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BY ASHLEY FISCHER Contributing writer F or many people, turning 25 may consist of a night on the town with some friends followed by a round of “Happy Birthday” and a slice of cake. For Brian Crawford Scott, ringmaster of “The Greatest Show on Earth,” his 25th birthday ended, very appropriately, with a pie in the face. Pies, clowns, elephants and acrobats are just an everyday fact of life when you’re a part of Rin- gling Brothers and Barnum & Bai- ley’s Fully Charged. And Scott, along with the rest of this circus, will all be performing in town today through Sunday at Rabobank Arena. Playing off the high-powered exchange of energy and excite- ment between the audience and the performers, this newest incar- nation of the Ringling Brothers circus is full of firepower and will feature plenty of the spectacular performances worthy of only the big top. “We have a couple of new things that people can only see with Fully Charged,” Scott said. “For example, we have our Ukrainian strong men. This pair of strongmen are very unique. They do an act where they swing full-sized telephone poles around their heads, which is definitely something worth seeing. My per- sonal favorite, however, is a gen- tleman we call the ‘Human Fuse.’ He lights himself on fire, loads himself into a giant crossbow, and launches himself across the stadium every night.” Other acts include the Tianyicheng Troupe, a group from Henan, China, that flips and spins to heights of up to 13 feet in the air as they perform a game of bas- ketball on springy bounce stilts. There’s also equine presenter Luciner Viera de Souza, married to Tabayara Maluenda, the return- ing Ringling exotic animal trainer, who shares the arena with Bengal tigers and Asian elephants. It helps to be over the top under the big top There to guide you through this … well, circus, is Scott, who at 25 years old, is only the 36th person to ever receive the coveted posi- tion of ringmaster in the 141-year history of the Ringling Bros. cir- cus. “My job is to be there pretty much every step of the way, and to introduce the acts and sort of guide the audience along, and to make sure they get the most out of their experience they have with us at Fully Charged.” In addition to narrating the captivating performances hap- pening down in the ring, Scott does his part to ensure that the show lives up to its longstanding claim of being “The Greatest Show on Earth” by providing his own musical performances — a relatively new addition to the ringmaster’s job description. “I’m also a performer myself, and I get to rub shoulders and perform alongside our other cir- cus performers. Ringling Bros., really, is one of the only circuses that has a singing ringmaster, and I think that it adds a really fun dimension to the show. Now you have the opportunity to hear live songs and music being played alongside all of your favorite tra- ditional and new circus acts.” Not bad for someone who, until being deemed the only ring- worthy performer out of hun- dreds of hopefuls auditioning, had never once seen the circus. While growing up in San Jose, Scott said the opportunity to go to the circus “just never came Eye Street Editor Jennifer Self | Phone 395-7434 | e-mail [email protected]Still the greatest show? The enthusiastic young ringmaster sure thinks so 18 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 25, 2011 Index BHS Water Balloon Fight .......................... 19 League of Women Voters tea .................. 20 BCSD music and entertainment .............. 21 Arts Alive .................................................. 22 Isaiah Morfin ............................................ 23 The Lowdown with Matt Munoz ............ 24 Vegas Night ............................................ 25 Calendar .............................................. 28-31 “My personal favorite, however, is a gentleman we call the ‘Human Fuse.’ He lights himself on fire, loads himself into a giant crossbow, and launches himself across the stadium every night.” — Ringmaster Brian Crawford Scott PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY GLINES Brian Crawford Scott commands from the center ring as ringmaster of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Fully Charged. Tabayara Maluenda, the circus’s exotic-animal trainer, works closely with Bengal tigers and Asian elephants. Please see 18
Transcript
BY ASHLEY FISCHERContributing writer
For many people, turning 25may consist of a night onthe town with some friends
followed by a round of “HappyBirthday” and a slice of cake. ForBrian Crawford Scott, ringmasterof “The Greatest Show on Earth,”his 25th birthday ended, veryappropriately, with a pie in theface.
Pies, clowns, elephants andacrobats are just an everyday factof life when you’re a part of Rin-gling Brothers and Barnum & Bai-ley’s Fully Charged. And Scott,along with the rest of this circus,will all be performing in towntoday through Sunday atRabobank Arena.
Playing off the high-poweredexchange of energy and excite-ment between the audience andthe performers, this newest incar-nation of the Ringling Brotherscircus is full of firepower and willfeature plenty of the spectacularperformances worthy of only thebig top.
“We have a couple of newthings that people can only seewith Fully Charged,” Scott said.“For example, we have ourUkrainian strong men. This pairof strongmen are very unique.They do an act where they swingfull-sized telephone poles aroundtheir heads, which is definitelysomething worth seeing. My per-sonal favorite, however, is a gen-tleman we call the ‘Human Fuse.’He lights himself on fire, loadshimself into a giant crossbow,and launches himself across thestadium every night.”
Other acts include theTianyicheng Troupe, a group fromHenan, China, that flips and spinsto heights of up to 13 feet in theair as they perform a game of bas-ketball on springy bounce stilts.There’s also equine presenterLuciner Viera de Souza, marriedto Tabayara Maluenda, the return-ing Ringling exotic animal trainer,who shares the arena with Bengaltigers and Asian elephants.
It helps to be over the topunder the big top
There to guide you through this… well, circus, is Scott, who at 25years old, is only the 36th personto ever receive the coveted posi-tion of ringmaster in the 141-yearhistory of the Ringling Bros. cir-cus.
“My job is to be there prettymuch every step of the way, andto introduce the acts and sort ofguide the audience along, and tomake sure they get the most outof their experience they have withus at Fully Charged.”
In addition to narrating thecaptivating performances hap-pening down in the ring, Scottdoes his part to ensure that theshow lives up to its longstandingclaim of being “The GreatestShow on Earth” by providing his
own musical performances — arelatively new addition to theringmaster’s job description.
“I’m also a performer myself,and I get to rub shoulders andperform alongside our other cir-cus performers. Ringling Bros.,really, is one of the only circusesthat has a singing ringmaster, andI think that it adds a really fundimension to the show. Now youhave the opportunity to hear livesongs and music being playedalongside all of your favorite tra-ditional and new circus acts.”
