360 October 17 2013 full by Adams MultiMedia

McIntyre celebrates 10 years PAGE 3

Skagit Valley Herald Thursday October 17, 2013

Reviews

On Stage

Movies

Music: Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney Video Games: “NBA 2K14’

It’s Kiwanis Original Comedy Night on Saturday at the Lincoln Theatre

‘12 Years A Slave’ the year’s best?; MV native Caviezel stars in ‘Escape’

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Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

E2 - Thursday, October 17, 2013

NEW ON DVD THIS WEEK “Pacific Rim”: There’s a monstrous battle going on in “Pacific Rim,” and it has nothing to do with the giant robots (called Jaegers) and monsters (known as Kaiju) who trade blows throughout the film. The clash of the titans is between the fantastic vision of director Guillermo del Toro and the cookiecutter demands of a big summer blockbuster. The story goes for big emotional payoffs in the final act, but it’s so sentimental, you expect the robots to cry. “The Heat”: Not since Mel Gibson and Danny Glover traded jabs in the “Lethal Weapon” movies has there been such an entertaining partnership. Director Paul Feig gets the most out of his leads’ different comedy styles, using Sandra Bullock’s more controlled humor as a buffer for Melissa McCarthy’s often manic style. Feig travels no new ground with the buddy cop genre, but even the familiar feels fresh in the hands of McCarthy and Bullock. They feed off each other’s acting energy and give the movie its comic core. But they aren’t on their own. Feig’s loaded the movie with a sterling supporting cast. “Love Actually”: This sweet, funny and nearly perfect romantic comedy is being released in a special Blu-ray combo pack to mark the 10th anniversary. An all-star cast that includes Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and Andrew Lincoln make this story about the aspects of love actually an extremely easy movie to love. “Defiance: Season One”: The Syfy Channel series offers the most interesting look on television at humans dealing with aliens since “Alien Nation.” In this case, several alien races have come to Earth after their solar system is destroyed. Earth is having its own problems and the communities left — including the one where St. Louis once stood that’s now called Defiance — have to battle for survival. “The Fall, Series 1”: Detective (Gillian Anderson) is on the trail of a serial killer stalking the streets of Belfast. “Les Miserables”: The 1978 film version of the classic Victor Hugo novel. “The Pallisers: 40th Anniversary Edition”: Includes all 26 episodes of the British drama. “Movies 4 You: Western Film Collection”: Includes “Gunslinger,” “Man of the East,” “Pioneer Woman” and “Yuma.”

YOUR ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION GUIDE TO WHAT’S GOING ON IN SKAGIT COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS

Upcoming movie releases Following is a partial schedule of coming movies on DVD. Release dates are subject to change:

This Weekend

OCT. 22 The Conjuring - Warner The Internship - Fox The Way, Way Back - Fox

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OCT. 29 Monsters University - Disney R.I.P.D. - Universal

Skagit Opera presents “Rigoletto” on Friday and Sunday at McIntyre Hall in Mount Vernon

NOV. 5 Grown Ups 2 - Sony The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition - Warner White House Down - Sony NOV. 12 Man of Steel - Warner n McClatchy-Tribune News Service

“The New Three Stooges Complete Cartoon Collection”: Includes 156 cartoons and 40 live action shorts. “I Dream of Jeannie”: The 20-disc box set features all 139 episodes. “Thomas & Friends: 3-Movie Pack”: Hop on board for three adventure films. “The March”: New documentary honoring the 50th anniversary of the original March on Washington, D.C. “Gentle Ben: Season One”: Follows the adventures of a boy (Clint Howard) and his tame bear. “The Best of Jack Hanna”: Includes 30 episodes from “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild.” “Lost and Found”: Film is based on the bestselling children’s book by Oliver Jeffers. “Hitched for the Holidays”: A commitment-phobe is criticized by his family about his inability to keep a relationship through the holidays. “Exploding Sun”: First commercial space flight faces disaster. Julia Ormond stars. “Shrek The Musical”: Broadway production based on the movie. “Bewitched: The Complete Series”: Elizabeth Montgomery portrays the good-hearted witch. “The Partridge Family: The Complete Series”: All four seasons of the show about TV’s rock ‘n’ roll family. “Cinco de Mayo: La Batalla”: Film chronicles Mexico’s Battle of Puebla. “Ingenious”: Two friends search for the next big idea. n Rick Bentley, The Fresno Bee

Inside

SUBMISSIONS Email features@skagitpublishing.com, vrichardson@skagitpublishing. com (recreation items) Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday for the following Thursday edition Phone 360-416-2135 Hand-deliver 1215 Anderson Road Mount Vernon, WA 98274 Mailing address P.O. Box 578 Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Travel................................................6-7 Music, Video Game Reviews...........8-9 On Stage, Tuning Up....................10-11 Get Involved...................................... 12 Hot Tickets........................................ 14 Movie Reviews.................................. 16 Movie Listings, At the Lincoln......... 17 Out & About.................................18-19 COVER PHOTO BY SCOTT TERRELL / Skagit Valley Herald

