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Planning
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Summer is here: How to beat the heat
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Serious tunes, on Tuesday |
Ben Rice Blues Band kicks off the annual Tunes on
Tuesday concert series |
By Nicole
Clark, Newberg Graphic intern
E-mail Nicole at
thegraphic@eaglenewspapers.com
|
The temperature may have exceeded 100 degrees, but that didn’t stop
dozens of locals from gathering Tuesday in Rotary Centennial Park to
take in the blues stylings of the Ben Rice Blues Band, the first
installment of the Tunes on Tuesday summer concert series.
By 6 p.m., people had arrived and begun setting up chairs, blankets
and a umbrellas in the grass.
Children were running around with spray bottles and vendors
provided cool treats including shave ice and smoothies. At 6:30, Ben
Rice and the band began the concert with a fast, upbeat song.
The band includes Rice on guitar, his brother Dan on saxophone and
harmonica, Alex McEntee on bass, Alex Ankeny on drums and Mac Potts
on keyboard. Former drummer Lea Weber joined the band on several
songs. The Rice brothers and Weber are Newberg residents, McEntee
and Ankeny hail from Portland and Potts lives in Kalama, Wash.
For many children, such as Sydney and Matthew Jabusch and Sam
Edinger, snow cones appeared to be the highlight of the evening.
But audience members young and old said they enjoyed the music, as
well as the gathering of many diverse music fans.
“This is a great community thing,” said Anne Mildenberger. Heather
Ayala added, “It’s good so far, just all the people being out here.”
Although many in the crowd were impressed with the band’s sound,
the stunts performed by various members throughout the performance
drew the most attention.
Ben Rice’s offstage antics brought much applause, and many an eye
was focused on Dan Rice as he played sax solos atop a climbing
structure on the playground. Potts also proved to be a
crowd-pleaser. Blind since birth, the 15-year-old amazed many by
playing with his back to the keyboard.
The band performed at the Waterfront Blues Festival for the third
consecutive year. They also have plans to perform at the Old
Fashioned Festival, open for The Fabulous Thunderbirds at a concert
in Albany and participate in concert series in Medford and Grants
Pass.
In addition to his work with the band, Potts has also gained
recognition as a solo artist. He regularly plays solo lounge shows
in his hometown and will perform at the Cincinnati Blues Festival
the first week in August.
Although the band has traveled far and wide for gigs, Ben Rice said
he enjoys playing locally.
“It’s home town, so we know most of everybody,” he said. “We
usually have a decent turnout in Newberg. It’s always nice to have a
good home crowd.”
The band has recorded several CDs to date, and Potts has a jazz CD.
They can be purchased at performances or through the band’s Web
site, benriceblues.com. |
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From
July 14, 2007, Newberg Graphic
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