Heed the call of these Sirens
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous mermaid-like creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. These days, the word “siren” translates as a strong, and often haunting, female vocalist – and there will be four of them, on stage in March at the Lincoln City Cultural Center.
The center, in cooperation with the Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau, will host “Siren Saturday” concerts for four straight Saturdays: March 3, 10, 17 and 24. All the shows will start at 7 p.m. at the LCCC, 540 NE Hwy. 101, in Lincoln City. Tickets are $10 in advance, and $12 at the door. To get yours, call 541-994-9994.
These concerts are inspired by Women’s History Month, which honors the contributions of women in American life every March. The event planners at the LCCC and the LCVCB — who are mostly women, by the way — invite you to celebrate at events throughout the Lincoln City. The preliminary schedule includes a Julia Child cooking demo, women’s history films and more (for a full schedule, head to oregoncoast.org).
The LCCC will give away door prizes, like performer CDs and signature glass floats, at each Siren Saturday concert. During intermission at the last concert, on March 24, there will be a drawing for the grand prize, a girls’ weekend in Lincoln City, courtesy of the VCB. You need not be present to win.
The schedule will begin on March 3 with Lauren Sheehan. Sheehan is a charismatic ‘songster’, an interpreter of songs learned from some of America’s greatest folk and blues artists. She is known for her voice, which slides through old lyrics like clear water through a smooth creek bed. Her performances are memorable for the authentic range of her material: from unaccompanied ballads, to boozy Memphis blues, to old time banjo tunes, to old country songs and eclectic modern folk. “She is a musical shape shifter, in one song making the willow weep and in another making the werewolf howl.” Her most recent album is “Rose City Ramble.”
Siren Saturdays will continue on March 10 with Beth Wood. On March 17, it’s Pilar French and the Intention, and on March 24 the series will conclude with Lori Fletcher and the Deco Moon Jazz Trio.
For information on the LCCC, call 541-994-9994 or head to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org.

Grady Champion says “Let’s play two!”
The blues singer and harmonica phenom Grady Champion will be making a mid-week stop in Lincoln City on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 27 and 28.
Champion, with his works and performances celebrating three 2012 BMA nominations, and two Southern Soul Awards nominations, is an electrifying blues singer and harmonica virtuoso. He has been compared to Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin’ Wolf, Lionel Ritchie, and Smokey Robinson.
His new album “Dreamin’” is making a lot of noise on Blues, R & B, Soul, and Roots charts across America, in Europe, China, and Japan. In August 2011 it was the No. 1 album on Sirius XM’s Bluesville, and the infectious chart topping Song of the Year nominee “Make That Monkey Jump” is played in dance clubs everywhere.
The 2010 International Blues Challenge winner is accompanied by one of the best young blues bands in America. He and the band have had the pleasure of playing on the Legendary Blues Cruise, the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival, and in the Chicago Blues Festival three times.
The youngest of 28 children, Champion was raised on a little country farm outside of Canton, Miss.
This year, the traveling bluesman will knock out about 180 live shows. Two of them will be in Lincoln City at the Surftides Resort, 2945 NW Jetty. Both performances will begin at 7 p.m. For details, call 541-994-2191.

Chamber Orchestra performs in Yachats
The music of American composers will be featured in the winter program of the Oregon Coast Chamber Orchestra’s Yachats concert, scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, March 2. The concert will be held at the Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, 370 Seventh St.
Composers such as Aaron Copland, John Corigliano, Percy Grainger and John Knowles Paine will be featured, along with premier performances of new works by Florence writers Robin DeVour and Charles Perkins.
Tickets for this program are on sale at the Performing Arts Center in Newport and Mari’s Books in Yachats.
Available during normal business hours, they can be purchased through March 2. These tickets will be available at the door one hour before the concert. Admission price is $10 per person.
For more about OCCO, visit the orchestra’s web site, www.occo.ws or call 541-997-6770.

