FEB. 26 - MARCH 4, 2015 | FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE

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PASCO’S ‘FERGUSON’ MOMENT

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INSIDE FEB. 26-MARCH 4, 2015 | VOL. 22, NO. 19

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COMMENT | BOISE

Minding Your Money

FAMILY LAW • Divorce • Spousal Maintenance / Alimony • Child Support Modiﬁcations • Parenting Plans AUTO INJURY • CIVIL LITIGATION

Pay close attention: The Idaho Statehouse is delving into the financial details of Medicaid, roads and state taxes BY MARY LOU REED Craig Mason

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hat’s brewing in the Idaho legislature — that inscrutable, unpredictable devil’s workshop? Are the legislators stirring up a medical health stew by adding millions of federal dollars to the state economy, and incidentally creating jobs and saving Idaho lives? The Idaho Medical Association reports that there actually is support building in the legislature for the newly minted Healthy Idaho Plan, even among legislators who have resisted redesigning Medicaid. Can it be that Republican legislators are waking up to the sheer size of the federal offering that they are letting slip through their fingers? The benefits to rejoining the Union are many: An estimated 104,000 additional low-income Idahoans would be covered by medical insurance, and the $173 million in state money to be saved annually is not mere bubble gum. That could be a useful addition to the public school appropriation. Because of Idaho’s very strange system of paying for large medical bills through county indigent programs, Idaho counties would save $1.275 million of property tax money over a 10year period under the proposed Healthy Idaho Plan. That would bring good news to property taxpayers as well as the medically needy.

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he legislature does appear to be taking seriously the reports from the Department of Transportation that Idaho’s roads and bridges are in desperate need of repair. Legislators are told that there is a $281 million funding gap between money in hand and money needed to fix the ruts and keep the thousands of miles of highways safe across our sprawling state. To meet the road-mending crisis, several transportation bills are in the pipeline. The gasoline tax was set at 25 cents a gallon in 1996 and hasn’t been raised since. Almost 20 years later, the most straightforward bill would simply raise the gas tax 8 cents a gallon. This traditional approach appropriately treats the gasoline tax as a user tax, which drivers on the roads should continue to pay. Also circulating is a nefarious plan to do away with the graduated income tax, raise the general sales tax to 7 cents, eliminate the sales tax on groceries and use the $150 million from the sales tax increase to fill the roads-and-bridges money gap. In that plan, a flat 6.6 percent income tax would be leveled on all non-elderly Idaho citizens. According to the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy, flattening the tax on personal and corporate income would raise the tax for all but the top 5 percent of Idaho’s earners. The present graduated income tax already favors higher earners. Flattening the income tax would give the top 1 percent of Idaho’s earners,

whose income is more than $427,400 per year, a windfall of nearly $5,000 in saved income tax payments. Ninety-five percent of Idaho’s working citizens would be hit with a tax increase. Why give not just a tax break, but a big tax break, to the rich? Since it’s a tax shift, the tax burden is simply moved to the lower- and middle-earning groups. Such a shift would not generate additional money. The $150 million would be produced by the cent increase in the sales tax. Dedicating $150 million to maintaining roads and bridges is a poorly disguised attempt to justify the tax gift to the LETTERS wealthy. Send comments to Please beeditor@inlander.com. lieve me when I call this a bad, bad, bad idea! Idahoans — please send your legislators a strong message of opposition to flattening the income tax, along with your support for a Medicaid redesign.

n the let-us-not-forget record: The fact the Idaho House State Affairs Committee finally held a hearing on the Add The Words issue did not earn them any stars in their crowns. Every Republican on the committee voted against the measure to add statutory protection for the sadly vulnerable group of Idahoans who fall into the category of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The request has been to simply add four words to the Human Rights section of the Idaho Code — “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” Our gay friends and countless individuals across Idaho will continue to have no legal protection from discrimination in the workplace and the marketplace, or in housing. So the two days of emotional testimony in the statehouse turned out to be an empty exercise, a bone tossed to the hungry crowd, a tease. But the stories of mistreatment, physical danger, injustice and bullying of gay and transgender couples and individuals touched even the coldest of hearts. Let’s hope that Add the Words advocates will keep on trying until new, younger legislators see the need for equal treatment for all. In time, the Idaho Code should reflect the will of the majority of Idahoans who now support adding the four simple, star-crossed words. As Martin Luther King reminded us: A time will come when “Justice will run down like water.” n

COMMENT | PUBLISHER’S NOTE

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“I

t surprises you,” observes Myron Medcalf in a recent story posted on ESPN.com. “You fly over ragged shacks, spruce trees and barren fields on your way into Spokane… “And then you land and realize you’ve been tricked. You step outside to walk along the sunkissed Spokane River during an unseasonably warm afternoon — past Riverfront Park — and then you’re enthralled by the glory of the Spokane Falls. … You stand on a bridge above the bubbling falls and its mist tickles your eyebrows and your fancy. The snow-capped peaks of Mount Spokane wink at you from afar as the cloud cover wallows above. “Who knew Spokane, Washington, packed this splendor?” Medcalf parachuted in to write about why, oh why, Mark Few seems content to coach the No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs out in this remote outpost of “ragged shacks,” trees that look like “spruce” (actually, they’re pine) and all those “barren fields” we like to call farms. Medcalf found his answer: Coach Few loves to fish, and in Spokane it’s all about the water. Still, Medcalf might as well be the quintessential first-time visitor. I always love hearing those impressions, and with the falls running high, it seems Spokane blew him away. The Spokane River is also the crucial feature to the just-opened expansion to the Spokane Convention Center. The 92,000-square-foot expansion takes the total up to 750,000 square feet and connects the two sides of the existing center. It also better connects the whole facility to the river, with huge windows and new outdoor spaces. “It brings the outside in, and the inside out,” says Cheryl Kilday, CEO of Visit Spokane, which markets the convention center to meeting planners all over the world. “The river’s a huge selling point.” At the grand opening Tuesday, the buzz was that the project has finally realized its full, beautiful potential. Already a success — 1.2 million visitors in 2014, with an annual economic impact of $173 million — Kilday says she is slammed with new leads from meeting planners who needed the additional space to even consider Spokane as an option. In Mayor David Condon’s remarks, he gave credit to voters for their ongoing vision. The Spokane Convention Center has been built on a series of votes, each made possible by delivering on previous promises. In the process, the Public Facilities District has earned the public trust, while the community gets more comfortable pooling our resources to build a better city and region. Now we’re ready to welcome even bigger events and conventions — not to mention the occasional sportswriter who wants to see what all the fuss is about.  JEN SORENSON CARTOON

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COMMENT | ENVIRONMENT

CALEB WALSH ILLUSTRATION

The Year of the (Mountain) Goat It’s time to protect the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness BY JOHN T. REUTER

ast Thursday, Feb. 19, was Chinese New Year and so began the Year of the Goat. According to my research (i.e., the first couple of websites that showed up on a quick Google search, particularly chinahighlights.com), people born in this year are said to strongly prefer work-

ing in groups and is it particularly important for them to “get out among nature and commune with the great outdoors.” Stretching across the border of North Idaho and Montana exists exactly the kind of place that if you were born in the Year of the Goat (i.e., 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003) you might want to explore: the Scotchman Peaks.

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The Scotchman Peaks include the highest point in Bonner County, Idaho, at 7,009 feet and offer the best panoramic views of Lake Pend Oreille. They include 88,000 acres of roadless, wild country — where generations of local people, including this columnist, have enjoyed hiking, snowshoeing, fishing, hunting and camping. The area offers key habitat for grizzly bear, deer, elk, trout, wolverines and, perhaps most important, mountain goats. The unofficial mascot of the area is a mountain goat by the name of Mr. Scotchman. Mountain goats are a common sight at the top of Scotchman Peak. They are majestic creatures who have sure footing on the mountain’s steep, often icy cliffs. These bearded, two-horned beasts can only be found in North America, but are as wild and special as anything that can be found on the most remote African safari. For more than a decade, the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness have been working to protect this area. They just surpassed 5,000 members, and out of those there must be at least a few people who were born in the Year of the Goat. In fact, if my cursory Internet research is correct, a few have to be in leadership positions, because clearly the Friends thrive working as a group and care deeply about the outdoors. It’s a good thing they exist and are growing, because the Scotchman Peaks have no guarantee of continued protection. Even though they represent some of the best of the wild lands left in America, Congress has not yet declared them a Wilderness Area. It’s time for that to change. The Forest Service recently adopted a revised Land Management Plan for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, which included a recommendation for a wilderness designation for the Scotchman Peaks. This move was supported not only by conservationists, but logging and mining companies and local leaders across the political spectrum. It’s that obvious that this area deserves protection, and with the new management plan, now is the time to act. Go and check out this special area for yourself (find more information how to get there at scotchmanpeaks. org). Climb to the top of Scotchman Peak and look out over those 88,000 acres. Then write your U.S. representatives and senators and call on them to protect it. Let’s make this the Year of the Mountain Goat and secure this wild area for generations to come. It’s time to declare the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. n

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Mosey On In, You’re Part of History BY LAURA JOHNSON

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JESSIE SPACCIA ILLUSTRATION

he Moezy Inn Tavern is the sort of dimly brown leather jacket and tosses his cream-colored lit hole-in-the-wall joint where people cowboy hat, revealing tufts of white hair. know one another. They’re here tonight “That was great,” declares Pam, a 15-year because they’re always here. Women, without regular donning a black Moezy Inn Tavern Tshame, burp loudly after taking swigs from their shirt. “Just no stripping again, OK?” Busch Light cans. Dogs often accompany their The dipping ceiling and wood-paneled owners. Old men, the kind who’ll take a taxi walls within this moss-green building on North home tonight, offer to buy half pitchers of BudMonroe Street have been here since the Moezy weiser for grandmothers across the horseshoeInn Beer Parlor first started serving in 1945. shaped bar. The bartender kisses a patron good Current co-owner Jeremy Huston, sitting at his night, out of respect and admiration. There are bar tonight, recalls a time, maybe 10 years back, no bros or bearded beer snobs. No one puts on when three World War II vets stopped in. any airs. “They said they visited this place right Folks have nicknames when after the war was over — they full names aren’t given. There’s D I S T I L L E D couldn’t believe how much it bartender Chief Running Late; his hadn’t changed,” he says. A SHOT OF LIFE stitched baseball cap even says so. The building has stood There’s Cross-eyed Rich, the kind here since 1900, watching of cowboy who still goes fishing for his dinner, various creatures come and go. Huston says even in the winter. The scarily lifelike statue in it originally served as a blacksmith shop and the Seahawks poncho taking up a stool up front? stables for horses used at the nearby Corbin That’s Flo. Park racetrack. But in 1929 (when Spokane city Some days of the week are designated as records began noting by address), Lansdown poker or dart tournaments. In the summer there Grocers held the property. It wouldn’t be remade are tricycle races and potlucks out back. Tonight, as a bar until 1940. Through its 115 years on the it’s Saturday and that means karaoke. planet, the location has simply provided for its Rich ambles over to the karaoke station and neighborhood. readies for his song. It’s now Houston’s turn at the microphone. “I don’t know if I can sing right now. I had He launches into the barely-a-minute-long Cheers a minor heart attack last night,” he says, into the theme song. microphone. “Making your way in the world today takes “Shut the hell up, Rich, and sing,” someone everything you’ve got. … You want to go where shouts. everybody knows your name.” He warbles into George Jones’ “He Stopped It gets a little bit quieter in the house. Loving Her Today.” He peels off his chocolate “Nailed it!” someone hollers. 

CULTURE | DIGEST

THEATER THE NERD W

e in the Inland Northwest are spoiled by the quality of our amateur theater. None of the actors at the Civic (upstairs or down), The Blue Door, Ignite!, The Modern Coeur d’Alene or Stage Left see a cent from their performances, and yet we as audiences are treated time and time again to productions that fulfill, in whole or in part, professional-level expectations. Over time it’s enough to make you forget that these venues were intended as creative outlets for ardent hobbyists and training grounds for those with career ambitions. The Nerd, unfortunately, comes like an elbow to the ribs in that regard. Hannah Paton makes her directorial debut at The Modern with this play about an annoying houseguest who’s oblivious to having overstayed his welcome. Her touch is far too light, the steadying guy-wires dangerously slack, allowing the production to wobble in a way that’s detrimental to pace, tenor and characterization from the moment the house lights dim. Sean Curran combines Garth from Wayne’s World and Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters to create a supremely irritating Rick Steadman, the titular nerd. His nasal voice, roller-coaster vowels, stooped shoulders and jutting hips embody pretty much everything you’d hope for in the character. The snag — largely a result of Larry Shue’s script — is that the rest of the cast, including architect Willum Cubbert (Brandon Montang) and love interest Tansy McGinnis (Jessii Arp), function more like living props to react to Steadman than as people in their own right. If that sounds vaguely sitcom-like (Urkel, anyone?), that’s because much of the humor in The Nerd rests on inane, overthe-top setups and gags that ache for a laugh track to signal the desired audience response. There are elements here that Shue

Brandon Montang (left) and Sean Curray in The Nerd. DAN BAUMBER PHOTO would later refine in The Foreigner to much greater effect, but this play doesn’t showcase him at his best; the same, sadly, has to be said of The Modern and this production of The Nerd. — E.J. IANNELLI The Nerd • Through March 8: Thu-Sat, 7:30 pm; Sun, 2 pm • $13-$21 • The Modern Theater Coeur d’Alene • 1320 E. Garden Ave. • 455-PLAY • themoderntheater.org

DIGITS SPORTS

That’s how many points Kyle Wiltjer dropped on Pacific last Thursday in Gonzaga’s 86-74 win. The junior transfer demolished his previous career high, hitting seven of 10 threepointers and shooting 68 percent overall from the field. It was the most points scored by a Gonzaga men’s player since the great Frank Burgess racked up a school-record 52 back in 1961. The scoring outburst, coupled with 16 points and 12 key rebounds in the Zags’ come-from-behind win at Saint Mary’s on Saturday, made him a runaway pick for his second straight WCC Player of the Week award.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION BY CHEY SCOTT

MUSIC | The wait is over, and it was definitely worth the nearly eight years between Modest Mouse’s last album, 2007’s We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, and the band’s new, full-length record, STRANGERS TO OURSELVES, which drops on March 3. Fans of the Issaquah, Wash.-founded rock group fronted by the hollering, guttural vocals of Isaac Brock should already be familiar with the first single, “Lampshades on Fire,” which the band performed live during its most recent visit to Spokane in May 2011. Hearing the first four singles off the new record so far is a clear indication that this should be yet another Modest Mouse collection to play through without skipping a single track. The band is also set to headline this year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival at the Gorge, May 22-25. GAMES | The danger of collectible hobbies is always the cost of entry. Ask any devotee of collectible card games, like Pokémon or Magic: The Gathering — to be competitive even in casual settings, players are often dropping hundreds of dollars to build a single deck. But that isn’t true of all card games. Fantasy Flight Games is a hugely popular creator of board, card and role-playing games, and for good reason. Its trademarked LIVING CARD GAME format means players know what they’re getting in each pack of cards made for its franchise-licensed card games — Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Star Wars and others. There’s no randomness whatsoever to these games’ card packs, which lets players of any budget get in on the fun and get the cards they really want at a fair price. VIDEO GAME | It’s been so well received by critics — hailed by many as one of the best games of 2014 — that chances are you’ve already heard of CRYPT OF THE NECRODANCER, but have you tried it? Considered in gamerspeak to be a “dungeon-crawling roguelike,” it’s actually unlike any other game categorized as such for one single reason. Players must move through levels to the beat of pulsing electro/techno music while attacking enemies. You won’t be mortally penalized for missing a beat, but moving and slashing on-tempo rewards you with more coins collected for in-game upgrades. A two-player option and practice arenas make Necrodancer more accessible for casual players, and insanely fun for those who tend to avoid any game described as a “roguelike.” It’s available on Mac, Linux and PC platforms ($14.99). 

