By John Pluntze

In addition to the http://www.YouTube.com/gleeonfox and the http://www.Fox.com/glee websites, there's a new "Glee"-oriented website that the self-confessed "Gleeks" out there may want to know about (assuming they don't already, that is):  http://www.Fox.com/glee/socialhub .

In other FOX-oriented news, it was announced recently that the Twin Falls-based KXTF.com station that's based in Twin Falls ( http://www.KXTF.com ) will no longer be a FOX subsidiary or carrier of FOX television programs after June 30th of this year.

The station stated recently that the re-licensing fees that FOX is presently demanding for KXTF conntinue as a FOX-owned station (after the station's current contract expires on June 30th)  "far exceed the advertising revenues that are currently being generated by the station".

It remains unclear whether an 11th-hour compromise will be reached between KXTF station managers and officials with FOX corporate -- and./or if another Idaho-based television station will take over as the local FOX programs' carrier, in event that a mutually-satisfactory deal can't be reached by both parties on or before June 30th.

By John Pluntze

The Wood River Valley isn't exactly short on talent (particularly musical talent), so anyone interested in submitting a video audition for the next season of NBC's "America's Got Talent" needs to upload a video audition tape to "AGT's" YouTube page by June 1st: http://www.YouTube.com/agt

Live.in-person auditions for 'America's Got Talent" will take place in various cities throughout this coming summer as well.

See submission details at both their YouTube page and also at their http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent site as well.

By John Pluntze

The final two free concerts of the 2011-2012 school year for the Wood River Middle and High School students will take place tonight, and also tomorrow night as well -- at the Wood River High School's newly-remodeled Performing Arts Theatre, starting at 7 p.m. (1250 Fox Acres Road).

Tonight's "Orchestra Senior Night" concert will feature selections from Vivaldi, Gustav Holst, Edmund Siennicki, Beethoven and Elliot Del Borgo. Arturo Chavez will be the conductor for this evening's music, with solos provided by Tori Emerick (violin), Corrine Smith (cello), Adam Potts (violin -- with accompaniment by Jim Watkinson), Haylee Thompson (cello), Joel Rinckwald, Gisel Guzman, and Emily Parker (viola).

The musicians for this evening's concert are comprised of:

BEGINNING ORCHESTRA  (Pablo Aguilar, Sylvia Cogen, Elisabeth Gorham, Arika Gourley, Tristan Hemenover, Kodi Heyrend, Leia Hood, Dakota Hutton, Josie Koeplin, Hunter McMurdo, Esteban Morales, Sydney Roberts, Thalia Rojas, Rachel Roudabush, Marina Santos, Jessica Thomas, Edith Trejo, Liam Weller and Josie Zamora)

INTERMEDIATE ORCHESTRA (Jennica Beall, Tess Burchmore, Amy Cantrell, Michelle Casas, Monze Castillo, Daniela Estrada, Autumn Fluetsch, Malila Freeman, Andrea Hernandez, Carlos Hurtado, Alyssa Lemprecht, Kegan Lupton, Sienna Miley, Valleria Ortega, Spenser Pfau, Anthony Pina, Emily Scott, and Samantha Taylor)

MIDDLE SCHOOL HONOR ORCHESTRA (Pablo Aguilar, Sylvia Cogen, Mason Corcutt, Katherine Estep, Koko Furlong, Elvis Gonzalez, Arika Gourley, Josie Koeplin, Jorgen Lawrence, Sienna Miley, Elana Smith, Jessie Thomas, Josie Zamora, Logan Verst and Lance Verst)

ADVANCED ORCHESTRA (Ostin Arters, Annie Ashfield, Christian Brown, Alexa Browne, Sarah Carty, Bailey Cleven, Rory Cole, Tori Emerick, Kaedi Fry, Quinlan Gilman, Alexis Gonzalez, Grace Gorham, Gisel Guzman, Shyla Jones, Jessica Lamprecht, Brooke Lawrence, Alexis Lochard, Valeria Morse, Evalizbeth Moya, Emily Parker, Adam Potts, Josie Potts, Miles Remington, Kathleen Reyes, Joel Rinckwald, Rosemary Sluder, Corrine Smith, Eva Sorensen, Alexander Taylor, Haylee Thompson, Emily Todd, Antonio Valencia, Julissa Velazquez, Luke Verst and Katie Walton)

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA  (Christian Brown, Alexa Browne, Grace Gorham, Gisel Guzman, Jessica Lamprecht, Evalizbeth Moya, Emily Parker, Adam Potts, Josie Potts, Joel Rinckwald, Luke Verst and Katie Walton)

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The "Choral Concert" tomorrow (Wednesday) night at the high school will feature the:

