It was a big year in arts and entertainment in Southern Illinois. In fact, it was so big, it proved now, more than ever, if you can't find something to do around here, it's your own fault.

From music to art to theater, from rock to country to alternative, from paintings to sculpture and from comedy to drama, there was a little something for everyone.

It's hard to condense an entire year, but we tried. Here are the 20 best things in art and entertainment in 2008.

Another Beatle comes to Southern Illinois

Pete Best plays Benton Beatle Fest

More than 40 years after George Harrison's visit to Benton, one of his former bandmates came to town to perform at the festival named in the late guitarist's honor. Pete Best, Ringo Starr's predecessor, was the Beatles' drummer for the two years leading up to the band's signing with Capitol Records.

It was a landmark performance for the fest, which has been growing steadily since its inception after Harrison's death in 2001. Best's group, The Pete Best Band, played fan favorites as well as selections from their new album, "Hayman's Green."

In an interview with Flipside, Best spoke about his career; specifically, his time with the group who would go on to become the most influential of all time, including the subject of his controversial firing, which has remained a mystery all these years later.

"I stopped worrying about what the reason for the dismissal was many, many, many years ago," Best said. "Simply because the fact is, there's more to life than looking back over your shoulder all the time. I think once you understand that, your priorities change and simple things in life become important."

'Putting art in the heart of Carbondale'

Varsity Theater re-opens as Varsity Center for the Arts

One of the biggest events in the arts this year was the reopening of the former Varsity theater after a five-year dormancy.

The Stage Co. took control of the 68-year-old building in February. In May, the partnership between the longtime community theater troupe and Carbondale Community Arts in the restoration and use of the Varsity Center for the Arts was announced.

Its first production, Neil Simon's "The Star-Spangled Girl" opened in October to sell-out crowds in the newly converted east theater, marking the completion of phase two of a four-phase project.

The Varsity was built by Rodgers Theater Circuit in 1940 with a single screen and 1,100 seats in a two-tiered auditorium. After its purchase by Kerasotes Theaters in the late 1960s, the main theater was split into two, with one screen placed at the foot of what used to be the balcony.

During renovations to add a third screen in 1981, a construction worker's blowtorch caught fire, gutting the main auditorium and causing $250,000 in damage.

As well as being a movie house, at times the Varsity building also included a grocery store, drugstore, grill and arcade.

The remaining phases are expected to be completed in 2012, as the projected $4.5 million in funds are raised. Reopening the theater has been a widespread concern in Carbondale since its closure in 2003.

When the marquee was re-lit before opening night of "Star Spangled Girl," it was a signal that breathed new life into the arts in Carbondale and Southern Illinois.

"This is how you get things done," said Jack Langowski, chair of the development board for the Varsity Center.

Tasting even more of the good life

Shawnee Hills Wine Trail expands

It's always good to have options, and if you're a regular on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, this year saw the addition of three new stops for you to wet your whistle. Joining the existing nine wineries are Hickory Ridge Vineyard and Winery in Pomona, Orlandini Vineyard in Makanda and Rustle Hill Winery in Cobden. Each of the additions give new dimensions to the trail in terms of flavor, entertainment and scenery.

The stars align at SIUC

Southern Lights Entertainment begins its inaugural season

If you're looking for big names and bright stars, Southern Illinois University Carbondale may have become an observatory this year.

SIU Event Services' new vehicle for promoting events at Shryock Auditorium and SIU Arena, "Southern Lights Entertainment," debuted this fall with quite a lineup for its inaugural 2008-09 season.

B.B. King began the series at SIU Arena in October, followed by performances by Vicki Lawrence and Crystal Gayle.

At the news conference in April announcing the venture, SIUC Chancellor Sam Goldman said one of the university's greatest contributions to the region is in the performing arts, not just for students and teachers, but for the community.

"That is an important aspect of what the university is all about," Goldman said.

Bryan Rives, the director of event services, praised the rich history of the performing arts at SIUC and said he was hoping Southern Lights Entertainment would be successful enough to promote events year-round, not just seasonally.

"We specifically selected entertainers that are known to the community," Rives said. "We wanted every act to have that 'wow' factor."