Not bad for someone who,until being deemed the only ring-worthy performer out of hun-dreds of hopefuls auditioning,had never once seen the circus.While growing up in San Jose,Scott said the opportunity to goto the circus “just never came
Still the greatest show?The enthusiasticyoung ringmastersure thinks so
18 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 25, 2011
IndexBHS Water Balloon Fight .......................... 19League of Women Voters tea .................. 20BCSD music and entertainment .............. 21Arts Alive .................................................. 22Isaiah Morfin ............................................ 23The Lowdown with Matt Munoz ............ 24Vegas Night ............................................ 25Calendar .............................................. 28-31
“My personal favorite, however, is a gentleman we call the ‘Human Fuse.’ He lights himself onfire, loads himself into a giant crossbow, and launches himself across the stadium every night.”
— Ringmaster Brian Crawford Scott
PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY GLINES
Brian Crawford Scott commands from the center ring as ringmaster of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Fully Charged.
Tabayara Maluenda, the circus’s exotic-animal trainer, worksclosely with Bengal tigers and Asian elephants.Please see 18
Thursday, August 25, 2011 The Bakersfield Californian 19
Eye Street
The wetter, the betterBY ASHLEY FISCHERContributing writer
Water balloons are nolonger just the primarycomponent of any good
prankster’s arsenal — nowthey’re a way for the BakersfieldHigh School Drillers Band to beatthe school budget crisis blues,and potentially help Bakersfieldmake history.
For the upcoming secondannual “World’s Largest WaterBalloon Fight,” the BHS band isdetermined to break the currentGuinness World Record of 3,927people, a goal they fell just shortof last year.
“I think the official number wehad last year was about 2,975people, so we were about a thou-sand people short,” said eventcoordinator Marisa Wood, whoalso serves as the vice presidentof the Drillers Band Boosters. “Iknow we’ll most assuredly topthat number this year.”
In hopes of ensuring that thisyear’s event ends on a record-breaking high note, Wood andother event planners have takenmore than a few extra measures.
In order for everyone attendingthis full day of fundraising festivi-ties to count toward the totalnumber of water balloon partici-pants, Guinness stipulates thatthe entire event area must befenced in. Last year, the DrillersBand solved that problem byconstructing a temporary fencedarea in Yokuts Park, where manywater balloon-wary spectatorsstood outside and watched thefun. But, unfortunately, they didnot add to the total number of
water balloon-fighting partici-pants.
This year, the band opted tosimply change the site for thewater-based warfare to the KernCounty Fairgrounds, whichalready comes with its own fenc-ing. Now, anyone who wants tocome out and be a part of thispotential bit of history can do so,without actually having to getdrenched while doing it.
“The fairgrounds are such avast area, but right down the mid-dle, we’ll have ‘the soak zone’ ifyou want to get in there andthrow a water balloon yourself,you can get into that soak zone,”Wood said. “For the rest of it, ifyou just want to be a part of thisrecord-breaking group but don’twant to get soaked, you can juststand on the perimeter andwatch.”
Even though the water-balloonflinging begins at 6:30 thatevening, the Driller Band hasplanned a full day’s worth ofactivities, so Wood encouragedeveryone to bring a lawn chairand prepare for an entire after-
noon of fun. There will be per-formances by local bands,bounce houses, a dunk tank, aswell as local vendors selling theirwares. You’ll also have the chanceto snack on some fair foodfavorites, including pizza, kettlecorn, corn dogs and funnel cakes.
And even though this balloonbattle for the ages is most certain-ly all in fun, Wood is hoping it willraise some serious funds for notonly the Drillers’ music program,but for all local high schoolbands.
“Another wonderful thing thatwe’ve added this year is that allhigh school music programs will
share in a portion of the proceedsfor this event. If a student or agroup of students from anotherschool attends, all they have to dois show their student ID and aportion of the $5 entrance fee willbe sent back to their school’smusic program. This has becometruly a total community event.”
As a junior high language artsteacher and a proud parent totwo Drillers musicians, Woodunderstands the full value of sup-porting high school music pro-grams, and in a time of shrinkingschool budgets, this event hasbecome a vital part of the band’sfundraising efforts.
“It’s expensive to run a bandprogram, but music is essential,”Wood said. “As a teacher, I knowthat a happy student is a learningstudent, and not everyone is amath or language arts student,and a lot of people come toschool for band and for theseextra programs.”
So if you’re in the mood to helpput Bakersfield in the recordbooks for something other thanour air quality, while supporting agreat cause, bring a few friends —even a few enemies — and headout to the fairgrounds for theWorld’s Largest Water BalloonFight.
up.” But while working in New YorkCity as a waiter with hopes of one daymaking it big in musical theater, afriend emailed Scott and encouragedhim to audition for the role of ringmas-ter.
“You could almost call it fate,” hesaid.
Now, nearly 230 performances intohis role of a lifetime, Scott is sailingthrough each show with the greatest ofease, but that’s not to say that thereisn’t still a good deal of hard workinvolved. For this big-singing and big-talking performer, keeping his voicestrong and healthy is one of the mostimportant parts of his job. Because forthe ringmaster, there is no understudy.So, between shows, Scott gives thewhole world the silent treatment.
“It’s good that you’re talking to menow,” he laughed. “Because come Sat-
urday and Sunday I wouldn’t be talkingat all outside of the shows. We do per-form sometimes up to three times perday, and on those days when we havethree shows, I don’t talk outside of theperformance. I wake up, I warm up myvoice, and then I’m silent unless I’m onthe arena floor.”
But Fully Charged is anything butsilent. It’s loud, it’s bombastic and fullof real people from all over the world,performing spectacular stunts youwouldn’t expect to see anywhere else.And in a time when many people areviewing CGI worlds through digital 3-Dglasses, Scott feels it’s the tangible,albeit fantastical, “realness” of the cir-cus that has kept drawing crowds forhundreds of years.
“What we offer is reality, in a sense.We give this live entertainment, wherethese people are doing everything thatthey’re doing right out in front of you.
When you wrap your mind around theidea that that guy is really on a highwire, risking his life, or that guy is reallyon fire right now, that’s what keepspeople coming back. The truth that thecircus is real, and that it really is a oncein a lifetime experience.”
Second annual ‘World’sLargest Water BalloonFight’When: Noon Saturday; bal-
loons fly at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Kern County Fair-
grounds, carnival area
Admission: $5, includes
commemorative T-shirt, as
well as two water balloons.
($1 to reload with two addi-
tional balloons)
Information: 324-9841,
drillerband.com/water-bal-
loon-fight
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Fully Charged When: 7:30 p.m. today and Friday;
11:30 a.m., 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sat-
urday and Sunday
Where: Rabobank Arena, 1001
Truxtun Ave.
