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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Nathan Weinbender

This individual is no longer an employee with The Spokesman-Review.

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A&E >  Entertainment

For Alaska-built Lavoy, Spokane’s a launchpad into wider music scene

If you’re a band living and playing in Spokane and you want to Make It Big, what’s the most logical thing to do? Move away, of course, to a bustling metropolis like Seattle or Portland, because no one Makes It Big in Spokane, right? The same could be said of Wasilla, Alaska, where the five-piece Lavoy had been performing for years through various lineup changes and stylistic about-faces.
A&E >  Entertainment

Keeping magic alive

Performing magic requires its own form of salesmanship. You’re constantly selling yourself to the audience, proving to them that what they’re seeing is real and, if you’re participating in any major stunts, that the potential for danger is genuine. It makes sense, then, that before he was an internationally touring illusionist, Jay Owenhouse was working in advertising sales in Montana. It wasn’t until he started setting up magic shows at a local shopping mall, where he performed three times every weekend, that he realized he could make a lifelong hobby into a career.
A&E >  Entertainment

Poets engage in word war

Every year since 2004, slam poets from all over the country (and some from outside the United States) have convened for a weekend in some city to compete for the glory of being named the top performer in the world of slam. It’s the Individual World Poetry Slam (iWPS), and Spokane is serving as host city for this year’s events. Think of them as the Linguistic Olympics, except there’s only one gold medal. The 2013 iWPS (the poets pronounce it “eye-whoops”) begins with a wild card slam on Wednesday, followed by two days of preliminaries in which the competition will be whittled down from 72 poets to a mere dozen. On Oct. 5, the final 12 will perform, and whoever receives the highest score will be the winner.

News >  Features

Review: Civic tackles ‘Les Misérables’ with excellence

When Spokane Civic Theatre announced they’d be kicking off their newest season with a production of the epic musical “Les Misérables,” it was hard not to be a little, well, incredulous. That’s not to speak poorly of the abilities of the Civic’s outstanding cast and crew, but rather to the sheer scope of the show itself, which is so enormous that I couldn’t imagine it being properly executed without a Broadway-size stage and a million-dollar budget.
A&E >  Entertainment

Guest violinist sets tone for season

As a child living in Russia, Ilya Kaler knew he would become a professional musician. He grew up in a musical environment – his father was a professional violinist in Moscow – and he began studying the violin himself when he was 7 years old. “Like most small kids, I was resisting the routine of practicing,” Kaler said from his home in Chicago. “But when I was 10 or 11, I became more enthusiastic.”
A&E >  Entertainment

Guest violinist sets tone for season

As a child living in Russia, Ilya Kaler knew he would become a professional musician. He grew up in a musical environment – his father was a professional violinist in Moscow – and he began studying the violin himself when he was 7 years old. “Like most small kids, I was resisting the routine of practicing,” Kaler said from his home in Chicago. “But when I was 10 or 11, I became more enthusiastic.”
News >  Features

Interplayers opens with Neil Simon comedy

There’s a great monologue in Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical comedy “Brighton Beach Memoirs” in which the play’s protagonist, teenager Eugene Jerome, details the deliberately elusive nature of adult conversations. In regard to diseases, Eugene says, his mother never outright names the ailment she’s talking about, instead referring to Aunt Blanche’s asthma as her “situation.” Even when she’s more direct, she resorts to whispering, out of fear that God might hear her say “diphtheria” and strike her down with it. (Eugene says, “Uncle Dave died six years ago from ...” – his voice turns into a hissing whisper – “…  cancer.”)
A&E >  Entertainment

Comedian returns to where it all started

Although comedian Jebb Fink’s website dubs him “the American in Canada,” his first stand-up gig was actually in Spokane, sometime in the early 1980s. It was at an open mic night at the Red Lion BBQ and Pub on Division Street, and Fink said he still doesn’t know how he gathered up the courage to go onstage. “I did a bunch of local references,” he said of his material that night. “I just went through the paper and picked things that were current.”
A&E >  Entertainment

Lake City Playhouse stages ‘Damn Yankees’

It goes without saying that the most devoted sports fans would do just about anything to see their beloved teams succeed. But in the Tony Award-winning musical “Damn Yankees,” Joe Boyd takes that notion to its furthest extreme, selling his soul to the devil so that the struggling Washington Senators will finally have a shot at winning the World Series.

Spokane’s Cami Bradley in ‘America’s Got Talent’ final round

Spokane singer-songwriter Cami Bradley has advanced to the final round on the NBC series “America’s Got Talent.” The results of the nationwide vote that placed Bradley in the finals were revealed live on Wednesday night’s episode, and Bradley’s last competitive performance will be aired next week. The winner will receive a $1 million prize and a chance to headline a show in Las Vegas.
A&E >  Entertainment

‘Short Term 12’ strikes the right balance

Sometimes a movie works not because of what it does but because of what it doesn’t do. Destin Daniel Crettin’s “Short Term 12” is like that: It has countless opportunities to run itself off the rails, to devolve into a soap opera or an afterschool special, but it never does. In favoring small, intimate moments over contrived plot revelations and grand dramatic gestures, Crettin has built a strong, deeply effective personal story out of potentially problematic spare parts.
A&E >  Entertainment

Comedian returns to where it all started

Although comedian Jebb Fink’s website dubs him “the American in Canada,” his first stand-up gig was actually in Spokane, sometime in the early 1980s. It was at an open mic night at the Red Lion BBQ and Pub on Division Street, and Fink said he still doesn’t know how he gathered up the courage to go onstage. “I did a bunch of local references,” he said of his material that night. “I just went through the paper and picked things that were current.”
A&E >  Entertainment

Lake City Playhouse stages ‘Damn Yankees’

