Centre Stage Productions

Wednesday, August 18  7-9 p.m.  Tony LaTorre brings “The King” back to life in this dazzling tribute to Elvis Presley.  The performance will also feature Stephanie LaTorre.  Don’t miss this chance to relive some delicious musical moments.  Admission is $5 at the door.  Anyone who dresses in 50’s costume gets $1 off the ticket price!  Come on out and have some fun…doors open at 6:30. 

The Backstage Cafe’ will be open for beverages and food, just in case you are hungry and thirsty. 

Saturday, August 14  4-7 p.m.  Centre Stage presents musical guest Tomas Nicholas on keyboard and acoustic piano.  Featured artists are Brookings regulars Bette Sherbourn-mixed media, James C. Anderson-sculpture and mixed media, and former Brookings resident (she now lives in Arizona) Bev Mullis with her Animal Art creations-mixed media.  All artwork on display is for sale and purchases may be made at the Backstage Cafe’. 

Refreshments will be available with additional items and beverages available at the Backstage Cafe’. 

Saturday, July 31 7-10 p.m.  Perry Devine is out of town, so I will be hosting the open mike for this month.  Please come out and let’s have some fun!  Grab an instrument…warm up your pipes, pick a few songs, get on the list.  Or, if you prefer, just come in to relax and listen to music.  This is a Stagelights event and so is free, but donations are gratefully accepted to benefit our music mission. 

The Backstage Cafe’ will be open for beverages and our usual lunch menu. 

We have a real treat for you this Friday night at 8…Rebecca Brickley, the
Harrison Brothers (Matt & Mitch), Mason Mckinney, and some other surprises! 
This will be a wide variety of music styles, with acoustic & electric guitar/piano/drums
and awesome vocals.  Suggested donation $5 at the door.

Friday, July 23 7 p.m.  Join us for an evening of musical entertainment with MoodSwing!  This is sure to be a wonderful show, as this duo was referred to us by our friend Craig Allen of the Craig Allen Blues Band (who, coincidently, will be playing at Azalea Park on Sunday).  $5 at the door plus whatever you can donate to their tip jar…a bargain for any kind of concert!  See below for details about MoodSwing.  Oh, did I mention they will have cd’s for sale at the show?

The Backstage Cafe’ will be open for beverages and tasty treats…have you tried our quiche’?  It is devine! 

MoodSwing
Ron Houck and Pamela Jones have been performing music together as Mood Swing, for over 16 years, at pubs, fairs and festivals around the country and at their own venue, “Mood Swing The Club”, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Although most well known for his bass playing (upright and electric), for the last four years, the guitar has been Ron’s instrument of choice. They are often joined by Sir Walter Raleigh, their 8 year-old Border Collie mix, and yes, he DOES sing. There are several songs that he loves and knows quite well, including originals: “Raleigh’s Blues” and “Bloom Where You’re Planted.”

Great entertainers with comedy and heart!
Performing as an acoustic duo, Ron and Pamela create a beautiful sound, with unique harmonies and bold solos. Mood Swing provides the perfect entertainment for any event, large or small, with a variety of music including rock, folk, bluegrass and originals.

Mood Swing has two CD’s available: “Bloom Where You’re Planted” an acoustic rock album, with five originals and cover tunes from the Everly Brothers, Joni Mitchell, the Beatles and more; “Thursday Night at the Club”, a jazz CD with great standards and five originals.
Both are available at $15 each.

Tuesday, July 13

7:00 to 10:00 PM:  Centre Stage - Two bands from Bismarck North Dakota: Zoo On Fire and Slave to the Mushroom Cloud -  Punk / Rock / Pop. $5 suggested donation. This is a fundraiser for the Stagelights Musical Arts Community. Centre Stage is located in the Central Building, 703 Chetco Ave (Hwy 101). 

Sunday, July 11  1-4 p.m.  Stagelights presents it’s second music variety show, this time at the bandshell in Azalea Park as part of the American Music Festival.  Please join us as we showcase some very talented musical artists performing songs from a variety of genres.  This is a fundraiser for the Stagelights Musical Arts Community and a donation jar will be passed around.  Bring your lawn chairs or beach blankets, snack and cold drinks…bring your friends and bring your kids as this is for all ages!  For the teen-age set, we have a special surprise in the form of a couple of punk/pop bands traveling around on tour…they will also be playing at Centre Stage on Tuesday, July 13th. 