Admission: $10 to $70
Information: 322-2525 or rin-
gling.com
CONTINUED FROM 18
Group takes anothershot at world record
CALIFORNIAN FILE
Members of the Bakersfield High School band give a cheer while standing around one of the waterballoon reloading stations before the “World’s Largest Water Balloon Fight” in 2010.
RinglingBros. andBarnum &Bailey Divasperformwith the ele-phants atFullyCharged,which openstonight.
It’s not a huge surprise that Califor-nia, a state known for (and oftenreviled for) being progressive wouldbeat the nation in granting womenthe right to vote.
But who’d have thought that it wasKern County and the rest of the state’smidsection — not our free-thinkingcoastal neighbors up north — thatwould make the difference?
Yet that’s exactly what happened,according to a headline in the Oct. 12,1911, edition of The Californian:
“Interior California Turns Defeatfor Women into Victory; BelatedReturns Wipe Out Results in San Fran-cisco”
(And if there was any question thatthe time had come for women’s equal-ity, a headline next to the voting storyremoves all doubt: “You Can’t PunishYour Wife Even if She Deserves It”)
To celebrate the 100th anniversaryof that watershed day for women, thelocal chapter of the League of WomenVoters is inviting the public to a forumSunday, where state Sen. Jean Fuller,Kern County Supervisor Karen Goh,former county Supervisor BarbaraPatrick and Shafter City Council-woman Cathy Prout will address vari-ous topics and take questions fromthe audience.
“The questions we’re going to beasking include how women have
changed the political climate in Cali-fornia, what issues are particularlyimportant to women in general andthem in particular,” said Lynne Rosen-stein, vice president of programs forthe league.
“For example, Sen. Fuller is veryinterested in education. Often educa-tion is more important to womenthan to men.”
Though the topics were devisedwith women in mind, by no meansdoes the league exclude men, whohave been allowed to join since thenational group changed its charter tobroaden membership in 1973.
“It’s people who identify with thepurpose of the league,” said Rosen-stein, who joined about 11 years agowhen she moved to Bakersfield fromSeal Beach. “It’s a good way to getinvolved, not only in your community,but in state issues, and I think that’swhat draws men, too. But people haveto have good feelings about them-selves to join the league if they’re notwomen,” she said with a laugh.
Rosenstein described the mission ofthe league as being political but notpartisan and noted that the 70 to 75local members represent a diversegroup in age, background and party
affiliation. When the members confertheir advocacy to a cause, it’s onlyafter careful research and delibera-tion, Rosenstein said.
“Some years back, someone cameto our meeting and said, ‘We want theleague to sign on to the ballot initia-tive on Kern County’s half-cent salestax.’ We studied it for two years. Thoseof us on that committee probablyfound out more about roads andtransportation than we probablythought there was to know. We ulti-mately supported it,” said Rosensteinof the 2006 measure that was defeatedat the ballot box.
The league meets every thirdWednesday at the Petroleum Club.Dues are $75 a month, or $100 perhousehold. A central focus of mem-bers, beyond taking positions onissues, is to increase Kern’s votingpopulation.
“This last year, we registered 500high school kids,” Rosenstein said.“We went to lots and lots of highschools in Kern County and spoke toclasses about he importance of votingand registered them.”
The importance of voting wasn’tlost on California women a hundredyears ago. In fact, after several defeats,it was their determination and that oftheir male allies that secured the nar-row victory — a full nine years beforethe passage of the 19th Amendment,which gave all American women theright to vote.
“I think most people don’t knowthat the state gave women the rightbefore our country did,” Rosensteinsaid. “Californians were ahead of theirtime.”
20 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 25, 2011
Eye Street
Century of women’s suffrageEvent marks state’spioneering policy
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Given the enthusiasm expressed byMichael Stone, coordinator of thevisual and performing arts depart-
ment, I was tempted to start off by sayingthe Bakersfield City School District is toot-ing its horn for music this week and next.
Instead, I’ll simply voice my admirationfor Stone and his traveling troupe of musicteachers for their energy and dedication incarrying out a rigorous schedule thatbegan on Tuesday at Owens Intermediateand ends on Sept. 2 at Franklin Elemen-tary.
Talk about fast-paced. Over the nine-dayperiod, the 12-member group will visit thedistrict’s 31 elementary schools — at therate of four each day — and present a briefbut lively program at each one. The focusis on students in grades four through six;third-graders may attend if space permits.
“We call it ‘Music in our Schools Week,’”Stone said. “The students are introducedto the instruments of the orchestra and wetry to get them pumped up about being inmusic classes.”
Apparently the teachers’ efforts havebeen successful. Stone said student partici-pation has gone up 34 percent since 2004.He refers to it as “our road show” and it’sbeen going on in one form or another forat least 35 years.
“We’re very passionate about our pro-gram,” the coordinator said. “With budgetcuts, it has been tough but due to the dis-trict’s strong fiscal position, we have beenable to maintain, and even to grow, themusic program.”
An indicator of the strength of the pro-gram is the Honor Music Festival that isheld at the end of the school year at theRabobank Convention Center. Last June,Stone said 1,000 BCSD student musiciansand singers performed in the program.
For “Music in Our Schools Week,” themusic teachers develop a theme for theprogram they present at the schools. Usu-ally it’s based on a recent movie.
Last year it was “Toy Story,” and themusicians dressed like the characters inthe film. This year they’re using a Disneytheme.
“At each program we involve children inperforming either with hand-clapping orsinging,” he said. “The teachers and Imodel the instruments and talk about eachfamily of instruments.”
Of course students who decide theywould like to take the twice-a-weekinstruction must first have their parents’permission. Some buy or rent their instru-ments and others may be able to borrowone from the district, although there is awaiting list for instruments.
“We provide the larger instruments likethe tuba, bass and cello,” Stone said. “Theyare too expensive for parents to buy.”
As a result of receiving a $2.1 milliongrant for art, music and physical educationin 2004, the district has bought about 24tubas and approximately 80 cellos. Stonesaid the bill for the tubas alone was morethan $100,000.
Stone, who plays the trombone andeuphonium, usually demonstrates thebrass instruments at the programs. Inaddition to his position with BCSD, and asa way to keep up his skills, he also per-forms with the Bakersfield Winds and withBrass a la Carte, a quartet that includes SalPanelli, Mike Raney and Ron Christian.
Stan Holcombe, who formerly wassupervisor of music at BCSD and nowworks out of the district office an academiccoach to classroom teachers, is an activemember of the troupe of traveling musicteachers.
He plays the viola, is a member of theBakersfield Symphony Orchestra, and isconsidered the strings expert in the musicweek entourage.