‘Royal Wedding,’ in Rockaway
As part of its seventh season of classical community concerts, the North Oregon Coast Symphony will bring a “Royal Wedding” to the Rockaway Beach Community Club on Sunday, March 4.
Conducted by Collin G. Heade, “Royal Wedding” will include works by Vaughan-Williams, Handel, Mendelssohn, Rimsky-Korsakov and others. The program includes music that was played last April at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine. You’ll also hear pieces that have been played at royal weddings past and have become the elegant choices by bridal parties both stateside and abroad.
The royal theme would not be complete without the performance of “God Save The Queen.” Performing this and three additional pieces with the orchestra will be the 27-member Neah-Kah-Nie High School Choir, under the direction of Michael Simpson.
Adding to the festive wedding feel of the concert, awards will be given for couples in attendance who are celebrating an anniversary on concert day, the couple in the audience having been married the longest, and finally the most-recently married couple.
The orchestra will perform the concert first in Astoria, on March 2. The March 4 concert will begin at 3 p.m. at Rockaway Beach Community Church, 400 S. 3rd Avenue in Rockaway Beach. Concert admission will be $10 at the door. Students 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.  
For more information, or to sponsor the North Oregon Coast Symphony call 503-436-0936, or visit www.northorgegoncoastsymphony.org.

The blues, and the Gray, in Lincoln City
This Saturday, Feb. 25, the Lincoln City Cultural Center will be celebrating the release of the new CD, “Box Wine Woman” with a concert by the Lee Gray Blues Band. The band, led by Lee Gray (aka The Wild Gourmet, among other titles), will play at 7 p.m. in the auditorium, 540 NE Hwy. 101. Admission is $10 in advance, and $12 at the door.
On Saturday night, Lee Gray will provide the rhythm guitar, sax and vocals, backed up by Fred Wells on lead guitar, Carl Popham on harmonica, Pascal Fortier on bass and Rodney Turner on drums. They’ll play some of Gray’s original songs from the CD, including “Red Wine Momma” and “Living on Rolaids.”
Gray was raised on radio, watching and listening as his father spun the vinyl at a West Texas radio station. He’s influenced by the Jimmy Reed style of Texarkana blues, along with a bit of Mississippi Delta, Chicago-style blues and rock-a-billy. He taught himself to play the sax after listening to Charlie Parker and Boots Randolf, and later wrote advertising jingles for Los Angeles radio stations.
Since moving to the Oregon Coast 30 years ago, Gray has led five blues bands. “Box Wine Woman” is the culmination of many years of song writing and performing, showing off his comical wit and satirical lyrics. While he loves to work as a musician, Gray is probably best known as one of the first forager-chefs in the Northwest. In the 1990s, when everyone else was still importing lobster from Maine and seaweed from Japan, Gray was harvesting and cooking Oregon’s wild mushrooms, bountiful mussels and sea greens.
In 2010, Gray was featured on a Canadian Food Network production, “Pitchin’ In” with Chef Lynn Crawford. It aired in the USA last Thanksgiving weekend. In it, he sang his original song “Mushroom Maniac.”
For tickets and information, call 541-994-9994, head to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org, or become a friend on Facebook.

Lincoln County’s got even more talent
The first in a series of county-wide concerts, called “Lincoln County’s Got Talent Top Ten & Friends,” will take place on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Taft High School, in Lincoln City. The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
This non-competitive concert will feature many of the Top 20 contestants from the Lincoln County’s Got Talent fund-raiser, including Evan Church and Faith Wood of Lincoln City. There will be an opportunity to view and bid on a silent auction of photographic artwork by Jaylene Manitopyes.
Admission is a suggested donation of $5, which will go to the Homeless Youth Alliance of Lincoln County, or five cans of food for the Lincoln City Food Pantry.
To learn more, call 541-765-4558 or e-mail homelessyouthalliancelc@gmail.com.