Tom Rigney worked the crowd with his matchless showmanship at Friday night's concert. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

LAKEPORT – Friday in the park: For 10 weeks straight it meant music, good company and – for many of the regulars with a sense of humor – "stupid stuff" and sponsor-donated prizes for the correct answers to the stupid stuff questions.

For those who may have answered those challenges incorrectly, you're gonna have to wait 42 weeks for your next question. The jumbo crowd that showed up last Friday night will pass each week much more easily with the memories of this summer's series firmly in their minds and hearts.

Closing out the series, and doing it with a healthy dose of style and flair, were the flamboyant Tom Rigney and his band Flambeau.

From first note to last, there was plenty of volume, plenty of Cajun-style spice and all of it served up via a violin! A smoken hot violin! Not to discount the four other talented musicians – each one with solid pro-music histories, each given more than one opportunity to show off their individual talents. But for just plain showmanship, Tom Rigney has written his own book.

The only band to be invited back for three consecutive years, Rigney's Flambeau played flawlewsly despite the higher-than-expected breezes and much cooler temperatures.

The music was hot enough to encourage the masses to the dance lawn in droves. Maybe it was the allure of the last chance to dance, maybe it was the band, or maybe it was the skillful planning and production skills of the crew at BiCoastal Media that brought these elements together at just the right time.

Stay tuned ... only 42 weeks to go until the concerts return!

E-mail Harold LaBonte at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Annie Perez and Erin Call won awards at the recent Redwood Empire Fair Fiddle Contest. Courtesy photo.

LAKE COUNTY – several Lake County fiddlers brought home cash awards and medals from the Redwood Empire Fair Fiddle Contest last weekend.

Annie Perez and Erin Call won first place in the Twin Fiddle class; Erin Call won first place in the Junior class; Annie Perez won fifth in the Open class; Clayton Rudiger came in second in the Junior-Junior class; and Mollie Bainbridge, 6 years old, won second in the Amateur Class.

In the Adult Class, Greg Bushta won third and Debbie Bainbridge won fifth place. Bushta and Andi Skelton won prizes in the accompanist class also.

The contestants are all members of the Konocti Fiddle Club, which entertained the crowd between contest divisions.

They were joined by additional Konocti Fiddle Club members Aaron Bielenberg, Jennifer Cox and Debbie Bielenberg.

Be sure to see the Konocti Fiddle Club perform at the upcoming Old-Time Bluegrass Festival at Anderson Marsh, and the Kelseyville Pear Festival in September.

For information about the Konocti Fiddle Club call 279-4336.

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Mercy, how we love to tell ourselves some outside force can take us over and make us do horrid things.

The latest version of The Devil Made Me Do It is “The Invasion,” the fourth film to be based on Jack Finney's 1955 novel “The Body Snatchers.” It opens today.

Thoughtful critics say it's a good one to skip, sloppy and boring, and with a tacked-on upbeat ending that negates its message.

Critics and academics are still arguing about just exactly what Finney and director Don Siegel had in mind in the first film, in which aliens emerge from pods and take over the people of a small California town. Was it a warning against communists among us? Or a warning against Joe McCarthy's terror campaign?

Finney himself kept insisting it was just an entertainment, but who listens to the writer? It was vastly entertaining, a little bit scary, and had one lovely moment when a character looked into the camera and yelled "They're here already! You're next!"

By 1978, when the second version appeared, movies and audiences were more sophisticated. The story moved to Mill Valley and San Francisco, audiences familiar with the first version loved director Philip Kaufman's references to the original. The New Yorker's Pauline Kael said "it may be the best film of its kind ever made."

Abel Ferrara's 1993 version didn't fare so well. Where the first two kept it homey with the local police as the prime enablers of the pod people, this one moved it to an Army base with a toxic spill.

They all share the same premise, fear of losing your humanity and originality, becoming an emotional zombie or watching your loved ones do so. And of being taken over by hyper-powerful forces -- like the enforcers and the health industry -- which really, truly, do not have the individual's best interests at heart but just want to create a clean and tidy stress-free world without dissent.

It's a rational fear,and one that Finney explored more than once in his writing. His 1977 novel “The Night People” exudes a gentle and humorous paranoia about the potential horrors of creeping suburbia and the joys of harmless non—conformity.

