Notes from 7 Blog: A show for fans of any decade

(Posted Tuesday) The summer is falling into shape.

This week, Northern Quest announced the remainder of its outdoor summer concert series, with three of the shows going on sale today:

Happy Together 30th Anniversary Tour (including The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night, Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad, Gary Lewis & The Playboys and Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels) – July 10 (on sale today; $25, $35 and $45)

Tim McGraw with guests Kip Moore and Cassadee Pope – July 30 (on sale today; $89, $109 and $129)

Train – Aug. 1 (on sale today; $75, $95, $115)

Foreigner, Styx and Loverboy – Aug. 3 (on sale May 31; $55, $65, $85)

Toby Keith with Joe Nichols – Sept. 22 (on sale May 31; $75, $95, $115)

Previously announced shows in the 2014 Pepsi Outdoor Summer Concerts are:

New Edition with Tony! Toni! Toné! (In case you were wondering, New Edition will feature all original members, including Bobby Brown, Rickey Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Ralph Tresvant and Jonnie Gill) – July 9

Disco Quest ’70s Party with KC and The Sunshine Band & The Village People – July 19

Rascal Flatts – Aug. 8

Jeff Foxworthy – Sept. 12

For tickets or more information on the series, visit www.northernquest.com or call (877) 871-6772.

Meanwhile, the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, added one more show to a lineup that already includes Arcade Fire, Bruno Mars, Aerosmith, Linkin Park and – of course – the Dave Matthews Bands.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with special guest Steve Winwood, will pull into the Gorge on Aug. 15.  The show will happen on the heels of the release of “Hypnotic Eye,” the first album from the Heartbreakers in four years. It’s being released on July 29. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. May 31 through Live Nation and Ticketmaster outlets. Prices are $45 and $127.

Carolyn Lamberson

Summer movie season in full swing

(Posted Tuesday) The term “embarrassment of riches” dates back to to the 18th century. But the central idea pertains more than ever to the coming week in Spokane theaters when more intriguing movies open than any rational person could see in any such abbreviated period. From the obligatory blockbusters to the atmospheric indies, the week has it all.

Following is the film-by-film rundown:

“X-Men: Days of Future Past”: Bryan Singer continues his exploration of Marvel’s X-Men phenomenon with this alternate history, one that sends Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) into the past in an attempt to ward off a war that threatens both mutants and humans. Balls of adamantium.

“Chef”: Jon Favreau directs himself in a return to his independent-film origins about a chef, newly jobless, who starts over with his own food van. Notice I did not use the term “roach coach.”

“Blended”: Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore try to recapture their former magic as a mismatched couple who, while on an African vacation, find their soul-mateness. Think I’ll sit through “50 First Dates” again.

“The Immigrant”: James Gray (“Little Odessa,” “The Yards”) co-wrote and directed this noir about a young woman (Marion Cotillard) who finds herself manipulated into prostitution by a brutal stranger (Joaquin Phoenix). Is this what they mean by immigration reform?

“Only Lovers Left Alive”: Jim Jarmusch (“Mystery Train,” “Night on Earth”) was late in making a vampire flick, but expect the best from this reunion of blood-sucking lovers played by Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton. Where are you now, Bram Stoker?

“Belle”: When a mixed-race girl is raised in an upper-class English family, issues of race and class abound. Not that such things still happen in America.

“Locke”: Tom Hardy plays a guy who, over the course of the film’s 85-minute running time, is seen driving a car and carrying on one conversation after the next as he struggles to save his marriage, his career and maybe his very life. To quote New Yorker critic Anthony Lane, “The movie’s greatest asset by far is Hardy, whose rich, unflappable tones, even in times of high emotional pressure, bear a distinct echo of Richard Burton.”

And at the Magic Lantern:

“Fed Up”: Think you’re fat because of how much you eat? Think again. According to this documentary, what you eat is even more important than how much.

“Under the Skin”: Already having played at both the AMC and the Lantern, this intriguing little film continues. Nathan Weinbender just might include it on his year-end list, so check it out while you can.

Dan Webster