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

Special "Halloween/Fall in Salem" Blog

Need somewhere to go to feel like a "halloweenie"? Thanks to Extreme Makeover, you do now! Along with brand new dorm rooms, Extreme Makeover did a complete over haul of our "Nightmare Factory" with the aid of legendary spookster Rob Zombie.

This will be the attraction of the season in my opinion. It already was one of the best "haunted houses" in Salem, but now with House of a Thousand Corpses creator, Rob Zombie, on the scene it is the place to be for a good scare.

Not into wetting your pants?

Just north of Salem is the age old tradition of the Pumkin Patch. Check out Bauman Farms! With hay rides, Hot cocoa, corn mazes, and a kid zone, this is where you want to be if you have a larger family looking to get out the house and enjoy some fall time merriment. Don't be lead astray by the over the top animated website, this place has the right stuff.

And let's not forget the Trick or Treating. My picks for Salem's hottest trick or treating spots this year:

Chapman Hill in West Salem
D St., east of Downtown
Inside North Salem High School

So go and haunt the streets of Salem this fall because there is lots to see. Maybe you can let me know of any sweet treats you discover while out and about.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.3

Vintage Clothing Giveaway

Yup, you heard right! And, boy, did I luck out yesterday when I accidentally stumbled into this amazing event.

I stopped into the Coffee House Cafe (to drop off flyers for a show my band will be playing this Saturday) and noticed they had just put out the chalk sign and were writting on it. I paid no mind. When I was finished hanging up the flyer I discovered they had opened up what seemed like an old ballet room in the back and dumped on the floor thousands of random vintage clothes/items in rows... unfolded, unorganized, stacks of clothes and hardly a soul around. I went to the girl who was writing "Vintage Clothes Giveaway" on the chalk sign and asked if this could be true, and she answered me, "Yep, we get boxes and boxes of overstock vintage clothes from an online company and so we give 'em away, once a year, to lighten the load." I walked back in and went to town! Minutes after the sign was complete people started swarming in with disbelief. I snagged: one sweet belt, two vintage sweatshirts, lined navy blue windbreaker, a Members Only jacket, and a pair of tweed slacks... for FREE! It was brilliant. and so I say this, Thank you Salem and thank you Coffee House Cafe for making my fall/winter clothing collection a whole lot cooler.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.3

Middle of the Road

On a small city block between High and Liberty on Chemeketa, every Wednesday From May to October, is a little treasure dubbed Wednesday Market.

White tents line the street and the smell of fresh cooked meats rise up like a smoke signal calling locals in. This is one of our many treasures. Lucky for me, I work just down the street and very often find the time to walk up and down the aisles of Wednesday Market to say "Hi" to the regular vendors and greet the new ones. Vendors with fresh meats, locally grown eggs, and family farm vegetables along with local florists and jewelers, make this a great place to go on my break to clear my mind and take me away from it all.



I would say, in most situations, that this place lacks in variety and could use some expansion. But truly, I feel Wednesday Market is just right. The perfect fit for the middle of the work week, in the middle of the city, during the middle of my day.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.2

Local Joe

When word got out that Trader Joe's was looking at a liquor licenses for the old building across the street from Winco in South Salem, my heart skipped a beat. The idea of one of my creature comforts from Portland residing here in Salem with me, was exhilirating! Now it's official, Trader Joe's is moving to Salem and I couldn't be more thrilled (except if Limbo moved next door)!! For me Life Source has been the end-all-be-all for local products in a one stop shop setting and I was coming to terms with it. But now the idea of local products available at an affordable price is overwhelming.

When I lived in Gresham, Trader Joe's was pricing a building in downtown Gresham but they voted to turn it down... disappointment. I had the same concern for Salem but the transaction seems to be going smooth... relief. Of course until I can walk into Trader Joe's and walk out with a months worth of 2 Buck Chuck, I will remain weary.

What does any of this have to do with music/art you may ask? Well I'm sure that if I tried I could validate it with something about local artist needing local food to help them feel connected to their roots and blah blah blah. But the truth is... I just love local stuff. It's enriching for the community.

One Year Strong

Ever since moving down to Salem one year ago, I have been on the hunt. Searching for Salem's music/art community. I've prowled the streets looking for a tune, unique and alluring, that Salem claims as it's own. I have found that through the cracks of Salem's deep concrete walls and streets, oozes something vibrant and pulsing, asking kindly to be seen, heard, embraced. I have been scratching at the walls in a desperate attempt to uncover what it is. I have seen shades here and there in places like the Wednesday and Saturday market, it's hue a cold chilled breathe beating out of local music venues like the Ike Box, Clockworks, and The Space.

I have designed this Blog, really, just to trace my thoughts back to one place, but also to see if it will maybe blossom and take Salem's music/art scene with it into something thriving and alive, something we can gladly embrace and call our own.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0