The Local Scene: Folk singers lineup the Brewery Arts Center

The Brewery Arts Center welcomes two critically acclaimed singer-songwriters, Richard Shindell and Mary Gauthier to Carson City for a one-night performance on Thursday.

Shindell is one of the nation's top songwriters with quite a respectable reputation among fellow musicians. Joan Baez recorded three Shindell songs on her last CD. He has been touring this year with Dar Williams and Lucy Kaplansky in the folk supergroup Cry Cry Cry. The much awaited release, "Somewhere Near Paterson," is already racing up the charts.

A master guitarist and a powerful, evocative singer, Shindell is not one to dabble in sappy love songs. Shindell is folk music's dean of drama and master of impassioned storytelling.

His new album is a series of musical vignettes about lives at personal crossroads ; a Wall Street insider whispering secrets to his pharmacist; a family of Bosnian refugees pondering God's will; an Argentinean mother of a "disappeared" searching crowded streets for a glimpse of her granddaughter.

The New York Times says, "Mr. Shindell is a lapidary craftsman who finds new ways to portray familiar situations, from breakups to the loneliness of the long-distance trucker. Mr. Shindell performs his own songs with grace and suspense. At times his voice recalls James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot or Michael Stipe; he stretches words as if he's thinking hard about what they represent. The tone is reflective, but the dilemmas and disappointments couldn't be more vivid."

Gauthier has been making quite a stir in folk circles since she started taking her music public in 1998 with the release of her CD "Dixie Kitchen. " The Boston Music Awards nominated her as Outstanding New Contemporary Folk Act in 1998 and her latest release, "Drag Queens in Limousines" was nominated for Acoustic Record of the Year for 1999. Critics compare her to Lucinda Williams, John Prine and Steve Earle.

Showtimes starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $12 general public, $10 students, seniors and BAC members and can be purchased at the Brewery Arts Center or can be reserved on a credit card by calling 775-883-1976.

- Funk and blues act hits the Tahoe stage

Fun, funk and blues will make up the venue at the River Ranch near Tahoe City on Wednesday and at the Horizon Resort Casino in South Lake Tahoe on Thursday when recording artist Merl Saunders and His Funky Friends tour the Tahoe region.

For more than three decades, Merl's fans have been getting funky to his unique sound, that runs the gamut from funk to blues to rock to jazz. Most notably, Merl collaborated with Jerry Garcia in 1990 to produce the New Age chart-topper "Blues from the Rainforest."

Catch Merl and his Funky Friends at the River Ranch Lodge, on Wednesday, July 12. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15 . Thursday's show at the Horizon begins at 10 p.m. with doors opening at 9 p.m. The cost is $15.

Call Renegade Productions at 530-746-8134 for ticket information.

- Mile High Jazz Band at the Brewery

The Brewery Arts Center welcomes back the swinging sounds of the Mile High Jazz Band on Saturday July 15 at 8 p.m.

The Mile High Jazz Band, a 16-piece "big band," was founded three years ago. The band specializes in music in the Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Woody Herman tradition. It features arrangements by Sammy Nestico, Lennie Niehaus and Mark Taylor plus an occasional original tune by members of the band.

The group was featured on the Carson City Symphony's 1997 "Holiday Treat" concert, the 1998 and 1999 "Winter Wine and All That Jazz" benefits for Carson Advocates for Cancer Victims and in other performances in Carson City and Incline Village.

Tickets are $12 general public, $10 students, seniors and BAC and FTLOJ members. Tickets can be purchased at the Brewery Arts Center, 449 W. King St. or can be reserved on a credit card by calling 775- 883-1976.

- Jazz in Genoa

Enjoy a free concert in the Genoa Town Park on July 16 when John and Cherie Shipley perform jazz classics.

The Shipleys are known are well-known in the Reno-Tahoe area. Both are vocalists as well as band leaders. As a duo or with their bands, they present an impressive array of musical styles.

The Concert on the Green begins at 6 p.m. Bring a picnic and your family for this summertime community event, sponsored by the Genoa Events Committee.

- Off Our Rockers at the Nugget

The zany, crafty show band Off Our Rockers returns to the Carson Nugget Show Lounge beginning Tuesday. This five piece group is upbeat, talented and truly off the rockers.

