Eye Street Entertainment / 1-12-12

’m gonna ride that bull.”Although I didn’t have

as much conviction asSissy (Debra Winger) telling Bud(John Travolta) the same thing in“Urban Cowboy,” I would end upriding a mechanical animal bynight’s end at The Bull Shed Bar& Grill.

Even after enjoying a ToplessBrewnette and a couple of FatTires, both beers on tap, I was onthe fence about testing my luckagainst “Dolly,” the bull thatresides in the bar’s front patio.

The decision to ride camedown to two factors: our photoeditor Alex Horvath showing meimages of women he pho-tographed riding earlier in theevening (we were both on assign-ment) and an inspirational quo-tation posted in the bathroom.After struggling to keep the bath-room stall door closed — it didn’tlock due to the inch gap from thedoor jamb — I spotted a framedquotation on the wall: “Live yourlife now, not tomorrow.” If ridinga mechanical bull in front of abunch of drunken strangers isn’tliving, then I don’t know what is.

I signed the waiver (a require-ment to make sure you don’t suefor possible injuries) and waitedmy turn. First up was a visiblydrunk gal who was flung offtwice, quickly. With her pridepossibly more injured than herbackside, she declared, “This bullsucks,” before being tossed athird time. (A sign stated threerides for $5, but it was free forcustomers that night.)

Next up were two women froma bachelorette party, then me. If Iwere to die, it would be withoutmy boots on as I was required toremove them before climbinginto the inflated square. I indeco-rously hauled myself onto Dolly(“graceful,” my camera-toting

colleague smirked)and waited for

the start. Thebull jerked,then startedto spin. Ihung on,swayed tothe side abit butregainedmy hold.

That’s when the operator decidedto speed things up. Determinedto last eight seconds or more, Igripped the rope, which movedto the right as I leaned too far tothe side. With more speed, thebull sent me to the mat. A secondride was cut short since I couldn’treadjust the rope, and I opted outof the third.

In the classic movie, Wes (ScottGlenn) tells Sissy, “Don’t thinkabout anything but the ride,” andthat was more the case for meafter it was all said and done. Ihung on as tight as I could, withone arm when possible and twowhen I didn’t want to give up. (I’veheard of some women wrappingtheir arms around the bull, which Ithink defeats the purpose.)

Nothing actually prepares youfor being on a mechanical bull —unless you’re a professional, in

which case, come show us yourskills! There’s no reason to ride ifyou can’t laugh at yourself, whichI did plenty of (more so after Hor-vath showed a photo of my ratherungraceful form to others edi-tors). If I rode again, I would wearsneakers, which are allowed onthe inflated mat, rather than myheeled boots, which are not. Iwould also go for that third ride,even if the operator had to fix therope I twisted around the bull.

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

ALEX HORVATH / THE CALIFORNIAN

Kayla Brown rides “Dolly” the bull Saturday night at the Bull Shed. Tennis shoes are OK, but heels are not welcome on the inflated mat.

No bull: Nightspot is a hootBull Shed serves upcowboy-inspired fun

“I

16 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, January 12, 2012

IndexTommy Castro .......................................... 18The Empties .............................................. 19Arts Alive.................................................. 20Lia Mendez................................................ 21The Lowdown with Matt Munoz.............. 22Art Day for Children ................................ 26Rio Bravo Rumble Biathlon .................... 27Calendar .............................................. 28-29

Please see 17

About On the TownOn the Town is an occasionalEye Street series that high-lights the many nightspots,family venues, festivals andmore that keep us enter-tained in Kern County.

On the Town with Stefani Dias CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

Bull Shed Bar & Grill bartenders Jackie Jackson and StephanieThomas keep their poise as the bar gets busy Saturday night.

But if no amount of courage — liq-uid or otherwise — could get you upon the bull, don’t worry. Despite theestablishment’s name, The Bull Shedisn’t just about “Dolly” It’s also aboutDolly, as in Parton, whose “Jolene” wasperformed admirably that night by afemale singer jamming with RandyEmmett and the Bluetooth Cowboys.As a bride and her attendants came infrom Hotel Rosedale, the band keptthings lively as some line dancers tookto the dance floor.

But the mechanical bull, line danc-ing and country tunes weren’t the onlytip-offs that this is a cowboy-friendlybar. Saws, ropes and other westernmemorabilia (most notably an auto-

graphed photo from “Tombstone”) linethe wood-planked walls. Manypatrons, me included, donned boots,and you couldn’t scan the room with-out spotting a few cowboy hats. Still,this wasn’t a rowdy crowd.

For those with an appetite, The BullShed has a menu to satiate the hungri-est cowpoke. I tried the chili cheesefries, which were more than enough toshare but missing the onions men-tioned on the menu (perhaps thekitchen staff’s choice to help cus-tomers stay fresh on date night) andthe cheesy cheese bread. Sandwiches,burgers and an assortment of friedgoodies can also help soak up the alco-hol, including Rocky Mountain oysters.(Though I took the mechanical bull by

the horns, I had to pass on eating thereal deal’s fried testicles.)

Comely women bartenders, whoincluded a 6’4” blonde (6’6” in cowboyboots), stayed light on their feet servingdrinks to a largely male crowd aroundthe indoor bar.

The two pool tables were occupiedmuch of the night, one by a womanchallenging her mother, who plays pro-fessionally and brought her own cue.

The Bull Shed is a pleasant alterna-tive for those over the downtown barswho don’t want to venture too far westinto Rosedale. With karaoke twice aweek, beer pong Wednesdays, dancingon Fridays and Saturdays and bullrides daily, there are plenty of reasonsto give the hotel’s bar a try.

Thursday, January 12, 2012 The Bakersfield Californian 17

Eye Street

BY MATT MUNOZCalifornian staff writer

[email protected]

The sparsely decorated office thatbelongs to new SMG General Man-ager Scott Neal is slowly coming to

life.The Missouri native moved to town in

November and has made getting acquaint-ed with the community his top priorityafter landing the job of running SMG’sfamily of Bakersfield venues — RabobankArena being the big one, but also thedowntown convention center and ice rinkas well as the Bright House NetworksAmphitheater in the southwest.

Not that he can’t wait to spruce up hisoffice with some career-spanning memen-tos, namely framed autographed photostaken with the likes of Elton John, Billy Joeland Bon Jovi, which are stacked neatlywith others near his bookcase.

The photos are proud reminders of hisbiggest successes working in entertain-ment venue management, but he hopes tofill his office walls with new triumphs inBakersfield. And, considering the slow yearfor concerts at Rabobank in 2011, thevenue could use some big-name acts.

“I tell all of our employees we are goingto act like we’re a major-league facility,because that’s what we are,” said Neal. “Itruly mean that.”

Neal, 39, replaces former general man-ager Steve Womack, who left in September,one of several key changes at SMG thatincludes the departure last year of its mar-keting director, a key post that has yet to befilled.

“The GM position was open and I knewother people throughout the industry whowere interested in it,” said Neal, who, at thetime, was an SMG employee at the IntrustBank Arena, a 15,000-seat venue in Wichi-ta, Kan., where he worked as assistant gen-

eral manager. “I had to go through the same interview

process like those in SMG and outsideSMG. It was open to everyone.”

Without ever having visited Bakersfieldbefore, Neal pursued the job and inNovember and was named the new gener-al manager of the city-owned venues.

“My goal was to become a general man-ager, and that’s why I continued to movearound the country to do it. I’m fortunateenough to have a supportive family. Thereare so few opportunities like this. You haveto go market to market. For every personlike me, there are those people whobecome a GM right away. I hope to stay fora very long time.”

Neal graduated with a master’s degree ineducation from the University of Kansas in1997 before kicking off his career with theMinneapolis-based Vee Corp., which pro-duces the “Sesame Street Live” tour.

“That was an experience,” he recalled.“We used to send an Elmo costume toeach venue to be used in media previewsthat got a lot of wear. Then there was theCookie Monster costume that got lost inshipment. It was pretty funny, as you canimagine.”

Two years later, he went to work in guestservices and event management at the

20,000-seat Delta Center — now the Ener-gy Solutions Center in Salt Lake City —home to the Jazz, two NBA Finals, and the2002 Winter Olympics, which took placejust months after the attacks of Sept. 11,2001.

“Very few people get a chance to havethe eyes of the entire world on them, andI’ll never forget being a part of that.”

Following Neal’s marriage to wife,Audrey, he moved on to an extended stayat the Fargodome in North Dakota andbecame a member of the Harlem Globe-trotters organization.

“I remember telling my wife that if shedidn’t like moving around, I probably was-n’t the guy for her,” he said, pointing to afamily portrait that includes his threeyoung children. “My wife and kids are usedto it, but I’ve always maintained a balancebetween work and being a family man.”

In 2008, SMG, the Pennsylvania-basedcompany that oversees several major ven-ues in the United States and around theworld, tapped Neal to join the team inWichita.

Still getting accustomed to his new joband life in the Central Valley, Neal plans touse all of his big-market experience toboost Bakersfield’s reputation as a majorentertainment stop.

“I really like Bakersfield,” he said. “It’svery similar to Wichita in terms of size and

market, and some of the other places I’velived: Phoenix, Las Vegas, Fargo. There’sbits and pieces you take from placesyou’ve been, too.”

Neal is busy conducting research locallyand in Los Angeles, where he’s already metwith various entertainment agencies to getmore insight.

