LAKEPORT – Legendary Lakeport rock band Faded At Four is kicking off the summer with a very special acoustic show.

The show will begin at 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, at Molly Brennan's Irish Restaurant and Pub, 175 N. Main St., in downtown Lakeport.

There is no cover charge for this 21 and over show.

Known for intense rock with strong guitar solos and powerful vocals, Faded At Four is ready to entertain in a very different way.

Along with their popular originals such as “Unhero” and “They,” Faded will play most of their original songs and other acoustic cover songs that they have been working on for this special performance.

Fans also can check out their future shows at www.fadedatfour.com and be the first to know by joining their mailing list on their Web site.

The new Star Trek cast: From left, Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Capt. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg), Dr. Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban), Hikaru Sulu (John Cho) and Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana). Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

If I ever have to face a congressional inquiry on the matter of allegiance to a science-fiction franchise, I can easily say that I am not now and never have been a Trekker. For the uninitiated, a Trekker has followed the prolific “Star Trek” industry of endless TV series and movie spin-offs since the days of the Lyndon Johnson administration.

Indeed, we are talking ancient history, which explains the desire of Paramount Pictures, director J.J. Abrams and writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman to rejuvenate the franchise and deliver something more appealing to an audience not yet drawing Social Security. As a non-Trekker, I think they have succeeded admirably to reboot the whole package with great thrills, explosive action and character-driven drama, while tossing in some humor and wit for good measure.

Following on the heels of last week’s “X-Men” prequel, “Star Trek” is an equally good prelude, bringing vigorous new life to a moribund franchise that has lost its cachet in modern pop culture. This new “Star Trek” should, for all the right reasons, revive interest in its futuristic adventures for audiences young and old.

To be sure, the old-line Trekkers may find some elements objectionable and lacking the requisite purity. As a more disinterested party, I find the latest and improved “Star Trek” to be a very welcome development.

Right from the start, the movie begins with a bang, as the U.S.S. Kelvin battles a Romulan vessel in outer space. We are quickly introduced to a George Kirk, who briefly assumes command of the Kelvin before disaster strikes. At the same time, Kirk’s wife, shuttled to safety with other crew members, gives birth to their baby boy, James Tiberius Kirk.

After the dazzling space battle, the film settles into a stretch of the childhood development of James T. Kirk, who is portrayed as an undisciplined, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy.

As the brash Kirk (Chris Pine) matures to adulthood, he remains a brooding rebel, though full of smarts and charm. At first, he rejects overtures to join the Starfleet Academy, but then, after spotting the U.S.S. Enterprise under construction, he can’t resist signing up for what is sure to be his destiny.

Life at the Academy puts him into conflict with a young Spock (Zachary Quinto), who tends to think he’s smarter than anyone else. The interesting thing about the young Spock is that because his mother (Winona Ryder, in a brief role) is human, he fights an internal battle with his Vulcan upbringing.

Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) spots the great potential in the young Kirk, probably weighing his leadership skills and independent thinking as more valuable than cool-headed reason. Hey, that’s why we have Spock on board. In fact, Kirk and Spock don’t exactly hit it off like a pair of old drinking buddies marooned in a cantina.

During a grueling set of exams, Spock charges Kirk with cheating, nearly derailing the young cadet’s desire to hook up with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Early on, Kirk made friends with Medical Officer Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban), who affords a clever way for his buddy to make passage on the spaceship as it starts a dangerous mission.

The very existence of Vulcan is under attack from the renegade Romulan forces under the command of Captain Nero (Eric Bana). Compared to the stylish beauty of the Enterprise, the dark, gargantuan Romulan mining vessel, the Narada, looks ugly and threatening, and it is equipped with a massive drilling device that will blow up any planet.

When Pike is taken hostage, Kirk and Spock wrestle over control of the Enterprise, leading to Kirk’s banishment to an ice planet. Caught it the middle of the struggle are the familiar faces in the crew, including communications officer Uhura (Zoe Saldana), navigator Sulu (John Cho) and whiz kid Chekov (Anton Yelchin).

