Eye Street Entertainment / 12-29-11

Considering how thoroughlysubjective one’s entertain-ment likes and dislikes are

— music vs. theater vs. film vs.visual art and high-brow vs. mid-dle brow vs. no brow — it’s trickyto isolate the moments thatmoved us most as consumers ofculture in Bakersfield this year.While my colleagues on thenewsier side of the room makesense of the year by tallying thecrime figures, rounding up thereams of economic reports andrevisiting the various politicalantics, I am looking at a year’sworth of clippings on concerts,festivals and art openings —which were a big deal to someand a snooze-apalooza to others.A big Saturday night for a lot ofpeople I know is a trip to the Bak-ersfield Speedway topped off by alongneck at Trout’s. For others,it’s a glass of wine at Imbibe anda symphony concert. In otherwords, it’s all very personal.

Take my most entertainingexperience of 2011: My husbandand I took our 10-year-old daugh-ter to the Pixies concert in Novem-ber. It was a great show (the best ofthe year, according to my col-league Matt Munoz, who knowsthese things), but it wasn’t themusic or even the playful spon-taneity of the legendarily stormyband. What made the night specialwas that it was my daughter’s firstconcert, which counts as a MajorLife Moment to her parents, whounderstand the magical alchemythat happens when you put hun-dreds of people together in oneplace to share the singular experi-ence of live music. The near-rap-ture of the fans, the lights, thesmells — the sheer rock ’n’ roll ofit all — create an energy that’shard to explain and impossible toreplicate in any other setting. Mydaughter got a T-shirt ($30!) to

remember theevening by, but Idon’t need one.The memory ofthe look on herface that night

will be withme forev-

er.So if

your

Greatest Night Ever, 2011 Editionwas just as personal, I get it. Butlet’s face it: The most memorablecultural moments are usuallycommunal. With that in mind, my(highly subjective) list of eventsand trends that stood out thisyear:

The one that got awayEvery city needs an establish-

ment or two that puts live musicfirst, and we have a few: BuckOwens’ Crystal Palace, Trout’sand B Ryder’s come to mind. Buteven in that esteemed company,Fishlips, which closed earlier thismonth, was special. Not becausethe bar was universally loved (itwasn’t); not because every showwas a success (for every DaveAlvin there was a band ofwrestling midgets); and certainlynot for those bathrooms with theunfortunate lighting and vintageplumbing. No, Fishlips will beremembered for being fearless.There was no slavish devotion toany particular genre, they weren’tafraid to book interesting butunproven performers, and theyfelt a duty to feature local musi-cians, who returned that loyalty inspades. The joint, replete withsassy bar personnel, gave off akind of messy, by-the-seat-of-ourpants vibe that, in the end, proba-bly did them in. But when youwalk into a place that has (sadly,make that had) murals of RayCharles and Merle Haggard onthe walls, you know music lovers,not accountants, are runningthings. Here’s hoping that a newsavior of live music comes for-ward or that the other bars intown will pick up the slack. If not,there’s an entire tier of cool-but-not-big-enough-for-the-Fox per-formers who will no longer cometo Bakersfield, not to mention avoid for local musicians. And thatwould be a shame.

The food Oscar goes to ...We pretend it doesn’t bother

us, but all the digs about Bakers-field being the cultural armpit ofthe world get a little old. Which iswhy it felt like sweet validation inMarch when the James BeardFoundation — a culinary organi-zation that honors the finestrestaurants in the country —bestowed an award on the Norie-ga Hotel, believed to be the oldestrestaurant in town. Getting aBeard Award is like winning anOscar.

Though the judges loved thehearty, tasty food, the award real-ly was more an acknowledgementof the wonderful Basque cultureand traditions that help make ourcity distinctive. And in anothergreat sign that local restaurantsare on a roll, raise your glass toKern River Brewing in Kernville,which won the equivalent ofOlympic gold in the craft brewingworld for its Citra Double IndiaPale Ale.

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

CASEY CHRISTIE / THE CALIFORNIAN

Actor Charles Napier autographed copies of his memoir, “Square Jaw and Big Heart,” at Russo’sBooks in March. The actor, beloved by many in his adopted hometown, died in October.

What moved and grooved usLoss, yes, but plentyto celebrate this year

16 The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, December 29, 2011

Index2011’s breakthrough artists .................... 17Scott Cox’s best-of .................................. 18Meet a Prince............................................ 19Polar Bear Plunge .................................... 20Antique Show and Sale ............................ 21The Lowdown with Matt Munoz.............. 23Bob & Tom Comedy All-Stars.................. 26Calendar .............................................. 28-29

Please see 22

Jennifer Self CALIFORNIAN LIFESTYLES EDITOR

HENRY A. BARRIOS / THE CALIFORNIAN

Kathy Sierra with the band Golden Bough played at the Kern Scot-tish Society’s Celtic Music Festival at the CSUB amphitheater in2009. Awareness and appreciation for all things Celtic that hasbeen building for years in Bakersfield reached a crescendo in 2011.

Thursday, December 29, 2011 The Bakersfield Californian 17

Eye Street

The artists ofthe year are ...

THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN

When it comes to produc-ing art, passion is its ownreward. Literally. As in,

often there’s little, if any, moneyin it. Which is all the more reasonwhy the staff of Eye Street isunveiling a new feature, calledPeople of the Year, to show ourappreciation for the dedicatedartists in our county who playmusic, perform in theater, put onart shows and pursue any num-ber of other creative outlets —often with no compensation —while we watch in awe and clapin appreciation.

We used no fancy metric orother complicated mathematicalformula to determine who madethe list. These are people we’vefeatured over the course of theyear who impressed us with theirtalent and passion, and whoseemed to break through in a bigway.

Who were your favorites? Clickon the this story onBakersfield.com and share yourchoices in the comment section.

Entertainer of the yearSasha Mallory had an amazing

year dancing her way into thefinals of the television competi-tion “So You Think You CanDance,” making her our pick forEntertainer of the Year. What’sexceptional about Mallory is thatdancers have so few opportuni-ties to break out, but the 23-year-old managed to win fans all overthe country and rally her home-town.

Mallory’s journey started inApril in Los Angeles, where sheauditioned with her sister,Natalia, who eventually was elim-inated before the Fox reality showaired.

“Bako, Bako, I love me someBako,” said Mallory, who had justreturned from a tour dancingwith “American Idol” finalistAdam Lambert.

Mallory’s fierce athleticism andpowerful dance moves made hera favorite every week. She landedin the bottom three only once, inJuly, before finishing as runner-up and securing a spot on thenational “So You Think You CanDance Live” tour, which recentlymade a stop in Bakersfield.

“It’s a big feat to be where she’s

at. I don’t think the city reallyknows that Sasha’s representingBakersfield. I just wanted every-one to know,” said Mallory’sproud mother, Dawn, during aJuly interview. “Everything else islike icing on the cake. Sasha’swonderful in whatever she does.”

Superstitious, Mallory assidu-ously avoided the Internet duringher run on the show.

“I was just so thankful. It couldhave gone either way and I wouldhave had the same feelingsbecause of how much I learnedand the friendships and memo-ries I made — so many connec-tions, too.”

With the show behind her andthe tour winding down, Mallory islooking forward to the next phaseof her life, which includes work-ing with a talent agent and takingacting classes in Los Angeles.

— Matt Munoz

Music Maureen RecaldeSinger Maureen Recalde is

Tehachapi’s golden (arches) girl.The charismatic 22-year-old isone of three national finalists inthe Voice of McDonald’s singingcompetition, chosen from morethan 800 singers who submittedmusic videos in the competition,which was open to all employeesof the chain. The singer stole thethunder from contestants in big-ger cities with her video perform-ance of Whitney Houston’s “SoEmotional,” which showed offher golden voice and charm.

Now, she and 15 other winnersfrom the U.S., Canada, SouthAmerica, Europe and APMEA

(Asia/Pacific/Middle East) willcompete for the global title inApril during the McDonald’sWorldwide Owner/OperatorsConvention in Orlando.

— Matt Munoz

Chuck SeatonFew local musicians stay as

busy as guitarist Chuck Seaton.After wrapping up a successfulyear-and-a-half run of his popu-lar Songwriter’s Showcase at ThePrime Cut, he remains active in avariety of bands, including localrhythm and blues outfit FosterCampbell and Friends, whichrecently jammed on a cruise toMexico and opened for B.B. King.

But perhaps Seaton’s biggestscore came in November, whenhe got the call to fill in for Bucka-roo guitarist Terry Christofferson,who is taking some time off todeal with health issues. Seatonwill be back at it with the Bucka-roos at the Crystal Palace whenthe band’s performance scheduleresumes in February.— Matt Munoz

Danny WayneBakersfield rapper Danny

Wayne was heard in the latestTyler Perry film, “Madea’s BigHappy Family.” Released in April,Wayne’s performance of “Thruthe Roof” can be heard during ariotous scene in the film whenthe character of Madea, played byPerry, visits the Maury Povichshow. Wayne has the proud dis-tinction of being the only rapperto ever be chosen to participateon a Tyler Perry film soundtrack.Wayne’s music was also featuredin Perry’s film “For ColoredGirls.”

— Matt Munoz

NyceriaLocal hard rock quartet Nyceria

released a haunting music video

this year, much to the surprise offans and viewers. Filmed anddirected by Ricardo Moreno ofSilver Culture Pictures in LosAngeles, the video for the band’ssong “Scathe” is a slickly pro-duced music short that resemblesanything you see on MTV orFuse. Produced by Hollywoodstudio wiz Luigie Gonzalez, thevideo also featured the singer’syounger brother in a lead role.The result is a dark and twistedheadbanger with a catchy melodyto complement its visuals.

— Matt Munoz

Julia HaneyBakersfield Symphony assistant

concertmaster Julia Haney hashad some big shoes to fill. Thisseason, Haney was named thepermanent successor to JeanDodson, who occupied the assis-tant’s chair for 48 years.

Haney earned the seat after alengthy audition process duringthe 2010-11 season. Haney, alongwith other candidates for theposition, played next to concert-master Rebecca Brooks for a con-cert, a kind of on-the-job audi-

tion. Ultimately, Haney was cho-sen.

“It was (BSO conductor JohnFarrer’s) decision,” Brooks said.“But it was unanimous.”

“Even the ones who wereunder consideration kind of fig-ured she was the one,” Brookssaid.

“I am very fond of Julia; we alllove her,” Brooks said.

The assistant concertmaster isthe second in command of anorchestra, and must be preparedto take over if the concertmastercannot perform. The concertmas-ter serves as the principal violin-ist for the orchestra, tunes theorchestra before a rehearsal orperformance, and, with the assis-tant, has a great deal of influencein how the orchestra sounds.

“John used to say to me andJean, ‘You sound like one violin,’”Brooks said. “It’s probably harderfor him trying to match that.”

— Susan Scaffidi

TheaterBrian SivesindIf you haven’t seen Brian

Sivesind around town this year,then you haven’t been enjoyinglocal theater. The actor and direc-tor has been involved at the Spot-light Theatre, directing a Radio-head-infused “Hamlet” in March;Bakersfield Community Theatre,delivering a powerful perform-ance as Father Flynn in “Doubt: AParable” in October; and TheEmpty Space, designing the lightsfor “Stage Door” and directing a

Both rookies and vetsbroke through in 2011

Please see 24

JEFF SINER / CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

Sasha Mallory, left, and Jess LeProtto perform during the “So YouThink You Can Dance Tour 2011” on Sept. 21 in Charlotte, N.C.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAUREEN RECALDE

Maureen Recalde of Tehachapiis one of three national finalistsin the Voice of McDonald’ssinging competition.