“Our job is to make people have a goodtime, and serve the community by provid-ing diverse entertainment. It’s still a busi-ness to the city and SMG, but I will beworking within those parameters to tryand be all things to all people. Our build-ing is safe, clean and maintained.”

Early 2012 already looks promising, withupcoming shows by heavy hitters BlakeShelton and Kelly Clarkson. Only time willtell whether Neal can keep up that pace.

“I have a lengthy spreadsheet. I’m fol-lowing everything. The minute it’s updat-ed, I’m making phone calls.”

But Neal can’t count on industry con-nections alone.

“We rely on the community to fill seats.You’re not going to get everyone, but we’dlike to keep the venues as busy as possible,increase bookings and keep the lights on.There’s an old saying in this business:‘We’re afraid of the dark.’”

Neal said he’s open to feedback and canbe reached via email [email protected].

New general manager settlingin for tenure running live events

CONTINUED 16

Where: 2300 CaminoDel Rio Court (next toHotel Rosedale)Hours: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.Monday to Friday, noonto 2 a.m. Saturday andSundayHappy hour: 4 to 7 p.m.daily, with drink andappetizer specialsInformation: 327-0681 orbullshedbarandgrill.comWhat to wear: Althoughcowboy hats and bootsaren’t required, they’re

prevalent. Jeans are agood bet.

What to drink: Domes-tic beers are popular —by the bucketful ($10 forfive) or pint ($2), bothhappy hour specials

Stay entertained: Pickup the mic for karaokeon Thursdays, try yourhand at beer pong onWednesdays, dance toDJs on Fridays and Satur-days or bands on someSaturdays.

THE BULL SHED BAR & GRILL

HENRY A. BARRIOS / THE CALIFORNIAN

Midwest transplant Scott Neal is the new general manager of the Rabobank familyof entertainment venues, which includes the city-owned downtown arena.

“We rely on the commu-nity to fill seats. You’renot going to get every-

one, but we’d like to keepthe venues as busy as

possible, increase book-ings and keep the lightson. There’s an old sayingin this business: ‘We’re

afraid of the dark.’”— Scott Neal, new GM of Rabobank Arena

ON WITH THE SHOWS


Eye Street

BY PAT EVANSContributing writer

It was a painful and scary time lastThursday morning when my 86-year-old mom tripped and broke

her femur just below her hip. Eric andMiguel of Hall Ambulance took greatcare to keep her from further injury asthey loaded her onto the gurney fortransport to the hospital.

We hustled to the emergencyentrance ready to greet mom andcalm her fears as best we could. Theambulance doors opened and thefirst words out of her mouth were, “Igave a Tommy Castro flier to bothEric and Miguel. I think they’re goingto the show.”

Yep, thanks to some rather uncon-ventional promotion tactics, Eric andMiguel know Tommy Castro andband are coming to town Friday nightfor Part 79 of the No Stinkin’ ServiceCharge Blues Series. It’s not TCB’sfirst visit. They played the series inJanuary 2010 to a soldout crowd. Thedance floors on both sides of thestage stayed packed and joyous. Lotsof hips and femurs on the move!

After the show a steady stream offolks wanted to know how soon theycould see TCB again. We didn’t makethem wait too long. Nine monthslater, Tommy and crew headlined thesixth annual B-Town Blues Fest andgot that CSUB amphitheater crowdhoppin’ with a wondrous mixture ofrhythm and blues and soul.

Tommy Castro grew up in San Joseand still calls the Bay Area home. Hestarted playing guitar in 1965 whenhe was 10 years old and soon fell inlove with the bluesier side of rock,played by artists like Eric Clapton andElvin Bishop.

It wasn’t long before youngTommy’s education included tradi-tional blues players like MuddyWaters, B.B. King, Freddie King,Elmore James, Buddy Guy, and thesoulful rhythms of Ray Charles, Wil-son Pickett and James Brown.

Tommy spent his adult life playingin a succession of national touringbands. At age 40 he decided it wastime to form his own band, put outan album and take his shot. Thirteenyears of constant touring and 10acclaimed albums later, Tommy Cas-tro was in Memphis at the 2008 BluesMusic Awards.

Out of all the blues albums releasedthat year, Tommy’s “Painkiller” wasvoted Top Contemporary BluesAlbum. Of all the blues players in theworld in 2008, Tommy received thecoveted B.B. King Entertainer of the

Year Award. Two years later he wasback in Memphis to once againreceive the B.B. King Award, alongwith awards for Album of the Year,Band of the Year, and Artist of theYear.

It’s a real tribute to our town that

the No Stinkin’ Service Charge BluesSeries is in its 14th year of bringingthe world’s top blues artists to Bak-ersfield.

It has been an ongoing grass-rootscampaign to make this series and theblues fest succeed. Thankfullyenough people get it that they have tospread the word to their friends, co-workers, and yes, even their ambu-lance technicians, so incredible artistscan keep coming.

Experience the joy of a Tommy Cas-tro show Friday night and you’ll knowwhy my mom very reluctantly accept-ed the fact that she has to sit this oneout.Pat Evans, founder of the No Stinkin’ Serv-ice Charge Blues Series, owns WorldRecords in downtown Bakersfield.

Guitarist perfectsbluesier side of rock

Castro returns toappreciative B-town

Tommy CastroColorblind will open

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: DoubleTree Hotel ball-room, 3100 Camino Del Rio Court

Admission: Reserved seats $30and $25 at World Records, 2815 FSt.

Information: 831-3100

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All classes at the Rasmussen Center

No experience necessary, Casual Attire Join us for fun, music and laughter

3 FREE Square Dance Lessons

Thursday: January 19 January 26 February 2

Classes sponsored by: The Joaquin Squares Square Dance Club

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at at

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOMMY CASTRO

Acclaimed blues guitarist Tommy Castro has drawn many accolades in hiscareer, including seeing his album “Painkiller” voted Top ContemporaryBlues Album at the 2008 Blues Awards.


Eye Street

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BY STEFANI DIASCalifornian assistant lifestyles editor

[email protected]

The Stockdale Country Clubgot a dose of theater Sun-day evening when The

Empty Space hosted its ninthannual Empty Space Awards.More than 100 people, includingnominees, friends and familygathered for cocktails, dinner anda bit of recognition.

From the theater board’sopening performance parodyingLMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem”to a rousing version of “NinePeople’s Favorite Thing” from“[title of show],” presented justas admirably as it was at the The-atre on the Kern fundraiser inSeptember, the show was amostly lively salute to the 2011season.

The ceremony, which got fullyunder way just before 8 p.m.,seemed to drag for reasons nec-essary — nearly 30 awards — andless so — digital shorts that cameoff a bit inside baseball for anoutsider.

A performance by “hypnoteas-er and illusionist” Gus Flamingo,aka Mark Price, kept the crowdlaughing as he took pot shots atliterary figures, the Empty Space,several actors and other local the-aters (David Zent’s and Hal Fried-man’s ears might have beenburning Sunday night.)

Of course, an awards show isn’tjust about being entertaining, it’s

about recognizing hard work andtalent. One standout was JaredCantrell, who won four Emptiesand jokingly credited his successto having time off (due to unem-ployment early in the year) towork on his craft. By the fourthwin, the joke from the audiencewas “everything’s coming upCantrell.”

Many other winners were over-come after accepting theirawards, while others managed tojoke and return thanks to cast-mates and loved ones. A touchingmoment came when MirandaWhipple, who won best stagemanager for “Stage Door,”thanked her parents, longtimepatrons of the theater, for sup-porting her and her studies at CalState Fullerton.

And the Empty goes to ...Best lead male actor (come-dy): Kamel Haddad (Scrooge), “AChristmas Carol”Best lead female actor(drama): Tie — Jessica Boles(Gretchen), “Faust”; ChristinaTeves (Kate), “The Wild Party”Best lead female actor (come-dy): Jaclyn Taylor (Judith), “HayFever”Best lead male actor (drama):Jared Cantrell (Kyle), “Touch”Best supporting female actor(comedy): Ellie Sivesind (BerniceNiemeyer), “Stage Door”Best supporting male actor(comedy): Jon A. Sampson(Richard), “Hay Fever”Best supporting female actor(drama): Caroline Clark (Holly),“Next Fall”Best supporting male actor(drama): Bob Kempf (Butch),“Next Fall”Best featured female actor:Julia Stansbury (Mrs. Shaw),“Stage Door”Best featured male actor:Justin Thompson (Sam Hastings),“Stage Door”Best debut performance(female): Jessica Burzlaff(Madelaine), “The Wild Party”Best debut performance(male): Shawn Rader (Jackie),“The Wild Party”Sound design: Aaron Mauldin,“A Christmas Carol”Light design: Kevin Ganger,

“Faust”

Set design: Bob Kempf, “StageDoor”

Costume design: Jeny Sanchez,“Stage Door”

Stage manager: Miranda Whip-ple, “Stage Door”

Favorite face in the crowd:Karen and Kevin Peaker

Best gallery exhibit: “Art Vs.Zombies” (Group Show), SusanRoussel, Jesus Fidel, David Rock,Guinevere PH Dethlefson, Cura-tors

Best special event: TonicismWorkshop Productions: “Mulan,”“Camp Rock,” “Lonely HeartsClub” and “Nick Tickle”

Best director: Randy Messick,Cody Ganger and Kevin Ganger,“Faust”Best mainstage production:“Next Fall”Best late night production:“The Complete Works of WilliamShakespeare (Abridged)”Best ensemble: “Hay Fever”Breakout performance: JaredCantrell (Kyle), “Touch”Most improved actor: JaredCantrellMost valuable person: MichelleGuerrero-TolleyMale actor of the year: JaredCantrellFemale actor of the year: Tie —Cody Ganger, Ellie Sivesind

Empty Space salutes best of 2011Get in on the actAwards voters must see 75percent of the mainstageshows for the year. Start2012 off right this weekend:

“Boy Gets Girl,” 8 p.m. Fri-day and Saturday, $15 general;$10 students/seniors.

