Entertainement report: The weather will drive us inside, the music will keep us there

By BEN OLSON/for The Herald  —  And so we begin the long slide into winter. As I have mentioned before, I’m fascinated by the idea that winter can be seen in the distance, with snow descending to elevations above where I spend most of my time. With the cooler temperatures, I’m spending a little more time inside, noodling around with my collection of musical instruments, trying to gain a little more proficiency. There are always new, or in most cases, old songs to learn.

Standing in one place is, in effect, going backward. I need to learn the words to the Marty Robbins classic, “El Paso” so that when Mick sings the song with me accompanying, I can pick him up if he forgets the words. It’s easy to do, as there are a lot of them.

I’ll be back in the 3 Legged Crane this Thursday running the open mic. Although the calendar on their website says that I start at 7, I will be singing my first song by 6:30 that evening. Please stop in to listen or to join in with voice, instrument or percussion. On Saturday night, December 3,

Angelic Noise will be taking the stage at 7 p.m. For one reason or another, I’ve missed them when they’ve played in town or Dexter, so I’m looking forward to finally getting a chance to give them a listen. The 3 Legged Crane has  appetizers, sandwiches and dinners on the menu as well as a great selection of handcrafted beers and ales. They are located on 1st Street in old town Oakridge. There is no cover charge for the live music.

Rumor has it that the Cramer Boys played for Rob’s birthday bash at the Corner Bar last Saturday night. I was under the weather, so I missed it. I regret that I was not able to report about the event in the future tense.

Down on the west end of our coverage area, just off Highway 58 near milepost 12 is the Dexter Lake Club. They will be having their regular karaoke on Thursday evening and the jam session/open mic on Sunday. The Sunday event is hosted by Brian Chevalier and friends. Both events get started shortly after 6 p.m. As of press time, there was no one scheduled to play on the mainstage on Friday evening. The Dexter Lake Club has a full bar and the adjoining Rattlesnake BBQ features appetizers, sandwiches and dinners. There is no cover charge for the live music.

The Logger’s Den on Highway 58 in Oakridge has karaoke on Wednesday nights. The Moose Lodge, a mile further east on 58, has karaoke on Saturday evenings. Rob at the Corner Bar on 1st Street will fire up the karaoke machine whenever the demand is there.

I wish that I had more to report this week. I have dusted off my holiday tunes, and beginning in December, I’ll include several in every performance. I’m of the belief that Christmas songs shouldn’t be aired until after Thanksgiving. That still gives us a month of “Decks the Halls”. For the record, I heard my first Christmas songs this year while having my oil changed in Heber City, Utah, back in mid-October. If you know of any live music events taking place in the Highway 58 corridor, please drop me a line with the details so that I might include it in my column.