Online events calendar To list your event on our website, visit goskagit.com and look for the Events Calendar on the home page HAVE A STORY IDEA? w For arts and entertainment, contact Features Editor Craig Parrish at 360-416-2135 or features@skagitpublishing.com w For recreation, contact staff writer Vince Richardson at 360-416-2181 or vrichardson@ skagitpublishing.com TO ADVERTISE 360-424-3251

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Thursday, October 17, 2013 - E3

COMMUNITY

Submitted photos

McIntyre Hall celebrates 10 years with gala auction Skagit Valley Herald staff

In celebration of the 10th anniversary season of McIntyre Hall, the â€œOur Name in Lightsâ€? gala auction will take place at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at the hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. In addition to dining, specialty drinks and entertainment, auction items include: a trip for two to New York City, including a Broadway show; a truffle-making class; getaway trips to Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop and Great Wolf Lodge; massages; and a ride over the Skagit Valley in a Cessna airplane. Proceeds will support the purchase of a marquee sign and needed capital improvements. Tickets are $100; seating is limited. For tickets or information, call 360-416-7727 or visit mcintyrehall.org.

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

E4 - Thursday, October 17, 2013

MOVIES

Versatile Cumberbatch plays Assange, over Assange’s protests By STEVEN REA The Philadelphia Inquirer

TORONTO — Over the last year, between work on the multitude of films and TV series Benedict Cumberbatch seems to be involved in (“12 Years a Slave,” “August: Osage County,” “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “Sherlock”), the British actor would find himself, now and Cumberbatch then, walking along Hans Crescent in the Knightsbridge section of London. He would pass the Embassy of Ecuador, not far from the fabled Harrods department store, and think about dropping in. Why not? He had a few thoughts he could share with Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who has been holed up inside the embassy — and whom Cumberbatch portrays in “The Fifth Estate.” “Sadly, I did not go in,” says the actor, having just run the red carpet for the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of his true-life cyber-thriller. “I would have liked to meet him. I don’t know whether he’d want to, though. And if it did happen, I hope it would be a very private event between two men who have been very oddly drawn together in this strange way.” When “The Fifth Estate” project was announced — adapted from the books “Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange and the World’s Most Dangerous Website” by

Director Bill Condon (left) talks with actor Benedict Cumberbatch on the set of “The Fifth Estate.” Dreamworks Pictures via AP

Daniel Domscheit-Berg and “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy” by British journalists David Leigh and Luke Harding — Assange contacted Cumberbatch and pleaded for him to beg off. Neither book portrays Assange in the most flattering light, and the Australian-born hackerturned-journo-trailblazer was not thrilled. “It’s no secret that we’ve communicated,” Cumberbatch says. “We exchanged emails at the beginning of the job. Not many. Basically him saying, ‘Please don’t do this film,’ and me saying, ‘This is why I feel it’s actually not a bad thing, and I do want to do this film.’ And that’s where that was left.

“I have a real care for him and his real-life situation, because it is very precarious. But this is a film, it’s not a documentary, it’s not a piece of legal evidence. It’s a dramatization of a certain account of events. There’s a lot of caveats there.” Directed by Bill Condon, “The Fifth Estate” — opening in theaters Friday — is a whirligig of a movie that traces Assange’s rise from Down Under upstart to whistle-blowing guru to an international hot potato caught in a sex scandal, and sought by several governments, including the United States, that were not pleased by the release of thousands of top-secret documents on his website. Along the way, Assange

seems to transform from idealist crusader to somewhat meglomaniacal and paranoid figure. Daniel Brühl, who plays Formula One racing legend Nicki Lauda in “Rush,” is Assange’s early ally-turneddisillusioned ex-WikiLeaks associate Domscheit-Berg. If you’ve seen Assange on YouTube, or in Alex Gibney’s “We Steal Secrets” documentary, and then you watch Cumberbatch in “The Fifth Estate,” the mannerisms, gait, rhythms of his speech, look in his eyes, even his dance moves (Assange is a terrible dancer) are dead-on. “There’s an intelligence, a charisma, which you can’t fake, and Assange has that, and Benedict has that, too,”

says Condon, the director of “Gods and Monsters,” “Kinsey” and a little two-part endeavor called “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.” “It’s a lot of work. That just doesn’t happen easily,” the director notes in a separate interview. “It’s not dissimilar to what I went through with Ian McKellen in ‘Gods and Monsters’ and Liam Neeson in ‘Kinsey’ — British actors who start on the outside and then move in. The first thing is the wig, and the teeth for Benedict, and the frock, and the voice, obviously, and then they go deeper and deeper and deeper.” Condon was also struck by the way his star handled the email entreaties from Assange.