Saturday, July 10 8-10 p.m.  Garrick Rawlins (see bio below), will entertain us with his originals…guitar and vocals.  Fundraiser for Stagelights music lesson program, $5 suggested donation. (half the proceeds will go to the performer, half to Stagelights).  Doors will stay open after artwalk, so come on in and get a good seat!  The Backstage Cafe’ will be open with our regular menu and some evening specials. 

Bio:

“I’m forever chasing striking blends of folk, rock, country, cowboy, jazz, punk, blues in songs I write and perform. Born in Wichita Kansas, mostly raised in Sturgis, Michigan, then Kalamazoo, on to Chicago, too long in Southern CA, & for the time being basing out of Northern Arizona.  Began as a hard rock electric guitar player emulating the high energy rock out of Detroit, fell in love with the blues in Chicago. Moved out west to L.A. to play some rock and roll and somehow became Ramblin’ Jack Elliott’s road manager, opener and sidekick for a while(he duets w/ me on my recording of Dollars To Dust) becoming solo artist. While in L.A. I had the good fortune of getting to know and open shows for world-class songwriters/guitarists Dave Alvin and Rick Shea, some of the best California has to offer.

 My music is neither traditional folk, blues nor rock and roll. The best I can describe it in terms of comparison, with no intent of insulting the masters, is Neil Young meets Johnny Cash meets Woody Guthrie meets Led Zeppelin meets Wayne Kramer (of MC5) meets Townes Van Zandt meets Dave Alvin meets Tom Russell meets John Prine meets…well, you get the idea. I could never be all of those things but I think anyone with similar tastes can hear seeds of a lot those and many other influences coming right back out in my own songs.” 
G

Saturday, July 17 7-10 p.m.  Ravin’Wolf once again will deliver a captivating performance on Centre Stage!  Visiting us again from Seattle, Washington, Jaime and Heather Bilyeu  are sure to thrill you with their own brand of what they call Sagebrush Blues and some very awesome guitar playing!  This will be a Blues dinner show, and the ticket price will be $15 per person, reservations required.  Tickets available at Earl E. Books or the Backstage Café’.

Saturday, July 3^rd, 7- 9 p.m.  L.K. (Larry) Potts, award-winning singer-songwriter from Petaluma, CA will be featured on Centre Stage.  Larry’s music is described as acoustic folk with a taste of Americana, country, blues, jazz, and pop.  Larry was referred to us by singer-songwriter Steve Meckfessel, who visited us a couple of months ago from the Bay Area.  This is a Stagelights event, suggested donation $5 per person.

Saturday, June 26 7-10 p.m.  It’s time for the monthly open mike, so grab your instrument and come on out to let your talent shine!  Or, just come out to enjoy some great entertainment and cheer your favorite musician on.   This is a Stagelights event, so admission is free, with donations to the music lesson fund always appreciated. 

The Backstage Cafe’ will be open for refreshments!

Sorry to say this event has been scheduled due to circumstances beyond our control.  We will try for another in the fall…please watch for updates.

Saturday, June 19 2-4 p.m.  Join us for our first adventure in fashion!  We are teaming up with local quality used clothing store “Sacs Thrift Avenue” to delight you with the looks of summer.  Our models will be wearing a variety of outfits, to suit a variety of age groups and styles. 

Music will be provided by Katrien and Tim Mueller featuring classical and jazz piano and guitar.  Refreshments (Tea, Coffee, pastries) will be provided by The Backstage Cafe’. 

$15 per person or $25 for two…bring your mom, your sister, your daughter…make it a special afternoon with someone you love!  Tickets on sale now at Earl E. Books, 703 Chetco Ave., Brookings (in the Central Mall).

This show was cancelled unfortunately, to be rescheduled at a later date!

Saturday, May 22, 7-9 p.m.  Rick Shaw returns to Centre Stage for another dinner show.  Details to be announced.  $15 per person includes dinner and show, $5 show only.  Reservations available at Centre Stage or Earl E. Books, 703 Chetco Ave., Brookings.

