Eugene Weekly : Music : 06.09.05
Bossa Nova Nova
Brazilian beats herald summer of world music concerts.
BY BRETT CAMPBELL
In the early 1960s, way back before anyone used the term "world music," a sultry, swinging musical wave from Brazil washed ashore and flooded American pop charts, nightclubs and living rooms. Bossa nova was all the rage, especially after jazz tenor giant Stan Getz's collaboration with Brazilian songwriter Joao Gilberto, including "The Girl from Ipanema."
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| Bebel Gilberto with Peter Cincotti. 7:30 pm, Mon. 6/13. The Shedd $28.50-36.50. |
That wave receded rapidly, but at least since Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints and the advocacy of American artists like David Byrne and Pat Metheny in the 1980s, Brazilian music has enjoyed a resurgence in the U.S. The latest Brazilian import to make a big splash is Gilberto's daughter, Bebel Gilberto, whose electronica-laced update of the classic bossa nova sound has warmed up dance floors, lounges and bedrooms around the world. She's followed her million-selling debut CD, Tanto Tempo, with an equally seductive self-titled album and a disc of remixes by the likes of Thievery Corporation. She's appearing at the Shedd on June 13 with Peter Cincotti, a rising young pop singer who'll appeal to fans of Billy Joel and Harry Connick Jr.
More Brazilian rhythms will float through Luna on June 9 when Macaco Velho plays samba, forro, milonga, and other traditional styles from one of the world's richest and most diverse musical cultures. The septet features Brazilian singer Heliane Ferreira Pinto and her husband, John Hicks on stringed instruments and marimba.
On June 17, Luna also hosts Amelia, the Portland band whose members share an admiration for the Getz/Gilberto sound. The quartet's songs (most written by guitarist Scott Weddle) also incorporate jazz and country and other world music influences, borne on the rich voice of singer Teisha Helgerson.
Café Paradiso hosts Canadian Celtic masters An Tua on June 18. Led by ex-Paperboy Hanz Araki on flute, vocals, and pennywhistle, the group also includes Dave Cory (banjo, guitar, bodhran, bouzouki) and pianist Suzanne Taylor.
One of this year's happiest developments was the creation of the Eugene Composers Collective, mostly made up of recent UO grads who write various kinds of contemporary classical music, although their shows might include electronica, modern medieval sounds, guitars, even robots. After well received showcases at DIVA and Cozmic Pizza, they're bringing some brand new sounds to Sam Bond's Garage on June 13. This concert will include string quartets, live electronic music with spoken word and dancing, and a piece for North Indian tabla and electric guitar. If we want young creative talent to stick around town, we need to support them. Given the variety of sounds unleashed in previous concerts, there's sure to be something to excite anyone interested in cutting edge music.
You can hear local musicians in some older music throughout the summer in the delightful community orchestra concerts at Washburne Park. The first batch includes The Highlanders on June 12, and New Horizons Band on June 19.
Visions of Saints, Stories of Sinners
The Hold Steady's unlikely imagery gets a truckload of hype.
BY MOLLY TEMPLETON
It's a tough call: to simply contemplate the straight-ahead, classic rock swagger of The Hold Steady, or to marvel at the over-the-top amount of hype compacted into one page in the band's press kit? Sure, it's not the band's fault that seemingly every notable music publication's writers are piling their most eloquent praise on Separation Sunday, The Hold Steady's second album. But that doesn't make the phenomenon any less fascinating.
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| The Hold Steady, United State of Electronica, The Cops. 10 pm, Sat. 6/11. Indigo District $3 |
A few choice selections: The Village Voice's May cover story on the band proclaimed "We Believe in One Band: The Hold Steady's liberation theology makes for the year's best album so far." Pitchfork.com, which, as its hipster readership knows, basically dismisses everything unless no one else likes it yet, described the album as "… epic and huge and molten and beautiful." According to The New York Times, "These songs … can grab you from the first line."
Well, there's truth to that. It's the lyrics that do the grabbing, repeatedly, as the band plows through their polished versions of '70s and '80s bar band riffs. Singer/guitarist Craig Finn (formerly of Lifter Puller) doesn't so much sing as rant, his worn voice reminiscent of the Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli. Finn's lyrics tell stories about scrappy, down-on-their-luck characters, including Charlemagne (who "got caught up in some complicated things") and Holly (short for Hallelujah), "a sexy mess/ She looked strung out but experienced/ And we all got kind of curious."
