Benefit Concert for Italian Hall Victims' Memorial Monument to feature local musical talent Oct. 8 at Calumet Theatre

Poster for Oct. 8, 2017, concert at the Calumet Theatre to benefit the Italian Hall Victims' Memorial Monument. (Poster courtesy Joanne Thomas)

CALUMET -- Local musician Oren Tikkanen will host a Benefit Concert of American Roots Music, featuring a variety of local talent, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017, at the historic Calumet Theatre. Following the concert, a reception with fine local food will be held in the Theatre Ballroom.

This fundraiser is a donation event to purchase the monument that pays tribute to the victims of the 1913 Italian Hall tragedy. All donations are welcome.

This image shows the current layout inscription planned for the monument, listing the names and ages of the victims in family groups. It does not reflect the natural variations in color and dimension of the granite stone, nor the metallic sheen of the copper-colored dividing line. (Image courtesy Italian Hall Tragedy Victims Memorial Facebook page)

The show is both a remembrance of the Italian Hall Tragedy and a celebration of the music and lives of American working people. The program will include songs of sadness and loss, joy and humor, unity and hope.

The performances will include the following:

The 1913 Singers -- Today's 1913 Singers include Alice Margerum (coordinator), Brad Baltensperger, Victoria Baltensperger, Molly Chabalowski, Ric Catoni, Bill Fink, Barbara Lide, Susan Martin, Fred Quivik, Charlie Wallace, Chuck Young, Clare Zuraw (at the piano).

Preceding the screening of the documentary 1913 Massacre on Oct. 24, 2013, at Michigan Tech's Writing Across the Peninsula Conference, the 1913 Singers perform "Strike Songs." Today's 1913 Singers group will perform at the Oct. 8 Benefit Concert for the Italian Hall Victims' Memorial Monument at the Calumet Theatre. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

The 1913 Singers group was formed by Alice Margerum to perform songs that were sung during the 1913 Copper Strike. The 1913 Singers performed many concerts during 2013, the centennial year of the Copper Strike. This performance includes a hymn that was sung in the funeral procession for 59 of the victims of the tragedy. In the middle of the hymn one of the singers will read a newspaper description from that time about the funeral procession.

Michelle Hawkins and Valerie Anderson DePriest -- Both Michelle and Valerie have deep roots in the Copper Country. Michelle has performed and recorded in the acoustic music duo "Viney Willa." Valerie has had a long musical career as a professional singer, choral director, and public school music teacher. This will be their first appearance together; and they will present songs from Iris Dement, Stephen Foster, and the Carter Family.

The Acoustic Jimmy Hats -- Adam Kentala, Tony Laux, Luke Dedo, Matt Bradley, Josh Mortti, and Jake Tenharmsel. The band plays and sings classic American folk and country songs in a lively and rollicking style.

Keweenaw Brewgrass is a popular eclectic and bluegrass-oriented group featuring vocal harmonies and acoustic instrumentals. Today's performers are Bogue Sandberg, eight-string dobro; Doug Oppliger, guitar/vocals; Kora Melia Johnson, fiddle; Marshall Weathersby, mandolin/guitar/vocals; Matthew Durocher, bass.

The Thimbleberry Band -- Dave Bezotte, Belinda Mattfolk, Matthew Durocher, and Oren Tikkanen -- is a group devoted to playing the folk and ethnic music of the Keweenaw region and is acting as the "house band" to provide musical support for the featured performers as needed.

Food vendors will include the Keweenaw Cooperative of Hancock, Jim’s Pizza and the Keweenaw Coffee Works of Calumet.

For more information about the Italian Hall Victims' Memorial Monument, visit their Facebook page.

Red Metal Radio Show returns to Calumet Theatre Aug. 16

CALUMET -- The Red Metal Radio Show will hit the airwaves for the fourth year in a row at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 16, live from the Calumet Theatre. This annual radio program, sponsored by Main Street Calumet as part of its August Heritage Celebration, focuses each year on a different aspect of Keweenaw history and culture -- and this year will feature a look at local humor. The show will be broadcast on K-Bear Radio, 102.3 FM, and streamed on the internet from the K-bear website.

Oren Tikkanen -- the show’s writer, producer, and host -- says, "Our audience has been very receptive and supportive, but one question we always get is -- why don’t we have more of the local humor? Next year’s show is planned to be about the 1913 Strike so that one will be pretty serious, and we decided we’d better do a light-hearted program right away."

Tikkanen will be joined by local humorists and singers Kris Kyro and Glen Johnson, with music by Dave Bezotte, Tom Hiltunen, and the Backroom Boys Jazz Band.*

"We’re going to be presenting a great variety of funny stuff," says Tikkanen. "Some of it goes back over 100 years, and some of it is pretty current -- but it all has a local slant. It’s an affectionate look at the funny side of life in the Keweenaw and the UP, from immigrant times to the present."

