Sandpoint Songwriting Competition back for third year

By Ben Olson Reader Staff

For such a small town, Sandpoint contains an impressive amount of talented songwriters. Back for its third year, the Sandpoint Songwriting Competition is now casting a wider net to incorporate songsters from Coeur d’Alene and Spokane, as well as Sandpoint.

Spearheaded by local musician Kevin Dorin, the competition is an effort to showcase the raw talent we have in our region.

Dorin said he’ll accept submissions until June 1. For full instructions, visit sandpointsongwritingcompetition.com.

Last year’s competition garnered more than 100 submissions, and Dorin expects the widening of coverage to include Coeur d’Alene and Spokane will again increase submissions.

“We’ve got some pretty awesome judges this year,” Dorin said.

More than a dozen industry judges will listen to the songs and provide personal comments and positive critiques to as many as possible.

Prizes for winners will include audio and video recordings at The Hive, cash prizes, gift certificates for downtown eatery Baxters on Cedar, a guitar setup from Rocket Records and band photos from Racheal Baker Photography. All of the above businesses have partnered with Dorin to sponsor the annual competition.

Aiding in the effort will be a music business seminar held June 10 at The Hive. For $25, attendees will hear firsthand about everything, from having a good rela-

tionship with your sound engineer, how to make a profitable tour to how to distribute your product to a wider audience.

“I want to be able to empower people with that knowledge,” Dorin said.

To learn more about the Sandpoint Songwriting Competition, visit sandpointsongwritingcompetition.com. A playlist of past submissions is available on all streamers by searching, “Sandpoint Songwriting Competition Kevin Dorin.”

It’s pretty true that you can judge a person by the company they keep. And, by that measure, local musician, tech guru and man-about-town Justin Landis is a bona fide mensch. For his upcoming 40-something birthday Saturday, May 6, a handful of the finest musicians in the area are assembling to play a show in his honor, jam-packed with regional talent.

On the bill will be beloved Sandpoint singer-songwriter Josh Hedlund; Windoe, the solo project of acclaimed Spokane-based artist Karli Fairbanks; fellow Spokanite indie-rocker Marshall McLean;

Blird, the inventive shoegaze side project of Sandpoint-based Harold’s IGA; Spokane fiddle phenom Jenny Anne Mannan; and, the man himself, Landis.

Toast to his good health and many happy returns with wine and beer provided by Eichardt’s, and an evening of some of the most stellar musical stylings in the Inland Northwest.

— Zach Hagadone

Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m.; $15 at the door. The Heartwood Center, 615 Oak St., 208-2638699, heartwoodsandpoint.com.

By Reader Staff

The East Bonner County Library Bookmobile will be appearing weekly in Dover as a service to Dover residents. The bookmobile is scheduled to visit each Monday (excluding major holidays) each day between 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Look for the bus near the Dover Post office, at 304 Jackson Ave. Patrons may also request items ahead of time at ebonnerlibrary. org/bookmobile. Use the “Request An Item” link at the bottom of the page. Be sure to designate the Bookmobile in Dover as the pick up location. Anything that is checked out from the Bookmobile can be returned at any of the stops, Clark Fork Library or the Sandpoint Library. For more information, contact the Bookmobile staff at 208290-3622.

By Reader Staff

It’s time to spring clean and donate all those onceloved, now unwanted items to a good home for a good cause. Angels Over Sandpoint is now accepting donations of clean goods in wearable/working conditions. Workout equipment will not be accepted. Hangers and plastic grocery bags

Pam Houston is well known for her essays, short stories and novels inspired by the characters and landscapes of the American West. Her 2019 memoir Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country draws on those inspirations, thanks to the home she created for herself on a 120-acre ranch in the Colorado Rockies she purchased with her first book advance in 1993. Houston shares how this home has sustained and helped her heal from a horrific childhood (consider yourself trigger-warned) through a series of essays about the places, people and creatures that define her homestead.

are welcome. The third annual yard sale and raffle will take place Saturday, June 3, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Sandpoint Lions Club clubhouse (609 S. Ella Ave.).

To donate, contact Kim Smith: kim@idahopropertylistings.com or Chery Kochevar: cakochevar@ gmail.com.

Some of the best musicians are made even greater by their knack for collaboration. One of those artists is local guitar-slayer Benny Baker, who has for several years spearheaded a concert series on the back patio of Connie’s Cafe and invited local and regional talent to join him for gigs of all flavors.

Baker’s upcoming Connie’s show will be best paired with ta- cos and margaritas, as he provides the tunes for the restaurant’s Cinco de Mayo party. But, in true Baker fashion, the gig is billed as “Benny Baker and Friends” — because it’s the amigos around you who really make the holiday.

— Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey

6 p.m., FREE. Connie’s Lounge, 323 Cedar St., 208-2552227, conniescafe.net.

Sandpoint’s own Maya Goldblum, who performs under the moniker Queen Bonobo, has released a new single, titled “Queen” — her first new music in a few years. The genre-bending artist draws from themes from her personal life, travels and heartache to craft songs that live somewhere in the space between folk and jazz. With “Queen,” Goldblum leans a bit more to the jazz side of the equation, with an asymmetri- cal tune punctuated by a dark and cheerful stand-up bass by Jack Kelley, percussion by Dan Fields that builds and releases, layered with Goldblum’s unique, emotive voice.

The single heralds a new collection of originals that Goldblum said she’s preparing to release this spring.

—

Ben Olson

To listen for yourself, check out bit.ly/queen-queenbonobo

Singer-songwriter Chance Peña has a voice beyond his 23 years, which has captivated me in recent weeks. Texas-born and LA-based, I was surprised to find that Peña got his start on singing competition The Voice at age 15. Lucky for listeners, the early launch into the spotlight meant the artist tried many styles over the years; and, since 2021, seems to have landed on a soul-drenched acoustic sound that perfectly serves his sorrowful, silky voice. Tracks to try would be “In My Room” and “Sleep Deprivation.”

The best documentaries are able to draw on the perspectives of many to tell a worthy story: one that’s complex, like the people who lived it in real time. One such documentary is Waco: American Apocalypse, a three-part limited series on Netflix that’s garnered mixed reviews. For my two cents, the documentary does a good job of letting people from all angles of the iconic siege — from the surviving cult followers to the government officials directly involved — speak for themselves. Viewers are welcome to draw their own conclusions.