“The Nighttime Show withMichael Armendariz,” 11p.m. Friday. $5.

Major League Improv, 6p.m. Saturdays. Free but dona-tions are accepted.

The Empty Space, 706 Oak St.327-PLAY.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAYLEIGH PEAKER

A subdued moment at The Empty Space Awards with the theater'sboard: from left, Caroline Clark, Eric Tolley, Michelle Guerrero-Tolley,Keely Emery, Bob Kempf, Daniel Emery, Meg Calvillo, Adam Calvillo,Allison Martin, Kristina Saldana, Brian Sivesind, Tish Gamez, JaredCantrell and Kayleigh Peaker. Not pictured, Jesus Fidel.


Eye Street

The title of the play by Rebecca Gilmanopening Friday at The Empty Space,is deceiving. It’s called “Boy Gets

Girl” and on the surface it sounds like acutesy romantic story about a couple whofall in love and live happily ever after.

Instead it’s an intense drama about a sin-gle woman who is stalked by a man shemeets — and rejects — on a blind date. Her“admirer” cannot accept the rejection, andthings quickly get ugly.

Michael Pawloski, the director, said whenhe first read the script last year in advanceof a “Pitch Day” at The Empty Space, hebecame so engrossed in the story he could-n’t put it down.

“For some odd reason, I love directingthe dark dreary stuff that makes peoplethink and become aware of certain topics,such as this play,” he said in an email. “Itmakes people aware that stalkers, killersand molesters are out there and to be care-ful when you go on blind dates or whatinformation you give to people becauseyou never know what can happen.”

Jenni Saldana stars as Theresa, a maga-zine reporter who is so relentlessly stalkedby an unwanted suitor, played by Eric Tol-ley, that she is forced to change her nameand move to another city in an effort toescape his attention.

In preparing for her role, Saldanaresearched the subject of stalking by read-ing real-life stories and watching first-handaccounts on true crime television shows.

“I looked for anything that could help meunderstand the kind of fear someone mustfeel in that situation, to never feel safe, orfeel hunted by another person,” she said. “Ialso relied on my experiences as a therapistto portray Theresa’s feelings of helplessnessand hopelessness as a result of her trauma.”

Pawloski, a professional social worker,added that such behavior is a significantproblem right here in Bakersfield. He vol-unteers at the local Alliance Against FamilyViolence and Sexual Assault and has “comeacross numerous clients” who have relatedtheir experiences about being stalked.

The director also noted that January isNational Stalking Awareness month andsuggests that anyone who wants moreinformation and insight about the subjectvisit the organization’s website,stalkingawarenessmonth.org.

Although I’ve not seen the show — I didread a synopsis, however — I’ve been told

that it does have itscomic moments.Some of thesescenes involve Nor-man Colwell, who’splaying the part of

Les Kennekat, a 72-year-old producer of

1960s-era sexploita-tion films.

Colwell is an active participant in ourcommunity’s theaters. By his count, he wasin seven shows at four different playhousesin 2011 and has done a total of 22 roles inthe past three years. Others in the “BoyGets Girl” cast are also familiar to localaudiences. They are Jared Cantrell,Matthew Borton, Emily Tisler and MichelleGuerrero Tolley.

Mexican folk ballet classesWith an eye toward upcoming competi-

tions and performances, SoLuna Ballet isseeking new members for its winter classes.

In the seven years since it began, thelocal dance company has performed fre-quently at the Kern County Fair and otherlocal events as well as out-of-town venues.In 2011 it was awarded second place in theSabor Latino Dance Competition in Redon-do Beach.

Manuel Fonseca, co-founder of SoLuna,said the company will again participate inDanzantes Unidos Festival, or Festival ofUnited Dancers, a statewide Mexican folkdance conference. It is held annually on theweekend of Palm Sunday, a week beforeEaster.

“This year (the festival) will be on March30-April 1 at Clovis West High School,” Fon-seca said. “During this weekend, over a1,000 dancers will come together for a

three-day celebration of Mexican folkdance with workshops and evening con-certs.”

It’s not necessary to have previous danceexperience to enroll in the classes. Fonsecaexplained that the name SoLuna is a com-bination of the Spanish words for sun andmoon. And in a similar way, the instructionis a fusion of classical ballet concepts anddance training with traditional Mexicanfolk dance.

Classes are divided into two age groups.One is for ages 16 or older; the other, calledSoLunita, is for children 7 to 15. Fee is $35per person on a monthly basis.

BCT postpones ‘Piazza’You could call it the domino effect. One

local theater’s shift in its schedule has top-pled another theater’s planned production.Well, postponed it, anyway.

As I reported in last week’s column,Spotlight Theatre’s decision to revamp itsseason entails moving “Hedwig and theAngry Inch” from January to March. Inaddition, the downtown theater has takenits previously produced musical “Zanna,Don’t” on the road — to Theatre Theater inLos Angeles for a three-weekend run.

The shuffling put a crimp in BakersfieldCommunity Theatre’s plan for “The Lightin the Piazza,” which, according to the sea-son it announced last August, was sup-posed to open Friday. Now, according toSheila McClure, BCT’s artistic director, it’sbeen pushed back to August.

BCT board president Ed Frenchexplained that a conflict occurred whenSpotlight decided to do “Zanna” in L.A.Apparently BCT had expected some, or sev-eral, of the “Zanna” cast members to beavailable for “Piazza.” Thus, the postpone-ment. A second round of auditions will beheld sometime in April.

Meanwhile, Thomas G. Robinson saidrehearsals are well under way for the nextshow, “For Colored Girls Who Have Consid-ered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.”The Tony award-winning play by NtozakeShange is BCT’s annual salute to Black His-tory Month and opens on Feb. 10. Robin-son, who is directing the show, has enlistedLaQuette Milner to do the choreography.

‘Boy Gets Girl’ is no love story

“Boy Gets Girl”When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday Where: The Empty Space, 706 Oak St.Cost: Free, suggested donation $15,$10 students and seniors.Information: 327-PLAY

SoLuna Ballet classes When: 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Wednes-day and ThursdayWhere: 11605 Mezzadro Ave. Cost: $40 per month, $35 childrenInformation: 397-3154

Camille Gavin CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

GO & DO

Camille Gavin’s “Arts Alive” column appears on Thursday.Write to her via e-mail at [email protected]

Disturbing fare just in timefor stalking awareness month

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE GUERRERO

Eric Tolley as Tony and Jenni Saldana as Teresa appear in “Boy Gets Girl.”


Eye Street

BY CAMILLE GAVINContributing writer

On some days when she wasvery young, Bakersfield nativeLia Mendez’s panic attacks

kept her from attending school.Despite having supportive parentswho took her to counselors and othertherapists, she often was too scared toleave the safety of her home.

“I had a severe anxiety disorderfrom about the time I was 5,” Mendezsaid in a phone conversation. “By thetime I was 8 or 9 it had really startedinterfering with my functioning.”

But by the time she was in herteens, she had discovered creativeways to overcome the disorder.

Now, at 26, Mendez is using herpersonal experience to help othersfind more joy in their lives. She hasdesigned a series of free workshopsfor the Art for Healing program atMercy Hospital. The first one, “Bliss-ing Out and Tuning In,” will be heldon Tuesday.

“It's about reconnecting to the wis-dom in our guts,” she said. “It’s abouthealing from the inside out.”

A major objective of the sessions isto explore ways of dealing with stressand other emotional roadblocks bylosing yourself in the creative process.To achieve this Mendez uses variousexercises such as visualization, work-ing with clay, paint, collage and jour-

naling.“It’s not for artists, it’s just to play,”

she said. “You don’t have to be tech-nically skilled at all.”

Her personal path to wellnessbegan when she was about 10 and itstarted with music.

“I got a guitar, learned to play andstarting writing my own music andlyrics,” she said. “It had a way ofnumbing out the overpoweringsymptoms (of anxiety).”

Soon she started to draw and paintand those creative pursuits also tookon a therapeutic quality. Mendez didwell in school and graduated at 17from Stockdale High. She went on toUC Irvine, where she earned a degreein literary journalism.

Another important aspect of her lifeis world travel coupled with teaching.

“During my sophomore year atIrvine I studied in Rome (Italy) andthat sparked my love for travel,” shesaid. “It keeps me in the moment; it’svery liberating.”

In 2008 she taught preschool inThailand and a few years later spentabout 10 months in a small town inEstonia teaching English as a second

language to high school students.Currently she’s working in the cos-metics department at Lassen’s Natu-ral Foods and Vitamins and hopes tosave enough money to return to Esto-nia in June to see her students gradu-ate.

“While I was (in Estonia) I decided Iwas a country mouse; I definitelyappreciate the peace and quiet of arural environment,” she said. “I couldwalk out of my apartment and within10 minutes be walking in the woods.”

Regarding her upcoming work-shops, Mendez said she specializes infacilitating classes aimed at puttingpeople back in touch with their heartsand higher selves.

“Sounds heavy, I know,” she said.“But the process is really aboutadopting a joyous, childlike outlookand abandoning self-judgment.”