Tikkanen says that he is very pleased with the cast he has lined up for the show.

"Kris and Glen are both very experienced performers and are very funny people," Tikkanen notes. "Dave Bezotte will sing a humorous French-Canadian song, with simultaneous translation. Tom Hiltunen will be singing comic ditties he learned from the great Art Moilanen, and others. We’ll have some original songs and parodies based on historical events. And jokes -- lots of jokes."

The show, as always, will be performed before a live audience, and everyone is invited. Those attending are asked to be in the theater by 6:50 p.m. for the on-air start time of 7 p.m.

Come find out the facts about Heikki and Hilma in the Model T, Cousin Jack's and Cousin Jenny's 50th Anniversary, and Petit-Jean and the bear. Get the whole story about Perrine (the priest's housemaid), and about the Finnish women taking the law into their own hands during the 1872 Calumet strike. Discover for yourself the quick wit of Big Erick Erickson, and the legend of Big Joe Mufferaw (Joseph Montferrand).

Tickets are only $10.50 for adults, and $8.00 for children or people as old as Oren Tikkanen (senior citizens). For those who have even less money than Oren Tikkanen, the show will be broadcast on K-Bear Radio, WHKB-FM, 102.3 MHZ, and streamed live on the K-Bear website (contact all your family and friends who live away from here, and tell them to listen online).

*Editor's Note: Click here to see our 2011 video of Kris Kyro and the Red Metal Radio Show musicians performing "Alexander's Ragtime Band" in last year's show.

"Trio Bibliothèque" to perform at "Music on the Menu" July 6

HOUGHTON -- The Portage Lake District Library invites everyone to bring a lunch and enjoy "Music on the Menu," an outdoor series of events held on the dock outside the library.

"Trio Bibliothèque" will perform from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, July 6. Libby Meyer on fiddle, Anna Gawboy on concertina, and Oren Tikkanen on guitar will play a lively and eclectic mix of folk music and other genres.

Everyone is invited to eat, relax, and enjoy the lunch hour while listening to some great music. In the event of bad weather, the program will be held in the community room.

This event is part of the library’s Summer Reading Program and is free and open to all. For more information, please call the library at 482-4570 or visit www.pldl.org.

Backroom Boys to entertain at Omphale Café / Gallery May 4

The Backroom Boys play a variety of dance music at the Omphale Café and Gallery in Calumet. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

CALUMET -- The Backroom Boys will be playing traditional jazz and swing at the Omphale Café and Gallery for First Friday, May 4, in Calumet.

"Check out all the galleries and then bring your dancing shoes to the Omph for some oomph -- 7 til 9 p.m.," says musician Oren Tikkanen.

Heikinpäivä dance to be held in Lake Linden Jan. 27

LAKE LINDEN -- The Heikinpäivä dance will be held at 7 p.m. with dance lessons beginning at 6:30 p.m., on Friday, Jan. 27, in the Little Gem Theater, 700 Calumet St., Lake Linden.

The Thimbleberry Band performs dance music at a December 2011 dance in Chassell. This Friday, Jan. 27, they will be joined by Pasi Lautala and other guests for the Heikinpäivä dance at the Little Gem Theater in Lake Linden. Pictured here, from left, are Coleman Segal, Dave Bezotte, Oren Tikkanen, Libby Meyer and Matt Durocher. (Keweenaw Now file photo)

Music will be by the Thimbleberry Band with guest singers Carol Pärssinen and Pasi Lautala -- and Pasi will be squeezing his accordion as well. Other guest musicians include "the Doctors of Music": Anna Gawboy (concertina) and Libby Meyer (violin).

"A wonderful evening of classic Finnish dance music is on the playlist," says musician Oren Tikkanen. "Viola Turpeinen polkas, Toivo Kärki tangos, Georg Malmstén humppas, traditional waltzes, mazurkas, shottisches, and more. This is the only dance for Heikinpäivä this year, so make sure you bring your dancing slippers to Lake Linden on Friday."

Cover Charge: Singles $6. Couples $10. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission will be paid at the door. The Little Gem Theater is downstairs in the old school building across from the high school on the main street in Lake Linden.

From 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eero and Rosann Angeli will be giving dance lessons on the third floor. They will be teaching the mazurkka, hambo, and the raatikko (the folk dance version). More dance lessons will also be taught by Chuck Hill, the organizer of the event. Snacks from Carmelita's will be available.

The Thimbleberry Band is Dave Bezotte, piano; Coleman Segal, mandolin; Matt Durocher, bass; and Oren Tikkanen, banjo and guitar.