Fox Theater Spokane
Hot This Week!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010

If we had a nickel for every time the radio plays these guys...

The 2000s Band of the Decade Nickelback brings its bevy of billboard-topping hits to the Spokane Arena at 6:15 p.m. tonight, May 5. The Canadian rockers are touring with Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown and Sick Puppies. Tickets for tonight's concert are still available, ranging in price from $45 to $75. For tickets, go the Spokane Arena box office, at 720 W. Mallon, or go through Tickets West at www.ticketswest.com or 800-325-SEAT.

Here's a rockin' good way for kids to learn about theatre.

The Rockin' B Ranch has all fixin's for a great opportunity for aspiring young performers: the Summer Theatre Arts Camp at Rockin' B Ranch. Kids ranging in age from 11 to 16 will receive instruction from some of the region's best-known thespians on every aspect of theater arts-acting, storytelling, monologue, scene writing, ballroom and world dance, mask making, puppetry and teamwork on stage. The camp runs from July 26 to Aug. 6 and will be at the Rockin' B Ranch Barn, just 75 yards south of Interstate 90 off Exit 299. Cost is $450 per student. To register, call Tim Behrens at 509-993-7121 or email him at tim@rockinbranch.com. For more information about all the other great events happening this summer at the Rockin' B Ranch, visit www.rockinbranch.com.

Dress your family in corduroy and denim when Sedaris comes to town.

Humor writer David Sedaris is bringing his sardonic wit and incisive social critique to the Martin Woldson Theater at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 8. Sedaris is author of the best-selling books "Barrel Fever" and "Holidays On Ice" and has captured the adoration of readers with two collections of personal essays, "Naked" and "Me Talk Pretty One Day." He has been honored with the Thurber Prize for American Humor and has been nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album, "Dress Your Family In Corduroy & Denim," and Best Comedy Album, "David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall." Tickets to Saturday night's performance range in price from $32 to $52 and are available through the Fox at 509-624-1200 or through Tickets West at www.ticketswest.com or 800-325-SEAT.

Don't forget about the Unforgettable Thursday night.

The Spokane Symphony teams up with timeless songstress Natalie Cole for the Still Unforgettable concert at the INB Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 6. The daughter of legendary crooner Nat King Cole, Cole has had a successful career in her own right that started in the 1970s and is still going strong today. Tickets for Thursday night's performance range in price from $30 to $60 and are available at the Spokane Arena box office, at 720 W. Mallon, or through Tickets West at www.ticketswest.com or 800-325-SEAT.

Give Mom a homey Mother's Day.

The 21st Annual Mother's Day Tour of Craftsman Homes runs from noon-5 p.m. Sunday, May 9. Take Mom on this self-guided tour and explore the interiors of some of Spokane's finest historic homes. The tour starts at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, at 2316 W. First. Tickets are $15, or $10 for MAC members, and are available at the museum.

TGIFF. Thank God It's First Friday.

About 40 venues in downtown Spokane will host art exhibits during May's First Friday festivities, from 5-8 p.m. Friday, May 7. Four artists-Nan Drye, Bruce Hormann, Dirk Parsons and Mary Wheeler-will appear at an artists' reception to kick off an exhibit at Spokane City Hall's Chase Gallery, at 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. At the Gallery of Thum, in Steam Plant Square, the "Nodland Cellars Roadshow, Art, Wine and Jazz" will feature Tracy Nodland's wine-oriented artworks. At Auntie's Bookstore, at 402 W. Main, Partnership in HOPE, a nonprofit that helps third-world artisans improve their craft, has an exhibit and will solicit critiques of various pieces from Africa and Latin America. For a complete list of venues and art exhibits, go to www.downtownspokane.org/first-friday.php.

Celebrate the weekend with some great Wine!

This Mother's Day weekend, May 7, 8 and 9, the Spokane Wineries celebrate their annual Spring Barrel Tasting from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. 16 Spokane wineries will open their doors for a weekend of wine, food and fun, sharing their newly-made wines with friends and colleagues. This is a time of celebration that typically marks the end of the winemaking season and the start of a new wine year. Activities at each winery include: Sampling new wines; sampling current vintages; sampling wines still in the winemaking process directly from barrels or tanks; talking with knowledgeable and friendly wine lovers at each winery. Tasting fees may apply. For a complete listing of all the wineries and their locations go to the Spokane Winery Association's website at www.spokanewineries.net.