“Just imagine you’ve got an actor who is that serious and who is already in the process, in rehearsals, and you’re about to start shooting — his job, which he takes very seriously, is to channel Assange, is to become Assange. He’s not Daniel Day-Lewis, but he did become that person,” Condon says. “So imagine you’re doing that, and then you open up your computer, and the person you’re channeling — your inner voice — is begging you not to do the film. It was a really unique circumstance that he was in, and I felt such compassion for him. … I thought it put a terrible, really unfair strain on Benedict.” For London-born Cumberbatch, 37, another reallife controversial figure is on the horizon: His next role is that of British cryptographer Alan Turing in a historical drama, “The Imitation Game.” Considered one of the fathers of artificial intelligence — and one of the genius codebreakers working in Britain’s fabled Bletchley Park during World War II — Turing was prosecuted in 1952 for being homosexual and forced to undergo chemical castration. Says the actor, “It’s a really powerful and beautiful, beautiful piece of writing, and he was an amazing human being, who is finally and rightfully getting some recognition for the great advances he made. “It’s devastating, really, what happened to him. It really makes you ashamed of a country, at that time, to do that to a man who was so instrumental in shortening the war by anything up to two years, and by doing so, saving millions of lives.”

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Thursday, October 17, 2013 - E5

THIS WEEKENDin the area ORGAN CONCERT, WORKSHOP Renowned organist Dan Miller will present a concert at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 301 S. 18th St., Mount Vernon. Miller will be the featured organist as the church dedicates the new Rodgers 588 organ recently installed in its sanctuary. A church organist since age 15, Miller majored in organ performance at the American Conservatory of Music and holds a Church Music diploma from Moody Bible Institute, a BFA from Florida Atlantic University and a Master of Music degree in organ performance from Winthrop University. Miller will conduct an organ workshop at 2 p.m. All organists are invited. A light supper will be served to participants. RSVP for supper to Donna at 360-428-0290.

‘Rigoletto’

MARITIME SPEAKER SERIES Jake Beattie, executive director of the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, will offer tales of the sea at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes. Beattie has been messing around with boats for most of his life, taking command of an El Toro sailboat at age 7 and spending summers sailing through the San Juans. After graduating from college, Jake pursued a life at sea that took him through three years of sailing as crew on tall ships, three years instructing in Outward Bound’s Seamanship programs and stints sailing commercially on coastal freighters and tugboats. Free. 360-293-1910, ext. 21, or library.cityofanacortes. org.

Skagit Opera presents “Rigoletto” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, at McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $15-$59. 360-360-416-7727 or mcintyrehall.org.

PUMPKIN PATCH & CORN MAZE

ORGAN CONCERT Burlington Lutheran Church, 134 Victoria Ave., Burlington, will host an Organ Concert and Hymn Sing featuring composer, organist and teacher David Dahl at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20. Dahl, an emeritus professor of music at Pacific Lutheran University as well as PLU Organist Emeritus, will perform in support of recent work done to refurbish the church’s pipe organ. A freewill offering will be collected following the concert, which will include pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms and Charles-Marie Widor, as well as several pieces composed by Dahl. 360-755-0729.

Yu Seok Oh is the title character and Courtney Ruckman is Gilda in “Rigoletto.” Michelle Doherty Photography

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Oct. 31, Foster’s Produce & Corn Maze, 5818 Highway 530 NE, Arlington. Enjoy u-pick pumpkins, “Pirate Ship Adventures” corn maze, animal barn, kids’ activities and more. Wagon rides and additional activities available for additional fees. Bring a flashlight and play in the spooky Night Maze and Giant Pumpkin Hunt from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturdays, Oct. 19 and 26. Free admission to the farm. Corn maze: $6, $25 family pass (six people), free for ages 4 and younger. Night maze: $8.50, $45 family pass. 360-4356516 or fosterscornmaze.com.

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

E6 - Thursday, October 17, 2013

TRAVEL

Louis Armstrong house marks 10 years as an NYC museum By ULA ILNYTZKY Associated Press

NEW YORK — To mark the 10th anniversary of the Louis Armstrong museum in the modest brick house where he lived for 28 years, curators are unveiling one of the jazz trumpeter’s most unusual artifacts — a plaster mask that had been stored in a cupboard for decades. Armstrong, who documented his career in unusual ways, had the life mask with a painted bronzepatina finish made in the 1950s. David Reese, curator of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, said it reveals creases on his forehead, bags under his eyes and scars on his lips from a lifetime of horn-playing. Museum officials still aren’t sure who made the mask, but a photo of Armstrong proudly holding it alongside an unidentified couple may provide clues. Armstrong must have been pleased with it because there are photos showing it hanging in the house at the top of the stairs. His two-story home in the Corona section of Queens is remarkably understated for the charismatic performer whose improvisational playing style and raspy singing won him fame as far back as the 1920s. The house and its furnishings, including a funky, blue wood-lacquered kitch-