6th GRADE PRELUDE CHOIR (Estefani Ambriz, Samantha Black, Tatum Brockman, Ashley Ceja, Conner Clark, Anne Marie Deffe, Vanessa Douglas, Emma Flolo, Joseph Frye, Karstyn Gerringa, Annabelle Lewis, Lizbeth Lopez Lizarraga, Angeles Magana  Botello, Jaden McGinty, Lissette Molina, McKenna Nelson, Dylan Porth, Cynthia Salinas, Leah Thayer, Jennifer Vega and Annabel Webster)

7th and 8th GRADE CHOIRS ( Sierra Beck, Hadley Cabitto, Cassandra Clegg, Nicholas Domke, McKenzie Gardipe, Megan Johnston, Spencer Kragerud, Carrie Lawson, Giovanna Leslie, Erica Lynn, Tanise McDonald, Tiana McDonald, Blanca Perez, Daina Motzkin, McKenna Norris, Andrea Palencia, Jazmine Parish, Kendall Piggins, Elliott Portillo, Mackenzie Shardlow, Olivia Stimac, Aide Sualez Vargas, Everett Thomas, Destinee Valencia Doan, Ana Vargas Rangel, Lillian Worst, Branson Atkinson, David Boren, Calista Bourgette, Sarah Bunce, Jazmin Carrillo Gonzalez, Janessa Corrao-Bal, Ashley Dreyfus, Berenica Garcia Regalado, Alondra Garcia Torres, Emily Gardner, Arya Gibson, Ashley Glahn, Sochie Goitiandia, Jessica Gonzalez, Courtney Hall, Mikayla Hartman, Annamari Klimes, Kierra Lake, Indie Landon, Carmen Leslie, Corine Lizarraga, Macy Mitchell, Kylie Roundtree, Brooke Sundholm, Cherice Tatteson and Tyesha Trombetta)

ENCHANTE (Bridget Kernan, Traci Morales, Dalyah Reel-Hughes, and Katie Walton)

THE B-TONES (Nolan Arters, William Ashfield, Jason Black, Sam Brown, River Curtis, Drew Deffe, Victor Farfan, Caleb garvin, Armando Gomez, Cutter Grathwahl, Nathan Kniffen, Fischer Lewis, Andy Mallea, Kole Mauldin, Max Mauldin, Michael Moffett, Jonathan Reigle and Sean Sutton).

COLLA VOCE (Sarah Arters, Taylor Berntson, Lucy Brannon, Liza Buell, Rachel Conover, Gracie Egan, Lauren Jacobs, Lauren Lichtenberg, Anastasia Maricich, Jonnie Pedersen, Mary Petzke, Emma Poe, Anastasia Poklemba, and Isabella Stimac).

SPIRITUS (Kenza Alaoui, Sarah Arters, Wiliam Ashfield, Jason Black, Lucy Brannon, Rodrigo Ancona, Drew Deffe, Augustus Eagan, Caila Ehrmantraut, Caleb Garvin, Destiny Guisasola, Lauren Jacobs, Ashley Karst, Lauren Lichtenberg, Anastasia Maricich, Kole Mauldin, Max Mauldin, Alec Michael Moffett, Traci Morales, Alicia Nelson, Tiffany Parrish, Lane Payette, Rudy Payette, Jonnie Pedersen, Mary Petzke, Gustavo Romero Ramirez, Sam Ruddell, Enrique Salinas Baltazar, Kati Sanders, Jillian Shay, Sean Sutton, Shalyssa Tibbets, Teal Torres, Kay Walton, Carmina Montis, Kenza Alaoui, Rachel Arnaiz, Sarah Arters, Jade Atkinson, Sarah Baeza, Abigail Barton, Tayler Bates, Taylor Berntson, Tayler Bosch, Victoria Brown, Liza Buell, Rachel Conover, Haley Cutler, Jasmine Doan, Sofia Drougas, Kyli Frayer, Adriana Garcia Paredes, Alison Gasenica, Miranda Gasenica, Brenna Gillard, Mary Glahn, Samantha Goitiandia, Kianna Hansen, Alysha Herich, Kimberly Herrera Regalado, Savannah Hughes, Megan Huskinson, Lauren Jacobs, Allison Jones, Sierra Judd, Timber Kelly, Bridget Kernan, Mary Latta, Lauren Lichtenberg, Carina Lira, Erin Marquis, Dani McLaughlin, Lettie McMurdo, Destiny Murphy, Angelica Ortega, Kori Paradis, Nicole Penrose, Haylee Pettit, Emma Poe, Anastasia Poklemba, Shannon Quigley, Karina Rangel, Dalyah Reel-Hughes, Yisel Reigle, Larissa Roberts, Samantha Rodriguez, Kati Sanders, Jasmine Schofield, Cassandra Seabolt, Reid Selisch, Mackenzie Sigglin, Isabella Stimac, Hanna Stocks, Samantha Sutton, Alyona Taylor, Shalyssa Tibbets, Amber Von Heuring, Brayden West and Tanya Wilkerson).

