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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
September 14, 2023     Shelton Mason County Journal
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Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023 Shelton-Mason County Journal — Page 13 Foreigner stops at Little Creek on farewell tour By Kirk Boxleitner Kbox/e/tnerCQmasoncounty com After nearly half a century, the rock band Foreigner is in the middle of its “Historic Farewell Tour,” which began in late 2022 and is set to con- clude in 2024, but not before appear- ing at Little Creek Casino on Sept. 23. Keyboardist Michael Bluestein, a band member since 2008, admitted to bittersweet feelings about the band’s last tour even as he appreciates the chance to feed off the fans’ energy, live and in-person, during the band’s cross~country tour. “It’s thrilling that the band’s cata- log of songs continues to resonate with so many audiences out there, after all these decades,” Bluestein told the Journal. “We just recently performed for a crowd of about 13,000 in Detroit and we were firing on all cylinders.” Bluestein cited the desire to “go out on top” as a big reason why Foreigner is disbanding. Like Bluestein, lead vocalist Kelly Hansen is something of a nextugenera- tion band member, havingjoined For- eigner in 2005. Bluestein noted how the 62—year—old Hansen wanted to end on a figurative and literal high note, while his singing skills were intact. Bluestein said he always gets a kick out of discovering a new crop of venues with each concert tour even as the band returns to many familiar locales. “I don’t recall ever playing in Shel- ton before, but it’s fun to perform in new places,” Bluestein said. “We’ve been privileged enough to perform in some great spots, including the Roy- al Albert Hall in London, which has hosted lots of classic rock greats, in- cluding the Beatles.” ‘ Foreigner has played in Lucerne, Switzerland, with the Alps in the background, and at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, just outside of Denver, as well as “unplugged” with an acous‘ tic set in New York’s Carnegie Hall. Foreigner’s performance at Little Creek will see them joined in singing its hit, “I Want to Know What Love Is,” by the Harstine Island Commu— nity Choir, to whom the band is also donating $500. “We’ve been collaborating with 10- cal choirs at our concerts for a while,” Bluestein said. “We’ve been doing it in partnership with the Grammy Foun- dation to help raise music aware— ness. When budgets are cut for public schools, funds for music programs are all too often one of the first things to go.” Bluestein said the goal is to encour— age the development of music com- munities in locales, especially among younger and aspiring musicians. “It makes me excited to see these groups enjoying broader opportuni- ties to get a taste of playing in front. of large audiences,” Blustein said. “In Detroit, the choir who sang with us' was practicing their harmonizing on Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘Mr. Blue Sky.’ It was great. We just want to en- courage that loveof music.” Crime noir cult classic ’Mr. Inbetween’ on Hulu, eet Ray Shoesmith. He’s a fascinating animal. Australian actor, writer and director Scott Ryan spent the better part of 20 years honing this character, and the results impressed no less than actress Helen Mirren and her husband, director Taylor Hackford. Ryan’s first draft of Ray’s character came in a low-bud- get but critically acclaimed 2005 independent film called “The Magician,” streaming on Amazon, which established Ray in Melbourne, before Ryan transplanted the char- acter to Sydney, for three seasons of a half~hour TV show called “Mr. Inbetween,” whose 26 episodes originally ran from 2018 to 2021, before it began streaming on Hulu. Ray is a divorced dad who works a security gig at a strip club, and cares for his broth- er, who’s dying by degrees. from a progressive motor neuron disease, all while he strives to maintain a mostly civil relationship with his re- married ex-wife, for the sake IN THE DARK REVIEWS of the young daughter, with whom they share custody. He even patiently bails his less sensible friends out of the hot water they repeatedly get themselves into. Ray is also an enforcer and a murderer for hire, who employs crafty psychological terrorism to persuade people who owe debts to the wrong folks to finally pay them, if he’s not shooting them in the head, after making them dig their own shallow graves in the Australian countryside. Within a subgenre of crime drama that plays up profes— sional killers’ impulse-control problems, and frequently pathologizes mob members as inheriting a gangster culture with toxic traditions, Ray Shoesmith is so old-school straightforward in his por— trayal that he circles back around to become something new. Ray is not Tony Soprano, who was driven by his un— controllable temper and ap- petites, and he’s not even Bill Hader’s “Barry,” who sought to repress and mitigate his guilt over his fundamen— tal moral qualms with his vocation. Because Ray is as good as Barry at his job, but un- like Barry, Ray feels little remorse over inflicting sig- nificant physical violence and mental trauma on his assigned targets. And unlike Tony, Ray’s basic content— ment with this work does not stem from any desire to hurt others, but from his mostly unquestionng belief that they had it coming. Although an incident of lashing out at two rude youths on public lands Ray in SHELIDN CINEMAS 517 Franklin St. - Shelton (Across from Safeway) - www.sheltoncinemas.com 24 Hour Movie Info (360) 426—1000 Wfl’fii’i 333R TAYlfitt $WIW‘S ANNIVERSARY 0N THE . BIG SCREEN! . Jurassic Park Daily at 4:15 6:45 plus SAT/SUN matinee at 1 :45 Elm EfififfiER? MOVIE CflMING "it! SHELTQN @QTQBER t3! MyiBTig Fat Greek Wedding 3 Daily at 4:20 a 6230 plus SAT/SUN matinee at 2:15 DRIVE-IN ,, a court»ordered anger man- agement therapy group, Ray is arguably the one member of the group, including the moderator, who has no an- ger to manage. We that his daily life includes enough risks of retaliation, from pre— viously unidentified others, that proactive assaults ar- guably constitute a rational response to minor displays of disrespect in Ray’s world. Like fellow fictional Aus- tralian “Crocodile” Dundee, Ray is big on respect, but what’s surprising is how ego- free his definition of essential respect is. We see him forgive betrayals ranging from abu- sive treatment to attempted murder, when they’re direct— ed toward him, but Ray will not tolerate those closest to him being victimized. In contrast to the abusive men in Ray’s therapy group, who hit and yell at their girl— friends, wives and children, Ray’s willingness to resort to ruthless violence derives from his desire to protect his vul- nerable loved ones, including his daughter, his girlfriend and his idiot best friend. Tension stems from his daughter and his girlfriend’s . shocked reactions to the very same questionable acts Ray undertakes to try and defend them. And yet, even with certain strangers, Ray exhibits some- thing approaching a sense of fair play, as when his boss ad- mits that he accidentally told Ray to kill the wrong man. Ray anonymously donates to the man’s widow to compen— sate her for his mistake. And not even God can help anyone whom Ray catches mistreating children. This rough-hewn sem- blance of a pinto-conscience separates Ray from the char— acter ofParker, in the pulp novels Donald E. Westlake wrote under his pen name of “Richard Stark," because Parker is a more sharklike predator, always relentlessly moving forward, whereas Ray embodies the paradox of an “everyday psychopath.” just a punch—clock laborer whose see REVIEW, page 14 182 S.E. Brewer Road - Shelton 360-426-4707 - www.5kyLineDrive—ln.com DRlVE-lN OPEN WEEKENDS Show at Dusk Gates open at 37:00 pm FRIDAY 8‘ SATURDAY Equalizer followed by Blue Beetle “some swncu" Blue Beetle followed by Equalizer CLOSED MON-mu Wfli‘fil‘i Him lentil? SWiW’S ERIE EdlitiEii‘F $110035 QQMil‘ifi It! 32280“ filiifififl’t