Louis Armstrong’s life mask en, are virtually unchanged from when Armstrong lived there with his wife, Lucille, from 1943 to 1971, when he died from a heart attack in his bedroom at age 69. The man known as Satchmo could have lived in a house with “a pool in the shape of a trumpet” but chose to stay in the working-class neighborhood, said Michael Cogswell, director of the national and city landmark. “Louis wasn’t treated as a celebrity here,” Cogswell said. He could go to the corner barbershop and “wait his turn in line with the other men from the community.” When Armstrong’s bus would return from a tour, children from the block would help carry his trumpet and suitcases inside the house. “Then Lucille would fix up bowls of ice

ABOVE: The den at the Louis Armstrong House Museum in the Queens borough of New York. LEFT: A written note and eyeglasses belonging to Armstrong. Photos by Frank Franklin II / AP

Louis Armstrong House Museum Where: 34-56 107th St., Corona, Queens, New York Information: louis armstronghouse.org or 718-478-8274

cream for everybody, and they would watch Westerns together on TV,” Cogswell said. After Lucille died in 1983, Armstrong’s vast col-

lection of home-recorded tapes, photographs, scrapbooks and other material was donated to Queens College by the Louis Armstrong Educational

Cogswell said. “Louis was a pack rat.” Queens Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras said the museum has a longFoundation. It is the largstanding history “as being est publicly held archival a mini-mecca for jazz lovcollection devoted to a jazz ers” and that Armstrong’s musician in the world. “spirit and love of music is “The house was frozen still very much a part of the in time. It was stuffed,” community.”

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Thursday, October 17, 2013 - E7

TRAVEL Local travel

ABOVE: The mirrored bathroom at the Louis Armstrong House Museum. LEFT: Armstrong’s dressing room.

Along with the life mask, a 10th anniversary exhibition focuses on Armstrong’s six-week tour of South America in 1957. Armstrong was still reeling over the “Little Rock Nine” school integration crisis in Arkansas weeks earlier, and a photograph shows him in his Buenos Aires hotel room defi-

antly hanging up on the U.S. ambassador, who had asked him to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at that evening’s concert. Some 100,000 people have visited the museum since its opening. A new visitor and stateof-the-art multimedia exhibition center with a 72-seat jazz club across the street is

scheduled to open in 2016. The massive archive will be moved there, allowing its current exhibition space — the Armstrongs’ basement recreation room — to return to the way it looked originally. “We want to be in our own way the Graceland of New York City,” Cogswell said.

for ages 12 and older (adult supervision required for ages 18 and younger). Trips depart from and return to Hillcrest Park, MARITIME SPEAKER SERIES: “5,000 1717 S. 13th St., Mount Vernon. For inforIslands, 18-Foot Boat: A Bangka Trip mation or to register, call 360-336-6215. Through the Philippines”: 4 p.m. Saturday, Next up: Oct. 19, Anacortes Public Library, 1220 10th St., Anacortes. Jake Beattie, executive Reifel Bird Sanctuary and Historic Steveston Village: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. director of the Northwest Maritime Center Sunday, Oct. 27. Check out one of the top in Port Townsend, presents the adventures bird-watching sites in the heart of the Fraser of two Northwesterners who bought a “bangka” (outrigger canoe) and traveled for River estuary, home to some 268 species of birds. Then head over to the historic watera month through the Philippine island provfront town of Steveston, with shops, cafes ince of Palawan. Adding to the adventure, and a picturesque boardwalk. Passport, the $600, 18-foot canoe was powered by enhanced driver’s license or NEXUS card a lawnmower engine. Free. 360-293-1910, required to cross the border. Ages 12 and ext. 21, or library.cityofanacortes.org. older. $67-$69. Preregister by Oct. 21. Bakeries and Spices and Goodies, Oh TRAVEL TALK: Learn about guided tour options with Trafalgar at 6 p.m. Wednesday, My!: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16. Nov. 13, at AAA Travel, 1600 E. College Way, Visit some of the best rated bakeries in the Northwest, out-of-the-way food and spice Suite A, Mount Vernon. Free. RSVP: 360stores and a variety of diverse and interest848-2090. ing shops specializing in imported delicacies, organic products and more. Ages 12 SENIOR CENTER TRIPS: Skagit County and older. $55-$57. Preregister by Nov. 8. senior centers offer short, escorted trips departing from and returning to local senior centers. For information, call the Anacortes EXTENDED TRIPS: The Oak Harbor Senior Center is organizing several small-group Senior Center at 360-293-7473 or sign up trips for 2014: San Antonio in March, Scotat your local senior center. Next up: land in June, Trains of Colorado in July and LeMay-America’s Car Museum, Tacoma New England in September. Trips will depart Waterfront & Brown and Haley Candies: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13. Tour from Oak Harbor/Mount Vernon. Contact Pat LeMay’s 9-acre campus and four-story muse- Gardner at pgardner@oakharbor.org. um, which holds one of the world’s largest STANWOOD SENIOR CENTER TRIPS: The collections of vintage, custom and classic motor vehicles. Then enjoy lunch and shop- Stanwood Senior Center offers occasional trips around the Puget Sound area and ping on the Tacoma waterfront and a stop beyond, departing from and returning to the at the Brown and Haley Candy Store, home of world-famous Almond Roca and Mountain center, 7430 276th St. NW, Stanwood. For information or reservations, contact Sandy Bars. $69. Register by Nov. 6. Kitchens at 360-629-7403. “New Day Northwest,” Bothell’s Country Village and Seattle Times: 8 a.m. to 5:30 PASSPORT APPLICATIONS: The Anacortes p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. Watch a live taping of KING-5’s “New Day Northwest,” a visit to Public Library accepts passport applicaBothell’s historic Country Village Shops, notions from noon to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and host lunch and a private tour of the Seattle Wednesdays, and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays at 1220 10th St., Anacortes. Passport forms Times North Creek printing facility. $54. and information on fees and how to apply Register by Nov. 14. are available at travel.state.gov, or pick up The Blind Boys of Alabama at Benaroya Hall: 3:30 to 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17. an application and passport guide at the The Blind Boys of Alabama perform “Go Tell library. The Oak Harbor Senior Center accepts It On The Mountain,” their Grammy-winning passport applications, by appointment, from Christmas show. $85. Register by Dec. 2. 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 51 SE Jerome St., Oak Harbor. 360-279 SHORT TRIPS: Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation offers travel opportunities 4580.

