The Playlist — Things to do Feb 20-23, 2025

by

A Note from the Instigator....

Another weekend of things to do in Salem awaits...including your last chance to see Arsenic and Old Lace at Pentacle and Far Away at Willamette. We've got the details on these shows, plus Thursday highlights, comedy features, where to find live music and more. Enjoy!

 — Carlee, The Instigator

Hear the acoustic tunes of Dante Zapata Feb 20 at Chemeketa Cellars. Scroll down for info.

Thursday Highlights

Learn about Rafael Trujillo and the Dictatorships of the Caribbean, 4 to 5 p.m. Feb 20 in Loucks Auditorium at the Salem Public Library as part of Salem Reads. Rafael Trujillo, infamous dictator of the Dominican Republic, emerged from an early 20th environment in which the United States occupied nations in the Caribbean basin, invested in their infrastructures and militaries, and helped create the conditions for authoritarian regimes. In this lecture by Mollie Nouwan, Association Professor at Northwest College of the Arts, learn more about Trujillo, the Dominican Republic, and their similarities to other Caribbean and Central American countries of the period. Free. First-come, first-seated.

Live Music with acoustic artist Dante Zapata who brings a soft, soulful vibe to the tasting room, playing everything from blues to country, jazz to gospel, in his words, "music for soul” to Chemeketa Cellars on Feb 20. The tasting room is open from 4-8 pm with music from 6-8 pm. Award-winning, student-made wine along with beer, cider, non-alcoholic drinks, and charcuterie platters are available in the tasting room. Indoor seating is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. This event is free and open to all ages.

Salem Poetry Project features Bruce Parker and Diane Corson 7 p.m. Feb. 20, in Bush Barn Art Center + Annex, 600 Mission St SE. Following the featured readers, share your own words during the Infamous Open Mic: 3 poems or five minutes whichever is first. For more information contact Marc Janssen at mrcjanssen@msn.com

Take a guided tasting of Macallan Whiskey during Spirit Night with industry professional Matt Holtgreve. The evening begins with a specialty cocktail, Apricot Collins, followed by a thoughtfully paired meal from The Cozy Taberna, designed to enhance the flavors of the tasting flight and elevate your dining experience. 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb 20, at The Cozy Taberna, 249 Liberty St NE #140. Starts at $165. Click here for tickets.

Meet a new furry friend during Pints for Pups, a fun evening benefiting 4 All Muttkind Rescue, 5:30 Feb 20 at Santiam Brewing Co. where you can have a pint and pet a pup. $1 per pint goes to the rescue. 

Live Stand-Up Comedy featuring opener Drew Wilson-McGrath and headliner Trenton Davis, 8:15 p.m. Thursday, February 20 at Northern Lights Theatre Pub. 18 and older. $15. Tickets at northernlightstheatrepub.com WARNING: Stand-Up Comedians are intended for a mature audience. Comedic material may contain vulgar language, crude behavior, and jokes that may be considered offensive.

Coffee Club

Launch Mid Valley Women/BIPOC Coffee Club for Startups and Entrepreneurs aims to provide a morning of inspiration and connection, 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Feb 21 at Rofe Designs & CreativiTee, 100 Commercial St NE. Network with fellow entrepreneurs, share experiences, and gain valuable insights to fuel your business journey in partnership with venue sponsor CreativiTEE & rofe designs and coffee partner The Governor’s Cup Coffee.

Dance

Dance with a purpose during Project Plurr, a night of Electronic Dance Music and dancing featuring DJs Dito, Uguwabien, [No Name], Feedback, and Cyborg. Proceeds will benefit the LAFD Foundation, providing relief to fire victims in Los Angeles. 21+, full bar and restaurant menu available, 8 p.m. Feb 21 at The BAD Space, 2572 19th St SE. $20.