HENRY A. BARRIOS / THE CALIFORNIAN

Chuck Seaton performs an orig-inal piece during the Songwrit-ers Showcase at Prime Cut.

Overall 2011 was a pretty weirdyear. My favorite groceryclosed, followed by my favorite

bar/music venue. My friend CharlieNapier passed away, as did mydaughter’s fish, Parallax. (I attendedCharlie’s service, but wasn’t invited tothe fish’s).

But rather than focus on the nega-tives, I thought I’d think back on theyear in entertainment. There were afew highlights: Hollywood gave us“Moneyball” and “Cedar Rapids,”“Thor” and “Captain America,” andthe totally underrated “Paul.” Keep inmind that all that movie goodnesswas balanced out by “The Green Hor-net,” which may well be the worstmovie I’ve ever seen. Overall, it was apretty weak year at the movies. Itshould be noted that I really want tosee the new Sherlock Holmes movie,but every time I ask my wife to go, shesays she’s busy. And yet she findstime to watch “Chopped” about 200times a week.

Speaking of television, there were afew notable bright spots this year.“Boardwalk Empire” just kept gettingbetter and better. That show is amaz-ingly well-done. “Weeds” was great,but the season seemed like it lastedabout 20 minutes. “Dexter” may havelost a step, but it still kept my interest,right through to the season finale. Iwatched with great interest the pilotfor HBO’s “Luck,” because it waswritten by David Milch, who wrote“Deadwood.” I can’t say that I wasthat impressed, but it’s still early. Myfavorite new show (new to me, any-way) was “Workaholics.” It’s one ofthose shows that my friends kept afterme to watch, and they were right. It’sclever, irreverent and, most impor-tantly, it’s funny. The year’s best TVshow? Easy. “Archer” remained themost well-written, most laugh-out-loud funny thing on TV in years. It’scoming back in January, and I can’twait. If you haven’t seen it, get it onDVD. If you get it on DVD and don’tlike it, send it to me.

I might go to the movies a couple oftimes a month, and I can easily skip aday or two of TV, but music? That’san everyday kind of thing for me. And

fortunately, 2011was an excellent

year for it. Mytop three

records of theyear, in noparticularorder, as

they’re sounbeliev-

ablygood

that Ijust

couldn’t do it:Steve Earle, “I’ll Never Get Out of

This World Alive.” This guy has madegenius-caliber records for so long thatI expect each one to be great, and thisone still amazed me.

Carrie Rodriguez and Ben Kyle, “WeStill Love Our Country.” This record isjust about perfect. These two cansing. And write. And play. And thisrecord reminds anyone who hears itwhy country music used to be great,and gives us hope that someday it willbe again.

Hayes Carll, “KMAG Yoyo (& otherAmerican stories).” When Hayesmade “Trouble in Mind” in 2008, Ithought it might be too good, that itwas some kind of fluke. Nobody isthat good. Well, I have never been sohappy to be wrong. “KMAG Yoyo” isevery bit as good, if not better. Thisskinny Texan writes crazy-good songs,then plays and records them perfectly— beautiful musicianship that isnever overproduced. Now I’m wor-ried that Nashville is going to snatchthis guy up and ruin his songs likethey do everything else. Until then,we have a world-class talent to enjoy,and no record collection is completewithout his latest.

Also well worth a listen are: GillianWelch’s “The Harrow & The Harvest,”Tom Waits’ “Bad As Me,” The BlackKeys’ “El Camino,” My Morning Jack-et’s “Circuital,” Drive-By Truckers’“Go Go Boots,” Lucinda Williams’“Blessed,” Eric Church’s “Chief,”Buddy Miller’s “Majestic SilverStrings,” Robert Plant’s “Band Of Joy,”Alison Krauss’ “Paper Airplane,”Gregg Allman’s “Low Country Blues,”Emmylou Harris’ “Hard Bargain,”Cody Canada and The Departed’s“This Is Indian Land,” John Hiatt’s“Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns,”

Tedeschi Trucks Band’s “Revelator,”Dave Alvin’s “Eleven Eleven,” JoeEly’s “Satisfied At Last,” and The Bandof Heathens’ “Top Hat Crown & TheClapmaster’s Son.”

I guess the other entertainmentcomponent by which a year is meas-ured must be live performances. And2011 did not disappoint. Cody Cana-da and The Departed rocked theCrystal Palace, as did The Band ofHeathens. I loved those showsbecause so many people who hadn’theard them before were exposed tothese two fantastic bands. Fishlipsserved up a brilliant selection ofartists, but I think my favorite was thegreat Dave Alvin, who lost a couple oflongtime friends and bandmates thisyear, which seemed to give himadded depth, if that’s possible. Thenwe had the big farewell show thismonth with Mento Buru, GrantLangston & The Supermodels, PaulChesne, Dub Seeds and more. Thatwas a night I’ll never forget. Anothermegashow was Joe Bonamassa’s phe-nomenal set at the Fox Theater earlierthis month. People walked out ofthere just floored by this kid’s talent.

Seeing live shows is a huge deal tome, and a few of the high points hap-pened in a single week. In a quickswing through Texas, I saw RyanBingham, Cody Canada, StoneyLarue, The Trishas, Jason Boland andRay Wylie Hubbard, all topped off byBakersfield’s own Monty Byrom, whotore it up at the legendary GrueneHall. Mix in James McMurtry at theContinental Club in Austin, a fewShiner Bock beers and more than afew pints of Blue Bell ice cream, andthat was a week for the record books.Which, as I look back on it, 2011 pret-ty much was, too. I can’t wait to seewhat 2012 has in store.


Eye Street

Movies? Eh. But musicwas heaven in 2011

Scott Cox CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

MELINDA SUE GORDON / COLUMBIA PICTURES

Brad Pitt, left, and Jonah Hill star in “Moneyball,” which Scott Cox consid-ers to be one of the movie highlights of the year.

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(10:30AM, 11:20AM, 1:20, 2:05, 4:10, 4:55),7:00, 8:00, 9:50, 10:50ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G)

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Whether it’s film or live theater,Michael Prince thrives on creativ-ity — his own as well as that of

others.“I love telling stories and I love that

endorphin rush you get when you’re work-ing with creative people,” says Prince, whois embarking on his seventh year as theartistic director of the Gaslight MelodramaTheatre & Music Hall, and has, over a 15-year period, produced five films.

Largely self-taught — and obviously ofan independent nature — Prince, 34, hashad almost no formal education in eithergenre, although he did graduate fromHighland High School in 1995 with honorsin dramatic arts.

“I tried college for a while after I gradu-ated from Highland but it just didn’t workout for me,” he said during a phone inter-view. “Too many rules.”

In 1996, Prince formed his own compa-ny, Lennonfilm Productions, with the ideaof producing feature, short and documen-tary films.

“I’ve always been fascinated with themagic of movies,” he said. ”I was lucky to

have some family mem-bers in the businessso I got to be on theSony lot where (myrelative) worked inthe sound depart-

ment. And my uncleworked for Warner

Brothers as an edi-

tor.”That same year Prince earned a “pro-

ducer certificate” for attending a workshopat the Hollywood Film Institute where hestudied the various aspects of makingmovies, including writing, directing, pro-ducing, editing and motion photography.

“It was a wonderful experience,” he said.“I got to learn the nuts and bolts of film-making.”

His first effort, a coming-of-age comedytitled “The Fourth Wall,” was shown in2000 in New York City at the IndependentFilm Market. Within the next three years hecompleted four other films, including “TheFirst Supper,” a short 35mm film that wasselected as a finalist in the Kern Film Festi-val in 2002.

During this time Prince was working invarious capacities at the Haven CounselingCenter, where his mother, Karen Cooley, isexecutive director. He also “re-met”— andmarried — Jennifer Thornton, whom hehad known when both were students atHighland. And he continued writingscreenplays and pursuing opportunitiesfor movie-making.

“In 2005 I was about to start raisingfunds for another film when the melodra-ma opened,” he said. “Then I put all myefforts into that.”

Currently, he’s “shopping around” ascript for a television pilot, “The ShowMust Go On,” a partly autobiographicalstory about a family that owns a theater ina small town. Gaslight produced a slightlydifferent stage version of the show lastsummer. Also, he periodically sends outother screenplays he’s written.

“I enter screenwriting competitions — itgets your work known and it’s the bestoption for getting it into the hands of thepeople who do these things,” he said,adding with a sigh, “Basically, it’s kind of acrap shoot.”

Meanwhile, he devotes most of his timeto writing, directing, acting in and design-ing sets for the melodrama’s productions.The theater, which seats 140, has gained a

loyal following over the years. Prince saidthe last two shows have sold out complete-ly and the theater has about 200 seasonticket holders.

Gaslight Melodrama and Music Hallalong with the Linda Larma & DaughtersAcademe of Dance is a family business,incorporated under the name of DancingMoose Enterprise. Larma is the president;her daughters Jennifer Prince and Kimber-ly Slikker, as well as Michael Prince, serveas vice presidents; and Arnie Carlos,Larma’s husband and the sisters’ father, istreasurer.

As artistic director, Michael is chieflyresponsible for selection of scripts as wellas casting the shows. Chris Cawthon istechnical director — he occasionally actstoo — and Warren Dobson, who writesmost of the vaudeville revues, is musicaldirector.

“The biggest challenge is coming upwith new ideas to keep it fresh,” Princesaid. “We don’t want to make it bigger butbetter. What we’ve learned is that the audi-ence likes to be involved and they like sto-ries set in or around Bakersfield.”

For example, the first show of the NewYear, opening on Jan. 20, will be “Show-down in Shafter.”


Eye Street

THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN

There are so many hyphenated labels todescribe Steve Martin (actor-comedian-novelist-wild-n-crazy-guy, etc.) that thepunctuation police are always on highalert any time the superstar is mentioned.Well, add another form of entertainmentto the man's impressive resume: EagleMountain Casino in Porterville has bookedSteve Martin, the bluegrass performer for aconcert Feb. 11. Tickets, which range from$35 to $45, are available at the casino'swebsite, eaglemtncasino.com or at the giftshop (800-903-3353). Doors open at 7 p.m.and the show starts at 8.

More about the show from an EagleMountain media release:

Martin will be showcasing his secondfull-length bluegrass album, "Rare BirdAlert," and will be joined by the quintetSteep Canyon Rangers.The album also

includes guest stars like the Dixie Chicksand Paul McCartney.

“It’s very hard to believe,” Martin said ofhaving the former Beatle perform on hisalbum. “I was a kid when I first heard PaulMcCartney, and if you told me one day thathe’d be singing one of my tunes, I’m stillflabbergasted.”

McCartney gives voice to a track called“Best Love,” which Martin describes as “alove song, but it has a little humor in it.”

The Dixie Chicks perform a “very emo-tional, heartbreaking song called ‘You,’”Martin said, adding that the trio agreed tosing the tune before they’d even heard it.

“I was kind of disappointed because Ireally wanted them to hear the song firstand like it,” he said. “But they did like itand they did a great job.”

Martin, who plays banjo, wrote the albumwhile touring with the Rangers last year.

Steve Martin on banjo —and, no, that’s not a joke

The Prince of the melodramaCamille Gavin CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST

But filmmaking first love ofGaslight’s creative guru

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL PRINCE

Michael Prince is currently “shoppingaround” a script for a television pilot,“The Show Must Go On,” a partly auto-biographical story about a family thatowns a theater in a small town.

