LAKEPORT, Calif. – The question about which band is better – Beatles or Rolling Stones – has been a spirited debate for half of a century.

These two legendary bands will engage in an on-stage, throw down – a musical “shoot out” if you will – on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m., at the Soper Reese Theatre courtesy of nationally touring tribute bands Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash.

All seats are reserved and tickets are $30 plus applicable ticket fees.

Tickets may be purchased by phoning 707-263-0577, online at www.soperreesetheatre.com or at the theater's box office.

“Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Shoot Out” will pit Rolling Stones tribute band Jumping Jack Flash against rival Brit boys Abbey Road in an all-out musical showdown for rock dominance!

From Mick Jagger’s (Sir Joesph Infante) infamous gyrations to Keith Richards’ (Young Hutchison) sweet Tele licks, Brian Jones Vox Teardrop, and the band’s original wardrobe, Jumping Jack Flash brings all the authenticity of an old Stones show smack into 2014.

“Some of the ‘Keith-isms’ that the big fans just love are the blacked-out-tooth, electrical tape around the snakeskin boots, and the disjointed walk he was famous for,” said Hutchison. “We’ve done everything to present the music per the original album versions, cause that’s what fans have been singing along to for the last 50 years and that’s the way they want to hear it. We’re not even the Stones, but people just go wild!”

Show producers Tom Maher and Andy Nagle auditioned over 200 Beatles hopefuls at a casting call in 2008, many of whom played in their own Beatles tribute bands.
 
“Most of them came in Beatles gear, Beatles wigs – they were all in character,” Nagle said. “All the Pauls were running around trying to out-Paul each other, the Johns were brooding, the Ringos were off by themselves. It was a room full of guys that all loved Beatles music, it was surreal.”
 
For their part, the members of touring Beatles tribute band Abbey Road bring the mop top haircuts, harmonies, and boyish charm of everybody’s favorite Liverpudlians to the stage. They also play modern reissues of the exact same instruments and amps used by the Fab Four.

Axel Clarke (“Ringo Starr”), a high school and college teacher by day, prepares for his time behind the drum kit by studying old video footage, listening to band interviews, and mimicking Starr’s very specific performance style.

“Ringo's style and physical approach to the drumset were unique,” said Clarke. “He sat very high with his drums low, used big sweeping arm movements, punched at his cymbals more than striking them, bounced his torso in time and kicked his head to the side on big accents — and smiled like a goon at all times. That's Ringo 101 for you!”

Clarke and his bandmates also spend time mining the original Beatles recordings for specific nuances, and unintentional flubs that ended up on the final cut.

“There are subtle mistakes all over the Beatles’ recordings. In “All My Lovin,” Ringo forgets the form of the song and goes into the chorus beat by mistake. He plays that beat for one bar, realizes his error, and switches back to the verse beat. Most people might not notice things like that, but it adds a level of authenticity and would feel weird if it wasn’t there.”

 
Kicking off the show in signature A Hard Day’s Night-era black suits, the band runs through several costume changes, including mustaches and wigs (a la Sgt. Pepper’s) and full-on Abbey Road attire, before the night is up.
 
“John and George wore their wives’ fur coats and Ringo wore his wife’s red raincoat on the rooftop of Apple Corp. for their last show,” said Nagle. “My George is 6’4”, I thought I’m never gonna find a fur coat that fits! But even the kids expect it because it’s part of The Beatles: Rock Band, so we went out and bought them for the guys.”

Onstage, the bands alternate mini sets and trade improvised barbs and banter between songs to act out the famous rivalry.

Since 2011, Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash have toured the show. The Lakeport show is part of a 110 city tour across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Whether you’re a mod or a rocker, a John or a Paul supporter – Beatles vs. Stones is your ticket back in time to “Yesterday.”

The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport.

To celebrate my 75th year, I’ve published a new book of poems, and many of them are about the way in which we come together to help each other through the world.