Their mission statement is simple and lofty indeed - provide the best entertainment in the history of Carson City. Led by the beautiful and sexy Lin Maureen, this group is easy on the eyes and stimulating for the ears. The ability to capture the essence of so many different styles of music is the groups most endearing quality.

- Blue Flame at the Ormsby

The local duo of Melissa Dru and Don Evans, better known as Blue Flame, will appear at the Ormsby House July 12-16. Call the Ormsby House at 775-882-1890 for show times.

- Arts at the Lake

For more than 20 years, the Valhalla Arts & Music Festival has been offering high-quality exhibits, concerts and arts demonstrations in South Lake Tahoe. This year's summer-long event began last week and won't let up until the leaves begin to turn.

The turn-of-the-century buildings at the Tallac Historic Site create a perfect backdrop for fine art and music. This celebration marks the opening of art exhibits, concert series, art workshops and classic films that run throughout July and August. The Tallac Site Celebration includes a sampling of artwork that will be showcased this summer and music will be performed on the Valhalla lawn as well as the Valhalla Boathouse Theater by performing groups.

Here's a schedule of some upcoming events at the theater:

July

11 - Man of Worth, traditional Celtic music in Boathouse Theater

12 - "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" with Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in Boathouse Theater

13 - Debbie DeFazio and Rocky Sleight in Boathouse Theater

16 -Celtic Festival, traditional Celtic music and dance on Valhalla lawn, noon to 4 p.m.

17 - "Wind of a Thousand Tales" in Boathouse Theater

18 - Hip Service, funk and R&?B i the Boathouse Theater

19 -"Top Hat" with Fred Astair, Ginger Rogers in Boathouse Theater

20 - Madison Avenue, smokin' R&B and cool jazz in Boathouse Theater

21 & 22 - "The Fantastiks" Sierra Tahoe Theater Co.

22 - Brew & Blues Festival, unique microbrews and imports, live concert at Horizon Resort

24 - "Romeo & Juliet" by the Lilliput Players in Boathouse Theater

25 - Robert Thies, piano centennial celebration in Boathouse Theater

26 - "Cabaret" with Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Joel Gray in Boathouse Theater

27 - Jackie Landrum, rhythm & blues in Boathouse Theater

28 & 29 - "Nunsense," presented by the Lake Tahoe Community College Theater Company in Boathouse Theater

- String Cheese Incident to grate at Reno Hilton

In the parking lot of the Reno Hilton Amphitheater a couple of weeks ago, as we were waiting to see Bob Dylan, Phil Lesh and Friends, some good folks from Portland introduced us to the music of String Cheese Incident.

"They're so unlike anything you've ever heard," my new friend Melody said to me. "Wait until you see them in concert."

Well, northern Nevada won't be waiting for long as the String Cheese Incident returns to the Reno/Lake Tahoe area for a one-night only performance, July 22, at the Reno Hilton Amphitheater.

The band is back from their third annual International Incident tour this year, which took them to Costa Rica, where about 600 'stringcheese heads' followed the band south for a tropical, music filled vacation. Now, as the bands gains more notoriety and with CD sales soaring, the leg of the tour now makes its way westward.

Tickets cost $28.75 and are on sale now by calling SCI Gear and TIcketing at 303-544-5875 or by calling the Reno Hilton at 800-648-3568.

- Prepare for THE FANTASTIKS

The Sierra Tahoe Theatre Company and the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City presents "THE FANTASTIKS."

With over 10,000 off-Broadway performances, "THE FANTASTIKS" is the longest running musical in the world. The show celebrated its 40th anniversary of continuous running Off-Broadway on May 3.

This time-proven audience pleaser will be presented on Thursday, Friday and Saturday July 27, 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday July 30 at 2 p.m. at the Brewery Arts Center.

Directed by Robert Grant, "THE FANTASTIKS" tells a simple love story of a young boy and girl who fall in love when their fathers "build a wall and pretend to feud." But once the parents put an end to the "feud" and allow the children to be together, Luisa and Matt decide to go their own ways to "seek out their fortunes." In the end, after learning many tough yet valuable lessons around the world, they come together to start a newer, more mature love.

With a bountiful series of catchy, memorable songs such as "Try To Remember, "THE FANTASTIKS" has a purity and simplicity that transcends cultural barriers. The result is a timeless musical Fable of love that manages to be nostalgic and universal at the same time.

