Arts, Entertainment & Culture

Classics grace the Navajo Nation stage

By Jan-Mikael Patterson
Special to the Times

GALLUP, Dec. 29, 2011

Entertainment this year had its memorable moments and while this write-up briefly recalls some events, in no particular order, you will see that the Navajo Nation and the neighboring border towns are definitely making a mark on the map for top-level entertainers.

Korn rocks Window Rock

International nu-metal powerhouse Korn, from Bakersfield, Calif., left their mark on Window Rock on Sept. 11 as thousands of fans flocked to the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena.

It was a joint effort by the Navajo Nation Museum and Navajo Nation Fair staff to bring the Grammy-winning band to the reservation for a groundbreaking performance that many will remember.

Previous attractions to the annual fair have included country megastars Sugarland, Clint Black and Neal McCoy, to name a few.

Fans of all ages were a part of Navajo Reservation metal history.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Korn show if the band didn't open with their ever popular number from their debut self-titled album "Blind."

If you're a fan, you heard the familiar chimes of the high-hat cymbals of drummer Ray Luzier and the familiar guitar riffs of James "Munky" Schaffer with Fieldy's famous six note bass line all building up all to the familiar scowling growl of vocalist Jonathan Davis revving up the audience with the famous line, "Are you ready?"
The mosh pit frenzy erupted as the audience either jumped to the beat, moshed or head-banged with the famous "devil horn" gesture high in the air.

Aside from their opening number the band tore into other fan favorites like "Y'All Want a Single," "Freak on a Leash," "Shoots and Ladders," "Got the Life," "Falling Away From Me," and "Get Up," to name a few.

President Ben Shelly introduced the band.

Red Neck woman at the Phil

Country musician and all around redneck gal Gretchen Wilson graced the Phil with a unique performance on March 23 in Shiprock.

With a stop in the Four Corners, Wilson brought her hit singles along with hard rocking classics from bands like Journey, Foreigner and Led Zeppelin.

It was an intimate evening with her fans as she made a stop on the reservation between her Albuquerque and Las Vegas, Nev., performances.

With just her band, Wilson strutted and maneuvered from one side of the stage to the other, flashing a smile as she sang hits like "I'm Here for the Party," "Red Neck Woman" and "All Jacked Up."

The Phil is definitely one venue that has the chops to showcase Grammy-winning talent like Wilson and is becoming a landmark for many entertainers like Indigenous, The Plateros, and Jo Dee Messina.

The audience and Navajo Times reviewer Erny Zah sure did have an intimate night with Wilson.

A classic never gets old

The third time is a charm and it was for country music legend Johnny Lee as the audience demanded the well-known song "Looking for Love" from the classic film "Urban Cowboy."

Lee performed June 4 at Dean Jackson Memorial Arena during the Treaty Day celebration in Window Rock.

Fans couldn't wait to hear it as they requested the hit right after the first song, his 1981 hit song "Pickin' Up Strangers."

So he told the audience, "If I sing it now, I'll have to sing it again at the end of the show.

Lee then asked, "Who would like that?"
With the roar of the audience cheering their approval, the song kick-started an impromptu two-step among the crowd.

A second request was fulfilled after playing another of his hits, "Cherokee Fiddle," and of course the scheduled performance at the end of the concert.

"Three times," Lee said at the beginning of the last performance. This time he listened to the audience sing back to him and he responded.

"You did great. Now I'm going to start at the top," Lee said. "This song means more to me and I love the fact you know the words, thank you so much."

The rest of the night's song list included "Hey Bartender," "Prisoner of Hope," "The Yellow Rose" and a cover of George Strait's "Amarillo By Morning."

As Lee exited the stage, he left his band to perform John Mellencamp's "Hurts So Good." It wasn't the end of the show. In fact it was a wardrobe change as he returned to the stage with a red shirt and a black vest.

He sang the song "Prisoner of Hope" followed by the Joe Walsh's "All Night Long" and other songs from the "Urban Cowboy" soundtrack including Boz Scaggs' "Look What You've Done To Me," Jimmy Buffett's "Hello Texas," Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance," and Mickey Gilley's version of "Stand By Me."

Lee's performance did not disappoint. If anything, the sales of "Urban Cowboy" on DVD most likely went up thanks to those who attended.

Native talent showcased

Every year the Gathering of Nations Powwow is the place to see world championship style dancing and singing. It's also the place where many Native American artisans offer a variety of crafts.

Stage 49 is one place many powwow goers should consider visiting. It's a stage located outside of "The Pit" near the Indian Market tent where talent from throughout Indian Country took the stage for two days, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Performers this year included rising Navajo country singer Victoria Blackie, The Plateros, Stateline, Upon Darkness, Native Roots, Shawn Michael Perry, and of course, James and Ernie.

Blackie shined and her vocal strength was showcased to an audience curious about her. With a professional band backing her up, her music matched CD quality.

Native Roots closed out one night and with their rousing performance the audience swarmed the main floor in front of the stage dancing and cheering. Emmett "Shkeme" Garcia's footwork made the audience hoot and holler.

Stateline, the country band from White Cone, Ariz., brought their loyal fans with them as they cleared the front of the stage and kicked up a line dance.

Travis Friday, vocalist and lead guitarist, was in a zone as he closed his eyes and let his fingers maneuver up and down the frets striking hair raising notes in his solos.

With this year's lineup, Stage 49 in 2012 is going to step up. Emergence Productions definitely knows the meaning of entertainment.

Peace Train brings hope

Project Peace Train consists of a group of Native American entertainers dedicated to spreading the message about making the right choices in life.

This is a side project of Walking the Healing Path, founded by father-son team Ernest Tsosie Jr. and John Tsosie, best known for their annual long-distance walk to raise awarness of domestic violence.

Alongside was Ernest David Tsosie III and James Junes of the James and Ernie comedy team, Tatanka Means, Adrienne Chalepah and Pax Harvey. All four are members of the comedy team of 49 Laughs Stand Up Comedy; and martial artists Reggie Mitchell and son Bronson Mitchell.

The group speaks to youth and shares their personal experiences of toil and triumphs. Through humor, song and personal stories, the message they are looking to convey is simple: No matter how difficult and dire the situation is no one is alone in dealing with social problems. Courage is encouraged and personal faith is stressed.

The presentation is formatted like a comedic performance. All the while humor is involved.

Baritone voice shines

On June 28 Don Williams was greeted with a warm welcome as he performed an intimate show at the Brooks Isham Performing Arts Center in Kirtland, N.M.

He opened his performance with the 1980 single "Good Ole Boys Like Me" off his album "Portrait."

After a 40-year career, Williams didn't show any sign of slowing down. He had performed in the Four Corners area before and said he was glad to be back for another performance.

The audience cheered their approval. He performed songs including "Heartbeat in the Darkness," "Back in My Younger Days," "If Hollywood Don't Need You," "Rake and Ramblin' Man," "It Must Be Love," "Amanda," "Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good," "She's in Love with a Rodeo Man," "Down the Road," "Listen to the Radio" and "Tulsa Time."

Armed with an acoustic guitar and backed up by a five-piece band, Williams, 72, gave a memorable performance for longtime fans.

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