Biography:

Rick Shaw - Not a stage name, comes by songwriting honestly. He really had no choice - the genes ruled! His Grandmother - on Dad’s side was a country/ blues songwriter/singer during the depression and all through her life. She passed the country songwriting along to her son Jim Shaw, who ended up in and out of Nashville, Tennessee during his musical career, pitching songs and performing with the country artists of the 50’s 60’s and early 70’s. Rick inherited the songwriting and performing ability of his Dad in the country music field, while gaining the blues influence of his Grandmother, and the rock, and jazz influences that showed up along the way. A fourth generation Tennessean, Rick didn’t take to country music right off while honing his guitar skills on Southern rock and roll and blues, as he became known for years as Rockin’ Rickey in music circles from Tampa, Florida to Nashville, and the Detroit, Michigan area in the seventies and into the eighties. When he got tired (quickly) of “cutting hamburgers into five and six parts to play rock music, where most of the money went to pay for the equipment,” he turned towards country music, where his Dad had been his whole life. After awhile he was opening concerts for acts such as Earl Thomas Conley, Jim Ed Brown, Eddie Raven, Willie Nelson, Marty Stuart, and B.B. King. Rick influenced one of the founding members of the country band - Sawyer Brown - lead guitarist Bobby Randall ( Who later hosted You Can be a Star, Nashville Network) with his rocking style of playing country music. Randall went so far as to copy Rick’s amplifier setup and style of guitar, as he would come to a certain venue they both worked from time to time, to ask how he played particular rock licks in a country song. Sadly, when the two met again after Randall’s band helped create the rocking country sounds you hear today, Randall acted as though they had never met, and Rick decided he liked ” Nashville cat’s”  not a whole lot.  So he moved to Tampa, Florida and turned to the Blues/Rock scene there. One night while playing at a club of Blues fame - The Blues Ship - a man entered while Rick was playing guitar with a three piece band there. The man had an entourage of people with him. At break time he was introduced to Robbie Steinhart - the founding member of the band Kansas, Violinist and songwriter of ” Dust in the Wind.” Robbie had picked Rick to open for his new band Steinhart Moon, at their gigs in Tampa Bay. In Robbie’s words ” play guitar like I just saw you do, Man.” That lasted about a year before Rick finally migrated back to Nashville to pursue songwriting in the late nineties and into the early part of this decade. He currently has a catalog of songs being shopped around and a publishing contract offer on the table in Nashville, with the son of legendary Nashville songwriter - Harlan Howard - Perry, at BMI.  Rick moved to Oregon to be near his Dad as Jim’s health is on the decline. He’s been here two years now and has recently begun to venture out as a single act. Now working on a second album called MedicineMan, his first album can be purchased at his gigs or online at the following e-mail address. 7mmcreations7@sbcglobal.net   

Saturday, May 8, 7-9 p.m.  Milan Reynolds will perform for the first time at Centre Stage.  Dinner menu will feature a mexican fiesta.   $15 per person, includes dinner and show.   $5 show only.   Reservations available at Centre Stage or Earl E. Books, 703 Chetco Ave.,  Brookings.  This will be right after the artwalk so seating will start  

Biography

Milann was born a poor black child with blond hair, blue eyes and white skin. Milann was drawn to rhythm & blues and jazz from an early age believing that R&B and jazz is the foundation for music referred to as American. He picked up his first musical instrument, a saxophone at age nine. At twelve, he began playing guitar and never stopped.  At fifteen, he began his vocal training. He had the privilege of training with various vocal instructors including Oscar Hammerstein, Jester Harrison and many more; Jester Harrison being a major influence in vocal style. At sixteen, he won the Northwestern Jazz Festival Competition for sax improvisation. While living in Santa Cruz, California he

worked as a studio musician, for Hun Sounds in San Rafael. He provided musical and vocal back-up for numerous well known artists. He lives in Northern California with his artist wife and performs locally. For further information, please contact Milann at MilannR@msn.com.

Sweet Town Little will perform a Preview Concert at Centre Stage, Thursday, April 1 from 7:30 to 9:30.

