t help myself. Here it is: I had the best raw oyster, still alive and kicking, and just shucked from a shell the size of a circa-1989 cellular phone, that I’ve ever eaten in Evansville. Or anywhere else more than a few miles from any coastline.

I bring this up because it shows that this “friendly little bar” goes the extra mile when selecting the items they serve to their customers. The oyster was so fresh, so delectable, so satisfying, that it didn’t need the typical sprinkle of hot sauce or side of cocktail sauce in which to dunk the doomed mollusk.

Now, on to the rest of the story, as the late Paul Harvey would have said. “My mom kind of raised all of us up in a bar… the Silver Dollar, Gemeca Bar, there were several our mother worked in,” Kennedy says.

After a career in the concrete business, Kennedy decided it was time to get in the bar business that he’s been around for so long. So, in June of 2007, he acquired the business and set about to putting his own local touches to the place.

“We wanted to give people home cookin’. We don’t cheap it,” he relates. “The mashed potatoes are real potatoes – they’re not instant or anything like that – we use good-quality meats. Most of the stuff, we get from Farm Boy Food Mart and Dewig’s up in Haubstadt. The ground beef is always fresh, never frozen – we get that from Wesselman’s – all ground chuck.”

This use of local ingredients at a wholly-locally owned and operated establishment is refreshing for those of us who appreciate such things. And it speaks to Ricks’ ability to provide a menu that Evansvillians want on a day-to-day basis.

With five employees, Rick’s 718 satisfies the breakfast, lunch and dinner cravings of anyone over the age of 21 who wants homemade, homestyle food. Rick’s personal favorite is the open-faced beef, cut from fresh top round and served with fresh mashed potatoes and gravy. And it’s a steal at a price of under $5.

According to both Kennedy and sister Tina, Strombolis are a big hit with the public, as are their brain sandwiches, a tasty treat served at only several select area restaurants. But, in keeping with the “keep it local” theme, Rick Kennedy knows what people in Evansville like to eat, and so he delivers on that.

An Evansville (and in a greater sense, Hoosier) favorite is the wonderful tenderloin sandwich. “I make my own,” says Kennedy. “Then slice them myself, tenderize, batter dip and fry them.” The wonders of a well-made tenderloin sandwich can’t be overstated.

The savory, tender pork chops at Rick’s are hand cut in house from a larger portion as well, and are featured as the plate lunch meat item on Tuesdays.

Plate lunches – another Evansville favorite – are something to look forward to throughout the week at Rick’s 718. Staples include Thursday’s country fried steak and fish on Fridays. Wild card selections can be found on Mondays and Wednesdays, where the choices may include anything and everything from chicken Cordon bleu to spaghetti to chicken and dumplins to meatloaf, goulash and lasagna. Each and all are prepared with the same affection and eye to quality as the rest of the regular menu selections. And at a price of only $5.25, a choice of two side items and bread, lunches during the work week are a tasty, filling, homestyle break to look forward to, no matter where in the city you may find yourself. After all, Rick’s 718 is within minutes of virtually everyplace in Evansville proper, particularly downtown and the Deaconess campus, where so many people work day-in, day-out.

A word has to be said of Rick’s 718’s breakfast. Third-shifters – or anyone hungry for a homestyle way to start the day (and support their local business, for fewer dollars than the chains) will find plenty on the morning menu, the items of which are served from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Eggs made any way, including loaded omelets, fresh breakfast meats, French toast, biscuits and gravy, fried potatoes and hash browns, pancakes – all are offered at a price that doesn’t go over $6 (the Western omelet, big enough for the hungriest person out there is only $5.55).

Local local local. That’s the underlying theme at Rick’s 718. It’s all done with love and affection, and of course, in keeping with their motto, friendliness.

Do visit Rick’s 718 soon. I can vouch for the quality and taste. You’ll have to go for yourself to be welcomed like an old friend.

Rick’s 718 • 423-0872 • Hours – Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 12:20 a.m.