Please see 27

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BY ASHLEY FISCHERContributing writer

With Christmasbehind us, it’stime to think

about those somewhatsobering New Year’s resolu-tions (like laying off theonion dip at your next fam-

ily gathering).But when it’sfinally time to wash away2011 (and that lingeringhangover), you can diveright in to 2012 by takingthe Polar Bear Plunge atMcMurtrey Aquatic Center.

Though Bakersfield cer-tainly is nippy this time ofyear, our Polar BearPlunges are balmy dipscompared to the chilly con-ditions in other parts of the

country, where people cutthrough ice 18 inches thickso that they can jump intothe frigid waters below. Notso many years ago, DianneHoover, director of the Bak-ersfield Recreation andParks Department, was oneof those slightly nutty-sounding people when shetook her first Polar BearPlunge in Cleveland, Ohio.

Hoover enjoyed her brac-ing splash into the freezingwaters so much that shedecided to bring this NewYear’s tradition to Bakers-field.

“After participating inthe Polar Bear Plunge inCleveland, I thought, ‘It’san international traditionto have a Polar Bear Plungeon New Year’s Day — solet’s do it here.’”

Since Bakersfield doesn’ttypically experience thesubzero temperatures nec-essary to naturally createthe icy bodies of water forthe “polar” part of theplunge, Hoover assignedthe staff at McMurtrey thetask of figuring out how toget the comparativelywarm waters of the unheat-ed activity pool coldenough so Kern Countyplungers could experiencethe fully frigid effect.

Now, each year theaquatic center teams up

with Jack Frost Ice, whichhauls in a truck filled withlarge blocks of ice to helpbring the water’s tempera-ture down to a chilly 50degrees Fahrenheit.

Once preparations are

complete, those willing toget in touch with their innerArctic animal are invited toslide or dive in one by one,and then swim the entirelength of the pool. Since weare, after all, only human,each swimmer is greetedwith plenty of warm towelsand hot chocolate whenthey emerge.

While taking a swim in(nearly) freezing watermight not be everybody’sidea of a good time — “Myfamily all thinks I’m kind ofa nut,” laughed Hoover —the veteran plunger calledthe sensation invigoratingand refreshing, in spite ofthe initial shock to the sys-tem.

This “insanity” badge,however, is one that mostplungers wear with pride,and receiving those incred-ulous reactions fromfriends and family is allpart of the fun. Just askGene Procell and hisdaughter Jeanine.

The father/daughter duohave made the Polar BearPlunge part of their way ofringing in the new year forthe past four years.

“My parents think I’mabsolutely nuts,” Procellsaid. “And my other daugh-ters have absolutely nointerest in doing it. Butthey and my wife all comeout, and they hold theblankets out for us when

we get out of the pool, andthey enjoy watching thespectacle of it all. It’s funand it’s crazy, and it’ssomething we can do as afamily.”

Procell and his daughterare both such dedicatedpolar bears, that in spite ofthe fact that they’ll be outof town visiting family forthe holidays, they foundthe nearest place theycould take their annualplunge: in Coeur D’Alene,Idaho.

But for those of you herein Bakersfield looking for afresh, decidedly un-fatten-ing tradition to add to yourholiday roster, McMurtreywill keep the water cold foryou.

“For many people,”Hoover said, “this is a wayfor them to say goodbye tothat old, nasty year, andkick off the new year in away that’s fresh and fun.”


Eye Street

Take an icy leap into the new yearMcMurtrey hostingPolar Bear Plunge

Polar Bear PlungeWhen: 11 a.m. Sunday

Where: McMurtrey

Aquatic Center, 1325 Q

St.

Cost: $5 to plunge, $20

for a sweatshirt

Age limit: Must be 7

years or older to partic-

ipate

Information: 852-7430

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Keri Naffziger finds out why it’s called the Polar Bear Plunge on Jan. 1, 2011.


Eye Street

BY MIRANDA WHITWORTHContributing writer

For some it's a gold mine, forothers a trip down memorylane. But for anyone who

enjoys a peek into the past, thisweekend is the perfect chance tosee the treasures and sundries ofdecades gone by.

Bakersfield will attract dealersand collectors from across thecountry to the Kern County Fair-grounds this weekend for theAntique Show and Sale, an annu-al bonanza of treasures that givesattendees a chance to score dealson vintage items not seen in ourfair city every day.

Promoter Mary Bryan has beenin the business for nearly 40 yearsand says she's proud to bring theshow to Kern County.

“I can't think of a single dealerfrom Bakersfield that's going tohave a booth. The vendors arefrom across the United States,and I like that. They bring such avariety to the town that you justdon't get to see.”

Bryan has spent decades pro-moting shows and runningbooths at antique and collectiblesales across the country, but agehas slowed her down. She limitsherself to promoting one bigshow a year, and it's here in KernCounty.

“I kept Bakersfield for somereason. The people here are veryfriendly and I have met a lot ofgreat people here. Bakersfield hasalways been my favorite.”

Bryan has witnessed a lot ofchanges over the years in the col-lectibles business. With the popu-larity of television shows like“American Pickers” and “PawnStars,” there has been a renewedinterest in vintage items and rari-ties. Prices have gone up and col-lecting has been put back in thespotlight. But, according toBryan, you can't believe every-thing you see on TV.

“The shows have made every-one an authority; people thinkthey know everything. But youhave to remember, you can learnsomething new every day. Thereis always something to learn inthe antique business.”

A major trend Bryan hasnoticed is the higher prices ven-dors are charging for jewelry, inlarge part because of steepincreases in the cost of preciousmetals.

“I have been selling NativeAmerican jewelry for about eightyears now and I have seen such arise in price. Things that I couldget for $25 a few years ago I can'ttouch now for less than $125.”

While silver may not be a bar-gain buy, Bryan said there areadvantages in Kern County forpeople willing to get out and lookfor deals.

“When you go to bigger citieslike San Francisco, dealers can geta lot more money for their stuff.You can ask higher prices in thoseareas. Shopping in places likeBakersfield is much more afford-able. Prices really depend onwhere you go and what peoplecan pay.”

If shopping for the old andunique in Bakersfield comes witha lower price tag, does that meanthe quality will be low as well?

“There will be a lot of greatstuff. We have a dealer coming inthat specializes in bronzes, papergoods, a woman that sells sewingitems and then there is a greatdealer that will have the vintagejewelry. These days the costumestuff is going for the same pricesas some of the new fine jewelry.”

But when it comes to collect-ing, Bryan advised that folksshould take part in the hobby forpassion, not just cash. She gotstarted by collecting Depression-era glass as a reprieve from herday-to-day routine of raising fourchildren and, in the end, made a

little money on the side. But itwhat stoked her passion was thecolored glass, the patterns andstories behind the decades-oldkitchen ware. She still gets madwhen recalling a conversation shehad with a man who left Oklaho-ma to come to Bakersfield to starta better life. Once he packedeverything he had room for, herealized he'd have to leavebehind his Depression glass.

“He told me he took it all outback behind the outhouse andbroke it all into pieces! Who doesthat, isn't that a selfish thing todo? Instead of giving it away hetook that amazing stuff and brokeit up. What kind of a person

thinks of that?”But Bryan said the man proba-

bly had no idea at the time thathis run-of-the-mill dishes wouldbe worth something later, andthere's a lesson in there forwould-be collectors.

“Collecting can be affordableand it can start off affordable. Ifyou can just have the foresight tosave something and then itbecomes hot, you're doing OK.”

But the appeal of a show likethe one this weekend is in thesearch, Bryan said.

“Every shop has a sleeperpiece. There is a bargain in everystore. You just need to know whatyou are looking at.”

Vintage gets new look at antique showTreasures of the past areon display this weekend

Antique Show and SaleWhen: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat-

urday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun-

day

Where: Kern County Fair-

grounds, 1142 S. P St.

Admission: $5

Information: 559-638-2639

Thursday, January 5, 2012 7pm Social Hour • 8pm Concert

The Doubletree Hotel 3100 Camino Del Rio Ct., Bakersfield

Tickets: $20 • Can be ordered for Will Call or picked up at:

Goin’ Postal 11000 Brimhall Rd., Bksfld

661-587-5822

Arts Council of Kern 2800 K St., Bksfld

661-324-8000


Charolette O’Kane, center, and her daughters, Hannah O’Kane, left,and Taryn King browse jewelry at the Antique Show and Sale atthe Kern County Fairgrounds in January.


Eye Street

Tough guy with heartActor Charles Napier

wasn’t born in Kern Countybut you’d never know itfrom the outpouring ofemotion upon his death inOctober at BakersfieldMemorial Hospital. TheKentucky native consideredBakersfield home, spend-ing the last 25-plus years ofhis life here, raising a fami-ly, forming deep and lastingfriendships and becominga true member of the com-munity, not just the moviestar on the hill. His granitejaw and intimidating stareoften got him cast as theheavy in films like “Rambo:First Blood II” and “TheSilence of the Lambs,” butin real life, you couldn’tmeet a friendlier guy. Hewas especially proud of hiswork in the Oscar-winningfilm “Philadelphia.” But inan interview in March, theactor said his greatestachievement was raisinghis three children.

Bakersfield also will missLenore Smith, the gracefuldance instructor whotaught throngs of fledglinglocal dancers their firststeps, along with manyvaluable life lessons like theimportance of teamworkand being reliable. Alsoleaving behind an impor-tant legacy was Del Con-nell, a legend in the worldof comics who retired toTehachapi after his longcareer with Walt Disney andother companies ended.

A Gaelic old timeWhen the topic of her-

itage comes up in Bakers-field, the major culturalgroups we typically focuson are Mexican-Americans,African-Americans,Basque/Italian immigrantsand Okies. Add anothergroup to the list: CelticAmericans (or Celtic-Amer-ican wannabes). The fasci-nation with that part of theworld and its people —those rogues with thebrogues — is nothing new.But the awareness andappreciation for all thingsCeltic that has been build-ing for years in Bakersfieldreached a crescendo in2011. Take for example theCeltic Music Festival,which, in only its third year,has developed a reputation

for attracting international-ly known groups (not tomention the many localCeltic acts that play there).When you add the relative-ly new festival to the long-standing Scottish Gamesand Robert Burns dinner,organized by the KernCounty Scottish Society,you’ve got a trend, friend.And just to ensure theEmerald Isle wasn’t forgot-ten, the Irish Heritage Clubopened earlier this year.

Change is good, right?Several Kern County

arts/cultural organizationswelcomed new leaders in2011, which means change— and not just to the letter-head and business cards.These folks have the powerto influence some of themost beloved and long-standing members of ourcultural landscape, mostnotably the Kern CountyMuseum, which has a newdirector and leadershipstructure after the KernCounty Superintendent ofSchools opted to relinquishcontrol of the county-owned facility. The com-mittee charged with findinga new director ultimatelyhired Randall Hayes of theNew Mexico Museum ofSpace History but, soonafter,

The Californian broughtto light concerns abouthow he ran the New Mexi-co facility. With a true localtreasure on the line, we’llhave to wait and see howHayes will lead the countymuseum.

Also in the changedepartment: The ArtsCouncil of Kern welcomeda new leader, Mike Millar,after the departure of long-time director JeanetteRichardson Parks. NancyMarvin, so instrumentalbehind the scenes at theBakersfield SymphonyOrchestra, retired this year.Hal Friedman left as artis-

tic director of the SpotlightTheatre, turning the reinsover to Jarrod Clowes andAlex Neal. And there was asizable shakeup in man-agement at the city-ownedRabobank complex after adismal year of concertsthere. Speaking of which ...