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FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 31

CULTURE | THEATER

The cast of Nunsense A-Men from left to right: Mark Pleasant, Rick Rivera, Jerrod Galles, Martin Sanks and Patrick McHenry-Kroetch. SARAH WURTZ PHOTO

Get Thee to a Nunnery After more than a decade, the all-male version of the popular musical Nunsense returns to the Civic stage BY E.J. IANNELLI

or hundreds of years after the dawn of theater in ancient Greece, female roles were played by men. It wasn’t until opera appeared in the late 17th century that the notion of women on stage became possible, then accepted, then customary. Today gender reversal in theater — as found in British pantomime or all-male acting troupes like Ed Hall’s Propeller — is clearly a novelty rather than the norm. It’s a throwback that, paradoxically, is often used to put a fresh spin on familiar productions. Take Nunsense A-Men. First imported to America via Brazil in 1998, the show swaps out the all-female cast of Dan Goggin’s ever-popular 1985 musical Nunsense while keeping everything else the same — including infamous scenes like the vulgar puppet and the innuendo-laden cooking segment. “It’s not a drag show,” says Mark Pleasant, who plays Sister Mary Hubert in Spokane Civic Theatre’s upcom-

32 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

ing production of Nunsense A-Men. “Even though we’re men, we believe we’re female nuns. At one point in time, I talk about when I was a little girl. And if we do the job right, you’re slowly going to forget that it’s five men up there. But that makes it even funnier, because you’re not going overboard.” Director Troy Nickerson, who has a long history overseeing and performing in local Nunsense productions, has reined in the cast when there’s a temptation to camp things up. Pleasant has observed Nunsense from the wings ever since it was first performed at the Civic in 1990. To him, Kathie Doyle-Lipe, a doyenne of the Spokane stage, has a definitive claim on the character of Sister Mary Hubert. “Those are some big tap shoes to fill. I’m hoping to do her proud,” he says. “I’ve seen these women do it for so many years — Kathie, Jean Hardie, and back in the

day Marilyn Langbehn. I’m excited to have them come and see our little testosterone take on it.” His Sister Mary Hubert is deputy to Mother Superior, played by Ricardo “Rick” Ibarra-Rivera. Unlike his fellow cast members, this is Ibarra-Rivera’s Civic debut — and his first time performing in a musical since 1989. “Musical theater was a huge part of why I fell in love with acting, but when I got to college, we did Jesus Christ Superstar my freshman year, and that was it,” he says. “We did plays after that. Then you get to the graduate level, and singers start separating from actors. So it’s a little scary,” he laughs. Before studying acting in college and graduating from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, Ibarra-Rivera says he was “a product of Catholic school from kindergarten all the way through university,” which gives Nunsense in all its iterations special resonance for him. “What I love about the show is, yes, it pokes fun, but it honors and praises in so many ways. There are some really beautiful, touching moments, and then you add the craziness of their predicament.” It’s a reverence that mirrors how the cast is approaching the production itself. “At Civic Theatre,” says Pleasant, “Nunsense is pretty sacred.”  Nunsense A-Men • Feb. 27 through Mar. 22: Thu-Sat, 7:30 pm; Sat-Sun, 2 pm • $22-$30 • Spokane Civic Theatre • 1020 N. Howard • spokanecivictheatre.com • 325-2507

CULTURE | CLASSICAL

Bach in Action

The Northwest Bach Festival offers more concerts than ever before BY LAURA JOHNSON

CATALYST STRING QUARTET

This New York-based string quartet has already made its Carnegie Hall debut, arranged its own version of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and plays pieces composed by its own violinist, Jessie Montgomery. Check out the quartet playing everything from Boccherini to Piazzolla tangos on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Barrister Winery, along with Bailey and violinist Kurt Nikkanen. They’ll also play their Goldberg Variations arrangement at St. John’s Cathedral on Sunday, March 1.

ORCHESTRA IS BACK

One criticism of last year’s Northwest Bach Festival, Bailey’s first at the helm, was an absence of local musicians. This year, the Bach Festival Orchestra, featuring community musicians, is back under the direction of Maestro Piotr Gajewski. The ensemble plays as part of the Festival Finale, Sunday, March 8 at St. John’s Cathedral. Look for Beethoven’s triple concerto to bring down the house that afternoon.

WHERE’S ZUILL?

In a desire to reach people who aren’t necessarily

nn ive

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here’s a dapper, life-size cardboard cutout of Artistic Director Zuill Bailey floating around Spokane. Wherever the two-dimensional Bailey appears over the course of the two-week Northwest Bach Festival, you can expect an in-the-flesh Bailey “Flash-Bach!” cello performance later that day. This isn’t the only fresh idea hitting the 37th annual Northwest Bach Festival, presented by the nonprofit organization Connoisseur Concerts. The event, running from Feb. 24 through March 8, is fully stocked with concerts for every price range and comfort level. “Last year we expanded from four concerts to more than 20 and we weren’t satisfied,” says Gertrude Harvey, Connoisseur Concerts’ executive director. “We wanted to add at least seven more. This is just a real joy to grow.” Events include a continuation of the onehour Twilight Tour concerts ($20), where solo Bach is played at historic landmarks, and grandscale festival classics performances featuring touring artists. Here are four things to look for at the 2015 Northwest Bach Festival:

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comfortable in a formal concert hall setting, Bailey has introduced free “Flash-Bach!” 30-minute performances to this year’s lineup. “Some of the great musical things in the world are things that you don’t expect,” Bailey says. The locations aren’t exactly secret; they include the Spokane County Courthouse, Valley Hospital and Medical Center, Spokane City Hall, Sacred Heart Hospital, the Bank of America Building and River Park Square. It’s the date Bailey performs at these places that remains a mystery. Look for Bailey’s cutout around town or check out the festival’s Facebook page for dayof-show announcements.

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Cashier Syd Silva bags groceries for Halina Slobodow at Main Market Co-op. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Better Together Main Market Co-op celebrates five years with changes, but the same mission BY JO MILLER

he thick wood table features the words of Joy Harjo’s “Perhaps the World Ends Here”: The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live. The poem’s words were engraved on the table crafted by local artisans for the Main Market Co-op when it opened downtown five years ago. It served as the market’s community table for those eating at the deli, but was later mounted on the wall and is now being refurbished to become seating again. The table is one of several changes Main Market has made in the last few months and introduced during their grand relaunch earlier this month. Megan White, the store’s general manager, says they implemented the

34 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

changes after joining National Co+op Grocers, which provides support and consultation for 143 food co-ops around the country. The association performed an audit and made suggestions regarding layout and pricing. “It was about professionalizing the look of the store and making it more user-friendly,” says White. A large island once occupied space in the deli, but was torn out. Now there’s room for the table to soon return to the seating area with small tables surrounding it. White says bringing back the community was important during the changes. It represents a core concept of the market’s mission to foster community. The produce section was made more open, and the bulk section that used to be in the far back corner of the

store got moved to a more prominent place. “The idea of bulk is central to what a co-op and natural food store is, and we really brought it front and center,” she says. They created a wellness department out of what used to be a few supplements on aisles here and there. Now an ample section of things like homeopathic remedies and natural shampoos sits behind a service desk with computers, resource books and an employee to help with any questions. In the refrigerated section, a large line of sustainable meat was brought in to boost the carnivorous choices that previously only included frozen meat. Over at the salad bar, which was added last year, there’s now a hot

food bar that offers three meals a day, priced at $8.99 per pound like the salad bar. The rotating, seasonal menu planned for the coming week gets posted on the market’s Facebook page on Sundays. For breakfast (8-11 am), you’ll find items like vegetarian or sausage egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos or spinach and artichoke strata. Fill up on things like vegan tofu fried rice, turkey pot pies, lasagna or coriander cauliflower for lunch (11:30 am-3 pm) or dinner (4-7 pm).

nother part of making changes at Main Market was telling their story better. Many people don’t realize the market is a co-op or what a co-op actually is, says White. “A co-op is a business owned by the members and people who use its services,” she says. “We’re owned by 2,600 Spokane residents who are also our customers and shoppers. They have a direct role in what the co-op is.” In the United States, roughly 30,000 consumer cooperatives exist, whether it’s a food business, furniture, bicycles or health care. Throughout human history there have been cooperative societies, but the foundation for the current co-op model formed in England in 1844. Most American co-ops came about in the ’70s, says White, but not Spokane’s.

Main Market Co-op general manager Megan White.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“It’s rare to have a city the size of Spokane with such a young co-op,” she says. The Moscow Food Co-op is one that started up in the ’70s. Melinda Schab, Moscow Food Co-op’s general manager, says the co-op continues to be healthy and robust decades after its 1973 debut. “Our sales continue to grow, as does our ownership base,” Schab says. “In 2014 we posted just over $10 million in sales — a record — and grew our ownership base to over 7,300 owners, also a record.”

ain Market Co-op opened in 2010 with 700 members in a building that used to be a Goodyear shop. The car mural on the outside west wall eventually was painted over with the bright-colored sandwiches, goats, cheese and peppers there today. The market’s history and seven tenets that guide co-ops worldwide are now displayed on stylish posters at the center of the store. White says they wanted to change the perception that food co-ops are elitist or expensive. They worked on lowering prices throughout the store and changed their membership structure from a monthly fee to $10 per year for everyone, in order to make it more accessible. Of course, non-members can shop, but members get special discounts and coupons along with their vote for the board of directors. The co-op is mission-based, says White. It’s focused on what’s good for the community, unlike a store owned by a profit-driven, giant corporation. “Co-ops are really about saying, ‘We’re here for you and not for profit,’” she says. “Our shareholders aren’t on Wall Street. They’re our community members.” n Main Market • 44 W. Main • Open Mon-Sat, 8 am-8 pm; Sun, 10 am-6 pm • mainmarket.coop • 458-COOP

FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 35 Davenport_SafariRoom_022615_12V_BD.tif

FOOD | EVENT

The Food Guru The timing couldn’t be better for food expert Alton Brown to check out Spokane’s dining scene BY CHEY SCOTT

he way Spokane eats has changed in the past several years. Look no further than the proliferation of award-winning chefs, the way our food is sourced, prepared and eaten, and the explosion of Inlander Restaurant Week. Now the Inland Northwest gets to show off all that hard work to one of the most celebrated experts in the biz when Food Network show host and chef Alton Brown stops in for his nationally touring live show, Alton Brown Live!. Widely known for his methodical, science-based approach to cooking, Brown also projects a simplified approach to cooking and

eating. In other words, you don’t have to be a “foodie” to enjoy Brown’s advice on eating. Here’s what Brown had to say to some of our questions before heading to the Lilac City. Also, find out what local spots Brown checks out while he’s here by following the Twitter hashtag #ABRoadEatsSpokane. INLANDER: What do you predict will be 2015’s big, widespread food trend? BROWN: Wine cocktails, oxtails, Indian cuisine and chickpeas. You travel all over the U.S. trying out restaurants and interesting food — how hard it is to live a healthy lifestyle when eating is your job? You have to order small and eat less. And eating with others helps. It slows you down. And never eat late at night. Leaving out the obvious stereotype of coffee, what do you think the Northwest really rocks at like no where else in the world? Honestly… seafood. Across the board, it’s better than anywhere in the world. You’ll be in Spokane for the tail end of the third annual, region-wide Inlander Restaurant Week (Feb. 20-March 1). What is your opinion of dining industry promotions like this? These promotions are a big deal because they help cities discover who they are, culinarily speaking. I don’t want to single out any particular city because all towns are different. I’m just glad I’ll have the opportunity to experience it there. Do you have anything in mind yet that you’re really excited to try while you’re here? I kind of like keeping that info under my hat. As such a recognizable figure in the food world, do you ever worry that you’re not getting a truly unbiased experience when you dine out? Are there times you feel a restaurant staff overdoes it to try to impress you? Sure, that happens. But more times than not, no one notices me. I’m good at lying low and blending in. I don’t even have an entourage. n Alton Brown Live!: The Edible Inevitable Tour • Sun, March 1, at 6:30 pm • $32-$78 • INB Performing Arts Center • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • inbpac.com • 279-7000

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ast Friday, Inlander Restaurant Week kicked off throughout the region, making for full dining rooms at the 97 participating eateries in Spokane and North Idaho. We spent some time wandering through restaurants to get a feel for how things were going, chatting up restaurateurs to get their take on the event and its impact. Over at Scratch, a downtown Spokane fine dining institution, owner Connie Naccarato said they’d been booked solid throughout the first weekend, giving a friendly reminder that reservations are all but a necessity for Restaurant Week. Their $28 menu features entrées like steak medallions and cashew-seared salmon, but she says it’s the chicken cordon bleu, served with fettuccine and a rustic tomato sauce, that’s emerged as the star of the show. “We get a lot of new customers that maybe have never tried us,” says Naccarato. “Our price points are pretty competitive, so this three-course menu gives them an opportunity to try our existing menu, as well as try items we might put on later.” At Thai Bamboo’s four locations throughout the region, one item hopped off the $18 menu at diners: a deep-fried banana, hand-rolled in wonton wrappers and

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Thai Bamboo manager Ian Kegley. COURTNEY BREWER PHOTO drizzled with caramel. They’ve also been booked solid since the start of the event, and owner Tom Burgess says there’s an added benefit for restaurateurs during Restaurant Week. “It’s just nice for owners to get together. There aren’t a lot of events that we get to partner up on ... so it’s nice to get to try some other restaurants, too.” For a new restaurant like Veraci Pizza, Restaurant Week can serve as a chance to introduce yourself to the dining public. Open since last summer in the burgeoning Kendall Yards neighborhood, Veraci is offering a three-course dinner consisting of an appetizer (caprese plate, a focaccia platter or Caesar salad), a quarter pizza and either tiramisu or a salted caramel cheesecake. “Just to have people who would not normally come out, or who have not had the chance to see what we have. That’s been really great,” says Veraci owner Seth Carey. Restaurant Week continues through Sunday, March 1. All menus and restaurant information can be found at inlanderrestaurantweek.com.

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Going Viral Daft Badger Brewing joins Coeur d’Alene’s booming craft beer scene BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

on’t be fooled by the playfulness of the name; Daft Badger Brewing is serious about craft brewing. And like the “Honey Badger” video that partially inspired its moniker, Daft Badger is quickly going viral. From beer to food to service, there’s plenty to like. Their 10-barrel operation opened last month with five highly drinkable beers, ranging from the light Hoppypotamus Pale Ale to the chewy Hibernation Libation Porter ($4.50 pint). The 8.76% ABV Josiah’s Revenge Imperial Stout —served in a snifter — drinks like dessert but packs a powerful punch. Badger’s Bounty IPA is a refreshingly gentle and citrusy beverage that will have even non-hopheads singing its praises. A taster tray of five 3-ounce pours ($5) includes newbie Summit Cider (which expects

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The pulled pork sandwich pairs well with the beer at Daft Badger. CARRIE SCOZZARO PHOTO to open its Coeur d’Alene tap house later this spring). Daft Badger is on a quiet, semi-residential street in midtown Coeur d’Alene, in a building unrecognizable as Darrel Dlouhy’s former contract painting shop. Dlouhy, since retired from painting, is joined by wife Val Samuel, Dlouhy’s longtime painting employee Keith Bertram, who handily made the custom fir hightop seating, as well as Dlouhy’s son-in-law and brewmeister, Jake Capaul. Daft Badger’s modest menu of appetizers, salads and sandwiches means you can linger longer. Chef CJ Fox-Lopp — an alumnus of The Cellar and Tony’s On the Lake — created the gastropub menu, which features house-smoked meats and cheeses. Try pulled pork nachos or the sandwich, served with a piquant red cabbage and apple slaw atop a chewy pretzel bun. Not Your Mothers BLT is a kicked-up version of the classic with housesmoked bacon, arugula, sun-dried tomato mayonnaise and provolone cheese. Or skip the bread and garden fixings and just order Bacon! served in a pint glass with huckleberry chipotle glaze. If you want to save valuable tummy space, lighten up with one of three salads, including an arugula with smoked almonds, with either goat cheese and balsamic glaze or feta and red wine vinegar dressing ($4.95/$8.95). n Daft Badger Brewing • 1710 N. Second, Coeur d’Alene • Open Tue-Sun, 11 am-8 pm • facebook.com/daftbadgerbrewing • 208-665-9892

FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 39

Con Err

Focus mistakenly emphasizes romance over sleight of hand BY SCOTT RENSHAW

f a real-world con game has to be meticuone high-stakes encounter, nominally plausible lously constructed in order to work, a movie yet satisfying, between Nicky and a gambler (BD about con games — like Focus — has to be Wong) at the Big Game. even more meticulously constructed. As Focus’s But eventually things start to get personal, as professional con-man “hero” Nicky Spurgeon Nicky and Jess fall into a romantic relationship (Will Smith) informs his new would-be protégé, together — and it’s here that Focus is in risky terJess (Margot Robbie), a successful con is all ritory. In part, it’s because the very nature of the about diverting the attention of the “mark,” and premise has us forever second-guessing whether this is true of a movie con and its audience as the relationship is authentic, or whether one of well. But the difference is that a movie audience them is setting up the other for a takedown, or knows a con is coming. It’s more like a magic maybe both are. Yet there’s also the simple matshow: We’re looking for the trick the whole time. ter of chemistry, and it’s here that Smith bumps Complicating matters even further is that the up against the limits of his appeal as a screen filmmakers are ultimately going to explain the performer. While his strength has always been trick to you, in a way that makes you feel like his charisma, here he’s trying to play a character you should have seen it coming. A con artist will whose entire livelihood is predicated on not being do everything he can to keep you from figuring noticed, and swallowing his biggest emotions out how you just got fleeced; a con-artist movie so he can maintain a single-minded attention had better put the puzzle together at the end, and to getting the job done. Robbie is a magnetic in such a way that you never feel like that last performer, with just enough elusiveness here piece was being hidden from you. It was merely that her true motivations remain unknown, and turned upside down, over on she never quite clicks with Smith FOCUS the corner of the table, the when it feels like he has shut off Rated R whole time. his personality entirely. In short, Focus is the kind of Directed by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa Focus rediscovers a bit of movie that should almost never Starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, momentum in the last third, as Gerald McRaney work. the setting shifts to a job Nicky Like many such movies, takes in Buenos Aires working for Focus tries to raise the stakes by making them an ambitious racing car team owner (Rodrigo emotional as well as financial. Con-game movies Santoro), with a great role for Gerald McRaney demand a protégé as an audience stand-in so as a gruff enforcer. And the final “big reveal” we understand the rules of the game, and thus should be a real winner: It plays nicely with exthe relationship between Nicky and Jess begins pectations in a variety of interesting ways, makes as a purely professional one, as Nicky indocuse of a couple of set-ups from earlier in the film, trinates her into his team of expert swindlers, and generally does the impossible-seeming thing pickpockets and frauds for a big cash-in in New of feeling both surprising and inevitable. Orleans during the week of the [Professional Yet there’s another way that con-game Football Championship That Would Be Identimovies are different from actual con games, and fied as the Super Bowl Only If the NFL Chose more like magic shows: We want to be delighted to Endorse an Image of Super Bowl Week As that we were duped. There’s a bouncy playfula Buffet for Crooks Looking to Rip Off Atness missing for long stretches of Focus, as Requa tendees, So Instead Is Called Something Else]. and Ficarra keep their focus on a romance that It’s during this segment that Focus is at its most isn’t really working. When all the deceptions purely entertaining, with directors John Requa have been uncovered, we want to feel like the and Glenn Ficarra (Crazy, Stupid, Love) capturing payoff for everyone involved was worth the a meticulously choreographed operation lifting gamble. If you’re looking for “Wow, I did not see wallets, watches and jewelry from unsuspecting that coming!” it’s hard to settle for, “Well, that fans on the crowded streets of the Big Easy, plus was nice.” 

40 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

FILM | SHORTS

OPENING FILMS Stay local to go far.

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

Jemaine Clement, best known as half of Flight of the Conchords, co-wrote and co-directed this hilarious mockumentary about a group of vampires living in a mansion together. It’s like The Real World for the undead. The vampires kill people like it’s no big deal (it’s best to put down newspaper first, though), but when it comes to discussions about who’s going to do the dishes, things get serious and scary. And when a new, younger, sexier vampire joins the group and tells everyone at nightclubs that he’s the guy Twilight is based on, their troubles only multiply. What We Do in the Shadows is rich with the subtle and quirky humor Clement has been giving us for years, and this might see him at his best. At Magic Lantern (MB) Not Rated

FOCUS

As Focus’ professional con-man “hero” Nicky Spurgeon (Will Smith) informs his new would-be protégé, Jess (Margot Robbie), a successful con is all about diverting the attention of the “mark.” As they head to something very similar to the Super Bowl, the duo starts letting their feelings for each other get in the way, which turns out to be a big problem in this caper film. (SR) Rated R

THE LAZARUS EFFECT

When it comes to messing with Mother Nature, it doesn’t get much bolder than bringing the dead back to life. That’s the launching point for this supernatural thriller from the producers of horror hits like Insidious and The Purge. Mark Duplass and Olivia Wilde star as university researchers who

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manage to re-animate their recently deceased dog in an underground experiment, only to have their project shut down by scared (but smart) officials. Of course, that doesn’t stop the scientists from continuing their work — or their alive-again friends from wreaking havoc. (DN) Rated PG-13

SONG OF THE SEA

Ben and Saoirse are left motherless, and as such, big brother Ben is tasked with babysitting his mute, 6-yearold sister while their father, Conor, shrouds his grief in his work manning the family’s lighthouse. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Song of the Sea follows the children as they try to get back to their father. At Magic Lantern (CS) Rated PG

NOW PLAYING 50 SHADES OF GREY

Based on E.L. James’ mega-selling novel, the sex-drenched film tracks the relationship between a rich businessman named Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and naïve college student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) as they explore bondage and other masochistic proclivities in his special sex room, on his helicopter, in an elevator – you get the idea. Every generation needs its mainstreaming of “kinky” via a feature film, and Millennials, this is your Last Tango in Paris or 9 ½ Weeks. (DN) Rated R

AMERICAN SNIPER

American Sniper opens with Bradley Cooper’s Chris Kyle on his first tour in Fallujah, perched on a rooftop protecting the Marines clearing buildings door

to door. From the moment of his first life-or-death decision, the story flashes back — to his Texas childhood, his career as a rodeo cowboy, his eventual enlistment and his courtship and marriage to his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller) — before returning to his experiences serving in Iraq. (SR) Rated R

BIRDMAN

After good work in lots of small supporting roles over the past couple of decades, Michael Keaton gets back to work as a former franchise movie star now trying to make a comeback on the Broadway stage, but finding obstacles everywhere, many of them in his own head. (ES) Rated R ...continued on next page

FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 41

FILM | SHORTS

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WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

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25 W Main Ave • 509-209-2383 • All Shows $8 www.magiclanternspokane.com

TUNA DOES VEGAS Written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard Directed by Sean Shelley and Michelle Hodgdon

March 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 at 7pm March 8, 15 and 22 at 2pm Produced by special arrangement by Samuel French, Inc. ALL TICKETS: $15

1-877-SIXTHST (208) 752-8871

sixthstreetmelodrama.com

ION NIGHT

NOW PLAYING THE DUFF

Bianca (Mae Whitman) is mortified when she discovers that she is the “designated ugly fat friend,” or “DUFF,” of her high school clique. In an attempt to salvage what’s left of her senior year, Bianca must overthrow Madison (Bella Thorne). Determined to break the hierarchy, she starts a social revolution proving that no matter what you look like or how cool you think you are, everyone is someone’s DUFF. (CB) Rated PG-13 More hot-tubbing and more time travel are in store for the gang from the 2010 ’80s-obsessed original (minus John Cusack) as they first fast-forward 10 years only to see loudmouth Lou (Rob Corddry) get shot, launching an erabouncing trip through the decades to try and change his fate. Will they save Lou? Will Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) prove a worthy substitute for Cusack, in the role of his son? Will the future be as kind to this franchise as the past? Only time will tell. (DN) Rated R

THE IMITATION GAME

During World War II, the Germans used a machine called an Enigma that created what were thought to be unbreakable codes for top-secret military communications. British mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) was hired by Allied forces to decipher the machine’s codes and help win the war. (MB) Rated PG-13

JUPITER ASCENDING

The Wachowskis are back after the fabulous but monetarily disastrous Cloud Atlas, but this time just sticking with science fiction elements, and they go at it full throttle. Mila Kunis is an unhappy drudge on Earth, who is brought to a distant planet where members of royalty there believe she is the Queen of the Universe. But she’s more a damsel in distress, regularly saved by super tracker and former soldier Channing Tatum, who wears and uses a cool pair of anti-gravity boots. (ES) Rated PG-13

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

Harry (Colin Firth), code name Galahad, recruits Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a kid from the wrong side of the London tracks, to be a member of the Kingsmen, an ostensibly classy set of British spies. The whole film touts how the Kingsmen follow rules to keep them gentlemanly, but it eventually veers far off course into something that fully contradicts itself. (MJ) Rated R

42 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015 EWU_RunningStart_022615_6V_RW.pdf

THE NEW YORK INLANDER TIMES

VARIETY

METACRITIC.COM

(LOS ANGELES)

(OUT OF 100)

Timbuktu

Birdman

Song of the Sea

What We...Shadows

American Sniper

Unbroken

Jupiter Ascending

BOYHOOD

Richard Linklater’s film, shot over the course of 12 years, is a true masterwork and eschews the big-bang theory of dramatics in favor of the million-andone little things that accumulate daily and help shape who we are, and who we will become. (MB) Rated R

HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2

Wednesday, March 11, 2015 | 6:30 p.m.

CRITICS’ SCORECARD

DON’T MISS IT

WORTH $10

McFARLAND USA

When he discovers his students’ amazing ability to run, Jim White (Kevin Costner) is determined to form a crosscountry team that would one day be state champions. Inspired by the legacy of the McFarland High School runners of 1987, McFarland USA follows White and his team from a small farming town in California on their journey against the odds. Determination, sweat and strong family bonds provide a road for the team to sprint to victory. (CB) Rated PG

PADDINGTON

Paddington the bear winds up in London in search of an old friend after a family tragedy in his native Peru. He soon finds a loving family to take him in, but is quick to cause a series of calamities in the home of the friendly Londoners, who name him Paddington. (MB) Rated PG

PROJECT ALMANAC

When David (Johnny Weston) finds blueprints for a time machine in his garage, he and his friends are determined to make the most of it. As their manipulation of the past results in plane crashes, riots and natural disasters, the teens discover that they must go back to the beginning if they have any hope of undoing the ripple effect. (CB) Rated PG-13

SELMA

Selma could have been just an inspirational drama about a pivotal historical moment, and it could have been just a portrait of King’s efforts at promoting civil rights. But director Ava DuVernay and her team are interested in doing something much less common, something that echoes the similar success of 2012’s Lincoln. (SR) Rated PG-13

SEVENTH SON

This epic fantasy tale from centuries ago stars Jeff Bridges as Master Gregory, the last in a long line of supernatural warriors tasked with keeping humanity safe against evil forces led by a mean witch (Julianne Moore). For help, the master recruits a country boy born “the seventh son of a seventh son” to teach him how to battle dark magic threatening the land — and potentially score an attractive young good witch in the process. (DN) Rated PG-13

WATCH IT AT HOME

SKIP IT

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER

When the sacred Crabby Patty recipe is stolen by a villainous pirate (Antonio Banderas), Spongebob Squarepants leaves behind the only world he has ever known. With the help of his friends Patrick, Mr. Krabbs, Sandy and Squidward, Spongebob journeys through our world and becomes the hero of Bikini Bottom. (CB) Rated PG

STILL ALICE

Julianne Moore earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance as Alice Howland, an accomplished college professor who realizes that she’s suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s. A post-Twilight Kristen Stewart also shines as Alice’s daughter, who’s also struggling to accept her mother’s diagnosis. (MB) Rated PG-13.

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Inspired by Jane Wilde Hawking’s memoir about her life with former husband Stephen Hawking, the brilliant theoretical physicist (A Brief History of Time) diagnosed with motor neuron disease at age 21, the film’s heart beats with a romantic optimism, even when each of them finds new soulmates and their union ends. (SD) Rated PG-13

TIMBUKTU

The brilliant Timbuktu comes along at a perfect moment to elucidate the diversity of Islam, and the cultural battles happening within the religion. Director and co-screenwriter Abderrahmane Sissako does a remarkable job bringing the viewer into an utterly foreign world of sparse, sandy landscapes dotted with mud huts and tents and making us empathize with the local fisherman, cattle herders and children who suddenly have a cast of gun-toting foreigners imposing sharia law on the small village. At Magic Lantern (DN) Rated PG-13

WHIPLASH

Socially maladroit and painfully singleminded, Andrew (Miles Teller), a freshman at a competitive conservatory, lives only to drum. Early on, he’s tapped by an instructor named Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) to join his elite competition band. (KJ) Rated R 

FILM | REVIEW

FRI, FEBRUARY 27TH TO THURS, MARCH 5TH Night at the Museum:

Secret of the Tomb Fri 5:00, Sat-Sun 12:00 5:00 Mon-Thurs 5:00

The Hobbit:

The Battle of the Five Armies Fri 7:05, Sat-Sun 2:05 7:05 Mon 7:05, Tues 9:25pm Wed-Thurs 7:05

HUNGER GAMES:

Mockingjay Pt 1 Fri-Mon 9:55pm, Wed 9:55pm

High Fidelity

Song of the Sea was nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar this year.

Seashell Secrets Song of the Sea is a beautiful story of siblings struggling to cope and understand each other BY CHEY SCOTT

ive years ago Irish director Tomm Moore’s Saoirse’s inability to speak, and audiences won’t debut film, The Secret of Kells, was nomidiscover the meaning behind her silence until nated for an Academy Award for Best Animuch further into the story. mated Feature. In a déjà vu-like turn of events, In one of the film’s most mesmerizing the director’s sophomore work, 2014’s Song of the vignettes, Saoirse discovers a trunk belonging Sea, was also up for the same award, though this to her absent mother. Inside is a magical white time arguably amidst a much deeper field that coat that lets her change form into a seal when included Big Hero 6 (2015’s Oscar winner), The exposed to water. Like her mother, Saoirse is a Boxtrolls and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. selkie — a human-seal creature from Celtic lore. Like Moore’s first venture into animation, Donning the coat, Saoirse romps in the sea with a Song of the Sea employs Celtic folklore to weave pod of adorable, friendly seals who are arguably a magical journey for its child deserving of more screen time. protagonists, brother and sister SONG OF THE SEA Shortly after, blinded by sorduo Ben and Saoirse. Song of the row and concerned for Saoirse’s Rated PG Sea’s main divergence from Kells, newfound obsession with the sea, Directed by Tomm Moore which was set at an eighth-century Starring (voices) Brendan Gleeson, Conor ships the children against Irish abbey, takes place in modern Fionnula Flanagan their will to live in the city with times, allowing it to give us a their grandmother. At Magic Lantern slightly more relatable tone for From then onward, the film young audiences. focuses on Ben and Saoirse’s trialThe shining achievement of Moore’s two filled journey back home to their island in the works lies in the two-dimensional, elegantly simsea. The farther they travel, and as Ben’s attitude ple, hand-drawn art of luscious, watercolor-like toward his little sister grows increasingly overscenes. An original score of Celtic music further bearing, she rapidly deteriorates in health. A cast enhances the mythical nature of Song’s plot. of magical fairies and witches Ben remembers In the film’s opening moments, viewers are from his mother’s old stories emerge to aid the introduced to its characters’ ongoing struggle siblings on their journey home. They tell Ben he to cope with significant loss. Ben and Saoirse must race against time to save Saoirse, who must are motherless, and as such, big brother Ben is be reunited with the magic coat to sing her selkie tasked with babysitting his mute, 6-year-old sister “song” if she’s to continue living. while their father, Conor, shrouds his grief in his Song of the Sea is a majestic, emotional allegory work manning the family’s lighthouse. Neither of what happens when we allow loss and fear to Conor nor Ben seem too concerned about hold us prisoner from the world around us. n

Tues 7:05

AIRWAY HEIGHTS

Spokane Film Society

Thurs 9:45pm

10117 W State Rt 2 • 509-232-0444

THE LAZARUS EFFECT

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THE DUFF

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THE DUFF

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FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 43

Among the Green

Young Dubliners get wild at the Knitting Factory this weekend.