______________________________________________________________

Credit Dylan Gibbs

Wine

Misc. — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:28:32 GMT

Know Your Kind of Wine Today

The right combination between food and wine is a source of ultimate bliss for every connoisseur. Both wine and food can benefit from the right pairing. The right wine can accentuate unexpected gastronomical aspects of food and vice versa, wine can shine in a new light when accompanied by the right dish. In order to savor the splendor of such combinations, one does not need to frequent expensive restaurants and buy overpriced wines. Rather, when combining food and wine it is one’s intuition and curiosity that are of paramount importance.
It is a pleasure to the palate and it teases the senses when you combine fine dining with a glass of good wine. White wine is excellent when you are dining on fish or chicken, while red wine goes perfectly with red meat dishes.

            You might be confused when it comes to classifying the kinds of wine manufactured by vintners.
            Wine-makers use the word “varietal” to refer to the type of wine made, as there are many variants to choose from.
            France and Italy are amoung the leading countries when it comes to exporting wine all over the world. In the United States, you can find great wine producers in California.
            Wines can be named according to the wine-maker, the vintage - which indicates the year when the grapes were grown - and the place where the wines were made.
            However, most wine names are derived from the grape they are made from.
            Here’s a quick look at the general types of wines that you can choose from to suit your taste:

1. Sparkling wine

This is more popularly known as champagne. Sparkling wine takes the form of a bubbly clear liquid which is most often used to signify a celebration.
They are further divided into different types. There is a type of sparkling wine which is very dry and they are light and a bit sweet when tasted. There are champagnes made from white or red grapes, and they are more popularly known as Blanc de Blancs.

2. Aperitif

These are wines drank as an appetizer before the actual meal. Vermouth and dry sherry are a couple of examples of an aperitif.

3. Red wines

Red dinner wines are best served with red meat dishes or pasta. Cabernet Sauvignon is a popular red wine brand.

4. Rose dinner wine

This is related to the red wine variety and is also known as “blush wine” or pink wine. It has a lighter color and a sweeter flavor than the regular red wine.

5. White wine

White wine best complements fish or chicken meal. It brings out the natural aroma of food and further enhances flavor when served chilled. Chablis and Chardonnay are examples of white wines.

6. Table wine

Table wines can be red, white or pink wine which have no more than 14% alcohol content.

7. Dessert wine

Sweet sherry is an example of a dessert wine which is mostly of the sweet variety.

From all these wine types and more – you get to take your pick of which bottle you would like to take home, sip and enjoy.

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Article credit: http://www.articlealley.com/article_111579_14.html

We Don’t Need No Stinking Controller!

Dan Woolsey — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:26:34 GMT

Or do we? Apparently Microsoft thinks it’s time to move past the thing that has come to symbolize video games: the controller. Project Natal is their high-tech attempt at changing games forever. Announced at E3 in June of 2009, Project Natal is a controller-free way to play games. I thought the name “Natal” would have had some mystical origin, but it turns out it comes from a city in Brazil, in which one of the developers was born. If you really wanted to read into it you could say that it connotes the system being reborn, since the word “natal” has to do with birth and the Xbox 360 is halfway through its projected 10 year life-cycle. Either way, Microsoft has confirmed that Project Natal will be compatible with all existing Xbox 360 consoles and will be available this holiday season.

It’s arguable that the ultimate goal in video game progression has been ultra-realism. Graphics and sound quality increase (usually by double) with each new generation of hardware, but the controller has always been your means of interaction. The Wii changed how games were played, but you still held a controller. It was the new ways you used the controller that made it innovative. At the same time Natal was announced, Sony announced “Project Arc” (or so it’s called for now) in order to climb aboard the motion-controller bandwagon. Their new tech involves a controller that measures movement in all directions, similar to the Wii, but with more accurate Z-axis responses. The thing that sets Project Natal apart from the competition is that it completely removes the need for a controller. Your voice will turn the system on, automatically logging you in by recognizing your face as you walk into the room. Menus will be navigated ala Johnny Mnemonic (or Minority Report for you young punks) as you push or pull items around. The games then would be played using, well, yourself. Microsoft says “you are the controller,” with Natal.