Here’s just one:

Two

On a parking lot staircase
I met two fine-looking men
descending, both in slacks
and dress shirts, neckties
much alike, one of the men
in his sixties, the other
a good twenty years older,
unsteady on his polished shoes,
a son and his father, I knew
from their looks, the son with his
right hand on the handrail,
the father, left hand on the left,
and in the middle they were
holding hands, and when I neared,
they opened the simple gate
of their interwoven fingers
to let me pass, then reached out
for each other and continued on.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright 2012 by Ted Kooser from his most recent book of poems, Splitting an Order, Copper Canyon Press, 2014. Poem reprinted by permission of Ted Kooser and the publisher. Introduction copyright 2014 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Clive Matson will visit the Lake County Arts Council Gallery on Saturday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 26, to present a writing workshop.

This will be the 10th year that Matson has been coming to our area.

People in his workshops succeed in bringing out the stories and poems inside them, the passions that blossom in our everyday lives. Some writers are astonished at the ease and value of the writing that pours out.

His favorite quote of the day is Van Gogh’s “I dreamed my painting and I painted my dream.”

Matson will show how that simple transfer, bringing a dream into concrete reality, works well in writing.

This workshop is for beginners, for developing writers and for professionals who want to expand their horizons.

Saturday will be for getting acquainted and starting to write. On Sunday there will be time for more writing, reading, compassionate criticism and summary.

Clive Matson writes poetry, short stories, essays and plays.  He has led writing workshops for 35 years, holds an MFA in poetry from Columbia University and teaches at the University of California Extension in Berkeley.

The workshop will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main Street, Lakeport.

The workshop fee is $55 per person.

To register, call the Main Street Gallery at 707-263-6658.

For more information about the workshop, call Clive Matson at 510-654-6495 or go to his Web site, www.matsonpoet.com .

This event is supported by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from The James Irvine Foundation.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville resident Linda Guebert announces the release of her second book, a mystery novel titled “The First Lie.”

According to Guebert, it is the story of a young woman who has been told all her life she is adopted, only to find out when she begins to look for her birth family that she was never adopted at all.

“As she gets closer to the truth of why her mother lied to her, she uncovers even more family secrets,” says Guebert, “secrets that someone is determined to keep hidden at all costs – even murder.”

Guebert’s earlier book, “The Hardest Thing I’ll Ever Do: A Journey of Sorrow, Healing & Hope,” was published in 2013.

In it she shares her personal grief journey following the sudden death of her husband, Ken Kysely.

Both books are available at Watershed Books in Lakeport and through the Lake County Library system.

An e-book version of The First Lie can be ordered from www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com .

For more information, contact the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 707-279-4272.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Rotary is sponsoring the Brazilian group “Getting the Show on the Road” on Sunday, Oct. 19.

The group of talented young people will perform at the Marge Alakszay Center at the Lakeport Unified School District campus, 250 Lange St.

The show starts at 5:30 p.m.

The performance is free, although donations are welcome.

Getting the Show on the Road is a cross-continental music, dance and acting performance tour.

Traveling across the United States, young artists from the favellas of Rio de Janeiro will perform classic Brazilian songs, original musical compositions and dance routines plus unique interpretations of Brazilian and American songs.

For more information visit www.gettingtheshowontheroad.com or www.facebook.com/showontheroad .

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is conducting an art contest to select the design for the state’s 2014-2015 upland game bird stamp.         

The California Upland Game Bird Stamp Art Contest is open to all U.S. residents ages 18 and over.

Entries will be accepted through Dec. 12, 2014.

This year’s stamp will feature the Gambel’s quail, and art contest entries must include at least one Gambel’s quail.

Entries will be judged on originality, artistic composition, anatomical accuracy and suitability for reproduction as a stamp and a print.

The contest will be judged by a panel of experts in the fields of ornithology, conservation, art and printing.

The winning artist will be selected during a public judging event, with the date and location to be announced later.

An upland game bird validation is required for hunting migratory and resident upland game birds in California.

The money generated from stamp sales must be spent on upland game bird-related conservation projects, education, hunting opportunities and outreach.

CDFW sells about 200,000 upland game bird validations annually.

Any individual who purchases an upland game bird validation may request their free collectable stamp by visiting www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/collectorstamps/ .

For collectors who do not purchase a hunting license or upland game bird validation or for hunters who wish to purchase additional collectible stamps, an order form is also available on the website.

For contest information and entry forms, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Upland-Game-Bird-Stamp .