The Sammamish Symphony Orchestra is packing it up and leaving the plateau behind for the mainstage of Benaroya Hall for a special one-night performance March 14.The symphony has been invited to perform in Northwest Associated Arts’ performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Requiem.” The ensemble features five regional groups, including the symphony at Benaroya Hall.

It is a unique opportunity for the 86-member symphony, which usually performs at Eastlake High School, and the second time they have been asked to perform with Northwest Associated Arts.

“For us to get invited back to Benaroya is huge,” said vice president of the board Debbie McCormick. “It will get people in surrounding communities to find out about us and see how talented our musicians are.”

The concert is an opportunity to see the regional artistry of five of the region’s finest performing arts ensembles, said Mark Adrian, Northwest Associated Arts conductor.

“We feel the symphony orchestra in Sammamish is the best kept secret in our community, which isn’t a good thing,” McCormick said. “We are in our 18th season. We’ve been playing all these years and still there are very few people that know about us.”

Joining Northwest Associated Arts Cantaré group and the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra are the Vashon Island Chorale, the Cascadian Chorale, the Everett Chorale and the Rainier Chorale.

“This concert, what is so exciting and special about it, is anybody can come and hear a performance with five different groups who are all exceptional,” Adrian said. “Usually, you’re just stuck with one.”

Each group has a 15-minute solo performance, Adrian said. Selected choral works from Ferruccio Busoni’s “Turandot Suite” and Mozart’s “Requiem,” among others, will be performed.

The evening concludes with the 300 musicians performing “Requiem” together onstage.

“Just going to the rehearsals to hear them practice sends shivers down my spine and I get the giggles, because ‘Requiem’ is so wonderful,” McCormick said. “Then, to hear it in that space will make it so much better with our musicians in that venue. There’s just so much talent.”

“Here, you’ll hear five different things and experience one of the greatest chorale works ever written, all in one afternoon,” Adrian said.

The Sammamish orchestra began as the Providence Point Players in 1994. But it has grown into a full symphony orchestra, made up primarily of Eastside residents with a few musicians coming from cities like Edmonds and Des Moines.

Throughout the years, the symphony has remained committed, becoming an integral part of the community and providing musical experiences for residents at an affordable price. The group has several concerts throughout the year and prides itself in providing musical entertainment for all types of audiences, McCormick said.

“People have no idea what they’re missing,” she said. “Today, for this economy and what it costs to hear this caliber of music and these talented musicians, who are all volunteers, is just a phenomenal price.”

If you go

Northwest Associated Arts presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s ‘Requiem’

-2 p.m. March 14

-Benaroya Hall

-200 University St., Seattle

-In advance: $25, 206-517-777

-At the door: $30

-www.sammamishsymphony.org

Chantelle Lusebrink: 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

At left, Getty (left) flashes Dave Baumert a smile in the band’s Sammamish recording studio Feb. 4. By Christopher Huber

Members of the Sammamish-based band Sparkfarmer are the first to admit they don’t have any delusions of making it big, signing with a well-known label or touring the country in a fancy bus.

But they certainly love doing what they do.

The band, made up of longtime rockers, camping buddies and family men Dave Baumert, Getty, Steve Leigh and Tim Osborne, recently released their first CD — “Stereo Biplane.” They recorded the CD in Baumert’s Sammamish studio and Leigh produced it in Snoqualmie.

“It feels good. It easily could have languished on a shelf,” Leigh said.

The album took nearly seven years to complete — five years to record and master — and is a collection of such varying styles and sounds that Baumert and Getty said most people will have a tough time defining the band.

“If we have any dreams of success, it’s probably in the songwriting realm,” Baumert said.

The CD showcases each member’s unique musical talents and songwriting interests, from country to rock to blues. Their style is about as eclectic as their personal backgrounds.

“There’s no sense in this being able to work and it does,” Getty said. “I have no business playing with these guys, but I do and it’s fun.”

