Entertainment report for week ending 3/31: Don’t be “Fooled”, there’s lots of great music this weekend

 

By BEN OLSON/for The Herald  —  April 1 is known as April Fools’ Day, or All Fools Day. It is a day of playing harmless pranks on one’s family, friends and neighbors. As it has evolved, even the media is complicit in playing everyone for a fool, with the reveal coming conveniently after getting enough people all worked up. With some internet content providers, every day is now treated like April Fools’ Day.

How did this tradition begin? Some say it was first mentioned in Chaucer’s 1392 classic “The Canterbury Tales”. In the story “The Nun’s Priests”, a vain cock Chauntecleer is tricked by a fox on “since March began, thirty days and two”.  Do the math. There are other references to playing pranks on April 1 dating to the 1500s in a number of European countries. Today it is celebrated in many cultures throughout the world, all with a different way of saying “April Fools!”

In Ireland, it was traditional to entrust the victim with an “important letter” to be given to a named person. Upon delivery, that person would read the letter and then ask the victim to take it to someone else. The letter, when opened, said, “send the fool further”.

Music for this weekend:

The Dexter Lake Club will be featuring Beloveski and Friends this Saturday, March 30. Bassist Andrew Belinsky will be making the trek from Bend to play his genre-bending, meditative, innovative high energy music in Dexter for the first time. After watching a few video clips, I noticed that the “friends” are a rotating cast of characters, each bringing something different to the table. It certainly looks like it will be a fun night. The performance will run from 7 until 9 pm. Check out the website at beloveski.com. The Dexter Lake Club is located just off Highway 58 near milepost 12 at the east end of Dexter. They have a full bar, and the adjacent Rattlesnake BBQ has appetizers, sandwiches and dinners on the menu.

 

The 3 Legged Crane on 1st Street in Uptown Oakridge will be having an open mic this Thursday, April 28. I’ll be hosting the event and expect to see the usual cast of characters come in to participate. It all begins at 6:30. On Friday evening, songstress Melissa Ruth will be returning to Oakridge. With 5 albums of original songs to her credit, Melissa will be telling her stories, with equal parts blues and country. You can find out more about her at melissaruthmusic.com. When she’s not performing, she is a music educator and serves as the Oregon Music Education Association’s Small Schools Advocacy Chair. In this position she advocates for musical education in small schools, urging equity and access to music education for all children, particularly in rural schools. Her show begins at 7 pm. The 3 Legged Crane is a brewpub, making many of the beers and ales right there in the back room. They have appetizers, sandwiches and dinners on the menu.

Music Friday through Sunday at Willamette Pass

Willamette Pass Resort is expecting a bit of snow this week, providing some good conditions for the last weekend in March. For those taking a break from skiing and boarding, there will be live music in the lounge on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from noon until 3 pm each day. I’ll be working the Friday shift, with guitar in hand. On Saturday, recording artist Cuchulain will be playing his fun mix of covers and originals. On Sunday, Eric Leadbetter will be bringing his guitar playing prowess to the stage. The bar at Willamette Pass Resort offers a panoramic view of headwall just west of the main chairlift. In addition to a full bar, they offer appetizers, sandwiches and pizza on the menu. The ski area is located at milepost 62 on Highway 58, 25 miles east of Oakridge, all of which is uphill. 

 

If I were clever enough to think of an April Fools’ joke that I could leave you with, you can believe that I would do it, but alas, it is not to be. I’m being perfectly serious when I tell you that karaoke happens at the Loggers Den in Oakridge on Wednesdays, the Dexter Lake Club on Thursdays and the Corner Bar in uptown Oakridge on Fridays.