This will be a free concert, although donations to Stagelights Musical Arts Community  are gratefully accepted.  All proceeds will go toward the development of the lesson program which is almost ready to begin.  We have students waiting, and teachers are formulating their lesson plans…your donations will help defray the costs for both students and Stagelights!  Centre Stage is located at 703 Chetco Ave., Brookings (in the Central Mall)

                      Scott Perry - Lead Vocals, Keys, Guitar         Mike Tyce - Bass
                David Amato – Drums                                    Paul Lopez - Lead Guitar

 Singer/Songwriter Scott Perry has been performing here locally since he was 12 years old. He has won and done well in many competitions including, Southern Oregon Idol, and Colgate Country Showdown.   He has also opened for rising acts such as Country Music Artist, Jake Owen, and American Idol Top 10 finalist, Kristy Lee Cook, from Selma, OR.
Paul Lopez - A guitar player from the young age of eight.  He’s the jack of all genres but rooted in progressive rock, blues, and acoustic originals. Paul now tries his hand at country for the first time and he’s loving it. He says, “it doesn’t matter what you play as long as you have fun doin it.”

Drummer David Amato started playing drums at the age of 10 in Grants Pass, Oregon. He has played in various Rock bands throughout the years, including American Standard, Tongue of Razors, 3DM, and End of Never. David has now discovered his talent in Country Music with Sweet Town Little.
 Mike Tyce has been involved in music since he was 5 years old.  Says he started out playing various instruments but eventually found his interest in playing bass guitar.  After 30 years of playing in several bands, which pertained to different genres such as blues, rock, country, and bluegrass, he now enjoys playing and writing music with Sweet Town Little.

Saturday, April 3 7:00 to 10:00 PM: San Francisco Bay Area singer/songwriter Steve Meckfessel offers intimate songs of family secrets, of long forgotten poets, of separateness, connection, of second chances and acceptance. He is a guitar player’s songwriter with arrangements distinguished by their varied voicings and unexpected chord progressions. Checkout Steve’s website here.

Steve will be joined by songwriters Perry Devine and Larry Diehl for a songwriters-in-the-round set that is sure to be fun and deeply moving at the same time. Checkout Larry’s website here and Perry’s website here.

This show will be a fundraiser for the Stagelights Musical Arts Community. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Tickets are available at Centre Stage and Earl E. Books. Both are located at 703 Chetco Ave (Hwy 101) in Brookings.

Saturday, March 27 7-9 p.m.  Stagelights presents Portland singer-songwriter Christine Havrilla in her first performance at Centre Stage.  This is a fundraiser for the Stagelights Musical Arts Community… $10 at the door  $8 in advance, tickets available at Earl E. Books or The Backstage Cafe’. 

Portland based, Philadelphia native, Christine Havrilla, brings her “well-built, catchy, smart tunes” (Upstage Magazine) to audiences all over! Touring nationally in support of her latest project, “In My Chair,” Christine utilizes the soft gritty texture of her vocals to express warmth and honesty audiences quickly embrace. Named “One of the Top Ten Indie Artists” by The Advocate Magazine, The Washington Post writes, “(Havrilla’s) songs are intelligent and moving, the arrangements are incisive and colorful, and, best of all, Havrilla consistently comes across as a confident and seasoned performer.”

Thanks to our sponsor for this event, Wild Rivers Motor Lodge, Brookings, Or.

Friday, March 26, 7-9 p.m.  Robert Meade is from Eugene and has visited Centre Stage in January of this year with his wife Talia Winship.  This time around, Robert will be performing solo.  $10 at the door  $8 in advance.

A recent review read:  “Eugene, Oregon’s Meade channels some of indie rocks greatest souls in his raw, vulnerable lyricism and playing. His voice cracks at just the right emotional pitches, his solo guitar work builds and plateaus achingly and leaves you feeling, simply, depressed. But it’s deftly and soulfully done, a reminder that even life’s painful subjects have a strange beauty about them that we sometimes need to face head on. And not all of Meade’s work is of the downer sort, just some of his most haunting” ~MF (The Monterey County Weekly Dec. 26th 2009).

Saturday, March 13 4-7 p.m.  Featured musicians…Jurassic Country and Co. (Rapp Brush, Cousin Elmo, Bill Pearson, Dave Tanner)…classic country sound!  Featured artists:  Bette Sherbourn-mixed media, James C. Anderson-whimsical sculpture, oriental influenced mixed media,  beaded jewelry. Free event, refreshments will be provided with additional items available at the Backstage Cafe’. 

Friday, March 12 7-10 p.m.  Enjoy classic hits from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s with local talent Michael Quale…12 string and classical guitar and vocals, and his own unique style.  $5 at the door