Revisiting the Golden Age

Liberty Theater's offers 'Old Movie Nights"

In the same year the Varsity theater was reopened to host live performances, its one time little cousin, the Liberty Theater, went back to its roots. The former movie house brought back days gone by with its "Old Movie Nights," showing a film from cinema's heyday once a month. John Wayne and Audrey Hepburn made their appearances on the Liberty screen for the first time in many years.

In December, audiences were treated to Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye's holiday classic, "White Christmas." They have a real popcorn popper and only ask for donations at the door, so you get the full nostalgic experience.

From the national scene to a smaller stage

Wayne Hancock and Southern Culture on the Skids bring 'alt-country' to Hangar 9

Hangar 9 played host to two of the best concerts of the year in Southern Illinois, ones that rocked and rolled and everything in between. Alt-country heroes Wayne "The Train" Hancock and Southern Culture on the Skids brought a diverse range of influences to town, and both spoke with Flipside about the melting pot which became their particular sounds.

"I personally had grown up, partly in the southeast, lots of Southern things, and Southern music," said SCOTUS frontman Rick Miller. "And then we moved to California and I got introduced to surf music, and Mexican music and the punk rock thing, you know, things like that. I'd have to come back in the summers and I'd work in my dad's mobile home factory and it'd be like everything from George Jones to P-Funk to the Allman Brothers, you know."

"My parents were both born in the '20s. So, we had all this really cool music around the house," Hancock said. "We had some Hank Williams records and we also had just a whole bunch of big band, swing and Broadway showtunes, you know, which you might be able to hear some of that in my songs."

Bringing the arts to everyone

Cedarhurst Center for the Arts expands

One of the jewels of the Southern Illinois art community got an upgrade this year. The Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mount Vernon has been an important hub of learning for the region since the Mitchell Museum first opened in 1972.

Local philanthropists John R. and Eleanor R. Mitchell were active collectors for more than four decades, acquiring a highly prized collection of late 19th and early 20th century American paintings, sculpture and decorative arts.

It was their estate that formed the basis of The Permanent Collection of the museum, which includes works by Thomas Eakins, Robert Henri, William Glackens, George Luks, John Sloan, Arthur B. Davies and Maurice Prendergast, members of The Eight; Childe Hassam and J. Alden Weir, members of The Ten; and Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent, among others.

In October, Cedarhurst unveiled an $8 million expansion that added 23,000 square feet of space to the facility, including two new exhibition galleries, a new 3,850 square-foot performance hall and a new Family Education Center, in addition to the renovation of the Main Gallery, the Museum Gift Shop and a new building for the Creative Art Center.

"We're certainly a gem in Southern Illinois," said Jennifer Sarver, Cedarhurst's director of education.

Local boys make good

Three from Southern Illinois leave their mark

This year, Flipside featured three Southern Illinoisans who moved on to make their mark on the big screen, the little screen and the Broadway stage.

Steven Sawalich, who was born in Carbondale and grew up in West Frankfort, saw the release of his first feature, "Music Within." Starring Ron Livingston of "Office Space" and "Sex and the City," it was based on the inspirational story of a Vietnam vet who overcomes disability to be a champion for others, becoming a key activist behind the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Benton High School graduate Jonathan Browning, who has had acting roles on NBC's "The Office" and "How I Met Your Mother" on CBS as well as performing stand-up comedy, saw his short film "The Job," which has garnered international acclaim, enter in competition at the Big Muddy Film Festival at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Christopher Jackson was born in Metropolis and raised in Cairo, leaving right out of high school to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. In Southern Illinois, he began cultivating his theatrical career, dabbling in community theater with a few shows at Shawnee College and at McLeod Theater as part of the chorus of "Hello Dolly" in 1993.

Jackson joined the cast of the show "In the Heights" in 2002. It quickly became an audience phenomenon and a critical success, luring both traditional and non-traditional theatergoers with its unique mix of contemporary music and modern themes.

After more than 200 performances, "In The Heights" played its final off-Broadway show in July 2007, and moved to Broadway in February of this year, winning a Tony award for Best Musical.

