The Side Project to round out summer concert season
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 11 months AGO
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. | August 22, 2024 1:05 AM
MOSES LAKE — The Side Project will finish out Moses Lake’s Summer Concert Series with a free show Friday, according to an announcement from the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center.
The Side Project consists of the wife-and-husband team Suzie and Ben Bradford. The duo, originally from Spokane, have recorded six albums and have performed up and down the West Coast for 20 years, according to the announcement. Their music has been broadcast in Starbucks and featured on television shows “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” as well as scoring a rave review in Music Connection Magazine.
The Bradfords perform as a duo act or with as many as six backup players, according to their website.
“On stage you will discover the exceptional musicianship of the band members including keyboard, acoustic-electric guitar, standup bass and drums,” the museum wrote in the announcement. “With hundreds of cover songs and a wealth of originals, The Side Project has something for everyone in the audience.”
The Side Project’s reviews indicate that they’re in particular demand as a wedding band, and they’ve won awards from WeddingWire, Wedding Rule and Seattle Bride magazine. Their song list includes a wide repertoire of country, classic rock and pop as well as a selection of original material.
“It’ll be very upbeat, fun music,” Shelton said.
This year’s Summer Concert Series has been a project of the Moses Lake Creative District, the announcement said, supported by the Washington State Arts Commission and the city of Moses Lake. The series has been a success, Shelton said.
Previous shows in the series have featured the Wenatchee Big Band, Santa Poco, The 133rd Army National Guard Band, Dimestore Prophets and the Powell Brothers.
The show will begin at 8 p.m. Friday at the Centennial Amphitheater in McCosh Park. Admission is free.
“We just really want to see people come out and support this, and we're really, really excited that it got such a good reception this year,” Shelton said. “And we are excited to work on booking shows for next year. We definitely plan on bringing the concert series back next year.”
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Growing fast
Gray Girl Farms nursery springs up near Royal City
ROYAL CITY — It’s one thing to grow and sell flowers. Owning a complete nursery is something else altogether, especially when you have only months to build it. “The learning curve has been really steep,” said Kylie Gray-Eilers. “I just always tell myself that every day is a new day.” Gray-Eilers isn’t a stranger to raising plants; her Gray Girl Farms has sold dahlias for almost eight years, and she holds a Dahlia Days festival every year in October. The dahlia operation was beginning to reach the point where she needed either to scale it back or grow, she said. So when she learned that Robin Prchal, owner of Emerald Desert Nursery in Quincy, was fixing to retire, Gray-Eilers decided it was time to expand.
Looking good
Institute of Beauty Professionals trains barbers, nail techs and more
MOSES LAKE — It takes a lot of training to make people look their best. “(A license to do) nails is 600 hours (of instruction),” said Institute of Beauty Professionals owner and instructor Nicholas Harle. “Cosmetology is 1,640 hours, barbering is 1,000, hair design is 1,440 and aesthetics is 750.” IBP takes its own private students and also serves the Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center’s cosmetology program, Harle said. Those students spend 2 1/2 hours a day at IBP and earn credits in lab science, technical science, first aid and fine arts, he said. There were 61 CBTECH students at IBP last year, he said, and there are about 25 full-time students.
BASIN EVENTS: July 24-Aug. 1
COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s hot and smoky outside? This is the Columbia Basin. We’re used to this. Here are some chances to get out and have some fun no matter what the sky looks like. July 25 Christmas in July at the Market Who says you have to wait until December for holiday cheer? Stroll through decorated vendor booths, shop amazing local makers and growers, enjoy holiday-themed fun, festive music, sweet treats, and surprises for the whole family. Wear your favorite Christmas shirt, Santa hat, or holiday outfit. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Moses Lake Farmers Market, McCosh Park, 401 W. Fourth Avenue. Info: www.farmersmarketml.com.