Out-Foxing its rivalsWith the exception of

one or two concerts (CarlosSantana and, well ... OK,just Carlos Santana), theRabobank didn’t makemuch noise this year in theconcert biz. But just look atthe caliber and diversity oftalent presented by the FoxTheater, the arena’s smallerdowntown neighbor to thenorthwest: B.B. King, SherylCrow, My ChemicalRomance, Ice Cube, thePixies, the Monkees, Styxand Merle Haggard (twice).Danny Lipco, who handlesbooking at the Fox, is clear-ly doing something right.Let’s hope the Rabobank ispaying attention.

Cultural backwater?Perish the thought

Sometimes it seems ourtwo institutions of higherlearning, CSUB and BC, arein a competition to bringever-more impressivethinkers, writers and intel-lectuals to Bakersfield. Butif means the parade ofspeakers continues, letthem compete. CSUB host-ed award-winning authorMona Simpson and mem-oirist Wes Moore, whosefascinating contrast of hisfate with that of anotherman who shares his namewas the subject of a suc-cessful community readingproject.

Meanwhile, BC present-ed, among other notablespeakers, Los AngelesTimes columnist andauthor Steve Lopez andNew York jazz poet JayneCortez. Much of the creditfor landing these outstand-ing guests goes to CalState’s Kegley Institute,which celebrated 25 yearsin 2011, and the NormanLevan Center for theHumanities at BC. Bothgroups and several othercampus organizations workto attract thought-provok-ing and stimulating speak-ers to our area.

Favorite hauntsWhat are the chances

that Bakersfield would behome to not one but twoworld-class Halloweenhaunts? That indeed wasthe case this year (and per-haps for the last time). Bothattractions — TalladegaFrights and The ChamberHaunt — have been recog-

nized as innovators in theindustry of fright, and everyyear the organizers of bothjust get more ambitious.Talladega, which startedhumbly in a northwestBakersfield yard, hasbecome a traditional stopfor families and gore-obsessed teens at itssprawling location onRosedale Highway. Theowners are always comingup with new ways to scarethe be-jeezus out of us andtraveling all over the coun-try to crib ideas from otherattractions. Meanwhile,The Chamber, which hasbeen around longer,appears to be done in Bak-ersfield. The owner wantsto try his luck in Los Ange-les (though he teases that adifferent, more fantasy-ori-ented production might beheaded our way).

Who needs Bakersfield ...

When you haveTehachapi, which seems tobe serving notice on itsneighbor that there’s a newcultural capital of Kern.Theater, music, festivalsand museums are thrivingin the mountain communi-ty, which seems deter-mined to become a havenfor the arts. Tehachapi: It’snot just apples anymore.

Not to be outdone isShafter, which held the first

of what is intended to bean annual arts festival inFebruary.

And they started big: avisual arts show, a specialmovie screening, an origi-nal play, a light show pro-vided by a parade of trac-tors! You know a town hasarrived when as muchenergy is spent on imageand culture as growth andbusiness.

Amen.

Milling around Mill Creek

OK, so the DowntownBusiness and PropertyOwners Association didn’treinvent the wheel with themonthly festival calledThird Thursday — it’s basi-cally a street fair thatmoved to a park. Butwholesome family enter-tainment is always a bigdraw in Bakersfield, andorganizers accomplishedthe goal of moving thehordes a few blocks eastfrom the original locationon Chester Avenue to theassiduously primped andpromoted Mill Creek Parkarea. Grass beats asphaltany day, especially if theday in question is a toasty103 in August. So missionaccomplished. Now, if theycould just figure out a wayto cut down the wait timesfor those horse-drawn wag-ons ...

CONTINUED FROM 17

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Peter Tork shreds on his Stratocaster at the Fox The-ater in July as part of the “An Evening with The Mon-kees — The 45th Anniversary Tour” with fellow Mon-kees Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz.

JACLYN BOROWSKI / THE CALIFORNIAN

Instructor Lenore Smith on June 6 at the Bakersfielddance studio where she worked for decades.


Eye Street

I’m no Nostradamus, but if the end of2011 is any indicator of things to come,be prepared for more surprises after the

new year.Calm down. I’m not going to be

announcing the upcoming closure of yetanother live music venue. Seriously, as I sithere recalling everything that’s transpiredover the past 12 months within the localscene, I can’t help but look to the futurewith optimism. There really is a lot to beexcited about, even with the occasionalbad news that always seems to overshad-ow the good.

Without doing another recap of theentire year, let’s instead pick some high-lights and see what it means for 2012.

Big year for new musicThere was no shortage of new music in

Bakersfield.Soulajar’s highly anticipated, funky full-

length CD “PipeDream” wasreleased aftermonths of pro-motion, and withit something thatmany local bandshave all but for-gotten to try: thevinyl release. Theindie scene also

stepped up big time, with bands like altsurf-duo newcomers The Ease kicking off astream of new music in the spring. TheirEP, “Not Now But Soon,” set the tone forthe change in season with lo-fi goodness.Just as summer was in full August heat-down, The Architecture gave us their bril-liant EP debut, “Begin to Shake.”

But it was Daniel Peterson, aka Finnigan,who surprised me more than anyone thisyear. After months of appearing at theweekly Bakotopia Unplugged Open Micnight with a revolving cast of stage mates,little did we know he’d been holed up inBakersfield’s B2 Studios crafting his ownvery imaginative full-length CD, “Athlet-ics.” Country singer-songwriter StephenDavid Austin also released his ode to theBakersfield Sound, “A Bakersfield Dozen,”recorded with a host of studio heavies.

Along the way we were also introducedto bands in transition or those about tohead to the studio with more new releases

headed our way in the comingmonths.

Pop rockers Cidonamade some changes totheir lineup, adding pow-erhouse vocalist MelissaLucas, who’d also just

returned from abrief stint on“American Idol.”

The band wasted no time heading into thestudio and should be revealing both a newalbum and music video in January. Bakoreggae rock trio Dub Seeds is currentlyhard at work putting together its newalbum, “Skunk Face.” Knowing these guys,count on it being ready for springtime par-tying.

One group I’m most anxious to hearfrom is Choirs. I checked in with themback in September a day before they werepacking up for a weekend of recording inSan Diego. Since then, they’ve been layinglow, teasing us with the occasional previewtrack, which I’ve purposely avoided listen-ing to. According to their latest Facebookpost, they should have their new disc readyfor February release. You can also look for-ward to keyboardist Jay Smith’s jazzodyssey, “Unashamed Portrayal,” analbum I previously previewed. We’ll keepyou posted on all of these projects.

Some local bands to keep your eye on in2012: Liftonpoole, Funeral Party and TheVolume.

Active Musicians in BakersfieldAfter peaking in July, the furor has since

died down over the Padre Hotel’s auditionpolicy for bands and performers on theFacebook group Active Musicians in Bak-ersfield. But not the passion for debateamong artists.

Topics, ranging from fair wages to DJs vs.live music, have managed to bring outsome of the most colorful exchanges I’veread in years, and not just from youngmusicians, but among veterans as well.Started by Bako guitarist Rafael Cuahuate-moc Gonzalez, the group’s membershipexploded after the Padre dust-up, evenresulting in a few gatherings at Trout’shonky-tonk. Nothing was ever resolved atthose meetings, but it did offer a lot ofgreat interaction and free food, which is

always nice. There was also a lot of chatter about

forming a new local Musicians Union toguarantee fair working conditions formusicians in Bakersfield but, at the

moment, it doesn’t seem to be makingmuch progress. Hopefully, civil discussionswill continue to help inspire new ideas forhelping to improve working conditions forlocal musicians.

Promoters and politicsLosing a top venue like Fishlips so

abruptly this year forced promoters torethink their game plans immediately.Those who may have considered cuttingthe number of shows they could bring totown are already starting to fill their itiner-aries. Longtime Bakersfield concert pro-ducers Tim Gardea and Ventura’s EddyNumbskull are now making room for Loi-ter Productions, which hosts regular indieshowcases downtown. The Dome’s PeteMadera isn’t slowing down either, openinghis venue to outsiders. The name of thegame ultimately is money, but if the poli-tics can be kept to a minimum, the bene-fits for venues, fans and artists outnumberthe hassle.

Wrapping things up, I will refrain frommaking any predictions for 2012, but let’sjust say there hasn’t been a better time tobe a musician in Bakersfield than now.Please keep sending me those demos andshow announcements. Cheers to a greatnew year!

2012 should be a rockin’ yearThe 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.

If past is any indication,future holds musical magic

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The Architecture — from left, Dane Forst, Jeremy Robinson, Johansen Ng, EddieRodriguez and Ryan Bright — gave us their brilliant EP debut, “Begin to Shake.”

stripped-down “CharlesDickens’ A ChristmasCarol.”

His most demanding rolethis year, though, is returningas the executive director at

The EmptySpace, thetheater hefounded in2003. He’sprioritizedimprove-ments bothon stage(seeking

audience feedback on main-stage shows) and off (renova-tions for the Oak Street the-ater, including a new air con-ditioner, for which Sivesindsaid they have raised about$500 so far).

Along with overseeingoperations, he’s continuingto direct, again at multipletheaters. First up is “TheDrowsy Chaperone” in Jan-uary at Stars. He’ll alsohelm a production ofWilliam Shakespeare’s“The Tempest” in March.

Of the upcoming show,he said, “I am looking tomeld three time periodsinto one: the Greek originsof theater (Prospero andthe spirits on the island),the Renaissance (theclowns as commedia delarte characters) and themodern era (all the noblesin modern garb).

“‘Tempest’ is a play verymuch about art, and I’minterested in how the dif-ferent time periods speakto each other and interact.”

If his earlier adaptations ofthe Bard — “Hamlet” andlast year’s “Romeo and Juli-et” — are any indication,the island tale will be astandout in 2012.

— Stefani Dias

Steven LittlesIt ran for just two week-

ends in November, but ifyou were lucky enough tocatch Spotlight’s “Jekylland Hyde,” you experi-enced a compelling per-formance. One that almostdidn’t come to pass.

“I wasn’t originally slatedto do it,” Steven Littles said.“I had just come back fromTexas (visiting family andgoing to school). I only hadtwo weeks of rehearsal.”

Theatergoers may get achance to see Littles as oneof the colorful manifesta-tions of Jekyll’s alter egothis summer, either at thedowntown theater or The-atre/Theater in Los Ange-les.

Littles said he was alsoproud of his role as CurtisTaylor Jr. in Spotlight’s“Dreamgirls” in June.

“I’m an advocate of mak-ing sure we have diversityon stage. I’ve felt thereweren’t always opportuni-ties.”

Littles also took a smallrole this spring as Lacey, aservant in The EmptySpace’s “Cat on a Hot TinRoof,” a part his brotherJamaal performed for thelast weekend while Stevencontinued his run in“Curse of the Flightless” atSpotlight. His brief stagetime also earned him anEmpties nomination.

Although Littles is sure tobe on stage next year, so farhe could confirm morework behind the scenes,including assistant direct-ing “Zanna Don’t,” whichwill open next Friday atTheatre/Theater, part of theSpotlight’s effort to drawtourism to Kern County.

Littles, who is the interimcoordinator and assistantto the artistic director atSpotlight, will also workwith Franklin Killian on thetheater’s student programover the summer.

— Stefani Dias

Maceo DavisIt’s been a pleasure to

see the growth of MaceoDavis as a lead actor thisyear in two very differentproductions.

In February he gave amasterful performance asCitizen Barlow in “Gem of

the Ocean” at BakersfieldCommunity Theatre, notan easy task given thelengthy speeches and thecomplexity of the AugustWilson play. As I said in myreview of the show, Daviswas most compelling whenexpressing his anguish butwas equally convincing inthe play’s more lightheart-ed moments.