Getty comes from the swamps of Baton Rouge, La. At 13, he played saxophone for the Louisiana State University marching band. He eventually earned his chops on the harmonica and guitar as a member of numerous punk rock, blues and rock bands. The song “Point Blank” highlights his southern roots and “One Salty Tear” has a grungy twinge to it.

Baumert, a longtime Sammamish resident, has played bass throughout his life, but said he learned much of what he knows about the music business while working for a reggae band in Idaho. He also brings a country flavor to the band. He adds his seek-the-high-road lyrics in “Wish Me Luck” and “Uplink.”

You can learn notes and how to play, he said, but “it’s really how you push and pull ‘em where the magic happens.”

Leigh comes from the Eagles-era school of songwriting influence and plays a mean guitar. “Love So Deep” and “Won’t Stop Loving You” echo his classic 1970’s songwriter stylings.

“Steve is a madman, and it’s really not fair,” Baumert said.

Drummer Osborne was a member of the band Big Catholic Guilt, which was big in Europe, Baumert said. Listen to “All About You” and “West On I-10” to hear his range.

Baumert and Getty said their favorite from this CD is track No. 12, “Cascades Run-Off,” an instrumental piece, featuring slide guitar. The track came together in about a half-hour — five takes — they said.

“It was just one of those wonderful mistakes,” Getty said.

The music and recording quality heard in “Stereo Biplane” reflect that they seem to hold a high standard for what has become a Thursday night hobby, or what Getty likes to call “bowling night.” The members gather at the studio, crack open a cold beer, hang out for a bit and then dive into laying a bass line or finessing a beat in the editing room.

“You work at it until you’re not embarrassed about it anymore,” Baumert said.

Getty and Baumert attributed the band’s cohesiveness partially to the fact that it’s very part-time work. They all are married and work day jobs.

“Together seven years and never had an argument,” Getty said.

As a systems and analytics kind of guy, Baumert spends his days at Microsoft looking at data. He summed up his experience with Sparkfarmer by comparing data analysis and songwriting.

“This is a different way to process and analyze what life’s throwing at you,” Baumert said. “It’s a marriage.”

Getty practically finished his sentence.

“But we have a good one,” Getty said.

“Stereo Biplane” is available online at www.sparkfarmer.com.

Christopher Huber: 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

For this special event, Matassa will ask Wilke about his career and perform some of Wilke’s favorite jazz songs. Also on the bandstand will be Darin Clendenin on piano and Clipper Anderson on bass.

Dinner for this performance will be served at 6 p.m.; the tribute will begin at 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $15.

Wilke’s radio program, “Jazz After Hours,” has been running on Friday and Saturday nights for the past 25 years.

The show, broadcast nationally on NPR and PRI, features an array of jazz from new releases by contemporary artists to classic recordings from jazz greats.

Throughout the years, Wilke’s guest list has included luminaries such as Ray Brown, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Henderson, Milt Jackson, Diana Krall, Benny Green and Maria Schneider.

In addition to “Jazz After Hours,” Wilke also produces the weekly program “Jazz Northwest,” broadcast on KPLU. “Jazz Northwest” features live jazz recordings of regional artists on location at festivals, concert venues, nightspots and other locales.

Wilke has won numerous awards for broadcasting excellence and was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame in 1993. He was the first nonmusician to receive the prestigious recognition.

Learn more here.

Issaquah native Anya Matanovic stars as Nannetta in the Seattle Opera’s production of ‘Falstaff.’ By Bill Mohn

Reprising a role from her first years as an opera singer, Issaquah native Anya Matanovic will grace Seattle with her voice again in Seattle Opera’s comedy “Falstaff” Feb. 27 – March 13.

“Working with Anya is always a treat. Her intelligence and charm shine through in this role, which also showcases her beautiful voice,” Director Peter Kazaras wrote in an e-mail. “It has been inspiring to watch Anya mature and master the technical difficulties of this intricate score. I think she is a perfect Nannetta.”

While she lives in Manhattan, Issaquah is the city Matanovic said she calls home.