"One part about being from a very small town like Cairo is that I got to know everybody," Jackson said, "and I think that experience sort of helps you discern the things that are the most important in life, which is character and the qualities that make a good person a good person."

Sit back and relax

New wine fests offer a leisurely afternoon

In addition to the activity on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, there were two new wine fests in the area in 2008, which brought the fruit of the vineyard into town.

In July, Carbondale Main Street's first annual Art and Wine Fair featured 40 artists from the region, wine tasting and music by Ivas John Band and Sharon Clark at the town square.

Also that month, Friends of Murphysboro hosted the first Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Wine and Arts Festival at Riverside Park. Bands like the Bourbon Knights and Etherton Switch performed in the Murphysboro park's historic bandshell while attendees sampled wine from trail and purchased art from various vendors.

Lay down your weary tune

Redbud Hill offers home away from home for musicians and listeners

Although there are many great venues for music in Southern Illinois, one stands out as being the coziest of them all.

Randy and Gaye Auxier began hosting concerts in their home in Murphysboro in 2002. In the last six years, they've had about 40 shows in the spacious living room in their large red brick house on North Ninth Street, affectionately referred to as "Redbud Hill."

"Sometimes we get people who haven't been to a house concert before and they're kind of timid," Gaye said. "Then they end up just talking about how much they enjoyed it and how cool a thing it is and how neat to see people in such an intimate environment."

This year, they hosted such nationally touring artists as Karen Mal, Greg Klyma, Chris Chandler, John Flynn, Edge City, Truckstop Honeymoon, Mark Stuart and Cliff Eberhart.

The Auxiers are longtime supporters of folk music artists and local music. Both of them have radio shows on Carbondale's community radio station, WDBX. Randy hosts the "Folk Fiasco" show Wednesday mornings and Gaye hosts "T.G.I. Folk" on Friday afternoons.

As they have developed relationships with various musicians over the years, when a performer has a few days between shows and they are passing through the area, they may stay at Redbud Hill for a couple of nights.

"This is the hotel for wayward musicians, much more so than it is a house concert venue," Randy said.

Bringing a touch of class to Southern Illinois

The SI Music Fest

If you were looking for performances by world class musicians playing beautiful and complex pieces, you needn't go to St. Louis or Chicago in 2008.

In its fourth year, the Southern Illinois Music Festival brought music to the area's backyards that you normally have to go to "the big city" to hear.

Over a 20-day period, there were more than 50 performances across Southern Illinois, featuring jazz, folk, bluegrass, chamber music, ballet, opera and an orchestra with professional musicians.

The 2008 fest featured Christine Brewer, a Grammy award-winning, world-renowned soprano, and David Kim, concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Although the heart of the Southern Illinois Music Festival was at Shryock Auditorium, the festival branched out into neighboring communities all over the area.

In addition to Carbondale, there were performances in towns as far-ranging as Cairo, Mount Vernon, Ullin and Du Quoin.

Edward Benyas, the founder and artistic director of the fest, said this branching out has been part of the festival's mission from the beginning.

"Classical music's not something people naturally listen to in the summertime, but if you take the music to them, they're more likely to come to Carbondale during the year," he said.

Midwest Music Fest

SIUC's Digital Dog Records presents second annual series

It may seem like a lot of fun to put together a music festival, but for the second year, Digital Dog Records did quite a bit of work so everyone else could enjoy the fruits of their labor.

2007's fest featured 11 bands over two nights. 2008 expanded it to 26 bands over six nights.

The lineup for the festival covered just about every aspect of the local music scene. There were alternative acts such as the Spokesmen, the Black Fortys, Secondary Modern and the Himalayas; punk bands like Nu Standards, the Conniption Fitts and Dammit Boys; Zuul, a metal band; Poon Twang, a country band; and hip-hop acts the Skinny Dips and Hyphenate.

This year also featured an expanded number of national acts such as Shirock, out of Nashville, Tenn.; the Buzzkills from Bloomington, Ind.; Dallas Alice from Louisville, Ky.; and Blueprint with Rhymesayers Entertainment and Greenhouse Effect from Columbus, Ohio.