All Wood River Middle School Ensembles are under the interim direction (in Tony Randall's absence) of Camille Pincock; all Wood River High School ensembles are the under the direction of R.L. Rowsey; all choirs under the direction of Max Stimac. The B-Tones are sponsored by the Sun Valley Summer Symphony School Of Music.

Sound design for these concerts at the Performing Arts Theatre is by Ted Macklin and Jaymie Stimac; lighting is by John Glenn.

Additional musical accompaniment by Dorinda Rendahl.

Other featured musicians for this and/or tomorrow evening's concert are:

WOLVERINE DIXIE BAND ( K.T, Martinez, Sydney Morales, Luke Robertson, Max Mihalic, Quin Gilman, Stephen Poklemba, Amelia Fugate, Nathan Kniffen and Caleb Garvin).

6th GRADE BEGINNING BAND (Jordyn Mary, Milo Ryason, Grace Evans, Cassidy Carter, Marisol Marquez, Steve Roth, Andy Ruiz, Martin Aguayo Flores, Samuel Robideaux, Humberto Rangel Muniz, Jake Ortiz, Jacqueline Ramirez, jenifer Ambriz, Aloe Orison, Mason Eckebrecht, Will Pullin, Alfonso Hurtado, Lydia Gutierrez, Jose Laurel Baeza, Mike Marquez, Jonathan Tatterson, Gracie Robles, Jaren Bothwell, Sam Fauth, Lucy Mendoza, Noah Fischman, Andi Cardona-Sierra, Marco Schofield, Will Carney, Mayra Grimaldo, Daisy Arenas, Ty Williamson, Alex Bingham, Hunter Barrow, Trail Gralinski, Emily Slane, Will Cawthra, Enrique Dolores Gonzalez, Stella Barsotti, Hailey Boyd, Madelynn Ruhter, Kirsys Campbell, Alex Olsen, Carson Smith, and Hector Carrillo Sualez)

MIDDLE SCHOOL CONCERT BAND (Alina Svidgal, Cassidy Simpson, Julia Larsen, Dan De La Cruz, Sean Davitt, Mackenzie Ellison, Aly Cavallo, Elena, Leslie Serrano, Marisol Baeza Cruz, Omar Farfan Baltazar, Connor Lohrke, Sochie Goitiandia, Andre Murphy, Jazmin Gonzalez Contreras, Jose Blanoc, Jenz Blackman, Nathan Stouffer, Beck Vontver, Caleb Morgan, Hans Heaphy, Archie Escujuri, Oscar Hernandez, Jacob Otto, Diana Rodriguez, Magaly Jacobo, Alejandro Sandoval Salamanca, Adrian Rojas, Omar Salamanca, Amma Koleno, Marley Snow King, Avery Gilman, Riley Leighton, Jeron Peavey, Izzy Romero, Charles Sluder, Dustin Shipp, Evan Telford, Chloe Evans, Illiah Pfau, Matthew Minford, Than Atienza, Miguel Sanchez, Kenny Pratt, Cooper Dart, Evan Hesselbacher, John Coyne, Kelsea Beck, Skye McGehee, Jack Seiller, Lane Felger Ana Wiederrick, Colton Yeager, Anthony SantaCruz, Saul Baltazar-Herrera, Tor Dalzell, Noah Leininger, John Carney, Kayden Levin, Micah Hayes, Janessa Avila, Brenda Bingham, Abby Robideaux and Aaliyah Mireles Garcia)

HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT BAND (Maria Aguayo Flores, Emmalie Dion, Kennedie Howard, Raylin Lyons, Traci Morales, Augusta Catherin-Sauer, Amelia Fugate, Taylor Lenane, Kaitana Martinez, Eduardo Regalado, Bryson Van Every, Ryan Willow-Munro, Levi Young, Conor Clark, Yadviga Frazier, Jose Hernandez Martinez, Ryleigh Howard, Katia Reyes, Tyson Van Dyck, Stephen Poklemba, Mariya Haslam, Lucas Robertson, Peter Torwan, Jason Williams, William Cox, River Dryer, Andrew Riemann, Kasey Allred, Michael Flolo, Ciceley Peavey, Miriam Bingham, Shea Goitiandia, Lauren Bryant, Dylan Black, Jason Black, Alfredo Mejorado, Alexander Ramsey, Caroline Scarbrough, and Kyle Weller)

WOOD RIVER JAZZ BAND (Sydney Morales, Stephen Poklemba, Augusta Catherin-Sauer, Amelia Fugate, Lauren Bryant, Max Mihalic, Jason Black, Crystal Tullis, Joe McGonigal, Bryson VanEvery, Luke Robertson, Nathan Kniffen, Quin Gilman and Caroline Scarbrough).

