Hailing from Seattle, Wash., Gaskell will give a solo acoustic set on the Kora, an ancient 21 stringed harp from West Africa. Gaskell features traditional songs of the Mandinka people from Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and Guinea Bissau.

Kora music is traditionally played by Griots (Greeohs, oral/musical historians). The Kora is a very melodic and seemingly peaceful instrument, which is contrary to a repertoire that tells ancient stories of war and hardship, while praising people of high political status and those who helped expand the Mande Empire. While the Kora is only 300 years old, some of the songs date back as many as 800 years to the founding of the Mande Empire, which took place in Mali in the mid 13th century.

Gaskell has studied extensively under the instruction of Malamini Jobarteh and Moriba Kuyateh, both of Brikama, Gambia. He has also studied under Kane Mathis, a Kora player formerly based in Seattle who has lead groups such as “The Kora Band” and “The Sahel Band”.

Gaskell released his first solo album “Kora Music of West Africa” in March of 2012. He has performed at the Kartong Festival in Gambia, the Dombondir Festival in Senegal, the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle and at various venues across the United States.

Tickets to see Sean Gaskell $10 and are available at the Mountaineer Market, Direct Music Source, the EOU Bookstore and at the door. Proceeds benefit the Liberty Theater Foundation.

Old Death Whisper is a cocktail of dirty western roots music and country tinged parlor tunes.  The band loves good old country and folk music of early America. Sea shanties, spaghetti westerns, railroad songs, road movies and rock and roll are among some of their influences.

Old Death Whisper has been busy for the past two years, touring the U.S. and Europe honing their western roots sound. Recently the band played at Treefort Music Festival, a four-day musical celebration in downtown Boise.  Their spring tour encompasses major stopping points such as Bend and Portland as well as excursions into Montana.

The band’s six members also are feverishly writing new songs for an upcoming full-length record due out later this year.  The album will feature a variety of instrumentation including guitars, banjos, harmonicas and, of course, a fair amount of “stompin’ and hollerin.’”

Tickets to see Old Death Whisper are $8 and are available at Mountaineer Market, Direct Music and the EOU Bookstore.

Porter & the Pale Ales entertain at the La Grande Farmers Market. Photo by Robin Spangler.

Together, musicians Matt Cooper, Greg Johnson, Mike Snider, Teun Fetz and Sharon Porter create the light, upbeat and retro sound of Porter & the Pale Ales.  Playing around the La Grande and throughout the valley, the group has been together for two years and strives to keep their sound diverse.

“At first, I was trying to put the band repertoire into a slot that we could build a brand around. We tried sticking to early swing and jazz around the 1920s,” Sharon Porter, the band’s front woman said. “However, the more I tried to work around that concept, the more it felt confining and forced.”

Then band member Greg Johnson gave Porter some valuable advice that started the group down a different road.  “He advised me to ‘Play what you want, how you want it.’ That simple thought freed me to choose songs that had a story that I could tell musically,” Porter said.

Sharon Porter provides the vocals for Porter & the Pale Ales during a recent performance. Photo by Robin Spangler.

Spontaneity is another part of what makes Porter & the Pale Ales so great to watch.  Instead of over rehearsing songs, the group prefers to vary their performances to keep them from getting stale.  Despite the hiccups this can cause, it keeps the music fun. “I always start the gig asking the Pale Ales to promise that we will be friends when the gig is over. That reinforces the idea that we will make some mistakes but hopefully, our musical integrity and friendship will deepen for the experience,” Porter said.

Tickets to see Porter & the Pale Ales are $10 and are available at the Mountaineer Market, Direct Music Source, the EOU Bookstore and at the door. Proceeds benefit the Liberty Theater Foundation.

The Stage Door Theater is located in the Liberty Theater building accessed in the alley behind Nature’s Pantry and City Hall.

Dr. Linda Jeroke

We have had a change in program for our EOU Downtown Lecture this Thursday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m. Instead of Professor Jennifer Adkison we will be hosting Anthropologist and professor Dr. Linda Jerofke.

Dr. Jerofke has spent the last 20 years teaching anthropology and/or working as an applied anthropologist with Tribes and as an archaeologist. Her research interests are varied and include nutritional/medical anthropology, Native Peoples of North America and archaeology.