The main character, though, the beautifully detailed thread that runs through Separation Sunday's songs, is an unexpected depth of biblical imagery. Saints and crosses turn up on first listen, but Finn's Catholicism runs deeper than that. One character "has pages in his pockets that he ripped out of the bible from the bedstand in his motel/ He likes the part where the traders get chased from the temple." In "Don't Let Me Explode," Finn says wryly, "She said we didn't go to Dallas/ Because Jackie Onassis said it ain't safe for Catholics yet/ If that's what they did to President Kennedy/ What do you think is waiting for you and me?" This isn't religious music, not by a long shot. But the imagery grounds Finn's characters in a mythological setting, giving their trials a different sort of weight.
So is it worth the hype, this album? Does it matter? The music isn't breaking any new ground — where one song calls up The Who's "Teenage Wasteland," another strikes notes of pre-superstardom Springsteen. But Finn's got an unparalleled talent for turning the messy, misunderstood experience of disillusioned youth into a sort of modern fable. Like any good storyteller, he shows, he doesn't just tell, and he does it with grace and empathy. For that, at least, The Hold Steady deserves the attention.
Old Dominion Reppin' in Eugene
Sleep tours in support of new album, Christopher.
BY STEVEN SAWADA
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| Sleep (pictured) Moneyshot, SoundProof, and Sand People. 9pm, Sat. 6/11. Downtown Lounge. |
In the future, when musicologists look back on the history of hip hop in the new millennium, the Northwest underground hip hop scene will undoubtedly garner several mentions. At the center of much of that attention will be Sleep, a founding member of the Oldominion crew.
Sleep migrated to the Northwest from New Mexico in the early '90s. He teamed up with Pale Soul and began touring the region, eventually founding Oldominion. Since then, Sleep has made guest appearances on tracks by Kid Frost, the Micranots and the Boom Bap Project.
Sleep's new album, Christopher, which just hit the shelves, is a follow-up to his highly acclaimed 2002 album Riot by Candlelight. Listener friendly in terms of its structured, straight-ahead hip hop flavor, Christopher sheds new light on the darker sound that Riot by Candlelight embodied. It features guest appearances from the legendary Masta Ace, underground hero Abstract Rude, as well as Josh Martinez (Sleep's partner from his Chicharones project). The album also features guest production from Pale Soul, Smoke as well as the man of the hour, Vitamin D.
Sleep will debut his new album Saturday, June 11 at the Downtown Lounge. The Christopher record release party will also feature local heads Money Shot, SoundProof and Sand People.
Music Shorts
EW's music writers cover the local scene.
Irish Meets Punk
Weird, dark punk lyrics get even weirder when set to traditional-sounding Irish music. Take the line "I got a body in the back of my '69 Cadillac," from "69 Cadillac" off Madison, Wis.-based The Kissers' new album, Fire in the Belly. But the weirdness works.
The Kissers "combine traditional Irish melodies with contemporary rock rhythms and an old-time country flavor," wrote singer Waylan Palan in an e-mail. They started as a Pogues cover band in 1998, but over time, began writing songs and developed their own following. Now they have a distinct, eccentric sound unlike any I've heard before.
In all honesty, I'm not a fan of punk, country or celtic music, but I've got to give props to The Kissers for originality. They've got an intriguing sound, and some of their songs are surprisingly catchy (check out "So Tired II" from Fire in the Belly). I'd listen to The Kissers over unmelodic, whiney, punk bands any day. The Kissers play Sam Bond's Garage at 9 pm, Thursday, 6/9. $7. — Ursula Evans-Heritage
The Girlfriend Experience Is Not Porn
Somehow I missed The Girlfriend Experience when they came through on a mini-Northwest tour in March. Now they're back to take on Luckey's, and you have another chance to check out what this San Francisco band can do.
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| The Girlfriend Experience |
Press on The GFE boasts that their sound is "simultaneously dark, beautiful, psychedelic, hot and heavy." I would agree. It also says common comparisons have been made to Joy Division and Bauhaus. To that I would emphatically not agree, so don't go getting your hopes up, all ye glorious goths of Eugene. Maybe the comparison comes across live, because the band's photo does show the foursome clad completely in funereal black, and the singer croons like he's got a few skeletons in his closet.
