Local organizers are planning an inaugural post-Burning Man meetup in Southern Oregon this Saturday, Nov. 2, at Lithia Park in Ashland. The free event is open to all, even if you’ve never been to the popular festival in northwest Nevada.
Curtain Call: Terry Longshore’s “Full Circle: Turtle Wisdom” will bring artist Betty LaDuke’s vibrant “Turtle Wisdom” series to life through the resonant sounds of a gong orchestra on Nov. 8 at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum. Performers will include Terry Longshore, the SOU Percussion Ensemble and students of Longshore’s SOU Honors College course, Making Music.
Local nonprofit Anima Mundi Productions will present a Ukrainian Cultural Fair with treats, artwork and crafts from the local Ukrainian community on Friday, Oct. 25, followed by a concert featuring Ukrainian pianist Nadia Shpachenko on Sunday, Oct. 27 playing works by Chopin and Ukrainian composers, including two world premieres about the war.
Review: You can now catch Erik H. Connolly embodying the heart and soul of Stevens and his music in “Spotlight on Cat Stevens” through Nov. 3 at the Camelot Theatre in Talent. Besides having the voice, rich and self-assured, Connolly has it all down — Stevens’ mannerisms, gentle persona, musical expression.
Meet new Rogue Valley Symphonic Band Artistic Director Alexander George Gonzalez. He also is director of bands at Southern Oregon University where he conducts the SOU Wind Ensemble and SOU Jazz Band. He plays the euphonium, trumpet, and classical guitar. He also is a master of cutlery percussion. But his favorite instrument is a stick he waves through the air.
This summer, the James M. Collier Siskiyou Violins, a group of 29 talented young violinists from Southern Oregon, performed in some of Vienna’s finest music halls. The ensemble competed in the prestigious 2024 Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival and won second place for Summa Ensembles.
Nestled in Lithia Park with live music from DJs, light-up headphones and plenty of dancing and grooving, Ashland’s Silent Disco brings all the fun of an outdoor concert minus the loud noises. The all-ages events draw out music fans for a night of melodic fun, with the Silent Disco hosting dance parties in Ashland since 2016.
Nestled within a museum-like setting, the artfully chaotic recording studio is a place where cutting-edge digital meets the world’s largest collection of vintage and modern microphones, blending old-school analog charm with the latest in high tech.
“Hand in Hand Together” is the theme for Anima Mundi Productions’ upcoming Heart of Humanity Concert Series. The theme was chosen to “celebrate the unifying power of music, showcasing world-class musicians from Ukraine, Israel and Palestine whose stories and art transcend borders,” said Anima Mundi artistic directors Ethan Gans-Morse and Tiziana DellaRovere.
Review: When you listen to the retrospective of Jimmy Buffett’s life, now playing as “Spotlight on Jimmy Buffett” at the Camelot Theatre, you are reminded of several things: the number of compositions the singer-songwriter created over his 50-year career, his sense of humor and easygoing persona and the wonderful, relatable lyrics and melodies that became spring break anthems in so many people’s lives.
The Oregon Legislature is meeting this week to consider some major cuts to current spending levels as a large revenue deficit looms. That’s because the state’s tax code automatically replicates new federal tax cuts, including ones passed by Congressional Republicans this summer that will reduce state revenue
Michael O’Looney: Trump and the Texas Legislature are responsible for a partisan power grab that has unleashed bitterness and partisan vindictiveness, all in an effort to subvert an electoral system for partisan ends.
Councilor Bob Kaplan: While the cost of delivering kilowatt-hours to our homes has risen, Ashland Electric has been able to hold our rates steady with just one increase of 5.1% in 2021. I’m sorry to say we’re due for an increase, but fortunately it’s not likely to match recent increases elsewhere.
An estimate for the cost to abate asbestos found in the shuttered Lincoln School recently should be available as early as sometime this week, according to Steve Mitzel, operations director for Ashland School District. The cost to remove asbestos would be separate from the as yet-unknown cost for structural repair.
“We are still here” was the theme for Saturday’s Native American Heritage Celebration at Southern Oregon University, hosted by the SOU Native American Student Union (NASU) and SOU Native Nations Liaison Kenwanicahee (Kenwani) Kravitz (Madesi Bandi, Pit River Nation Winnemem, Nomtipom and Nomsus Bands Northern Wintu).
As Oregon lawmakers stare down a deficit of at least $373 million over the next two years — and brace for the possibility of a bigger shortfall in the state’s next quarterly revenue — they asked state agencies to create lists of ways to cut 5% of their approved budgets.
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