BEN OLSON/For the Herald — I attended and performed at an open house event Wednesday night for the Spotlight Project Presents at the WAC Center on School Street in Oakridge.
Director Loren Christopher Michaels put the event together to drum up interest and support for the live variety show that is broadcast once a month in the winter and twice a month when the weather warms up.
Before the show, Loren showed a short film clip about the origins of the Spotlight Project Presents and introduced all the behind-the-scenes technicians. Hostess Becky Chamberlain led us through an abbreviated version of a regular broadcast with interviews of talent coordinator Holly Olson and Community Corner reporter Catrina Davis, as well as a magic segment by Jeff Martin and a couple of songs by me to close out the show.
The Spotlight Project Presents is put together with volunteer help, and efforts are being made to turn the Willamette Activity Center into the best possible venue for putting on this show as well as stage plays. If you are interested in performing or volunteering your time in any way or contributing to help the show financially, please go to thespotlightprojectpresents.com.
In entertainment news, it appears that the groundhog must have seen its shadow and delayed any outdoor music for six more weeks. I’ll be on stage at The 3 Legged Crane mainstage from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27. I’ll be playing my guitar and, as always, the request lines will be open. The Crane is located in uptown Oakridge, featuring carefully crafted beers and ales, as well as a full food menu. No cover charge for Sunday’s show.
The Lion Mountain Bakery on Highway 58 in Oakridge will feature Broken Horn on guitar and vocals Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 25, 26 and 27 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Broken Horn knows more Elvis tunes than anyone who is not currently working as an Elvis impersonator. I’ll be playing my standup bass Saturday from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. and ukulele Sunday from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. The Lion Mountain serves home-cooked breakfast and lunch in a casual, spacious atmosphere, with no cover charge for the music.
The Dexter Lake Club’s regular open mic/jam sessions are scheduled Sunday and Tuesday, Feb. 27 and March 1. The action starts at 6 p.m. and is hosted by talented Brian Chevalier. His usual co-host Craig Sorseth will be taking a little time off. Bring in your guitar, zither, clarinet or whatever you have around the house that you can play and join in the fun. The Dexter Lake Club has a full bar as well as a dinner and sandwich menu. There is no cover charge. For more information, call 541-581-3000.
That is all I have for you this week. I would love to report to you that there are live music events in Pleasant Hill, Lowell, Westfir or Crescent Lake, but I’m not in charge of booking anything. Hopefully, as the weather warms we’ll be reporting on musical acts playing there. If you know of any live music scheduled in the Highway 58 corridor, please contact me.
Oakridge musician Ben Olson, entertainment editor and columnist for The Herald, can be reached at [email protected]
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