Microsoft has shown us a handful of demos for Project Natal, with hopefully more to come soon. Paint Party allowed the player to throw paint on a canvas to create a picture. Colors were switched by calling them out and different gestures were used to change how the paint was applied (which allowed for a Jackson Pollockesque degree of control). A sort of 3D Breakout style game, called Ricochet, has also been shown with the player using all parts of their body to knock bouncing balls down a corridor. Demos have surfaced of the racing game Burnout being played using Natal as well. For this game, players mimed holding a steering wheel as Natal would pick up on their hands rotating for turning. Braking and acceleration was handled simply by moving your foot pretty much how you would expect. The Milo sequence from Lionhead Studios was intriguing, but I have a hard time believing all of it. At times, it seems as if the person in the video is “interacting” with rendered CG, not real-time software. Also, the studio’s creator, Peter Molyneaux, has a tendency to promise more than can be delivered, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

I’ve come to accept that Natal won’t be able to pull off certain types of games. The shooter genre has been Microsoft’s bread-and-butter for many years (Halo, Call of Duty, Gears of War, Left 4 Dead) and I’m not sure Natal will be able to handle them, but maybe it’s not meant to. It’s been reported that Natal can pick up movements within 1.5” accurately, so a trigger-pull seems out of the question with no buttons available. How would precise aiming be handled without the use of something else being held? The idea of having no barriers between you and your entertainment is appealing, but at the same time, it isn’t unnatural to use your hands to hold and manipulate objects either. It will all come down to the software that is developed to utilize the strengths of each type of technology. Natal’s games may be very similar to Wii titles that already exist; minus the controller. To succeed though, Natal will have to create entirely new experiences that wouldn’t be possible on any other system.

2010 will be a very interesting chapter in the console wars. With Nintendo claiming victory for the last couple of years, the competition has taken action to keep up. Sony and Microsoft will continue the fight to please the hardcore-gamer, while attempting to bring in the Nintendo-dominated casual market. Sony and Microsoft have positioned themselves as a blockbuster action movie might with the biggest, loudest, and fastest of everything, but now they want to appeal to a wider audience who might not care about all of that. Nintendo showed them that simplicity sells and they’ve taken note. Whoever it is that ends up pulling ahead at the end of the year, they will be the victor of a hard fought battle.

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http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/images/gallery/xbox/ProjectNatalSensor_print.jpg - high res image of Natal with the 360 console

http://misterape.com.br/media/files/hots/lancamentos2010/Project-Natal.jpg - “Ricochet” game being shown at E3

Fine Art - At Angel Mounds

Joanne DeMaio — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:24:36 GMT

Angel Mounds State Historic Site is proud to be hosting their 3^rd annual 4 Winds Native American Fine Arts Bazaar this year from March 27^th and 28^th. 4 Winds is an event centered on Native American art, expressed in various mediums to satisfy all walks of life. 4 Winds has been expanded this year to now feature a total of seven artists. Presented at this year’s event are award-winning, nationally recognized artists, Mitch Battese, Abraham Begay, Daniel Bigay, Marty Gradolf, Victoria McKinney, Katrina Mitten, and Sapphira Scott.

Wood Pecker Gourd
By Daniel Bigay

Returning to this year’s event are Navajo Silversmith, Abraham Begay, and Katrina Mitten, an outstanding beadwork artist of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. Abraham Begay is considered by some to be one of the leading silver jewelry makers of his time. He is a master of his art who creates contemporary pieces that mix modern with traditional. Katrina Mitten is a multi-award winning artist who placed first at numerous Native American art shows for her fantastic work with beading. Also returning to the site is Sapphira Scott, a Navajo Natural Jeweler. Although Sapphira has never attended 4 Winds, she was one of the prominent art vendors at last year’s Native American Days. With a unique style that uses the materials and methods of her ancestors and the style and fashion of today, Sapphira’s designs her work with specific materials in mind to complement not only a person’s appearance, but to encourage the best in a person.

Old Lady Sunset
By Victoria McKinney

One new artist to 4 Winds is Mitch Battese. Mitch is a descendant of the Prairie Band Potawatomi, is a nationally recognized painter who has shown his work at venues such as Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of the American Indian. Examining and crossing cultural boundaries and illustrating stories of sacred sites, Mitch challenges the viewer with his work to step out of his or her comfort zone and travel the United States and Canada through visions of art.