Their five-song EP titled It Felt Like A Kiss starts out with "Thumb," a moody, alternative-radio-ready tune that's melodic but powerful with touches of Flaming Lips or Fountains of Wayne. Vocalist Tobias Hawkins III actually sings, with skill, but he's got enough of a growl that it doesn't seem overdone.
"Katy" is a friendly tune with razor-sharp guitar work by Ty C. Gerhardt that's also revisited at the CD's end as an acoustic track. A great poppy tune with an undercurrent of restlessness and disaffection, train tracks and methadone, "Katy" morphs into the shiny-happy tune "Gonorrhea." This startling song is clearly about someone who fucks around, a lot, complete with images of scabs and stench. Hawkins screams "Gonorrhea" over and over again in a high-pitched wild-man caterwaul. The song seems slightly out of place sandwiched between two tame tunes, but the effect is like a crazy person off their meds; one minute it's scary deranged hell and then it's all over and you never speak of it again.
The band's slower tunes seem familiar in a way I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's shades of Paul Westerberg tunes sung by Jeff Buckley. Maybe it's flashes of Nick Drake. Either way, the music rocks and leaves me wanting more. Luckily for me, the band just spent two weeks recording new material in Weed, Calif. with System of a Down producer Sylvia Massy-Shivy. The band's website is http://www.girlfriendexperience.org.The porn site that comes up when you Google their name is not so hot, so just skip ahead to the band website. The Girlfriend Experience play Luckey's at 10 pm on Thursday, 6/9. $3-5 sliding scale. — Vaness Salvia
WomenSpace Benefit Marks Eve of Hamlin's Murder
June 11, 2005 marks the five-year anniversary of the murder of Amy Hamlin. Her body was found in the McKenzie River strapped to a mattress. She was 21 years old when her 25-year-old husband, Chad Hamlin, strangled her to death. After separating from her husband and obtaining a restraining order in April of 2000, Amy relocated to Seattle with assistance from WomenSpace. Amy returned to Eugene during the weekend of June 11 for a friend's birthday. She met up with Chad Saturday night, and he murdered her on Sunday morning.
Ian Gray, a student at the University of Oregon, was a friend of Amy's, and also had a working relationship with Chad. "He seemed really nice and easy going," Gray said. Amy and Chad lived together in Eugene after moving from Texas. Gray befriended both of them. "We were actually doing music for a film I was making at the time, and we were up in the studio in the house. She came up and he yelled at her and told her to leave. He took off a week later and then I found out everything about him," Gray said solemnly. He later discovered through candid conversation with Amy, that Chad possessed a dark, abusive side.
In her memory, Gray has organized several benefit concerts for WomenSpace at Luckey's and John Henry's. With the generous assistance of local bands, venue owners and Brail's Diner (Gray's sponsor), Gray has raised around $1,000 to $2,000 at each show. The bands donate time and effort, and the clubs give them a place to play. All proceeds from admissions go to WomenSpace.
On the eve of the five-year anniversary of Amy's death, Friday, June 10, Gray will hold another benefit, this time at John Henry's. The line up includes Chevron, Satin Fury, Damn Your Eyes, A.R. and In the Name of God. He already has events planned for October and December, and is working on a large outdoor event for next summer. If you're interested in donating to WomenSpace, visit www.enddomesticviolence.com. If you are a victim of domestic violence, please contact their 24-hour hotline at (800) 287-2800.
Domestic violence plagues Lane County. When we hear about these incidents, they seem to reverberate with a frightening yet almost unrealistic horror. But the fact is all women, despite their age or background, can become victims. It's important for every man and woman to recognize the signs of an abusive relationship and seek help quickly. And we must all vigilant watch over our community. The benefit kicks off at 9 pm on Friday, 6/10 at John Henry's. $5 — Steven Sawada