It goes without saying that the most devoted sports fans would do just about anything to see their beloved teams succeed. But in the Tony Award-winning musical “Damn Yankees,” Joe Boyd takes that notion to its furthest extreme, selling his soul to the devil so that the struggling Washington Senators will finally have a shot at winning the World Series.
A&E >  Entertainment

Drawing on music’s ‘common bond’

If you need more evidence that hard work eventually pays off, look no further than the Eli Young Band. The quartet’s very first gigs, back when they were students at the University of North Texas, were in the local college bar, covering Lynyrd Skynyrd and Alabama tunes. Now, nearly 15 years later, they have two top 10 country albums and a couple of platinum-selling singles to their name, and they’ve toured the world opening for everyone from Rascal Flatts to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
A&E >  Entertainment

Getting your fair share

Let’s take a moment to touch on a near-universal truth: You’re never too old to enjoy the fair. After all, it’s practically impossible to resist the allure of carnival rides, pig races and deep-fried food. This year’s festivities start off with two days of roping cattle and bucking broncos presented by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. General admission to the rodeo is $5 while reserved seats are $8, and $1 from each ticket sold for today’s show will be donated to local breast cancer awareness charity Because There Is Hope.
A&E >  Entertainment

‘Odd Couple’ takes stage, with a twist

“The Odd Couple,” Neil Simon’s iconic comedy about the world’s most mismatched roommates, has been performed countless times since it premiered on Broadway in 1965. It’s also been adapted into two separate but equally famous screen incarnations – first on film in 1968 with the legendary comedy duo of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, and later on TV in a 1970 series that ran for five seasons and starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman.
A&E >  Entertainment

Getting your fair share

Let’s take a moment to touch on a near-universal truth: You’re never too old to enjoy the fair. After all, it’s practically impossible to resist the allure of carnival rides, pig races and deep-fried food. This year’s festivities start off with two days of roping cattle and bucking broncos presented by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. General admission to the rodeo is $5 while reserved seats are $8, and $1 from each ticket sold for today’s show will be donated to local breast cancer awareness charity Because There Is Hope.
News >  Features

Greatest job on Earth

David Shipman saw his first circus in his hometown of Pensacola, Fla., when he was just 2 years old, and the experience stuck with him. “I fell in love with it,” he said in a recent phone interview. “I remember dreaming about running away with the circus. I mean, what kid doesn’t?”
A&E >  Entertainment

Hydroplanes return to Lake CdA

It’s been 45 years since the last hydroplane races were held on Lake Coeur d’Alene, but that changes this Labor Day weekend with the Coeur d’Alene Diamond Cup Race. The Diamond Cup has had a particularly checkered history in Coeur d’Alene, which author Stephen Shepperd painstakingly details in his new book “Hydromania: A History of the Diamond Cup.” Evolving from the summertime regattas that started back in 1913, the first competitive boat races were held 1958 and continued every summer until 1968, when the races just stopped.
A&E >  Entertainment

Martina McBride: Still at home with country

Martina McBride is one of the most recognizable voices in modern country music. During a career that spans two decades, she has sold more than 14 million albums and released a number of successful singles, including “Independence Day,” “Wild Angels,” “A Broken Wing” and “Blessed.” In a recent phone interview from her home in Nashville, Tenn., McBride discussed how her music has evolved over the years, the role of women in popular music and her current tour, which lands at Northern Quest Casino on Saturday night. SR: So, you’re about to start on your tour?
A&E >  Entertainment

Revived Zombies bring old, new music to Pig Out stage

In retrospect, it’s kind of a miracle that the Zombies didn’t fade into obscurity after their 1960s heyday. They were one of the seminal groups of the British Invasion, they were responsible for two of the era’s defining singles – “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No” – and they played shows with everyone from the Beach Boys to the Shangri-Las.
A&E >  Entertainment

Martina McBride: Still at home with country

Martina McBride is one of the most recognizable voices in modern country music. During a career that spans two decades, she has sold more than 14 million albums and released a number of successful singles, including “Independence Day,” “Wild Angels,” “A Broken Wing” and “Blessed.” In a recent phone interview from her home in Nashville, Tenn., McBride discussed how her music has evolved over the years, the role of women in popular music and her current tour, which lands at Northern Quest Casino on Saturday night. SR: So, you’re about to start on your tour?
A&E >  Entertainment

Revived Zombies bring old, new music to Pig Out stage

In retrospect, it’s kind of a miracle that the Zombies didn’t fade into obscurity after their 1960s heyday. They were one of the seminal groups of the British Invasion, they were responsible for two of the era’s defining singles – “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No” – and they played shows with everyone from the Beach Boys to the Shangri-Las.
A&E >  Entertainment

In Woody Allen’s vast catalog, gems get neglected

Woody Allen has written and directed a new film every year since 1982, and he shows no signs of slowing down. His latest, “Blue Jasmine,” hits town this weekend, and he’s already working on a film for release in 2014. When considering a filmmaker as prolific as Allen, there are the titles that just about everyone agrees are essential – “Annie Hall,” “Manhattan,” “Hannah and Her Sisters” and “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” at the very least. But there are the few gems that have fallen through the cracks, that are rarely mentioned in the same breath as his most iconic work and perhaps deserve to be.
A&E >  Entertainment

Pig Out adds $3 bites to lineup

Labor Day weekend signals a lot of things – the days are shorter, nights are colder, school goes back into session and everyone braces for a brutal Spokane winter. But it also signals the start of Pig Out in the Park, which kicks off Wednesday afternoon for six days of music and food in Riverfront Park. As always, there will be a diverse array of local food vendors to choose from: You can try everything from teriyaki to barbecue, gumbo and gyros, or really indulge with a bacon-wrapped hot dog or some deep-fried lasagna. (And don’t forget about the adult beverage gardens.)