Around St. Patrick’s Day, the world wises up to Irish music once more

he bodhran drum rumbles, the fiddler wails, the banjo player picks seemingly faster and faster. You can barely see the musicians stuffed into the corner of the bar, yet Floating Crowbar provides the perfect Irish songs during last year’s Saturday-before-St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Every stool and chair is filled with loudmouthed people in orange and green apparel and the Guinness is flowing. Inside Hills’ Restaurant, customers can’t help but clap along to the captivating folk music, especially when two dark-haired female Irish dancers pound their feet along with the rhythms. This is the kind of scene local Irish bands — like Floating Crowbar, An Dochas and teen group Broken Whistle — can expect from February through April when they’re called upon to play every Irish event around town, as their schedule allows.

44 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

BY LAURA JOHNSON National Irish acts cash in on this phenomenon as well. The Knitting Factory has gotten into the Celtic spirit in the past few months, bringing in Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. This weekend, the Young Dubliners plan to ravage the joint with their mix of alt-rock and Irish folk music as part of their pre-St. Patty’s Day tour.

t’s tough being the only sober people in the room on St. Patrick’s Day, but that’s what Young Dubliners lead singer Keith Roberts is used to enduring. His band won’t get through the day if they don’t keep clear minds. “Last year, we played L.A. and then immediately flew to Lake Tahoe for a show,” recalls Roberts, phoning in from Alaska. “I didn’t get back to the hotel to order room service until 2:30 in the morning. That steak tasted so

good.” This year, they’re “slowing it down,” playing just one gig in Tucson, Arizona. It also helps that the holiday falls on a Tuesday, when people tend not to get as wild. A native of a Dublin suburb, he says it’s the Americans who’ve turned the green holiday into the Irish Car Bomb-fueled shit-show it is now. For him, it was just another day off school to scrounge up some trouble with buddies. When he moved to Los Angeles as a 21-yearold in the late 1980s, he realized the four Irish traditional songs he knew how to play on guitar could pull in serious money around St. Patrick’s Day — his first show raking in more than $200 in tips. Soon, after his dream of a journalism career became a nonstarter, the idea for the Young Dubliners (and owning a pub) came to light. Initially, all Roberts wanted to do was open a bar in

Santa Monica where his group could easily play. The band turned out to be more successful than the bar. In the beginning, there were packed-out late-night shows; things were broken and many three-minute pub songs were written. Often, Flogging Molly would open up for them. Three decades later, Roberts admits they’ve finally hammered out their blend of contemporary and traditional music — he attributes this to the sound of electric guitar and fiddle playing in unison. This is a big year for the band, as three of them are now in their 50s. “There’s some mental issues with that,” Roberts says with a laugh. “But we’ve stayed in that youthful mind-set.” While touring incessantly can cause fatigue, Roberts says they wouldn’t miss playing this time of year for the world. Local Irish acts share that same sentiment.

Irish band Floating Crowbar plays locally all year round.

ick Rubin has made music with Floating Crowbar for five years, but he’s played Irish music for more than a decade in the area. “It’s fun, it just gets a little wacky,” says Rubin of St. Patrick’s Day. “You have to remember to be compassionate, that on that day people just want to express themselves.” He recalls one year a teetering audience member told him to smile more while he played on stage. As soon as he gave in with a cheesy grin, she fell over sideways in a drunken stupor. “Now I can look MARCH 7 back and laugh about Very Best of Celtic Thunder at Northern it,” says Rubin, who Quest Resort & Casino is of Scotch heritage. “But that was kind of MARCH 8 a scary moment. We Irish Celebration featuring Broken Whistle haven’t had any issues at O’Doherty’s Irish Grille (downtown) at Hills’, for which I’m appreciative of.” MARCH 14 People are always Floating Crowbar at Hills’ Restaurant looking for an excuse to party, but the holiday can be a family-friendly experience too, with many Irish celebrations and Catholic gatherings occurring around this time of year. “There’s a lot of people around here who are very proudly Irish,” Rubin says. “This is the perfect time for them — and people who aren’t Irish, for that matter — to get in touch with that heritage by listening to this beautiful type of music.” n lauraj@inlander.com

UPCOMING IRISH MUSIC SHOWS

Young Dubliners with Buffalo Jones, Dawn of Life • Fri, Feb. 27, at 8:30 pm • $14 • All-ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague • sp.knittingfactory.com • 244-3279

...continued on next page

FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 45

March 1st, 2015

MUSIC | FOLK

Dialetic Inequality: Equal Access in the Media and a Return to the Fairness Doctrine Rev. Dr. Todd Eklof, UUCS Minister

Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane

4340 W. Ft. Wright Drive

509-325-6383 | uuspokane.org

Sunday Services / Religious Ed & Childcare

9:15 & 11am

Performance Please Presents

OUT LD MAE SODELLA Bluegrass favorites | Thur, Feb 26th | 7:30PM

THE CRONKITES Boomer Rock | Friday, March 6 | 8pm

PIERRE BENSUSAN Fingerstyle Guitar | Saturday, March 14 | 8pm CHATEAU RIVE AT THE FLOUR MILL

Tickets available at www.ticketswest.com or 800-325-SEAT

YOUR PHONE. SMARTER. The region’s best source for events, restaurants, music & movies.

Always in reach

46 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Plugged In

Folkie John Craigie goes electric for his new tour BY BEN SALMON

or weeks, John Craigie has been touting his new “all electric” album, Working On My Farewell, on his website and social media. Makes sense. Since 2003, the prolific Portland-based singer-songwriter has released nine albums of acoustic guy-and-hisguitar folk music. A new record powered entirely by electric guitar is newsworthy. But Craigie fears his fans may have the wrong idea about Farewell. “I’ve been hyping this electric thing and some people think it’s really rocking,” he says. “It’s actually kind of the opposite. It’s like the mellowest thing I’ve ever done.” Indeed, after a decade of cranking out funny songs and poignant songs, whipsmart songs and pissed-off songs in the vein of folk heroes John Prine and Todd Snider,

Farewell is Craigie’s melancholy masterpiece. It has all the man’s sonic trademarks: highly literate stories, country twang and a dusty Western vibe with vocals like wellworn leather. This time, though, Craigie sets bluesy bummers against a reverberant echo you can only get by plugging in. “I was playing (these songs) on the acoustic guitar and something was missing. The album had a sort of sadness to it that I hadn’t really explored before, (and) as cheesy as it sounds, the acoustic wasn’t sad enough, really,” he says. “It wasn’t matching with the lyrics.” At the time, Craigie didn’t even own an electric guitar. But when he got a chance to play his new songs on a buddy’s setup, “everything kind of clicked,” he says. Seven years ago, Craigie was a teacher

It’s John Craigie’s first tour with a backing band. who played music on the side, but after a tour from his hometown of Santa Cruz, California, to Boulder, Colorado, and back, he quit his job and decided to make music his career. Since, he’s played around 200 shows per year and all 50 states in between his frequent recording projects. All of his tours thus far have been solo and acoustic; the one that brings him to Spokane on Saturday will be his first with a band. Working On My Farewell’s title is taken from a lyric in “Rexroth’s Daughter,” a song by folk legend Greg Brown. Craigie says the phrase perfectly captures the slow-developing nature of big life changes that often get condensed into a word or two. “I always liked the idea that the breakup is a process, not an event, and how a lot of times these things go down — not just a breakup, but death or any kind of separation, any kind of change — sometimes it takes you a little while,” he says. “It happens, and then it takes a process of accepting it and all that stuff. That’s kinda where a lot of these songs are coming from.” n John Craigie • Sat, Feb. 28, at 8 pm • $10/$12 day of • All-ages • The Bartlett • 228 W. Sprague • thebartlettspokane.com • 747-2174

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MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

POP LEISURE CRUISE

f Blade Runner had been directed by Pharrell, the soundtrack would have probably sounded a lot like Leisure Cruise. The duo, a rare pairing of Dave Hodge (Broken Social Scene) and Leah Siegel (Firehorse, the Citizens Band), mostly avoid the predictably ironic approach to the craft of pop ambiance by coating the synths with a generous layer of conviction. The band, whose name is a nod to the seemingly inevitable journey of humans being forced to leave Earth and colonize other planets, instills their self-titled debut with a genuine sense of optimism in the face of global demise. — TRACE WILLIAM COWEN Leisure Cruise • Mon, March 2, at 8 pm • $8/$10 day of • All-ages • The Bartlett • 228 W. Sprague • thebartlettspokane.com • 747-2174

J = THE INLANDER RECOMMENDS THIS SHOW J = ALL AGES SHOW

Thursday, 02/26

J ThE BARTLETT, Trapper Schoepp, Tyler Aker J ThE Big DippER, Lee Dewyz, the Tragic Thrills, the Broken Thumbs J Bing CRoSBy ThEATER, Crystal Bowersox, East Forest BooMERS CLASSiC RoCk BAR & gRiLL, Randy Campbell acoustic show BuCkhoRn inn, Spokane River Band J ChATEAu RivE, [Sold-Out] Della Mae CoEuR D’ALEnE CASino, JamShack, PJ Destiny ThE FoRk (208-292-4392), Truck Mills gRAnDE RonDE CELLARS, Maxie Ray Mills J ThE hop!, Catharsus, Lady of the Lake, You Don’t Know Me John’S ALLEy, DJ DarkBlood J LAgunA CAFé, Just Plain Darin LEFTBAnk WinE BAR, Lucas Brown J LuxE CoFFEEhouSE, Particlehead o’ShAy’S, Open mic RoADhouSE CounTRy RoCk BAR, Luke Jaxon ThE viking BAR & gRiLL, Wyatt Wood ZoLA, Sonny Brookbank Band

Friday, 02/27

BEvERLy’S, Robert Vaughn BigFooT puB, Tracer BLACk DiAMonD, DJ Posa BoLo’S, Phoenix BooMERS CLASSiC RoCk BAR & gRiLL, Cable Creek Band BoWL’Z BiTEZ & SpiRiTZ, Likes Girls BuCkhoRn inn, Country Soul ThE CELLAR, New Mud ChECkERBoARD BAR, MissB. Havers CoEuR D’ALEnE CASino, Kosh, the Ryan Larsen Band CuRLEy’S, Torino Drive

48 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

INDIE CANDY LEE

iting a chief interest in the practice of “expanding consciousness,” 2011 Northwest Arkansas Music Award winner Candy Lee not only puts that interest to excellent use in her songs, her voice provides an ethereal, almost weightless balance to the grounded, folkish simplicity of the music. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Lee recently embarked on the Follow Your Bliss tour — a solo outing that finds the daringly independent songwriter zigging and zagging across the country with a Craigslist-purchased trailer for sleeping and her husband and two dogs to keep her company. — TRACE WILLIAM COWEN Candy Lee • Wed, March 4, at 7:30 pm • Free • 21+ • Jones Radiator • 120 E. Sprague • facebook.com/jonesradiator • 747-6005

J Di LunA’S CAFE (208) 263-0846, Mike June FEDoRA puB, Nate Ostrander FiZZiE MuLLigAnS, Dragonfly J ThE hop!, Manwithnoname, Twitch MC, Legion Sik, Tre Octane, DFB, Raw B, Demon Assassin, Chadrick, Mami OG, P Caine and more iRon goAT BREWing Co. (4740722), Jay Condiotti iRon hoRSE BAR, Shiner JonES RADiAToR, Working Spliffs J kniTTing FACToRy, Young Dubliners (See story on page 44) J LAgunA CAFé, Diane Copeland MAx AT MiRABEAu, Chris Rieser & Snap the Nerve ThE MEMBERS LoungE (703-7115), DJ Selone and DJ Eaze nECTAR TASTing RooM, Gilbert Revis noRThERn QuEST CASino, DJ Ramsin nynE, DJ C-Mad

pEnD D’oREiLLE WinERy, Bright Moments J pinnACLE noRThWEST (3684077), I the Breather, Exotype, Forevermore, Come the Dawn, the Persevering Promise RED Lion hoTEL RivER inn, Big Hair Revolution RoADhouSE CounTRy RoCk BAR, Last Chance Band ThE RoCk BAR AnD LoungE, Spokane River Band, Rusty Jackson ShoT gLASS BAR & gRiLL (2920503), Six-Strings n’ Pearls ThE viking BAR & gRiLL, Mumbo Crew ZoLA, The Cronkites

Saturday, 02/28

J BARLoWS AT LiBERTy LAkE (9241446), Jan Harrison J ThE BARTLETT, John Craigie (See story on page 46)

BEvERLy’S, Robert Vaughn J ThE Big DippER, The Hoot Hoots, the Camaros, Goodnight Venus BigFooT puB, Tracer BLACk DiAMonD, Echo Elysium BoLo’S, Phoenix BooMERS CLASSiC RoCk BAR & gRiLL, Cable Creek Band BoWL’Z BiTEZ & SpiRiTZ, Likes Girls BuCkhoRn inn, Country Soul ThE CELLAR, New Mud J ChApS, Just Plain Darin with Tyler Coulston CoEuR D’ALEnE CASino, Kosh, the Ryan Larsen Band CoEuR D’ALEnE CELLARS, Steve Simisky CuRLEy’S, Torino Drive EngLiSh SETTER BREWing (4133663), Keith J. Milligan FiZZiE MuLLigAnS, Dragonfly FREDnECk’S (291-3880), Deez Nutz feat. Chris Kidd

J ThE hop!, After the Fire Benefit for the Brown Family: Tommy Gant, Psycho Syndicate, Willow, The Colouflies, Steven Jaimz, Jar in the Bar Band, Banish the Echo iRon goAT BREWing Co., The Betty’s iRon hoRSE BAR, Shiner John’S ALLEy, The Working Poor J kniTTing FACToRy, Reblution, Gondwana, Jeremy Loops LA RoSA CLuB, Bright Moments Jazz Group ThE LARiAT, Spokane River Band LEFTBAnk WinE BAR, Kari Marguirite LinniE’S ThAi CuiSinE (535-2112), Karaoke and Dancing with DJ Dave MAx AT MiRABEAu, Chris Rieser & Snap the Nerve noRThERn QuEST CASino, DJ Ramsin nynE, DJ the Divine Jewels pinnACLE noRThWEST, Burning

Clean, Heart Avail, Framework, Hidden Tension RED LION HOTEL RIVER INN, Big Hair Revolution RED ROOM LOUNGE, Galaxe, Bodhi Drip, Bard ROADHOUSE COUNTRY ROCK BAR, Last Chance Band THE ROCK BAR AND LOUNGE, DJ Dreadful  THE SHOP, One Star Revue

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THE VIKING BAR & GRILL, Dan Conrad, Carli Osika ZOLA, The Cronkites

Sunday, 03/01

 THE BIG DIPPER, Guttermouth, Counterpunch THE CELLAR, Pat Coast COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Kosh, Echo Elysium DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS, Jam Night with VooDoo Church IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL, AlgoRhythms

Monday, 03/02

 THE BARTLETT, Leisure Cruise (See story on facing page)  CALYPSOS COFFEE & CREAMERY,

Open Mic EICHARDT’S, Monday Night Jam with Truck Mills  PINNACLE NORTHWEST, Inanimate Existence, WRVTH, Zan  RICO’S (332-6566), Open Mic UNDERGROUND 15, Open Mic ZOLA, Nate Ostrander Trio

Tuesday, 03/03

315 MARTINIS & TAPAS, The Rub  THE BARTLETT, Open Mic  BING CROSBY THEATER, Ladysmith Black Mambazo CRAFTED TAP HOUSE + KITCHEN (208-292-4813), Kosh FEDORA PUB, Tuesday Night Jam with Truck Mills JOHN’S ALLEY, Randy McAllister JONES RADIATOR, Open Mic of Open-ness  PINNACLE NORTHWEST, Myke Bogan, Zero, Young West  RICK SINGER PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO (838-3333), Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore ZOLA, The Bucket List

Wednesday, 03/04  THE BARTLETT, Hey Rosetta!  CHAPS, Land of Voices with Dirk Swartz CRAFTED TAP HOUSE + KITCHEN, Wyatt Wood EICHARDT’S, Charley Packard FIZZIE MULLIGANS, Kicho GARLAND AVENUE DRINKERY (3155327), Open Mic with DJ Scratch n Smith

GENO’S (368-9087), Open Mic with T&T  THE HOP!, Elektro Grave IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL, Open mic JOHN’S ALLEY, OSO Negro  JONES RADIATOR, Candy Lee (See story on facing page)  KNITTING FACTORY, In Flames, All that Remains, Wovenwar LA ROSA CLUB, Robert Beadling and Friends THE LANTERN TAP HOUSE, Open Turntables Night with DJ Lydell LUCKY’S IRISH PUB, DJ D3VIN3 NYNE, Open Mic ROADHOUSE COUNTRY ROCK BAR, Spokane Dan and the Blues Blazers SOULFUL SOUPS AND SPIRITS, Open mic ZOLA, The Bossame

Coming Up ...