“Issaquah holds many memories for me,” she wrote in an e-mail interview. “I have family, friends and a unique community who supported me in my journey as a musician.”

The Matanovics moved to Issaquah in 1984 and became woven into the city’s fabric by starting The Pomegranate Center, a design and community building nonprofit organization, where she spent many years volunteering through her 1999 graduation from Issaquah High School and undergraduate studies at University of Southern California.

It was at home and in Issaquah schools where she said she found a love of singing.

Q: How long have you been singing?

A: I began singing at age 5 with my family. My father Milenko wrote music for classical children’s poetry and together with my older sister Katya and my father and mother Kathi we recorded several albums. We sang as a family until I was 14. I was also very lucky to be a part of the music program during my time at Issaquah High School, under the direction of Lavonne Watson, singing in musicals and the Vocal Jazz and Hi-tones ensembles.

Q: What styles most appeal to you?

A: I enjoy listening to many styles of music, but there is something in the operatic human voice that stirs me in a way nothing else has matched.

Q: When did you develop an interest in the opera?

A: My mother gave me a CD for my 16th birthday of Maria Callas. Up to this point I had not been interested in opera, though my voice teacher at the time insisted I had a voice for it. I was painting my bedroom and I decided to put the Callas album on. I didn’t turn it off for three days — it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, and though I had no clue what she was singing about, I had tears in my eyes. I knew from that moment if there was a chance I could make even one person feel that same way, this was the work I wanted to do.

Q: What is it about opera singing that appeals most to you?

A: That I might be able to lift people out of their everyday lives. That the power of the human voice in combination with glorious music can transport people to an elevated emotional state. It is thrilling to be a part of that.

Q: What does it mean to you to reprise your role in “Falstaff” as an adult with the Seattle Opera?

A: It is very significant for me. I consider Seattle Opera my hometown opera. When I was in high school, I told myself that I was going to be in the young artist program at Seattle Opera. Six years later, I was in it! This company has nurtured me and believed in me, and I feel honored that they have asked me to make my debut in this opera, with such a terrific cast. And it is very special to have so many friends and my family close by to share it with me!

Q: What would you like audiences to take away from your performance in “Falstaff?”

A: It’s a comedy and it moves at breakneck speed, so I hope that we give the audience an evening where they can laugh and enjoy themselves while listening to delicious music. And I hope that we create a few new opera fans in the process.

Issaquah photographer David Honan visits the Train Depot to take more photos of his favorite subject - trains. By Greg Farrar

Trains aren’t just David Honan’s business. They’re his passion.

At 28, Honan is the winner of this year’s Trains Magazine photography contest.

“He’s just a wonderful and a very nice person,” said Bobbie Olin, an Issaquah resident who rides the bus to work with him each day. “This is definitely an honor to get selected for this as the grand prize winner.

By day, Honan works as a civil engineer for HDR Engineers in Bellevue, where he primarily designs railroads and infrastructure related to railroad operations.

“It’s been very rewarding to work on a number of local passenger rail projects, which, when complete, will benefit transit users in the region for years to come,” he wrote in an e-mail.

Honan grew up in New York, but graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana.

His interest in trains developed long before working with trains when he moved here four years ago, as he explained in an e-mail interview.

Q: When did you first have an interest in trains?

A: I’ve liked railroads for, literally, as long as I can remember. As best as anyone in my family can recall, it was my paternal grandfather who exposed me to trains and helped develop my interest. I have fond memories of him taking me to both the local railroad yard and airport to watch trains and planes; obviously the former made more of an impact upon me.

Q: How did you get involved in train photography?

His photo ‘Bridging the Gap’ won first place in a Trains Magazine contest.

A: I come from a family of mostly artists, so the desire to document what I see is naturally ingrained. I determined long ago that the illustration gene wasn’t passed down, and eventually, I started taking photos as a means to preserve memories of what I saw and share those memories with others.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your photography?