Both tonight's "High School Orchestra Concert" and Wednesday night's "Choral Concert" are open to the general public and are both ostensibly free ... although donations are never refused, and always gratefully accepted.

Contact Max Stimac ( mstimac@blaineschools.org / 578-5020, ext 2249) for more info about these two concerts.

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Questions or comments regarding this (local music scene-oriented) 'harmonic Convergence" column can be sent to John, at: lovesbiking2001@yahoo.com ). And to read any of John's previous "HC" columns -- which include raves on local faves Cow Says Mooo, Paul Tillotson, Sheryll Mae Grace, Gayle Chapman, and the new CakeFaceJane band ( http://www.CakefaceJane.com ) -- just type "Harmonic Convergence" (and/or "John Pluntze") -- into the SVO search engine here.

By John Pluntze

Wood River Valley residents who perhaps either missed those three terrific, standing room-only concerts featuring the Colla Voce and B-Tones choirs comprised of students from the Wood River Middle and High Schools, or else residents who perhaps want to hear MORE of those genuinely amazing voices in-action (not to mention scores of other music students from the Middle and High Schools in Hailey), you have three more opportunities to do so before the school year ends-- starting with tonight's "Spring Concert" that will be held at the Wood River High School Performing Arts Theatre, at 7 p.m.(1250 Fox Acres Road).

Featuring students from the Wolverine Dixie Band, the 6th grade Beginning Band, the Middle School Concert band, the High School Concert Band, and the Wood River Jazz band, tonight's concert will have an eclectic and exciting assortment of terrific tunes -- everything from "Sunny Side Of the Street", the "Hawaii Five-O" theme, music from the the "Pirates Of the Caribbean" movies, "Fire Dance", "True Blue", "Rocking the Blues (Away)",  and "Boogie Lou"" -- as will the concerts on Tuesday and Wednesday evening (both of which likewise begin at 7 p.m, and also take place at the high school's Performing Arts Theatre).

As with tonight's "Spring Concert", the "High School Orchestra Concert" (Tuesday) and the "Choral Concert" (Wednesday) are open to the general public. Each evening's concert is free -- but donations are never refused and always very gratefully accepted.

All middle school ensembles are under the direction of Camille Pincock (in Tony Randall's absence, recuperating from a car accident he had this past winter); all high school ensembles under the direction of R.L. Rowsey; all choirs under the direction of Max Stimac.

Contact Max Stimac ( mstimac@blaineschools.org /578-5020, ext. 2249) about these thee concerts at Wood River High School.

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Questions or comments regarding this recurring (local music scene-oriented) "Harmonic Convergence" column can be sent to John, at lovesbiking2001@yahoo.com . And to read any of John's previous "HC" columns -- which include raves on local faves Molly and Josiah Venter, All Nite Diner, Paul Tillotson, Gayle Chapman, Sheryll Mae Grace, Cow Says Mooo, Cake FaceJane (who, btw, made a verrry well-received public debut in the Ketchum Town Square on Saturday evening: http:// www.CakeFaceJane.com ) -- just type "Harmonic Convergence" and/or "John Pluntze" into the SVO search engine here.

By John Pluntze

Arguably, one of the most eagerly anticipated and long-awaited music events in any given year here in the Wood River Valley are the standing room-only "Nights At the Liberty" concerts that feature the always-amazing and endlessly-dedicated choir students from the Hailey Wood River Middle and High Schools -- and this year's concerts (which will take place tonight and also on  Saturday night at 7 p.m., at Hailey's Liberty Theatre) will undoubtedly leave countless music lovers smiling from ear-to-ear once again.

What used to be merely a one night-only, pre-graduation event a decade or so ago whose audience was primarily comprised of parents and siblings of the featured choir students has since blossomed into a THREE-night event (because each night's concert is filled to capacity -- and often with patrons who aren't related to any of the participants either, but rather music-loving locals who really want to see/hear these incredibly-talented singers and musicians in-person).

The show,  produced and directed each May by choir director Max Stimac, features songs and musical themes that are always extremely eclectic and inventive, usually including at least a couple of well-known show tunes interspersed with a dazzling array of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, soul and other types of music that the choir students choose themselves.

This year's lineup includes songs made famous by Adele, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin & Otis Redding, Van Halen and Joni Mitchell.

