Caffeinated music: George CoffeeHouse concert series begins Oct. 21
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 11 months AGO
From left: Rick Meade, Jim Faddis, Cort Armstrong and John Pyles, collectively known as FarmStrong, will kick off the George CoffeeHouse’s concert season Oct. 21.
COURTESY PHOTO/FARMSTRONG
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | October 9, 2023 1:30 AM
GEORGE — The George CoffeeHouse Concert Series begins this month at the George Community Hall, according to an announcement from the series’ organizers.
The series begins Oct. 21 with a performance by FarmStrong, a bluegrass quartet based on the Olympic Peninsula. The band draws on inspiration from the last century of country, blues and bluegrass music from the 1920s through the ’50s, according to the band’s website, as well as folk, rock, gospel and soul.
On Nov. 18, the Central Washington Wind Ensemble will take the stage. The 49 members of the ensemble was also selected earlier this year to perform at the World Association for Symphonic Band and Ensembles International Conference in Gwangju, South Korea in July 2024 under the direction of conductor Dr. T. André Feagin, according to an announcement from the university in March.
Nick Dumas, Chris Luquette and Andrew Knapp will return to the George Community Hall on Dec. 2. Dumas, a mandolin player, has performed with North Country Bluegrass and the Chicago-based Special Consensus, according to his website. Guitarist Chris Luquette was a founding member of the group Northern Departure and has performed twice at the Grand Ole Opry as a member of Dirty Kitchen, according to his website. Knapp plays bass with the Seattle dance string band The Warren G. Hardings. The trio was featured in last year’s concert season as well.
The Marlin Handbell Ringers performance is a December tradition at the CoffeeHouse. The 12 members of the Leavenworth-based group play 108 bells between them, according to their website. They’ll appear for a special afternoon performance at 3 p.m. Dec. 9.
Another CoffeeHouse regular, Roosevelt Road, performs Feb. 17. The Snohomish-based quintet has been a staple at the George Bluegrass Festival for many years. They bring decades of experience and styles including bluegrass, Americana and gospel music to the Northwest and beyond, according to their website.
March 16, the CoffeeHouse will welcome Mike Faast. Following in the footsteps of other country/jazz singers such as Freddy Powers, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, and Patsy Cline, Mike Faast is equally ready to sing a warm country ballad, a high honkin’ bluegrass tune or croon a jazz standard, according to his website. Besides his solo work, he’s also the bandleader for five bands, all performing in different styles from gospel to Western swing. He’ll be joined at the Coffeehouse by Downhome.
The series wraps up April 13 with a performance by Phoenix. The Salem, Ore.-based duo consists of award-winning songwriters Tim and Kathy Crosby, who have been performing together for well over 20 years, according to their website. They have collaborated on several albums and are known far and wide for their songwriting abilities and high-energy entertainment style.
With the exception of the Marlin Handbell Ringers, doors open for all performances at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m., according to the George CoffeeHouse’s announcement. Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 12 and under. There will also be a hat pass for the musicians, with a suggested donation of $8-$12. Refreshments will be provided by local civic organization The Georgettes.
Besides the concerts, the George Community Hall hosts jam sessions on the first and third Friday of every month. The next jam is Saturday and begins with a potluck dinner at 6 p.m., followed by jamming from 7 p.m. until about 9 p.m.
The George Community Hall is located at 403 W Montmorency Blvd. More information can be found at www.georgecommunityhall.com.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
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Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.