Entertainment Roundup: All-Beatles open mic tribute planned at Oakridge brew pub; musical group set for Zero Clearance stage

By BEN OLSON/For The Herald — If you weren’t born by the time Ike beat Adlai for the second time, or have no idea who Ike and Adlai were, then my recollection probably won’t mean anything to you.

I was 10 years old, enduring fifth grade, when the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. February 9, 1964, was a day that profoundly altered what I thought of the world and the possibilities it offered. In that bygone day, when television consisted of three channels and you needed an antenna on top of the roof to get reception, 76 million people tuned in to see what the fuss was about. Forty percent of all Americans watched the Fab Four that night.

That show, and the subsequent hit songs by the Beatles in the next couple years inspired me and three classmates to form our own rock band. Due to our inability to transpose songs into keys in which we knew the chords and our general lack of talent and ambition, we were less than successful.

Here I am, almost 60 years later, doing my own tribute to the moptops. This Thursday, October 12, I will be conducting an all-Beatles open mic at the 3 Legged Crane in Oakridge. I’ve heard from a number of local musicians that they will be showing up to do renditions of their own favorite Beatle tunes. We had a lot of fun with an all-Jimmy Buffett night a couple weeks ago. This should be a hoot. The music will begin by 7 p.m.

On Saturday, October 14, Cross Current will be returning to the Crane, playing from 7 until 10 p.m. Cross Current is somewhat of a throwback to the folk music heyday of the ‘60s. Three-part harmonies and songs about social issues, accompanied by acoustic instruments. They play many original tunes and some classic covers. The 3 Legged Crane can be found on East First Street in uptown Oakridge. They brew their own beer and ale right there on the premises and have appetizers, sandwiches and dinners on the menu.

At the Lion Mountain Bakery on Highway 58 in Oakridge, Broken Horn will again be providing music this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 13, 14 and 15. Broken Horn covers tunes from the classic era of rock, pop and country music, strong on the ‘50s and ‘60s. He plays from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. each day. The Lion Mountain serves breakfast and lunch in a spacious and relaxed atmosphere.

Appearing in the same building, Friends of Theater and Arts will be presenting the musical group Kapaka on the Zero Clearance Theater stage this Saturday, October 14. Kapaka, a trio playing acoustic instruments, is presenting an evening of folk, bluegrass and Americana music. The lobby and bar open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7. There is a $5 admission for the event. The Lion Mountain Bakery and Zero Clearance Theater are both located at 47781 Highway 58 in Oakridge.

Twenty miles to the west, overlooking Dexter Lake, is the appropriately named Dexter Lake Club. I’ll be up on the same stage on which Otis Day and the Knights appeared in the comedy classic movie “Animal House.” I will not, however, do either of the songs from the movie, “Shout” and “Shama Lama Ding Dong.” I will be playing tunes from my regular song list, perhaps a little heavier on Beatle tunes that I played the night before in Oakridge. I’ll be playing from 6 until 8 p.m. on Friday evening, October 13. The Dexter Lake Club has a full bar and the adjoining Rattlesnake BBQ serves appetizers, sandwiches and dinners.

You think you lost your love? Well, I saw her yesterday. It’s you she’s thinking of, and she told me what to say. She says she loves you, and you know that can’t be bad. Yes, she loves you and you know you should be glad. Yeah, yeah, yeah… ‘til next week.