 The award-winning all-female, 14-member COLLA VOCE choir (Sarah Arters, Taylor Berntson, Lucy Brannon, Liza Buell, Rachel Conover, Gracie Eagan, Lauren Jacobs, Lauren Lichtenberg, Anastasia Maricich, Jonnie Pedersen, Mary Petzke, Emma Poe, Anastasia Poklemba and Isabella Stimac) -- a number of whom have been written about in past SVO music articles here (type their name into the SVO seach engine for more info) -- will be the featured performers during the nearly two-hour musical extravaganza each evening, with accompaniment by a rhythm section led, as it has for many years now, by Dorinda Rendahl.

Sponsored by the Sun Valley Summer Symphony School Of Music, the award-winning 14-member men's vocal group, THE B-TONES (Nolan Arters, William Ashfield, Jason Black, Sam Brown, Cutter Grathwahl, River Curtis, Drew Deffe, Victor Farfan, Caleb Garvin, Nathan Kniffen, Andy Mallea, Kole Mauldin, Max Mauldin and Michael Moffett), will make a guest appearance each night (led by R.L. Rowsey) as well.

Instrumentalists for the three shows will be Nathan Kniffen (guitar), Max Stimac (guitar), Chris Clark (bass), Dorinda Rendahl (piano), R.L. Rowsey (piano), Jim Watkinson (synth) and Caleb Garvin (drums).

Sound design is by Ted Macklin and Jaymie Stimac; the lighting by John Glenn.

Each night's concert, which is partly funded by the Curtis W. McGraw Foundation Fund (a donor-advised fund of the Blaine County Education Foundation: http://www.supportbcef.org ), is ostenisbly  free -- but donations are never refused and always greatly appreciated.

By the way, if you can't attend any of the three, free concerts THIS week at the Liberty Theatre, there will be three ADDITIONAL concerts featuring the extremely-talented and dedicated Hailey Middle and High School music students NEXT week -- as well as members of the schools' similarly very talented bands -- on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening (also starting at 7 p.m. and also free to attendees), at the Hailey high school's lavish, new Performing Arts Theater (1060 Fox Acres Road).

Members of the respective schools' band camps will be featured performers during the Monday and Tuesday concerts next week, while next Wednesday's concert at the high school will be more geared around the aforementioned choirs.

Contact choir director Max Stimac ( mstimac@blaineschools.org / 578-5020, ext. 2249) for more info about any of these upcoming concerts.

Another way that interested locals can show their support for these various choirs is by buying jewelry, too. Local acclaimed artist Dalyah Reel-Hughes ( dalyrosehughes@yahoo.com ) currently has an impressive variety of beautiful sterling silver rings, earrings, pendants and other jewelry items, the proceeds from which go to these aforementioned choir programs. Contact Dalyah for more info.

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Questions or comments regarding this recurring  (local music scene-oriented) "Harmonic Convergence" column can be sent to John, at:  lovesbiking2001@yahoo.com. And to read any of John's previous "HC" columns -- which includes raves on local faves Toast, Molly and Josiah Venter,, Paul Tillotson, Sheryll Mae Grace, Bruce Innes, Leana Leach, Cow Says Mooo (whose members, by the way, have created a second band ... this one featuring primarily original songs they wrote and rehearsed this past winter; go to http://www.CakeFaceJane.com for more info) and  the Kim Stocking Band -- just type "Harmonic Convergence" (and/or "John Pluntze") into the SVO search engine here.

By John Pluntze

If you ever wondered what happened to the owner-operators of the very popular -- and justly-celebrated -- Ketchum restaurant-bar, Papa Hemi's Hideaway (namely, Lynn Sheehan and Matt Vandernoot), they have taken their unabashed love for terrific food and transported it to Twin Falls ... first at a rather small location on Blue Lakes Blvd. and now, more recently, at a considerably larger space located in Twin Falls' historical warehouse district (at 233 5th Avenue South/ 735-1228).

Open from 11am on every day except Mondays, Cucina Gemelli (Italian for "twin kitchens"), the restaurant is located in the same building that once housed that rather quaint movie theater/video store .. a location that Vandernoot and Sheehan have superbly transformed into an extremely inviting and lovely space all their own.

If you type in "Cucina Gemelli" into your search engine, you'll find links to  their restaurant-bar's Facebook page (which features a number of extremely mouth-watering photos of a number of their mouth-watering culinary offerings), as well as several websites (including MagicValley.com and TripAdvisor.com) that features scores of (mostly) very positive/A+++ reviews of Cucina Gemelli -- both for its genuinely eclectic menu, and also for its amibience.

On the afternoon that this writer visited Cucina Gemelli for the first time at its new, considerably larger location (by the way http://www.urbanspoon.com has a handy map section reprinted that shows how to get to Cucina Gemelli if you AREN'T familiar with Twin's historic warehouse district), I had an absolutely deliciously mushroom panini, while my friend, Sue, had their turkey club. Both lunches left us smiling from ear-to-ear ... as did the sizable helping of homemade garlic-rosemary potato chips that we shared for an appetizer.

