REDDING CULTURAL CRUISE JAN 31-FEB 1 – PAGE 9 AFTER FIVE T H E N O R T H S T A T E M A G A Z I N E JANUARY 2020 / 33rd Year / No. 3 THE NEWS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT MONTHLY ON THE COVER GREEK TRAGEDY Axiom Repertory Theatre kicks off LOS LOBOS the new decade with the production of From the band’s most recent album the Ancient Greek tragedy, ‘Oedipus ‘Llego Navidad,’ a collection of non- Tyrannus,’ directed by Ken Hill and set traditional Latin and Spanish-spoken to run from Jan. 9-26 at Axiom’s new Christmas songs, to the 1984 breakout theater on Bechelli Lane. See page 8 ‘How Will the Wolf Survive’ to the critically acclaimed ‘Kiko,’ Los Lobos has seemingly something for everyone THE WAILERS and any mood. The band brings its The fruits and labors of Bob Marley and multifaceted, multicultural stylings to The Wailers set the tone for The Wailers, the Cascade Theatre in Redding Jan. 25. (pictured at left) slated to perform at Tickets available at cascadetheatre.org Redding’s Cascade Theatre Jan. 23. The or by phone at (530) 243-8877. Read the group last performed at the Cascade in After Five interview on page 2 September 2017. See page 10 Be prepared to have some fun when Los Lobos hits the stage Jan. 25 at the Cascade Theatre Left to right: Conrad Lozano, David Hidalgo, Steve Berlin, Cesar Rosas and Louie Perez By Aaron Williams And then there’s always their version including the one for Robert Rodriguez’s of “La Bamba,” the super smash hit and fi lm “Desperado.” If you’re not having fun at a Los title track from the 1987 movie about the “We all grew up listening Berlin said the band enjoyed the Lobos concert, you’re not doing it right. life of Richie Valens. to FM rock radio in the ‘70s fame “La Bamba” brought. The eclectic band, which brings its “We are all those things,” said Berlin, when it wasn’t unheard of “Getting to see life at the top as No. multifaceted, multicultural stylings to the who joined the band in 1984 after stints 1 was nice and the money was great,” Cascade Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 25, with the Blasters and The Flesh Eaters. to hear Sun Ra and Buck he said, but added that when it was has made music they enjoy listening to “We have all those infl uences.” Owens in the same set. And I done, the band went back to making the for the past 45-plus years. Other band members include Louie guess that’s how we like our music they wanted to make. And that’s why Los Lobos has Perez (drums, guitars, percussion, “Our next record was ‘La Pistola’ survived, said saxophone and keyboard vocals), Cesar Rosas (vocals, guitar, records to sound.” so we self-corrected,” Berlin said. “We player Steve Berlin. mandolin), Conrad Lozano (bass, - Steve Berlin of Los Lobos never felt like we were going to get “We make music we play for guitarron, vocals), David Hidalgo typecast. Forty years later, I’d say we ourselves,” he said by phone from his (vocals, guitar, accordion, percussion, survived.” home in southern Washington state bass, keyboards, melodica, drums, like punk rock, simply because there’s Berlin said fans in Redding can shortly before Christmas. “It’s not that violin, banjo) and Enrique “Bugs” nothing else like us.” expect a “fun night of music.” we’re amusing ourselves – we’re hard Gonzalez (drums/percussion). And with a sound so diverse, Berlin “We will touch on every era,” he on ourselves – but when we make “We all grew up listening to FM rock says it takes time to get everything just said, although he added that the music it goes through a sort of quality radio in the ‘70s when it wasn’t unheard right. Christmas songs from “Llego Navidad” test.” of to hear Sun Ra and Buck Owens in “We’ve never showed up to a studio will most likely have been retired from And that comes through, he said, in the same set. And I guess that’s how we with 12 songs ready to go,” he said. “It the set list. “We’ll go acoustic and the varied and expansive fi nal product. like our records to sound,” said Berlin, always starts with a chord sequence or electric with the ‘Pistola’ era for the fi rst From its most recent album “Llego who in addition to the saxophone and a riff and starts to take shape.” part and then plug in.” Navidad,” a collection of non-traditional the melodica plays other woodwinds, The only album that didn’t happen And be prepared to have fun. Latin and Spanish-spoken Christmas percusion and the harmonica. like that was the current “Llego Navidad” songs, to the 1984 breakout “How And that mix of infl uences shines release where the band