A: Photography gives me the desire to explore new locales and, by extension, allows me to meet new people. I would not have seen many amazing places nor befriended numerous wonderful folks if not for my enthusiasm for traveling and experiencing sights yet unseen.

Q: What is special about the locomotive and train industry, that speaks to you as an artist?

A: I’m impressed that there are always inherent challenges to constructing any railroad line. Much of my work does not showcase merely a train, but instead places the subject within the greater context of its surroundings.

Q: What do you hope others gain from your photos?

A: I would hope that viewers of my work experience the same sense of awe I feel when seeing a beautiful scene.

Q: Do any other types of photography interest you?

A: I enjoy taking advantage of unusual lighting conditions to create unique images; perfect sunlight is absolutely not a requirement for making interesting photos, and working outside that supposed requirement is always a delightful challenge.

Q: What does the honor in Trains Magazine mean to you?

A: Trains Magazine has been publishing the work of the best railroad photographers — Richard Steinheimer, Ted Benson, O. Winston Link — for seven decades, and to have my photo featured on the same pages as those legends is an incredible honor. This is without a doubt my greatest achievement as a photographer.

Q: How and where can other people see your work?

A: The March 2010 issue of Trains Magazine featuring the photo contest winners is currently on newsstands.

Honan also maintains a portfolio featuring his work on Flickr and contributes photos with a railroad in them to RailPictures.net.

The award-winning photograph, “Bridging the Gap,” was taken at 9:30 p.m. in March as an example of how engineering can create a solution to overcome an obstacle, Honan said in the description in Trains Magazine. In this case, Honan captured a train crossing the Foss River Bridge, which connects the railway over a valley in Skykomish. It was a challenging piece of engineering, because it had to keep the trains moving at a steady grade, he said of the photo.

For his photograph, Honan won a Canon EOS 50D digital SLR camera with an EF 28-135 millimeter lens. He will also attend the 32nd Winterail Railroad Photography and Railroadiana exhibition show in Stockton, Calif., on March 13. While in California, he’ll spend a day railfanning with Brian Matsumoto, from Cannon U.S.A., and Kathi Kube, managing editor of Trains Magazine.

On the Web

Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/dwhonan

RailPictures.net: www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=33955

Chantelle Lusebrink: 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Pretty good, especially if you consider that the annual Spring Opener Car Show May 16 actually used to kick off the yearly schedule. This year, the schedule has its earliest kickoff ever, with the fourth annual Swedish Car Cruise choosing the XXX for its event.

Enciso said there are four new events on the 2010 schedule:

-The first Jeep Wrangler & 4×4 Roundup on April 18 (“I’m pretty excited about this one,” Jose said. “It’s the Northwest with its rain and mud. They go together like root beer and ice cream.”

-The Topless N.W. Convertibles & More Show on June 13 (“This is actually an all-women’s club. They thought it’d be a pretty catchy name to get attention.”

-Volkswagen Fall Fling on Oct. 17 (“These guys just used to show up unofficially on their own, that we finally put them on the schedule.”

-And the first Blood, Sweat & Gears Blood Drive on Oct. 24.

As excited as Enciso is about all the shows, it’s the Blood, Sweat & Gears event that has his antenna raised the most.

“It’s going to be a blood drive in collaboration with Virginia Mason, with a Halloween theme to benefit the American Red Cross,” Enciso said.

Owners of all cars and makes are welcome to the all-day show and encouraged to arrive in costume. Unlike the rest of the free shows throughout the year, there will be a $15 registration fee, or participants can donate blood. Enciso promises to have the docs from the bloodmobile dressed appropriately as vampires.

“So, everyone is invited to come on down and do the monster mash with us,” Enciso said.

As full as the schedule is for 2010, Enciso is already looking forward to expanding it by one night for 2011.

“For next year, we’re going to do a first annual Saturday Night Sock Hop,” he said. “There will be a stage set up with a live band. We’ll be open until midnight. And everyone is invited to come dressed in their best 1950’s and ’60’s look.”