PINNACLE NORTHWEST, Ras Kass, El Gant, the Wurx, Chynki, Rot Monger, Ex-zac Change, Yung Devi, iTZ Jaaken, Raw B, T.L.G., March 5 KNITTING FACTORY, Mat Kearny, Parachute, Judah and the Lion, March 5 JOHN’S ALLEY, Asher Fulero Band, March 5 THE VIKING BAR & GRILL, Bodhi Drip, March 6 THE BIG DIPPER, The Backups, March 6 THE HOP!, Single Mothers, March 6 KNITTING FACTORY, Snocore Tour feat. Flyleaf, Adelita’s Way Framing Hanley, Fit For Rivals, March 6 BABY BAR, Tear Free, Friends of Mine,

Bandit Train, March 6 JOHN’S ALLEY, Ayron Jones and the Way, March 6 BLACK DIAMOND, Fogey, March 7 CHECKERBOARD BAR, Jacob Cummings, March 7 NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, The Very Best of Celtic Thunder Tour, March 7 UNDERGROUND 15, Jordan Collins album release party feat. Nate Greenburg, March 7 THE BARTLETT, The Grizzled Mighty Album Release, March 7 O’DOHERTY’S IRISH GRILLE, Irish Celebration feat. Broken Whistle and the Singing Sisters of the Holy Names, March 8 KNITTING FACTORY, Machine Head, Mercy Brown, Seven Cycles, March 8 RED ROOM LOUNGE, Warren G, March 9 THE BIG DIPPER, The Bob Curnow Big Band, March 9 CHECKERBOARD BAR, Sit Kitty Sit, March 9 THE BARTLETT, The Dodos, March 10 THE BIG DIPPER, That 1 Guy, March 11 THE PALOMINO CLUB, Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, March 12 KNITTING FACTORY, Coal Chamber, Filter, Combichrist, American Head Charge, March 13 THE BARTLETT, The Cave Singers, March 13, 8 pm. THE BARTLETT, St. Patty’s Party with Polecat, Folkinception, March 14

On Sale

FRI 10:00AM

MARCH 9TH DOORS 8PM SHOW 9PM TICKETS $20 ADV

HOLDMYTICKET.COM OR AT RED ROOM LOUNGE tuesday mar 17 Bing CrosBy theater

W 521 SPRAGUE • 509-838-7613

901 West sprague ave spokane, Wa 8:00pm shoW · all ages tickets at ticketsWest charge By phone 800-325-seat tickets also at Bing crosBy theatre Box office, the spokane arena Box office & the inB performing arts center Box office

MUSIC | VENUES 315 MARTINIS & TAPAS • 315 E. Wallace, CdA • 208-667-9660 ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. • 927-9463 BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 847-1234 THE BARTLETT • 228 W. Sprague Ave. • 747-2174 BEVERLY’S • 115 S. 2nd St., CdA • 208-765-4000 THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington St. • 863-8098 BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 467-9638 BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 227-7638 BLACK DIAMOND • 9614 E. Sprague • 891-8357 THE BLIND BUCK • 204 N. Division • 290-6229 BOLO’S• 116 S. Best Rd. • 891-8995 BOOMERS • 18219 E. Appleway Ave. • 755-7486 BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE • 24 W. Main Ave. • 703-7223 BOWL’Z BITEZ & SPIRITZ• 401 W. Riverside Suite 101. • 321-7480 BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main, Moscow • 208-882-5216 BUCKHORN INN • 13311 Sunset Hwy.• 244-3991 THE CELLAR • 317 E. Sherman, CdA • 208-6649463 CALYPSOS • 116 E Lakeside Ave., CdA • 208665-0591 CHAPS • 4237 Cheney-Spokane Rd. • 624-4182 CHATEAU RIVE • 621 W. Mallon Ave. • 795-2030 CHECKERBOARD BAR • 1716 E. Sprague • 535-4007 COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw Rd., Worley • 800-523-2464 CURLEY’S • 26433 W. Hwy. 53 • 208-773-5816 DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS • 6412 E. Trent • 535-9309 EICHARDT’S • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208263-4005 FEDORA PUB • 1726 W. Kathleen, CdA • 208765-8888 FIZZIE MULLIGANS • 331 W. Hastings Rd. • 466-5354 THE FLAME • 2401 E. Sprague Ave. • 534-9121 FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague • 624-1200 GRANDE RONDE CELLARS • 906 W. 2nd • 455-8161 THE HANDLE BAR • 12005 E. Trent Ave.• 474-0933 THE HOP! • 706 N. Monroe St. • 368-4077 IRON HORSE • 407 E. Sherman Ave., CdA • 208-667-7314 IRV’S BAR • 415 W. Sprague Ave. • 624-4450 JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. 6th, Moscow • 208-8837662 JONES RADIATOR • 120 E. Sprague • 747-6005 KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 244-3279 LAGUNA CAFÉ • 4302 S. Regal St. • 448-0887 THE LANTERN TAP HOUSE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 315-9531 THE LARIAT • 11820 N Market St, Mead • 466-9918 LA ROSA CLUB • 105 S. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-255-2100 LATAH BISTRO • 4241 Cheney-Spokane Rd. • 838-8338 LEFTBANK WINE BAR • 108 N. Washington • 315-8623 LUCKY’S IRISH PUB • 408 W. Sprague Ave. • 747-2605 LUXE COFFEEHOUSE • 1017 W. First Ave. • 624-5514 MAX AT MIRABEAU • 1100 N. Sullivan Rd. • 924-9000 MOOTSY’S • 406 W. Sprague • 838-1570 MOSCOW FOOD CO-OP • 121 E. Fifth St. • 208882-8537 NECTAR• 120 N. Stevens St. • 869-1572 NORTHERN QUEST • 100 N. Hayford • 242-7000 NYNE • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 474-1621 THE SHOP • 924 S. Perry St. • 534-1647 O’SHAY’S • 313 E. CdA Lake Dr. • 208-667-4666 THE PALOMINO CLUB • 6425 N. Lidgerwood St • 443-5213 PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545 PJ’S BAR & GRILL • 1717 N. Monroe St. • 328-2153 RED LION RIVER INN • 700 N. Division St. • 326-5577 RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague Ave. • 838-7613 REPUBLIC BREWING • 26 Clark Ave. • 775-2700 THE ROADHOUSE • 20 N. Raymond • 413-1894 THE ROCK BAR • 13921 E. Trent Ave. • 43-3796 ROCKER ROOM • 216 E. Coeur d’Alene Ave. • 208-676-2582 ROCKET MARKET • 726 E. 43rd Ave. • 343-2253 SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 209 E. Lakeside Ave. • 208-664-8008 THE SHOP • 924 S. Perry St. • 534-1647 SOULFUL SOUPS & SPIRITS • 117 N. Howard St. • 459-1190 SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon • 279-7000 SPLASH • 115 S. 2nd St., CdA • 208-765-4000 THE SWAMP • 1904 W. Fifth Ave. • 458-2337 UNDERGROUND 15 • 15 S. Howard St. • 290-2122 THE VIKING • 1221 N. Stevens St. • 315-4547 WEBSTER’S RANCH HOUSE SALOON • 1914 N. Monroe St. • 474-9040 ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 624-2416

FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 49

MUSIC AMAZING A CAPPELLA

Ladysmith Black Mambazo has been crafting a cappella music of the utmost excellence since the early 1960s. Founded in South Africa by Joseph Shabalala, the group utilizes traditional native harmonies and rhythms in their sans-instrumental songs, and has been spreading their music around the world for more than 50 years. They’ve collaborated with musicians like Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Dolly Parton, and have released more than 50 studio albums. Fun fact: The group was at one point banned from singing competitions because their level of perfection was too high and other groups didn’t stand a chance. — KAITLYN ANSON Ladysmith Black Mambazo • Tue, March 3, at 7:30 pm • $39-$49 • Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague • bingcrosbytheater.com • 227-7638

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50 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

COMEDY THE FUNNIEST MAN IN THE WORLD COMEDY CLASSIC LAUGHS You could call Neil Hamburger a modern-day Tony Clifton, an anticomic, or you can call him by his preferred designation, “America’s Funnyman.” The bafflingly awful comedian takes the stage with two or three cocktails tucked under his arm, combover plastered to his skull and bulging eyes magnified by Coke-bottle glasses, then proceeds to accost his audience. The alter ego of frequent Tim & Eric collaborator Gregg Turkington, Neil Hamburger is a terrifically weird experiment in performance art, hilarious in its mere concept. Don’t worry if you have no idea what the hell is going on at this show — that’s just part of the fun. — MIKE BOOKEY Neil Hamburger • Fri, Feb. 27, at 8 pm • $14/$16 day of • The Bartlett • 228 W. Sprague • thebartlettspokane.com • 747-2174

It might be hard to remember just how subversive Cheech & Chong were when the comedy duo first became popular, and not just because their fans were sparking joints constantly while listening to their hit albums or seeing movies like Up In Smoke. Their act drew from ’60s hippie culture, rock ‘n’ roll and the L.A. drug scene to point out the absurdities in everyday life — and in the so-called “war on drugs.” After decades apart, they reunited five years ago and have toured almost nonstop since. — DAN NAILEN Cheech & Chong with WAR • Thu, March 5, at 7 pm • $45-$55 • Coeur d’Alene Casino • 37914 S. Nukwalqw Rd., Worley • cdacasino.com • 800-523-2464

PRESENTS

RESTAURANT WEEK

THEATER A SYMBOL OF HOPE

Every day we wake up to a world saturated with a deluge of headlines concerning horrific violence and unrest worldwide. Hope for change can often seem dim or simply impossible. Rachel Corrie was a passionate humanitarian from Olympia, Wash., working with a nonviolent resistance organization endeavoring to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes and wells. Her death at 23 in 2003 did not silence her voice, but allows her vision to live on in My Name is Rachel Corrie, a new play commemorating her life. That life, mission and death have become a symbol of hope worldwide, and the moving play is crafted from the writings of this courageous woman. Following the production, presented by the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane, is a discussion with Rachel’s parents, Cindy and Craig, as well as director Forrest Potter and actress Erin Fitzgerald. — COURTNEY BREWER My Name is Rachel Corrie • Mon, March 2, at 7 pm • Free • Gonzaga University Magnuson Theatre • 502 E. Boone • pjals.org • 313-6553

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February 20 - March 1, 2015 MUSIC HIGH-PROFILE JAZZ

Soon entering its fifth decade with a triumphant sense of historical urgency, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival boasts one of its most impressive lineups in years. Singer, saxophonist and composer Grace Kelly, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, flutist Ali Ryerson, trumpeter, vocalist and composer Bria Skonberg and many more are set to join one of the most preeminent jazz vocalists in the world — the extraordinary Dianne Reeves. Her album Beautiful Life recently took home the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album, marking her fifth win in the category. This annual festival was also fittingly awarded a National Medal of Arts in 2007, an honor which has continued to reaffirm the cultural importance of the vision shared by Lionel Hampton and the University of Idaho. — TRACE WILLIAM COWEN 48th Annual Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival • Feb. 25-28; event times and locations vary • $7-$50 • University of Idaho, Moscow • uidaho.edu/ jazzfest • 208-885-7212

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52 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

DOORS TO DREAMS GALA 2015 The Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County’s biggest fundraiser of the year includes dinner, auctions and more. $1,000/ table of 8. Feb. 27, 5:30 pm. Red Lion Hotel at the Park, 201 W. North River Dr. bgcspokanecounty.org (489-0741) WINTER WATERS 2015 Each year the Center for Environmental Law & Policy celebrates local rivers, honors watershed heroes, and raises money for the essential water advocacy of the Upper Columbia River Group of the Sierra Club. Feb. 27, 6:30 pm. $35. Patsy Clark Mansion, 2208 W. Second. celp. org (939-1290) HOBO DINNER & AUCTION Annual fundraiser event benefiting the Hillyard Heritage Museum Society, which needs to relocate four rail cars due to the North-South Freeway construction. Feb. 28, 5:30-8 pm. $6-$12. Saint Patrick’s School, 2706 E. Queen Ave. (483-2383) WINDSONG SCHOOL WINTER GALA & AUCTION “Art is Community” features silent and live auctions, raffles, live music, appetizers, desserts, local beer and wines. Proceeds support the Spokane Waldorf Education Association 501(c)3 and Windsong School. Ages 21+ only. Feb. 28, 7-11 pm. $30. Mukogawa Institute, 4000 W. Randolph Rd. spokanewindsongschool. org (326-6638) TASTE SPOKANE 2015 Wishing Star Foundation’s ninth annual benefit event, showcasing local food, beer, wine and desserts, with live music and more. March 6, 6-10 pm. $35-$40, $100 VIP. Northern Quest Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd. tastespokane.com CINDERELLA TEA The 11th annual event benefits the local nonprofit Because There is Hope, which provides temporary housing for cancer patients traveling to Spokane for treatment. Event includes food, tea, silent/live auctions and a fashion show. March 7, 10:30 am-1 pm. $35/person. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. becausethereishope.org (939-9627) NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS Boost Collaborative supports those living with disabilities throughout the Palouse, and hosts its 8th annual Night of Champions dinner and silent auction. Featured speaker is James May, founder of the Father’s Network. March 7, 5:30-8:30 pm. $60. SEL Event Center, Pullman. (332-6561) TURNBULL REFUGE DINNER & AUCTION Fundraiser dinner and auction benefiting Friends of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. This year’s theme highlights the amazing moose that populate Turnbull. March 14, 5:30-9 pm. $35/person. Wren Pierson Community Center, 615 Fourth St. fotnwr. org (498-9250)

COMEDY

STAND-UP COMEDY OPEN MIC Local comedians; see weekly schedule online. Thursdays at 8 pm. Free. Uncle D’s Comedy Underground, 2721 N. Market St. bluznews.com (483-7300) AFTER DARK A adult-rated version of the Blue Door’s monthly, Friday show; last Friday of the month, at 10 pm. $7. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (747-7045) BOONE STREET HOOLIGANS Perfor-

mance by the student sketch comedy group. Feb. 27 at 7 pm, Feb. 28 at 2 pm. Gonzaga University Magnuson Theatre, 502 E. Boone. (313-6553) NEIL HAMBURGER The comedian performs up to 399 shows a year, and has opened for Tenacious D, Tim & Eric, and Faith No More, among others. Feb. 27, 8 pm. $14/$16. The Bartlett, 228 W. Sprague Ave. thebartlettspokane.com IT’S A DATE! An improv comedy show inspired by dating games/shows. Fridays in February, at 8 pm. $7. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (747-7045) LIVE, LOCAL COMEDIANS Performing every Friday and Saturday, at 8 pm. Feb. 27-28, Andrew Rivers and Cory Michaels; March 6-7, Mike Wally Walter and Jason Komm; March 12-13, Sharron Lacy and Michael Glatzmaier; March 20-21, Davey Wester and Casey Strain. $12. Uncle D’s Comedy Underground, 2721 N. Market St. (483-7300) UPRIGHT CITIZENS BRIGADE TOURING COMPANY The UCB Touring Company cast is hand-picked from the best improv comedians in New York City; UCB alumni include SNL stars Amy Poehler, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Moynihan, Horatio Sanz and Sasheer Zamata. Feb. 27, 7:30-9:15 pm. $20/ adults, $16/seniors, $10/students/ youth. Jones Theatre at Daggy Hall, WSU Pullman. performingarts.wsu.edu (509-335-8522) MATT DAVIS Standup and music performance by the acclaimed comedian. Feb. 28, 8 pm. $15. Best Western Coeur d’Alene, 506 W. Appleway. (208-7653200) SAFARI Fast-paced short-form improv games based on audience suggestions. (Not rated.) Saturdays at 9 pm. $7. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (747-7045) LIVE COMEDY Live stand-up comedy shows. Sundays at 9 pm. Goodtymes, 9214 E. Mission Ave. (928-1070) OPEN MIC COMEDY Wednesdays at 8 pm. Ages 21+. Free. Brooklyn Deli & Lounge, 122 S. Monroe St. (835-4177) UP IN SMOKE The Up in Smoke tour featuring Cheech & Chong and the band WAR lights up the stage. March 5, 7 pm. $45-$55. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S Hwy 95. cdacasino.com (775-784-9400) CRIME SHOW Improv comedy show inspired by the plots/characters of crime detective TV series. Fridays in March, at 8 pm. $7. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. (747-7045)