Two months later he por-trayed Hoke Coleburn, thechauffeur, in “Driving MissDaisy,” with humor anddignity. And in true “theshow-must-go-on” fashion,Davis managed to com-plete the show’s final week-end run despite having hadan emergency appendecto-my only four days before.

Davis, 33, is a conciergeat Bakersfield Family Med-ical Center. He’s gottenmost, if not all, of his train-ing in theater arts at localschools, starting out by par-ticipating in the Oral Lan-guage Festival at BessieOwens Elementary, andthen acting in plays atEmerson Junior High andBakersfield High.

He also has a strongsinging voice and starredmore than 10 years ago inBakersfield Music Theatre’s“Big River,” a musical ver-sion of “Huckleberry Finn.”His most recent supportingroles have been in Stars’outstanding productions of“La Cage aux Folles” and“Into the Woods.”

When I asked what hisdream role would be, he

couldn’t choose just one.First up would be TomCollins in “Rent” and thesecond, Dr. Frank-N-Furter,the mad scientist in “TheRocky Horror Picture Show.”

“I love ‘Rocky Horror,’“he said, “and Frank-N-Furter is totally out of thebox (compared) to whatpeople are used to seeingme do.”

— Camille Gavin

Visual artBetty FinchVisual artist Betty Finch

has become an internation-ally known expert at creat-ing sculptures out of organ-ic material, namely, gourdsshe grows in her garden innorthwest Bakersfield.

Her crowning achieve-ment this year was beingnamed Best in Show for“Chihuahua” in the ArtsCouncil of Kern’s juriedexhibit, “Animal House.” Inpresenting the award, thejudge described Finch’ssculpture as “simply won-derful craftsmanship, cou-pled with a unique sense ofhumor.”

Finch used 10 differentgourds to make “Chi-huahua,” which looks verymuch like a real dog. Theperky ears were made fromtwo halves of one gourd.The shape was achievedgenetically by crossing aMiniature Nigerian BottleGourd with a Liliputz. Thesculpture also has an inter-nal structure that was builtthrough the holes wherethe legs are attached. Inaddition, she added weightto the back legs to compen-sate for the weight of thehead.

A retired technical inves-tigations sergeant with theKern County Sheriff’sDepartment, Finch has wonnumerous awards in vari-

ous states for her artwork.In 2005 she was invited toparticipate in a festival inChina. As a result of thatvisit, she co-authored abook about a noted Chi-nese gourd artist, “TheImmortal Molded Gourdsof Mr. Zhang Cairi.”— Camille Gavin

Nicole Saint-JohnNicole Saint-John has

long been a favorite of Bak-ersfield art lovers for herpenetrating eye, which per-fectly cap-tures thespirit of hersubject.She’s asmasterfulat convey-ing whimsyas she isdarker,more serious themes. But itis with her visionary brain-child, called the CreatingCommunity Program, thatshe is making a differencefor local artists (and distin-guishing herself as a realspark plug at the ArtsCouncil of Kern, an organi-zation in need of the freshideas Saint-John offers).The yearlong programcombines arts withactivism, helping partici-pants channel their view-points on an array of com-munity issues into mean-ingful art. Along the way,Saint-John mentors theartists and provides themaccess to professionals whooffer useful lessons onbrass-tacks topics that areoften alien to the creativemind: organizing a show,getting people together,marketing one’s work, etc.

But the real gauge of theprogram’s success is in theglowing reviews offered bythe artists who have bene-fited from it.— Jennifer Self


Eye Street

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Todd will be at BMOA for a special audience

Q&A, signing session and limited artist workshop.

During January 26 and February 4, pieces of his

work will be on display and for sale at BMOA.

For more details call 661-323-7219 or log on to

www.bmoa.org/ToddNauck

The Art of Todd NauckSaturday

February 4, 201210 a.m. - 2 p.m.

The Art of Todd NauckSaturday

February 4, 201210 a.m. - 2 p.m.

CONTINUED FROM 17

PHOTO COURTESY OF BETTY FINCH

Betty Finch’s crowning achievement this year wasbeing named Best in Show for “Chihuahua” in the ArtsCouncil of Kern’s juried exhibit, “Animal House.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF BAKERSFIELDCOMMUNITY THEATER

Maceo Davis appearswith Tomeka Powell in “ARaisin in the Sun.”

Sivesind

Saint-John


Eye Street

BY SUSAN SCAFFIDIContributing writer

Could Cito and Nani Contreras everhave foreseen they would have anarmy of descendants preserving

their heritage?The 700-plus members of the Contreras

family have managed to stay together —and close — while also serving their com-munity in a material way. The family is get-ting ready to host their major annualfundraiser, their New Year Celebration, atthe Kern County Fairgrounds on Saturday.

Proceeds fund the family’s scholarshipfoundation, which has been active for 26years, awarding $1,000 to high schools stu-dents throughout Kern County.

“Anyone is eligible,” said foundationchair Bernard Alvarez, a great-grandson ofthe family founders.

Alvarez said high school seniors applythrough their school office, and the criteriaare similar to other scholarships, with oneexception.

“We look for the students with 2.5-3.5grade point averages,” Alvarez said. “Youknow the students with a 4.0 already willhave an easier time getting scholarships.”

Alvarez said fundraising has been partic-ularly successful in the last decade,enabling the family to offer 10 scholarshipseach June for the last five or six years. Hesaid the students have been grateful.

“We have numerous letters, thank youletters,” Alvarez said. “We have peoplespeaking at our events, testimonials.”

The family started with the wedding ofCito and Nani Contreras in the CummingsValley near Tehachapi on Feb. 18, 1889. Thecouple later moved to Bakersfield andraised a family of 12 children.

“My mother (a granddaughter) alsocame from a family of 12 children,” Alvarezsaid. “The tree grew rapidly.”

A family of much smaller size wouldhave trouble staying together, and it wasonly at one of those great unifiers — a fam-ily funeral — that a plan was created toknit the already enormous number ofdescendants together.

“My mother, Angelita, and her cousins

got together and we started with a familyreunion every three years,” Alvarez said.“Then someone suggested we take themoney from that and start a scholarshipfund.”

“It just snowballed from there,” Alvarezsaid.

The Contreras Family Foundation is aregistered nonprofit corporation in Califor-nia. In addition to the New Year’s Evefundraiser, the family hosts a number ofevents throughout the year, including agolf tournament, a horseshoe tournamentand other events. Alvarez said the wholefamily is involved.

“All the family members volunteer, sell-ing tickets, putting on the events,” Alvarezsaid. “And all buy their own tickets.”

The New Year’s Eve event includes aNew York steak dinner and the traditionalmenudo at midnight, plus music fromLimited Edition as well as the mariachiband “Oro y Plata,” and disc jockey D.J.Joe. Tickets are $45 per person, or $85 percouple. Alvarez said the foundation has notonly helped Kern County high school stu-dents, it’s helped the family. Fourth- andfifth-generation descendants number inthe hundreds, yet the family hosts regularevents to keep everyone acquainted.

“We just had a skating party for the kids— about 170 showed up,” Alvarez said.

“We go places, and people are just inawe to see so many relatives are so close,”Alvarez said. “It’s a great feeling to knowyour family is nearby and close, and work-ing to stay together.”

The family that growstogether stays together

New Year Celebration, Contreras Family FoundationWhen: Dinner from 6:30 to 8 p.m.;

dancing from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday

Where: Kern County Fairgrounds, Har-

vest Hall, 1142 P St.

Tickets: $45; $85 per couple

Information: Rick Sanchez, 201-6881;

Dolly Garcia, 331-8449; George Zuniga,

565-1021

Coming Saturday

12.31.11Inside The Californian

Bakersfield’s premiercity magazine is

delivered on the lastSaturday of

every month. Inside this issue:

New Food DudesWe welcome a new group of FoodDudes to the table. Their first stopwas Tony’s Pizza on Coffee Road,and boy, did they enjoy it!

Businesses give 2012 outlookOver the past year, new businesseshave popped up all over town. Weinterviewed eight local businessowners who have createdopportunities for not onlythemselves, but for thecommunity.

Winter grillersNothing stops these three guysfrom grilling, not even the winterweather. Find out tips and tricksfor the perfect tri-tip and thegrilling guru they admire.

VowsFor you lovebirds about to say “Ido,” this section is filled withhelpful tips to get you looking andfeeling your best for your specialday as well as stories on weddingtrends that you may want to use.Look inside to read about thesespecial days.

“We go places, and people are just in awe tosee so many relatives are so close. It’s a great

feeling to know your family is nearby and close,and working to stay together.”

— Bernard Alvarez, Contreras family descendant

Join the staff of The Californian’s enter-

tainment section — Jennifer Self, Stefani

Dias and Matt Munoz — on “Californian

Radio” this morning as we relive the

highs and lows of 2011. We’ll be dis-

cussing our favorite concerts, plays, art

openings, films and bands, but we’re

dying to hear what topped your enter-

tainment list this year. Just call 842-

KERN to recommend your favorites of

the year (or to make fun of ours).

We’ll also be running down the list of

New Year’s Eve festivities, from the

wholesome to the raucous.

Be sure to listen for your cue to call to

win tickets to the “Bob & Tom Comedy

All Stars” show Saturday at the Fox.

Californian Radio airs from 9 to 10 a.m.

on KERN Radio 1180 AM.

‘CALIFORNIAN RADIO’


Eye Street

BY MATT MUNOZCalifornian staff writer

[email protected]

Ever wonder how morning radioshows can get early laughs whilemost of America is still half asleep?

According to longtime “Bob & TomShow” news anchor Kristi Lee, there reallyisn’t much to the magic. Tapped to onceagain host the Bob & Tom Comedy AllStars New Year’s show at the Fox Saturday,Lee says it’s all about having the right teamof comedy minds.

“Our creative process is bizarre. I don’tthink people would believe it if they saw uswork, because we each have our own littleniche. We know where we’re supposed tobe, when we’re supposed to talk, and Ithink that has been key.”

Airing mornings in Bakersfield on 98.5-FM, The Fox, the “Bob & Tom Show” hasbecome one of the longest running radioprograms in the nation since debuting in1983 out of Indianapolis, where it stillbroadcasts from today. Lee, who joined theshow a year later, says things have alwaysclicked between her and hosts BobKevoian and Tom Griswold. At least basedon what she can recall.

“Being a woman of a certain age, thank-fully I don’t have any memory left of theearly days. Day to day, I just come in with aboatload of news and we just hit theground running. There’s no real formula,or something I can point to and go, ‘Every-day at 5:30 a.m. we do that.’ I don’t getinvolved with the comedy bits, becauseTom likes to surprise Bob and I.”

A combination of skits, mixed withmusic and a rotating cast of the characters,the zoo-like atmosphere is also filled withconstant on-air laughter. Lee refutes accu-sations they use laugh tracks during anypart of the show.

“A lot of people think that we do. Wedon’t. We genuinely love our job, I think,and it shows. It’s a real organic thing withnatural laughter. I mean it’s almost likebeing an actor in a play at certain points.You have to turn on when the mics comeon, and then it’s kinda funny, because we’ll

be going on and on about something, thenthe mics go off and the four of us don’tspeak to each other. Seriously, it’s that dra-matic. But, turn the mics back on andwe’re best of friends. There are those days,but they are few and far between.”

To ensure there’s no shortage of reallaughs on Saturday, Lee is bringing withher a group of comedians she says areguaranteed to appeal to both listeners andnon-listeners of the show.