Although it’s not necessary toattend each session, Mendez feelsparticipants will get greater benefit byattending the entire series. She alsoemphasized that even though Mercyis a Roman Catholic hospital, the Artfor Healing program is non-denomi-national.

The first session will start with a 15-minute introduction by Mendezabout what to expect from the series.The second one, “My Life in High-Def,” is a two-part workshop sched-uled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 7and Feb. 21. The series will concludewith “Behold, the Power of the Doo-dle,” 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 3 andApril 17.

‘Healing from inside out’Art quelled woman’s panic,and now she’s aiding others

Blissing Out and Tuning InWhen: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. TuesdayWhere: Art and Spirituality Cen-ter, Mercy Hospital, 2215 TruxtunAve.Admission: FreeInformation: 632-5747

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Lia Mendez has designed a series of free workshops for the Art for Healing program at Mercy Hospital.


Eye Street

Monday’s full moon fit themood perfectly for mymeeting with Bakersfield

duo Funeral Club.Haunting, dark, or romantic

depending on your tastes, thereare almost too many musical cat-egories to file them under —gothic spaghetti western, cham-ber jazz, Euro. Whatever you callit, just don’t call it dead.

Despite what their name mayconjure up, husband and wifeJoseph and Jenny Andreotti don’tmind the labels, as long as youlisten closely.

“We think of it more of like art— the whole package with musicand imagery,” said Jenny, whosings while Joseph performs on avariety of instruments, rangingfrom banjo to accordion. “We’retwo fans who want to put outsomething that reflects the thingswe really like.”

Among those things are classicfilm noir and vintage photogra-phy with no boundaries onexperimentation. All of which canbe found at their website, funeral-club.org. Evolving from previousprojects Calico Sunset and GrizzlyOwls in 2009, the two initiallyfound success with their newdirection in the ultra hip SilverLake/Echo Park area of Holly-wood. Now officially known asFuneral Club, they began makingstrides instantly.

“People in the Los Angeles Sil-ver Lake scene have

been very respon-sive to ourmusic,” saidJoseph. “Andwe’ve alwayssaid we were

from Bak-ers-

field.”Like their new musical identity,

Jenny said the response to theirnew name has been equallyrefreshing.

“We really wanted to try to findsomething that would fit alongthe lines of a band from the ’80s— Siouxsie and the Banshees,Nick Cave and Tom Waits —something from that era. We’realso big fans of The Gun Club,and the ring of their name. It’s anhomage.”

Inspired by both the post-punkgoth movement of the U.K. andL.A.’s pioneering undergroundscene, Funeral Club also toutssome historical significance,going back to the Romans.

“There have been funeral clubssince ancient times,” Jenny said.

“People would get together andhelp pay for burials if a familycouldn’t afford it. We’ve actuallybeen approached by businessesadvertising their crematoriumservices to us.”

As macabre as their name maysound, there is nothing bizarreand unusual about the couple inperson. Artists with an attentionto detail, their discographyincludes two full-length releasesand a single, “Whiskey & Clyde,”also available for free downloadthrough their website.

Released last year, “In the Fire”is the perfect introduction forthose unfamiliar with the band.Opening with the abstract banjostrum on “No Trace of Me,” thereis no formal arrangement, justloosely developing melodies with

Ennio Morricone-style elegance.Their writing process is simpleand incorporates the unconven-tional instrumentation ofJoseph’s parlor and baritone gui-tar, omnicord, synthesizer andpercussion, with Jenny’s etherealvocals on seven of the eight origi-nal compositions.

“I’ll write something, then Jenwill come up with some lyrics. Wecollaborate on everything, andshe’ll let me know if I need tochange something to allow heridea to work,” said Joseph. “Sincewe’re married, it’s easy to workon music and practice.”

On the recording end, there’sno fancy studio work.

“We record to GarageBand (aMacintosh software program)then email it off to our bassistRaymond Richards in Los Ange-les,” he added. “He’s got ProTools. We just keep sending thetracks back and forth until we’rehappy with it.”

For their live show, expect allthe Funeral Club elements tocome together. From the vintagefilm clips taken from the publicdomain archive of avant-gardefilmmaker Maya Deren projectedbehind them to the lighting andmusic, there’s much for the audi-ence to absorb. Rounding outtheir onstage ensemble is saxo-phonist Josh Chamblee.

“This is what we’ve alwayswanted to convey, and making itvery dynamic,” said Joseph.

You can catch Funeral Club atthe upcoming Giving Tree ProjectBattle of The Bands at The Nile onJan. 21, and at a CD release partyin April at a local venue to bedetermined. “In the Fire,” is avail-able for purchase at GoingUnderground Records in Bakers-field and for download at iTunes.

Matt’s picksMonster Ball II — Zombie

Prom at B Ryder’s, 7401 WhiteLane, 8:30 p.m. Friday. $5. 397-7304.

It’s considered the unluckiestof days, Friday the 13th, but don’texpect any bad times going downwhen local undead rise at this

dead man’s party. Co-hostedonce again by local rat rockersthe JBombs, who released lastyear’s hellraiser “Booze, Broadsand Bombs,” they plan to outdolast year’s event. Advertised as anactual prom, there will be a kingand queen crowned during thenight, along with specialized ven-dors and music by Loner Trouba-dour, Dee-Jay Tucker, Ghost TownHangmen and Jailbreak. Therewill also be a photographer andbackdrop set up for you and yourzombie date, if you wish to haveyour picture taken. Who knows?In 30 years, you’ll look exactly thesame. Formaldehyde not includ-ed.

Beat Surrender DJ Night atSandrini’s Bar, 1918 Eye St., 10p.m. Friday. Free. 322-8900.

Like the Mothership, you’re ingood hands with local vinyljunkie Alex Rodriguez, aka “DJMoustache,” who runs themonthly Beat Surrender night atSandrini’s. Kicking down the bestin ’60s and ’70s funk and soul, beprepared to work up a serioussweat. I’ve cut up the concrete afew times here and always have ablast. Rodriguez handpicks hissingles as the night builds, andyou rarely hear the same songtwice. Expect a funky full house.

Funeral Club show dead aheadThe 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.

Couple attractedto haunting sound

PHOTO BY TY ROSE

Jenny and Joseph Andreotti like their new identity as Funeral Club,and say the response to their new name has been positive.

PHOTO BY BRADY CABE

Bassist Dave Bullock performswith The JBombs, who will beappearing at the Monster Ball II— Zombie Prom on Friday.


Eye Street

BY SUSAN SCAFFIDIContributing writer

Cal State Bakersfield’s music depart-ment has hung out the “singerswanted” sign as it resumes

rehearsals for an upcoming performancewith the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra.

CSUB choral director Dr. Robert Proven-cio said he is inviting singers from thecommunity to join the University Singerson Monday evenings for the winter quar-ter, which officially began Monday.

For the last three years, the CSUBsingers have joined with the BakersfieldMasterworks Chorale to perform with theBSO in its annual symphonic choral musicconcert, usually held in March. This sea-son, the BSO will present JohannesBrahms’ “Ein deutsches Requiem” (“A Ger-man Requiem”) one of the greatest master-works of the choral repertoire.

Written over a number of years begin-ning in 1865, Brahms’ “Requiem” is thecomposer’s personal statement regardingprayers for the dead, probably inspired bythe death of his mother. Instead of follow-ing other composers’ models and writing aRoman Catholic requiem, which is a Massfor the dead, Brahms, who was not reli-gious, wrote a non-liturgical work, settingvarious biblical texts to music focusing onthe living instead of the dead. In a furtherdeparture from established tradition,Brahms used a German, instead of Latin,text, as a Catholic requiem would haverequired.

“He intended this work to be in the ver-nacular so at every moment the peoplewould understand the beauty of the text,”said CSUB choral director Robert Proven-cio.

Provencio said continuing in that sametradition of accessibility, the upcomingperformance will be sung in an Englishtranslation, something Provencio said willencourage new arrivals in learning thescore in a short span of time.

“It’s such a powerful, powerful piece thatI think people with a choral backgroundwould just love to sink their teeth into,”Provencio said. “And that we’re doing thisin English will just facilitate that.”

Provencio said there are currently 40 stu-dent singers in the choir. They will be join-

ing forces with the Bakersfield Master-works Chorale, currently at about 60singers. How many is enough?

“It has to be a rich sound,” said BSOconductor John Farrer, who will ultimatelylead the combined chorus and orchestra.“There have to be good singers of sufficientnumbers to sound rich and not thin.”

Farrer said the “Requiem” dependsheavily on tenors and basses — tenors forthe high tessitura, or average range of thenotes, and the basses for a deep, profoundsound, to help achieve a wide range ofvocal color from very bright to somber anddark.

“We’re not talking about a Baroque-erachoir for the B-Minor Mass, but neither arewe talking about a 19th century cast ofthousands,” Farrer said.

Provencio said singers in all parts arewelcome, but he could use some tenors,who are currently in short supply.Rehearsals officially started on Mondaywith an introduction to the score, includ-ing listening to a recording. The choir willnot meet this Monday in observance of theMartin Luther King holiday and willresume the following Monday. Provenciosaid community members are welcome tojoin the choir at that date if they can’t par-ticipate sooner.

“We had been doing this since 1991,”Provencio said. “But we had to stopbecause of budget cuts.”

“But we’re putting (community partici-pation) back regardless of the budget,”Provencio said.