Haunted Forest

Ticket Sales begin at 7pm Haunting begins at 7:30pm

October 25-30 Hillcrest Park Tickets $10/Person

Tickets pre-purchased by 10/24/13 at 5pm are $8 Not recommended for children younger than 10 years old Contact MVPR for tickets or more information 360.336.6215

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E8 - Thursday, October 17, 2013

REVIEWS MUSIC CDS Compiled from news services

Pearl Jam

“Lightning Bolt” Pearl Jam’s “Lightning Bolt” is a rock jukebox set to shuffle. The Seattle survivors’ 10th studio album is erratically paced and skips from punk rock attacks to power ballads to AOR offerings in a schizophrenic playlist. Recorded over two years with longtime collaborator Brendan O’Brien and with four songwriters writing independently, it’s no surprise the LP often feels like a compilation album rather than a fully realized collection. Like its 2009 predecessor “Backspacer,” “Lightning Bolt” kicks off with three stadium-leveling belters. The solid “Getaway” is piggybacked by furiously kinetic first single “Mind Your Manners” — a close cousin to the band’s 1994 track “Spin the Black Circle” — and accusatory scream-along “My Father’s Son.” Then comes “Sirens,” a slow-burning torch song built around the importance of love in the face of mortality. This is the most unashamedly sentimental song the band has ever released and stands to become a first-dance fixture at weddings across the globe. Equally surprising is state-of-the-nation address “Infallible,” which somehow manages to ape both the keyboard line from The Dead Weather’s “Treat Me Like Your Mother” and the melodic line from Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”. Elsewhere, there’s the Eddie Vedderpenned title track and “Swallowed Whole” — two enjoyable, mid-tempo rockers about the majesty of nature — and the ethereal “Pendulum”, which marries echo-laden, snaking guitar work and a whispered, conspiratorial vocal to stunning effect. Sadly, “Lightning Bolt” loses its spark during its closing quartet, including hackneyed stomper “Let The Records Play” (lyrics include, “With the volume up, he goes and fills his cup and lets the drummer’s drum take away the pain”) and ballads “Sleeping By Myself,” “Yellow Moon” and “Future Days” — tracks that will provide plenty of opportunities for fans to trek to the bar at their upcoming gigs. n Matthew Kemp, Associated Press

Paul McCartney “New”

Great, just what the world needs: more enthusiasm for something Beatles-related. It’s a little tiresome, after all, this relentless fawning. Seems like every fiscal quarter something else pops up: an anniversary, reissue, Cirque du Soleil production, documentary, or surprising new solo album. Can’t we give it a rest and focus on, say, the Kinks, James Brown or Pulp for a while? Not while a Beatle’s still making records as consistent and well-crafted as “New.” With peaks as high as any music he’s done this century and nary a valley as low as “Silly Love Songs,” “Let ‘Em In,” “Ob-LaDi, Ob-La-Da” or his oft-treacly last record of standards, “Kisses on the Bottom,” Paul McCartney’s latest studio album is pretty darn good. Thirteen songs (a dozen plus a hidden track) that move from hard rock to gentle balladry to new wave-inflected pop-rock, McCartney at age 71 balances past and present, memory and the future, distortion and clarity, notions of new and old, on “New.” Tinged with nostalgia, the songwriter has made a record that sounds contemporary but not desperately so, one that suggests his work with the Beatles but not reductively so. That’s in large part because of his choice of producers: Paul Epworth (Adele), Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse), Ethan Johns (Laura Marling, Ray LaMontagne) and Giles Martin (Beatles “Love” remix) bring four sets of young ears and highlight McCartney’s many moods. At one extreme are the rockers, which roll with classic momentum worthy of “Jet” or “Back in the U.S.S.R.” and suggest McCartney perhaps held a seance or two to connect with his riskier past. In an earlier, less fragmented landscape, the title track would be as big a hit as anything in Macca’s voluminous arsenal. A joyful ode to crushes and the ways in which they rewire life, it features not only a singalong chorus but also, as a coda, a nod to the Beach Boys and classic doo-wop. “Alligator” delivers background harpsichord and a guitar line worthy of “Day Tripper,” with the singer expressing a desire for

