Concert No. 5 to raise funds, awareness

Architect Ralph Eissmann volunteered to donate his $3,000 fee for creating architectural renderings of the Copeland Building if the community could match it. The renderings show the Minden building transformed into a 400-seat Carson Valley Performing Arts Center, something the Carson Valley Arts Council and members of the community have been working toward for more than a year.

At the four CVAC concerts previously held, the immediate goal was to come up with the $3,000. Prior to the April 7 concert, featuring the Argenta Trio, $1,540 was still needed. The concert raised $950, leaving $590 to go.

"We've ranged $130 to $1,400 at the other concerts," said CVAC president Brian Fitzgerald. "We're very pleased with the public's willingness to donate at these free concerts."

Hopes are that donations from the next concert, performed by Laurence Juber, who was lead guitarist for Paul McCartney & Wings, will exceed the amount needed to match Eissmann's fees.

"Of all the finger-style guitarists I've booked, he's probably the most entertaining because most of them do a lot of abstract stuff," said Minden concert promoter Douglas Reynolds. "He does Beatles songs, well-known songs and standards from what he did with Paul McCartney & Wings. He has the widest range audience of any of the finger-style guitarists."

About the musician

Juber's musical career launched in the 1970s when McCartney picked "LJ" to become Wings' lead guitarist. Juber spent three years recording and touring with the band and won a best rock instrumental Grammy for the track "Rockestra" from the Wings album "Back To The Egg." McCartney's second request came just a couple of years ago when he asked if Juber might follow up his "LJ Plays the Beatles" album with an equivalent featuring Wings' songs. Juber's release, "One Wing" is the result.

After Wings disbanded in 1981, Juber embarked on a career as a solo artist, composer and arranger, and soon developed a reputation as a world-class guitar virtuoso, being voted No. 1 by "Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine." He has released 12 critically acclaimed solo albums. The sitcom "Home Improvement" featured his guitar licks. His guitar playing can be heard on films such as "Dirty Dancing," "Pocahonatas" and "Good Will Hunting," as well as other TV shows including "Boy Meets World" and "Seventh Heaven." His solo guitar arrangement of "The Pink Panther Theme" is featured on the 2005 Grammy-winning album "Henry Mancini - Pink Guitar."

His most recent release, "I've Got the World on Six Strings," features music written by Harold Arlen, who wrote the music for "The Wizard of Oz." Some of his selections are "Somewhere Over the Rainbow, "If I Only Had a Brain" and well-known songs such as "I've Got the World on a String," "Paper Moon," "That Old Black Magic" and "Stormy Weather."

"His selection of songs really crosses many generations," said Reynolds.

Juber will perform a variety of his songs at the CVIC Hall on April 27. Free wine and appetizers will be served at 6 p.m.; the concert is at 7 p.m.; dessert at 9 p.m. The latest information about the proposed Copeland Performing Arts Center will be discussed. For more information call 265-3529.

Millions of $ away

Although $3,000 is just a small portion of the multi millions that will eventually be needed for the center, Fitzgerald said the concerts are also held in hopes that a large donation will come forth. A donor earlier this month expressed interest in paying half the $350,000 down payment on the $1.85 million Minden building. That deal is still in the works.

With the down payment, the council is looking at a $1.5 million, 10-year interest-only loan with payments of more than $100,000 a year. There are two rentals on the property, which Fitzgerald said will deal with about 60 percent of the payment.

Both Coffee on Main's lease and the space formerly leased by Down on the Farm are part of the property sale.

Income from the leases will leave organizers to make the $40,000-$50,000 annual payments through other means.

At the same time, more than $2 million in retrofitting will have to be done on the building to make it useable as a performance center. Located at the corner of County Road and Highway 395, the 20,000-square-foot building has been vacant for years.

Thanks to sponsors

Fitzgerald said he wanted to recognize the efforts made by members of the community to bring about the Argenta Trio concert. Sponsors Tahoe Ridge Winery & Marketplace have provided wine and appetizers at each of the concerts. Large cash donations came from Bing Materials and the Carson Valley Medical Center. More donations came from Stockdale Creative Marketing & Advertising, Sweetie Pies by Wendy, The Historian Inn, Douglas County, Town of Minden, R&S Optimum Offset, Explicit Media and Maytan Music Center, which donated and delivered a grand piano for the performance.

"They delivered and brought a 1,200-pound grand piano up the stairs at the CVIC Hall," said Fitzgerald.

For more information on the proposed Carson Valley Performing Arts Center, visit www.cvartscouncil.com or call 265-3529.