Explore Art

Explore art in a Conversation with Jeremy Okai Davis, Gwen Carr and Tammy Jo Wilson. Artist Jeremy Okai Davis has spent the last three years working on portraits of Oregon Black Pioneers commissioned by the Salem Art Association and Bush House Museum. The conversation will explore Okai Davis’ own research and process and discuss how the project came to be realized and the future of the project. Other panelists include Gwen Carr, Oregon Black Pioneers  Emeritus and Tammy Jo Wilson, Exhibit Curator, Director of Bush House Museum Exhibits & Programming. Space for this free event is limited. A RSVP is kindly requested to reserve your seat. 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, February 22, at The Bush Barn Art Center & Annex. Click here to reserve.

Create Art

Dentalium Earring Workshop — The Salem Art Association welcomes visiting Indigenous Art Co-Teachers-in-Residence from Chemeketa Community College, Nakoosa Jack and Nakeezaka Jack for a dentalium earring workshop, 11 a.m. Saturday, February 22. Dentalium was used as a form of currency for Native Americans along the coast and is still widely used today among different native tribes to show wealth, status and lineage. Earring kits will be pre-made, the workshop should only take about an hour to complete earrings, beginners are welcome and encouraged. Materials for the workshop are $40. Sign up here.

Learn about DNA

Salem Reads presents DNA Analysis — The Science of Discovering Kinship through DNA. How can DNA testing be used to demystify human relationships, map kinship ties, and uncover our ancestral heritage? How accurate are commercial DNA analysis kits? Are they safe to use? Join us for a deep dive into the science behind this rapidly evolving field. Free. First-come, first-seated. 2 p.m. Feb 22 in Loucks Auditorium at Salem Public Library. 

This weekly newsletter is free...because we want you to get out and play!

Coffee helps keep us going... ☕ and every sip is appreciated! ❤️ 

COMEDY

Live Stand-Up Comedy featuring opener Drew Wilson-McGrath and headliner Trenton Davis, 8:15 p.m. Thursday, February 20 at Northern Lights Theatre Pub. 18 and older. $15. Tickets at northernlightstheatrepub.com WARNING: Stand-Up Comedians are intended for a mature audience. Comedic material may contain vulgar language, crude behavior, and jokes that may be considered offensive.

James Hartenfeld — Garnering recent attention from Adult Swim and SXSW, James Hartenfeld is a Portland-based comedian best known for standup and creating Ricky Winters. As seen on TNT's The Librarians, James headlines shows and festivals all over the country. His screenplays have been included in the Cannes Film Festival and his most recent series, My Little Cold Case, heads into production in 2025. He's featured for Mark Normand, Kyle Kinane, among other top-shelf talent. He's been described as "brilliant at fucking with people" and "one of the most original voices in the current comedy crop." 8 p.m. Feb 21 at Infinity Room. All ages show but material will not be clean. $15-$20.

Slay’ Em — A Showcase of Local Killers features a line up of local comedy talent from right here in the valley. Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Feb 22 at Infinity Room. $12-$15. All ages show, but material will not clean.

Winery Comedy Tour will have you in stitches. Featuring a variety of comedians from across the nation, 8 p.m. Feb 21 at Cubaninismo Vineyard. Click here for tickets.

This weekend at Salem Cinema...

MUSIC

Countdown to Make Music Day (happening June 21st) at this fundraiser Saturday, February 22nd at 𝒇/stop Fitzgerald's. Hear tunes by Ashley Lute and Daylight Bedtime, upstairs in the theater starting at 7:30 p.m. Grab a burger at Slangers food truck, a drink served by the awesome 𝒇/stop bartenders and enjoy some great music! 21+ and Free, although donations to Make Music Salem are much appreciated.

Take in a night of live music with Nevermind: Seattle`s Tribute To Nirvana & Fighting Foos: Portland's Foo Fighters Tribute, 8 p.m. February 21, at Salem's Historic Grand Theatre. Relive the grunge revolution with Nevermind, Seattle’s premier Nirvana tribute band. This powerhouse trio, born in the legendary Studio 7 rehearsal spaces, has been electrifying audiences across the Pacific Northwest. With a frontman who shreds vocals and guitar, a towering 6’8” bass legend, and a drummer who channels Dave Grohl’s raw energy, Nevermind delivers an unforgettable performance. Journey through Nirvana’s groundbreaking catalog—from Bleach to Nevermind, Unplugged, In Utero, and beyond. Expect intense energy, authentic sound, and even a splash zone of smashed guitars. Come as you are for a night of pure rock nostalgia! Click here for tickets.

Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group has sold out so if you got yourself a ticket to the Feb 22 show at the Elsinore Theatre — Lucky you! 

Dance the night away with Orquestra Pacifico Tropical, Portland’s electrifying Cumbia powerhouse. This tight-knit group of musicians brings together decades of experience to deliver an unforgettable performance, blending the golden-era sounds of ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s Cumbias from Colombia and Peru with fresh, original tracks crafted right here in the Pacific Northwest. Their high-energy show is a celebration of rhythm, connection, and living energy that will have you moving from start to finish. 8 p.m. February 22, at Salem's Historic Grand Theatre. Tickets are $20. Click here for tickets.

Peter Mayer in Concert — Singer/songwriter, 7 p.m. February 22 at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem. Tickets cost is $30. Click here for tickets.

Camerata Musica presents a free concert with Trio PNW, 2:30 p.m. February 23 at  The Unitarian Universalist Church.

It's Preview Show time! Catch the students from all the RiverCity music programs perform short sets of some great tunes on Sunday, February 23! Music starts at 1 p.m. at the RiverCity Garage Stage! Free + also streaming live! Click here for line up

On Stage

Don't miss your last chance for these two stage productions...

Far Away

Willamette University Theatre presents Far Away — This hour-long futuristic nightmare envisions a world where the promise of violence broods and nothing is to be trusted. Written by the celebrated author of Top Girls and Cloud Nine, this innovative work consists of three brief scenes. In the first, a young girl spending her first night in her new guardian's house witnesses a bloody slaughter. Next, the girl, now grown, is spending her first day working in a hat factory. There, she and a young man concoct funny and elaborate hats that are to be worn for a horrific purpose. In the final scene, the boy and girl, now wed, are seeking refuge from a global conflict – even the animals are on one side or another.

On stage 7:30 p.m. Feb 2022 and 2 p.m. Feb 22-23 in Putnam Studio at the M. Lee Pelton Theatre, Willamette University. Cost: $9 to $15. Click here for tickets. 

Arsenic and Old Lace

Pentacle Theatre presents Arsenic and Old Lace — Don’t miss your chance to see this classic comedy, which is filled with hilarious mayhem, sinister twists and unforgettable characters, on stage through February 22 at Pentacle Theatre, 324 52nd Ave NW. Tickets are $20–$41. Discounts available for students & Oregon Trail Card holders. Click here for tickets. Click here for our Press Play story.

Tune In for Theater

Tune in to KMUZ Theatre Talk and learn all about what’s on stage in the mid-Willamette Valley at 9 a.m. the first and third Friday of the month on KMUZ Community Radio at 100.7 and 88.5 FM, also on KMWV-FM-Dallas at 98.3 HD2, and streaming worldwide at KMUZ.org and on the KMUZ mobile app. Plus catch KMUZ Theatre Talk episodes anytime — wherever you get your podcasts.

Plus Explore Art

Salem Reads art exhibit on display through March 1 in the Art Hall @ Salem Public Library.

Such as...

  • Nationally recognized mixed-media artist Brenda Mallory: The North Star Changes at Hallie Ford Museum of Art, 700 State St | 503-370-6855, willamette.edu/arts/hfma
  • Nancy Floyd: For the Love of Trees at Hallie Ford Museum of Art, 700 State St | 503-370-6855, willamette.edu/arts/hfma
  • New Energy: New Work by M. Shoki Tanabe and Adam Zeek at Level 2 Gallery on the Second Floor at Salem Convention Center | 503-589-1700, oregonartistsseries.com
  • Salem Reads Art Exhibit in the Art Hall at Salem Public Library
  • Erotica: An Exhibition to Arouse at Salem on the Edge, 156 Liberty St NE | salemontheedge.com
  • For the Love of the Pacific Northwest featuring work by 20 plus artists at the AiA Gallery, 444 Ferry St SE | AiAArtGallery.org

Click here for a full list of what's on exhibit this February.

Got an event? Submit it here.