AX BILLY GRILL & SPORTS BAR
999 WILLAMETTE ST. 484-4011
SA: Carl Woideck—8
BADA BING'S
440 COBURG RD. 338-9094
WE: Peter Giri, Paul Biondi & friends—8; Rock, jazz
BLACK FOREST
50 E. 11TH ST. 686-6619
WE: Poker Night—9:30
CAFÉ PARADISO
115 W. BROADWAY 484-9933
TH: No Limit Texas Hold 'em—6:30
FR: No Limit Texas Hold 'em—7
MO: No Limit Texas Hold 'em—6:30
CLUB TSUNAMI
2222 CENTENIAL BLVD.
SA: DJ Tekneek—10:30; Hip hop, R & B
CORNUCOPIA All Ages
295 W. 17TH ST. 485-2300
FR: Ordinary Flies—6
SA: Midnight Sun—6; Ethnic fusion
COUNTRYSIDE
645 RIVER RD. 463-7632
FR: Music Alliance Jam—9
SA: Coupe de Ville—9; Classic rock
COUNTRYSIDE
4740 MAIN ST., SPFD. 744-1594
TH: The Alliance Band w/ JC Rico, Paul Biondi & Peter Giri—8; Rock, blues
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| JYEMO & THE EXTENDED FAMILY PLAY COZMIC PIZZA ON THURSDAY. |
COZMIC PIZZA@THE STRAND•All Ages
8TH AVE. & CHARNELTON ST. 338-9333
TH: Jyemo & the Extended Family—8:30; Reggae, rock, Afro-Caribbean
FR: Beyond the Pale—9
SA: Jose Cruz Salsa Dance—8:30
SU: Natty "O", Blue Moon Society, The Nicolette Helm Blues Band—4; Benefit in memory of Michele "Miki" Robinson, fund-raiser for her children
MO: The Tall Boys—9; Bluegrass
TU: Open mic night—7
WE: Satellite Bongo, Charles Potts & Magic Windfall—9
DA HOUZE
915 OAK ST., DOWNSTAIRS 345-7878
TH: Old School Karaoke/Kamikaze Hip Hop—8
FR: Rob and Carlos present Hip Hop Live—9
SA: DJ Mead—9
DIABLO'S
959 PEARL ST. 683-3855
TH: La80s night—10; '80s and requests
FR: DJ Gen.Erik & Supa J—10; Hip hop
SA: The Vinyl Pimpz—10; House
DOWNTOWN LOUNGE
959 PEARL ST. 343-2346
TH: Open turntables—10; Funk, R&B, hip hop
FR: DJ J.Whoa, DJ Reiterate—10; House, funk, hip hop
SA: Sleep (CD release for Christopher), Money Shot, Sandpeople, SoundProof, Villagelliot—10; Hip hop
SU: Texas hold 'em—3; Kung Fu Karaoke—10
MO: DJ Diablo & DJ Turbo—10; Funk, rock, requests
WE: Texas hold 'em—7
EMBERS SUPPER CLUB
1811 HWY. 99 N. 688-6564
TH: Billy McCoy—9; Country
FR & SA: Michael Anderson Trio—9; Variety, country
WE: Billy McCoy—9; Country
EUGENE WINE CELLARS
255 MADISON ST. 342-2600
WE: Stone Cold Jazz—6
GOOD TIMES
375 E. 7TH AVE. 484-7181
TU: Rooster's Blues Jam—8
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| THE COPS ... OH, FORGET IT, THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY POSSIBLE PUNS. SEE 'EM AT THE INDIGO DISTRICT SATURDAY NIGHT. |
