How flowery do I want to get in describing the beautiful sounds of the flute-guitar duo AlmaNova? Let's just pull out the stops. As I sat there Monday in Fresno State's Concert Hall listening to the duo's CSU Summer Arts performance, I kept thinking of two swallows hurling through the sky -- diving, soaring, swooping, with first one and then the other taking the lead, the two of them sometimes exploding with energy but more often quietly flitting here and there in a graceful, intuitively choreographed display of seamless connection.

Wow.

The husband-wife duo of Almer Imamovic and Jessica Pierce, who are both instructors in the Summer Arts flute and guitar workshop, have a stage relationship that is thrilling to watch. Imamovic strums his guitar so smoothly at times it's as if he's caressing a stone, and Pierce's flute lyrically fills the hall with a gentle, effortless swell. Watching Imamovic watch his wife as they play is particularly sweet. As he stands there -- he uses a guitar strap -- as he plays, periodically turning to gaze at her, his shoulders pulse with the beat almost as if they're dancing.

The California State University Summer Arts festival likes to bring out one of its big guns for the opening night performance, and Sunday night's kick-off concert featuring the returning Joe Goode Performance Group managed to accomplish that goal in more ways than one. The group's first selection, the 1996 "Maverick Strain," was a cheeky riff on the lore of the American cowboy and this country's obsession with guns.

Goode himself came out before the dance started to sing to the audience a "cowboy song," and what a sight he was with his wildly fringed Western shirt. (Later in the piece he would don a pair of woolly chaps festooned with gaudy tassels in a look that suggested the stripping scene from "Gypsy" crossed with "The Magnificent Seven.") After showing off his flamboyant costume, Goode noted that a look such as his, which could seem so ironic in San Francisco, could be interpreted differently here in the hinterlands of Fresno, where the artsy/kitschy myth of the cowboy intertwines with a real-life working industry. I'd go as far as to say that the dance works even better in a place like Fresno.

I'm always telling people in Fresno they absolutely HAVE to go to at least one event in the California State University Summer Arts Festival, which on Sunday is starting its 11th year at Fresno State. Maybe this is your year! You can't plead that you're "too busy that night," because there are 40 public events that unfold almost daily for an entire month. Some are full-fledged concerts/performances, such as the festival's kick-off program 7 p.m. Sunday of the Joe Goode Performance Group, pictured above, which I hear is already a very tough ticket to get. Others are smaller-scale demonstrations or lectures. And the student culminations, which come at the conclusion of both of the festival's two-week sessions, are a great way to experience the festival and save money -- because they're free.

My cover story in Sunday's upcoming issue of Spotlight is about Summer Arts and includes some of the festival's highlights along with an interview with director Jim Spalding. We can't possibly fit the entire performance calendar into one issue of the newspaper, however. I plan to have a daily Summer Arts Bulletin Board rolling post on the Beehive with highlights for the day, news tidbits about the festival and a chance for readers to offer comments and reviews.

Thomas Friedman drives some people crazy because he coins vivid images to explain complex issues. I love it. In the world at large, there's no dearth of obtuse and confusing explanations of how stuff works. Friedman cuts through that verbiage with strong, clear language.

That's one of the reasons that his talk on Thursday night at the Warnors Theater -- a fundraising lecture for science programs at the Fresno Metropolitan Museum -- was so effective.

One of the phrases that Friedman coined is what he calls an "Americon." That's a unit of measurement, he says, that is the equivalent of 300 million Americans living like, well, Americans -- consuming lots of energy, living in big houses, driving big cars. The problem is that the world has too many "Americons." Decades ago, there used to be approximately two: the U.S. itself, plus Western Europe and Japan. Today there are NINE "Americons" -- or nine times 300 million people -- living in the world, including Russia, China and India. Sure, a major problem in the world is overpopulation. But to be crass about it, an even bigger problem is that so many more people are expecting an American standard of living.

BIG SHOW: The publicity machine for Drum Corps International doesn't really rev up for local newspapers, so I learned late about tonight's 2009 Drum Corps International Tour stop at Buchanan High School Stadium. But it sounds like a top-notch event. Such world-class groups as the Blue Devils from Concord, the Bluecoats from Canton, Ohio, the Blue Knights from Denver and the Santa Clara Vanguard will participate. The competition starts at 7 p.m.

I caught a version of this tour a couple of years ago when it came to Clovis and blogged about it on the Beehive. It's a really good show.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: I can't make the Drum Corps show tonight, however, because I'll be at "As You Like It," the first offering in the summer season of Woodward Shakespeare Festival. Director Michael Peterson is setting this "pastoral comedy" in the Summer of Love at the beach. You can read my Bee interview with him here.