“We try to show (students) how muchfun music can be,” Holcombe said. “Wemight invite three or four students up toplay some rhythm instruments or havethem sing the opening notes ofBeethoven’s Fifth (Symphony).”
To hear Holcombe tell it, the teachersoften create their own fun by trying to tripone another up during the performances.
“We’re all practical jokers,” he said. “Wedo different things — somebody mightsuddenly change the key or sing differentwords.”
During the third week of school themusic teachers meet with parents of stu-dents who want to participate in musicclasses. On occasion, a parent might askwhich instrument is the loudest.
“They (parents) don’t want anythingthat’s too noisy,” Holcombe said. “Theywant to protect their hearing, I guess.”
Another common question is: How oftenshould my child practice?
“I tell them 30 minutes a day, five days aweek,” he said. “If they do that they’ll be inthe symphony some day and they’ll be sit-ting right by me.”
Tour drums upinterest in musicBCSD traveling ‘road show’designed to entice students
COURTESY OF STEVE GABBITAS
Elementary traveling instrumental musicteachers Crystal Lee, Daniel Hernandez,Steve Engel and Sheri Tipton weredressed as characters in the movie “ToyStory” for last year's Music in OurSchools Week.
22 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 25, 2011
Eye Street
Nat Dove is home againafter spending the earlierpart of summer on a 10-
day gig in Washington, D.C.,where he participated in theSmithsonian Institution’s 45thannual Folklife Festival, held onthe National Mall in front of theCapitol from June 30 to July 11.
Considering what must havebeen high temperatures andhumidity, I asked the 71-year-oldmusician, composer and lecturerwhat it was like performing in theoutdoor setting.
“I played every day from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. and we had 250,000people on the Fourth of July,” hetold me. “It was grueling, but Iwas proud to do it because itreminded me of my time at theApollo in New York.”
Dove was referring to a job hehad at the famed theater inHarlem where, in 1967, he per-formed with blues guitarist T-Bone Walker and other well-known musicians of the time.
“At the Apollo, we played for 20minutes at a time, five times aday, five days a week,” he said.Then chuckling at the recollec-tion, he added, “We used to call itthe workhouse because when wegot through, we were so tired weweren’t good for anything.”
The festival in Washington,which was co-sponsored by theNational Museum of AfricanAmerican History and Culture,explored many musical tradi-tions. Dove’s portion of the pro-gram was devoted to the historyand development of rhythm andblues. Also appearing in the seg-ment were the Funk Brothers,who were the studio band forMotown Records, and ShirleyJones of The Jones Girls, a triothat once served as backupsingers for Lou Rawls, Teddy Pen-dergrass and Aretha Franklin,among others.
“I represented the blues genre,”Dove said. “And I was on a paneldiscussion on the history ofblues, all the way back to
Louisiana andTexas.”
Yet itappearsthe Texasnative
doesn’tdwell on
the past —
at the festival he also performed“Has the World Gone Mad?,” asong he wrote only recently.
“It’s about ecological issues,”he said, “and asks the question ‘Ifwe kill everything around uswhat’s going to happen to us?’”
As for future events, Dove hasarranged for friend Jayne Cortez,a New York jazz poet, to appear asa guest speaker at the NormanLevan Center for the Humanitiesat Bakersfield College.
Jack Hernandez, director of thecenter, said Dove will introduceCortez, who will be on the BCcampus on Sept. 29. Her presen-tation is called “Find Your OwnVoice: a Poetic Excursion throughLanguage and Music with JayneCortez.”
Painting demonstrationA special Sunday afternoon
program at the Bakersfield Muse-um of Art will give guests anopportunity to interact with anaward-winning artist in an infor-mal setting.
Rodolfo Rivademar, a native ofArgentina and a member of thePasadena-based California ArtClub, will present a painting
demonstration in the museum’sspacious banquet room.
Along with discussing his back-ground and education, the artistwill demonstrate his paintingprocess, said Jason Gutierrez, aspokesman for the museum.Guests can “drop in and out,”during the two-hour program, headded, and seating will be provid-ed.
Visitors also can take a look atRivademar’s impressive 24-by-36-inch oil painting, a landscape thatshows a field of spring wildflow-ers spilling across a verdant hill-side at Tejon Ranch. Titled “NearLake Quail,” the painting hangsin the Cunningham Gallery. It ispart of a juried exhibit of artworkby California Art Club memberswho were given access to the
ranch’s back country in 2009 and2010.
The event on Sunday alsomarks the closing of the exhibit,which has been displayed at themuseum since June 16.
Disney teen musicalA 36-member cast of young
people will give two performanc-es of “Camp Rock: The Musical”at The Empty Space this weekend. The show is adapted from a2008 movie originally shown onthe Disney Channel.
The story revolves around agroup of teens attending a sum-mer camp who use their musicaltalents to ensure the existence ofCamp Rock whose survival isbeing threatened by a more glam-orous camp situated across the
lake. Guinevere PH Dethlefson of
Tonicism Productions, the pro-ducer, said a dozen or moresongs are featured in the musical,including “This Is Me,” “Can’tBack Down,” “It’s On” and “WeRock.”
Open auditions at BCTEric Tolley, director of “The
Giver,” the second play in thisyear’s Youth Series at BakersfieldCommunity Theatre, will holdauditions on Saturday afternoonand again on Monday evening atthe playhouse.
The play, about a 12-year-old ina futuristic world, was adapted byEric Coble from the NewberyAward-winning book by LoisLowry, a well-known author ofchildren’s books. Those whocome for the tryouts are asked toprepare a monologue of theirown choice. Performances arescheduled for Nov. 4 to 13.
Dove back home from D.C. tourRodolfo Rivademar:Painting Demonstration3 to 5 p.m. Sunday
After two years of intense musi-cal study, local jazz saxophonistIsaiah Morfin is ready for aprogress report.
Holed up inside BakersfieldMusic & Recording Studios,where he’s been putting finishingtouches on his debut solo CD,“Honestly Speaking,” the giftedmusician will celebrate the fruitsof his labor Friday night with arelease party and concert atMetro Galleries. It’s also anotherlast hurrah before the 21-year-oldjumps on a plane back to Bostonto continue his studies at theprestigious Berklee College ofMusic.
“I’m really excited about thisproject,” said Morfin, who arrivedsmiling and fashionably late toMonday’s final recording session,where he and other musiciansawaited the first take of the day.“I’ve been waiting to say some-thing musically for some time, butwanted it to be the right time.”