INDIGO DISTRICT
1290 OAK ST. 434-6553
SA: The Hold Steady, U.S.E., The Cops—10; Indie
JAXX LOUNGE@PREMIUM POUR
1010 OAK ST. 485-4695
TH: Echoes of the Underground w/ DJ Myron, DJ Scamp & Twitch—10
FR: Livin' Funky Fridays w/ DJ Myron & DJ Scamp—10
TU: Drummers' Lounge—9
JO FEDERIGO'S
259 E. 5TH AVE.
343-8488
TH: Jo Fed's All Star Jazz Jam Session—9
FR: Vega—9; Jazz, funk, world grooves
SA: The Side Project—9
SU: Mark Alan—8; Acoustic guitar & vocals
MO: Skip Jones—8; Hammond organ
TU: Barbara Dzuro—8; Jazz piano
WE: James Allred—8; Electacoustic folk
JOE'S BAR & GRILLE
25 W. 6TH 221-3360
TU: DJ Tekneek—10; Hip hop, R & B
WE: '80s Video Monster Mix—10
JOGGER'S BAR & GRILL
710 WILLAMETTE ST. 343-0224
FR & SA: Motion Nightclub—9; Hip hop, house, 80s disco
MO: Working Man's Blues Jam—9
WE: Motion Nightclub—9; 80s, house, hip hop
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| THE NEKROMANTIX PLAY AN EARLY SHOW THURSDAY AT JOHN HENRY'S. |
JOHN HENRY'S
77 W. BROADWAY 342-3358
TH: Nekromantix, Henchmen, The Casketeers—6
'80s Night w/Chris, Jenn and John—10
FR: Chevron, In the Name of God, A.R., Satin Fury, Damn Your Eyes—9; Womenspace benefit
SA: Freaks in the House w/ DJ Steve Sawada & The Audio Schizophrenic—10
SU: John Henry's Broadway Revue—10; Burlesque, variety
MO: DJ River—10
TU: Default—10
WE: DJ Kal El vs. DJ Tekneek—10; Reggae vs. hip hop
LAVELLE'S WINE BAR & BISTRO
5TH ST. PUBLIC MARKET 338-9875
TH: Skip Jones—5:30; New Orleans piano
FR: Gus Russell—5; Jazz piano
SA: Gus Russell—5:30; Jazz piano
WE: John Crider—5:30; Jazz piano
LUCKEY'S CLUB CIGAR
933 OLIVE ST. 687-4643
TH: Stacked, The Girlfriend Experience, Chain of Being—10; Rock
FR: The Ovulators, Dan Jones & the Squids, Buccola—10; Punk, indie, rock
SA: Disco Organica, The 8-Track Liberators—10; Funk, pop
TU: The Ants—10; Indie
WE: Armored Frog, Full—10; Indie
LUNA
30 E. BROADWAY 434-5862
TH: Macaco Velho—8; Brazilian dance
FR: JC Rico & Zulu Dragon—9:30; Blues
SA: JC Rico & Zulu Dragon, Gordon Kaswell—9:30
MAC'S AT THE VET'S
1626 WILLAMETTE ST. 344-8600
TH: Mac's & Mo's Jamm
FR: West Coast Rhythm Kings—9:30; R&B
SA: The Strangetones, Suburban Slim
WE: Christie & McCallum
MCSHANE'S BAR & GRILLE
86495 COLLEGE VIEW ROAD 747-4031
FR: The Uprite Dub Orchestra—10; Dub, reggae, hip hop
MO: Micro Movie Night—8 & 11
MONROE STREET CAFE All Ages
1193 MONROE ST. 343-0863
TH: Thom Witherow—8
SU: Poetry open mic—7
WE: Open mic—7
MULLIGAN'S PUB
2841 WILLAMETTE NO PHONE
SU & WE: Music jam/open mic w/ Keith Harrison
O'DONNELL'S IRISH PUB
295 HWY. 99 N. 688-4902
TH-SU & TU: DJs-B-Us: Tim—9
OVERTIME GRILL
770 S. BERTELSEN 342-5028
TH: Blues Jam—8
PEABODY'S
444 E. 3RD AVE. 484-2927
TH: Nancy Ream & John Crider—8; Jazz
FR: The Survivors—9; Classic rock, variety
TU: Patrick & Giri—8; Hot & tasty acoustic
PERUGINO
767 WILLAMETTE ST. 687-9102
TH: Old-time jam—7:30; Appalachian
TU: Tango night w/ Andrew McCullough—7:30
WE: Irish jam—7:30; Celtic
QUACKER'S
2105 W. 7TH 485-5925
WE: Blues Jam—8:30
RED LION INN