A JUMP ON THE FOURTH: If you're in a patriotic mood, don't miss the Big Red, White & Blue Celebration 5 p.m. Saturday at the First Congregational Church. (It's known as "The Big Red Church," hence the name of the event.) Pre-concert festivities include a barbecue, silent auction, concert and ice cream social. On the program are patriotic songs and marches performed by the Chancel Choir of First Congregational, the Fresno Gay Men's Chorus and Scott Horton on the Casavant Pipe Organ.

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Looking for other things to do? Check out the 7 Things to Do list in Friday's issue of 7 and The Bee's online calendar.

TO: the Channel 30 news staff
FROM: Mike Oz's loyal minions at the Beehive
RE: the regrettable case of amnesia that appears to have struck someone at your station

Hey, Channel 30 folks, we're quite concerned over here on E Street about the neurological condition of your fine correspondent DeShaunta Bullock, who managed to file an entire report about the Red Zone Sports Grill offensive-gay-comment controversy without once mentioning the Beehive or Mike Oz, who was the guy who started the whole thing.

Just to be clear here: Mike heard the ad on the radio. It ticked him off. He wrote a blog post. Readers started commenting. More readers commented. A groundswell of opposition arose. A local group, SAFE (Straight Advocates for Equality), got in on the act. Within a day, the restaurant was revising the ad and posting an apology on its Web site.

Curiously, however, the Channel 30 report -- which ran SECOND on the 6 p.m. Thursday newscast, right after Michael Jackson, and included one of those exciting "live from the newsroom!" intros -- didn't mention the Beehive at all!

This is a BIG weekend for quilting fans. The Heart Of California Quilters' Guild is sponsoring its biannual quilt show, "A Harvest of Quilts," Saturday and Sunday in Madera. I have an interview with the Guild's Virginia Whistler in the Friday 7 section. Here's an extended version:

Question: What are the largest quilts that are on display?

Answer: There will be king-size quilts up to 116" by 116", down to miniature quilts that could measure less that 20" by 20".

How many? What are some of the varieties that people can see?

There will be 125 quilts on display, along with an additional 25 quilts made by our featured quilter. Her quilts will be displayed on our stage. Also, many of our vendors will have quilts in their booths for display. Many times, you can buy patterns from these venders to make the individual quilts that you have seen. There will be a large variety of quilts. Many traditional quilts have been made, along with more contemporary quilts. There will be landscapes quilts, challenge quilts, baby quilts, and holiday quilts.

Pictured: A work from featured quilter Elaine Holiday

Fresno's Jason Glover once again found himself in the Bottom 3 on "So You Think You Can Dance," which marks the second week in a row he's had to "dance for his life" on Thursday's live results show. Unlike last week, however, when his solo dance wowed the judges, he got a much more tentative vote of approval from them. He survived, but as he heads into next week's Top 14 show, he's going to have to up his game to stay in the competition.

The two dancers sent home were Jonathan Platero, whose dismal hip-hop routine cemented his fate; and Asuka Kondon, who didn't do well on her solo performance.

For the guys, joining Jonathan and Jason in the Bottom 3 was Vitolio Jeune. For the gals, joining Asuka were Caitlin Kinney (Jason's partner) and Karla Garcia. (Caitlin got the best reviews from the judges.)

When it came to announcing the results, judge Nigel Lythgoe had Jason step forward last. Here's what Nigel told him:

Last week, you really danced well. Your solo this week was full of desperation ... You looked like you were going to deliver seven pirouettes and did one. You have to be fully aware that when you dance for your life in this competition that is what you are doing. That was not strong enough to get you through ... (long pause) ... had you been against better boys. It did tonight. You can sit down."

Poor Jason looked pretty bleak up there as Nigel spoke, and, for a moment, I thought he might break into tears. But he managed to keep himself together.

After the jump: a clip of Caitlin and Jason's solo performances from the night.

Those PR folks work fast. At 3:33 p.m., just minutes after major media outlets started reporting that Michael Jackson had indeed died, I received this email from Legacy.com:

Legacy.com, the world's most timely and comprehensive resource for online obituaries and the undisputed leader in Web-based memorialization, has created a feature-rich online memorial, with a Guest Book, for Michael Jackson. Individuals can visit www.legacy.com to find the Guest Book and share their thoughts and express their condolences. Jackson's Guest Book will remain on the site indefinitely. People can order printed versions of the Guest Books for commemorative keepsakes.

And the commerce of the country marches on.

DONALD: Fresno's Jason Glover danced solidly -- but not spectacularly, according to the judges -- in last night's Top 16 competition of "So You Think You Can Dance." I think that what's emerging after three weeks is that Jason is a GREAT dancer and has an infectious stage chemistry when he's performing routines that call for warmth and personality. Where he seems to be falling short, however, is on the acting part of the equation. He's finding it a little difficult to portray characters that are out of his comfort zone -- whether they be a hip hop dude, like he did last week, or last night's Paso Doble number with partner Caitlin Kinney, in which he tried to be all stern and unshaven. (His bare-chested Roman gladiator-style costume was a little over the top; it was like watching a musical version of "Spartacus.") Can you set last night's scene for us, Kathy?