COMMUNITY

FREE TAX PREPARATION IRS-certified volunteers are available to assist those who earn less than $52,427 in preparing and e-filing their taxes at eight locations throughout Spokane County. Open through April 15; times and locations vary. unitedwayspokane. org (353-4851) SECOND HARVEST FOOD SORTING Join other volunteers to sort and pack produce and other bulk food items for delivery to local emergency food outlets. Ages 14+. Shift dates and times vary, sign up at inland.volunteerhub. com/events. Second Harvest Food Bank, 1234 E. Front Ave. 2-harvest.org (252-6267) BUSINESS CONNECTIONS LUNCH A panel discussion with local business

professionals committed to volunteering and getting involved in the community. Feb. 27, 11:30 am-1 pm. $30-$40. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. hubsportscenter.org (924-4994) FOURTH FRIDAY PUB PEDDLERS Group cycling ride, making a few stops along the way to a final destination. Meets at 7 pm, departs at 8 pm. Free. Swamp Tavern, 1904 W. Fifth Ave. (251-2107) CONTRA DANCE A community contra dance for local teens, ages 13-20. Feb. 28, 7 pm. $5. Pend Oreille Playhouse, 240 N. Union Ave, Newport. pendoreilleplayers.org (509-671-3389) FAMILIES CELEBRATE AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURE Observe American Indian Heidi Howard’s beading demonstration and other hands-on activities as part of the museum’s special programs celebrating the artistry and cultural importance of American Indian baskets. Feb. 28, 11 am-3 pm. Regular museum admission applies. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org (456-3931) FEBRUARY FUN FLING DANCE A ballroom dancing lesson from 7-8 pm is followed by general dancing until 10 pm. Singles, couples, and all levels of dancers are welcome. Refreshments served, also includes door prizes, drawings, mixers, line dances, demos and more. Feb. 28, 7-10 pm. $5-$9. Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 S. First Ave. (208-699-0421) DR. SEUSS’S 111TH BIRTHDAY Local guest readers, including Spokane Indians mascot Otto and other civic leaders, share their favorite books throughout the day. Also includes photo opps, crafts and games. March 1, 1-4 pm. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. (893-8350) IDENTITY THEFT AWARENESS WEEK Learn more about different types of identity theft, victims’ stories, and tips to protect yourself, from a certified identity theft risk management specialist. March 2-6, events held daily from 6:30-9 pm. Free. Northeast Community Center, 4001 N. Cook St. ow.ly/ Iznk8 (435-2120) RUSSIAN-SPEAKING VACCINES FORUM Local pharmacist Andrew Yeromenko leads a Q&A forum for the local Russian-speaking community on the importance of childhood vaccines and where to get them. March 2, 5:30 pm. Free. Northeast Community Center, 4001 N. Cook. srhd.org (324-1480) ADVOCACY & BULLYING PREVENTION TRAINING Idaho Parents Unlimited present a free workshop/training session. March 4, 10 am-3 pm. University of Idaho Center for Disability & Human Development, at 121 W. Sweet Ave., Moscow. familiestogether.org COMMUNITY VISIONING MEETING A consultant team uses information gathered during the last meeting to designate the next steps in the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Spokane Valley. March 4, 6 pm. Free. CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place Dr. (720-5335) CONTRA DANCE Weekly Wednesday night community dance, with Dog Paw playing and Susan Dankovich calling. No partner needed, fun for all ages. March 4, 7:30-9:30 pm. $5-$7. Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. (747-2640) 2014 CHASE YOUTH AWARDS Each year, the Chase Youth Commission

honors the community’s outstanding youth, teens and adults making a difference. March 5, 6:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. (822-7905) COLON CANCER AWARENESS DAY Dress in blue for Colon Cancer Awareness day and enter a local photo contest. March 5. Sacred Heart Medical Center, 101 W. Eighth. facebook.com/ Undy5kSpokane FAMILY DANCE & POTLUCK Learn easy circle, line, contra and folk dances to live music. Also includes a potluck, followed by dancing from 7-8 pm. March 6, 6:30 pm. Free. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th. (533-9955) GSI STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS Spokane Mayor David Condon talks about significant progress made in the past several years around the city, and what’s being done to ensure the work continues. March 6, 7:30 am. $25-$55. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. events.greaterspokane.org MARCH FOR MEALS A national campaign running through the month, sponsored by the Meals On Wheels Association of America to raise awareness of senior hunger and to encourage action on the part of local communities. March 6, from 8-10 am, at Spokane Valley Mall; March 7, at 8 am, at Northtown Mall and March 7, at 10 am, River Park Square. marchformeals. com (924-6976) SKATING WITH SCOUTS Skate with Spokane-area Girl Scouts at an event open to all. Scouts are also collecting new art supplies for a service project; please bring crayons, markers, coloring books, etc. March 7, 5-7 pm. $6.50$8.50. Pattison’s, 11309 N. Mayfair St. pattisonsnorth.com (607-2490) SCIENCE FAIR FOR GROWN UPS Enter your favorite science project to win money to be donated to your charity of choice. $20/entry per project. March 8, 5-8 pm. $5 admission. Republic Brewing Co., 26 N. Clark Ave. (509775-2700) SPOKANE TRAIN SHOW More than 100 vendors showcasing railroad art, artifacts, layouts, photos, videos and more, with all scales of model trains for sale. March 8, 9:30 am-3:30 pm. $6/adults; free/ages 12 & under. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. (991-2317)

FILM

THE GOLD RUSH In conjunction with The Big Read, see movies relating to “The Call of the Wild,” like Chaplin’s comedic masterwork in which gold prospectors find themselves in trouble as they seek their fortunes in the Yukon. Feb. 26, 6:30 pm. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. (893-8350) THE IMITATION GAME Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain’s top-secret Government Code and Cypher School, during the darkest days of WWII. Feb. 26-March 1; show times vary. $3-$6; $50/10-film pass. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main, Moscow. (208-882-4127)

FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 53

Advice Goddess The Wicked WiTch of The WeSTin

AMY ALKON

There’s a girl who works at the hotel where my coworkers and I go for drinks. She’s hot and smart and fun, and I really like her and want to ask her out. The problem is that when she laughs, she cackles in this really annoying way. I’m wondering whether, if we started dating and hit it off, I could subtly hint to her that she should change her weird, witchy laugh. Because, honestly, she’s perfect otherwise. —Bothered

It’s great to find a woman who laughs at your wit, but not when she sounds like she’ll follow up with “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!” I know, the “expected” reply to a man wanting a woman to change something about herself is, “How dare you, you shallow pig?!” And I’m aware that behaviors that initially seem mildly annoying can, in time, make you want to bludgeon the person with the soup ladle. But it does seem a shame to nix a woman you really like right off the bat simply because it’s hard to tell whether she’s laughing or you’re around the corner from a donkey engaged in erotic asphyxiation. It’s possible that her laugh really is her laugh, “designed” by the shape and location of her larynx. HowStuffWorks founder Marshall Brain explains that when we’re laughing, the larynx gets half-closed by the epiglottis. (Laughter, most charmingly, is the sound of a person struggling for air, which we each do in our own special way.) But the reality is, some people with disturbing laughs have created them, often out of a desire to seem unique or get attention. They repeat their fabricated ha-ha, and it becomes part of them. And then time passes, and they forget to check whether their creation is still serving them or whether it might be to potential dates what garlic and crosses are to working vampires. Obviously, a woman is likely to be to hurt and offended if you announce, “If we’re going to have any future together, you’ll need a laughectomy.” However, IF you started dating her and IF you saw that she’s one of those (rare) people who “would rather know,” you could ask her about her laugh: “Have you always laughed that way?” But brace yourself for her to come back with something like “Do you hate my laugh?” At this point, like a rat on flotsam after a shipwreck, all you can do is grab for a piece of flattery: “Uh, um…it’s just that you’re so elegant. It doesn’t seem to go with the rest of you.” But first things first. You haven’t even asked her out. She might say no (laughing raucously and scaring away crows). Or, if she said yes, things might fizzle after a date or two. So maybe go out with her a few times, taking it slowly (no sex, tickling, or comedy club visits), and weigh whether her general fabulousness is enough to offset the intermittent cackly audio. Who knows…maybe you’ll fall for her to the point where her laugh becomes endearingly awful — always making you long to grab her and kiss her in the back seat of her broomstick.

edGAr AllAn rePo

The guy I’m seeing revealed that he is hesitant to get into a relationship because it means “taking responsibility” for another person on a level you don’t have to when you’re just friends with benefits. In his words: “I mean, what if you got cancer?” He wants the friendship and connection of a relationship, but he inevitably fails to step up and women bail. (What a surprise.) He did have a three-year relationship in the past, and I really like him. Should I stick around and hope he calms down? —Unsure Here’s a guy who will have your back — getting smaller and smaller in his rearview mirror at the first sign of a serious problem, such as a bad hangnail. Sadly, it isn’t enough to “really like” a guy. You need to really like a guy who’s prepared to respond to your needs with loving concern instead of burning rubber. And in keeping with this unfortunate automotive theme, assessing a guy’s boyfriendability should be approached like selling cars. The successful car salesman will not spend his morning singing the praises of heated seats and in-car Wi-Fi to the customer wearing a blanket and cardboard sandals. That guy sure could use a car, just as your guy sure could use the “friendship and connection” (and, no doubt, the sex) of a relationship, but neither will be able to make the required payments. So, yes, waiting and hoping this guy “calms down” is an option — but you’d probably have better luck waiting for the brown bird outside your window to turn into a UPS driver. n ©2015, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

54 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

EVENTS | CALENDAR LAST RUSH FOR THE WILD WEST A film exposing how impending tar sands and oil shale mining would destroy massive, pristine landscapes in Utah and put the already imperiled Colorado River watershed at risk. The Sierra Club’s Jace Bylenga also speaks about the threat of developing tar sands in Utah. Feb. 26, 7-9 pm. Free. Gonzaga University Jepson Auditorium 502 E. Boone. tinyurl.com/l92jh6s (835-5211) TO LIGHT A CANDLE SFCC International hosts a screening of the documentary film by filmmaker Mazier Bahari who was the subject of Jon Stewart’s film “Rosewater.” Feb. 27, 9:30-10:30 am. Free. SFCC, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr. Also Feb. 27, at 4:30 pm, Downtown Library, 906 W. Main Ave. educationisnotacrime.me AKEELAH & THE BEE Celebrate Black History Month at a screening of this family movie. Feb. 28, 2 pm. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry. (444-5385) CONNECTED LEARNING: THEORY OF VIDEO PRODUCTION Get an overview of the library’s community cameras, shooting principles, editing options and uploading. Also learn about what makes a compelling story and how to best present it. Registration required. March 3, 1:30 pm. Free. Hillyard Library, 4005 N. Cook St. (444-5380) MOSQUITA Y MARI Screening of the film followed by a Q&A session with the award-winning writer/director Aurora Guerrero. March 3, 6-9 pm. Free. Riverpoint Campus, 600 N. Riverpoint Blvd. facebook.com/FemmeFocus (3587640) TOTALLY TUBULAR TUESDAYS The Garland’s classic old-school movie series, every Tuesday at 7 pm. See website for schedule of upcoming films. $2.50. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland. (327-1050) AMERICAN BEAR: AN ADVENTURE IN THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS In summer 2010, filmmakers Sarah Sellman and Greg Grano set out to critically explore American culture, compassion, and fear by relying on the kindness of strangers for a home each night of a 60-day road trip. Includes a discussion with the filmmakers. March 4, 7-9:30 pm. Magic Lantern, 25 W. Main. (2092383) AWAKENING FILM EXPERIENCE Screening of six films highlighting the resiliency, strength and power of the human spirit. March 6-7; reservations required. $25/person; $45/couple. Unity Church of North Idaho, 4465 N. 15th St. unitycenter.org (208-664-1125)

FOOD AUSTRALIAN WINE ADVENTURE Sample quality wines from “down under,” including one bubbly, one white wine, six reds and a dessert wine they call a “sticky.” Feb. 27, 7 pm. $20, registration requested. Rocket Market, 726 E. 43rd Ave. (343-2253) PIZZERIA PIZZA AT HOME A hands-on class on the steps to make pizza in your home taste even better, drawing from Neapolitan influences. Feb. 27, 6-8 pm. $49. Inland Northwest Culinary Academy (INCA), 1810 N. Greene. (533-8141) VINO WINE TASTING Friday, Feb. 27 showcases wines from the Veneto region of Italy, from 3-7:30 pm. On Sat, Feb. 28, a tasting of Blacksmith Wines by Forgeron, from 2-4:30 pm. Tastings include cheese and crackers. Vino!, 222 S. Washington St. (838-1229)

COOKING CLASSES AT GREENBRIAR Class topics include edible gifts, creole/ cajun cooking, asian food, hearty dinners, Latin food, soups and more. Classes on Feb. 28, March 7, 14, 21, 28 from 11 am-1:30 pm. $45. Greenbriar Inn, 315 Wallace Ave. (208-667-9660) MEET THE FARMERS Meet local farmers and gourmet food producers, and sample products from Ramstead Ranch, Chattaroy Cheese Co., Antny’s Sunday Gravy and Tom Sawyer Country Coffee. Feb. 28, 12-4 pm. Free admission. Petunia’s Marketplace, 2010 N. Madison. petuniasmarket.com (325-4257) SPOKANE POTTERS’ GUILD CHILI FEED Purchase a handmade bowl and enjoy all-you-can-eat chili and other treats. Feb. 28, 11 am-3 pm. $12/adults, $5/children ages 8 and under. Corbin Senior Center, 827 W. Cleveland Ave. spokanepottersguild.org (327-1584) VEGETABLE GARDENING 101 Master Gardener Claudia Myers shares the dos and don’ts for growing vegetables at home. Feb. 28, 1 pm. Free. Hillyard Library, 4005 N. Cook St. (444-5380) ALTON BROWN LIVE Live 2-hour show featuring Alton Brown’s quirky humor and culinary-science antics on stage. The show blends stand-up comedy and food experimentation in a talkshow, multimedia lecture format with live music. March 1, 6:30 pm. TBD. INB Performing Arts Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. 800-325-7328) ELEVATION: JAMES BEARD HOUSE PRACTICE DINNER Chef Jeremy Hanson invites the community to a practice run for his March 7 dinner at the James Beard House in NYC for his Best Chef nomination. Proceeds and additional donations from the six-course dinner will aid his team with travel expenses. March 2, 5:30 pm. $125/person; reservations required. Santé, 404 W. Main. santespokane.com (315-4613) BACKCOUNTRY BREWFEST Kick-off for the 4th Annual Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Rendezvous, March 6-8. An elk camp-inspired event with microbrews, prizes and more. March 6, 5-9 pm. $10-$15. Red Lion Hotel at the Park, 201 W. North River Dr. redlion.rdln.com (406-370-4325) STROMBOLI: AN ITALIAN FAVORITE Lean how to create the dough, fill, shape and bake this Italian classic. March 6, 6-8 pm. $49. Inland Northwest Culinary Academy (INCA), 1810 N. Greene St. (533-8141)