The University Singers rehearsal runsfrom 6 to 9 p.m. in room 127 of the musicbuilding. Provencio said rehearsals willinclude practice in music reading as wellas learning the score. While students mustregister for the class, community membersdo not have to, nor are there any fees otherthan parking, currently $5 a day. Provenciorecommends carpooling or buying a cam-pus parking pass.

CSUB puts out callfor golden voicesChoral group beginningrehearsal of Brahms’ work

Community singers wantedWhen: Rehearsals 6 to 9 p.m. Mon-days (no meeting Jan. 16)

Where: Room 127 of the music build-ing, Cal State Bakersfield, 9000 Stock-dale Highway

Cost: Free to community members; $5parking

Meet the first waitress featured in TheCalifornian’s hunt for the best server intown. Connie Russell, who has beenwaiting tables for 25 years, will joinLifestyles Editor Jennifer Self on “Cali-fornian Radio,” which airs from 9 to 10a.m. today on KERN, 1180-AM.

Stay tuned as Scott Neal, the new GM ofRabobank Arena, discusses how he’ll

attract the biggest names in entertain-ment to Bakersfield in 2012.

Assistant Lifestyles Editor Stefani Diasand music writer Matt Munoz will joinJennifer to talk about the weekendahead, and the trio always has plenty togive away. We look forward to hearingyour questions and comments, so jointhe fun at 842-KERN.

CALIFORNIAN RADIO


Eye Street

BY MIRANDA WHITWORTHContributing writer

Relay for Life may be months away,but organizers and team captains arekicking the party into high gear this

weekend with an open-air event to givefolks a taste of what's to come in May.

The Relay for Life Community KickoffCelebration runs from 10 a.m. to noon Sat-urday at the Bright House NetworksAmphitheatre. All are welcome to the freeevent, and senior Relay for Life managerBrenda Goddold hopes to attract passers-by to the party.

“Every year we have people who are justat the park and they walk up to us and askwhat we are doing. When we say ‘Relay forLife’ a lot of people will say, ‘What's that?I've never heard of it.’ With Relay being asbig as it is here, it's amazing to find peoplewho still don't know. That's what the cele-bration is all about.”

The amphitheater will be filled withRelay for Life team captains, organizationstaff and vendors, all there to party underthe theme “The Amazing Race,” in refer-ence to the popular television reality show.Team captains will take a page from theshow and race through the park to differ-ent destinations.

"It's really an interactive experience andit really catches everyone's eye,” Goddoldsaid. “You have team captains in theirshirts from last year or in Relay for Lifeevent shirts rushing around before theycan come down to the stage. It all repre-sents our amazing commitment to whatRelay is trying to do."

Smokey Lane BBQ, which took on thechallenge of feeding more than 8,000 peo-ple at last year’s event, is up for the task

again Saturday. A DJ will pump out music,and speakers will discuss the mission ofthe American Cancer Society and Bakers-field’s role as one of the world's largestcontributors to the fight against cancer.

"This is really a big pep rally. We aregoing to pump people up talking aboutwhat we did last year,” Goddold said.“Raising that $2.1 million was pretty awe-some and we are looking forward to thisyear because we really are making a differ-ence."

Last year was the 20th anniversary ofBakersfield's Relay for Life, and organizersare still pumped up from its success.

“When all was said and done, we fielded398 teams, had over 8,700 participants,more than 1,800 survivors, more than16,800 luminaries on the track and 20,000guests that walked through the gate. So atany time we had about 30,000 peoplethere."

Goddold hopes this weekend's commu-nity kickoff will help mobilize even morepeople in the fight against cancer.

"Every day, people with cancer are livinglonger, less people are dying and peoplearen't as afraid to hear the word ‘cancer.’Because of events like this, cancer doesn'tmean a death sentence, and it feels amaz-ing to be part of that solution."

Early event primesBakersfield for ‘Relay’

The Relay for Life CommunityKickoff CelebrationWhen: 10 a.m. to noon Saturday

Where: Brighthouse NetworksAmphitheater Park at River Walk,11200 Stockdale Highway

Admission: Free

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Voncile Stewart, center, along with her two daughters Dilyn, left, and Channing,right, walk with friends during the 2011 Relay for Life of Bakersfield. The Relay forLife Community Kickoff Celebration will be held Saturday at Bright House NetworksAmphitheater Park at River Walk.

‘Big pep rally’ sets stage for upcoming fundraiser


Eye Street

BY MIRANDA WHITWORTHContributing writer

The League of Dreams Gala Dinnerand Auction, taking place Jan. 20 atGarces Memorial High, gives hope to

children with disabilities who often findthemselves sitting on the bench instead ofout in the field participating in sports.

The gala will feature an evening of foodprovided by Luigi's, music by Good Ques-tion and a live auction, all aimed at raisingfunds for the League of Dreams, a programthat gives kids with disabilities the chanceto participate in baseball and basketball.League coordinator Nathan Gutierrez saidthat if all goes well, families that may notbe able to afford the sports program willhave a shot at getting their kids involved.

“We want every child to be able to playin the league without having to worryabout paying a registration fee. All of themoney we raise will go toward payingthose fees, and what's left over will helpexpand the program.”

Gutierrez knows firsthand the benefits ofteam sports for kids with disabilities. Hewas born with spina bifida and has spenthis life in a wheelchair. But, thanks to asmall group of determined parents, he wasable to get in on the action two decadesago when organizations like the League ofDreams didn't exist.

"I thought it was really cool. I grew uploving sports, and that was the connectionthat my dad and I always had. You learn somuch from sports. You learn about sports-manship, working as a team, you make alot of friends. It's an important part ofgrowing up."

The League of Dreams was organized byTim Terrio, president and CEO of TerrioFitness, who kicked off the project in 2007.With Terrio Fitness, League of Dreamsworks with pediatric occupational thera-pists to coordinate the players, evaluatethem and put them in the divisions thatare right for their skill level.

In just a few years the organization hasgrown by leaps and bounds. More than120children are participating, and a new base-ball diamond specifically for the League ofDreams is close to completion. The dia-mond, located at Fruitvale-Norris Park, is

much like a regular baseball field, with afew adjustments made for league partici-pants.

"It's made with padded rubber like yousee in gymnasiums or at parks. It's paintedjust like a baseball diamond, with green forgrass and brown for dirt. We have bleach-ers and two dugouts that are wheelchairaccessible."

Gutierrez said the diamond has beenyears in the making but will be ready intime for the baseball season to kick off inmid-March.

“We have scholarships available, so thereare some kids who have had their registra-tion fees taken care of. But there are fami-lies out there that haven't been able to par-ticipate because they can't afford it. Wedon't want that to happen anymore."

The League of Dreams has some heavyhitters on its side, including Chicago WhiteSox third baseman Brent Morel, a Bakers-field native who has made the League ofDreams his official charity. Morel, who willattend the gala, is also behind the push tomake joining the league as affordable aspossible.

“When Brent came on, he wanted tomake sure that no one had to pay to par-ticipate. He really wanted to see those feestaken care of.”

With Morel on their side, Gutierrez looksforward to what the league can do withmoney raised at the gala.

"We have some cool things to auction off— actual physical items — and then wehave 'experience' type things. But it will begood. I don't want to give away the sur-prises."

Fundraiser dinner willhelp dreams come true

League of Dreams Gala Dinnerand AuctionWhen: 6 to 10:30 p.m. Jan. 20

Where: Garces High School, Monsi-gnor Leddy Hall, 2800 Loma LindaDrive

Tickets: $125; $200 per couple; spon-sorship packages available

Information: ourleagueofdreams.comor 377-1700

Jose Flores Jr. isexcited afterbeing called outto receive histrophy for par-ticipation in the2009 League ofDreams sportsprogram for spe-cial needs chil-dren. His father,Jose Flores,helps him. TheLeague ofDreams will holdits gala dinnerand auction onJan. 20 at GarcesMemorial High.

HENRY A. BARRIOS /THE CALIFORNIAN


Eye Street

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BY ROB MESZAROSContributing writer

My 7-year-old daughterElla is enthralled withalligators, art and the

Internet. Her latest Google searchwas for “gator art projects forkids.”

On a recent Sunday, I was sum-moned to our home computer,where Ella sat with the plans foran elaborate project on thescreen before her — an alligatorpencil holder that could be con-structed with felt, rickrack (what-ever that is), and googly eyes. Sheinsisted that she be allowed tomake the project for her teacherMrs. G, whose class theme atStockdale Elementary is, ofcourse, gators.

I explained to her that wedidn’t have the materials handyto make such a project and thatwe might be able to get themlater. I went back to watchingfootball and didn’t hear from herfor what seemed like the rest ofthe afternoon.

That was until my tenacious,would-be artist presented herown version of the gator project— hers was made with computerpaper, markers and some otherodds and ends she was able toscrounge up.

But that’s only one example ofthe clever and crafty art projects

Ella has dreamed up recently.There have been numerous pen-cil sketches and too many chalkart drawings on the back patio tocount. And, I would be remiss if Ididn’t mention the near life-sizeconstruction paper sculpture ofDad, complete with me wearingone of my old shirts and meticu-lously-crafted tinfoil glasses.

Ella has always loved to drawand make things, but her creativi-ty has really come to life in partbecause she has been involvedwith the Children’s Art Instituteat CSUB. CAI offers visual artseducation through numerouscamps, workshops and partner-ships with local elementaryschools, all of which help trainaspiring art and classroom teach-ers.

