Weekend Best Bets
Rock and roll, classical, children's music and American acoustic await this weekend for your listening pleasure. Musicians and singers are invited to participate as well. A studio art show and several nature-oriented programs bring the wilds of Southeast to town tonight.
Tingstad and Rumbel, a top-notch instrumental duo, take the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday at Chapel by the Lake. I've enjoyed their CDs and look forward to seeing them live.
Eric Tingstad plays steel string acoustic guitar and Nancy Rumbel plays oboe, English horn, and ocarina. It's a good combination. Tingstad and I talked this week, and Peter Frampton, William Ackerman, Anthrax (the heavy metal band) and Windham Hill all came up. Tingstad has played jazz, rock, flamenco and classical styles throughout his 25-plus year career as a professional guitarist.
Nancy Rumbel played jazz and classical music and was a member of the Paul Winter Consort before she semi-retired in the early 1980s to spend time with her family. Tingstad enlisted her talents for a recording project in 1985 and 10 albums later they're still going strong.
If you're up for more music after that concert you can head downtown and check local bands.
Panhandle Crabgrass Revival Band plays from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. tonight and Saturday at the Imperial Saloon. This is a fun band that draws from a deep well of bluegrass, old time and original songs.
The Swingers play rock 'n' roll from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. tonight and Saturday at the Rendezvous. There is nobody in Juneau that can belt out a 10-minute version of "Down by the River" or "Ohio" like this band. I've never heard them swing, but they do rock. Neil Young would be proud.
Peter Alsop plays a family concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at Juneau-Douglas High School auditorium. Alsop has recorded 14 albums, seven of which are children's music, and he's an experienced performer. This promises to be a good show. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children.
Musically inclined folks can participate in a couple of opportunities. Singers are welcome to join the community performance of Handel's "Messiah." Rehearsals will be 7 p.m. every Monday and Thursday at JDHS band room. The performances will be Dec. 14, 15 and 16. Call Juneau Lyric Opera for more information at 789-4604.
Juneau Symphony rehearsals begin Tuesday to prepare for the November concert. Musicians should call 586-4676 to find out more about playing. More string players in particular are desired. The group has been growing under the baton of new director Kyle Wylie Pickett and they sound good. Rehearsals are 7 p.m. Tuesdays in the JDHS band room.
Outdoor enthusiasts and folks with a curiosity about nature and wild places should enjoy a couple of programs this weekend. The first is free, part of the ongoing Evenings at Egan lecture series.
Biologist Beth Mathews presents "Harbor Seal population declines in Glacier Bay National Park" at 7 tonight. It sounds like a pretty scholarly talk, but my experience with Mathews is she makes science interesting, relevant and accessible. She has studied seals and sea lions in Glacier Bay for years and really knows her stuff.
All the Evenings at Egan presentations are at 7 p.m. Fridays at the Egan Library on the University of Alaska campus. The series continues through December with a variety of presenters.
Scott Foster, ocean kayaker extraordinaire, presents "Wild Waves and Quiet Places: Kayaking Southeast Alaska" at 7 tonight at Centennial Hall. Foster produced the KTOO television program "Rain Country" for many years and knows how to put together a show. He'll offer slides and stories about Southeast Alaska waters and wild places. The event is a benefit for the Juneau Raptor Center and is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors and students and $20 for families.
New Creations, a one-day studio art show featuring the work of bookbinder Sherri McDonald, glass artist Nell McConahey and potter Lisa Blacher, will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Spiral Studio, 418 Harris, Suite 212. These fine artists present a hospitable, warm reception and their work is well worth checking out. The studio is in the Arcticorp Building.