KATHY: Donald, I thought Jason did a pretty good job of portraying strength (I mean, really, with that beautifully chiseled body, he can't look weak). But he seems to have a hard time maintaining the character in his face and holding his posture. Last night's routine, set to the powerful O Fortuna, put the already strong Paso on steroids with big lifts, lots of turns and stomping. It showed, again, Jason's physical strength. But, the dance, along with the intro where the dancers talked about other careers they might be interested in, showed the lack of affection/connection this couple has. I get the feeling Jason isn't too fond of his partner Caitlin. They are both gorgeous people, who don't seem too shy, so they really need to sexy it up. Or, at least, ACT more like they like each other. The lack of chemistry is going to kill them if they make it past this week, especially when you look at the spark between competing couples Vitolio Jeune and Asuka Kondoh (who made people sigh with their genuine affection for each other) and Ade Obayomi and Melissa Sandvig (who are fearless in showing their sex appeal, including with a sizzling rumba last night).

Thomas Friedman is a busy guy, what with writing his New York Times columns (one appears in today's Bee), traveling the world researching major geopolitical issues and producing one best-selling book after another. (His latest is titled "Hot, Flat and Crowded.") But he's finding the time to come to Fresno's Warnors Theater today to give a fundraising lecture for the Fresno Metropolitan Museum. (Tickets are $40, $30 for museum members.) I'm certainly going to be there to listen.

Friedman is a remarkable writer in that he can take complex and murky, often contentious issues and examine them in a way that neither dumbs those issues down nor require you to be an economist or current-affairs expert to understand. In his newest book he discusses global warming, the stunning rise of middle class all over the world and how rapid population growth have converged in a way that could make our planet dangerously unstable.

Tickets are still available by phone (441-1444) or online (fresnomet.org) till 2 p.m., and then at the door after that.

UPDATE 4 p.m. Thursday: The Bee is reporting that there is a Bid for new MMA fights at Woodward.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: How time flies. It seems like just yesterday when we were grousing on the Beehive about cage fighting in Woodward Park's Rotary Amphitheater competing against the Woodward Shakespeare Festival's productions at the Theater in the Glen across the road.

Now it's time for a new Shakespeare season. (I frankly have no idea whether any cage matches will be scheduled opposite the Bard this summer, but if they are, I'll be leading the protest against them with bear-baiting stick in hand.) The festival on Thursday night opens a wacky version of "As You Like It" directed by Michael Peterson. It will play 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through July 25.

I have an interview with Peterson in Thursday's Life section about the show, which he is setting in the Summer of Love in 1960s southern California. Here's some more from the interview.

Via Beehive commenter couchlock: My movie colleague and fellow Beehiver Rick Bentley gave the New York Times inspiration for the entire lead paragraph of a story that moved this afternoon on the wire:

LOS ANGELES -- "If Eddie Murphy's career were an injured horse, it would be shot and the carcass buried in the remotest part of the desert to ensure no one ever stumbled upon it."

That harsh sentence, written on June 12 by Rick Bentley in The Fresno Bee in California, is as good an example as any of the prevailing sentiment about Mr. Murphy these days. With two big flops in a row ("Imagine That" and "Meet Dave"), another risky project on the way ("A Thousand Words") and a diva reputation, people seem to be confused. Why does Hollywood keep hiring this man?

Memo to Rick: I wouldn't accept any invitations to Murphy's secluded mountain cabin if I were you.

We don't usually follow the foibles of national politicians on the Beehive, but this story just turned officially bizarre. For days, the media has been speculating about the whereabouts of South Carolina governor Mark Sanford. The explanation from his staff was that he was hiding out somewhere on the Appalachia Trail. Now it turns out that he was in Argentina having an affair with a woman he met via email correspondence. The New York Times reports:

Governor Sanford, 49, admitted that he had been in Buenos Aires since Thursday, not hiking on the Appalachian Trail as his staff had told reporters. In revealing an affair that had gone on for about a year -- and which he said he had disclosed to his wife, Jenny, five months ago -- he said: "This was selfishness on my part."

I think that Sanford may have officially knocked John and Kate off the top of the gossip A-list.

My colleague Heather adds: "That's a loooong way to go for a booty call."

Photo: AP

BOOK IT: Some interesting authors are coming through town this week for book signings. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, whose newest book is titled "Hot, Flat and Crowded," will appear 5:30 p.m. Thursday at a fundraising lecture for the Fresno Metropolitan Museum at Warnors Theater. The Met's Amanda Allen was reporting on Mindhub this morning that tickets are still available. Friedman will be across the street at the KJWL/KYNO studios for a book signing from 3-5 p.m. prior to the lecture. (I read Friedman's "The World Is Flat" a couple of years ago and recommend it.) Also on the author circuit this week: Mike Farrell, former star of "M*A*S*H" and "Providence," who will sign copies of his book "Of Mule and Man" at 7 p.m. Friday at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 7849 N. Blackstone Ave.