Ella reminded me that not only

was her newest creation a gift forher teacher; she was also honingher skills in preparation for theinstitute’s next art camp in thespring, which will focus on ani-mals in art.

“Lions and Tiger and Bears, OhMy” is the theme of the CAI’s sec-ond annual Art Day for Childrenwhich will take place on Saturday,May 12. The event is free for first-through sixth-graders, thanks to agrant from the Target Foundation.Registration is open for three daysnext week, but space is limited.

Dr. Dianne Turner, director ofthe CAI and professor of art edu-cation, said children who registerwill enjoy three art workshops inone day taught by CSUB's pre-service teacher candidates.

“Each lesson will be based on arenowned artist and there will bea literacy component to each les-son,” she said.

The day culminates with a fam-ily picnic and art exhibit, so par-ticipants can show off their work.

Ella has already reviewed thelist of six workshops she has tochoose from. She is dead-set onher first choice, a session titled“Teacher’s Pet,” where she willlearn about the tempera petpaintings of Jamie Wyeth and getthe opportunity to make a tem-pera painting of her own pet.

“I can’t wait to paint a pictureof Beau and Rex,” she said of herbeloved canine friends and thereluctant recipients of countlessdoggy costumes designed by this

budding artist. Choosing her other two selec-

tions will be more difficult itseems. She is leaning toward“Rock Star,” a class where shewould paint an animal on a stoneusing acrylics, a la Suzi Chua. Shesaid her third choice might be theworkshop where she could sculpta mini animal mascot out of

modeling compound for a schoolor university of her choice.

Said Ella: “I can’t decide yet,Daddy. This is gonna take somemore thinking.”

I guess some things just can’tbe rushed. Rob Meszaros is director of publicaffairs and communications at CalState Bakersfield.

Children’s art flourishes at instituteEvent is free for first-through sixth-graders

Art Day for ChildrenWhen: Noon to 4:45 p.m May12

Where: CSUB EducationBuilding, 9001 StockdaleHighway

Admission: Free (picnic tofollow is $10 per person)

Registration:www.csub.edu/children-sartinstitute. Tuesday, Jan. 24at 9 a.m. through Thursday,Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. (space islimited)


PHOTO COURTESY OF ROB MESZAROS

Ella Meszaros shows off a couple of recent art projects.


Eye Street

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BY ASHLEY FISCHERContributing writer

Another year, another resolution. Sure,you may be off and running with yournewfound inspiration to keep fit and be

more active, but if you’re looking for a way toget the whole family in gear for a year of funphysical activity, look no farther than Glinn &Giordano’s Rio Bravo Rumble Biathlon.

“We really wanted to do a family friendlyevent,” said race director Brian Monroe.

“A lot of races out there tend to cater tomom or dad, but not the whole family beingtogether. The design of this event was to allowthe whole family to participate in an activeevent/race together.”

Now in its sixth year, this dual sportingevent earmarks all proceeds for Bike Bakers-field. While the biathlon doesn’t feature thetraditional events of skiing and shooting, itdoes include a 10k run and a 16-mile moun-tain bike ride for the adults, and two freeminiature races for kids ages 3 to 11.

Registration is accepted on the day of theevent, before the race’s 9 a.m. start time. Butwith an average of 100 to 150 riders and run-ners showing up on race day, Monroe advisedlast-minute registrants to arrive bright andearly Saturday morning.

If you’re not sure about tackling the entire

biathlon on your own (Monroe said it wouldtake an average athlete approximately threehours to complete the entire course), you candivvy up the race and compete with a partner,or simply participate in one of the shortersolo events, such as the 5k run/walk.

In keeping with the family friendly theme ofthe race, Monroe said many parents opt toteam up to complete the biathlon, with momcompleting the 10k run while dad stays behindwith the kids until it’s time for the bike ride,and vice versa.

The kids, in the meantime, are kept busywith fun activities like a bounce house, climb-ing wall, and arts and crafts.

After the exhausted and elated riders trickleback in from the course (which takes place onareas of Rio Bravo Ranch typically closed tothe public), it’s time for what Monroe called,“the highlight of the day” —the kids’ races.

At noon, tykes on trikes, bikes and trainingwheels line up at the starting line to compete

— not for places, but for the simple joy ofcompleting the race (and maybe a free shirtor some ice cream).

The course varies depending on the age ofthe children, and ranges from 200 yards to amile for the bike ride, and about a half-milerun.

Even Monroe’s 10-year-old daughter, Lind-say, who competes in the race every year,wasn’t all that concerned with the guts andthe glory, but rather with the love of simplyriding her bicycle.

“I don’t really compete,” she said. “I justlike bike riding and I like to have fun.”

While other biathlons often include kids’races, Monroe said they rarely become thefocus of the event and tend to get lost amongall of the adult races happening throughoutthe day.

By taking the time to structure his race soeveryone stops and watches the kids, Monroehopes to impart a love of sport and competi-tion.

“I think participating in something like thisteaches them the value of competing, and inhaving fun with exercising. As we get busierand busier, sometimes we don’t take the timeto focus on our kids as much. And this race isan opportunity to focus on them and focuson something that they’re accomplishing.And there’s also the benefit of exercisingtogether as a family. In doing activitiestogether, you’ll create memories that’ll last alifetime.”

Biathlon offers fun for families Races include competition forgrown-ups and their children

Rio Bravo Rumble BiathlonWhen: race starts at 9 a.m.; kids’ racestarts at noon Saturday

Where: Rio Bravo Ranch, 15701 Highway178

Cost: $35 to $70

Information: ggphysicaltherapy.com/rio-bravo-rumble, or 589-9066

Friday: After a slow couple ofweeks, local movie theatersare rolling out several newfilms thisweekend,with a littlesomethingfor alldemo-graphics.There’s thesmart spycaper “Tin-ker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” withGary Oldman and Colin Firth;“Contraband,” an actionthriller with Mark Wahlberg;“Joyful Noise,” a feel-goodfamily sing-off with Dolly Par-ton and Queen Latifah; andthe 3-D release of perhapsDisney’s greatest animatedfeature, “Beauty and the Beast.”Look for reviews of all thosefilms in Eye Street Friday.

Sunday: We asked for nomi-nations of the best servers inBakersfield, and our readersresponded (and how!). OnSunday, meet the first of 10hardworking servers whomade the final list. Whenwe’ve introduced you to allthe nominees over the nextfew weeks, we’ll ask you tovote on the best server intown. Stay tuned!

COMING IN EYE

Parton


Eye Street

TodayBingo, warm-ups at 5 p.m., earlybirds at 6 p.m., regular games at6:30 p.m., Volunteer Center ofKern County, 2801 F St. From $20buy-in to “the works.” 395-9787.

Kern Leadership AllianceBreakfast, with speaker JosephHanson, 7 to 8 a.m., The Petrole-um Club, 5060 California Ave. $15advance; $20 at the door. 323-8002.

Red Cross New Volunteer Ori-entation, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.,American Red Cross, Kern Chap-ter, 5035 Gilmore Ave. 324-6427.

FridayCondors vs. Colorado Eagles, 7p.m. Friday (first 2,000 peoplereceive a Condors jersey cooler); 7p.m. Saturday (first 2,000 peoplereceive a Condors cap), 1001 Trux-tun Ave. $11 per night. 324-7825.

Disney’s Phineas & Ferb: TheBest Live Tour Ever!, 4 and 7p.m., the theater at RabobankConvention Center, 1001 TruxtunAve. $18-$50 plus fee. ticketmas-ter.com or 800-745-3000.

No Stinkin’ Service ChargeBlues Series Concert, TommyCastro, opening with Colorblind,6:30 p.m., Doubletree Hotel, 3100Camino Del Rio Court. $30. 831-3100.

Saturday“Twenty Mule Teams & BoraxMining in California,” with geol-ogist Tim Elam, 3 p.m., BuenaVista Museum of Natural History,2018 Chester Ave. $7 non-mem-bers, free for members. 324-6350.

Certified Farmers Market, 8a.m. to noon, next to Golden StateMall, 3201 F St.

CSUB Legends of Jazz SeriesConcert, featuring Pilc MoutinHoenig, 8 p.m., CSUB, Dore The-atre, 9001 Stockdale Highway.$15; $10 seniors/students; free forCSUB students with ID. 654-3093.

CSUB Men’s Basketball, vs. CalState Fullerton, 7 p.m., CSUB, Icar-do Center, 9001 Stockdale High-way. $5-$20. gorunners.com or654-BLUE.

Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1p.m., Brimhall Square, 9500Brimhall Road.

Flamenco & Classical GuitarClass, taught by John Gomez, forindividuals or a group, from 1:30to 4 p.m., Juliana’s Art Studio &Gallery, 501 18th St. 496-0891 or327-7507.

Glinn & Giordano Rio BravoRumble, biathlon, run/mountainbike; registration 8 a.m.; main race9 a.m.; kids’ race approximatelynoon, Rio Bravo Ranch, 15701 Hwy.178. $35-$70. 589-9066 orggphysicaltherapy.com.

Gun Show & Sale, 9 a.m. to 5p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Sunday, Kern County Fairgrounds,Building #3, 1142 S. P St. $9; chil-dren 13 and under are free; $3parking. 805-481-6726.

Kern Audubon Society, field tripto Kern National Wildlife Refuge,meet at 8 a.m., at Kern River Park-way parking area across fromCSUB on Stockdale Highway, $10.Bring lunch, water and snacks.kernaudubonsociety.org or 833-6705.