MUSIC

CRYSTAL BOWERSOX Folk/rock/country. Feb. 26, 7:30 pm. $29-$39. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (227-7404) 48TH LIONEL HAMPTON JAZZ FESTIVAL Thousands of students, community members and jazz fans visit the University of Idaho campus to take part in one of the country’s most dynamic jazz festivals, Feb. 25-28. $7-$50. University of Idaho, 709 S Deakin St. uidaho.edu/ jazzfest (208-885-0117) NORTHWEST BACH FESTIVAL The 37th annual Northwest Bach Festival features classical music events throughout Spokane, including guest musicians in concert, outreach programs, film screenings and more. Feb. 24-March 8. See full schedule online. $18-$45/event. nwbachfest.com VIOLIN MASTERCLASS: KURT NIKKANEN Whitworth University, in

partnership with the Northwest Bach Festival, hosts renowned violinist Kurt Nikkanen for a Master Class on the Sonatas and Partitas of J.S. Bach. Feb. 26, 11:30 am-1:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Whitworth University, 300 W. Hawthorne Rd. (777-3268) SEEING DOUBLE Violin duo repertoire from Baroque to jazz by EWU Professor Dr. Julia Salerno, joined by Sarah Whitney of Sybarite5. In the Music Dept. recital hall. Feb. 27, 7-8:30 pm. Free admission. Eastern Washington University, 526 Fifth, Cheney. (359-2241) BASE MUSIC WORKSHOPS A series of creative workshops for musicians, focusing on songwriting, music business and more. Upcoming sessions Feb. 28, and March 7 and 21 (10 am-2 pm), from 10 am-3 pm. Ages 15+, register online. Varies. The Bartlett, 228 W. Sprague Ave. thebartlett.com EWU CHOIR The choir is directed by Randel Wagner and performs selections from the 1700s to present. Feb. 28, 7 pm. $5-$12. Empire Theatre, 126 S. Crosby St., Tekoa, Wash. (284-2000) SPOKANE SYMPHONY CLASSICS NO. 7 “Beethoven and Schubert” features a program of pieces by the two classical masters, and showcases the Symphony’s Principal Second Violin Amanda HowardPhillips and Concertmaster Mateusz Wolski. Feb. 28 at 8 pm and March 1 at 3 pm. Prices vary. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. spokanesymphony.org (624-1200) JAM FOR BREAD The duo of Benton & Gallagher, Free Whiskey (The Band) and Members of Spokane Area Youth Choirs perform to raise money for Crosswalk, the downtown Spokane teen shelter. March 1, 3 pm. $8-$15. Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ, 411 S. Washington St. (624-1366) CLOVER’S JAZZ BRUNCH Clover hosts jazz brunch on the first Sunday of the month, featuring a rotation of classic, local jazz duos. Clover, 913 E. Sharp Ave. spokanejazzscene.com (487-2937) GONZAGA SYMPHONY Conducted by Kevin Hekmatpanah, the concert program includes Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Overture,” RimskyKorsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol” and concludes with William Walton’s “Viola Concerto,” featuring acclaimed soloist Paul Coletti. March 2, 7:30-9 pm. $10$13. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. foxtheaterspokane. com (624-1200) LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO The a-cappella musical group is celebrating 50+ years of performing harmonies from its native South Africa. March 3, 7:30 pm. $39-$49. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater. com (227-7404) COMMUNITY DANCES FEAT. VARIETY PAK Dance music from all eras performed by the local group during the community center’s twice-monthly dances; first Thursdays and third Fridays, from 7-10 pm, through June. $6$10. Southside Senior & Community Center, 3151 E. 27th. (535-0803) BLUES CATS FOR KIDS The Inland Empire Blues Society hosts its 20th annual benefit, featuring Blues Edition performing along with The Sidemen, Rampage, Polly O’Keary & The Rhythm Method and Bryan Warhall & Triple Trouble. Free admission with 2 cans of food, or $5 per person. March 7, noon. Spokane Valley Eagles, 16801 E. Sprague. tinyurl.com/ ke2tmo7 (922-3433)

KIDZ BOP The “Make Some Noise” show offers family-friendly versions of today’s biggest hits in this energetic and interactive live show. March 7, 7:30 pm. $20-$25. Knitting Factory, 919 W. Sprague. sp.knittingfactory.com (2443279) SPOKANE JAZZ ORCHESTRA: HOLLYWOOD JAZZ A program of jazz hits originating from film scores, featuring local singer Kristina Ploeger and members of the SJO’s Young Giants of Jazz vocalists. March 7, 7:30 pm. $24-$26. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. spokanejazz.org (227-7404) SPOKANE SYMPHONY SUPERPOPS NO. 5 “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” features the orchestra performing an evening of Irish music, showcasing guest singer Cathie Ryan, hailed as “one of the leading voices in Celtic music.” March 7, 8 pm. $28-$62. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. spokanesymphony.org IN THE MOOD: 1940S BIG BAND REVUE A fully-staged tribute to Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, The Andrews Sisters and big band greats of the ’40s, complete with period costumes and choreography. March 8, shows at 3 pm and 7:30 pm. $28-$59. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. foxtheaterspokane.com (624-1200) EWU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The Orchestra performs the music of Beethoven and Stravinsky, featuring piano soloist Janet Phang for Ravel’s Piano Concerto. In the Music Bldg. Recital Hall. March 11, 7:30 pm. $3-$5. Eastern Washington University, 526 Fifth St, Cheney. (359-2241) SOLAS FOR ALL: A SISTER CITY CELEBRATION The Spokane Area Youth Choirs and special guests present a concert of Irish music. Doors open at 6 pm for viewing and bidding on silent auction and raffle items. March 12, 7-8:30 pm. $5-$8. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. SAYChoirs.org (624-7992) SPOKANE SYMPHONY + TERRAIN: UNCHARTED TERRITORY An innovative performance featuring local artists, with musical collaborations between Symphony musicians and band members of the Flying Spiders, Water Monster and Hannah Reader. Staged vignettes also include live theater for the one-night event benefiting Terrain and the Symphony. March 13, 8 pm. $32$75. Washington Cracker Co. Building, 304 W. Pacific. terrainspokane.com

SPORTS

YOUTH RUGBY EXHIBITION Coaches, teachers, youth sports organizations, parents and kids are invited to run through drills, play in non-contact scrimmages, see demons, and find out more about this growing sport. Feb. 26, 6:30-8:30 pm. Free. The Warehouse, 800 N. Hamilton. gothrugby.com (2288170) ORIENTEERING COURSE Learn how to use a map and compass with members of the Eastern Washington Orienteering Club in Manito Park. Feb. 28, 10 amnoon. $5-$7. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. ewoc.org (456-8038) SLED DOG RACING/MUSHING Members of Inland Empire Dog Sled Association provide an overview of sled dog racing and talk about their personal experiences with the sport. Event held as part of the SCLD “The Big Read” program, highlighting Jack London’s “The Call of the Wild.” Program times/ locations vary: Feb. 28, March 1, 3, 5, and 7. Free. At Spokane County Library branches; schedule at scld.org

SPOKANE CHIEFS (BREAST CANCER AWARENESS NIGHT) Hockey match vs. the Tri-City Americans. $1 from every ticket is donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for those who specify when purchasing. Also includes a special auction. Feb. 28, 7:05 pm. $10-$23. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com (279-7000) UFC 184: ROUSEY VS. ZINGANO Theater screening of the UFC 184, with the main card featuring women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey vs. top contender Cat Zingano. Feb. 28, 7 pm. Regal Cinemas Riverstone, 2416 Old Mill Loop. fathomevents.com SPOKANE BADMINTON CLUB Meets Sun, from 4:30-7 pm and Wed, from 7-10 pm. Also meets for beginner-friendly nights at the HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo, Liberty Lake, on Tue, from 7-9 pm. ($5) $8/visit. West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt. (869-9229) SPOKANE TABLE TENNIS CLUB Pingpong club meets Wed from 6:30-9 pm and Sun from 1:30-4:30 pm. $2/visit. Southside Senior & Community Center, 3151 E. 27th. sites.google.com/site/spokanetabletennisclub/home (535-0803) GOTH RUGBY PRACTICE Goth Rugby, Spokane’s first boy’s high school rugby team, practices March 2-May 13, MonWed, from 4-6 pm, with most games on Saturdays. New players welcome. Pavillion Park, 727 N. Molter Rd. gothrugby. com (228-8170) SPOKANE TABLE TENNIS Ping-pong club meets Mon and Wed, from 6-9 pm. $3/visit. The HUB, 19619 E. Cataldo. spokanetabletennis.com (768-1780) OUTDOOR EMERGENCY BASICS When head into the wilderness, be prepared to help yourself and others. March 3, 7 pm. Free. REI, 1125 N. Monroe. rei.com/spokane (328-9900) SPOKANE CHIEFS Hockey match vs. the Vancouver Giants. March 3, 7:05 pm. $10-$23. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com (2797000) HANDS-ON BIKE MAINTENANCE An REI mechanic teaches how to lube a chain, fix a flat in record time and make other minor adjustments to your bike. Bring your own bike; seats are limited. March 4, 6:30 pm. $30-$50, registration required. REI, 1125 N. Monroe. rei. com/spokane (328-9900) BIKE MAINTENANCE BASICS FOR WOMEN An introductory class for women teaching the basics of bike care. March 5, 7 pm. Free. REI, 1125 N. Monroe St. rei.com/spokane (328-9900) BHA NATIONAL RENDEZVOUS & BREWFEST The Backcountry Hunters & Angler’s fourth annual event features a presentation by keynote speaker Randy Newberg, along with seminars on backcountry skills, stories and habitat conservation. March 6-8. $130/weekend pass. Red Lion Hotel at the Park, 201 W. North River Dr. tinyurl.com/pacln56 (326-8000) BEGINNING BIRD WATCHING CLASSES Meets in the education classroom at the refuge; also includes a hands-on hike. Sponsored by Friends of Turnbull and Spokane Audubon Society. Ages 8+. Register online or call. Classes held March 7, April 4, May 9 and June 6, from 9-11 am. $3/family entrance fee. Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, 26010 S. Smith Rd. fotnwr.org/activities.html (448-2291) THE MAN SHOW The Chamber of Commerce in Sprague, Wash., hosts a swap for: tools/equipment, hunting/camping/sporting goods; auto/marine and

yard/garden items. March 7, 9 am-5 pm. $3 admission. (509-259-7060) SPOKANE ANARCHY WRESTLING “New Beginnings,” featuring five matches including two championships. Doors open at 5:30 pm. March 7, 6 pm. Free. Swaxx, 25 E. Lincoln Rd. swaxxspokane.com (703-7474) WASHINGTON TRAILS ASSOCIATION AT ILLER CREEK Contribute to trail improvements and maintenance within Spokane’s Iller Creek Conservation Area. Work involves digging tread, brushing, drainage work and other activities. Sign up online. March 11, 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Iller Creek Conservation Area, East Holman Rd. and Rockcrest Lane. wta.org/volunteer/east (509921-8928)

THEATER

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Mead theater students present a stageadapted performance of Holocaust victim’s autobiography/diary. Also includes a mobile exhibit from the Anne Frank Center. Feb. 26-28 and March 5-7, at 7 pm. $5-$10. Mead High School, 302 W. Hastings Rd. (465-7046) INTO THE WOODS LC Tiger Drama presents a staged version of the recent film, reimagining the classic stories of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Cinderella,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Rapunzel,” in which not all stories end happily ever after. Feb. 26-March 7; Thu-Sat at 7 pm. $10. Lewis & Clark High School, 521 W. Fourth. (354-7000) LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Performance of the sci-fi musical by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman. Through March 1; Thur-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 1:30 pm. $12-$20. Regional Theatre of the Palouse, 122 N Grand Ave., Pullman. rtoptheatre.org (334-0750) THE NERD Comedy by Larry Shue. Through March 8; Thur-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $13-$21. The Modern Theater Coeur d’Alene, 1320 E. Garden Ave. themoderntheater.org (208-667-1323) AMERICAN IDLE: MURDERING THE MUSIC A murder-mystery play parodying American Idol. Feb. 27-March 15, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm; also Sat, Feb. 28, at 2 pm. $8-$12. Liberty Lake Community Theatre, 22910 E. Appleway. (342-2055) CREEPS A contemporary, romantic comedy written by Stage Left’s Playwright-in-Residence, Sandra Hosking. Through March 1; Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $10. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. spokanestageleft.org EXIT LAUGHING A comedy play by Paul Elliot about a 30-year friendship between four women and all the fun that comes with it. Feb. 27-March 14; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 3 pm. Dinner theater March 14 at 6 pm. $5-$12. Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 639 Elm St. (235-2441) HONK! JR. PRESENTED BY CYT A children’s theater production of the classic tale of the ugly duckling. Feb. 27-March 1; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 3 pm. $11-$14. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. cytspokane.com (227-7404) NUNSENSE A-MEN! Musical-comedy directed by Troy Nickerson, starring male actors as the Sisters of Hoboken. Feb. 27-March 22; Thur-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $22-$30. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard. spokanecivictheatre.com (325-2507) ...continued on page 58

FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 55

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FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 57

EVENTS | CALENDAR THE LEGEND OF POCAHONTAS CYT North Idaho performs the new stage adaptation, featuring new music and Native American sounds and rhythms to complement the original score. Feb. 27-March 1 and March 6-8; Fri-Sat at 7 pm and SatSun at 3 pm. $11-$15. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. cytnorthidaho.org (208667-1865) MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE Taken from the writings of Rachel Corrie, edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner. Corrie was killed while protecting a Palestinian family’s home from demolition in the Gaza Strip. March 2, 7 pm. Free. Gonzaga University Magnuson Theatre, 502 E. Boone. gonzaga.edu/theatrearts (536-3839) BEST BROTHERS The U.S. premier of a comedy drama about two brothers facing the aftermath of their mother’s death. March 6-22; Thur-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm $19-$25. The Modern Theater Spokane, 174 S. Howard. themoderntheater.org (509-455-7529) THESE SHINING LIVES The spring Whitworth Theatre production is based on the tragic story of the ill-fated “Radium Girls” in 1920s Illinois. March 6-14, Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $8-$10. Whitworth Cowles Auditorium, 300 W. Hawthorne. whitworth.edu/theatre (777-3707) HAM ON REGAL: PIG TALES - A SUMMER ASWINEMENT More than 250 Ferris HS parents use their hidden talents to be a “ham” as they sing, dance, jump and jive for the annual fundraising event, now in its 52nd year. March 8 at 2 pm, March 11-14 at 7:30 pm and March 14 at 1:30 pm. $7. Ferris High School, 3020 E. 37th Ave. hamonregal.org (953-8116)

THE KITE RUNNER Young Audiences New York’s Literature to Life stage presentation, adapted from the bestselling novel by Khaled Hosseini. $$7-14, free for WSU students. March 11, 7:30-9 pm. Jones Theatre at Daggy Hall, WSU Pullman. performingarts.wsu.edu (509-3358522)

VISUAL ARTS

ARTIST TRUST AT LARGE Spokane artist Melissa Cole shares how the organization can help Washington state artists of all disciplines. Feb. 26, 5:30-6:30 pm. Free. Neill Public Library, 210 N. Grand, Pullman. artisttrust.org (509-334-3595) ARTIST JIM BATELL The Spokane “Dumpster Artist” displays his whimsical squirrel paintings on recycled cardboard in the library’s lobby. March 1-31. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. (893-8350) AN EPOCH RETROSPECTIVE An exhibit of watercolor and collage paintings by Junette Dahmen (donor of the Dahmen barn) and Kay Montgomery, longtime artists and friends. March 1-31; opening reception March 1, from 1-4 pm. Gallery open Thur-Sun, from 10 am-4 pm. Free admission. Dahmen Barn, 419 N. Park Way, Uniontown. (509-229-3414) MIDWEEK MONET PAINT PARTIES Local artists provides a step-by-step introduction to acrylic painting, with themes ranging from landscapes to still life to abstracts. Glass of wine included in admission; all supplies provided. March 4, 18; April 1, 14; May 6, 20; June 17; from 5:30-8:30 pm. $40/class. Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. thejacklincenter.org (208-457-8950)