TV WEIRDNESS: I find this story quite amusing: A TV anchor in LaCrosse, Wis., had been receiving harassing emails for two years, including ones that criticized her hair or reporting. Other emails said that that the anchor's co-host, the weather guy, was better. When police traced the emails it turned out they came from the weather guy's home computer. Now the anchor has a restraining order against her co-host. Talk about a frosty off-camera relationship, with a further cooling trend in sight.

BIGGER THAN EVER: Speaking of TV news, I was reading Beehive colleague Rick Bentley's column about TV ratings and was surprised at how dominant KFSN (Channel 30.1) has become in the local market. At 5 p.m., Channel 30 attracted an average of 82,000 viewers, almost four times second place KSEE (Channel 24.1). Poor KGPE (Channel 47.1) had just 9,000 viewers in that time slot. As someone who works for a monopoly daily newspaper in town, I don't have much room to talk, but is there a danger in having one local station so dominant?

WHERE'S THE POETRY: A Beehive commenter stumbled on an April post I wrote about the demise of the Fresno Poets Association. David W. Clary wrote: "Great. I finally start looking for a poetry group to share my work with, and they disband. Dang it. Anyone know of any other poetry groups in town?"

A "new" play by Mark Twain is an event no matter the century. That "Is He Dead?" took so long to finally come to theatrical life -- it opened on Broadway in 2007 and reached Fresno this weekend in the form of a Good Company Players production through Aug. 9 at the 2nd Space Theatre -- might be considered by some as an ominous sign. How good could it be if it sat on a shelf all these years?

I prefer to think, however, that Twain's silly offering was just waiting for a good script doctor and a talented cast. And that's what it got from playwright David Ives, credited with adapting the script, who I'm guessing did a lot to add much of the airy lift to this comic souffle by getting us past Twain's musty set-up, and the GCP comedy team. If cornball jokes about Impressionism and "oui-oui" French humor tickles your funny bone, there's a lot to laugh at (or at least groan at) in this wacky production. Sure, Twain is no Oscar Wilde, and at times the play comes across as more generic than inspired -- complete with the actors making eye-rolling asides at the audience -- but the brisk performances save the night.

Peter Allwine does the cross-dressing honors as the impoverished (and today quite famous) painter Jean-Francois Millet, whom Twain never met. The hapless Millet, who leads a merry band of bohemian friends in happy pursuit of the starving-artist lifestyle, is unable to sell any of the gorgeous paintings he makes of French peasants. To add insult to his garret woes, a slimy art dealer, Bastien (plumbed to infectious comic depths by a wonderfully arch Patrick Allan Tromborg), plans to foreclose not only on him but also his girlfriend's father.

Jane Delaney's show at Spectrum Art Gallery is called "Traces," and I love the title. Delaney is fascinated by the passage of time and what it does to human constructs, whether they be old buildings, vehicles or road signs. She has an acute sensitivity to the way things age, from the streaks of rust on a piece of playground equipment to the slow rot of an abandoned wooden porch. Whereas most of us likely absorb such images with boredom or even irritation -- "look at that rundown house," we might sniff -- I suspect that Delaney is just a little bit awe-struck at the inexorable way in which nature eventually breaks down everything that humans create. It might take hundreds of years, or thousands, or perhaps even a million, for the most durable items created by humanity to fade away, but in the end, all will succumb to nature.

There's a special event this weekend for those who might want to check out Delaney's show: The artist will be on hand for a discussion 3-4 p.m. Saturday.

Above: Delaney's vivid "White Pillar."

Fresno's Jason Glover had a scare last night on the results show for Week 2 of "So You Think You Can Dance" -- but he ended up sailing through to the next round. In fact, he got such high praise from the judges that he seems in an even stronger position than before.

Jason and his partner, Caitlin Kinney, were sent to the Bottom 3 after the nationwide vote, which meant both had to perform solos for the judges. Jason had to compete against Max Kapitannikov and Kupono Aweau for the right to stay on the show. When the results were announced, judge Nigel Lythgoe offered glowing reviews for Jason's performance, calling his athletic and lyrical contemporary routine -- performed to Robin Thicke's "Superman" with soaring leaps, fantastic extensions and a fiercely controlled sense of power and tension -- one of the best solos seen on the show.

For the Bottom 3 women, Caitlin was an easy survivor as well -- though she didn't receive the same accolades. (Jason seemed amazed when the judges gushed about him.) Kayla Radomski got to stay, while Ashley Valerio went home.