Relay for Life Kick-Off Celebra-tion, 10 a.m. to noon, BrightHouse Networks Amphitheatre,11200 Stockdale Highway. 327-7827.

Star Party with Kern Astro-nomical Society, 8 to 10 p.m.,The Marketplace, 9000 Ming Ave.487-2519.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post10859, Rosedale & Ladies Auxil-iary, 9:30 a.m., Greenacres Com-munity Center, 2014 CallowayDrive. 588-5865.

Yokuts Park Fun Run, 7 a.m.,Yokuts Park, Empire Drive off Trux-tun Avenue. No fee. bakersfield-trackclub.com or 203-4196 or 391-7080.

SundayCake cutting ceremony, honor-ing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 3 to5:30 p.m, Roy’s Market, 431 Mar-tin Luther King Jr Blvd.

THEATER“Boy Gets Girl,” 8 p.m. Fridayand Saturday, The Empty Space,706 Oak St. $15 general; $10 stu-dents/seniors. 327-PLAY.

“The Nighttime Show withMichael Armendariz,” 11 p.m.,The Empty Space, 706 Oak St. $5.327-PLAY.

Improv Comedy Show, withCenter For Improv Advancement,8 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Satur-days, Ice House, 3401 ChesterAve., Suite M. Adults: $5, childrenunder 12 are $1. ciacomedy.com.

Major League Improv, improvi-sational comedy show, appropri-

ate for families, 6 p.m. Saturdays,The Empty Space, 706 Oak St.Free but donations are accepted.327-PLAY.

ART“Lost and Foundry,” throughJan. 30, The Foundry Gallery, 160220th St. bakersfieldfoundry.com.

Art classes, in drawing, water-color, oils, color theory, for begin-ners and advanced, BakersfieldArt Association Art Center, 1817Eye St. 869-2320.

Art for Healing program, class-es that alleviate stress, resultingfrom illness, or grief. All classesare free but some suggest a dona-tion and are held at Mercy Hospi-tal, Truxtun Campus, Truxtun andA Street. 632-5357 or mercybaak-ersfield.org/art.

Bakersfield Art AssociationMeeting, with pen and ink draw-ing demonstration by Jim Bates, 9a.m. to noon Saturday, BakersfieldArt Association Art Center, 1817Eye St. 869-2320.

Beginning Acrylic PaintingClass, for ages 12 and older, 1 to 4p.m. Saturday, Bakersfield ArtAssociation Art Center, 1817 EyeSt. $20, some supplies provided.869-2320.

Juliana’s Art Studio & Gallery,offers stained glass classes,Juliana’s Art Studio & Gallery, 50118th St. For times and dates call327-7507.

Nancy Merrick, artwork on dis-play for January and February,Capitol Real Estate Group, 1700Chester Ave.

The Art Shop Club, 9 a.m. tonoon each Thursday, Friday andSaturday, The Art Shop, 1221 20thSt. All mediums. 322-0544, 589-7463 or 496-5153.

MUSIC

BluesTrout’s, Kern River Blues SocietyJam, 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday at 805N. Chester Ave. 872-7517.

Classic RockBellvedere Cocktail Lounge,3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139;Usual Suspects, 9 p.m. Friday andSaturday.

Jacalito Grill, 900 Truxtun Ave.,Ste. 110, 325-2535; Prisoners ofLove, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

T-Bones Steakhouse, 8020 Dis-trict Blvd., 398-1300; Elevation406, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

Sports & Spirits, 6633 MingAve., 398-7077; No Limit, 9 p.m.Friday.

Go & Do

BY DOUG DAVISContributing writer

CSU Bakersfield’s Legends of JazzSeries will present the trio PilcMoutin Hoenig, featuring the daz-

zling pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, bona fidebass monster Francois Moutin and theirrepressibly kinetic drummer Ari Hoenig.Selected as one of the 25 Essential NewYork Jazz Icons and called by DonWilliamson (Jazz Review) "one of theastounding jazz piano trios of the lastdecade," Pilc Moutin Hoenig will be in theDore Theatre at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Each of the three musicians has a suc-cessful career as a leader of his own proj-ect.

Hoenig recorded five CDs, three DVDsand toured extensively with his differentprojects.

Moutin continues to record and tourextensively with the Moutin Reunion Quar-tet, a group he had formed with his twin

brother in 1999. Moutin was voted ontoboth the Bassist and Rising Star Bassistshortlists in a recent Downbeat Critics Poll.

Pilc released four more solo and trio CDsas a leader on the Dreyfus label, as well asa documentary about his life and music.He also joined NYU Jazz Faculty in 2006while still touring internationally.

Concerning a 2011 Montreal Jazzfestperformance, Ottawa Citizen states, “Thetrio kept the audience and each other riv-eted with intense, uninhibited, continuallysurprising music."

— Doug Davis is a member of the music depart-ment at Cal State Bakersfield and organizes theuniversity’s annual jazz festival.

Jazzed up about excellent groupHot piano trio performs Saturday at CSUB theater

PHOTO COURTESY OF PILC MOUTIN HOENIG

Each of the three musicians in Pilc Moutin Hoenig had a successful career as aleader of his own project before forming the group.

Pilc Moutin HoenigWhen: Saturday at 8 p.m. at CSUB’sDore Theatre.

Tickets: Can be purchased at the dooron the night of the event for $15; $10for seniors/students; and free for CSUBstudents with ID.

For more information: Call 654-3093

Get ready to ‘Wipeout’Bakersfield must be embrac-ing its competitive spirit asanother local takes to TV,competing on tonight’sepisode of “Wipeout.” Willlocal actor Matthew Bortonsurvive the obstacles to win$50,000? Tune in at 8 p.m.on KERO-TV, Channel 23, tofind out. Then read Saturday’sCalifornian for more on Bor-ton and his adventures.

Please see 29


Eye Street

Banacek's Lounge, 4601 StateRoad, 387-9224; No Limit, 9 p.m.Saturday.

CountryEthel’s Old Corral Cafe, 4310Alfred Harrell Highway, 873-7613;Open Range, 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

DancingFolklorico Classes, advancedancers/performing group 6 to 8p.m. Fridays; and beginners, allages, 10:30 a.m. to noon Satur-days, Fruitvale-Norris Park, 6221Norris Road. $22 per month forbeginners; $25 per month foradvance dancers. 833-8790.

Joaquin Squares, 7:30 to 9:30p.m. Thursday, Rasmussen Center,115 E. Roberts Lane. $5. 324-1390,325-3086 or 399-3658.

Mavericks Singles, ballroom andcountry dancing with music byCountry George, 7 to 10 p.m. Fri-day, Kern City Town Hall, 1003Pebble Beach Drive. $7 member;$9 guest. 831-9241.

Pairs and Spares Dance, withCRS Riders, 7 p.m. Friday, Ras-mussen Senior Center, 115 E.Roberts Lane. $5; $7 nonmem-bers. 399-3575.

Tam O’Shanter, 2345 Alta Vista,324-6774; 9 p.m. Friday and Sat-urday.

DJBanacek’s Lounge, 4601 StateRoad, 387-9224; with DJ CaseyOverstreet, 9 p.m. Fridays.

Iron Horse Saloon, 1821 S.Chester Ave., 831-1315; DJ Jerome,8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

DoubleTree Hotel, ClubOdyssey, 3100 Camino Del RioCourt. 323-7111; live in the mix: oldschool, 80’s, & 90’s music, 9 p.m.to 1:30 a.m. every Saturday.

Le Corusse Rouge, 4647 WhiteLane, 834-1611; with DJ Chill in theMixx, 5 p.m. every Friday until 2a.m. Saturday.

Rockstarz Party Bar, 7737Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749;DJ James, 9 p.m. Thursdaysthrough Saturdays. Free.

The Bull Shed Bar & Grill, atHotel Rosedale, 2400 CaminoDel Rio Court, 327-0681; withMeg, 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Satur-days.

Jazz Cafe Med, 4809 Stockdale High-way, 834-4433; Richie Perez, 7:30to 11 p.m. Thursdays.

Imbibe Wine & Spirits Mer-chant, 4140 Truxtun Ave., 633-WINE; live music & wine bar withfeaturing local artists, along with24 wines, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Fri-day; featuring Jazz Connection,along with 24 wines, 7 to 9:30p.m. Saturday.

King Tut, 10606 Hageman Road;live instrumental and vocal Jazz,6:30 to 7:30 p.m. each Friday andSaturday. Free.

Que Pasa Mexican Cafe, 2701Ming Ave., 832-5011; Jazz Inva-

sion, 9 to 10 p.m. every Saturday.

The Nile, Jazz Music, 6 p.m.every Sunday. Cost $10 at 172119th St. 364-2620.

KaraokeB. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill,7401 White Lane, 397-7304; 8p.m. Thursdays and Tuesdays.

Banacek’s Lounge, 9 p.m. everyFriday and Saturday at 4601 StateRoad. 387-9224.

Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge,3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139;9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Thursdays andSundays.

Cactus Valley Mexican Restau-rant, 4215 Rosedale Highway,633-1948; 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.Thursday; beer pong and happyhour all day Sunday.

Cataldo’s Pizzeria, 4200 NewStine Road, 397-5000; 6:30 to9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Chateau Lounge, 2100 S.Chester Ave., 835-1550; 9 p.m.every Saturday.

Corona’s Cantina, 9817 S. UnionAve., 345-8463; 7 to 10 p.m. Fri-days.

Del Rio Cocktail Lounge, 5840State Road, 393-0262; 8 p.m.every Saturday.