Rising as a hot shot in the musi-cal community during his teens atthe Bakersfield Jazz Festival and atimpromptu street festival con-certs, Morfin’s dedication to his
craft and the concepts of jazzmusic are mature beyond hisyears. Able to improvise like a sea-soned pro, he says his experienceat Berklee so far has helped himgrow artistically as well as get himaccustomed to big city life.
“It’s still hard to find a balancebetween working on either musicor just gigging in Boston. I’ve got-ten pretty good at it, and did a lotof gigs last semester. I’ve alsobeen more into composition andhow building songs work.”
CD captures Morfin’s evolution
Those newfound skills can beheard throughout the eightinstrumental tracks featured on“Honestly Speaking.” All com-posed by Morfin — with theexception of the gospel hymn
“His Eye Is on the Sparrow”— thedisc shows off his talents withsome traditional and moderntwists in the jazz vein. From thefunky shuffle of “Gratefullness,”to the steady groove of “NewLife,” before soulfully mellowingout on “One Day at a Time,” thecollection is a testament toMorfin’s evolution as an artist andcomposer.
Well-versed in some tastybebop-inflected solo runs, one ofhis noticeable strengths is thatwhile he does possess the skills toburn through the changes, he’snot overbearing. It’s an approachMorfin has taken to heart when itcomes to the genre.
“A lot of jazz today is showtunes and standards. This musicis what I feel is honest to me andrelevant to what’s going on today.Jazz needs to keep progressing.”
Like late sax legend JohnColtrane — whose “A LoveSupreme” was inspired by hisspiritual beliefs — Morfin, adevout Christian, said his CD fol-lows a similar path.
“Art reflects something greaterthat we can’t express in words.I’ve been through a lot the lastcouple of years, and there havebeen some obstacles along the
way. The whole idea behind thismusic is to show that even whenthe life looks bleak and hopeless,there’s always a reason to find joyin life.”
Joining Morfin on Friday will besome of the artists on the CD,including drummer CanaanDuffie, keyboardist Ezekial Victor,and other special guests.
Morfin says as he continues hispursuit of higher music learningin Berklee, listeners should antici-pate many more releases and sur-prises in the future.
“This is just the beginning ofmy journey.”
Copies of “Honestly Speaking,”will be sold for $15 at Friday’sshow.
Saxophonist Isaiah Morfin appears at Metro Galleries Friday night.
24 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 25, 2011
Eye Street
The introduction of the Sera-to Scratch Live audiomanipulation computer
program in 2004 kicked off a bit-ter battle between vinyl DJ puristsand a new wave of tech-savvyspin-meisters that continuestoday.
On one side, crate-carrying loy-alists sworn to the art of liverecord mixing hold fast to theoriginal art form bred in the con-crete jungles of New York Citynearly four decades ago. On theother, an army of new-school catsembrace the wonders of MP3audio weightlessness, courtesy oflaptop portability.
In the middle of it all, TheMothership’s resident DJ, Sabrina“Sabretooth” Ramirez, along withmusical comrades Christopher“Qwiz” Anfoso, Daniel “Chito”Rodriguez and Omar “Oms”Juarez, keep the peace in one har-monious groove. Returning thisSaturday to Sandrini’s downtown,the only thing concerning thesesuper friends isn’t any preference,but rather the level of dedicationto what matters most — themusic.
“We’ve created a platform forDJs to do what they do best,” saidRamirez. “I call it ‘ADD Night’ formusic heads. We definitely hopeto grab people’s ears while they’rehere.”
If you’ve never attended, TheMothership can best be describedas an old-school house party, sansyour parents’ couch and family
photos. This is100 percentdowntownculture, whereurban streetvibes mix with
hipsterchic
and the sounds of rare funk, jazz,hip-hop and reggae act as yoursoundtrack for the evening. It’s aninviting combination, where evensquares are invited to cut up thefloor. And although they do prefercrate-to-the-table vinyl overMP3s, modern technology isallowed — in moderation, ofcourse.
“It’s not exclusive to any partic-ular scene; everybody’s wel-come,” Ramirez said.
Evolving out of an early gather-ing of rappers, DJs and break-dancers at the now closed Down-town Records storefront in 2003, itwas also a place for connectingwith like-minded artist types.
“Every DJ wanted to be differ-ent,” recalled Anfoso of the word-of-mouth events, where he alsomet Ramirez for the first timeafter hearing her vintage punkand soul mixes. “It was just coolto be there and everybody wasinto it. It only lasted a fewmonths.”
Ramirez’s cousin Omar, whohad also become known forthrowing massive under-21 par-ties at his parents’ house, wouldprove to be the perfect familyalliance for a plan she’d had inthe works.
With the right organization andvenue, the spirit of those earlydays could live on. But first, it wasgoing to take some convincing,given the reputation DJ clubnights have at some venues, manyof which shun even the idea out
of fear the music would attract anundesirable crowd. Ramirezrecalls meeting with Sandrini’smanagement when she firstpitched the idea for The Mother-ship.
“I had to tell them it was under-ground soul and hip-hop musicthat would attract some olderpeople that don’t go out much.The name to me describes it per-fectly — all in one,” she said usinghand gestures.
The group got the green light tohost the official debut at Sandri-ni’s four years after the closing ofDowntown Records, and theevent’s popularity has grown eversince, with some of the mosteclectic crowds you’ll ever see inBakersfield.
“You never know who’s going toshow up,” said Juarez, who spe-cializes in mixing Latin rock andcumbias with Afro funk styles inhis sets. “I met these people whowere visiting from Mexico whojust happened to walk in. Theyloved it.”
The core quartet has also grownwith more local DJs becomingpart of The Mothership’s extend-ed family. They’ve also attractedout-of-town talent and artists dis-playing their wares. Pointing outthat unlike L.A. and San Francis-co, where these types of eventshappen almost nightly, Rodriguezsaid there’s no big-city attituderequired.
“Those crowds are prettyjaded,” said Rodriguez, who,while attending college in SanJose, became immersed in the DJmusic scene of the Bay Area.“When I came back home to Bak-ersfield, I couldn’t believe howcool everyone was.”
When asked about qualifica-tions to be on a future lineup,Ramirez said not just anyone canget a set of launch keys for this’ship.
“I’ve been getting a little territo-rial about who I let onstage. I
made the mistake of bookingsomeone who kept begging me.Now, I have to have a sense oftrust like I do with my crew. Iexpect a real DJ to show up some-time, check out the event, thentalk to me. This is no bandwagonto jump on.”
