Short Takes: Entertainment Highlights

TOM NETHERLAND | SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER

DOES THE TRI-CITIES HAVE TALENT?
That’s like asking if the sun has shine.
No doubt folks at Bristol, Va.’s Fraternal Order of the Eagles have discovered exactly that in staging the Does the Tri-Cities Have Talent contest. Whittled to four finalists, the winner will be chosen on Aug. 7 at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles.
Prizes aplenty await the winner. First, the winner will perform on Aug. 7 with 7 Mile Ford, and then open a show for them on Aug. 8 at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. Also, the winner will receive a four-hour recording session and demo recording at Sonic Designs Studio in Bristol, Tenn.
Nice. So turn out, root for, holler with and most certainly for those who may have lived underneath Holston Mountain for a lifetime. Discover that yes, America, the Tri-Cities has talent galore.

IF YOU GO
Who: 7 Mile Ford with four finalists of the Does the Tri-Cities Have Talent? contest: Debbie Hardin, Victoria Chatman, Todd Dolehanty and Bethany Crump
When: Aug. 7-8, 8 p.m.
Where: Fraternal Order of the Eagles, 2033 W. State St., Bristol, Va.
Admission: $6
Info: (423) 366-2749
Web and audio: www.sevenmileford.net

ROCKABILLY ROSIE
Think hip-swiveling, rockabilly hep-cats and names such as Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley come to mind. But there were and are several women among the lip-curled set.
Count Rosie Flores among them. The rockabilly mama will rock The Buspit in Kingsport, Tenn., on Aug. 7.
With her comes a background that includes two decades of critically acclaimed albums and songs such as “Heartbreak Train.”
Call Flores a throwback. The three-chord and a cloud of fire dynamo’s tunes hearken back to an era when roadsters burned rubber and ducktail haircuts were the style.
However and important to note, the 58-year-old Flores also mixes country, jazz and Western swing into her mostly rocking repertoire.

IF YOU GO
Who: Rosie Flores
When: Aug. 7, 9 p.m.
Where: The Buspit, 240 E. Main St., Kingsport, Tenn.
Admission: $10
Info: (423) 578-2336
Web: www.rosieflores.com
And: www.myspace.com/rockabillyfillyrosie
Audio: www.new.music.yahoo.com/rosie-flores/tracks/

PEACES OF WAY
Music to contemplate by could describe the sound of Peaces of Way.
Slated to expose their experimental music on Aug. 12 at O’Mainnin’s Pub in Bristol, Tenn., the three-person, thought-provoking band defies simple compartmentalization.
As with one of their influences, Pink Floyd, to brand Tri-Cities-based Peaces of Way a rock band is akin to being musically blind.
Go deeper by going back. Peaces of Way recall the music of the Birds and Pink Floyd had those bands included such instruments as oboes, bassoons and dulcimers alongside their guitars.
In short, classify Peaces of Way as easy-on-the-ear music that prompts thought while highlighting creative twists on ways to carry a tune.

IF YOU GO
Who: Peaces of Way
When: Aug. 12, 10 p.m.
Where: O’Mainnin’s Pub, 712 State St., Bristol, Tenn.
Info: (423) 844-0049
Web and video: www.myspace.com/peacesofway

MUSIC NOTES
-- Country singer Jack Ingram, who will appear at Twilight Alive in Kingsport, Tenn., on Aug. 20, will appear in an episode of “Army Wives” on cable-network Lifetime.
Scheduled to air on Aug. 16 at 10 p.m., the episode features Ingram along with his hit single “Barefoot and Crazy.”
-- Staying on the country road, singer Lorrie Morgan has been cast to appear in the Broadway-bound stage adaptation of the hit film “Pure Country.” The Grand Ole Opry member and daughter of late country star George Morgan will star opposite fellow country singer Joe Nichols in the play, which is scheduled to embark on Broadway in early 2010.
-- Yes, cable network and one-time music channel MTV still stages its annual Video Music Awards, despite devoting slim-to-no airtime to them in their daily schedule. Set for live broadcast on Sept. 13, MTV recently announced this year’s nominees.
Beyonce and Lady Gaga led with nine nominations, while Britney Spears clocked in with seven. Rappers Eminem and Kanye West, along with rockers Coldplay, knocked back four nominations each.
-- Pop-country superstar Taylor Swift stars during this week’s free MP3 download. Just go to www.leilovestory.bigmachinerecords.com and supply such information as your name and e-mail address, and a link will be e-mailed that will allow you to download Swift’s hit “Love Story.”
So concludes another week in the world of music. Stay tuned for more from the world of rock and country and so on and so forth from Bristol to Nashville to New York and beyond right here in Short Takes and Music Notes. See ya next week.

TOM NETHERLAND is a freelance writer. He can be reached at features@bristolnews.com.