Look for the event to be added sometime in summer 2011.

2010 car show schedule

All car shows are at XXX Rootbeer Drive-In, 98 N.E. Gilman Blvd., and start at 8 a.m., unless otherwise noted.

Feb. 14 — Fourth annual Swedish Car Cruise, 9 a.m.

March 14 — Stangnation.com second anniversary show

March 21 — Volkswagen Cruise-In, noon

March 28 — NWMotoring.com Spring Fling, 9 a.m.

April 11 — Fourth annual All Emergency Vehicles Show

April 18 — Jeep Wrangler & 4×4 Roundup

April 24 — Vintage Military Vehicles Show, 11 a.m.

April 25 — All Italian Car Show

May 2 — All Porsche Show

May 16 — Spring Opener Car Show

May 23 — Old Rides Car Show

June 6 — Burgers and BMWs

June 13 — Topless N.W. Convertibles & More Show

June 20 — Fenders on Front Street

June 27 — Boulevard CC Custom Car Show

July 4 — Trucks, Buses, Station Wagons Show

July 11 — All Chevy Show

July 18 — Burgers & Bikes of All Types

July 25 — Cascade Cougar Club Prowl

Aug. 1 — N.W. Corvair & Orphaned Cars

Aug. 8 — N.W Muscle Car Show

Aug. 15 — NWCCC 55, 56, 57 Chevy Show

Aug. 22 — All Corvette Show

Aug. 23 — Vintage Chevy Club Show, 5 p.m.

Sept. 5 — 14th annual Rat Bastards Rat Rod Show

Sept. 12 — Fourth annual Al Ford Car Show

Sept. 19 — Mopar and More Show

Sept. 26 — Second Mini Cooper Show

Oct. 10 — Magnums, Chargers, 300s & Challengers, noon

Oct. 17 — Volkswagen Fall Fling, noon

Oct. 23 — PT Cruisers Pumpkin Bash, 10 a.m.

Oct. 24 — First Blood, Sweat & Gears Blood Drive, 10 a.m.

Dec. 5 — Ninth annual Jingle Bell Cruz/Toys for Tots, noon

David Hayes: dhayes@isspress.com, 392-6434, ext. 237. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

The city Arts Commission and 4Culture, King County’s cultural services agency, will screen the train-themed flick as part of the Films @ the Train Depot! program.

The next train-centric film will be shown March 13. Organizers will screen “The Lady Vanishes,” a 1938 Alfred Hitchcock thriller about a woman who disappears on a train.

Films @ the Train Depot! launched in October with a lineup built around the theme “Made in Washington.” Audiences turned out for “The Egg and I,” a 1947 comedy about a society girl whose new husband convinces her to move to the country and start a chicken farm; “Singles,” a 1992 film, written and directed by Cameron Crowe about singles life in early ‘90s Seattle; and “Smoke Signals,” the tale of two young American Indian men on a life journey. The series wrapped in December.

Reading the script and discussing a scene for ‘Eyes in the Dark’ are (from left) actress Melinda Ausserer, assistant director Robyn Scaringi, actor Jason Robison, director Bjorn Anderson, actor Wayne Bastrup and actor John Symonds. Contributed

On his 26th birthday, Issaquah resident Bjorn Anderson walked into work at the Home Depot and gave his two weeks’ notice. He wanted to pursue his dream of making movies. He started his first script the same day.

“I figured I was young enough that if I was ever going to do it, it would have to be now,” Anderson said.

He never had any formalized film training, but said he watched movies with a critical eye for years.

“I could pay money for film school or pay money for actual film and learn as I go,” Anderson said.

He chose the latter.Five years later, Anderson has released his second feature-length film, “Eyes in the Dark.” The horror story follows seven college students to a cabin for the weekend; they find a hidden cave and adventure surrounding it.

The young director pitched the idea for “Eyes in the Dark” in 2007 to Joseph Cole and Mike Ash, two friends who worked on Anderson’s first movie, “Warrior’s End.”

