News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Songwriter Stephen Bishop and comic Wayne Cotter kicked off the 2000 Sisters Starry Nights Concert Series, performing before a full house at Sisters High School on Saturday, March 4.
The benefit concert series is expected to net $50,000 for the Sisters Schools Foundation in this, its fourth season -- $150,000 total.
The focus on Sisters" children is emphasized throughout the concerts. Bishop started his set accompanied by Sisters Elementary School singers on "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" -- replete with coonskin caps.
Bishop, whose songs have been recorded by artists such as Barbra Streisand and Phil Collins, was accompanied by ace session keyboardist John Jarvis. Bishop"s set included acoustic renditions of his "hooky" pop songs such as "Little Italy" and "It Might Be You (theme from "Tootsie")."
Comic Wayne Cotter drummed on the audience"s funny bone with a fast-paced routine that included a discourse on the perils of the traveling life -- foreign and domestic -- and the hopeless American status as "technological dweebs."
Cotter, who has a running guest gig on Jay Leno"s "Tonight Show" has done his share of benefits.
Usually, he said, boosters of a particular cause stage a show and the rest of the world goes on about its usual business.
"It"s not usually a whole town," he said.
Cotter was struck by the degree to which the entire community of Sisters puts its support behind the concert series and the schools.
Event organizers go out of their way to make the artists" stay in Sisters a pleasant vacation -- since the artists donate their time and talents.
Cotter enjoyed the chance to let his young son, Isaac, play in the snow, feed fish at Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery and see eagles.
The concert series continues on March 25 with a solo concert by legendary songwriter John Hiatt and on April 8 with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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