Fox Theater Spokane
Hot This Week!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be the center of attention.

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will kick off the world's largest three-on-three basketball tournament, Spokane Hoopfest, with a speech, question-and-answer session and book signing at 7 p.m. Friday, June 26, at the Martin Woldson Theater. The six-time NBA MVP and league's leading scorer will talk about basketball and life while signing copies of his book, "On The Shoulders Of Giants." Tickets are $50 each and include admission to his speech, an autographed copy of his book and CD, and while supplies last, a Skyhook t-shirt. Tickets are available by calling the theater box office at 509-624-1200, by calling TicketsWest at 800-325-SEAT or by visiting www.ticketswest.com.

Hoop it up from the sidelines.

Even if you don't go to see Kareem, you can see basketball legends - a lot of legends in their own minds - on the streets of downtown when Spokane Hoopfest begins. More than 25,000 players. About 6,400 teams. More than 400 courts throughout 40 downtown city blocks. There isn't a more entertaining place in the Inland Northwest to people-watch than this annual event. For more information, go to www.spokanehoopfest.com.

It might be the epitome of hyperbole, but this guy is the greatest.

Lauded by critics, fans and other comics, Brian Regan brings PG-rated brand of comedy to the INB Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 27. Regan, who tours 80 cities every year, comes to Spokane after the release of his Comedy Central special, "The Epitome of Hyperbole." Tickets are $39.50 each, and as of earlier this week, they were still available by calling 800-325-SEAT or by going to www.ticketswest.com.

The spirit of the Bee Gees is stayin' alive!

Whether you're a mother or whether you're a lover, you'll want to be at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino this weekend if you like disco. The Australian Bee Gees will be playing three shows, at 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 27, and at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 28. Tickets are $45 each and are available by calling the Northern Quest ticket office at 509-481-6700 or 800-325-SEAT or by visiting www.ticketswest.com

Post Falls gives props to Peggy Lee.

The JAZZ at the JACC series continues with "A Tribute To Peggy Lee" from 6:30-9 p.m. Sunday, June 28 at the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center at the Old Church, at 405 Williams in Post Falls. The concert will feature Ruth Pratt as lead vocalist and a four-piece ensemble. Tickets are $25, and wine and dessert will be served throughout the evening. For tickets, call 208-457-8950.

Here's some jazz that's in a class all its own.

The MasterClass Jazz Orchestra will throw a Rat Pack-style dance concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 27, in the Lincoln Center, at 1316 N. Lincoln. MasterClass, which pairs talented young artists with experienced musicians, is calling this show, "Come Dance With Me." The evening starts with swing-dance lessons at 7 p.m., provided by Spokane Dance Co. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 the day of the show, and they are available through calling 509-327-8000 or by going to www.lincolncenterspokane.com.

The High Five from thesomshow.com by Isamu Jordan

Zombies - The Zombies never die. They have their own immortal place in rock-and-roll consciousness that is lasting, whether it's on classic FM stations, in grocery stores, or used in television commercials. Now on tour in celebrating the release of "Odessey & Oracle 40th Anniversary Concert," recalling the peak of The Zombies' hold over 1960s psych-rock listeners. "Odessey and Oracle" has been hailed as one of Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," and it continues to be influential with today's breaking artists. Original members Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent, along with long-time bandmates co-headline a tour with reformed English rock royalty The Yardbirds -- featuring Jim McCarty and Chris Dreja -- on Tuesday, June 30 at 7 p.m. at The Knitting Factory Concert House, 919 W. Sprague Ave. Cost: $27, $65 for 4 tickets, or $42 for 2 tickets.

Mad Rad - Seattle hipster hip-hop crew Mad Rad kicked off the new year with a nightclub brawl that landed them behind bars and banned from several venues in their hometown. That's the kind of street cred money can't buy. Since then Mad Rad made an impressive, if not utterly unpredictable, performance at Sasquatch Music Festival at The Gorge and their divisive disposition, freaky stage antics and highly danceable digital beatdowns have been a conversation favorite all over the blogosphere. Expect the crowd to be at critical mass when this quarrelsome quartet comes through town, supported by powerhouse locals Please Draw In Me, Pegasus Dream, Girlfriends and JiggyWatts on Friday, June 26 at 8 p.m. at The Blvd., 230 W. Riverside. Cost: $7, $3 for ages 21 and up. 18 and older welcome.

