Entertainment column despite the fire

With wildfire smoke blocking out the sun, it's hard to think about entertainment. Here's a quick list of events to consider for the next week -thrown together between wildfire coverage.

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The Carson City Emblem Club will host its Western barbecue at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Elks Lodge, 515 N. Nevada St.

The service club supports a hearing-impaired program, with the Carson City School District helping pay for special equipment. They also support literacy and drug awareness programs and give a $1,000 annual scholarship to a Western Nevada Community College student.

"We just raise money and give it away to good causes and have a lot of fun," Elk Carol Park said of the club.

The club has 100 members, about 50 of whom are active. They meet twice a month at the Elks Lodge, where Friday's barbecue will be held.

The meal includes baby-back ribs, beef, chicken, potato salad, baked beans and all the trimmings for $8 per person. For details, call 882-3751.

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The String Cheese Incident will play up at Caesar's Tahoe on Monday night. I asked band member Kyle Hollingsworth what type of music they play.

"If you like bluegrass, some calypso, some funk, some Latin, and you want to bring your hula hoop and dance with us, you are encouraged to come," he said.

After the group of musicians got their start playing weddings in Crested Butte, Colo., Hollingsworth joined them in Boulder.

They've come a long way since those early wedding shows. They just finished two sold-out concerts at Red Rocks with the Allman Brothers.

"We opened for them one night; they opened for us the next," Hollingsworth said.

The band just came out with an album called "Untying the Not." They meant to spell it "Not." They've done albums that really vary from jazzy stuff to bluegrass to funk and so on. This time, they tried to do a straight rock album.

"Or goal was 'Abbey Road' meets 'Dark Side of the Moon,'" Hollingsworth said.

They'll play a few songs from the new album Monday.

"It should be very danceable and a lot of fun," said Hollingsworth.

The show will start at 9 p.m., with doors swinging open at 8. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door for the all-ages show.

For more details call (800) 648-3353.

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Prison Hill is a neat place to explore, exercise, and get great views of town. While running up there a few weeks ago, I came across a lizard with intricate markings and horns behind its ears. The hill is convenient because it's so close to town, but it gets awfully hot this time of year.

That's why the Muscle Powered group will do its Tuesday walk in the cool of the evening.

"We started the summer doing morning walks, but then it got really hot," said walk co-leader Penny Fairfield. "So now we do them in the evening."

They'll meet at the Koontz Lane water tower parking loop at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The walk will wind past some of the fascinating rock formations on the hill. But don't worry - you won't have to climb to the summit.

"We're not going up the canyon to the top. We're walking on the west side of the hill toward an outcropping of rocks near the prison," Fairfield said.

Should be an interesting perspective on the charred remains of C Hill.

The walk will be about three to four miles with some steep climbs and sandy trails. Call 885-2166 or 883-7150.

Contact Karl Horeis at khoreis@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.