Cucina Gemelli boasts a first-rate selection of wines, beers and other spirits (they have a full liquor license), and they have a terrific 'happy hour" special from 5-7 p.m. ($7 gets you a drink of your choice and an appetizer).

In addition, every Friday night (from 7-10 p.m.), this raved-about eatery also offers live jazz music -- another wonderful offering at Cucina Gemelli that'll undoubtedly brings smiles to the faces of former Papa Hemi's Hideaway patrons (since that greatly-missed Ketchum eatery was arguably at least as well known for its terrific  live-music offerings every week as it was its always-eclectic menu).

Whether it's for lunch or dinner, Cucina Gemelli is definitely worth getting off of Blue Lakes Boulevard for....

Call 735-1228 for more information about their menu and other inquiries. (Their other website -- beside their Facebook page, that is -- is: http://www.cucinagemellirestaurant.com )

By John Pluntze

Well, since the "Idaho Mountain Express" newspaper recently announced that it's once again looking for submissions from avid area film goers here as to what their "Favorite (Five) Films Of 2011" are, I thought it might be kinda fun for some of the many people who at least sometimes visit the SVO site here to contribute their own online"Top 10 Film Favorites" list.

Since, in any given year, we often don't have the luxury here in the Wood River Valley of seeing, say, "2011" releases until 2012 has already arrived (the way it has now) -- and/or sometimes don't see a certain movie AT ALL on ANY movie screen here in the Wood River Valley (before it's released later on DVD and Blue Ray) -- I'm not concerned if your list has some "2010" releases on your 2011 Film Favorites List. (Also, please feel free to mention some "Honorable Mentions" on your "Top 10 Film Faves" list as well, because I certainly had no trouble at all coming up with a Top 20 list this year!!!)

Okay, so here goes (and please keep the public chastisements and/or ridiculing regarding my own list down to minimum, okay??? (LOL) And yes, this list IS in order of preference:

1)  "THE RUNAWAYS"

(Having been lucky enough to see that superb, 1970s-era all-female rock band, The Runaways -- in both London and Los Angeles -- the hairs on the back of my neck literally stood up watching both Dakota Fanning (as lead singer Cherie Currie) and Kristen Stewart (as co-lead singer Joan Jett) belting out one seriously kick-ass Runaways rock number after another, so much so that Fanning, especially, seemed to almost be eerily CHANNELING Cherie Currie in some her scenes ... particularly the scene where Currie really came into her own (on-stage in Japan, in 1977 during a pivotal time in the band's career), as she sang what's arguably The Runaways' best-known song still to date: "Cherry Bomb").

2) "HANNA"

3)  "BIUTIFUL" (foreign)

4) "THE TREE OF LIFE"

6) "THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATOO"

7) " FAST & FURIOUS 5"

8) "THE WAY BACK"

9) "MARGIN CALL"

10) "HUGO"

HONORABLE Mentions:" The Artist",  "The Way", "Drive", "Friends With Benefits","Contagion", "Puss n Boots 3D", "The Guard", "Meek's Cut Off", "Beginners", "The Debt", "One Day","Cave Of Forgotten Dreams", "Exporting Raymond", "Insidious", "Midnight In Paris","Miss Bala", " Killer Elite",  "Take Shelter", 'Warrior", "Get Low", 'Super 8", "Certified Copy", "Project NIM", "13 Assassins",  "Mars Needs Moms", "J. Edgar", "Transformers: Dark Of the Moon", "Paranormal Activity 3",  "African Cats", "The Help", "Restless", "Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol"

Okay, so once you've finished rolling your eyes and/or making some public comments here about some of my (verrry dubious???) choices, please be sure to add your own list -- since it may very well contain one or more movies that the rest of us here HAVEN'T seen yet, but movies we might very well enjoy, once we do hear about them.

And yesss, for the record, I DID see Steven Spielberg's (insufferably smarmy/saccharine and incredibly cloying) "War Horse" -- arguably his biggest misfire since the similarly verrry cloying and smarmy "Always", "Amistad", and, more recently, Spielberg's "The Terminal". A much more apt title for it: "The 100 Years War Horse" (because it seems to take THAT long for the movie to finally end!!!) ... a movie that makes glaringly-obvious references to dozens of great films -- everything from "My Friend Flicka", "Gone With the Wind" and "Far From the Madding Crowd", to "National Velvet", "The Quiet Man" and "Paths Of Glory" -- without ever even just ONCE approaching greatness itself. Absolute stall fodder...  :(

By John Pluntze

This weekend offers another plethora of terrific music choices at a myriad of various Valleywide locations -- some at venues you'd expect, such as Whiskey's ( http://www.whiskeyjacques.com ), which'll have the Honey Island Swamp Band (http://www.honeyislandswampband.com ) -- but others at venues you might not expect ... including The Power House In Hailey (703 N. 1st Avenue/ 788-9184), which tonight will host a Wood RIver Valley-based band whose name is popping up more and more here: Toast.