Dr. Jerofke’s lecture will focus on the Cap Carson Mining District. Imagine a gold mining town that transformed from a chance find of that precious metal to a boom town of 400 people. This is the story of Camp Carson, which is conveniently located halfway between La Grande and North Powder. It once had an electrical station, grocery store, hotel and much more and provided services to miners living in the surrounding region. Come learn about the history of this town that includes artifacts from the Civil War, South America and much more that were discovered over five years of archaeological research.

Professor Jennifer Dawes Adkison

On April 4 join Professor Jennifer Dawes Adkison from EOU’s English Department as she speaks on how cannibalism is depicted in writing in film. From the western narratives of the Donner Party to the survival stories of the Andes plane crash disaster, depictions of survival cannibalism reveal a great deal about the fears that gnaw upon us and the ways that consumption is both a symbolic and tangibly material act. The ways narrative/film treat the act give us food for thought about key choices to survive and perish and the ramifications of our decisions.

Professor Jeff Dense

Then on May 9 Professor Jeff Dense from EOU’s Political Science Dept. will discuss the economic impact of craft brewing in Oregon, particularly Eastern Oregon. Professor Dense has analyzed the impact of tourism on the local economy during the annual Oregon Brewers Festival, which is held in Portland in July. His study revealed that the festival generates an impressive $23.2 million for the local economy.

Professor Ryan Dearinger

Finally, on June 6 Professor Ryan Dearinger from EOU’s History Department will speak on the history of the Second Amendment. This timely discussion of gun legislation does not present a political view but discusses the origins of the Second Amendment, and how it’s been understood and interpreted over time. Professor Dearinger’s research and teaching interests include nineteenth and twentieth century U.S. history; immigration, race and ethnicity; the American West and the Pacific Northwest.

All of the lectures begin at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments and a no host bar will be provided.

For more information about this lecture series, please contact Nicole Howard at nhoward@eou.edu.

The Women of Lockerbie comfort Bill Livingston (Johnathan Phipps) during rehearsal at the Stage Door Theater.

The Liberty Theatre Foundation is please to host its first EOU student theater production of, “The Women of Lockerbie,” on Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. in the Stage Door Theater.

This stunning one-act play is loosely based on the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland on Dec., 21 1988; an event that left 259 passengers dead as well as 11 of Lockerbie’s residents.

Seven years later, the play recounts Madeline Livingston’s (Adraine Jacobs) grief as she searches for the lost remains of her son in the fields of Lockerbie and Bill (Johnathan Phipps) her husband as he tries to remain strong for her. The play also explores the memories of the women who lived in Lockerbie during the crash and how they are daily in the shadow of such a tragic event.

Director and EOU student Bridger Adkison has been guiding his cast of seven through this challenging material.  “My actors and I will have a total of about five weeks of rehearsal for this show,” Adkison said. “We approach the subject matter as directly as possible. Yes, this play is full of heavy emotional turmoil, but to give this play any less than our very most would be disrespectful.”

Actors Johnathan Phipps and Saajan Chauhan rehearse their scene while director Bridger Adkison looks on

One of the play’s unique facets is that it is written similarly to a Greek tragedy with characters serving as a chorus. While “The Women of Lockerbie” offers a message of hope, it also addresses themes of loss and grief, so commonly seen in the traditional Greek dramas of Sophocles and Euripides.  “‘The Women of Lockerbie’ has some heavy emotional themes. Addressing them in the style of a Greek tragedy, especially with the utilization of a Greek chorus, gives the audience some breathing room so they aren’t weeping the whole play,” Adkison said.

“Lockerbie” strikes a chord with a culture living in a post 9/11 world. Audiences identify with a feeling of loss and misunderstanding as we try to discover the answer to the reason why.  Despite being nearly 25 years ago, the Lockerbie bombing continues to have consequences.   “‘The Women of Lockerbie’ is a reminder that while such tragedies may have left the public eye, their effects will never leave our hearts,” Adkison said.