Start the wine-tasting weekend early at Vintage Hill.

Vintage Hill Cellars is having a pre-release party this Thursday, May 6 from 5 to 8pm. Enjoy tasting their newest release and the return of their Sauvignon Blanc. Vintage Hill Cellars is located at 319 W 2nd Ave and will also be open all weekend long for Spring Barrel Tasting, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 5pm. For more information, visit www.vintagehillcellars.com or call 509-994-0878.

Latah Creek's Muscat Canelli is the Wine of the Week

Of the thousands of wines tasted and reviewed by Wine Press Northwest magazine annually, only a small percentage are chosen for "wine of the week" recognition. Latah Creek's Muscat Canelli was named the Pacific Northwest Wine of the Week for May 4, 2010. The Wine of the Week is an independent opinion based on double- and single-blind tastings. Wine Press Northwest said, "A case can be made that no other Northwest winery has done so well with this grape for so long as Mike and Ellena Conway's family operation. Fruit from Phil Church Vineyards on the Wahluke Slope produced aromas of pink grapefruit, gooseberry, lychee, rosewater, apricot, pear and freshly laundered linen. It's a fun, clean and refreshing drink of more Ruby Red grapefruit, peaches, pears and jasmine with lively acidity to balance the residual sugar (4%). Rated "Outstanding" by Wine Press Northwest magazine." Muscat Canelli is a perfect wine for Sunday brunches or picnics. It sells for $11 a bottle. You can taste it at this weekend's Spring Barrel Tasting at Latah Creek, 13030 E. Indiana Avenue. The phone number is 509-926-0164 and the website is www.latahcreek.com.

We'll give you Cinco reasons to go out tonight.

The Spokane Opera is celebrating Cinco de Mayo in style with an evening of entertainment starting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 5, at the Lincoln Center, at 1206 N. Lincoln. Ian Dobson's Pan Leggo will be playing steel drum music, and Hispanic hors d'oeuvres will comprise the feast. Tickets are $20, $17 for seniors, or $10 for college students with college ID. For tickets, call 509-533-1150 or go to www.spokaneopera.org/cincodemayo.

The JACC turns cinco this week.

The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, at 405 N. William in Post Falls, celebrates its fifth anniversary with "Fiesta! At the JACC" from 5-8 p.m. Friday, May 7. The band Milonga will play while traditional Mexican dishes are served. In addition, an Art On the Edge youth art workshop will be conducted from 5-7 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door; children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. For more information, visit www.jacklincenter.org or call 208-457-8950.

Chen comes home again.

Pianist Archie Chen, a Spokane-area native and current Ireland resident, comes back to the Inland Northwest to join the Spokane String Quartet for a special Mother's Day concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 9, at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. For tickets, call the Fox box office at 509-624-1200 or go through Tickets West at www.ticketswest.com or 800-325-SEAT.

All the best will play Musicfest.

The week-long Musicfest Northwest kicks off Sunday, May 9, at the Gonzaga University campus. The 65-year-old annual event attracts more than 1,000 entries in nine categories-ballet, brass, flute, guitar, organ, piano, reeds, strings and voice-with all adjudicated performances free and open to the public. At 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 12, the Young Artist Concert is planned at the Bing Crosby Theater, at 901 W. Sprague. The event concludes with a Festival Highlights Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 14, also at the Bing. For that evening's show, judges choose their favorite performers from each division to perform. For more information, go to www.musicfestnorthwest.org.

'What's In A Meal?' is bound to provide food for thought.

Whitworth Theatre will present a 45-minute original performance titled "What's In A Meal?" that will look at issues related to food production and consumption. This unique piece will move through four rooms of the Campbell House, at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, at 2316 W. First, and each performance will be limited to 20 audience members. Performances are planned at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 8. For more information, go to www.northwestmuseum.org.

The High Five from thesomshow.com by Isamu Jordan

Hockey - Back in the day - meaning roughly three years ago - Hockey was lauded as the got-next band to blow up out of Spokane. And, upon moving to Portland and subsequently touring Europe, the boys did just that. The last time Hockey played in the area, they were at the Gorge for the Sasquatch Music Festival. Catch them in a slightly more intimate performance when Hockey appears at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, at Empyrean Coffee House, 171 S. Washington. Cost: To be announced.