UPDATE 5 p.m. 6/19: In response to my somewhat cheeky call for Rieu reviews, one commenter said:

"Mr. Munro, I suggest you go to an Andre Rieu concert. You will be amazed."

OK, I should have offered a little more background. Not only have I been to one Rieu concert, but I've been to TWO: one in Seattle that The Bee sent me to in 2006 for a preview profile of Rieu, and then his first appearance at the Save Mart. So, yes, I've done my Rieu duty. Not my thing. I don't begrudge the fun that his fans seem to have at his concerts, but the sticky-sweet, schmaltzy-slick approach to classical music that he takes -- beautiful themes pumped up to sugary heights performed by players that I suspect are selected as much for their happy stage presence and good looks as their playing ability -- wears a little thin.

ORIGINAL ENTRY 7 p.m. Thursday: I must have done something good in a past life, because I am NOT going to be at the Andre Rieu concert tonight at the Save Mart Center. But many thousands of people are, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the waltz-er-mungous festivities. What color of taffeta gowns did the fetching young string players in the orchestra wear? Was there an act involving liederhosen? How glistening was Andre's hair? Did hundreds of couples make a bee-line to the stage area so they could hang out with the King of the Waltz? Post your recollections (and cell-phone pictures) in the comments section.

UPDATE 4:30 p.m. Thursday: The more I find out about this story, the weirder it becomes. My colleague Matt James has posted a fascinating extended account of his interview with Alphonso Bigelow regarding Bigelow's $10 million pledge to Fresno State athletics. Among the details:

• Bigelow talks about his "commodities trading" business. It's not what I was expecting -- gold, silver, pork bellies, etc. "There's people that have large amounts of money who buy from people who own large amounts of commodities, privately," Bigelow told James. "It's not on the exchange. It's not on anything. And I take a commission on that." As James puts it: A guy in Europe has a bunch of diamonds for sale. A guy in India wants to buy a bunch of diamonds. Bigelow puts those two people together and gets a cut of the sale.


• When asked how much the company makes, Bigelow said, "We don't make much money at all. We're looking at $12 million maybe, $13 million." James points out that the next logical question is why a company that makes $12 or $13 million would pledge $2 million a year for the next five years. And what happens if this company, which has been in existence for a year, only makes, say, $7 million next year?


• Bigelow said he wanted to keep the donation a secret, but Fresno State talked him into a mega news conference, for which he showed up in a stretch Hummer limo.

DONALD: What a difference a week makes. On the first week of the finals for "So You Think You Can Dance," Fresno's Jason Glover was a darling of the judges. Words like "chemistry," "charisma" and "you rock" were tossed at him and his partner, Caitlin Kinney. But on last night's Week 2 competition show, Jason and Caitlin didn't receive any raves. Two of the three judges were downright hostile. And a lot of it had to do, I think, with the bad luck of getting stuck performing a hip-hop dance staged by the evening's weakest choreographer, Shane Sparks. Can you set the scene for us, Kathy?

KATHY: Jason and Caitlin drew hip-hop and were the first couple to perform a Sparks routine this season. Sparks, who was a fan-favorite in past seasons, gave the couple a softer style hip-hop routine that told the story of a guy longing for a girl he can't have, danced to Trey Songz's "Missing You." It meant the dancers had to show the crisp hip-hop precision AND had to convince viewers of great passion through soft, affectionate moves. To make the routine work, Sparks said: "They need to dance, they need to have character and they need to act like they are in love - they need all three of these things to make this piece come alive." No small order.

• Beehive commenter Wet Towel wrote on Monday pointing out that the ACLU Web site's homepage features a prominent story from Fresno: A lesbian woman says Community Regional Medical Center temporarily barred her partner from visiting her in the emergency room after she collapsed at the Meet in the Middle rally. "Why is nobody talking about this?" he asked. The ACLU's interest certainly revved up coverage of the story. The Bee's Barbara Anderson writes about the issue in Tuesday's Bee.
• Sometimes when I finish reading a story in the New Yorker magazine I want to make copies for everyone I know. That was the case with a powerful piece in the June 1 issue written by surgeon Atul Gawande, the magazine's medical correspondent, who traveled to McAllen, Texas, to try to figure out why Medicare spends more per beneficiary there than in any other city except Miami. The conclusion: Our current system of paying doctors piecemeal based on how many tests, surgeries and other procedures they perform has led to a glut in -- big surprise! -- the number of tests, surgeries and other procedures. That leads to even greater medical costs and more of a chance that our health-care system -- which spends more per capita than any country on earth yet is leaving more people than ever without coverage -- will spiral into collapse. Gawande's article has struck a chord across the country. (It's described as a "must read" in the White House.) The New York Times wrote in an editorial praising the piece: "No doubt a vast majority of doctors strive to do the best for their patients. But many are influenced by fee-for-service financial incentives and some are unabashed profiteers ... In the long run, if doctors can't be induced to rein themselves in, there is little hope of lasting reform." As the debate on health care revvs up, this is a must-read article.
• If you haven't noticed, California's state budget is on the verge of collapse. My colleague Bill McEwen has an insightful column in Tuesday's Bee. He uses the interactive budget balancer on the Los Angeles Times Web site to try to wipe out the state's $24 billion deficit -- and realizes how tough it could be. Give the budget balancer a try yourself. What would YOU be willing to cut?