Another important part of this year's festival was a free industry panel discussion, "Good Times, Bad Times for the Global Music Industry," featuring Dan Keen, the vice-president of ASCAP, legendary A & R executive, Don Grierson, and producer and engineer, Rob Chiarelli. Todd Herreman, faculty adviser for Digital Dog, said this type of forum, along with a mixing workshop, are steps to putting Carbondale on the map as a sort of "South by Southwest" in the Midwest.

"To make it more than just bands at local venues," Herreman said, "how can we incorporate discussion on some really compelling and key current event in the music business and establish an educational component to the festival?

"We decided to kick it off with some pretty high-level industry people in here to discuss, explore and examine some of the issues that are going on right now that down the road are going to affect musicians, songwriters, publishers and producers in a pretty big way."

Returning to the past

John A. Logan College 's 'A 1940s Radio Christmas' receives an encore

At a time of year steeped in tradition, where waxing nostalgic is a given, John A. Logan College brought back a new twist on old standards.

Two years ago, Nathan Arnett, choral director and instructor of music at John A. Logan College, came up with an idea to do something different than the traditional Christmas show. His love of music from the 1940s era led him to research more about the time period. As ideas collected in his head, Arnett learned more about the old radio shows that entertained families before television. He began looking for a specific show that incorporated all of his ideas, but eventually decided on something bigger. "A 1940s Radio Christmas" was born.

Collected within the framework of what a live variety show might have been in that era, the performance includes choral music, ensemble pieces and live commercials, as well as the centerpiece of the evening, a recreation of an episode of "Fibber McGee and Molly."

"I've never repeated anything I've personally directed," Arnett said. "This was so popular and this time of the year is laced with so much nostalgia, I thought, well, I'll try to do an encore.

"There are a lot of colleges that do an annual kind of performance. I'm curious to see if this is one of those kinds of shows."

A place for art

Hughes Gallery opens in Murphysboro

In December, the Hughes Gallery, part of the neighborhood that is owned and being restored by Gen. John A. Logan Museum, opened its doors as part of "Murphysboro Hometown Christmas," a weekend of coordinated holiday events. It's a space designed to give artists from all over the region a place to display their work.

Constructed around 1885, it was purchased by the Hughes family in the 1890s. The patriarch was a county surveyor who died in the 1920s, which is around the same time the family moved out.

Exhibit space is in the front part of the old house, while the back is a studio where artist Darren Fink is currently in residence.

In June, the Hughes Gallery will house the Logan Days photo contest, as it did this year. The museum wants to make it available as space for artists to run two-month shows. The museum is looking for a crew of volunteers to have a set viewing hour schedule in place.

"The museum board had a strong desire to help the arts and the artistic community in Murphysboro," said Mike Jones, director of Logan Museum. "It's part of our plan to create public spaces in the Logan neighborhood, adaptive reuse of these houses, restore the exteriors and make decisions on the interiors of how we want to use them."

Fun in the sun

Sunset Concert series celebrates 30 years

Summer in Southern Illinois has been defined by one thing the last 30 years: Sunset Concerts.

"It's the one place to be," said Don Castle, Student Programming Council faculty adviser and assistant director of the SIUC Student Center.

The Sunset Concerts are a joint venture between Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Student Center, SPC, the city of Carbondale and the Carbondale Park District. The shows' venues alternate week to week between the steps of SIUC's Shryock Auditorium and Turley Park.

When planning for the series, Castle said they have basically stuck with a format people have come to know and really like, having a different genre of music each week in the alternating venues.

Seven concerts mean seven genres to represent, which is not necessarily an easy task. Castle said they are looking for acts year-round, sometimes filing bands away to look at for the next year.

"It has its own identity now," Castle said. "One of our strategies is to not tweak it too much."

A leg up

Mcleod's 'A Christmas Story' gets props for intricate design

The SIUC Department of Theater outdid itself this year with an adaptation of the beloved holiday movie, "A Christmas Story."

Credit for this can be given to the intricate detail of Ron Naverson, associate professor of scenic design at SIUC, who designed the set, and William Snyder, a graduate student in theater who was the prop master for the show.

The play ran for two weekends to sellout crowds, bringing the story of Ralphie, his family and his BB gun to life beyond the endless television repeats.