E-40 - The original left coast lightning lipped lyricist, E-40 has made a habit of sprinkling Spokane crowds with his outlandish stories from growing up with his cousins in Vallejo, CA. The ringleader of The Click returns with more twisted tales chronicled on his forthcoming collaboration project, "Droop-E & E-40: The Bay Bridges." Making his regularly biannual visit, 40 is bringing his usual entourage of up-and-comers on the same label he started by selling CDs out of the trunk of his car on tours. The latest roster of young bloods includes Cool Nutz and Maniac Lok, Craziness, Mr. D.O.G., Cheezaleo, Karizma and COT Boys hosted by DJ Fatboy onstage Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m. at The Knitting Factory Concert House, 919 W. Sprague Ave. Cost: $25 in advance, $30 day of show.

Robin Trower - Another English guitar guru from the 1960s comes through town with Robin Trower, playing a makeup show from his concert that was cancelled in May. Famous for leading his own power trio, along with a host of other bands for the last four decades, in some combination or another, Trower has released roughly an album per year, six of which certified Gold. Trower released two albums last year, and his latest, "Seven Moons" was his third recording with Scottish bassist and multi-instrumentalist Jack Bruce. Though never quite celebrated on the same level as Hendrix, Page, or Clapton, Trower remains in the upper echelons of guitar greatness. See it live when Trower, along with Spokane's Jack Knife and The Booze Fighters play Wednesday, July 1 at 7 p.m. at The Knitting Factory Concert House, 919 W. Sprague Ave. Cost: $24, all tickets from May 11 show will be honored.

The Som Show Patio Party with Seafloor Spreading - Caterina Winery's patio is going to be rocking with the experimental sounds of Seafloor Spreading, a dueling drum project featuring Justin Walter, who plays in two of Spokane's top-ranked bands, the internationally famous James Pants and Royal Zodiac and long-time bar favorite, Belt of Vapor. Walter is somewhat notorious for his brief time spent in jail for relieving himself on police property while on tour with Pants in Baltimore. While he's not having run-ins with the authorities or playing to packed audiences everywhere from the Gorge Amphitheater to Paris and London, Walter is crafting combustible beats with long-time cohort Joe Preston. Seafloor Spreading combines with Please Draw In Me, and Pegasus Dream on July 2 at 8 p.m. at Caterina Winery, 905 N. Washington Cost: $5. All ages welcome.

Tickets for the Pink Martini show have dried up.

The fourth time is a charm for Pink Martini. The 12-piece ensemble from Portland, making its fourth appearance in Spokane, has sold out the show scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, June 27 at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. For more information, go to www.spokanesymphony.org.

Here's a show worth trumpeting.

Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis is coming to the INB Performing Arts Center Sept. 16, and tickets for that show go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 25. Prices range from $30 to $50. To order, go to www.ticketswest.com or call 800-325-SEAT.

This movie will transform your life.

"Transformers: Rise of the Fallen" opens today, June 24, at the AMC River Park Square 20 theater downtown and the Regal Cinemas at the Spokane Valley Mall and at NorthTown Mall, and the Village Centre Cinemas, on Spokane's North Side, AND at the IMAX in Riverfront Park. For local movie times, go to www.regmovies.com, www.amctheatres.com or www.spokanemovies.com.

SPORTS CORNER
The Shock will treat these Okies like dawgs.

Still undefeated and still No. 1 in Arenafootball2 standings, the Spokane Shock host the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgs at 7 p.m. Friday, June 26, in the Spokane Arena. As of earlier this week, tickets were available in the lower-level end zones and in the upper level. The lower-level sideline seats are sold out. For tickets, call 509-325-SEAT or go to www.ticketswest.com.

NAME THAT FLICK.

"Perry, I know what 'exacerbate' means. There is not a word or a sentence or a concept that you can illuminate for me."

Name the movie that line appeared in to win two tickets to an upcoming Spokane Shock game. Send your best guess to info@entertainmentspokane.com. The winner will be selected at random from correct entries and will be announced in next week's e-newsletter. The deadline for entries is noon on Friday, June 26.

Last Week's Winner: Ann Foreyt is smart and smarter.

Last week's movie quote was, "Husband? Wait a minute. What was all that 'one in a million' talk?" Foreyt correctly guessed that it was from the 1994 comedy "Dumb and Dumber."

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