In my Arts Watch roundup that I posted Friday, I write about the Polly Victor retrospective at Gallery 25. I forgot to mention that there will be a reception on Sunday (June 14) at the gallery from 1-4 p.m., and that some members of the Victor family will attend.

Also, some sad news. I'm told that another death hit the family. Angela of The Fresno Center for Non-Violence reports:

You may have heard that, tragically, Matthew Victor, Polly's son, 50 years old, was killed by a hit and run driver in Fresno about 10 days ago. After the reception on June 14, there is to be a memorial for Matthew. My understanding is that it will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Au Lac Restaurant, 1495 N Van Ness Ave, in Fresno. Remembrances: The Community Alliance, P.O. Box 5077, Fresno, CA 93755-5077.

My thoughts are with the Victor family during this difficult time.

I knew it would be an impressive crowd Friday night for the Fresno Philharmonic's inaugural pops concert at Woodward Park the moment I got off on the Highway 41 Friant Road exit. It was about half an hour before the concert began, and the line of cars waiting to get into the park nearly stretched to the freeway. The concert ended up starting 20 minutes late just so people could park and get to their seats.

And what did they find when they got there? An absolutely perfect evening, temperature-wise, and a pretty fun musical one as well with guest artists Sons of the San Joaquin. With their booming cowboy-song voices and laidback, get-along-little-doggies charm, The Sons know how to smooth their way into the hearts of a crowd. And it was pretty obvious that this partisan turnout included many of their fans. Adding to the mix was the superb Rich O'Brien on guitar, Richard Chon on fiddle and Ray Appleton on guitar/harmonica.

I'm just so impressed with the richness of the band's sound, and particularly the character-drenched voices of lead singers Jack and Joe Hannah. When Jack Hannah sings about the loneliness of the frontier and the solitary life of the cowboy, his deep voice evokes a wide open sky with millions of stars -- and a melancholy young man looking up at them.

In terms of the orchestral accompaniment, I liked this high-concept performance better than the Beatles concert earlier this season, when the orchestra was mostly overpowered by the amplified sound of the guest artists. In arrangements of such Sons songs as "Way Out There," the orchestra was used to strong effect. There were moments when the strings soared and the brass flared in a way that added a whole new depth to familiar music. When principal oboist Jose Diaz played the theme to "Shenendoah," the winsome sound brought tears to my eyes.

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES: Sometimes art feels as contemporary as a news Web site. That's the way I felt when I walked into Corridor 2122 last week to look at its current group members' show and saw a charcoal drawing by Stephen Dent hanging on the wall.

Titled "Aircraft Study," the work is sketched over a printed world map -- the colorful, cheap kind that you'd find in a National Geographic or hanging in a school classroom. Dent has sketched out the blunt outline of an airplane.

The fuselage is mostly depicted with darker charcoal strokes. He's left part of the original map uncovered in a use of negative space that helps define the shape of the airplane and what could be a runway. Here's the weird thing: the one unadulterated part of the original map just happens to be the stretch of ocean between South America and Europe into which Air France Flight 447 plunged last week. Up until that air crash, I'd only heard vaguely about the perilous "Horse Latitudes," but with the news story being so fresh in my mind, I immediately made the leap. To me, the thick scrawl of the charcoal seemed ominous, and I could imagine the plane going down.

Fresno's Jason Glover learned early in Thursday's results show that he's safe for another week on "So You Think You Can Dance." He was not in the Bottom Three in terms of the nationwide vote and wasn't one of the six dancers who had to perform solo for the judges in order to stay on the show.

The Bottom Three couples were Paris and Tony; Carla and Jonathan; and Vitolio and Asuka. After the six danced solo, the judges sacked Paris and Tony. I don't think there was any surprise they got the boot. In last night's show they seemed the clunkiest out of the 10 couples.

One thing that did surprise me was how tough the judges were on all six of the bottom dancers tonight. They especially beat up on the men, noting that none of them danced well enough in their solo spots to indicate they'd be staying in this competition long. That's good news for hometown boy Jason, who with his talent and charisma won't have to worry for weeks about staying on the show.