WORDS

THE REMAKING OF INDIA Dr. Asthana is a professor at EWU, has served as a consultant for the government of India, and is the co-author of the book “Water Security in India: Hope, Despair and Challenges of Human Development.” Feb. 26, 7:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Whitworth University, 300 W. Hawthorne Rd. (777-1000) IDAHO 125: WILDERNESS TO STATEHOOD A 10-part series of free lectures examining the history of the area that would become Idaho 125 years ago. Monthly scheduled programs include “Native Cultures,” Feb. 26; “Lewis and Clark,” March 26; “Fur Trade,” April 23. All events begin at 7 pm. Free. CdA Public Library, 702 E. Front. cdalibrary.org (208769-2315) AUTHOR M.A. LAWSON Mike Lawson is the award-winning author of two thriller series. Feb. 26, 7:30 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com POETRY OPEN MIC No sign-up sheets, censors, or microphones. New poets are especially encouraged to attend. Fourth Thursday of the month. Free. Monarch Mountain Coffee, 208 N. Fourth, Sandpoint. (208-265-9382) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION GUEST CURATORIAL LECTURE “The National Museum of the American Indian: A Remarkable History and Extraordinary Collection Entwined” presented by Cecile Ganteaume, curator of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). Feb. 26, 6:30 pm. $10 suggested donation. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org

AUTHOR ANTHONY CLARK The Whitworth professor of Chinese history explores the early Catholic missionaries that settled in China in his book “Heaven in Conflict: Franciscans and the Boxer Uprising in Shanxi.” Feb. 27, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 402 W. Main Ave. (838-0206) AMERICAN INDIAN CULTURAL LECTURE “Entwined: Salish Basketry Influences on the Art of Joe Feddersen,” presentation by the artist as he concludes three days of programs at the museum centered on American Indian Basketry. Feb. 28, 4 pm. $5. The MAC, 2316 W. First. (456-3931) AUTHOR BRIAN HENNING The professor of philosophy and environmental studies at Gonzaga, talks about his new book, “Riders in the Storm: Ethics in the Age of Climate Change.” Feb. 28, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 402 W. Main Ave. (838-0206) AUTHOR DEBY FREDERICKS The local author greets the public and signs books. Feb. 28, 2-4 pm. free. Hastings, 2512 E. 29th. debyfredericks.com YOUNG AUTHOR JAKE KEYES The local seventh grader is a sports enthusiast with a love of Gonzaga basketball. Feb. 28, 1-3 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 402 W. Main Ave. BOOTSLAM Competitive performance poetry, open to all skill levels. Poets have three minutes per round to present original work, judged by five audience members chosen at random. The poet with the highest cumulative score after two rounds wins $50. March 1, 7-10:30 pm. $5. Boots, 24 W. Main Ave. spokanepoetryslam.org POETRY & FICTION AT THE HEARTWOOD Reading featuring Spokane writers Sharma Shields, Tod Marshall, Shann Ray and Maya Jewell Zeller, some of

the Northwest’s most outstanding writers. March 1, 2 pm. Free and open to the public. Heartwood Center, 615 S. Oak St, Sandpoint. (208-255-4410) HEMINGWAY FESTIVAL The annual literary festival features presentations and workshops with authors on writing and on the contributions of Hemingway, as well as a keynote reading by the most recent Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award winner, NoViolet Bulawayo. March 3-5; event times/locations vary. See schedule online. March 3-5. University of Idaho, 709 S Deakin. (208-885-6111) ARCHAEOLOGY LECTURE: THE BATTLE OF CHAIRONEIA “Death Comes to the Theban Sacred Band: Skeletons from the Battle of Chaironeia (338 BC)” presented by Maria Liston, of the University of Waterloo. March 4, 6:30 pm. Free and open to the public. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org (315-5705) UI VISITING WRITER SERIES: ALISON HAWTHORNE DEMING The awardwinning author of nonfiction and poetry, who teaches at the University of Arizona, reads from her work and signs copies of her books. March 4, 7 pm. Free and open to the public. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127) BROKEN MIC Spokane Poetry Slam’s longest-running, weekly open mic reading series, open to all readers and all-ages. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. spokanepoetryslam.org (847-1234) 

MORE EVENTS Visit Inlander.com for complete listings of local events.

NOT JUST NEWS.

amazing

stories

“ONE LOVE,” MARCH 28, 2013

58 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS

HOW TO SUBMIT

1. Visit Inlander.com/isawyou by 3 pm Monday. 2. Pick a category (I Saw You, You Saw Me, Cheers, Jeers). 3. Provide basic info: your name and email (so we know you’re real). 4. To connect, provide a non-identifying email like “petals327@yahoo.com” — not “j.smith@comcast.net” — to be included with your submission.

I Saw You

Cheers

Jeers

Beautiful Redhead at FedEx Downtown You: Stunningly beautiful redhead Wednesday 2/18 at the FedEx store downtown. I saw your legs when you parked you Mini-Cooper (I think) and my breath was taken away when I saw the full “YOU”! You were only in the store for a short time but I swear time came to a grinding halt. There is goodlooking, beautiful and stunningly beautiful and you are the latter. Me: Helpless guy in blue jeans and a ball cap trying to ship my boxes at the counter. I’m sure the shipping clerk couldn’t help notice my distraction. I was in another world. I wanted to tell you, simply as a compliment, how strikingly beautiful you were but you left before I had the chance. Thank you! If you have a guy he’s very lucky and I hope he treats you with respect, dignity and admiration. If you’re not attached, I’d love to meet for coffee. Thank you again. Life is good!

but notice your friendly eyes and charming grin. We both took steps in the opposite direction, but like magnets we were drawn to look back; You at the outside door and me inside. Other customers bustled by obscuring my view. Then you were gone :( I stood in line at the deli, looking out at the parking lot and found you slowly walking and searching... hopefully for me. While leaving the store I was the one searching for the handsome chocolate man in the silver car with whisps of silver in his mustache. There was an extra spring in my step all afternoon. My mind wondered who you were, what makes you tick, do you already have a special someone and might be interested enough in me to meet each other? hbfh69@gmail.com”

blaired inside my head, know that you are still know you hold in your eyes fireworks like I’ve never seen in anyone else. You are amazingly talented, wise beyond your years. If you want to catch up, email me petalsforever27@ yahoo

Just Roses brought a smile! “Kelly Sanchez is FANTASTIC! Friday the 13th, a beautiful collection of roses was delivered to my mother. Mom is suffering from stage 4 lung cancer and was having a horrible week. Kelly has no idea just how much a gesture of her kindness brightened my mother’s day. Thank you so very much, Kelly and Just Roses in Coeur d’Alene! I will make sure to pay it forward, in kind!

our thoughts into star filled skies. I know someday you will catch a bass. I just hope I’m not too late, sitting next to a river north of humble beginnings.

and not your interpretation. It is not a “small area for dogs” as you proceeded to argue with various actual small dog owners. There is a very nice area for large dogs with room to roam without causing distress to you, other park users, or the dogs. Unfortunately, Your dog proved to be as aggressive as you are, because it lunged right away at the small dogs entering the area, and both of you should be kept away from others because neither of you proved to be socialized.

Lookout Mom Sunday Dec. 28th. You-beautiful, blonde mom skiing with your young children at Lookout Pass. You WERE their ‘rope tow’ on Successadorable!Saw you there most of the morning and at the lodge around lunch. That was two months ago, and with the ski season quickly coming to an end, I thought I would try and reach you. No idea if you live in N ID or Spokane area, but hope you’ll reply.candyfan311@gmail.com Wish I had done more “Hey handsome! Friday February 21, right before 1:00 I was walking into Spokane Valley Rosauer’s & you were walking out. Whisps of silver in your mustache made me do a double take. I couldn’t help

Too Slim Benefit To a sweet, most enthralling & lovely lady. As brief as our encounter was, I still felt there was a connection that night. I gave you my card after writing my personal number on back. And ever since I have been waiting anxiously/hopefully to hear from you. Would you please consider allowing me the honor of taking you out for dinner? At your favorite spot, of course. You know, we already have a lot in common as “you” are a first-grade teacher and, hey, I attended first grade. I know, unbelievable... right? You’re a firework You, casually sitting in a pub when you saw me walk into for a drink. I was flushed from working in hot sun that 4th and you said Hello. At first, I did not recognize you, but I knew I knew you. Thank you for reminding me patiently. you had a copy of a reading greek mythology. While my sirens

Deep in thought Long ago and not too far seat from where I am, I saw you. You, handsome, deep in thought with eyes shining brightly in the dim light of homeroom. Me, a timid brunette, unknowingly looking into the eyes of the most beautiful person I have ever known. Time slipped,

My sun-and-stars To the man of my dreams, my untouchable crush of 20 years who finally gave me a chance to love him how he

“You are an immoral, unscrupulous degenerate.”

YOU SLEPT WITH MY WIFE

I fell, and yet your eyes haunt my memory. I miss you my friend of old, hoping to see you someday... taking it all in with love. -the girl from homeroom

You Saw Me Smile at Tonicx Ralph, thanks again for treating my friend and me at Tonicx on Feb 15. You surprised me by complimenting my smile. Next one on me? meinsmilenature@gmail.com

Cheers HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY Happy birthday to my beautiful and amazing wife, couldn’t imagine a better person to be with. I love you and hope you have many more great birthdays! Love always, moe moe

deserves to be for the last year and a half, my introverted lover with a charismatic grin, equally as kitty cat crazy we can grow old together with cat hair in our sweaters and your wrinkled hand in mine. I’ll never leave your side, I’m with you for always, road dogs for life, and even if I’m mad I still can’t help but smile at you and your goofy, loving way. Happy Birthday babe. Thank you for giving me a reason to find happiness in you every day. Love, the moon of your life Dreaming of You As I sit here upon this wooden bench where you and I would talk for hours contemplating life, I think about how much we got to know each other. It had been seven long years, and I must confess I thought about you during that time apart. I often picture us in those summer nights, dreaming

Jeers Re: Let babies be babies Dear person who wrote this in the last Jeers posting, since when is it up to you to raise my child? Since when was it up to random people what I expose my child to? I grew up going to concerts, barter fairs, and drum circles since I was a new born. Because of this, I am an open minded adult, I don’t act scantily or clad as you say, and quite frankly I learned at an early age how embarrassing those people look all drunken and cuddly on the dance floor with random smelly hippies “dancing” all over them. Hence the fact that I’ve never kept my child sheltered from the crazy and wild life of others. I suppose what I’m saying is, raise your children the way you want to, but don’t tell me how I should or should not raise mine. Cause I guarantee that when our little ones are older, my kids won’t be the loner in the corner judging everyone around them! Mailbox break-in You broke the lock to our locking mailbox on February 18th and stole our mail. The method and timing implies it was probably a loser friend of our loser next door neighbor. One more freedom has been taken away from honest people by losers like you. Sad state of affairs... Reading comprehension and respect for others is fundamental To the person with a large dog in the small dog area at High Bridge dog park, it is as it reads

You slept with my wife You are an immoral, unscrupulous degenerate, the kind of person who surely must have been spawned in the filthy depths of a Spokane sewer. What kind of “man” are you to go out, lie and manipulate your way into the bed of a married woman? To pressure her non stop with perversions to turn into the very thing she once despised most in life, a cheater, a harlot? To convince her that committing adultery has no consequence, though she believed her entire life it was deadly sin. You brainwashed my wife of 7 years to spit in the face of God and turn her back upon him. You are the earthly incarnate of the enemy as you have came and stolen my wife and kids, killed off her spirit, lifelong beliefs and relationship with God and destroyed the lives of my marriage and family. Though you, her and I can all take blame for allowing this to happen, the brunt of it falls on you. Whether you call it karma, say that things come back full circle or things always come back to bite you in the ass, remember that you ALWAYS reap what you sow.

“I Saw You” is for adults 18 or older. The Inlander reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement at any time at its sole discretion and assumes no responsibility for the content.

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FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 61

ind Games The Inland Northwest is home to a sizable and highly competitive community of Magic: The Gathering players BY CHEY SCOTT

rom a combination of nervousness, too little sleep and perhaps too much caffeine, Josh Mound’s right hand trembles as he draws the top card off his deck. Across from him, leaning forward on his elbows, fingers pressed to temples, Mound’s opponent bounces his leg restlessly. It’s down to the game’s final moments. Mound has four life points left; his opponent, Bryan Eleyet, hangs on with one. Eleyet slaps down a card — Stormbreath Dragon, a 4/4 flyer with haste — but Mound instantly destroys it with a spell. It’s still Eleyet’s turn. Poker-faced, he plays a second card, Stoke the Flames. It deals four damage to Mound to seal the win. The victory for Eleyet comes more than 11 hours into the tournament, an all-day Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Qualifier hosted at the downtown Spokane comic and games shop Merlyn’s. For coming out ahead of the 77 other players there, Eleyet nabs a plane ticket to Belgium in April for a two-day, invitation-only competition in Brussels offering $250,000 in cash payouts to top finishers. It’ll be the 28-year-old’s 10th appearance at a Pro Tour event, which is considered the highest competitive setting for players of the popular collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Often thought of as a hobby beloved only by social outcasts and introverts, it’s estimated that more than 12 million people around the world enjoy the complex, strategic game of gathering resources (mana), summoning monsters (creatures) and casting spells (sorceries, instants

62 INLANDER FEBRUARY 26, 2015

and enchantments). Although dominated by male players in the competitive circuit, Magic: The Gathering’s broader fan base is a testament to the game’s ability to continually evolve and adapt to its audience. At a more casual Magic event Merlyn’s hosted about a month prior to the recent qualifier, the back section of the store holds a more varied mix, including high schooland even middle-aged players, along with a few female spell slingers. For the Pro Tour Qualifier, however, most contenders are male, between ages 18 and 35. “I think a lot of it is the image thing,” says Scott Harris, referring to common misconceptions of the game. Harris has worked at Merlyn’s for three years and is an official Magic event judge and tournament organizer. He’s been playing with his older brother, Steven (who also works at Merlyn’s), since he was 7, not unlike many of his peers who grew up with it. “When people don’t know much about it, they think it’s a nerd thing and only played by guys who live in their moms’ basements, and there is definitely some judgment that girls aren’t interested,” he adds. The game, launched back in 1993, has seen substantial growth over the past decade. In 2013, an openregistration tournament, the Grand Prix Las Vegas, set an attendance record of nearly 4,500 players for a single trading-card game tournament. A major influence on Magic’s growth, according to local players like Harris and Mound, is the digital age. With countless websites, social media accounts and

Merlyn’s owner John Waite (above left) awards Bryan Eleyet the winning ticket to the Magic Pro Tour in Brussels. ROD JEFFERS PHOTOS YouTube channels devoted to breaking down the game’s intricate card interactions, analyzing tournament-winning decks’ card lists (with more than 13,500 unique cards and multiple play formats, deck construction is incredibly elaborate), as well as breaking down the complex rules of the game, learning about Magic has never been so accessible. “I don’t have time to look through the cards to build a winning deck, but I can take an idea of what is performing well and make my tweaks to it and play it from there,” Mound says. The secondary market for buying, selling and trading cards online also has hugely impacted the game’s growth. Depending on rarity and market demand, Magic cards on the secondary market range from 10 cents to hundreds of dollars each. For players who seek to advance to the pro level, that means building a highly competitive deck is expensive — as much as $400 to $1,000. At the daylong Pro Tour Qualifier at Merlyn’s, players have come from near and far — the Lewis and Clark river valley, western Montana, even Portland — to test their skills. When the tourney is narrowed down to the top eight players, six are local guys. “Spokane is one of the big havens for players, based on the amount of people in town who play Magic,” Harris contends. The Inland Northwest’s connections to the game are even deeper, since Magic creator Richard Garfield grew up in Oregon and later taught math at Whitman College in Walla Walla. Wizards of the Coast, the company that owns Magic, is also based near Seattle. And with a multitude of game shops in the Spokane area — Merlyn’s, Uncle’s, the Comic Book Shop, Gamer’s Haven and Direct Damage — Magic players at any level have numerous chances to play in higher-level tourneys, casual game nights and simply to join a passionate community of other players. “I think a lot of people who come from playing other games are surprised by the community,” Harris says. “There are a lot of people who go out of their way to be helpful. We’re a friendly community as far as Magic communities. I’ve been to places where it’s more cutthroat, but that isn’t a problem we have locally.” 

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FEBRUARY 26, 2015 INLANDER 63

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