Tickets to “The Women of Lockerbie” are $10 and are available at Mountaineer Market, Direct Music and the EOU Box Office. For more information about this event and the Stage Door Theater call (541)626-3051.

Welcome to March! We have another great month ahead of us here at the Liberty Theater. Take a look at our newsletter to learn more.

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Hill, a native of Oregon, is a graduate of Eastern Oregon University’s Theatre Arts program.  Hill appeared in a number of productions including Little Women, Boy’s Life and Assassins.  He has been recognized for both his performing and vocal talent.

While studying theatre, Hill told jokes to friends over coffee and participated in improvisation shows. He began to hone his skills as a comedian by performing a number of times for EOU for student fundraisers.  Hill’s practice routine is as simple as setting up a microphone in front of the mirror and going through his set.  Despite the practice, “I get super nervous before a show,” says Hill, “but it’s nothing that a beverage won’t cure.”

Over the past five years J.J. has performed in a variety of venues around the Pacific Northwest and in New York City.  “Doing shows in New York is amazing,” Hill said. “But, when you’re from Oregon it’s like doing a show on Mars.  You never know what you’re going to get.”

Meanwhile, here in La Grande, Hill attracts a following of fans that enjoy his down-to-earth comedy and relatable stories. “I am excited to do a show in La Grande again.  Some of my funniest times have happened right here in La Grande and I can’t wait to give [my fans] something new.”

J.J. Hill’s performance will begin at 8:00 p.m. at the Stage Door Theater, located at 1010 Adams Ave.  The entrance to the theater is in the alley behind City Hall and Nature’s Pantry. Cover is $5 at the door and seating is first-come-first serve. Proceeds from this show go toward the Liberty Theatre restoration project. For more information call the Liberty Theatre Foundation at (541)626-3051.

This performance will contain mature adult themes and is not suitable for young children.

Instructor, Duane Boyer coaches Folkal Point in a rehearsal session.

It’s not every day that a group of musicians take on Irish, Bluegrass, Cajun, Klezmer and Western Swing all in the same show but that doesn’t stop Folkal Point. Formally known as Eastern Oregon University’s Fiddle Ensemble, the group has expanded to include 11 people and boasts a variety of acoustic instruments from ukuleles to cellos and penny whistles to banjos.

“The class was created to provide an opportunity for students to perform traditional acoustic music, and was initially oriented towards traditional fiddling in numerous styles,” Duane Boyer, EOU faculty and Folkal Point instructor said.  “As interest grew, other instruments and vocalists were added to the mix, and the scope broadened to include acoustic music from many genres.”

Boyer also said that the group gives students the opportunity to expand beyond the music that is typically performed in a college class. This seems to have its benefits because some students from Folkal Point have gone on to be accomplished musicians. “Most, if not all, of the students who have been in the group in the past continue to perform or stay musically involved; a former member won the Grand Masters Invitational Fiddling Championship in Nashville in 2012, and several members were musical guest performers on a Prairie Home Companion broadcast several years ago,” Boyer said.

Students from all majors and skill levels enjoy participating in Folkal Point.

Sarah Railey has been a member of Folkal Point for nearly two years. Railey is an English and Biology major at EOU and plays guitar and 5-string banjo. “I got involved with Folkal Point because
of Duane Boyer, my guitar and banjo instructor,” Railey said.  “He suggested I join, and then I did. I’d only taken banjo for a year, so I feel he made a leap of faith there, but I’m glad he did.”

The overall performance mood sets Folkal Point apart from a typical classroom setting. “The thing I like about Folkal Point is that everyone is really relaxed. We’re there to have fun most of all, not get every song perfect. Many of us aren’t music majors-we just like to play, and appreciate having a group to play with,” Railey said.

Business major Jacob Snodgrass concurs. “I got involved with the group because it offered a relaxed environment to learn and grow my instrumental skills,” Snodgrass said. “I feel like this group has given me unique opportunities that the majority of students are unable to experience throughout the course of a regular curriculum.”

Folkal Point will perform at the Stage Door Theater on Friday, Feb. 22 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the Mountaineer Market, Direct Music or the EOU Bookstore. The entrance to the theater is located at 1010 Adams Ave. in the alley behind City Hall and Natures Pantry.