Formed some five years ago when founding members Sean Dahlman, Zach Herbert, Sam Funk and Andre Keys were still attending the Hailey Middle School, Toast has been making the rounds over the years at venues as diverse as The Mint (during one of their many open-mike nights there), and at The Wicked Spud.

Inspired in part by their school's justly-celebrated band instructor at the time (Bart Bailey), these four increasingly-ambitious music students took what started out being a mere afterschool hobby of sorts and steadily shaped it into a legitimate, pulsating and rather unique-sounding band -- one that recently had scores of extremely-appreciative listeners at The Moose Girls Cafe in Ketchum (360 E. Avenue/ 727-9767) held in rapt attention for several hours that evening (they'll be performing there again this coming Sunday, btw, from 7-9:30 p.m.) ... much the way the band did last summer during the Hailey Night of Music, right outside McClain's Pizzeria (a venue where they'll be performing at again this coming Monday for THIS year's Hailey Night Of Music), a gig that proved be one of the group's most popular ones up that point, one that literally stopped traffic there right in front of McClain's for hours on end that evening in July, 2010.

"Andre, Sean and I started out as an acoustic improv group, and we went through pretty much EVERY music genre there is before settling on our current one," Wood River High School grad Zach Herbert told me recently. "We always loved that aspect of creating a song on the spot -- taking themes from the audience and then shaping into a song that hopefully connects WITH the audience."

Indeed, during their recent, wildly-popular musical outing at Moose Girls, an audience member suggested "sea turtles" as an idea for a song -- one that eventualy inspired a reggae-style tune with that very theme.

"We're NOT a cover band," Herbert said (equal parts proudly and emphatically), "Nor do we ever WANT to be..."

From its inception, Toast has always been fiercely determined to NOT be pigeonholed into a particular musical genre -- which is part of he reason that this year they added another member to their group, Mia Jefferson, who now shares lead-vocal duties with Herbert, and who will be attending the University Of Idaho (in Moscow) in the Fall.

"I was always friends with these guys in school, but it took awhile for me to get involved with the band," Jefferson said, adding with a laugh that, "Zach apparently saw a gleam hope in me as a musician."

"Mia totally blew us away the very first day she auditioned," Dahlman told me. "We'd already tried out several other female singers before her and none of them seemed right for the group. But when she came in and started singing, I think we all just knew right then and there that we had our girl -- our voices just blended soooo well together!!"

Toast already has one album to its credit ("Spotless Mind" -- recorded in Las Vegas, and in a mere six hours, too) and at least one hauntingly-beautiful and -powerful single that many people seem to think would be a perfect movie-soundtrack song ("Paper Wings").

"We have a verrrry nice balance of personalities and musical styles in this group," Jefferson said, "and hopefully that comes across in our concerts."

Adds Dahlman: "I've always been something of the 'The Reluctant One', I guess, when it comes to getting up there in front of an audience. But it's really a GREAT pleasure and honor to be sharing a stage with incredible musicians like Zach and Andre and Mia and Sam Funk, too -- who really is a PHENOMENAL FUNK player, by the way ... just an incredible powerhouse performer by any standard!!"

Toast will be performing tonight at Hailey's The Power House Bike Fit Studio (from 8-10 p.m.), on Sunday at Moose Girls Cafe (from 7-9:30 p.m.), next Monday in front of McClain's Pizzeria (5-9 p.m. or so), Tuesday, July 19th at 7 p.m. (as the "Ketch'em Alive" opening act that evening), and also at Zenergy poolside (on Friday, July 22, from 5-7 p.m.).

Contact Zach's father (who doubles as the band's manager), Jim Herbert (720-5801/ n606xe@gmail.com ), for info about the band's availability and rates.
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In some other music news for the weekend, the always rolicking and delightful Kim Stocking Band returns to the Silver Dollar in Bellevue tonight (788-2900), The Might Shims perform tonight at Zenergy poolside from 5-7 p.m. (725-0595), and the incomparable Carter Freeman ( http://www.myspace.com/carterfreeman ) returns for another stellar gig at the Sun Valley Brewery in Hailey (788-2900) this evening as well.

Also this weekend, Lefty's (726-2744) will have the popular local band, Hat Trick, performing there on Saturday, and Sean Jackson on Sunday (6-9 p.m. both evenings). And the Sun Valley Latin Jazz Ensemble (with Russ Caldwell) will be the terrific featured musical offering at Ketchum's Rotary Park on Sunday for its always-terrific ongoing "Jazz in the Park" series (6-8 p.m.).