The setup is simple: two turnta-bles, a mixer, booming housespeakers and stacks of mixedrecords. Once the Sandrini’s din-ner crowd leaves, tables aremoved and the music starts. Fromthen on, it’s up to each DJ to keepthe party going nonstop. FromTalking Heads to Roy Ayers, JamesBrown to Desmond Dekker andbeyond, Anfoso says the sight onthe dance floor is nothing short ofelectric.
“Sometimes people just losethemselves dancing, drenched insweat,” said Anfoso. “We have thebest crowds.”
The Mothership DJ night is held
the third Saturday of everymonth. Admission is free. Sandri-ni’s is located at 1918 Eye St. Formore information, call 322-8900or join their Facebook group atfacebook.com/groups/mother-shippers.
Merle Haggard at the PadreAfter reports surfaced about
Merle Haggard cutting short hisrecent tour over health concerns,it was nice to catch a glimpse ofthe country icon hanging out withfriends inside the Padre Hotel’sBrimstone bar last Sunday.
I spotted him myself during alate-night bike ride throughdowntown. I even made anotherpass around the hotel to confirmit was the Hag. Sure enough, thecountry icon was hanging outwith his close friend and Bakers-field resident Ray McDonald.
Haggard’s next show is sched-uled for Sept. 23 in Portland, Ore.
More than able on the turntableBakotopia UnpluggedOpen Mic Night With host Matt Munoz
When: 8 to 11 p.m. Wednes-
days. Signups start at 7:30
p.m.
Where: Fishlips, 1517 18th St.
Information: 324-2557 or
visit the Facebook page for
updates.
The Lowdown with Matt Munoz
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.
Mothership DJs hopeto ‘grab people’s ears’
PHOTO BY MICHAEL CHADBURN
The Mothership’s resident DJs, clockwise from top left: DanielRodriguez, Omar Juarez, Sabrina Ramirez, Christopher Anfoso.
Thursday, August 25, 2011 The Bakersfield Californian 25
Eye Street
For the
2011/2012 Concert Season
All Voices Needed.
Call Dave Waterman for Information and Audition Appointment (661) 392-0619
Las Vegas is about 282 miles from Bak-ersfield, but you can shorten the trip intime for the lounge act downtown at StarsDinner Theatre this weekend.
On Saturday, the theater will host its LasVegas Night Club Night, an evening thatwill take you back in time to the Rat Packera.
In place of Frank, Sammy and Dino,Stars regulars Sheryl Cleveland, AmberO’Reilly, Jennifer Resolme, Bethany Rowleeand Frank Sierra will perform, accompa-nied by Brock Christian on the piano.
Also hitting the stage will be BakersfieldMusic Theatre’s artistic director BruceSaathoff, who said that there will be twosets, one starting at 7:30 p.m. and the otheraround 8:15.
“The music is from the Sinatra era.Songs wil include ‘My Funny Valentine,’‘Dancing in the Dark,’ ‘Night and Day’ and
‘Me and My Shadow.’”Scheduled between runs of musicals,
Stars’ performance nights may appeal tothose looking for something different,Saathoff said.
“I think it’s a nice change. People can beturned off by musicals, when the story isinterrupted by songs.
“With this, they can just listen, enjoy anevening of music.”
Along with the crooning, there will becuisine — a smaller menu of sandwichesand appetizers — and cocktails, all avail-able for purchase.
For those who want to live it up Vegas-style, Saathoff recommends ordering aManhattan or an old-fashioned.
“It fits the era.”
Vegas, by way ofChester Avenue
Rat Pack-inspired singerstake to the stage Saturday
Las Vegas Night Club NightWhen: Doors open at 7 p.m., show at
7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Stars Dinner Theatre, 1931
Chester Ave.
Admission: $20
Information: 325-6100
The late Wes Moore, aka “TheColonel,” led the Driller marching band
at Bakersfield HighSchool through fourdecades, positivelyinfluencing countlessyouth. As Kern Countycollectively picks up thebook “The Other WesMoore” as the 11thannual One Book, OneBakersfield, One Kern
community read this fall, many whoknew him will recall Bakersfield’s ownWes Moore. The book, about two WesMoores growing up in similar neighbor-
hoods, is about how life choices andmentoring can make a difference in ayoung person’s future.
As part of this community read, theOne Book committee is collecting mem-ories of our own Wes Moore to publish inThe Bakersfield Californian and online atonebookonebakersfieldonekern.com.
Please submit your stories in 300words or less to Jennifer Burger at [email protected] by Wednesday, Aug. 31.The community read kicks off Sept. 20and ends with a visit from the author toCal State Bakersfield on Nov. 8.
For more information, please call Jen-nifer Burger at 661-654-2138.
SHARE YOUR WES MOORE STORIES
Moore
Friday: “Our Idiot Brother,” starringPaul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks, is dan-gerously close to being one of twomovies: the raunchy, R-rated comedythat it appears to be in the trailer oranother sweet and wry movie showcas-ing Rudd, who is becoming the comedi-an-with-a-soul of his generation. Sowhich is it? Check out our review.
Saturday: Cacti and succulents aregreat choices for our climate, writes Cali-fornian gardening columnist RichardSchiell. Their advantages as containerplants are tremendous compared to, say,something that dies without water forthree days in the heat. But do you reallyknow all there is to know about thesebeautiful plants? Learn more in Schiell’s
column.Sunday: Lengthwise, the brew/pub
that hasbecomesomethingof a Bak-ersfieldinstitution,has greatnews forresidents ofthe north-
west: You can now order your fish andchips and Centennial ale a little closer tohome. Californian restaurant critic PeteTittl checks out the new spot, and co-owner Jeff Williams gives readers an out-look on what’s next for Lengthwise.
There’s plenty of stuff youcan do in eight minutes.But fall in love? That might
be a little ambitious, even for themost romance-addicted amongus.
But then that’s not really theaim of speed dating anyway, saidthe coordinator of a singles eventscheduled for Tuesday at Fishlips.
The goal of the quick-fire questfor companionship is to providean opportunity for single peopleto get together, have a little con-versation, maybe a few laughsand see where it goes. Whoknows? That first encountercould lead to a second, maybe alingering look or two, an acciden-tal brushing of fingers, a kiss ...you get the point.
But despite Bakersfield’s repu-tation as a tough town for singles,as of Monday, only seven peoplehad stepped forward to roll the
dice on love. Still, Erika Flores, who started
the speed-dating business in July,isn’t ready to sink into a pint ofBen & Jerry’s in despair just yet.
“There’s a large number of sin-gles in Bakersfield. It’s just how tofind them and where to findthem,” said the divorced motherof an 8-year-old daughter,expressing an age-old lament.
