June 5, 2011 in City

Doug Clark: Shogan clears his throat for charity, again

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Say what you will about City Council President Joe Shogan.

He’s a bit too opinionated, perhaps. He doesn’t suffer fools well and can be a bit quick to pop his cork.

But I’ll tell you what, my friends. Guy’s got stones.

Want proof? Shogan has agreed to sing again at Spokane Street Music Week, which takes place on the downtown sidewalks during the noon hours of June 13-17.

The clock is ticking but there’s still time to get involved.

( More on that in a moment.)

Shogan’s return to my annual food bank fundraiser may not sound like the red badge of courage.

Unless, of course, you were there last year to experience the council president’s rendition of that timeless Animals classic, “House of the Rising Sun.”

Frankly, I’ve never heard that key before.

I paid Shogan a surprise visit at City Hall on Friday. After some thoughtful debate, I successfully steered him away from performing a song out of the Fabulous Wailers catalogue.

I will instead accompany him on Neil Young’s iconic “Heart of Gold.”

It’s not that I don’t appreciate the Wailers. They were, after all, the first Northwest garage band to release a “Louie, Louie” recording.

But the Wailers came from Tacoma, and no self-respecting Spokane official should pay homage to Washington’s third-rate, I mean, third-largest city.

It just sends the wrong message.

Whatever he sings, however, this could be the gutsiest comeback since Elvis ’68.

Mayor Mary Verner has been a crowd favorite at the event, too.

This being an election year, Verner is attempting to become Spokane’s first two-term mayor since the Ice Age.

I suggest she give “I’m a Believer” a try, but not listening to me has been one of the hallmarks of the mayor’s administration.

Come to think of it, I could probably say that about all the mayors I’ve dealt with.

Stay tuned and I’ll let you know when and where the celebrities will be appearing.

Hard to believe this is our ninth annual event.

It all began with just yours truly wandering around the business core with guitar in hand.

The next year I opened it up to any dreamer who wanted to join me. Now some 150-plus performers take part.

Here’s the reason why: Every penny dropped into our red collection buckets goes directly to the Second Harvest food bank to help feed the area’s hungry.

I haven’t checked lately, but we should be pressing the $25,000 donation mark.

Not a bad chunk of change considering every dollar donated can buy 6 pounds of food.

(Make an online contribution and find out more about it at www.streetmusicweek.com.)

Here’s even more good news.

It’s not too late to be a part of the fun. Just contact me via the information below.

Remember that Spokane Street Music Week has never been about your ability level or what sort of instrument you play.

Heck. You don’t even have to play an instrument.

Dancers, artists and even magicians have participated.

I’m looking forward to another great event.

First, however, I will attend Monday’s City Council meeting to receive another mayoral proclamation endorsing Street Music Week.

Oh, well. You know what they say about Spokane council meetings.

There’s no business like Shogan business!

Doug Clark is a columnist for The Spokesman-Review. He can be reached at (509) 459-5432 or by email at dougc@spokesman.com.

13 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

• 

  ZagChuck on June 05 at 8:00 a.m.

  Just as a thought…. Perhaps people would pay more to NOT hear Shogan and Verner.

  For fund raising purposes you could set up two “pools” of money. people that pay to hear them, and people that pay to keep their singing confined to their own showers….. whichever pool is bigger wins…. and in the end the winner is the book bank…. just a thought.

• 

  Orange on June 05 at 8:46 a.m.

  Book bank? Dang I thought this was about the food bank. Or maybe the street music week. But really this is about Spokane’s twisted politics. Either way, a big yawn for this story. Ramble on Doug.

• 

  DickAdams on June 05 at 9:43 a.m.

  Zag Chuck, I`ll pay to stop both hot tempered Shogan and the clandestine meetings Queen, Verner. No question Verner, is looking to gain votes for her reelection and Shogan, well what can I say about him that most taxpayers know already.

• 

  Providing_Buttonholes on June 05 at 10:02 a.m.

  Encores by Joe Shonuff. “When the Volcano Blows” by Jimmy Buffet

  Special Guest stars.

  Cathy McMorris…lip synching to anything George Bush says.

  Bob Apple. “Hit the road Jack (Apple Jack)”

  Chief Kirkpatrick “take this job and shove it” by Johnny Paycheck.

  Verners album. “I’m a believer”, “Last train to Doug Clarkesville” and in honor of Dubiuos Dave Condon “I’m not your stepping stone”.