Old Lady Sunset
By Mitch Batese

A member of the Echota Cherokee Tribe is Daniel Bigay, also new to the event. Daniel is a renowned multi-media artist from eastern Tennessee. Creating contemporary pieces with traditional methods and designs, Daniel has become famous for his flute making, as well as his gourd, copper, and shell art. In his flutes, he uses the designs mainly from ancient Mississippian motifs. His inspiration from traditional Cherokee stories can be seen in his inlay designs and carvings.

Marty Gradolf is the third new artist for 4 Winds. She considers herself “a contemporary nontraditional Native American” artist. Of full-blooded Winnebago heritage and working in the ancient art of weaving, she creates pieces that are focused on the stereotypical images of Native Americans that continue to exist even today in society. In previous years she has won numerous awards for her weavings in the past few years at venues such as the Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market in Indianapolis and the Cahokia Contemporary Indian Art Show. She is an accomplished artist whose work has earned her reputation as an outstanding creator of unique and insightful art.

The final new artist for this year’s art show and sale is Victoria McKinney, who is both a Native American artist and potter. She incorporates the graphic designs of the Mound Builders of both the Woodland and Mississippian Period of occupation. Victoria is inspired by the ancient people that are part of her cultural heritage and she is dedicated to doing what she can “to honor them and to expand people’s knowledge of their designs.” With an extensive listing of awards under her belt, including taking a 1^st place award under the “Contemporary Pottery” category at the Eiteljorg Museum Indian Market in 2009, Victoria has captivated many with her distinctive contemporary style that has a prehistoric twist.

Little People
By Victoria McKinney

A two day event, 4 Winds will be taking place this year on Saturday, March 27 - Sunday, March 28, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., and is free and open to the public. An opening night reception will be held on March 26 at 6:00 p.m. The reception will be showcasing both a live and silent art auction and will also feature a wine tasting by Blue Heron Winery, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Angel Mounds. If you would like to join us for the reception, please RSVP by Wednesday, March 24. If you can’t make it to the show, be sure to stop by the Friends of Angel Mounds Gift shop, which already features artwork by previous years’ participants.

Creative Spotlight – Shaggy Wonda

Mark McCoy – Staff Photographer — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:22:46 GMT

So, it’s the week before Christmas, and I’m out doing some last minute Holiday shopping with the wife, when my cell phone rings. “Hey, whatcha doin’ man? Wanna go check out this band, Shaggy Wonda tonight?”

Through my job, and my musical circle of friends, I’ve been blessed to get to know some special people, some of whom have become close friends. It was one of those friends, Rod Austin, whose voice was on the other end of the line, beckoning me away from the flustercluck and kiosk carnival barkers of the mall. Not a tough decision. “Give me an hour and I’ll meet you there!” I replied.

I’d heard of Shaggy Wonda, but had never seen them, so I tossed my soon to be “junk destined to clutter the house” into the back seat of my truck, all tucked away nice and warm in their Christmassy splendor, and headed to The Deerhead Tavern. My thinking being that whether I liked the band or not, 2 hours at the Mall qualifies you for at least one Crown and Coke—TALL!

The times I’ve come to treasure the most are those magical/musical times when you just stumble across something special. No advanced planning; no expectations.

That “Yeah” moment happened on this chilly December evening. Suddenly it wasn’t so cold and dreary anymore.

I was pretty sure from the first notes of Teddy Jones’ soulful saxophone, that, this night had the potential to be something special, and by the band’s 3^rd set, as they ended the evening by playing one of my all-time favorite tunes: Soulshine (by Warren Haynes), such a rush of musical emotion had flowed that you couldn’t escape having been caught up in it.

The Funk Brothers; the rhythm section behind many of the old Motown hits were famous for adding that extra beat; that syncopation which made their music so great. That’s what Shaggy Wonda does! There’s always that extra something….that funk…that groove.