"It's a very sentimental, humorous show," Naverson said. "I'm glad we didn't try to do anything more with it. I think it's just supposed to be about memories and happy times and the silliness of growing up."

Stepping out

Black Fortys take the national stage

There was one local band who stood out this year, the Black Fortys. It really wasn't even close.

After releasing the EP, "Jnana Veda," in June, the Carbondale-based quintet was one of 15 college acts at the American Eagle Outfitters Festival, playing alongside headliners Bob Dylan, Spoon and Gnarls Barkley.

The band rocked the festival, finishing first and winning recording time with producer Brian Deck at Engine Studios in Chicago. They used to opportunity to record another EP, "Kaskaskia Island," which they currently have available at shows.

Standing on the rock

CCM founding fathers Randy Stonehill and Phil Keaggy return to Marion

The Marion Cultural and Civic Center has played host to many legends of contemporary Christian music over the years, and two of those returned in 2008, revisiting the area with a focus on their large bodies of work and reminding fans of their continued importance.

Phil Keaggy came to town as part of a tour celebrating the re-release of his classic album, "The Master and the Musician."

"That was really my first effort as an instrumental project," Keaggy said. "For someone that was associated with Christian music in the '70s, it was unusual for a musician to do an all-instrumental album."

In a year that saw the loss of Larry Norman, who some would call the "father" of CCM, a performance by his one-time protégé, Randy Stonehill, helped to recapture the magic of those early days.

"We just knew that God was up to something. He was using music and we got to be in the middle of it," Stonehill said. "We had no idea where it was going or how long it would last. If there's one thing I miss about those days, it's that."

Bringing back 'old school'

All American wrestlers offer family-friendly entertainment alternative

If you turn on the television, it's plain to see professional wrestling isn't the same as it was 30 years ago, or even 10 to 20 years ago. There's a lot more blood, language and sexuality, the wrestlers are bigger and flashier with more dangerous and exciting action, and the television shows revolve more around broad soap opera storylines than around competition for championships.

All American Professional Wrestling has been on the rise in 2008, aiming to bring old-school wrestling back to the future, promoting regular "family-friendly" shows in the area.

"Whether you're 8 years old or 88 years old, you're going to have a good time," said Sean Chambers of Herrin, the promoter for AAPW. "It's what you see on TV, but it's not adult-oriented."

AAPW began in May 2006 as a benefit for a burn victim from Herrin. In fact, they often try to tie their monthly shows in with community or charitable organizations, such as Future Farmers of America and the American Cancer Society.

Although they can sometimes bring in big names, their shows normally revolve around their homegrown stars, such as current AAPW champion "The Serial Thriller" Shane Rich, Mike Masters, Edmund "Livewire" McGuire, "Homicidal" Steven Davis" and the masked enigma "Carnage."

"There's not much to do in Southern Illinois," Chambers said. "When I was a kid, it seemed like there was a lot more to do, a lot more places to go. I'm trying to give kids from 8 on up something to do on Saturday night."

Putting art and history on display

The University Museum at SIUC

There wasn't any better way to spend a lazy afternoon in 2008 than at SIUC's University Museum. This year, it housed exhibits featuring quilts, a buffalo robe, political campaign memorabilia, abstract art and more.

Each semester's exhibits are determined by many different factors. Ideas routinely come from a mix of staff, faculty and alumni. This year, the museum dug deep into its archive to pull out a number of artifacts.

"With a collection that has art history and sciences, you can expect a variety," Bachman said.

A rare Oglala Sioux painted buffalo robe was on display, donated by longtime SIUC athletic director William McAndrew. Two exhibits focused on the artistry and workmanship of Southern Illinois craftsmen. "The Quilts of Bessie Lutes" displayed the work of a 1910 Southern Illinois Normal University student who became a teacher in Benton and Christopher. "Woven Dreams" showcased the work of seven Southern Illinois weavers.

Other exhibits in the fall included artifacts from a 19th century Kickapoo village in Illinois, a collection of presidential campaign memorabilia, a display of abstract artist Josef Alber's studies of shapes and colors and an exhibition on Latino art, co-sponsored by Carbondale Community Arts.

brent.stewart@thesouthern.com / 351-5074