Flores wants to be ground zerofor eligible singles (at least thestraight ones, ages 21 to 36 —she’ll hit other demographicslater, if this one is a success).She’s stepping up her marketing
efforts to get the word out and isconfident that once people learnmore about speed dating, they’llfall in love with it.
“Depending on the venue, youmay be nervous, but as soon asyou walk in, you see other peoplewho are usually really friendly,talkative, social people,” Floressaid.
“Even if you’re not talkative atfirst, just being there and sittingdown with somebody, it gets yougoing.”
The process is pretty straight-forward. The ladies have a seat asthe men make their rounds fromtable to table — kind of like areal-life bar situation, come tothink of it. Each conversationlasts eight minutes and when thebell rings, off you go with a wink,mid-sentence or not.
At the end of the evening, par-ticipants turn in “match sheets,”which identify the people they’dlike to get to know better. If thereare any mutual signs of interest,Flores makes the match via email.
“It’s kind of foolproof againstrejection or that creepy feeling.”
As a veteran of the dating bat-
tlefield for several years now, Flo-res knows a little somethingabout both rejection and “thatcreepy feeling,” which is why shewas up for a two-hour drive tothe big city to try speed dating forherself.
“I went to L.A., but the problemis that the people live in L.A., soit’s kind of far. I realized there wasnothing available between Fresnoand L.A., so I thought it would bea good thing to bring here.
“I like the way it flowed.Women sit down in seats, every-one gets a number. It’s kind of aquiet event.”
Flores, who works for a social
services nonprofit by day, heldher first event a few weeks ago inher hometown of Porterville.
“It was actually pretty fun,”said Flores, 32, who was forced toimprovise when few participantsshowed up for the actual event.
“It was a mock one, because allthese guys came in and they said,‘OK, we’ll try it.’ They had a goodtime. Some of the guys were mar-ried, even. They just happened tocome in there and wanted to tryit just to try it. They had a goodtime, and so did the girls.”
So can the slightly uptight sin-gle actually prepare for some-thing like this?
“Be yourself and you’ll be com-fortable once you’re in your chair.You’ll have butterflies in yourstomach, but you’ll have a greattime by the end of the night,” Flo-res said.
“You might not find someoneattractive, but you might thinktheir conversation is so interest-ing that you could make afriend.”
For more of what to expect andto register, go to centralval-leyspeeddate.com.
26 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 25, 2011
Eye Street
Looking for love in 8 minutes Speed dating putsromance in high gear
Speed datingWhen: 7:30 to 9 p.m. Tues-
day
Where: Fishlips, 1517 18th St.
Admission: $17, which
includes appetizers
Registration: centralval-
leyspeeddate.com; Flores
prefers preregistration but
she won’t turn anyone away
at the door, she said.
Information: 559-429-1310
“There’s a largenumber of singles inBakersfield. It’s just
how to find themand where to find
them.”— Erika Flores, a divorced
mother of an 8-year-old
daughter, who started the
speed-dating business in July
Thursday, August 25, 2011 The Bakersfield Californian 27
Name _________________________________________________
Street _________________________________________________
City _______________ Zip_________Phone __________________
Type Number Price Subtotal Adul t ________________________ $60.00 $_______ Full-Time College Student _______________ $30.00 $_______ Students (through High School) ___________ $20.00 $_______
Total _______
Make Checks payable to: B.C.C.A., P.O. Box 11929 Bakersfield, Ca 93389
Credit Card Number __________ __________ __________ __________
Expiration date: Month _______________ Year ________________
❏ Visa ❏ MasterCard
For Information Call: (661) 205-8522 • (661) 589-2478 • www.bakersfieldcca.org
2011-2012 S EASON M EMBERSHIP
Evenings 7:30 PM Doors Open at 6:30 PM
Matinees 3:00 PM Doors Open 2:00 Pm
Monday, September 26, 2011
Michael Kaesahammer He has been called Canada’s triple-threat combo of piano virtuosity, vocal ability and charisma. This potent combination
has earned Michael international acclaim. His sextet is pure delight and
its energy knows no bounds.
8 CONCERTS FOR $60. 00
28 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 25, 2011
Eye Street
Named Bakersfield’s Favorite Pizza
in The Californian’s 2011 Readers
Survey
Terry &
Charlotte’s
STEAK HOUSE2515 F Street • 322-9910 2515 F Street • 322-9910www.kcsteakhouse.net www.kcsteakhouse.net
Buy 1 Dinner & Get 1
FFRREEEE FREE Maximum value of $10.95 only. One
coupon per table or party. Not valid with any other offers or Holidays.
Basic Beading & Wire WrappingWorkshop, with Susi Klassen, pri-
vate instruction or by appointment,
The Bead Hut, 610 18th St. To sched-
ule 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 informa-
tion or to register. 304-7002.
“Connections,” an exhibition of
works by artists participating in the
visual arts festival, on display until
Aug. 28, The Bakersfield Museum of
Art, 1930 R St. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday; noon to 4 p.m. Satur-
day and Sunday. Closed Mondays.
323-7219.
Free art classes, for home-school
children, 11 a.m. Thursdays, Moore’s
Art School, 837-1037.
Ray Price, 7 p.m. today, Buck
Owens Crystal Palace, 2800 Buck
Owens Blvd. $28.50-$40.50. valli-
tix.com or 322-5200.
GO & DO
Please see 29
Thursday, August 25, 2011 The Bakersfield Californian 29
Eye Street
MATHIS
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2011
7:30PM
Join the great Johnny Mathis for a special evening of endless classic hits. You’ll hear “Chances Are,” “My Love for You,” “Gina,” “Stardust,” and many more!
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE FOX THEATER BOX OFFICE, ALL VALLITIX LOCATIONS, 661-322-5200 888-825-5484 FOXTHEATERONLINE.COM .COM
Proudly supported by
JOHNNY Juliana’s Art Studio & Gallery, offers
youth art, clay sculpture, stained glass, sil-
ver jewelry, voice lessons, Juliana’s Art
Studio & Gallery, 501 18th St. For times
and dates call 327-7507.
Native American Arts Association,meets to learn basketry, beadwork and
more, 9 a.m. to noon each Thursday, The
Stockdale Moose Lodge, 905 Stine Road.
852-5050.
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.
California Art Club presents RodolfoRivademar, painting demonstration, 3 to
5 p.m. Sunday, Bakersfield Museum of Art,
1930 R St. $5 adults, $3 seniors, $2 stu-
dents. Free to members. bmoa.org or 323-
7219.
