For an afternoon this weekend, Woodinville will become the fictional iconic Midwest town Lake Wobegon, where “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.”
The town’s creator, Garrison Keillor, and the entire “A Prairie Home Companion” cast are scheduled to take the stage on Saturday afternoon at Chateau Ste. Michelle.
“A Prairie Home Companion” has been a public radio staple since 1974.
It’s an old-school variety show with music, comedy sketches and Keillor’s refined and subdued sense of humor.
For years, the show has gone on the road and played to audiences outside its home theater in St. Paul, Minn. Saturday’s performance will be taped live at the winery and aired around the world.
It’s likely to be Keillor’s final local performance as host of the radio show.
Keillor, 68, said he plans to retire in the spring of 2013. He’ll be 70 — “a nice round number,” he’s been quoted as saying.
A few months ago, Keillor announced in an interview with AARP that he’s looking for a replacement. Filling his shoes will be difficult.
Sara Watkins, formerly of the newgrass band Nickel Creek, surprised listeners earlier this year by sitting in for Keillor as guest host on “A Prairie Home Companion.” There’s no word whether she’s in contention for the prime spot.
In the meantime, expect to be entertained with classic Keillor bits including, “News From Lake Wobegon,” “Guy Noir, Private Eye” and “The Lives of Cowboys.”
The showwill begin at 2:45 p.m. Saturday at Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 NE 145th St., Woodinville.
Tickets are $39 to $65. Call 800-745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com.
Sunday night, Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt are scheduled play an evening of acoustic music at Chateau Ste. Michelle.
Lovett is a Grammy-winning American songwriter and actor. His music is wry and his songs heartfelt.
While Hiatt also has been nominated for several Grammys, his shelf is empty, for now. Hiatt’s songs have been covered by many top artists. He’s a bit more rock ‘n’ roll to Lovett’s country.
The music will start at 7 p.m. Sunday at Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 NE 145th St., Woodinville.
Tickets are $45 to $65. Call 800-745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com.
After years of making acoustic music, Ramsey Lewis in 1974 went electric with his groundbreaking and vibrant album, “Sun Goddess.” The record was a crossover hit and featured Earth, Wind and Fire as a backup band.
Now, Lewis, 76, is touring and playing through the entire “Sun Goddess” album. If you like smooth jazz, you’ll love this show.
While the backup band isn’t EW&F, it is very strong. It includes guitarist Henry Johnson, keyboardist Tim Gant, drummer Charles Heath and bassist Joshua Ramos.
Lewis has said he’ll play funky versions of some other classic tunes as well.
The show is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. June 16 through 19 at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., Seattle.
Tickets cost $35 at www.jazzalley.com or 206-441-9729.
Last year, Bumbershoot’s top musical billing was rock legend Bob Dylan. This year, the most recognizable mainstream names are Daryl Hall and John Oates.
That may seem like a big shift, or downshift, but the fact remains that Bumbershoot, the Labor Day weekend of music, comedy and performance at the Seattle Center has always favored newer acts.
“Rather than focusing on household-name acts that don’t need the support of a festival environment, Bumbershoot’s renewed approach to booking draws on the combined strength of the artists to create an experience that’s ripe for exploration,” the festival’s organizers said in a press release
More than 120 artists are expected.
Despite the throwback to the ’70s and early 1980s with Hall and Oates, the other big-name acts this year are all on the cutting edge of today’s musical tastes.
Wiz Khalifa is a hot hip-hop performer, while Ray LaMontagne & the Pariah Dogs put out one of the best new albums last year in the rock-country groove.
There are plenty of indie acts booked as well, Broken Social Scene, Fitz and The Tantrums among them, and Seattle’s own The Presidents of the United States of America, The Lonely Forest and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
The big acts have moved inside this year to KeyArena, so no more standing under umbrellas all day long in Memorial Stadium.
Bumbershoot runs Sept. 3 through 5.
Advance one-day tickets cost $35; a three-day pass is $90. Buy tickets at bumbershoot.org.
Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3447; jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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