Tendering My Resignation.

Well, it is bitter-sweet. After 4 years of living in Salem, I am off to begin a new chapter. The places I have worked have inspired me to pursue a desire I never realized I had for sound engineering.

Over the past four years, I have found and written about lots of little gems in Salem, I have seen the rise and fall of lots of promising businesses and discovered community, real genuine community. I have raised a family of three with my wife, whom I married here, and I have grown tremendously. I can say that my time here was one of major growth and I will carry what I have learned for the remainder of my life. The music and art community/talent here is small and poorly publicized but it is grand in heart. I've seen a band of kids move to Portland and shake up the Indie world. I have seen a small town writer land a tv and book deal. We have met wonderful people that will stay a part of our live forever and have given us great memories to depart with...

But, the time is fast approaching and we will soon hit the road, to maybe, get gone and stay gone. I can honestly say I don't know where we will be a year from now. But, I can say that I am extremely excited to find out.

See you in the sun!

Thank you, those who stayed connected and supported my writing efforts while I was discovering Salem and myself. Stay tuned for my next chapter, it has so much more excitement in store!

Sincerely,
   -Alva Valencia

Cherry City Music Festival THIS WEEKEND!!

Well, it seems another year has pasted and if you are like me you have been out of the loop regarding all things Salem and Music. Luckily it is already that time of the year again. The one local festival that compiles a large chunk of Salem's local talent and puts it all in one jam packed weekend!

Yep, Cherry City Music Festival is upon us. It is now time to set aside the chores and busy work to go out and experience the ever evolving Music life here in Salem. Without further a due...

Here is the line up through out town this weekend:

2012 Schedule

Papa G’s Blacklight Bar
4/5/
7p-9th Step
8p-Jesse Tumalo
9p-The Squirmin Hermans

10p-
4/6
7p-Abadon
8p-The Rise & The Fall
9p-Security In Numbers
10p-The Jesus Rehab
4/7
7p-Skatterbomb
8p-At Dusk
9p-Hip Hop Show

Magoo’s
4/5
9p-The Radio Giants
10p-The Blue Bonics
4/6
9p-The Brothers Bror
10p-The Gusto Brothers
4/7
8p-The Oregon Valley Boys
9p-The Rub Ups
10p-Goldfire

Brown’s Towne Lounge
4/5
8p-Foxtrot
9p-Manic
4/7
8p-Vintage RnR
9p-Kopath Bear

Governor’s Cup

4/6 Redwood Son

Venti’s Cafe (Downtown)
4/5
8p-Carissa Bones
9p-BobbiLynn Forbus

4/6
9p-The Weather Machine
10-Michael Hamlin Taylor

4/7/
8p-His Name Shall Breathe
9p-Travis Nutsch

ƒ/stop Fitzgerald’s
4/5
9p-Kalaloch

4/6 Hatty Birthday

4/7
9p-Higgans and Merryweather
10p-Succulent Dish

Boon’s Treasury
4/5/
9p-Michael Dean Damron
4/6/
9p-Bethany Randall & Guests
4/7
9p-The Student Loan

Capitol Mall (Papa G’s Back Up)
4/7
Noon-5p. Mob Royalle Hosts Hip Hop at the Capitol Mall
w/Charles Wayne, Devitto P, KRYPTiC, D-Voo, DJ Roz.

The Gilgamesh Lounge
4/5
8p-Kory Quinn & The Comrades

4/6 ($5)
8p-Sad Face
9p-Symmetry/Symmetry

4/7
8p-The Folly
9p-Jettison Bend

The Triangle
4/5
9p-Outerbanks
4/6
9p-TKO Project
4/7
9p-Kalico
10p-Red Hook Gypsy

CCTV Live Broadcast
4/5
6p-The Faux
7p-Foxtrot
8p-Mayflies in April

4/6
6p-His Name Shall Breathe
7p-Manic
8p-Kopath Bear

4/7
12p-Gobel Warming
1p-The Folly
2p-The Vultures
3 Juan and Javier

Clockworks
4/5
7p-The Faux
8p-Chemical Smile

4/6
7p-ccmf Open Mic

4/7
7p-Rich McCloud
8p-Mayflies in April

Christo’s Lounge
4/6
9p-Cherry City Deadbeats, Natalie Laswell and Marc Short acoustic

4/7 ($7)
9p-Kris Orlowski

Cascade Baking Company
4/7
11:30a Jazz Trio

Your Place
4/6
9p-Full Force
4/7
9p-Full Force

*Highlighted in Red are shows I recommend checking out

Don't take my word for it. check as many shows as you can and let me know who you thought was worth a second mention.

Well, what are you waiting for start preparing your plan of attack, then get out there and experience it all!!

- Alva

I fell in a hole, but I'm climbing out

Wow. Can I just start off by saying, I feel so out of touch.

Never fear my friends, I always mantained an open ear, my search never came to a halt. I was just sidelined by some new exciting endeavors and by that inevitable coming of age. My life is in full swing with two boys a wife and a, real, full-time job. I am still writing but it has been for Oregon Music News and they have mostly been out of town shows. However, I have been staying connected with Salem and found a lot of great things are beginning to surface in Salem's music scene. Typhoon (now living in Portland), is the first and most obvious subject, with their immense success and recent appearance on Letterman.



Symmetry/Symmetry has become even more experimental as a three piece band. Bands like Monoplane and Massive Moth are invading Portland's elite music venues. The re-re-re-birth of the Roxxy Night Club has begun. Journey's, Dean Castranovo, has helped create a music program for kids at the local Boys and Girls Club. The Great Idea and Cherry City Music Festival were both great successes.



... I can go on and I intend to.

So, this is long over due, but, check out the official music video for Massive Moth's "Patrons of Wanderer's Way". Also, if you haven't already seen promotion for this, Massive Moth will be playing with the legendary one hit wonders from the 80's, Men Without Hats and Portland's The Slants at the Grand Theater, Sept. 10th




and this actually needs no promotion cause everyone goes to the State Fair, so.....

One of my favorite musical outlets to recently rise up is Doug's World with Elizabeth Schulte, Doug Hoffman has been consistently streaming media from CCTV with his show and keeping Salem current on all things awesome.

Lastly, well there is no lastly, Salem is maturing musically and I am excited to be here to see it happen. Local music lovers are starting to become the voice we so desperately were seeking here in Salem, including myself and my wife with our newest endeavor These New Legs come check it out, music is on the way.

So, that's all I have time for now. talk soon!

Cheers,

Alva Valencia

This Weekend: Cherry City Music Festival

For the past 5 years Ross Swartzendruber has been creating a common, yet seemingly (up until last year) ineffective and chaotic way to expose Salem's music scene dubbed, the Cherry City Music Festival. this year however, the festival is making huge strides in the right direction due largely to the DIY nature of modern music. Also, in part, due to the fact that Ross has had 5 years to fine tune this beast. This years line up is overflowing with talent like local favorites Typhoon, Y La Bamba, Loch Lomond and Norman. Starting Thursday the festival will be in full swing and the music will be pulsing through Salem until Saturday.

Y La Bamba - "Juniper" by terrorbird

In my opinion, Ross Swartzendruber is in need of positive recognition. considering the fact that this is entirely too big of an event to single handed take on yet, he pressed on and made it into something tangible something beautiful. the road was rough and there were a lot of moments where things seemed unrepairable, but this week/weekend we will be able to look at the final product and say "Wow, that is pretty awesome." So cheers, Ross you have made my list of Salem Essentials, coming to my blog 2011 ;)

I remain very optimistic about this week/weekend and look forward to watching things unfold first hand. Join me, wont you?

Cheers,
Alva

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