“someone who can save me when I come home from the zoo/ I need somebody who’s a sweet communicator I can give my alligator to.” A sneaky synthetic rhythm drives “Road,” a song rich with mesmerizing landscapes of twinkles, strums, bass and harmony. “Queenie Eye” rolls with piano-bouncy momentum suggesting “Lady Madonna,” with elaborate arrangements. Produced by Epworth, the song offers structural adventure worthy of “Band on the Run,” weird in that uniquely McCartneyian way. At the other end of the spectrum are the softer ballads on “New.” “Early Days,” produced by Johns, to me suggests another Beatle’s work, at least musically: George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass.” With a delicate minor-key strum, McCartney sings of flipping through records, “hair slicked back with Vaseline like the pictures on the wall of the local record shop,” discovering rock ‘n’ roll with John Lennon by “hearing noises we were destined to remember.” McCartney’s weakness has long been a certain cloyingness, a sense that he’s telegraphing positivity. He’s an optimist, which can be annoying for us cynics not either melodic geniuses or worth hundreds of millions of dollars. His sing-song phrasing too can get a bit tiresome; “On My Way to Work” is set in his youth while riding a “big green bus” and looking at a nudie mag and features some pretty rocky wording but offers instantly hummable melodic beauty. Cynicism, though, is no match for an inspired McCartney. “Looking at Her,” a midtempo ballad about the power and perils of beauty, lands in that sweet spot between the personal and universal that typifies the composer’s best songs.

“Skin and Bones” present a folk version of rock’s wall-of-sound approach. Instead of a nuanced give and take between banjo and guitar and drums, we get them all at once, side by side, vying for attention. With proper mixing it works on these hardenedheart love songs. Things work up to a glorious crescendo on several tracks, going from simmer to boil on “Another is Waiting,” though it’s worth noting that the sizzle on “Magpie” is mostly thanks to strong instrumentals. The group lacks a strong lead vocalist. Both Scott and Seth Avett can sing, but not convincingly enough to mesmerize the listener because of it. All in all, this is pleasant listening and the songs stick in the head. n Ron Harris, Associated Press

Scotty McCreery

“See You Tonight”

The first “American Idol” victor born in the 1990s, Scotty McCreery turned 20 the week before releasing “See You Tonight,” his follow-up to 2011’s platinum debut, “Clear As Day.” The former church choir boy quickly establishes how much he has matured, opening his album with a rocking party tune, “Now,” and an urgent late-night booty call to his girlfriend on the title cut. McCreery co-wrote those two songs and three others — his first cuts as a songwriter, another sign of his artistic maturation. His growth also comes across in the subtle n Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times inflections he brings to “Feel Good Summer Song,” a heartbreaker that requires some complexity in its vocal delivery and in The Avett the blend of pain and desire that the lyrics Brothers require. “Magpie and At this point, the North Carolina native’s the Dandelion” baritone no longer sounds like a novelty, and he doesn’t push the low tones as perThe evolving sistently. Sounding more relaxed, McCreery definition of folk combines the traditional aspects of heroes music currently Josh Turner and Randy Travis with concarries a little bit temporary touches brought in by producer of rock, a little bit of reverb and a few other Frank Rogers (Brad Paisley, Darius Rucknontraditional flavors thrown in the stew. er). The result shows McCreery moving into It’s all being well received and The Avett a style of his own that should win him fans Brothers’ new album “Magpie and the Danbeyond the “Idol” fan base. delion” should be no exception. Songs like “Open Ended Life” and n Michael McCall, Associated Press

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

Thursday, October 17, 2013 - E9

REVIEWS VIDEO GAMES Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard News Service

‘NBA 2K14’