“I’m very excited that Henry Phillips hasa set, because Henry and I do a duet on thetour that’s really fun. April Macie is defi-nitely adults only and she’ll bring thehouse down. It’s got something for every-body. You don’t necessarily have to be a‘Bob & Tom’ listener. We would love for youto be, but you don’t have to be a listener toenjoy the show, because it’s basically greatcomedians, all headliners, all on onestage.”

This will be Lee’s third time spendingNew Year’s Eve in Bakersfield. And eventhough she lives almost 2,000 miles away,she’s never felt so at home.

“The crowds have been great and it’sbeen a hoot. I think you owe it to yourselfto start your new year with a really greatcomedy show, especially if you’ve neverseen comedy live. I know we try to repre-sent it on the radio, but to really appreciatestand-up, you have to see it live I wouldlove to see all of Bakersfield join us.

Also appearing will be comedians PatDixon, Greg Warren, and “Bob & TomShow” regular Ron Sexton as DonnieBaker, Kenny Tarmac, and Floyd the Truck-er.

“Great headliners at a great price, and allin one place — it’s gonna be a hoot. I keepsaying that. My god, where am I from?”

Radio show brings outall-stars for performance

Bob & Tom Comedy All StarsWhen: 7 p.m. Saturday

Where: Fox Theater, 2001 H St.

Admission: $30.50, plus service

charge

Information: 324-1369 or vallitix.com

We feature local experts to answer your questions.

For info contact: Linda Petree at 661-395-7621

Ask A Professional Ask A Professional

Q: A:

IRA’s and Rollovers What is the tax advantage of an IRA?

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My car was stolen. After it was recovered my insurance company said it as ‘totaled’. However, when I made a claim they told me they will not pay me because the information I gave them about the theft is not believable. What can I do?

Insurance carriers can deny claims. But, you have an absolute right to challenge their denial and file a law suit, if necessary, for recovery. Contact an attorney to protect your rights.

The Law Office of Kathryn M. Fox 1430 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301 (661) 328-1133

www.Kathrynmfox.com

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Attorney

Kathryn Fox Attorney at Law

Optical

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How often should I change my prescription frames?

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You have the right to choose your hospice provider, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Insurance providers, physicians or caregivers may recommend a hospice, but patient choice must be honored. When looking for a hospice provider, it’s important that patients have access to all available options.

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CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Henry Phillips, left, and April Macie will be among the performers at the Bob & TomComedy All Stars show on Saturday at the Fox Theater.

BY ROB MESZAROSContributing writer

CSUB music facultymembers Jim Scullyand Roger Allen

Cope are on a mission torejuvenate the classical gui-tar movement in Bakers-field.

Both Los Angeles andFresnohave com-munity-ledClassicalGuitarSocieties.And whilethere is alegacy ofgreat guitar

activity and leadershiplocally, according to Cope,Bakersfield’s Classical Gui-tar Society has beendefunct for some time.

“We would love to be acatalyst for the rebirth ofclassical guitar in theregion,” he said.

The pair are well on theirway to making that vision areality. They have luredworld-class performers toBakersfield in recent years— big-city performers whonot only help train CSUBguitar students, but whoare instrumental in helping

to lay the groundwork forthe re-emergence Scullyand Cope dream about.

“Between the Legends ofJazz Series, visiting guestcomposers with our Com-munity Concert Band, TheBakersfield Jazz Festival,and other clinicians on amore ad hoc basis, CSUB’smusic department mightbring 50 internationallyrecognized musicians tocampus every year,” Scullysaid.

Last year, Scully andCope started CSUB’s GuitarArts Series — a six-concertseries with performancesspread throughout the year.This year’s installment is

currently in full swing, withperformances scheduledfor February, March andApril.

Their latest augmenta-tion is CSUB’s first-everGuitar Day, which serves toconnect young guitaristswith a shared guitar-centricexperience. The free event,which is geared towardaspiring guitarists ages 10to 22, is scheduled for Sat-urday, Jan. 28 on the CSUBcampus, and will includemaster classes, rehearsals,lectures and a recital.

CSUB’s music depart-ment has been fairly activefor years with schools inour region, but Scullyacknowledges that the gui-tar studies program canincrease its outreach tolocal students.

“CSUB Guitar Day is ourfirst concerted effort tospecifically reach guitarstudents at area schools,”Scully said. “It’s importantto expose young minds tothe university in their ownbackyard. The earlier wecan connect to and engagewith students, the more wewill be able to get to knowthem personally and musi-cally as they decide where

to go to college.” CSUB Guitar Day will

feature three distinct activi-ties. There will be four 25-minute master classes in

the morning, where CSUBfaculty will conduct one-on-one lessons with select-ed participants, while anaudience of the otherattendees observe. Later inthe day, all attendees canparticipate in CSUB GuitarDay Orchestras — two 55-minute rehearsal sessionsto prepare music by BenFolds and Michael Praeto-rius. The day will culminatewith an afternoon recitalfeaturing local junior highand high school studentsplaying alongside CSUBguitar students and faculty.

Scully said students ofany style are eligible for themaster classes or recital,but to participate in theCSUB Guitar Day Orches-tra, a student needs anacoustic guitar — prefer-ably a classical-style, nylon-stringed instrument.

“Students should also beable to read traditionalmusic notation on a trebleclef and have a working

knowledge of the guitar ifthey want to have a reward-ing experience,” he added.

Because only 80 seats areavailable, students areencouraged to register earlyat www.csub.edu/guitar-day. Those interested inauditioning to participatein the master class and/orperform as a soloist in theafternoon recital must reg-ister by Jan. 14. Studentsshould bring a brown-baglunch.

“Creating a higher stan-dard of guitar playing byour youth and cultivatingan audience for jazz andclassical style of guitarplaying is of utmost impor-tance,” said Cope.

Scully added: “We hopethat over the next 10 yearsmore than a few folks willlook back and recognizethe Guitar Arts Series andGuitar Day as being impor-tant programs that helpedspark excitement in ourcommunity.”


“It’s a classic melodrama, with a verywell defined Old West villain and his mail-order bride,” he said. “It’s the kind withplenty of booing and hissing.”

Although Prince writes most of the plays,including the one about Shafter, he wel-comes scripts written by others, especiallythose that have something to do with pastor present local history. In the past he hasproduced a play by Terry and Carol Willey,and is considering a script with a film noirtheme submitted by Phil Beglin, an actorand former county public defender.

“We’re set for the rest of this season,”Prince said. “In July 2012 we’ll startmulling around ideas for the next year.”

He supplied these guidelines for anyonewho wants to submit a script: It should befamily-friendly; length 50 to 60 pages, orthe equivalent of about 75 minutes run-ning time; call for a cast of between fiveand eight actors; and should be mailed toPrince at the Gaslight office, 12748 JomaniDrive, Bakersfield, CA 93312.

Gaslight is the only theater in town thatpays actors for their work. Full time andpart-time performers, who sign specificcontracts, are paid a weekly salary for theircontracted time. Those who sign on foronly one show are paid a stipend for theirtime.

“As of right now, we have six in the com-pany (including myself) who are full time,”Prince said. “We have roughly about fiveperformers who sign part-time contractswith us and a number of other local per-formers who work on a one-show basis.

Casting always depends on the needs ofthe show.

Although Prince doesn’t hold mass try-outs, he welcomes new actors who want toaudition at any time.

“I don’t hold auditions — I didn’t likethem myself when I was an actor,” heexplained. “But I’ll always schedule a pri-vate audition for people who request it.”

Being in a show requires a serious com-mitment. Rehearsals are held four nights aweek for a total of 16 hours per week andgenerally begin six weeks before the showopens. Then there are 21 performancesover a period of seven weeks.

Even though the dialog in some showslooks as if it might be improvised, Princesaid he sticks pretty much to the writtenscript although some changes might bemade in the first few days of rehearsal.Audience participation is more or lessspontaneous, however. He looks at it as amethod of giving theatergoers a personalconnection to the story being told onstage.

“In the Christmas shows we have askeda gentleman in the audience why he loveshis wife so much and it gives the couple achance to tell their story,” he said. “And asthey do, you see other couples touchinghands or moving closer together — it’s anice feeling.”

And no, the person asked to participateisn’t warned ahead of time. Prince did say,however, he usually picks someone in thefirst row because the individual is likely beeither a regular or a season ticket holder —or both.

Eye Street

CONTINUED FROM 19

We feature local experts to answer your questions.

For info contact: Linda Petree at 661-395-7621

Ask A Professional Ask A Professional Hearing

Eleanor Wilson, Au.D.

5000 California Avenue, Suite 203 Bakersfield, CA 661-323-2601

Dear Readers: In the upcoming year, there will be many changes with insurance companies and some regarding hearing instrument benefits. One such change is that some insurance companies will be trying to sell you hearing aids directly via a local provider in the area. This may be beneficial to some, but please do some research first. Currently, there is an investigation looking into the legality of insurance companies selling hearing aids, especially the mail- order ones. Please do your due diligence and don’t be one of the unlucky consumers. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your families!!!

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/PatientAlerts/ ucm200896.htm

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CSUB event puts guitar in spotlightCSUB Guitar Day When: 10 a.m. to 5

p.m. Jan. 28

Where: CSUB, Music

Building Rooms 127 and

128

Admission: Free

Registration:csub.edu/guitarday.

Space is limited. Dead-

line to audition for mas-

ter class or recital: Jan.

14

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROGER ALLEN COPE

CSUB’s Roger Allen Copehelped organize theschool’s first-ever GuitarDay, which serves to con-nect young guitaristswith a shared guitar-cen-tric experience.

Scully


Eye StreetGO&DO

Today“Christmas Around theWorld,” 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

through Friday, Timeless

Furnishings, 1918 Chester

Ave. $20 family of four; $8

individual; $5 children; chil-

dren under 8 are free.

christmasworldevent.com.

Bingo, warm ups start at 5

p.m., with early birds at 6

p.m., regular games at 6:30

p.m., Volunteer Center of

Kern County, 2801 F St.

From $20 buy-in to “the

works.” 395-9787.

Flamenco & ClassicalGuitar Class, taught by

John Gomez, for individuals

or a group, Juliana’s Art

Studio & Gallery, 501 18th

St. Details, call 496-0891.

HolidayLights @ CALM,5:30 to 9 p.m. through

Sunday, CALM, 10500

Alfred Harrell Highway. $12;

$10 seniors and children

ages 13-17; $6 ages 3-12.

vallitix.com or 322-5200,

872-2256.

Kwanzaa 2011 Celebra-tion, African folktales, cul-

tural poetry, refreshments,

various vendors and more,

1 to 4 p.m., Martin Luther

King Jr. Community Center,

1000 S. Owens St. Free.

319-7611.

FridayCSUB Men’s Basketball,vs. Pomona-Pitzer, 7 p.m.,

CSUB, Icardo Center, 9001

Stockdale Highway. $5-

$20. gorunners.com or

654-BLUE.

SaturdayAntique Show & Sale, 10

a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 10

a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Kern

County Fairgrounds, 1142 S.

P St. $5. 559-638-2639.

2011 All-Star Menu NewYear’s Eve, two seatings,

5:30 p.m., four-course din-

ner, $50; and 8:30 p.m.,

seven-course dinner, $100,

at Valentien Restaurant &

Wine Bar, 1310 Truxtun

Ave., Suite 160. 864-0397.

B. Ryder’s Ultimate NewYear’s Eve Jam, music by

Mento Buru, Velorio and DJ

Mickey, 8 p.m., B. Ryders,

7401 White Lane. $15. 397-

7304.

Bellvedere New Year’sEve Double Header, two

parties: 10 a.m., food, party

favors, champagne, early

bird countdown at 2 p.m.;

second party, music by

Catch 22, party favors, free

champagne toast at mid-

night, begins at 9 p.m., Bel-

lvedere Cocktail Lounge,

3090 Brundage Lane. 325-

2139.