UPDATE 11 pm 6/11: Looks like we have our fifth commenter. I have an email out to confirm. Thanks for playing.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: The Fresno Philharmonic on Friday night will roust itself from the familiar confines of the Saroyan Theatre and head to the Woodward Park Amphitheater for a big, cheery pops concert featuring the Sons of the San Joaquin. Music director Theodore Kuchar, self-described "head wrangler" (pictured), conducts. You can read my Sunday Spotlight story here.

And I have two tickets to give away to Beehive readers. Get this: You'll even receive free parking!

I'll give the tickets to the FIFTH commenter to this post. No multiple entries are allowed. We won't publish comments until we have the winners. The winner's name will be placed on the Will Call list at the entrance to the park. And remember that you aren't eligible if you've won something on the Beehive in the last 30 days. Rules are on the jump.

An update from the Philharmonic: Park admission fees of $3 per vehicle are waived for advance ticket buyers courtesy of the Fresno Philharmonic and Gateway Ice Center. Concert tickets should be shown at the park entrance and gatekeepers will have a list of advance ticket purchasers.

More info on the concert after the jump.

To sum up: According to the judges, Fresno's Jason Glover did great on his first competition night as a Top 20 finalist on "So You Think You Can Dance." But so did just about everyone else. I'm surprised that the three judges didn't wind up bloodied and bruised from falling all over themselves lavishing praise on the contestants. Either we're dealing with a superstar group of Top 20 dancers or witnessing first-night grade inflation.

Still, Jason, a Bullard High School grad, and his new partner, Caitlin Kinney, got enthusiastic reviews from the judges:

• Adam Shankman told the couple, "Very simply, you guys rocked!" He praised Jason's handwork and footwork in the Bollywood-style choreography. "You did the thing that is so essential to a great dancer: you made it look like it was nothing. It was absolutely effortless. I'm telling you, you are going to be a little force of nature in this competition if you keep it up."
• Mary Murphy was very positive, though she reserved her banshee-like screams proclaiming her trademark "hot tamale train" -- can a person be prosecuted for assaulting her own vocal cords? -- for another couple, Max Kapitannikov and Kayla Radomski. But she did heap effusive compliments on Jason, telling him: "You just have this charisma." She continued: "Good luck with you guys, I don't think you have anything to worry about."
• The traditional toughie judge, Nigel Lythgoe, was also highly complimentary, comparing Jason and Kinney's Bollywood performance to last year's lauded contestants Joshua and Katie. "You brought it tonight," he said. "You encapsulated that whole thing."

Local stuff making the rounds:

• After a banner containing language supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride was hung at the Fig Garden Library, a patron complained -- and the library took it down. Now people are talking about censorship issues. One person on Twitter says the library replaced the material with "traditional wedding books." Here's the library's response.
• Fresno Famous reports that there was a motion Tuesday at the City Council to eliminate the budget for the Fresno Film and Entertainment Commission. This is an issue that seems to pop up every year. The budget for the commission will be discussed 2 p.m. Thursday, and proponents are urging filmmakers and entertainment-loving types to show up and tell the council why the FFEC is important, Famous Whitewater tells us.
• A runaway bull collapsed and died after being lassoed near Parlier City Hall about noon today, officials say. The bull's death ended a morning-long rampage through the south Fresno County city.
• It's official: There will be two new Macys stores in the Valley: one at River Park and the other at the Visalia Mall.
• Good Company Players got a sort-of shout-out on Sunday's Tony Awards telecast when Audra McDonald presented an award. The idea was to flash a photo from McDonald's childhood on the screen, but as she pointed out with a laugh, she wasn't even in the photo. I think (but won't swear) that I recognized Duane Boutte, another Broadway Fresnan, as a Junior Company member instead.

This is a big week for Fresno's Jason Glover. He's all over Google, for one thing. As one of the Top 20 finalists on "So You Think You Can Dance," the 21-year-old Bullard High graduate is the subject of news stories, blog posts and fan sites. And tonight he hits the big time. (The show starts at 8 p.m. on Fox, and at 9 p.m. Thursday we learn the results.) A bunch of his friends and family will gather to watch at World Sports Cafe at 7:30 p.m.

Beehiver Rick Bentley had a story in Tuesday's Bee in which he talked by phone with Glover during a break in rehearsals for the show.

The finals are where the high-stakes fun begins, and I'm sure lots of people in Fresno will be rooting for Jason to go all the way. The big question as tonight's competition starts is who his partner will be. That can be a make-or-break development, because for the first half of the competition season, couples are kicked off or advance on the basis of their joint merits. One blog is predicting that Glover will be paired up with Caitlin Kinney.

Great weather, nice-sized crowd, lots of enthusiasm -- it was another successful Pride Parade in the Tower on Saturday morning. The Bee ran three photos by John Walker on the cover of the Local & State section in Sunday's paper. Plus, you can check out John's video of the event here.