MUSIC
AcousticKern River Brewing Company, 13415
Sierra Highway, Kernville, 760-376-2337;
Mike Fleming, Ray Sadolsky, 8 p.m. Friday.
BluesTrouts & The Blackboard Stages, 805
N. Chester Ave., 399-6700; Fish Pierce
Summertime Blues Revue, 3 to 10:30 p.m.
Saturday. $15 advance. Tickets can be pur-
chased at Front Porch Music,
Asthma/COPD Education Center. $20 at
the door. 319-2098.
Classic Rock Banacek’s Lounge, 4601 State Road,
387-9224; Ruby Street, 9 p.m. Friday and
Saturday.
Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge, 3090
Brundage Lane, 325-2139; Usual Suspects,
9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Diana’s Pit Stop, 10807 Rosedale High-
way, 587-8888; No Limit, 9 p.m. Friday
and Saturday.
Lone Oak Lounge, 10612 Rosedale High-
way, 589-0412; Really Big Midgets, 9 p.m.
Friday.
Pyrenees Cafe, 601 Sumner, 323-0053;
Controlled Chaos, 1 p.m. Saturday.
ComedyElevation Lounge, 818 Real Road, 325-
6864; Improv Tuesday - Live comedy with
DJ after party, 9 p.m. Tuesdays.
CountryTrouts & the Blackboard Stages, 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; Honky Tonk
Truckers, 7 p.m. Friday; Twang Bangers, 3
to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Lone Oak Lounge, 10612 Rosedale High-
way, 589-0412; Night Life, 9 p.m. Satur-
day.
Ethel’s Old Corral Cafe, 4310 Alfred
Harrell Highway, 873-7613; Nightlife with
Pairs and Spares, 7 p.m. every Sunday. $5
members; $7 nonmembers.
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. Fri-
days; 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 coun-
try dancing with music by Crossroads, 7
to 10 p.m. Friday, Kern City Town Hall,
1003 Pebble Beach Drive. $6 member; $8
guest. 831-9241.
Pairs and Spares Dance, with Steve
Woods, 7 p.m. Friday, Rasmussen Senior
Center, 115 E. Roberts Lane. $5; $7 non-
members. 399-3575.
Dance classes, beginning West Coast
swing, intermediate/ advanced West
Coast swing with instructor Mimi Johan-
son, at 8214 Mossrock Drive. Call 927-
7001 for details.
Whirlaways Square Dance Club, has
workshops every first, third, fourth and
fifth Mondays, Park Stockdale Civic Asso-
ciation Community Center, 205 Rio Bravo
Drive. whirlaways.org or 213-3105.
African Dance for Fitness, taught by
national touring artists, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Tuesdays and 1 to 2 p.m. Saturdays, Su
Studio Dance Academy, 1515 21st St. $5-
$7 per class. africandanceclasses.com or
760-917-3685.
Beginner Belly Dance Lessons, 8 p.m.
every Tuesday, Centre Stage Studio, 1710
Chester Ave. 323-5215.
DJRockstarz Party Bar, 7737 Meany Ave.,
Suite B5, 589-6749; DJ James, 9 p.m.
Thursdays through Saturdays. Free.
Banacek’s Lounge, 4601 State Road,
387-9224; with DJ Casey Overstreet, 9
p.m. Fridays.
Le Corusse Rouge, 4647 White Lane,
834-1611; with DJ Chill in the Mixx, 5 p.m.
every Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday.
“The Endless Summer” CinemaSaturday, begins at sundown, Valen-
tien Restaurant & Wine Bar, 1310 Trux-
tun Ave., Suite 160. 864-0397.
GO & DO
Please see 30
CONTINUED FROM 28
30 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, August 25, 2011
Bookseller’s Book Group, 7p.m., Barnes & Noble, in the cafe,
4001 California Ave. 631-2575.
Read the Classics, for young
readers ages 8 to 12, 4 p.m.,
Barnes & Noble, children’s
department, 4001 California Ave.
631-2575.
“Seussical Jr. the Musical,” 7
p.m. Thursday through Saturday;
2 p.m. Sunday, Bakersfield Com-
munity Theater, 2400 S. Chester
Ave. Pre-sale $10; $15 adults; $12
children. 831-8114.
“The Show Must Go On,” fol-
lowed by the vaudeville revue
“Hot Summer Nights” 7 p.m. Fri-
day and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday,
Gaslight Melodrama Theatre &
Music Hall, 12748 Jomani Drive.
$12 to $23. 587-3377.
Friday 9/2Bakersfield Blaze vs. HighDesert Mavericks, 7:30 p.m.
Friday through Monday, Sam
Lynn Ball Park, 4009 Chester
Ave. $8-$12.50 (Monday $1). bak-
ersfieldblaze.com or 716-HITS.
CONTINUED FROM 29
Please see 31
Eating out remains one ofour favorite pastimes, even inthis challenging economy. Butthe food is only part of the rea-son we make tracks to ourfavorite local restaurants. It’sthe waiters and waitresses whohave the ability to turn a mealinto a memorable experience.Who are the mostcharming/capable/friendly/caring/funny serversin town?
Send us your nominee andinclude your name and phonenumber, the server’s name, therestaurant’s name and why thisserver is so great (250 words,max).
The top server has thechance to win a $50 gift card toGoose Loonies and a four-packof tickets to the Monterey BayAquarium. Email Lifestyles Edi-tor Jennifer Self at [email protected].
BEST SERVER IN TOWN
Thursday, August 25, 2011 The Bakersfield Californian 31
Eye Street
CD Release Party, by The Architecture, 9
p.m., Sandrini’s, 1918 Eye St. 21 & over
only. 303-3945.
Fantastic Friday Storytime, with Miss
Olivia, 10 a.m., Barnes & Noble, 4001 Cali-
fornia Ave. 631-2575.
First Friday Downtown, featuring live
music, art openings, specialty shops, gal-
leries and boutiques, artists will set up
their artwork, 5 to 9 p.m., Downtown Arts
District. 634-9598.
Lantern Light Tour & Ghost Hunt, 9 to
10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Silver City
Ghost Town, 3829 Lake Isabella Blvd.,
Bodfish. $12 per person of all ages. 760-
379-5146.
My Only Vice: Vice Ganda, doors open
at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m., Bakersfield Fox
Theater, 2001 H St. $32 to $82.
vallitix.com or 322-5200.
Pajamarama Storytime, with Miss
Olivia, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 4001 Cali-
fornia Ave. 631-2575.
Saturday 9/3Advanced Flintknapping Workshop,with Gary Pickett, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
