Buzz Bin

by Inlander Staff & r & & r & The Mattea Effect & r & We saw a fascinating cultural divide at the Opera House Saturday night for Kathy Mattea's set with the Spokane Symphony. Up front sat the orchestra's season ticket holders, a crowd that even Mattea described as "well dressed"; many didn't know Mattea from Dave Matthews. The back rows were filled with country music fans, who knew all the lyrics to "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" and cheered at the opening chords to her biggest hits. It seemed an unbridgeable gulf. But the effervescent Mattea worked her magic, Morihiko and the brass section rocked out on "455 Rocket," and in the end, everyone stood and cheered. Maybe there's hope for our polarized nation after all.





Tea Leaves & r & In our travels this week, we learned that the Pleasant Times Tea House in Endicott, Wash., has closed its doors. At this island of Victorian gentility on the Palouse, Red Hat Ladies rubbed elbows with farm implement dealers over tea and scones and finger sandwiches. But no more. Like so many fine things, it's now just a memory.





Don't Get Around Much Anymore & r & Spokane's Davenport Hotel has been named one of the top 10 hotels in the world, according to Expedia.com.


In the world? It's a fine and outstanding hotel -- but in the world? Don't these people ever get out to, say, Hawaii? Or Monte Carlo? Or, for that matter, Chicago? Don't the folks at Expedia ever travel anywhere?





Street of Dreams & r & During a six-week showcase starting June 10, 30,000 visitors will traipse through six model homes in Liberty Lake's Legacy Ridge development, each a custom creation by local homebuilders and designers. Why all the gawking? Because these houses will cost up to $2 million.





Do Them a Flavor & r & Now through July 31, you can compete to create Ben & amp; Jerry's next great confection. Are you ready to concoct the next Chunky Monkey? (You've gotta do better than the guy who proposed a flavor called Pepperoni Pizza With Anchovy Swirl. Yecchh.) Visit www.benjerry.com.





Extended Royal Treatment & r & Everyone remembers Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments -- but director Cecil B. DeMille had filmed an even better biblical epic nearly 30 years before. In the 1928 "roadshow" version of The King of Kings, DeMille included an early Technicolor treatment of the Resurrection. The rarely seen 1927 original -- clocking in at 155 minutes instead of 112 -- will be shown on Friday, April 7, at 6:30 pm at First Pres, Cedar and Third -- and it's free. Call 747-1058.