“That’s part of the pre-production process — convincing everyone that it’ll be worth their time and fun,” Anderson said.

Auditions were held in April 2008 and filming began in June. Issaquah resident Maureen Francisco was one of the actors cast. Francisco has dabbled in other forms of media, but this was her first film.

“I’ve been in numerous commercials and I wanted to really stretch myself,” Francisco said. “I’ve always loved storytelling.”

Anderson recruited friends, local actors and even his parents to work on the project. As with many independent films, the director funded the project and everyone involved worked without pay.

“We’d love to have money to pay people and spend money on food and transportation, but with an independent film, you always have to make hard choices,” Anderson said. “You don’t always get the gourmet stuff. Sometimes, for lunch, you get peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

Anderson augments his income by working as a property manager on the plateau and making videos for clients with Emerald City Pictures, a production company he started in 2008. He’s done weddings, corporate videos and a charity fundraising film.

As a new director, he said he had to “fake it” a lot.

“The first time out, I had no idea what I was doing,” he said.

Filming for “Eyes in the Dark” was mostly finished by the end of summer 2008, but editing the footage had just begun. Anderson added a few story lines and refined the plot.

“That’s one of the hardest parts with filmmaking — letting it go,” he said.

Finally, on Nov 5, 2009, “Eyes in the Dark” premiered at the Rendezvous’ Jewel Box in Seattle to a sold-out audience.

“I don’t remember a whole lot of it, because I was nervous and working the whole time. Most of the time while watching it I kept putting down things that needed to be improved, notes,” he said. “I guess I knew the whole time we still had work to do on it.”

Completing the film was an accomplishment in itself, but the next step is taking it to a film festival. The production team entered “Eyes in the Dark” into Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival, but won’t know the lineup until spring.

Robyn Scaringi, a producer and video editor, hopes to see the film picked up by a distributor.

“If I could see that ‘Eyes in the Dark’ was something you could rent at Blockbuster or Netflix — that’s my idea of success for the film,” Scaringi said.

Anderson dreams that one day his work will all pay off, or pay for itself, but he doesn’t think he’ll move to Hollywood.

“I really think there’s a lot of talent up here in the Seattle area that remains untapped,” he said. “As far as location, it’s hard to beat the Washington area. Seattle’s my home, so I can’t really see myself moving away from here.”

Emily Fairbrook is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.

Jeremy Owen strips down to just his voice and his guitar in his new CD, ‘Rum of Faith.’ Julianne Masters

Jeremy Owen has worked hard to train his voice to be his best instrument. If, instead, he’d allowed his career track to be influenced by his failures, he might not be releasing his fourth CD, let alone his first.

“I have been humiliated off more stages on open mic nights than I can count,” said the Issaquah resident. “And each time, I said I’d never do that again. Then, one day, no one was complaining.”

Having performed for just about every type of audience, Owen said his latest CD, “Rum of Faith,” marks a return to the music best enjoyed by a smaller, more intimate audience. That’s why he chose to debut it at Vino Bella, with its intimate café setting.

While “Rum of Faith” is a return to an all-acoustic set, Owen described his music that can be tweaked to be enjoyed by any crowd, from heavy metal to country.Owen, who’ll be 40 in March, is at a stage in his career where he’s no longer the starving musician. His job in audio/video installation and maintenance for high-end homes keeps him gainfully employed.

“I like to call myself a glorified VCR installer,” he deadpanned.

Plus, with no regrets in having missed the whole “American Idol” craze, Owen’s also not looking for that big break or discovery by a big record mogul.

“A, that never happens. B, it’s already happened to me. And C, once you’re not desperate to put out material, you can concentrate on producing the music you like,” he said.

About that “already happened” part — Owen said that in 1996, while playing guitar at a bar in Edmonds, he met a millionaire. As the story goes, the man so enjoyed the type of music Owen was playing, he told Owen to call him the following Monday and he’d help pay to produce his music.