Bob & Tom Comedy All-Stars, 7 p.m., Bakersfield

Fox Theater, 2001 H St.

$30.50 plus fee.

vallitix.com or 322-5200.

Contreras ScholarshipFund New Year’s Eve,dinner, Kern County Fair-

grounds, Harvest Hall, 1142

P St. $45; $85 couple. 201-

6881 or 871-5669.

Kelulu’s New Year’s Evereturn, tequila toast at

midnight, DJ Mickey Rock,

Kelulu, 9 p.m. to midnight,

Que Pasa Mexican Cafe,

2701 Ming Ave., $10. 832-

5011.

Masquerade Ball, music

by The Press, three dinner

certificates will be given

away for best dressed, 8

p.m. Friday to 1 a.m. Satur-

day, Tam O’Shanter, 2345

Alta Vista, 324-6774. $20.

New Year’s Eve at Nar-ducci’s, dinner seatings at

5:30 and 7 p.m., with Dra-

marama, Crowbar Mas-

sage, DJ Juice, 9 p.m., Nar-

ducci’s Cafe, 622 E. 21st St.

$20 music show only; $40

dinner and show. 324-2961.

New Year’s Eve at TheNile, party favors, appetiz-

ers, champagne toast at

midnight, music by DJ Eric

Avalon, 8 p.m., The Nile

Theater, 1721 19th St. $20

advance; $25 at the door.

323-8575.

New Year’s Eve Bash2011, Buddy Alan Owens,

Steve Davis & Stampede,

Duck Soup, 7 p.m., Buck

Owens Crystal Palace,

2800 Buck Owens Blvd.

Dinner tickets $85-$100;

show-only $45 to $55. val-

litix.com or 322-5200.

New Year’s Eve Celebra-tion, Menudo dinner at

midnight, party favors,

champagne, music by Fies-

ta with Cindy Sosa, DJ, 7

p.m., Eagles Hall, 1718 17th

St. $25 per person; $50 per

couple. 324-9684.

New Year’s Eve Party,music by Lost Vinyl, party

favors, champagne toast at

midnight, dinner and drink

specials, 7:30 p.m., T-Bones

Steakhouse, 8020 District

Blvd. $10 for music show

only; $35 for dinner and

show. 398-1300.

New Year’s Eve Party,with Mento Buru and Velo-

rio, appetizers, party

favors, toast at midnight, 8

p.m., B Ryders Sports Bar &

Grill, 7401 White Lane. $15.

Reservations, 397-7304.

New Year’s Eve Party,music by the TNT, 9 p.m.,

Ethel’s Old Corral Cafe,

4310 Alfred Harrell High-

way. Free. RV space avail-

able for overnight parking

on property. 873-7613.

New Year’s Eve Party,with DJ’s Adam E and

Miggy Smalls, party favors,


night, 9 p.m., Elevation

Lounge, 818 Real Road. $5.

325-6864.

New Year’s Eve Party,music by Out of the Blue,

champagne toast, 9 p.m.

Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday,

Kern River Brewing Compa-

ny, 13415 Sierra Highway,

Kernville. Free. 760-376-

2337.

New Year’s Eve Party,music by The Mothership,

9:30 p.m., Sandrini’s, 1918

Eye St. $5. 322-8900. vari-

ety.

New Year’s Eve Party bySociedad Juarez, music

by Cruz Armendariz Los

Cinco Del Norte, 8 p.m.,

Salon Juarez, 815 E. 18th St.

$15 per person; $25 per

couple. 832-2613 or 638-

0444.

New Year’s Eve SkateParty, bounce house,

drawings, balloon drop at

midnight, 7:30 p.m. Satur-

day to 1 a.m. Sunday,

Skateland, 415 Ming Ave.

$20. 831-5567.

New Year’s Eve SkateParty, Rollerama, 1004

34th St., for ages 14 and

under, 7:30 p.m. Saturday

to 7 a.m. Sunday, $25,

skate rental and snack

included, 327-7589; and

7:30 p.m. Saturday to 12:30

a.m., Rollerama West, 7850

Brimhall Road. $15, skate

rental included. 589-7555.

New Year’s Eve EpicParty, with Virtu, DJ’s,


night, 7 p.m. Saturday to 2

a.m. Sunday, The Dome,

2201 V St. $15 advance

online or $25 VIP. Search

for Sugar & STP on Face-

book.

New Year’s Eve at theDoubleTree, champagne,

party favors, DJ, 8 p.m.,

DoubleTree Hotel, Club

Odyssey, 3100 Camino Del

Rio Court. $15. 323-7111.

Vinny’s New Year’s EveBash, with DJ Roget, 8

p.m. with party favors,

Vinny’s Bar & Grill, 2700 S.

Union Ave. Free, 21 & over

only. myspace.com/vin-

nys_bar.

Sunday2012 Polar Bear Plunge,make an ice plunge into the

activity pool, must be 7 or

older, 11 a.m., McMurtrey

Aquatic Center, 1325 Q St.

$5 just to plunge; $20 for

sweatshirt. 852-7430.

THEATERImprov Comedy Show,with Center For Improv

Advancement, 8 to 9:30

p.m. Fridays and Saturdays,

Ice House, 3401 Chester

Ave., Suite M. Adults: $5,

children under 12 are $1.

ciacomedy.com.

Please see 29

BY BEN NUCKOLSThe Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Bambi, Forrest Gumpand Hannibal Lecter have at least onething in common: Their cinematic adven-tures were chosen by the Library of Con-gress to be preserved in the world’s largestarchive of film, TV and sound recordings.

“The Silence of the Lambs” (1991), a har-rowing psychological thriller about thecannibalistic serial killer Lecter, and “For-rest Gump” (1994), starring Tom Hanks asthe guileless hero who thinks “life is like abox of chocolates,” were critical and com-mercial successes that won the AcademyAward for Best Picture. The animated Dis-ney classic “Bambi” is among the mostbeloved movies ever made.

A majority of the 25 titles chosen thisyear for inclusion in the National Film Reg-istry are lesser-known — including silentfilms, documentaries, avant-garde cinemaand even home movies. The Library ofCongress announced the selections Tues-day.

The registry began in 1989 under an actof Congress and now includes 575 films. Itsaim is not to identify the best movies evermade but to preserve films with artistic,cultural or historical significance. Previoustitles chosen range from “The Birth of aNation” to “National Lampoon’s AnimalHouse.”

“Forrest Gump” has its critical detractorsbut was praised for its technical achieve-ments, including the seamless incorpora-tion of the title character into historicalfootage.

More than 2,200 films were nominatedfor the registry this year. The National FilmPreservation Board pares them downbefore Librarian of Congress James H.Billington makes the final selections.

“Each year, we do try to pick one of thetitles that the public nominated the most,and ‘Forrest Gump’ was way up there onthat list,” said Stephen Leggett, programcoordinator for the National Film Preserva-tion Board. “Everything on the list is sub-ject to dissenting opinion.”

Staffers at the Library of CongressPackard Campus for Audio Visual Conser-vation in Culpeper, Va., work to ensure thateach title is preserved for future genera-tions, packing away original negatives orunreleased prints into the facility’s massivevault and collaborating with other preser-vationists, movie studios and independentfilmmakers.

“These films are selected because oftheir enduring significance to Americanculture,” Billington said in a statement.“Our film heritage must be protectedbecause these cinematic treasures docu-ment our history and culture and reflectour hopes and dreams.”

Leggett said he was pleased by the inclu-sion of “The Negro Soldier,” a 1944 docu-mentary produced by Frank Capra thatwas groundbreaking for its realistic andpositive depiction of African-Americans. Itbecame mandatory viewing for soldiersentering the army in the latter stages of thewar and was shown in commercial the-aters.

“It was kind of ironic because the official

Army policy at the time was still segrega-tion. You had a film which was implicitly ifnot explicitly promoting integration,” hesaid.

Films must be at least 10 years old to beconsidered for the registry.

The oldest movies selected this year areboth from 1912. “The Cry of the Children”is about the pre-World War I child laborreform movement, and “A Cure for Pokeri-tis” stars John Bunny, regarded as theAmerican film industry’s earliest comicsuperstar.

“A lot of people would argue that thehumor is kind of dated,” Leggett said ofBunny’s films — mostly short domesticcomedies in which he played a henpeckedhusband. “He really was a major figure atthe time. It doesn’t help your reputationwhen people like Charlie Chaplin andBuster Keaton come after you.”

It was a big year for actress Sally Field,who co-starred in “Forrest Gump.” “NormaRae” (1979), featuring her Oscar-winningperformance as a single mother whofought to unionize a Southern textile mill,also made this year’s list.

Among the other titles chosen: “The BigHeat,” a 1953 film noir starring Glenn Ford;“The Lost Weekend,” Billy Wilder’s Oscar-winning alcoholism drama; “Porgy andBess,” starring Sidney Poitier and DorothyDandridge; “Stand and Deliver,” starringEdward James Olmos as an inspiring EastLos Angeles math teacher; and John Ford’sepic 1924 Western “The Iron Horse.”

Among the lesser-known titles chosenthis year, “A Computer Animated Hand”(1972) by Pixar Animation Studios co-founder Ed Catmull was one of the earliestexamples of 3D computer-generatedimagery. The one-minute film shows ahand turning, opening and closing.

Documentaries picked for the registryinclude “Crisis: Behind a PresidentialCommitment,” which focuses on Gov.George Wallace’s attempt to prevent twoAfrican-American students from enrollingin the University of Alabama and theresponse of President John F. Kennedy.

Forrest Gump, HannibalLecter join film registry

METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER

Anthony Hopkins is shown in the role ofDr. Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 film“Silence of the Lambs.”


Eye Street

Major League Improv, improvi-

sational comedy show, appropriate

for families, 6 p.m. Saturdays, The

Empty Space, 706 Oak St. Free but

donations are accepted. 327-PLAY.

ARTAcrylic Painting Class forBeginners, by Toni Lott, bring

11x14 canvas board, brushes and

acrylic paints (or use instructors

paints), 10 a.m. to noon, Mondays,

Wednesdays and Fridays, Bakers-

field Art Association Art Center,

1817 Eye St. $20 per class or $100

for all six classes. 205-3488.

Art classes, in drawing, watercol-

or, oils, color theory, for beginners

and advanced, Bakersfield Art

Association Art Center, 1817 Eye

St. 869-2320.

Art for Healing program, class-

es that alleviate stress, resulting

from illness or grief. All classes

are free but some suggest a

donation and are held at Mercy

Hospital, Truxtun Campus, Trux-

tun and A Street. Visit mercy-

baakersfield.org/art or to register,

632-5357.

Juliana’s Art Studio & Gallery,offers youth art, clay sculpture,

stained glass, and silver jewelry,

Juliana’s Art Studio & Gallery, 501

18th St. For times and dates call

327-7507.

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.

MUSIC

Classic RockJacalito Grill, 900 Truxtun Ave.,

Suite 110, 325-2535; Prisoners of

Love, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Bellvedere Cocktail Lounge,

3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139;

Billy Russell Band, 9 p.m. Friday.

ComedyElevation Lounge, 818 Real

Road, 325-6864; Improv Tuesday

- Live comedy with DJ after party,

9 p.m. Tuesdays.

CountryEthel’s Old Corral Cafe, 4310

Alfred Harrell Highway, 873-7613;

Noah Claunch, 7 p.m. Friday.

Sandrini’s, 1918 Eye St., 322-

8900; Vince Galindo, 9 p.m.