  A favorited by Vickie (hide the ballots) dalton warbling to “Short people” by Randy Newman.

  Steve “Tuckered out” Tucker. Margarita Ville by Jimmy Buffet and “I got high friends in low places” Garth Brooks.

  The Great OZ (Knezovich) singing “Jail House Rock” by elvis.

  David Condon “unhopeful clowndadate for mayor” singing anything from the Walt Disney songbook “The LYING (Lion) King”.

  A duet by the Rush/Snyder Consortium. “Ride my bicycle” by queen.

  Venerable George McGrath rambling on with that old preverable favorite by Dire Straits….”Money for nothing”.

  County Commissioners doing an old religous out of season song “We three kings”.

  Park Commission belting out “The Wall” by pink floyd.

  Perhaps Doug can get Gregoire to do am official swan song as she passes through Spokane to her Hayden Lake cabin..all being paid by the Tax payers?

  Perhaps we could get Murray and Cantwell to do some mud wresting in Riverfront park and Dino Rossi refereeing?

  Nancy McGlaughlin singing any song out of tune with the rest of the City Council.

  Steve Corker “When I’m 64++++” By the Beatles.

  Well between Doug and me, we pretty much got the venue filled out Feel free to help Doug and me flesh out the rest of the schedule.

  We are still trying to get Jim West and Jimmie Marks to channel a duet through Doug Clark. Any suggestions besides “Ghost in the Machine”?

• 

  misjustice on June 05 at 11:11 a.m.

  Cathy should sing “Stand By Your Man”… while standing next to a life-sized cardboard cutout of John Boner!
  ; )

  Funny post, Buttonholes…

• 

  polistra on June 05 at 11:22 a.m.

  I’ll contribute $100 if Shogan sings part of Largo al Factotum from Figaro.

  It sounds pretty in Italian, but it’s actually the same sort of grousing that Shogan does all the time in English.

• 

  ChefGus/ John Olsen on June 05 at 12:12 p.m.

  Buttons… you nailed it/them… :)) In fact though Mr Shogan is a strong advocate and supporter of services for our low income and our homeless street people…. Thanks to him for that…and to Mr Clark for his annual contribution to some street scene in staid spokane… j

• 

  meadman on June 05 at 12:26 p.m.

  Maybe the head of the National Republican Party could sing about their slate of potential presidential candidates….the song? ,.,,why “Send in the Clowns” of course!!

• 

  Providing_Buttonholes on June 05 at 4:00 p.m.

  Chef Gus fails to remember how King Joe terrorizes the homeless people and disadvantaged in his Court of Public ridicule.

  I’m still waiting for that “bringing hell” event…

• 

  ChefGus/ John Olsen on June 05 at 4:45 p.m.

  Buttons.. Mr Shogan terrorizes everyone…. even old white alpha males like myself…. I’ve learned to take it in stride, and abide by his rules cause it is his arena not mine… and I actually like him on a personal basis… but then I have many people I like very much personally that are difficult to work with… it’s when the rules to the particular game are changed that it becomes complex… Mr Shogan is consistent, and he does have a kind heart for the mentally ill, disabled and homeless and devotes attention and has always been responsive to requests to help them. John

• 

  DickAdams on June 05 at 7:56 p.m.

  bottonholes, I`d never ask you to bottonup. Good posts on your part.

• 

  harpmanhatter on June 06 at 10:59 a.m.

  The Spokane Street Music Week gives a beautiful picture of what a busking culture is like and helping the food bank is a grand cause. With the first amendment expression it is not about how good one sounds but that they can sound at all. People get upset about out of tune. Just remember the childhood we all start a tune and when a child does it with their innocence we all smile. If someone can just play or sing one note with their heart the are expressing themself. Right on doug for keeping this successful. From :Rick Harpman Hatter

• 

  ChefGus/ John Olsen on June 09 at 3:46 a.m.

  Mr HarpmanHatter… You are a long awaited treat in the downtown core…. a sign that perhaps Spokane is coming into the 15th century… (Think GreenShow participants in Shakespeare’s theater’s)… not everyone likes every song that each of you offers to us… but they can just walk on by..

  The “Noise” ordinance could well be enforced against the Harley Hazers… those dummies that move around town in 1st Gear with their open pipes and measured decibel levels above 110 Db.. no one bother’s them… and the potential for tickets is ripe. Keep Up the 1st Amendment battle you so courageously offer…

  “When the Buskers cannot sing… we all are short of the necessary music for our lives”… J