The Sierra Tahoe Theatre Company was founded in 1999 by members of the Carson City and South Lake Tahoe theater communities. In the summer of 1999, the company produced "She Loves Me" and "The Pirates of Penzance" in cooperation with Valhalla Players. The company is also planning to perform the ambitious audience-interactive musical, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" in the summer of 2001.

The talented cast consists of Cole Forstedt as Matt, Stine Odegard as Luisa, Scott Anderson as El Gallo, John Hall as Huck, Susan Haas as Bellomy, Pat Hardy as the Old Actor, Camillo O'Kuinghttons as Mortimer and Desiree Hubel as Mute.

Tickets are $12.50 general admission, $11 students, seniors and BAC members. Call the Brewery Arts Center at 883-1976 to reserve your seats now.

- Check out the Monte Vigna Lounge

Jazz singer and pianist Erika Paul performs Wednesdays through Sundays from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Monte Vigna Lounge on the second floor of the Atlantis Casiono Resort Hotel. Enjoy wine, spirit and ambiance from all over the world, not to mention some great music. Call 825-4700.

- Music festival announces summer line-up

From Bach to Blues and Beyond is the theme for this year's Lake Tahoe Summer Music Festival 2000.

The music festival has scheduled a variety of music for the performances under the stars, including classical orchestra music, jazz, big band, swing and pop tunes.

Jazz greats Chuck Mangione, Pete Escovedo and Marlena Shaw are on the bill, as well as world class violinist Phillip Ruder.

The Lake Tahoe Musical Festival is also the summer home of The Reno Philharmonic Orchestra, led by musical director and conductor Barry Jekowski.

This summer's events will be held between July 12 and Sept. 2 on Wednesdays and Saturdays with most performances beginning at 7 p.m. Spectacular venues around Lake Tahoe and Truckee include Topol Pavilion in Homewood, Sand Harbor, Sierra Nevada College, Squaw Valley, Sugar Pine Point State Park, Tahoe Donner, Northstar, Valhalla and Granlibakken Resort.

The music festival schedule is:

- Wednesday, July 12: gala; My Fair Lady, Topol Pavilion.*

- Sunday, July 16: Donor event with piano recital.

- Wednesday, July 19: An Evening of Shakespeare at Topol Pavilion.*

- Saturday, July 22: Pops Concert on the Green, Tahoe Donner.*

- Wednesday, July 26: Jazz headliner Chuck Mangione, Topol Pavilion.

- Saturday, July 29: Argenta Quartet featuring Phillip Ruder, Sierra Nevada College.

- Wednesday, Aug. 2: Family Night, Topol Pavilion.*

- Saturday, Aug. 5: Cabaret with Marjorie Tede, Granlibakken Resort.

- Wednesday, Aug. 9: Pete Escovedo and Marlena Shaw: An Evening of Legendary Jazz, Topol Pavilion.

- Saturday, Aug. 12: Beatrice et Benedict based on Much Ado About Nothing, Granlibakken Resort.

- Wednesday, Aug. 16: Sierra Swing Band, PlumpJack Squaw,Valley Inn.

- Saturday, Aug. 19: Classic Brass Quintet, Valhalla.

- Wednesday, Aug. 23: Swing Fever, Northstar at Tahoe.

- Saturday, Aug. 26: Chamber Music, Sierra Nevada College.

- Wednesday, Aug. 30: Bluegrass with the Slide Mountain Boys, Sugar Pine Point State Park.

- Saturday, Sept. 2: Reno Philharmonic's American Salute, Sand

* Performances by the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra

The Lake Tahoe Music Festival began as a small two-week summer series of concerts on Lake Tahoe's North Shore, providing classical music in beautiful surroundings.

The festival has grown into a Tahoe tradition with two months of summer concerts featuring quality music rarely found outside major cities. The festival also hosts a number of special events during the winter months.

For more information and tickets call the Lake Tahoe Music Festival office at 583-3101, visit the Web at www.tahoemusic.org or e-mail info@tahoemusic.org.

(Jeff Munson is the content editor of tahoe.com. You can reach him at 775

881-1216 or by e-mail: editor@tahoe.com).