Wednesdays.

DancingFolklorico Classes, advance

dancers/performing group 6 to 8

p.m. Fridays; and beginners, all

ages, 10:30 a.m. to noon Satur-

days, Fruitvale-Norris Park, 6221

Norris Road. $22 per month for

beginners; $25 per month for

advance dancers. 833-8790.

Greenacres Community Center,2014 Calloway Drive, offers ball-

room dance, East Coast swing (jit-

terbug) and Argentine Tango

dance classes; $35, $45 for non-

members. 322-5765 or 201-2105.

Joaquin Squares, 7:30 to 9:30

p.m. Thursday, Rasmussen Center,

115 E. Roberts Lane. $5. 324-1390,

325-3086 or 399-3658.

Laf-A-Lot Dance Club DanceNew Year’s Eve Dance, 9 p.m. to

1 a.m. Saturday, Kern City Town

Hall, 1003 Pebble Beach Drive.

$20. 398-5590.

Pairs and Spares Dance, Pairs

and Spares Dance, with Jerry

Hobbs, 6 p.m. Friday, Rasmussen

Senior Center, 115 E. Roberts Lane.

$15. 399-3575.

Tam O’Shanter, 2345 Alta Vista,

324-6774; 9 p.m. Friday and Satur-

day. dancing.

Whirlaways Square DanceClub, has workshops every first,

third, fourth and fifth Mondays,

Park Stockdale Civic Association

Community Center, 205 Rio Bravo

Drive. whirlaways.org or 213-3105.

DJB Ryder’s Sports Bar & Grill,7401 White Lane, 397-7304; UFC

141 & DJ, 6 p.m. Friday, $10,

includes dinner and beverage.

Banacek’s Lounge, 4601 State

Road, 387-9224; with DJ Casey

Overstreet, 9 p.m. Fridays.

DoubleTree Hotel, ClubOdyssey, 3100 Camino Del Rio

Court. 323-7111; live in the mix: old

school, 80s, & 90s music, 9 p.m.

to 1:30 a.m. every Saturday.

Le Corusse Rouge, 4647 White

Lane, 834-1611; with DJ Chill in the

Mixx, 5 p.m. every Friday until 2

a.m. Saturday.

Rockstarz Party Bar, 7737

Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749;

DJ James, 9 p.m. Thursdays

through Saturdays. Free.

The Bull Shed Bar & Grill, atHotel Rosedale, 2400 Camino

Del Rio Court, 327-0681; with Meg,

7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Jazz Cafe Med, 4809 Stockdale High-

way, 834-4433; Richie Perez, 7:30

to 11 p.m. Thursdays.

Imbibe Wine & Spirits Mer-chant, 4140 Truxtun Ave., 633-

WINE; live music & wine bar with

featuring local artists, along with

24 wines, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday;

featuring Jazz Connection, along

with 24 wines, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Sat-

urday and 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays.

Le Corusse Rouge, 4647 White

Lane, 834-1611; Bakersfield Jazz

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

every Wednesday.

Que Pasa Mexican Cafe, 2701

Ming Ave., 832-5011; Jazz Invasion,

9 to 10 p.m. every Saturday.

The Nile, Jazz Music, 6 p.m. every

Sunday. Cost $10 at 1721 19th St.

364-2620.

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

Thursdays and Tuesdays.

Banacek’s Lounge, 9 p.m. every

Friday and Saturday at 4601 State

Road. 387-9224.

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

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

days.

Big Daddy Pizza, 6417 Ming Ave.,

396-7499; 7 to 10 p.m. every Tues-

day; 8 to 11 p.m. every Friday.

Cactus Valley, 6 to 10 p.m. every

Thursday at 4215 Rosedale High-

way. 633-1948.

Cactus Valley Mexican Restau-rant, 4215 Rosedale Highway,

633-1948; 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Thursday; beer pong and happy

hour all day Sunday.

Cataldo’s Pizzeria, 4200 New

Stine Road, 397-5000; 6:30 to

9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Cataldo’s Pizzeria, 6111 Niles St.,

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

days.

Chateau Lounge, 2100 S.

Chester Ave., 835-1550; 9 p.m.

every Saturday.

City Slickers, 1001 W. Tehachapi

Blvd., 822-4939; 7 p.m. Tuesdays

and Thursdays.

Corona’s Cantina, 9817 S. Union

Ave., 345-8463; 7 to 10 p.m. Fri-

days.

Del Rio Cocktail Lounge, 5840

State Road, 393-0262; 8 p.m.

every Saturday.

Diana’s Pit Stop, 10807 Rosedale

Highway, 587-8888; 8 p.m. Mon-

days and Thursdays.

Don Perico Restaurant, 2660

Oswell St., Suite 133, 871-2001; 7

to 11 p.m. Thursdays.

DoubleTree Hotel, ClubOdyssey, 3100 Camino Del Rio

Court; 8 p.m. to midnight Tues-

days.

Elevation Lounge, 818 Real Road,

325-6864; 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Ethel’s Old Corral, 4310 Alfred

Harrell Highway, 873-7613; 6 to 9

p.m. every Wednesday.

Iron Horse Saloon, 1821 S.

Chester Ave., 831-1315; 7 to 11 p.m.

Wednesdays and Thursdays.

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

10 p.m. every Friday.

Le Corusse Rouge, 8 p.m. every

Tuesday and Thursday at 4647

White Lane. 834-1611.

Lone Oak Inn, 8 p.m. every Tues-

day and Thursday at 10612

Rosedale Highway. 589-0412.

Magoo’s Pizza, 1129 Olive Drive,

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

day.

Maria Bonita Mexican Restau-rant, 10701 Highway 178, 366-

3261, 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays. All ages.

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

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

Pizzeria, 4200 Gosford Road, 397-

1111; 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays.

Pour House, 9 p.m. Fridays and

Saturdays at 4041 Fruitvale Ave.

589-9300.

Pyrenees Cafe, 601 Sumner, 323-

0053; 8 p.m. to midnight Satur-

days.

Replay Sports Lounge & Grill,4500 Buck Owens Blvd., 324-

3300; 8 p.m. every Wednesday.

Rocket Shop Cafe, 2000 S.

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

to midnight Saturday.

Rockstarz Party Bar, 7737

Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749; 8

p.m. Mondays through Wednes-

days.

Rocky’s Pizza & Arcade, 2858

Niles St., 873-1900; 5:30 to 9:30

p.m. Wednesday.

Round Table Pizza, 2060 White

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

day.

Round Table Pizza, 2620 Buck

Owens Blvd., 327-9651; The Junc-

tion with host Mac Clanahan, 8:30

p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.

Round Table Pizza, 4200 Gos-

ford Road, 397-1111; 6:30 p.m.

Wednesdays.

Rusty’s Pizza, 5430 Olive Drive,

392-1482; 6:30 to 9 p.m. every

Wednesday.

Sports & Spirits, 6633 Ming Ave.,

398-7077; 9 p.m. Thursdays and

Saturdays.

Syndicate Lounge, 1818 Eye St.,

327-0070; with Alisa Spencer, 9

p.m. every Wednesday.

T-Bones Steakhouse, 8020 Dis-

trict Blvd., 398-1300; with Irish

Monkey Entertainment, 6:30 to 11

p.m. Thursdays.

Tejon Club, 6 to 10 p.m. every

Saturday at 117 El Tejon Ave. 392-

1747.

The Bull Shed Bar & Grill, atHotel Rosedale, 2400 Camino

Del Rio Court, 327-0681; 7 p.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Junction Lounge, 2620

Buck Owens Blvd., 327-9651; 8:30

p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

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

8:30 p.m. every Thursday.

The Playhouse Lounge, 2915

Taft Highway; 397-3599; 7 to 10

p.m. Sundays.

The Prime Cut, 9500 Brimhall

Road, 831-1413; hosted by Ed

Loverr, 9 p.m. to midnight Friday.

The Regent, 2814 Niles St., 871-

4140; 8:30 p.m. every other Friday.

The Wrecking Yard, 9817 S.

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

Mondays, Tuesdays and Thurs-

days.

The Wright Place, 2695-G Mount

Vernon Ave., 872-8831, 8 p.m.

every Thursday.

Tomi’s Cowgirl Cafe, 7 to 10

p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday

at 1440 Weedpatch Highway. 363-

5102.

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

6700; 7 p.m. Mondays and Thurs-

days, 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays,

Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays

and Sundays.

Vinny’s Bar & Grill, 2700 S.

Union Ave., 496-2502, 7 p.m.

Thursdays. 21 and over.

Latin/salaDoubleTree Hotel, ClubOdyssey, Club Odyssey, 3100

Camino Del Rio Court, 633-1949;

various levels, 3 to 9 p.m. every

Sunday. $5 per person, per lesson.

Music showcaseThe Prime Cut, 9500 Brimhall

Road, 831-1413; featuring local

artists, 7 to 10 p.m. every

Wednesday.

Oldies KC Steakhouse, 2515 F St., 322-

9910; Jimmy Gaines, Bobby O and

Mike Halls, 6:30 p.m. Thursday

through Saturday.

Old schoolJacalito Grill, 900 Truxtun Ave.,

Suite 110, 325-2535; The Prisoners

of Love, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thurs-

day.

Que Pasa Mexican Cafe, 2701

Ming Ave., 832-5011; Al Garcia &

the Rhythm Kings, 8 to 11 p.m.

every Thursday.

Iron Horse Saloon, 1821 S.

Chester Ave., 831-1315; Latin

Breeze, 9 p.m. Saturday.

Open MicFiddlers Crossing, 206 E. F St.,

Tehachapi, 823-9994; 7 p.m.

Wednesdays. $5.

The Canna Cafe, 7 to 10 p.m.

every Friday, East Hills Mall, Food

Court, 3000 Mallview Road.

RockRockstarz Party Bar, 7737

Meany Ave., Suite B5, 589-6749;

live bands, 9 p.m. every Thursday.


8900; Cesarmageddon, 9:30 p.m.

Friday.

Trivia nightBellvedere Cocktail Lounge,3090 Brundage Lane, 325-2139; 7

p.m. Tuesdays.

Chuy’s, 2500 New Stine Road,

833-3469; 7 p.m. every Tuesday.

Trivia night.


8900; Trivia Night with Dave

Rezac, 10 p.m. Tuesdays.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monday 1/2CSUB Men’s Basketball, vs. New

Mexico State, 7 p.m., CSUB, 9001

Stockdale Highway. $5-$20. gorun-

ners.com or 654-BLUE.

Senior Discovery Days, for sen-

iors 60 and older receive half off

admission, 10 percent discount in

the gift store, CALM, 10500 Alfred

Harrell Highway. 872-2256.

Winter Science Camp for Kids,explore the earth systems and

space galaxies, 8 a.m. to noon

Monday through Thursday, Buena

Vista Museum of Natural History,

2018 Chester Ave. $70 members;

$80 nonmembers. 324-6350.

Tuesday 1/3Sierra Club Conditioning Hikes,three to five miles, 7 p.m., meet at

corner of highways 178 and 184.

872-2432 or 873-8107.

Wednesday 1/4CASA Volunteer Orientation,learn how to make a difference in

the life of an abused, abandoned

or neglected child, noon to 1 p.m.

and 5 to 6 p.m., CASA, 2000 24th

St. kerncasa.org or 631-2272.

Film Club, with Cody Meek, 7

p.m., Barnes & Noble, 4001 Califor-

nia Ave. 631-2575.

CONTINUED FROM 28

Eye Street Entertainment / 12-29-11

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Transcript of Eye Street Entertainment / 12-29-11