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Genre: Sports Publisher: 2K Sports ESRB Rating: E, for Everyone Grade: 3.5 stars (out of 5) For a franchise experiencing exactly zero competition at the moment (“NBA Live” returns from hiatus when the new consoles roll out), you can’t fault 2K Sports from reveling in the moment as king of the pro-hoops mountain. Others have gone the arcade route and done street-ball games featuring pro players, but no one can compete with how the “NBA 2K” series simulates hard-court action. The folks at 2K continue to tweak and alter the gameplay to create as lifelike an experience as possible. In this edition, the game goes all-in on the dual-stick dribbling and movement it flirted with last year. Fully committing to it means players hit the lane and attempt spin moves, upand-under shots and floaters with more realism than ever. Plays unfold in incredible ways: I hit a teammate breaking for the hoop on a backdoor run during a broken play and it was exactly what I wanted him to do,

but it wasn’t drawn up. Considering that in real life this guy is more prone to just stand and stare hoping some form of magic occurs, it was refreshing to see the artificial intelligence read the situation and respond better than a real-life counterpart. This level of freedom and movement from players makes the games flow in an exciting new way. After several years of living the Michael Jordan experience in this franchise, his greatness steps aside to let the king take the spotlight. LeBron James gets a gameplay mode all his own, with two paths to direct him toward NBA immortality. One path keeps James in Miami to continue building a dynasty in South Beach, while the other route sends him to another team as a free agent. The mode remains fascinating, no matter which way you go. The in-game commentary gets better each year. The trio of Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr offers insights to the teams and individual players. But after about a dozen or so games, you likely will want to blast some music rather than listen to them drone on. Arenas continue to improve from a lighting and interactivity standpoint, with games looking more like broadcasts and less like digital facsimiles. Overall, the game has pushed hardware and software limits as much as it can before the new consoles dramatically shift our perceptions of what is possible in video-game visuals. If you plan to wait before jumping into the Xbox One or PS4, know that “NBA 2K14” won’t disappoint you through this next NBA season. n Follow Chris Campbell at twitter.com/ campbler or email him at game_on_games@ mac.com.

Video game releases The following games are among those scheduled for release this week, according to Gamestop.com: n Skylanders SWAP Force (Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3; rated E10+) n Cabela’s African Adventures (Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360; rated T) n Valhalla Knights 3 (PS Vita; rated M) n Wipeout: Create and Crash (Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox 360; rated E10+) n Cradle of Egypt 2 (Nintendo 3DS; rated E) n Girls Fashion Shoot (Nintendo 3DS; rated E) n Lexington Herald-Leader (Lexington, Ky.)

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E10 Thursday, October 17, 2013

Thursday, October 17, 2013 E11

Skagit Valley Herald / goskagit.com

ON STAGE in the Skagit Valley and surrounding area October 17-24

TUNING UP Playing at area venues October 17-24 THURSDAY.17 Cheryl Hodge: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $5. 360-4453000.

Sera Cahoone, Jake Hemming and Kat Bula: Paul Klein (blues, rock): 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Jansen Art Center Piano Lounge, 321 Front Bellingham. $8-$10. 360-778-1067. St., Lynden. No cover. 360-354-3600.

FRIDAY.18 Blue Sky Riders (Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman and Gary Burr): 8 p.m., Pacific Showroom, Skagit Valley Casino Resort, 5984 N. Darrk Lane, Bow. $45-$55. theskagit.com or ticketmaster.com/ venue/123497.

MITCH BURROW

FRIDAY.18

TAMMY PESCATELLI

BABY GRAMPS (pictured), PETUNIA AND THE VIPERS 8 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/ Main, Conway. $15. 360-445-3000.

SATURDAY.19 KIWANIS ORIGINAL COMEDY NIGHT Mitch Burrow, Drew Barth and Tammy Pescatelli, 8 p.m., Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St., Mount Vernon. $16. Proceeds benefit local Kiwanis programs. 360-336-8955 or lincolntheatre.org.

DREW BARTH

Thursday.17

Saturday.19

Sunday.20

Wednesday.23

THEATER

COMEDY

OPERA

THEATER

“Little Shop of Horrors”: comedy/ horror/musical, 7:30 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-293-6829 or acttheatre.com.

Friday.18 COMEDY

Comedy Nite: Big Sean Larkins, Sweeng-One and Randall Ragsdale, 8 p.m., H2O, 314 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. $10 at the door. 360-755-3956.

OPERA

“Rigoletto”: Skagit Opera, 7:30 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $15-$59. 360 360-4167727 or mcintyrehall.org.

THEATER

“Little Shop of Horrors”: comedy/ horror/musical, 8 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-293-6829 or acttheatre.com.

Kiwanis Original Comedy Night: Mitch Burrow, Drew Barth and Tammy Pescatelli, 8 p.m., Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St., Mount Vernon. $16. Proceeds benefit local Kiwanis programs. 360-3368955 or lincolntheatre.org.

IMPROV

Whidbey Improv Team: 8 p.m., Click Music, 1130 NE Seventh Ave., Oak Harbor. $5. whidbeyimprovteam@gmail.com.

THEATER

“Little Shop of Horrors”: comedy/ horror/musical, 8 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-293-6829 or acttheatre.com.

VAUDEVILLE

1st Street Follies presents “The Back Alley Cats”: 8 p.m., 1st Street Cabaret & Speakeasy, 612 S. First St., Mount Vernon. $5 cover. 360-336-3012 or riverbelledinnertheatre.com.