Clumsy Lovers - More American-Irish madness ensues with Vancouver, British Columbia, folk-rock-Celtic-blues-jam band Clumsy Lovers. This five-piece band has built a solid following around the country, Spokane included. Expect a packed jig pit when Clumsy Lovers comes back for a concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, at The Seaside, formerly The Blvd., 230 W. Riverside. Cost: $10, 21 and older only.

Boy Eats Drum Machine - Portland one-man multimedia ensemble and aural exhibitionist, Boy Eats Drum Machine, aka Jon Ragel, is back to wow fans with a stage show the appeals to the sense, working lights, video, and strange array of instruments at a show on at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 9, at Empyrean Coffee House, 171 S. Washington. Cost: TBA.

Mastodon - Leaders in the progressive metal renaissance, Atlanta's Mastodon plays a crushing concoction of technical metal. The riffage is fast and brutal, and the live performance takes no prisoners. Laying a solid foundation for new generation of rockers, Mastodon releases the beast with Between The Buried & Me, Baroness and Valient Thorr at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 11, at The Knitting Factory Concert House, 919 W. Sprague. Cost: $25.

Needtobreathe - With their 2009 album, "Outsiders" as their latest piece of evidence, Needtobreathe has once again proven that they can walk the fine line between both Christian and secular markets. Charting on Billboard's Top 200 and Hot Christian Albums, "Outsiders" was a hit both critically and commercially. Get a healthy dose of positive energy when Needtobreathe returns with support from Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers and Seabird at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, at The Knitting Factory Concert House, 919 W. Sprague Ave. Cost: $16.

For music news, videos, mp3s, artist profiles and more, visit thesomshow.com.

Education has never been so interesting to see.

The exhibit, "Tradition Is My Life, Education Is My Future: 2009 Native American Student Art Competition," is unveiled at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture Saturday, May 8. The exhibit features works that focus on challenging themes that serve as a bridge to the students' educational future. It will be on display through July 3. For more information, go to www.northwestmuseum.org.

It's full steam ahead in the Valley.

The Spokane Valley Heritage Museum and the Inland Empire Steam & Gas Buffs will host the Spokane Valley Heritage Fair from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 8, at 10200 E. Sprague, across from the old U-City Mall. Historic tractors, engines, farm implements, cars, trucks and more will be on display at the day-long event. Tickets are $5 for a family, or $3 per person. For more information, go to www.valleyheritagecenter.org.

For those about to rock, we hairdo you.

The TIGI Rockaholic Livin' The Dream Tour bus makes a stop at the Glen Dow Academy, at 309 W. Riverside, from 3-7 p.m. Monday, May 10. Fan-fave Mon Cheri will be playing when this tour bus-turned-traveling salon makes its only stop in Spokane. For a donation to Teen Center, a nonprofit that helps foster teens in the Spokane area, locals can get their hair styled like rock stars. For appointments, call 509-624-3244. For more information about the event, email Glen Dow at info@glendow.com.

Spokane's Team In Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

All participants from Team Spokane are running either full or half marathons in support of LLS. Runners will participate in either the San Diego or Seattle Marathons in June. There will be a Silent Auction and Wine Tasting Fundraiser with proceeds going to LLS. The Auction will have nearly 100 items and packages to bid on, and will be held at Northern Quest Resort & Casino this Saturday, May 8, from 6 to 9 pm. To purchase tickets, call Brad Stark at 218-3843 or email at brstark@msn.com.

NAME THAT FLICK.

"Meet the greatest actor in the world! I'd rather kiss a tarantula."

Name the movie that line appeared in to win a $20 gift certificate to the Cathay Inn! Send your best guess and your phone number to info@entertainmentspokane.com. The winner will be selected at random from correct entries and will be announced in next week's e-newsletter. The deadline for entries is noon on Friday, May 7.

Last Week's Winner: Mary Rosner is a genie-us.

Last week's movie quote was, "You've heard of the golden rule, haven't you? Whoever has the gold makes the rules." Rosner correctly guessed that it was from the 1992 Disney classic "Aladdin" and won a $20 gift certificate to the Cathay Inn!

Send your entertainment news to info@entertainmentspokane.com

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