And that's just some of the musical fun that awaits avid music lovers this weekend in the Wood RIver Valley.... 

By John Pluntze

Two highly-regarded, Wood River Valley-based organizations that specialize in helping rehabilitate wounded veterans of the ongoing Iraq and Afghanistan wars -- the Wood River Ability Program ( http://www.woodriverabilityprogram.org ), and Sun Valley Adaptive Sports ( http://www.svasp.org ) -- will be the object tonight of a fundraising concert held jointly in their honor at The Wicked Spud in Hailey, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. or so.

The featured musical entertainment will be courtesy of Bellevue's own self-proclaimed "folk 'n roll"  band, Up a Creek ( http://www.upacreekmusic.com  ),  whose four rolicking members (Bill Sprong, Jeff London, Scott Seaward and Raul Vandenberg) are always in-demand throughout the Wood River Valley.

The fundraising concert, part of the ongoing weekly, Wednesday evening "Back Alley Party" series at The Wicked Spud that are adroitly organized during the summer months by Heidi Albrecht and Dana DuGan, promises to be yet another in a long line of terrifically-entertaining evenings that not only feature wonderful dancetastic music, but also various cool and exciting raffle-drawing prizes -- proceeds from which (like the beer and wine sales generated from Albrecht's and DuGan's outdoor stand there at The Spud, directly across from the outdoor stage) will be divided up equally between the W.R.A.P. and the S.V.A.S.P. organizations.

Marc Mast, the director of the Wood River Ability Program (and also one of the original founding members of Sun Valley Adaptive Sports), has been the subject of several articles at SVO in the past few years (type "Marc Mast" into the SVO search engine here to read more about him and about W.R.A.P.), and his W.R.A.P. group have been the chosen recipient numerous times in the past as one of the local non-profit organizations that a "Back Alley Party" concert's proceeds have been used for (in part), but neither is an honor that Mast is anything other than extremely flattered and humbled by.

"I think for them devote their time and energies to this concert, and then also to donate money from those raffle prizes and alcohol sales tonight is really special ... an honor I don't take for granted AT ALL", Mast told me on Tuesday.

Call The Wicked Spud (788-0009/ 305 N. Main Street) for more info about tonight's fundraising concert for these two exemplary organizations.

Also this week at The Wicked Spud -- on Friday evening, from 6-9 p.m., to be exact -- another special music-oriented event will be returning to that justly-venerated venue: "Hailey Idol".

Based on the hit FOX talent-show series, "American Idol", the ongoing "Hailey Idol" showcase is geared toward elementary, middle-school and high-school students with a penchant for performing onstage. Individual musicians are happily accepted, but musical groups are also welcomed and encouraged (bands, however, cannot have more than three members).

Contestants are judged on a variety of aspects (everything from originality of music/song selections, to stage presence, to degree of dificulty) by a panel of three "American Idol"inspired judges -- "Randy Jackson" (Heidi Albrecht), "Paula Abdul" (Mitzi Mecham), and "Simon Cowell" (Scott Garvin) -- none of whom are ever especially harsh in their judgments.

Contact Heidi Albrecht (788-7827) for more info about these Friday evening "Hailey Idol" talent shows.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************Questions Questions or comments regarding this "Harmonic Convergence" (local music scene-oriented) column can be sent to John at: WriteStuffIdaho@gmail.com

By John Pluntze

Avid music buffs -- of which we clearly have no shortage of at all here in the Wood River Valley -- have no less than two stellar music offerings this evening, when jazz great Yve Evans ( http://www.facebook.com/msyveevans / www.yveevans.com/http://www.myspace.com/yveevans / ) -- a perennial fave every year at the October Jazz Festival, in Sun Valley -- will perform at Ketchum's Rotary Park (at Warm Springs and Saddle Roads) tonight, from 6 to 8 p.m., as part of the ongoing free "Jazz in the Park" concert series there that started just last week (with Paul Tillotson's terrific trio) ... a jazz-music series courtesy of local artist, musician and longtime Valley resident, Will Caldwell ( http://www.willcaldwell.com ), who booked all the various musical performances again for this summer's always-popular Sunday 6-8 p.m. "Jazz In the Park" concert series at Rotary Park, and also courtest of the late and beloved Dayle Fowler, who's been graciously sponsoring this jazz-music series since its inception (Fowler was killed earlier this week in a four-car accident on Highway 93, near Jerome).

Also this evening, running from 6 until 9 p.m. or so, another Valley fave -- local rock band, Hangar 17 -- will be performing on the deck at Lefty's right here in Ketchum (231 6th Street East/726-2744 -- diagonally across from the "Train On Main") ... only the second of their concerts there this summer.

Two terrific musical offerings tonight (Sunday), neither of which you better miss!!!

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