Don Perico Restaurant, 2660Oswell St., Suite 133, 871-2001; 7to 11 p.m. Thursdays.

Julie’s The Branding IronSaloon, 1807 N. Chester Ave., 6 to10 p.m. every Friday.

Le Corusse Rouge, 8 p.m. everyTuesday and Thursday at 4647White Ln. 834-1611.

Lone Oak Inn, 8 p.m. every Tues-day and Thursday at 10612Rosedale Hwy. 589-0412.

Maria Bonita Mexican Restau-rant, 10701 Highway 178, 366-3261, 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays. All ages.

Pour House, 9 p.m. Fridays andSaturdays at 4041 Fruitvale Ave.589-9300.

Pyrenees Cafe, 601 Sumner,323-0053; 8 p.m. to midnight Sat-urdays.

Rocket Shop Cafe, 2000 S.Union Ave., 832-4800; 8:30 p.m.to midnight Saturday.

Sports & Spirits, 6633 MingAve., 398-7077; 9 p.m. Thursdaysand Saturdays.

T-Bones Steakhouse, 8020 Dis-trict Blvd., 398-1300; 7:30 to 11p.m. Thursdays.

Tejon Club, 6 to 10 p.m. everySaturday at 117 El Tejon Ave. 392-1747.

The Old River Monte Carlo,9750 Taft Highway, 837-0250;8:30 p.m. every Thursday.

The Playhouse, 2915 Taft High-way; 397-3599; 7 to 10 p.m. Sun-days.

The Prime Cut, 9500 BrimhallRoad, 831-1413; hosted by EdLoverr, 9 p.m. to midnight Friday.

The Regent, 2814 Niles St., 871-4140; 8:30 p.m. every other Fri-day.

The Wright Place, 2695-G

Mount Vernon Ave., 872-8831, 8p.m. every Thursday.

Tomi’s Cowgirl Cafe, 7 to 10p.m. every Tuesday and Thursdayat 1440 Weedpatch Hwy. 363-5102.

Vinny’s Bar & Grill, 2700 S.Union Ave., 496-2502, 7 p.m.Thursdays. 21 and over.

Latin/SalsaDoubleTree Hotel, ClubOdyssey, Club Odyssey, 3100Camino Del Rio Court, 633-1949;various levels, 3 to 9 p.m. everySunday. $5 per person, per lesson.

Mariachi Camino Real Restaurant, 6 to 9p.m. every Sunday at 3500 Trux-tun Ave. 852-0493.

OldiesKC Steakhouse, 2515 F St., 322-9910; Jimmy Gaines, Bobby O andMike Halls, 6:30 p.m. Thursdaythrough Saturday.

Old schoolJacalito Grill, 900 Truxtun Ave.,Ste. 110, 325-2535; The Prisonersof Love, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thurs-day; 7 p.m. Friday.

Que Pasa Mexican Cafe, 2701Ming Ave., 832-5011; Al Garcia &the Rhythm Kings, 8 to 11 p.m.Thursdays.

Tam O’Shanter, 2345 Alta Vista,324-6774; The Press, 8:30 p.m.Friday and Saturday. $5 per night.

Iron Horse Saloon, 1821 S.Chester Ave., 831-1315; LatinBreeze, 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Open micThe Canna Cafe, 7 to 10 p.m.every Friday, East Hills Mall, FoodCourt, 3000 Mallview Road.

Reggae/skaB. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill,7401 White Lane, 397-7304; UFC,6 p.m., Mento Buru and DJ RaullyD following fight Saturday. $10includes dinner.

R&BB. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill,7401 White Lane, 397-7304; MindBody & Soul, featuring RhythmmEpkins, 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Free.

RockB. Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill,7401 White Lane, 397-7304; JBombs with a zombie prom mon-ster ball, 8:30 p.m. Friday; Messerand Nyceria, 8 p.m. Sunday. $5 Fri-day.

Rockstarz Party Bar, 7737Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749;live bands, 9 p.m. Thursdays.

VarietyCactus Valley Mexican Restau-rant, 4215 Rosedale Highway,633-1948; The Pulse Featuring DJFlash, 8 p.m. Saturday. $10.

Ethel’s Old Corral Cafe, 4310Alfred Harrell Highway, 873-7613;Noah Claunch, 7 to 11 p.m. Friday.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monday 1/16AmeriCorps MLK Day of Serv-ice, with resource fair, farmersmarket, and live music, 10 a.m. to2 p.m., Olivier Middle School, 7310Monitor St. Free. 703-8056.

MLK Day of Service, 7:30 to11:30 a.m., starts at St. John’s Mis-sionary Baptist Church, 1401 E.Brundage Lane, followed by marchto park and luncheon, noon to 2p.m., at Martin Luther King Jr.Park, 1000 S. Owens St. 873-4703.

Martin Luther King Jr. Break-fast, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., MartinLuther King Jr. Community Center,1000 S. Owens St. $25 per person;$250 reserved table. 324-7445.

Military Officers Associationof America, installation of offi-cers, guest speaker columnist LoisHenry, social hour 6 p.m., dinner6:30 p.m., Hodel's Country Dining,5917 Knudsen Drive. $20. Newmembers welcome. 665-9083.

Tuesday 1/17Friends of the SouthwestLibrary Used Book Sale, mem-bers only, noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday;public sale, noon to 6 p.m.Wednesday and Thursday; 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. Saturday (half-price daySaturday); noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdayand Wednesday ($2.50 per bag ofleftover books), Southwest BranchLibrary, 8301 Ming Ave. kern-countylibrary.org or call 664-7716.

Wednesday 1/18CASA Volunteer Orientation,learn how to make a difference inthe life of an abused, abandonedor neglected child, noon to 1 p.m.and 5 to 6 p.m., CASA, 200024th St. kerncasa.org or 631-2272.

Kern Audubon Society, field tripto local area recharge ponds tosee waterfowl, shorebirds and rap-tors, meet at 8 a.m., at the KernRiver Parkway parking lot onStockdale Highway across fromCSUB. Bring binoculars, snack andwater. kernaudubonsociety.org or201-9279.

Kern Photography Association,all skill levels welcome, 6 to 8p.m., Henley’s Photo, 2000 H St.kernphotographyassociation.comor 496-3723.

Optimal Hospice New Volun-teer Orientation, for individualsinterested in volunteering time tohospice families, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,4700 Stockdale Highway, Suite120. 716-4000.

Thursday 1/19Free Admission Day, 10 a.m. to4 p.m., Buena Vista Museum ofNatural History, 2018 Chester Ave.324-6350.

Kern County Mineral Society,meeting, 7:30 p.m., East Bakers-field Veterans Hall, 2101 RidgeRoad. 834-3128.

League of Women Voters, annu-al planning meeting, 6 to 8:30 p.m,University Square, 2000 K St. $10,

includes dinner. 634-3773 [email protected].

NAPMW Bunco Party Fundrais-er, 6 to 9 p.m., NAPMW of Bakers-field, 1301 Heath Road. $25. [email protected].

Friday 1/20“The Drowsy Chaperone,” 7:30p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m.Sunday, Stars Dinner Theatre, 1931Chester Ave. $50 to $55; matinee$40 to $50. 325-6100.

FLICS International CinemaSociety, presents “Bride Flight,”7:30 p.m., Fox Theater, 2001 H St.$5. flics.org or 428-0354.

League of Dreams Gala Dinner &Auction, dinner provided by Luigi’s,entertainment by Good Question, 6to 10:30 p.m., Garces High School,Monsignor Leddy Hall, 2800 LomaLinda Drive. $125. ourleagueof-dreams.com or 377-1700.

Monster X Tour, 7:30 p.m. Fridayand Saturday, Rabobank Arena,1001 Truxtun Ave. $17.65 to$28.90. ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Paleo Digs at Ernst Quarriesnear Sharktooth Hill, 8 hours ofhunting per day, keep all teethand fossils (some exceptionsapply), Friday through Sunday,Buena Vista Museum of NaturalHistory, 2018 Chester Ave. $85single day; $160 two-day; $225three-day. Attendees must bemembers of the museum. 324-6350.

The Jackson Southernaires:Musical Concert, 7 to 9:30 p.m.,B Moore Christian Books & Music,526 Olive St. $25 at the door. 324-2897.

Saturday 1/21Eighth annual Annie SchierlitzMemorial Adult-Jr., doublesbowling tournament, first squad10 a.m.; second squad at 1:30p.m., raffle prizes and trophies,AMF Southwest Lanes, 3610Wible Road. $20 or $40 per team.869-6138.

Battle of the Bands & ArtShow, fundraiser for William PennElementary; with The Architec-ture, Holy Beast, The Bird Channeland more, along with variousartists, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., The NileTheater, 1721 19th St. $15.

Bird Seed Wreath, 10 a.m., LogCabin Florist, 800 19th St. $30.327-8646.

Downtown Clean Up Day, helpby cleaning up graffiti, fertilizingtrees, picking up trash, sweepingand more, 9 to 11 a.m., in down-town. Bring a broom or [email protected].

KCBCC 10 Year AnniversaryGala, 6 to 11 p.m., Marriott Hotel,801 Truxtun Ave. $75, $140 forcouples or $700 per table. 326-1529.

Kern Audubon-Tehachapi FieldTrip, field trip to Hart Park/LakeMing to see winter birds, meet atLake Ming near the restrooms, 8a.m. kernaudubonsociety.org or821-7702.

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Eye Street Entertainment / 1-12-12

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