The guys are thoroughly grounded in the old “roots” rock, blues and jazz, which have been lovingly nudged into the 21^st Century by these 4 talented and dedicated musicians from Bloomington, Indiana. They’ve been together since 2006 and have gravitated from their home base of Bloomington Indiana to venues throughout the Mid West, picking up new fans in every town they play.

Shaggy Wonda is:

Steve Laine on Bass – Probably the most laid back and quietest one of the bunch, but a guy who lays down some solid and powerful Bass!

Colby Miller – Guitar and lead vocals. Colby is the quintessential front man. The love of music, and “positive waves” just flow through Colby, and he plays a pretty mean axe!

Teddy Jones – One badd-ass saxophone player. Doubt me? Check him out!

Zach “Panama” Martin – Zach doesn’t so much play the drums as he seems to be one with the drums, laying down the funky beat that drives the band.

This band has a real dynamic. Their music WILL loosen your inhibitions. You’ll sense yourself immediately swaying and bobbing your head to the music, and whatever worries or troubles may have been on your mind prior to the show, will have taken a back seat to the music! Those in attendance were visibly “chillaxed” a few notches and were completely immersed into the sounds these guys were laying down.

This is definitely FEEL GOOD music! Everyone was smiling, talking, dancing… simply having an enjoyable evening, and that’s what these guys bring to the table!

Did I mention they play primarily original tunes? All very well written, and the covers they do aren’t your everyday pop radio covers. They do tunes like The Band’s, Stagefright; The Allman Brothers’ “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”, and the previously mentioned, “Soulshine.”

Shaggy Wonda is a band well worth checking out! To catch them “live” is an enjoyable and memorable experience! They impressed me enough that I accepted their invitation, and centered my end of the year holiday plans on their New Year’s Eve show at The Crump Theatre in Columbus Indiana, along with Madison Indiana’s “Samesoul,” acoustic duo, “Rooks and Tran,” and solo acoustic artist, Nikki Gill from Columbus Indiana, and her addictively soulful voice.

Shaggy Wonda will be returning to The Deerhead on March 5at 9:00 p.m.

If you enjoy good music and like to feel good when you hear it, grab your wife; snag a friend; hell, fly solo if you have to. But put a Shaggy Wonda show on your calendar as soon as you can.

Check their schedule online at: www.shaggywonda.com or on their Myspace page at: www.myspace.com/shaggywonda

Contact mark@markmccoyphotography.com with any comments or suggestions for any musicians, writers or artists for future articles.

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All Credit Mark McCoy

Fashion

Alison Sigman — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:20:35 GMT

Spring Break means fun, sun, and sandy beaches depending on where you vacation. The biggest obstacle of spring break planning is always knowing what to pack (some might argue what NOT to pack, but this ain’t my gig – ed). This is especially important on two levels. One, if you are flying out and don’t want to get stuck paying more on baggage fees than the actual plane ticket. Two, you must pack according to your destination. You wouldn’t take a parka to Myrtle Beach would you? And believe it or not, all sunny beaches are not made equal. Let’s break down the ins and outs of fashion at some of the busiest spring break destinations.

Panama City Beach: Probably the easiest destination to prepare for. During the day, a denim skirt, bathing suit, and flip flops. At night, denim skirt, tank top, and open toe sandals. Two skirts and several tops and you’re good to go!

Chicago: It’s not a nation-wide spring break hotspot, but when we’re this close to the nation’s third largest city it’s a clear contender. Weather in the Windy City, is a tricky thing to pin down, so it’s imperative to layer. T-shirt, jeans, a jacket, and comfortable yet stylish shoes are must-haves. At night, well what would you wear out in Evansville? Yeah, wear that.

Miami: This city is hot, and I’m not talking about the temperature. Brightly colored maxi dresses and wedges are perfect for daytime strolls around South Beach. At night, it’s a whole new ball game. Slinky shirts, short skirts, and stilettos are mandatory items in any club.

South Padre Island: This Texas island has a style that walks the line of casual and classy. Opt for linen shirts instead of denim along with breezy tank tops over your bathing suit. The nightlife here, is all about casual items worn in a dressy way. Skirts, wedges, basic tank tops, along with bright bold pieces of jewelry are all you need.