All the horror movies are so cathartic. We scream, they end, we come out and the shark/giant squid/alien critter hasn't eaten us and everything's fine. And it's a lot cheaper, takes less time and isn't nearly as much hard work as examining the monster that might live in our own interior closet. They're not such a bad short-term substitute for psychotherapy.

So far as I can see, there's no need to see “The Invasion.” We've seen it before, we're living it now. Or still.

Anyway, I've never thought Nicole Kidman is quite human. There's the eerily translucent skin, the eternally teenage body, and as Roger Ebert said of the pod people in the '93 version, “They don't look quite right around the eyes.”

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2Goombas Deli and Tuscan Village Winery will host a concert by the Hot Frittatas in the orchard on Main Street. The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m.; a $10 donation is suggested. 2Goombas also will serve a  pasta dinner at $12 for adults and $7 for children.

The Hot Frittatas are Northern California's most exciting international ensemble performing Italian, French and European musette music.

Their music has been featured on the ABC television show "Bachelor Rome" and in the independent film, "Favorite Color Pink."

The group consists of Don Coffin on guitar, Gus Garelick on fiddle and mandolin, and Dennis Hadley on accordion.

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Tom Rigney and Flambeau play at tonight's Summer Concert in the Park. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT – As the summer starts to wane, so does the 19th year of our free concerts in the park.

Tonight's performance marks the end of the 2007 season of Summer Concerts in the Park, which has become more than just a tradition for Lake County residents and their guests. And there's no better performers to take it out on a high note than violinist Tom Rigney and his band Flambeau as they return to Library Park for the season finale.

A very popular and busy group, Rigney and his mates travel and perform extensively throughout the Western states and will add a trip to Alaska to their resume later this month.

This evening should please everyone with tons of energy and mounds of original music. Expect pleasant mid-80s temperatures, light winds and goofy half-time giveaways; we will have more memories and reasons to look forward to next year's series.

Once again KNTI DJ Eric Patrick and the crew from Bi-Coastal Media will host the festivities.

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The film lineup this month features several animations, two of which were done by nationally recognized animator, Bill Plympton. Plymptoons brings us the wonderful “Guard Dog” and the followup animation, “Guide Dog,” which have proved to be major festival favorites. Also featured is “A Better Mousetrap” by the wonderful filmmaker of “K-7,” Christopher Leone.

The film shorts that the festival will show this week include “Three-Fifty,” (8:50 minutes), written and directed by Maurice Chauvet. A video store customer's "little white lie" to weasel out of his late fees brings major consequences to his life. This film is a hilarious look at late fees, privacy rights and how much information is available at just the touch of a button.

Three-Fifty Actress and Executive Producer Melinda Augustina will be at the festival for a question and answer session following the showing of Three-Fifty.

Other shorts showing include:

• “K-7” (18 minutes), written and directed by Christopher Leone. It started as an ordinary job interview. It will end in mortal combat. Vincent Kincaid needs this job. He's even undergone a rigorous psychological exam to prove he's the right man for the job. The psych profile has rated Vincent a “K-7.” But what does K-7 mean?

• “Every Thirty Seconds” (5:48 minutes), written and directed by Jeremy Corray. A man is trapped in a world of his own dangerous statistic. Every Thirty Seconds a man is hit by a drunk driver. This is that man! (Computer effects by Brian Gray.)

• “My Name is Yu Ming” (13 minutes). Yu Ming works in a Chinese shop and hates his job. His dream is to come to Ireland and he spends his free time studying everything Irish, including the language. One day his dream comes true and he finally lands in Dublin airport.

• “KnitWits” (5 minutes). In a shady storeroom, two goodfellas prepare to initiate their junior partner to the "club." It turns out to be a knitting circle.

Parental discretion is advised. Films may contain adult situations, strong language and/or violence. The showings featuring a 20-foot screen, stereo sound, circulating fans; popcorn and munchies, and cold beverages are available for purchase.

Doors open at 7 p.m., with films starting at 9 p.m. Bring a picnic and enjoy Langtry's tasting room.

The cost is $12 at the door. All proceeds benefit EcoArts of Lake County.

For more information about the festival, visit www.ecoartsoflakecounty.org.

Langtry Estate & Vineyards is located at 21000 Butts Canyon Road, Middletown.

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