Alex V. Cipolle

Author: Alex V. Cipolle

He luvs this shit

He luvs this shit: New Orleans hip-hop crooner August Alsina is bringing the “Testimony Live” tour to the WOW Hall Aug. 15. The year 2014 has been big for Alsina; in addition to releasing his debut album Testimony in April, he won BET’s Best New Artist award and the Viewer’s Choice Award for the single “I Luv This Shit,” and was placed on the roster for hip-hop magazine XXL’s Top 10 Freshmen list alongside Chance The Rapper and Ty Dolla $ign. Want to schmooze with Alsina? Continue reading →

Bringing Art Back

Visual Arts 10 years ago

A student mural at Oaklea Middle School created with the help of Lane Arts Council’s artist residency program

Walking through the dark empty corridors of Oaklea Middle School on a muggy August day, Principal Brian Young opens a door and flicks on the light. The classroom that comes into focus is filled with tables, colorful cabinets and student artwork tacked to the walls — all covered in the patina of art projects lingering from yesteryear. “It’s kind of sad coming in here knowing,” Young pauses. “I think it’s probably been seven to 10 years since Oaklea had an actual art elective as a class.” Continue reading →

Burn Boats, Not Bridges

Music 10 years ago

In 2009, Shelby Earl quit her job on Amazon’s music team to record her first album. The Seattle singer-songwriter was excited; after three years of promoting other musicians at the internet giant, she was going to be the one promoted — hopefully. “Then six months in it got really scary. It got really real and the money ran out,” Earl tells EW. “I told my mom I was freaking out.” Continue reading →

Arts Hound

Visual Arts 10 years ago

We are excited to announce the winners of our inaugural ArtsHound on Broadway EW distribution box art contest: (Clockwise) Cortney Grim (1), Samuel Clatterbuck (2), Bayne Gardner (3), Elizabeth Blue Currier (4) and Anna Helena Jackson (5). Here’s a sneak peek of the winning designs, but to see the boxes in all their glory come out for the guided First Friday ArtWalk tour Sept. 5 when the artists will introduce their work on boxes scattered around downtown. Continue reading →

Behind Shelby Earl’s surprising “Swift Arrows” music video

Music 10 years ago

Seattle singer-songwriter and rising star Shelby Earl will be hitting up Sam Bond’s Sunday night, Aug.17 (see “Burn Boats, Not Bridges” in the Aug. 14 issue of Eugene Weekly). While catching up with Earl over the phone last week, I had to ask her about the music video (posted below) for her hit song “Swift Arrows,” a video that is at once a hilarious, heartbreaking and disturbing David Lynchian vignette of a couple’s anniversary gone awry. Continue reading →

Life at the Barre

A Portrait of the Ballerina as a Young Woman

Dance 10 years ago

‘It’s such a challenge. I love performing, which is something I think I’ve grown into,’ Rachel Richardson says. Luis Pons Photography.

While in Moscow last autumn, ballet dancer Rachel Richardson experienced a decidedly Russian moment at the gilded Kremlin Palace. “It was crazy,” she recalls with a laugh. “While we were backstage, 80 military men in the stereotypical fuzzy hats with their machine guns were marching through, literally right next to us as we were warming up.” Continue reading →

Eugene Weekly’s sixth annual Next Big Thing

Music 10 years ago

#winning: Eugene Weekly’s sixth annual Next Big Thing music competition came to a close Friday, Aug. 1, at Cozmic with winners in three categories: funk crew Soul Vibrator took home the prize for Best Band, acoustic fingerstyle guitar virtuouso Will Brown nabbed the top spot in the Single/Duo category and Bailee Jordyn sang her self into first place in the Youth slot. Congratulations! Soul Vibrator went on to tear up the Cornerstone Stage Aug. 2 at the Whiteaker Block Party, drawing the praise of 2013 NBT winners Sol Seed. Continue reading →

Arts Hound

Visual Arts 10 years ago

Eugene Ballet Company hosts the Sept. 7 “Ballet, Beer & Barre-BQ Bash,” a benefit with barbecue, refreshments, outdoor games (including a pointe shoe toss), dance performances and new company members Brian Ruiz, Jun Tanabe and Kaori Fukui introducing the 2014-2015 season, which kicks off with Cinderella, joined by OrchestraNEXT, Oct 25-26 at the Hult. Contact Karen Warner, 485-3992, or karen@eugeneballet.org for tickets. Continue reading →

Battlespace

Music 10 years ago

There’s something about Warpaint’s double music video for “Disco//Very” and “Keep it Healthy” that rings of the 1996 alt-witch flick The Craft. Perhaps it’s four badasses walking towards the camera, or Theresa Wayman’s and Emily Kokal’s ode to ’90s fashion wearing a plaid mini skirt over jeans and a Chicago Bulls T-shirt respectively. Continue reading →

Arts Hound

Visual Arts 10 years ago

A new fashion duo is taking the reins of the Whiteaker Block Party Fashion Show this year and they’ve got some tricks up their secondhand sleeves. Briah Izreal and Oblio Stroyman, new owners of the Whit boutique Redoux Parlour, will host a resale runway show with the help of St. Vinnie’s Creative Projects Manager Mitra Chester at 9 pm Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Cornerstone Glass Stage (1068 W. 2nd Ave.) preceded by a performance from the darkwave ensemble Black Magdalene. “We’re not working with designers this year,” Izreal says. Continue reading →