Cancun: The number one travel spot in Mexico, this spring break destination doesn’t disappoint. Day and maxi dresses can be interchanged to cover both day and night, just all depends on the styling. Switch out flip flops for heels, and no jewelry for a classy amount.

PLUS!

Smells Like… Something Better Than Teen Spirit (do they still make that?)

Eastland Mall seems to always be changing. New stores coming in, old stores going out, and then there are stores that play ring-around-the-rosy. These are the stores that move from one section of the mall to another, usually to upgrade for more space. Perfume Plus did just that last August. After fifteen years of kiosk living, the operation moved up and took occupancy of a vacant spot between Trade Secret and Trade Home in the J.C. Penney wing. The store still offers discounted prices on the most popular fragrances, as well as having some of those hard to find scents. If you want it, they probably have it, and if not in the store, they’ll work with distributors to see if they can locate it for you. Talk about great customer service!

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Credit Old Navy // Credit Charlotte Russe // Credit Express // Credit Perfume Plus

Under the Beams Concert Series – Fareed Haque

Doug Messel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:19:43 GMT

In January, Erin Bode played a great show for the Under the Beams Concert series in New Harmony. This month, guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque brings his unique musical style to the same venue for what promises to be an entertaining experience for music fans of the Tri-State.

Haque was born in 1963 to parents of Pakistani and Chilean origin. He traveled extensively growing up, staying for long periods in Span, France, Iran, Pakistan, and Chile. It was in these places that Haque was exposed to all kinds of music from a very early age. There’s a noticeable effect in his music that this eclecticism has created; he’s able to perform in all sorts of ensembles or settings. One performance could be a fusion of jazz or funk, and the next take place in a concert hall with a symphony orchestra. Described as a renaissance man on the guitar, Haque is capable of playing all styles; classical, Spanish, Indian classical or American jazz—he can do them all.

Still need proof of his skill? On nine different recordings, Fareed Haque acts as band leader. His latest, Flat Planet, was released in 2009. He’s been featured on scores of television shows and has contributed to other artists’ albums. He actively transcribes baroque period music. He truly is a renaissance man.

Haque, however, isn’t content to simply perform music. He’s a very active teacher, holding an associate professorship at Northern Illinois University. It’s here that he teaches in jazz and classical guitar studies. But that’s not the only way he teaches. Jumping on the technology bandwagon, Fareed Haque teaches guitar over the internet for $100 an hour. It cuts out the middleman of tuition and room and board costs. Plus it just seems like a very cool idea.

Haque’s concert — if it isn’t already sold out — takes place on March 13 at the Rapp-Owen Granary in New Harmony, Ind. Tickets are available by calling 812-682-3128. If you need more information, you can always visit www.underthebeams.org. It may be a little bit of a drive out there, but the music will totally be worth it. I promise.

Bonus – last minute-arrival of this exclusive interview with Fareed!

N4U: For our readers who haven't heard your music before how would you describe it?

FH: The Flat Earth Ensemble is a fun dancing funky Hindustani groove jazz group.

Tell me a little bit about the new album and some of the inspiration behind it.

It’s taken years to find musicians who understand east and west INSTINCTIVELY not just intellectually. I've finally hooked up drums tabla jazz guitar with the feel of bhangra and the swing and melody of jazz. This CD Bing Bang Boing is fun to listen to, fun to dance to and its jazz with all of the harmonic twists and turns that make jazz so rich.

Tell me a little bit about the upcoming concert? What can listeners expect when they come to see you perform?

Tabla, Sitar, Jazz guitar as well as a jazz rhythm section. We will be seated on the floor as in most traditional Indian music, but we will funk out and get your booties shakin'.

How did your music career get started? When did you really know it's what you wanted to do?

I always played guitar for fun, never thought it'd be a career. Then the phone started ringing. When it stops I’ll go back to paleontology!

I'm interested in how you, having been established for awhile, feel about the internet's role in the business. Has it done more harm than good for your career?

Oh it has definitely helped. In the past I was dependent on business to define me in the market place. Now I can do that for myself. For better and for worse! But in the end, if I create something that people like, well then I can continue to do what I do.