“Rigoletto”: Skagit Opera, 3 p.m., McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. $15-$59. 360 416-7727 or mcintyrehall.org.

THEATER

“Little Shop of Horrors”: comedy/ horror/musical, 2 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-293-6829 or acttheatre.com.

Tuesday.22 THEATER

“The Addams Family”: Sedro-Woolley High School Drama Troupe, 7 p.m., S-WHS Theater, 1235 Third St., SedroWoolley. Pay-what-you-can. 360-8553510.

Dueling Divas: Karina Mitchell and Ria Peth Vanderpool, 8 p.m., 1st Street Cabaret & Speakeasy, 612 S. First St., Mount Vernon. $5 cover. 360-336-3012.

The Sardines: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon. 360-422-6411.

Baby Gramps, Petunia and The Vipers: 8 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $15. 360-445-3000.

Blue Sky Riders (Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman and Gary Burr): 8 p.m., Pacific Showroom, Skagit Valley Casino Resort, 5984 N. Darrk Lane, Bow. $45-$55. theskagit. com or ticketmaster. com/venue/123497.

The Sardines: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Big Lake Bar & Grill, 18247 Highway 9, Mount Vernon. 360-422-6411.

Rivertalk (world beat, reggae, rock): 8 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $10. 360-445-3000.

“The Addams Family”: Sedro-Woolley High School Drama Troupe, 7 p.m., S-WHS Theater, 1235 Third St., SedroWoolley. $5-$8. 360-855-3510. “Little Shop of Horrors”: comedy/ horror/musical, 7:30 p.m., Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave., Anacortes. $20. 360-293-6829 or acttheatre.com.

SUNDAY.20 GREAT BIG SEA 7:30 p.m. Mount Baker Theater, 104 N Commercial St., Bellingham. $29.50-$35. mountbakertheatre.com, 360-733-5793.

Great Big Sea: 7:30 p.m. Mount Baker Theater, 104 N Commercial St., Bellingham. $29.50-$35. mountbaker theatre.com, 360-733-5793.

Brian Lee and the Orbiters: 7:30 p.m., H2O, 314 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360-755-3956.

The Dogtones: 9 p.m. Smokewagon: 8:30 JD Hobson Band: to 1 a.m., Skagit Valp.m., Max Dale’s 9:30 p.m., Brown ley Casino Resort, Martini Lounge, 2030 Lantern Ale House, Winners Lounge, Riverside Drive, 412 Commercial Ave., 5984 N. Darrk Lane, Mount Vernon. No Anacortes. 360-293Bow. No cover. cover. 360-424-7171 2544. 877-275-2448. or maxdales.com.

SUNDAY.20 THEATER

Jenny & The Tomcats: 7 to 10 p.m., Mount Vernon Elks, 2120 Market St., Mount Vernon. 360-848-8882.

CC Adams Band featuring Mary Ellen Lykins: 9 p.m., Conway Pub & Eatery, 18611 Main St., Conway. 360-445-4733.

SATURDAY.19

“The Addams Family”: Sedro-Woolley High School Drama Troupe, 7 p.m., S-WHS Theater, 1235 Third St., SedroWoolley. $5-$8. 360-855-3510.

Thursday.24

Red Fang, Helms Alee, Gaytheist: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $12-$15. 360-778-1067.

Knut Bell & The Blue Collars: 5 to 9 p.m., Conway Pub & Eatery, 18611 Main St., Conway. $3 cover. 360445-4733.

Gary B’s Church of the Blues (blues, classic rock): 6 to 10 p.m., Castle Tavern, 708 Metcalf St., Sedro-Woolley. 360-8552263.

Jenny and the Tomcats: 5:30 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-766-6266.

The Walrus: 8:30 p.m., Edison Inn, 5829 Cains Court, Edison. 360-766-6266. Michael Gonzalez: 6 p.m., Jansen Art Center Firehall Cafe, 321 Front St., Lynden. No cover. 360-3543600.

TUESDAY.22

WEDNESDAY.23

THURSDAY.24

Church of Misery, Saviours, Wizard Rifle: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $8-$10. 360-778-1067.

Fidalgo Swing: 6 to 9 p.m., Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes. 360588-1720.

Randy Norris and Jeff Nicely: 7:30 p.m., Conway Muse, 18444 Spruce/Main, Conway. $7. 360-445-3000.

CC Adams Band featuring Mary Ellen Lykins: 9 p.m., Longhorn Saloon & Grill, 5754 Cains Court, Edison. 360-766-6330.

Sarah In The Wild, The Shrugs: 10 p.m., The Shakedown, 1212 N. State St., Bellingham. $5. 360778-1067.

Steve Rudy (jazz): 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Jansen Art Center Piano Lounge, 321 Front St., Lynden. No cover. 360-354-3600.