205 COBURG RD. 342-5201
SU: Blues jam w/ Jerry Zybach—7
RICK'S PUB
20 HWY. 99 N. 344-3074
FR: The Divers—8:30; '60s rock & blues
SAM BOND'S GARAGE
407 BLAIR 431-6603
TH: The Kissers—9; Celtic
FR: Canoofle—9:30; Improvisational
SA: The Visible Men, Yeltsin (CD release for We Will Be a Factory), Maggie's Choice—9:30; Rock
SU: Solidarity Soiree for Jeff Leurs—8:30
MO: Eugene Composers' Guild Recital—9
TU: Sam Bond's Bluegrass Jam—9
WE: The High Holies, Eric Nordby—9; Rock
SAM'S PLACE
825 WILSON ST. 484-4455
TH: Bingo Night
FR: DeadRinger, Velvet Trap, Station Wag—10
SA: Paradox—9
WE: Trivia Night w/ Sarah—9
SHER'S TAVERN
3000 W. 11TH AVE. 683-4580
FR & SA: DJs-B-Us: Rick—8
SPIRITS
1714 MAIN ST., SPFD 726-2972
FR & SA: Go 2 11—9; Rock
STACY'S COVERED BRIDGE
401 E. MAIN ST., COTTAGE GROVE 767-0320
WE: Open Mic Night w/Ron O'Keefe—8:30
SWEETWATER'S
VALLEY RIVER INN 687-0123
FR & SA: The Cheeseburgers—8:30
TAP 'N' KEG
1704 E. MAIN ST., COTTAGE GROVE 942-8713
TH: DJ Rick—9:30; Hip hop
FR: DJ Isaac—9:30; Retro
SA: DJ Dana—9:30; Hip hop
WE: Tribble Run Comedy Network—8
DJ Dana—9:30; Retro
TAYLOR'S BAR AND GRILL
894 E. 13TH AVE. 344-6174
TH: '80s & Ladies' Night w/ DJ Smoove
MO: Hip Hop vs. Dancehall w/ DJ Tekneek
TU: DJs-B-Us: Rick—10
TINY TAVERN
394 BLAIR BLVD. 687-8383
MO: 15 Minutes of Fame w/ Ol' What's His Name's Open Mic—9
WE: DJ Secret Hippie's Punk Rock Jukebox
VET'S CLUB BALLROOM
1626 WILLAMETTE ST.
FR: Caliente—10; Salsa, Afro-Cuban
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| IT'S NOT JUST A BAND NAME, IT'S A COMPLETE SENTENCE! VISIT ME IN THE FROZEN TORSO HEAP PLAY SATURDAY AT WETLANDS. |
WETLANDS
922 GARFIELD ST. 345-3606
SA: On the First Day ... They Were Kittens, Mendozza, The Death Of, Meet Me in the Frozen Torso Heap—10; Hardcore, heavy stoner rock
WOW HALL All Ages
291 W. 8TH AVE. 687-2746
TH: Built to Spill—9
MO: J-Live, Vast Aire, C-Rayz Walz, Vordul Mega, 4th Pyramid, Karnegie—9; Hip hop
CORVALLIS
BEANERY
2ND ST.
FR: Deadwood Revival—8
SA: Husqvarna—8
BOMBS AWAY CAFE
2527 MONROE AVE. 757-7221
SA: Stairway Denied—9:30; Led Zeppelin tribute band
IOVINO'S RISTORANTE
126 SW 1ST ST. 738-9015
SA: Sam Holmes—9; Singer-songwriter
WE: Songwriters-in-the-Round—9
MURPHY'S
2740 SE 3RD ST. 738-7600
SA: Caught in the Act—8:30
NEW MORNING BAKERY All Ages
219 2ND ST. 754-0181
SA: Songwriters' Round—7:30; Benefit for Corvallis Environmental Center
PLATINUM NIGHT CLUB
126 SW 4TH
FR: Salsa/merengue night—10
SA: Party w/ DJ Hes—9
MO: Karaoke night w/ Patches—9
TOMMY'S PEACOCK
125 SW 2ND ST. 754-8522
FR: West Coast Rockers; Upstairs: Reeble Jar
SA: Don & the Generation Gap
WE: Improv blues & jazz jam w/ Neal Grandstaff & Ray Brassfield—8:30
karaoke
TH: The Cooler, Countryside (River Rd.), Da Houze, Duck Inn, Lone Star
FR: Lone Star, Trackstirs
SA: Duck Inn, Lone Star
SU: Black Forest, Country Side (Spfd.), Downtown Lounge
MO: Black Forest ($1000 Contest), Country Side (Spfd.), Lone Star
TU: Country Side (Spfd.), O Bar, Quackers, Taylor's