If you could pick three guitarists (living or dead) to go out on tour with you, who would you pick?

Well guitar duo is not a great combination, unless it’s well rehearsed. But it’d still be fun to play with John Williams. John McLaughlin and I could do some nice things together as our styles would blend well. And I’d give almost anything to jam with Fernando Sor, S.L Weiss, John Dowland and esp. heitor Villa Lobos....

What's your "guilty pleasure" when it comes to music? Anyone you listen to that would surprise your fans?

I love Queen, Heart. ANN WILSON I’m yours when ever where ever you want me.

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All courtesy of Fareed Haque

From the Stacks

Amy Mangold — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:17:19 GMT

The EVPL is adding Saturday hours to our Neighborhood Locations – East Branch on Chandler Avenue, Stringtown Branch on Stringtown Road, and West Branch on Franklin Street – effective March 14, 2010. This change is in response to recent customer feedback and will increase weekend accessibility in the neighborhoods served. In addition, a review of customer use showed that Tuesday evenings and Thursdays were historically the slowest traffic times for these locations. Consequently, the hours at these locations will be changed to the following:

Mon – Wed: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Thurs: CLOSED

Fri – Sat: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sun: CLOSED

A variety of materials to remind customers of this change will soon be available at all library locations. The change in hours will correspond with Evansville’s change to Daylight Savings Time on March 14, 2010.

Tools to Get the Job You Want – Career Assistance Series

Thursday, March 11

Part I – Finding a Career that Fits You

6:30 p.m., Central Library Large Group Room

200 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

This free workshop will help you find a career that matches your talents, skills and abilities.

Registration is required. Call Melissa Davis at 426-9790 or email melissad@evpl.org.

Thursday, March 18

Part II – Perfecting Your Resume

6:30 p.m., Central Library Large Group Room

200 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

This free workshop will help you create cover letters, a readable resume and will also cover application forms.

Registration is required. Call Melissa Davis at 426-9790 or email melissad@evpl.org.

Thursday, March 25

Part III – Polishing Your Interviewing Skills

6:30 p.m., Central Library Large Group Room

200 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

This free workshop will help you prepare for an interview, including what to wear, what might be asked, and what questions are illegal.

Registration is required. Call Melissa Davis at 426-9790 or email melissad@evpl.org.

Other March EVPL Programs

Thursday, March 4

German For Kids

Thursdays @ 4:30 p.m.

READ Center, Central Library

For information: Call 428-8225.

Tuesday, March 9

Cyber Safety – Teen Tech Week

4:00 p.m. , Browning Room, Central Library

200 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

For information: Call 428-8217

Thursday, March 25

Writing Fan Fiction

6:00 p.m., Red Bank Branch

120 S. Red Bank Road

Registration is required. Call 428-8205.

Wednesday, March 31

Computer Help Session

9: 30 a.m., Oaklyn Branch

3001 Oaklyn Dr.

Registration is required. Call 428-8234.

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Credit itelework.com

Evansville Museum Contemporaries - Featured African Art

Jane Owen — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:10:55 GMT

Jazz sounds will be decanted at this event, courtesy of Matt Clark.
Corey Christie joins in.

Spring is in the air and one of the best events in the Tri-State should be on your April calendar. The 13^th annual Grand Tour of Wines, a fundraiser for the Evansville Museum Contemporaries, will be held April 17^th, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Evansville Museum of Arts History and Science. This really is the best wine tasting event in the entire Tri-State Area! You are invited to sample over 50 wines, enjoy foods from some of your favorite restaurants and view great art – all at one event! Matt Clark and Corey Christie will add musical atmosphere to the event. There will be exciting silent auction items to bid on as well. This event will also be your last chance to enjoy our budding local artists showcased at this year’s High School Art Show. Come mix and mingle with friends while helping the Evansville Museum. Tickets for the event are $30 in advance and $40 at the door. There were over 300 attendees at this event last year, therefore tickets in advance are recommended. For more information or to purchase your tickets, visit the Evansville Museum website at www.emuseum.org or call (812) 425-2406. For obvious reasons, this event is for those over 21 only.

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Credit myspace.com/mattclarktunes.com