Some of the great fun in “Star Trek” is finding out how the Enterprise crew came together in their early days. During his exile, Kirk teams up with engineer Scotty (Simon Pegg, who brings just the right amount of comic relief). Stuck with a bunch of turbines in an underground bunker, Scotty is relieved to encounter another human, but what he most wants is just a sandwich.

Leonard Nimoy enters the picture as Spock Prime (don’t ask me to explain this, because it has something to do with time travel or something). In any case, Kirk and Scotty make their way back to the Enterprise just in time for the epic battle with Nero and his Romulan thugs.

“Star Trek” is so thrilling and exciting that it’s possible to overlook or forget the 40 years plus of the franchise’s development. It all starts anew with a great cast of young characters, full of vitality and exuberance. “Star Trek” is well worth seeing and should go forth boldly with more adventures.

One can only hope they come up with better villains the next time. The Romulan thugs are not very impressive, with Eric Bana’s tattooed Nero looking more like a street punk hoping to join a heavy metal band than the scary villain he should be.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

One of the best action movies of the year, filled with suspense and gut-wrenching excitement, is “Taken,” and now it is finally in release on DVD.

Liam Neeson is superb as the former CIA operative who’s estranged from his teenage daughter, but desperately wants to reconnect with her.

His chance arrives under the most unfortunate circumstances. When his daughter is kidnapped by a ruthless Albanian gang on a Paris vacation, Neeson’s special skills and killer instinct will come in handy when he turns into a one-man army in search of the abductors.

With precious little time to locate his daughter, Neeson skips the diplomatic protocol and launches into a full-scale war against some really bad dudes, one of whom he subjects to very effective electrical torture during an interrogation.

The ACLU might not want you to enjoy this film, but it did exceedingly well at the box office.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

Comedian Sinbad will be in Lake County June 4 and 5 for performances at Twin Pine Casino. Courtesy photo.

MIDDLETOWN – Movie and television comedy personality Sinbad will appear at Twin Pine Casino’s Grapevine Lounge on June 4 and 5 for solo performances.

As part of the celebration of Twin Pine’s casino, hotel and restaurant grand opening weekend of June 4 through 7, admission is free and is first come, first served.

Show times are 8 p.m. for both performances. Sinbad’s appearance kicks off Twin Pine’s new Thursday “Summer Comedy Series,” which will feature a variety of nationally renowned comics throughout the coming months.

Actor and comedian Sinbad arrived on the comedy scene with a “ hit’em in the face” style of comedy that has kept audiences laughing in the aisles for over the past two decades. He freely admits that he doesn’t know any jokes, except for the ones that his dad told him “back in the day.” Instead, Sinbad tells stories. The basis of his humor comes from everyone he’s met, everything he’s seen, and everything he’s done.

Ranked by cable television’s Comedy Central as one of the top 100 stand-up comedians of all time, Sinbad has built a loyal following by taking audiences’ painful trials or embarrassing tribulations of day-by-day life, throwing them back in their faces, and creating an hysterical comedic reaction. He can also make everything sound profound without being necessarily profane.

Sinbad is internationally known for his starring appearances in hit movies like “Jingle All the Way,” playing opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger; “Houseguest,” co-starring the late Phil Hartman; and his film debut, “Necessary Roughness.” He has starred in the television sitcom, “A Different World,” as well as his own series, “The Sinbad Show.”

Entertainment mogul Quincy Jones sought out Sinbad to host UPN’s first late-night talk show, “Vibe.” He was also a recurring guest star on the Showtime Original Series, “Resurrection Blvd.” Sinbad has even written a self-help book entitled “Sinbad’s Guide to Life (Because I Know Everything).”

Sinbad has drawn legions of fans from his highly-rated HBO comedy specials: “Brain Damaged” (1991), “Afros & Bellbottoms” (1993), “Son of a Preacher Man” (1996) and “Nuthin But The Funk” (1998). His annual HBO music concert series – “Sinbad’s 70s Soul Music Festival” – received the prestigious NAACP Image Award for two consecutive years as the “Most Outstanding Variety Series/Special.”

