Best festival in town coming to Brewery

The thousand or so guests who attended opening night at last summer's "Jazz and Beyond" Festival probably are already well aware of the upcoming repeat at the Brewery Aug.16-17. For those who don't remember, consider this a "heads up" alert.

The festival takes place at the Brewery's outdoor pavilion at 511 W. King St., where right now "Smokey Joe's Café" alternates Thursday though Saturday with "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" on Sunday. The two shows are the best the Brewery Summer Stock Players have presented.

But at last year's "Jazz and Beyond" tasting many beers and enjoying music, the turnout was impressive, and it should be even better this summer. Mark it on your calendar: Aug. 16-17 for more than 20 beers to sample and plenty of jazz to enjoy.

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVISITED

Creedence Clearwater Revisited, the popular Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR) resurrection formed by ex-CCR members Stu Cook and Doug "Cosmo" Clifford, will rock Lake Tahoe Saturday, August 23, at MontBleu Resort Casino & in Stateline.

Highlighted hits will include "Bad Moon Rising," "Midnight Special," "Suzie Q," "Who'll Stop the Rain" and "Born on a Bayou." Over the years the band's music has continued to offer a concise synthesis of rock, R&B, swamp pop and country.

"We're getting the dance floor ready, as Creedence Clearwater Revisited is known to get audiences out of their seats and shaking to the sounds of the '60s," says MontBleu's entertainment director, Duane Suttor.

Following the breakup of CCR in 1972, Cook and Clifford formed a production company together. Conceived in 1995, Creedence Clearwater Revisited also includes John Tristao on lead vocals, Tal Morris on lead guitar and instrumental, and the multi-instrumental Steve Gunner. Initially the band saw this as a short-run project, playing private parties, but they found that bookings were as big as a hundred gigs a year.

For the "gig" at MontBleu, doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 9 p.m. Seating is on a first come basis. Tickets are $60 plus tax and are available online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling MontBleu at 800-BE-LUCKY.

MontBleu is home to three different entertainment venues that await fans this summer with a variety of shows and unique settings. The 1,400-seat MontBleu Theatre's plush and inviting atmosphere is the headquarters of feature acts. BLU nightclub brings cool party action to the hottest night with state of the art lighting and sound systems. Live grooves and unique cocktails are mixed nightly by local DJs at Opal Ultra Lounge, featuring a swanky ambiance any generation can appreciate.

SHINEDOWN IN RENO

Atlantic Records recording artists Shinedown will be performing at The New Oasis in Sparks on Aug. 25. Their latest album release, "The Sound of Madness," debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and their single "Devour" continues to do very well on the rock charts.

NEW ELDORADO SHOW

Aphelion comes to the Eldorado Showroom Aug.15-Nov.14. A mystical, Cirque-style production, Aphelion reaches beyond traditional entertainment, exploring the enticing world of cirque-style productions. This theatrical circus is a spectacle for the eyes that explores deeper concepts and dimensions of entertainment.

From the producers and creator of Eldorado's award-winning shows, Balagan and Taganai, Aphelion features a cast of award-winning and internationally gravity-defying aerialists, contortionists, acrobats, dancers and jugglers. The alluring show combines Olympic-quality gymnasts and whimsical characters taking center stage in a surreal backdrop of dreams and fantasy.

Aphelion's premise is a collision of two worlds - the Extraterrestrial world of the imagination conflicting with planet Earth. Aphelion is a layered composition of interactive comedy acts and skillfully choreographed dance numbers.

Tickets are available from $19.95 for seniors and children and from $24.95 for adults. Dinner and show packages are available from $32. Call (800) 648-5966 or 786-5700 in Northern Nevada.

OUT OF THE VAULTS

If you're a jazz lover you no doubt heard Billie Holiday's take on "Gloomy Sunday," a melancholy tune for sure, blamed for many suicides.

And if you're like me, you had no idea who wrote the song. I always thought it was by an American, but actually it's by Rezso Seress, a Hungarian.

The movie by the same name stars the lustrous Erika Marozsan as a waitress in the Budapest restaurant Szabo, where the owner (Joachim Krol) has fallen in love with her. Enter a new pianist (Ben Becker) who also falls for the waitress Ilona. For a while the two are happy to share her favors as a trio, but then a German, Hans, falls for her and asks her to marry him. No thanks, she says.

Germany then invades Hungary and the German returns as a Nazi SS colonel. He pursues Ilona and finally succeeds. Meanwhile, the pianist believes he can never write another son like "Gloomy Sunday," which has become a hit, allegedly causing many suicides. And the restaurant owner Szabo is taken to a concentration camp because he is a Jew.

The movie opens in present times but then flashes back to the 1930s. A guest dies at the Szabo and the story is told. There is a happy ending of sorts, possibly true, but who knows? Doesn't matter, this is an interesting bit of musical history. Erika is stunning and the sex scenes tastily done. Well worth a watch. Released on DVD in 1999, unrated, one hour and 54 minutes.