“I just finished making pickles,” explained violinist and mandolinist Peter Ostroushko recently. The accomplished musician, who’s performed on the Prairie Home Companion radio show for 25 years, added pickling to a long list of recent accomplishments, namely the new CD Postcards on Red House Records, work on the Prairie film, and a score for the circus where his daughter performs as an aerialist.
The writers of the Cheers theme song sure got that right. And longtime S.B. locals know that the Tee-Off (3627 State St.), with its padded door, dim lighting, world-class prime rib, and famed bartender Tony, is that place-the place where everybody knows your name.
In this fast-paced 21st century, time spent together gets shorter and shorter and we often find ourselves without an outlet for bonding with family. Television and movies are fun, but they don’t foster much interaction; reading, although good for the mind and soul, is inherently isolating. If only there were a way to join family time with reading time. Fortunately, a new board game called Booktastic (ages 14 and up) does just that.
You can almost see a
hunchback in the bell tower in this nighttime
There’s just a hint in the air, a slightly different cast to the light; yes, fall is on the way. For gardeners in Southern California, this is the cue to set about getting a number of gardening chores done. The most rewarding may be planting new bulbs, perennials, and woody plants.
The world’s underbelly is the heart of photojournalist Colin Finlay’s work.
A 42-year-old UCSB graduate who comes to the DoubleTree on September 15, 7 p.m., for a free lecture as part of an Adobe-sponsored national tour, Finlay has spent the past 17 years globetrotting to such downtrodden spots as Rwanda, Haiti, Romania, Sudan, and Bangladesh to cover famine, disease, war, child labor, and other atrocities.
One thing’s for certain: Santa Barbara is a perfect town for premiering blockbuster movies. We’ve got the bright lights, the fancy main drag, the cinematic history, the star-studded populace, and the nightlife to make trips up here from Hollywood well worth the drive. What’s not certain is why it’s taken so long for that notion to become a reality.
The memorial for painter Ray Strong, who died earlier this year at age 101, is this Sunday, September 10, at the County Courthouse from 2-4 p.m. Join the arts community of Santa Barbara in paying tribute to this master. Call 568-3990 for details.
The Dog Adoption & Welfare Group (DAWG)-our county’s only no-kill dog shelter-is hosting a benefit production of the off-Broadway hit DAWGS! The Musical, which takes a dog’s-eye view of life in a shelter.
For those Web-happy Indy readers, check out the new A&E Blog at independent.com for regular updates on artsy happenings around town.