Thinking it was a lark, Owen said he called anyway. The man did indeed give him $15,000 to produce music. Not many months later, he died of cancer, but left a lasting impression on Owen.

“It was one of the neatest things in my life,” he said.

Having inherited the music bug from his father, Owen has performed solo and in bands, with his younger brother at times, before returning to his latest project. (He’s also working on a blues album and a country album.) Helping him produce his side projects is his wife, Juli.

“I had a steadfast rule while performing to never date the groupies,” he said. “Of course, the one time I break that rule, I married her.”

Juli, an employee of The Boeing Co., produced “Rum of Faith.”

“She’s more supportive of my music than I am,” he said. “She likes to see me get on the stage and play.”

The title of the album comes from the time he was visiting a college and his friend Pat was performing a song Owen really enjoyed. When he asked more about the song, “Rum of Faith,” at first Pat didn’t know which song he was inquiring about. Then, it dawned on him — he meant “Realm of Faith.”

“I said good, and went home and wrote my song,” he recalled.

Regardless which genre of music audience he’s performing for, Owen said he likes to carry forward one song from each previous album to keep a level of continuity from one to the next. For “Rum of Faith,” that song is “7 Seas Cowboys,” a tune dedicated to his older brother who was a member of a fishing crew whose vessel sank in the Bering Sea. Although he’d helped save lives, the incident left him wheelchair bound and he passed away five years later.

“Rum of Faith” is a raw album, where Owen wears his emotions on his sleeve for all to hear. He calls it his “anti-radio” CD, free of the overused pitch correction used on many other overproduced albums.

“I can’t stand that,” he said. “It’s cheating. Les Paul once basically said if you can entertain a room full of people with just you and your guitar, then you’re doing something right.”

If you go

Jeremy Owen CD release party

6-9 p.m. Jan. 28

Vino Bella, 99 Front St. N.

‘Rum of Faith’ is available at www.jtowen.com.

David Hayes: dhayes@isspress.com, 392-6434, ext. 237. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.

Vampires, werewolves and “Twilight” fans — otherwise known as Twihards — will descend on Seattle in the next few days. Although Issaquah is no Forks — the Olympic Peninsula city where the epic series is set — The Issaquah Press will have a front-row seat for the supernatural gathering.

Come along: Follow The Issaquah Press on Twitter @twilight_press to the Official Twilight Fan Convention in Seattle, Jan. 15-17. Expect exclusive photos and updates from convention activities. Find the convention-only Twitter feed here.

If you feel like meeting a creature up close, events will be held at The Westin Seattle, 1900 Fifth St. The convention, presented by Summit Entertainment and Creation Entertainment, will offer attendees a chance to immerse themselves in the “Twilight” saga.

The gathering will feature onstage appearances by “Twilight” celebrities, exclusive footage screenings, panel discussions, vampire-themed parties, musical performances, costume and trivia competitions, auctions, autographing, merchandising and photo opportunities, “Twilight” merchandise — and more.

Learn more about the convention here. Buy general admission tickets at the convention Web site. Tickets will be $20 at the door for Jan. 15 and $25 for Jan. 16-17. The convention will run from 1-7 p.m. Jan. 15, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Jan. 16 and noon – 7 p.m. Jan. 17.

The event will feature onstage appearances by “Twilight” stars including Peter Facinelli a.k.a. Dr. Carlisle Cullen on Jan. 15; Daniel Cubmore, Felix in “New Moon” and “Eclipse,” and Charlie Bewley, Volturi tracker Demetri, on Jan. 16; Chaske Spencer (Sam Uley in “New Moon”), Kiowa Gordon (wolf pack, Embry Call), Bronson Pelletier (wolf pack, Jared) and Alex Meraz, who portrays Paul in “New Moon,” on Jan. 17.

Facinelli will host a concert in the evening Jan. 16. A vampire ball where attendees can dress in their finest vampire attire and dance the night away will be held Jan. 17. A separate ticket is required for both events. Tickets for the concert cost $20; general admission tickets to the ball are $89.