I took some photos, too. Here's a selection:

Behold the actual juice box I was given on stage as I was being booted off "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" for missing a word. This was during my recent stint at the Saroyan Theatre as celebrity guest speller. I write all about the experience in my Sunday Spotlight column.

I shall treasure my juice box always. Or at least until it turns rancid.

A reminder: The Tony Awards are tonight! Can't wait for Neil Patrick Harris as host.

COMMENT OF THE DAY
In an earlier post this week about "I'm a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!," I tossed off a cheap joke (who, me?) in my description of one of the contestants:

Heidi is suddenly blathering about Christianity, Patti Blagojevich is looking like an unbathed Junior Leaguer and a Mohawk-impaired, chest-baring Sanjaya is giving his interviews in a hot tub leering like Hugh Hefner. Such dysfunction, such bickering, such sucky celebrities!

A Beehive reader responds:

What's with all the Junior League bashing lately? This is the second stereotypical reference to Junior League I've seen in the last week. I think I need to start a "Did they just say Junior League?" blog... Really Donald, I'm sending you a personal invitation to come and check us out sometime ... I think you would be surprised!

Sincerely, A Beehive Fan and your 2009-2010 President, Junior League of Fresno, Inc.

My response: Ha. In my defense, I can tell you that I have a good friend who just joined the Junior League of El Paso, and when she told me and my college buddies the news on Facebook, we razzed her no end. She barked back (primly, of course) that Junior League is long past the days of white gloves and slightly tipsy afternoon garden bridge parties. You're right, Madame President: I should check out what the local Junior Leaguers are up to these days. I'll take you up on your offer!

The Top 20 finalists in the popular Fox TV show "So You Think You Can Dance" were announced Thursday night. One of them is Jason Glover, a graduate of Bullard High School.

According to Bee reader Cecilia Funk, who alerted me by email this morning, Glover "is a long-time dance student at Sue Sampson Dalena's studio (Dance Studio of Fresno)." Fox says he began dancing at age 12, studying Tap and Hip Hop, and that his favorite dancer is Michael Jackson.

UPDATE 4 p.m.: Looks like we have our third commenter. The winner is Steve Ryan. Thanks for playing.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Talk about a prime ticket giveaway: I have two tickets to give away to Saturday's nearly-sold Fresno Grand Opera benefit concert featuring Italian superstar tenor Marcello Giordani. This will be one of the glittering events of the season for sure. I had an interview with Giordani in Sunday's Spotlight section, and you can read the concert program here.

I'll give the tickets to the THIRD commenter to this post. No multiple entries are allowed. We won't publish comments until we have the winners. You'll need to come down Friday and pick up the tickets at The Bee. And remember that you aren't eligible if you've won something on the Beehive in the last 30 days. Rules are on the jump.

UPDATE 10 p.m. Wednesday: I was the third of the four spellers to be kicked off! I even did a little dancing in front of 1,500 people, and the roof of the Saroyan didn't cave in.

Here's the word I missed, Heather: "abulia." It's a psychiatric term. I spelled it "ebulia."

It was a great show, by the way. Some of the best singing I've heard in a national tour coming through the Saroyan.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Tonight's the night: I take the stage as the celebrity speller in the national touring production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" at the Saroyan Theatre. Here's my goal: to not be the first of the four audience volunteers booted off stage. Then again, if I make it past that point, I'm going to have to dance, and that's a scary thought in itself. (Not so much for me as the audience.)

The one thing I know is that there's no chance I can win. Not even national spelling bee champs have made it into this intermissionless musical's second half -- it's not written that way. (Weird bit of trivia: When Julie Andrews was the celebrity speller, she missed on "supercalifragilisticexpealadoucious.") It kind of takes the pressure off when I know I'm destined to lose!

Is anyone else watching the northbound-southbound-Amtrak-express-trains-in-head-on-collision wreck known as "I'm a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!", which NBC is smearing across the week's TV lineup like monkey doo-doo at the zoo? I'm not saying I'm totally sucked in, but my household TV is firmly in the show's grasp, and I've seen enough to wonder if Spencer and Heidi Pratt had their brains scooped out by an alien and replaced with hair product before agreeing to appear on the show. Did they really think this would help their so-called "careers"?

All I know is that last night Spencer got BAPTIZED. By Stephen Baldwin, of all people, in a dunk-in-the-river scene that looked like what would happen if alcoholic Baptists decided to settle a bar bet. Heidi is suddenly blathering about Christianity, Patti Blagojevich is looking like an unbathed Junior Leaguer and a Mohawk-impaired, chest-baring Sanjaya is giving his interviews in a hot tub leering like Hugh Hefner. Such dysfunction, such bickering, such sucky celebrities! I can't figure out if the Spencer/Heidi monster is truly as dumb as it appears, or if it's all part of a grand ratings plan. (They've evidently quit for good.Think they'll still put the show on their resumes?) Here's hoping for a good round of dengue fever for the survivors.