had six weeks Ticket info Will the Wolf Survive” to the critically through as the band can go from punk earlier this summer to arrange and The Cascade Theatre show begins acclaimed “Kiko,” the band has to Tex-Mex to rock or rockabilly to record the songs. at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are priced from seemingly something for everyone and ranchera at one show. They may even “It’s rare that it comes together that $35 to $50 and are available online at any mood. sprinkle in some Grateful Dead – they quickly,” he said. “It was interesting to cascadetheatre.org, by phone at (530) Wanna rock? Try “Mas y Mas.” did a sublime cover of “Bertha” on see how it worked when we ultimately 243-8877, or at the Cascade Theatre Need to blues it up? Slap on “That 1991’s “Deadicated: A Tribute to the didn’t have time to overthink things.” box offi ce, 1733 Market St., Redding, Train Don’t Stop Here.” Grateful Dead.” There’s also the movie music. In Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 Want something to make you move? “We like that variation,” he said. addition to “La Bamba,” the band has p.m., and on the day of the show from How about “La Pistola y el Corazon”? “We like going from ranchera to fast, appeared on dozens of soundtracks, 11 a.m. to showtime. Page 2 / January 2020 / After Five REDDING’S HISTORIC THE WAILERS /ERYEV]ȶȴ LOS LOBOS /ERYEV]ȶȍ CIRQUE MECHANICS +IFVYEV]ȦȦ THE DOO WOP PROJECT +IFVYEV]ȶȦ RICHARD MARX +IFVYEV]ȶȁ CASCADETHEATRE.ORG | 530-243-8877 After Five / January 2020 / Page 3 THE POSTSCRIPT I glanced up as the bells rang to herald new customers walking into the used clothing store. I was looking for a pair of warm dress pants. Visiting my parents in Minnesota, I had forgotten entirely about the possibility of extreme cold and the idea of going out that night in tights and a skirt seemed preposterous. Luckily, I found a like-new pair of black jeans with just a little sparkle on the pocket for a good price. I was wandering around the store with these jeans in my hand—just in case I saw something else that I might need—while I waited for the line at the check- RXWFRXQWHUWRJHWDOLWWOHVKRUWHU0D\EH,FRXOGÀQGD silver jacket, I thought, that would look nice on a cold winter night. A woman and man had parked their pick-up outside and come into the store. The woman marched in a determined fashion to a rack in the middle of the store. She was a heavyset woman and it looked as if she had located this rack on a previous visit. She approached with a grim determination. She and the man she was with were standing in front of the rack of dark colored clothing as I slipped by with my sparkly jeans in hand. CARRIE CLASSON The woman was holding RXWDQDUWLFOHRIFORWKLQJIRUWKHPDQ·VLQVSHFWLRQ ´7KH\·OODOOEHZHDULQJVSDUNO\FORWKHVµVKHVDLG VRXQGLQJGHMHFWHG´7KLVLVMXVWEODFN«QRWVSDUNO\µ ,DOPRVWVDLG´6SDUNOHVDUHIXQµEHFDXVHWKH\ are—and because she sounded so sad that I wanted to say something to cheer her up. But I realized this was probably not the right thing to say so I stood silent, my back to the couple reviewing the unseen, XQVSDUNOHG RXWÀW WKDW , VXVSHFWHG ZDV JRLQJ WR EH worn very soon. ´,WKLQNLWZLOOORRNJRRGµWKHPDQVDLG³UDWKHU unconvincingly, I thought. The woman stood silent, holding the black garment, visualizing (I am quite sure) a room full of happy women in sparkly dresses. 6KHVLJKHG´2ND\/HW·VJRµ6KHWRRNWKHEODFN garment to the front counter without trying it on and moments later they were gone. The whole transaction took less than ten minutes and seemed completely void of holiday cheer. I went home with my sparkly jeans and wore them out that night with an old friend. We stayed up late, laughing at the crazy things we had done together over the years and sharing crazy plans for the new year. But, after he was gone, for some reason I thought DJDLQRIWKHXQKDSS\ZRPDQ,·GVHHQHDUOLHULQWKHGD\ I wondered where she had gone, where this room of sparkly women had been and if the black garment had SOHDVHGKHURQFHVKHKDGÀQDOO\WULHGLWRQ,VXGGHQO\ felt unreasonably sad and wished that she had found something with sparkles on it—something silver or red or gold or green—something that would have made her happy and excited to greet the New Year. There are so many expectations at this time of year. 6RPHWLPHVLW·VWRRPXFK6RPHWLPHVLWLVMXVWWRRKDUG ,ZDWFKHGWKHVQRZEHJLQWRIDOODQGZDVÀOOHGZLWK terrible feeling of tenderness and gratitude and a desire to try—to try a bit harder this year. I am going WRWU\WREHNLQGHU,·PJRLQJWRWU\WRVORZGRZQ,·P going to try to feel all of it in this new year—even the parts that hurt.