A one-time basketball standout for the University of Denver, Sinbad says that everything he needed to know for comedy he learned from playing basketball. There are many things comedy and basketball have in common. One of the most important to Sinbad is “the competitive aspect that teaches you to never give up.”

Now, there is one part of Sinbad’s life that has been a well-kept secret … he admits to being a closet nerd. This comes in handy as a “Master of Technology” during private corporate engagements for clients such as Intel Corp., Breakaway Technologies, Apple, Microsoft and many others.

As an intermediary to community-focused technology solutions, Sinbad believes no one should be left behind in training and education. He has served as a spokesperson for the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), encouraging minorities to pursue studies in science, math and engineering.

In honor of his parents, Donald and Louise Adkins, Sinbad has established an academic scholarship in their name at the esteemed Morehouse College in Atlanta.

Showing his appreciation for our armed servicemen, the comedian/actor has participated on USO tours, and most recently performed at the USO of Hampton Roads Patriotic Festival.

Twin Pine Casino & Hotel recently completed construction of its new $42.5 million, 107,000-square-foot facility, which is located in Lake County at the northern gateway to the world-renowned Napa Valley and in the heart of northern California’s scenic wine country. The casino and hotel are owned by the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians.

The four-day grand opening will feature more than $60,000 in giveaways of cash and merchandise, international dancers and music, and an abundant variety of food and drinks. Details of the Sinbad shows and the Grand Opening Weekend can be found by going to www.TwinPine.com.

Mendocino College Jazz Band won the community band division award at a competition in Nevada in April. Courtesy photo.

UKIAH – The Mendocino College Jazz Band won the community band division award at a jazz band competition held at the University of Reno on April 23-25.

Mendocino College competed against Chaffey College, Cuesta College, Moorpark College, MiraCosta College, Lane College and College of Sequoias in the community band division.

“This is a huge honor for our local musicians. Mendocino College is always the smallest college in attendance and for them to walk away this year with top honors competing against the large LA, San Diego, and Eugene, Oregon schools was quite a coup,” Mendocino College Jazz Band Director John Parkinson said.

Since Mendocino College competed in the Community Jazz Band division, it means that the members of the group are community members and not full-time students. There was only one full-time student in the group.

The Mendocino College Jazz Band performed “Tickletoe” by Lester Young, “China Blue” by Jeff Jarvis, “Opus One” by Sy Oliver and “La Almeja Pequena” by Gordon Goodwin.

Several individual awards were won by members of the jazz band, including the entire rhythm section.

Matt Rothstein won for alto sax and clarinet. Sunny Cordell won for tenor sax. Gary Miller won for trumpet. Paula Samonte won for vocals. The rhythm section consisting of Dorian May on piano, Don Cornell on guitar, Burton Segall on guitar and Eric Ehrenpfort on drums won individual awards.

Under the direction of Parkinson, there are 17 members of the Mendocino College Jazz Band. Paula Samonte is on vocals, while Matt Rothstein, Laurie Spence, Sunny Cordell, Nick Biondo and Tracie Triolo play the sax. Gary Miller, Tom Woodville and Charlie Sawyer play the trumpet and Adam Ehrenpfort, Josh Muir, Jake Turner and Al Bent play the trombone. Dorian May plays piano, Don Cornell plays guitar, Burton Segall plays bass and Eric Ehrenpfort plays drums.

The Mendocino College Jazz Band has been attending the Reno Jazz Festival and the Pacific Coast Jazz Festival at the University of California-Berkeley for many years. They have placed second many times at both events and have always finished in the top echelon of the groups.

The next concert featuring the Jazz Band is Tuesday, May 19, at 7:30 p.m. at Mendocino College.

Another concert of interest will be presented by the Community Concert Band on Thursday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. Music for this concert will be by Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and George Gershwin. Making a special appearance with this band will be vocalist Paula Samonte.

For further information on the Mendocino College Jazz Band Program or to inquire about becoming a member, please contact John Parkinson at 707-468-3026 or visit www.mendocino.edu.