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Alex V. Cipolle, aka Alexandra Cipolle, was Eugene Weekly's arts editor from 2012 until 2017. She formerly wrote as Alex Notman.
It’s OK to be a little afraid of Die Antwoord. Especially if you’ve gotten a gander at the videos for “Cookie Thumper” or “Pitbull Terrier,” tracks off 2014’s Donker Mag. We’re dealing here with some grade-A weirdos, but visionary weirdos with a global fan base (those videos respectively have 8.1 million and 90,000 views — the latter having been released five hours prior at press time). Continue reading
When we last checked in with The Crescendo Show, the Corvallis quartet was gearing up to record Jackal’s Kiss — the band’s first studio album. Ricky Carlson (banjo, guitar, drums, backup vocals) says working with professionals, over nine studio sessions at Portland’s Jackpot! Recording Studio, pushed the band to the next level. The indie-folk outfit is doing a mini CD Release Tour May 23-24 in Corvallis, Eugene and at Seattle’s Northwest Folklife Festival. Continue reading
The city of Eugene opened its first 18-hole disc golf course at Alton Baker Park just over a year ago and there has been a steady stream of nubby rubber discs flying ever since. Andrew Rich, the course’s operator, says that on a rainy day the course will see about 50 rounds of play, and on a sunny day those numbers shoot upward of 250. Adding Alton Baker to Westmoreland, Dexter and Cottage Grove, there are now four courses in a 25-mile radius around Eugene. Continue reading
Pierre Daura doggedly searched for his “self” through painting, in a time of revolution and evolution. Continue reading
Rapper YG only just released his debut album, My Krazy Life, in March. In the summer of 2013, however, he garnered more than 75 million views on YouTube with his single “My Nigga.” You could say he has a following. For someone who’s not even old enough to rent a car, YG has already worked with quite the hip-hop roster: Jeezy, Rich Homie Quan, Ty Dolla $ign and Drake. YG brings his My Krazy Life Tour to Dusk nightclub (44 E. 7th) 9 pm Thursday, May 15. Continue reading
After an eight-year break, Lafa Taylor (who now resides in a "bus/solar-powered mobile studio" in Oakland, Calif.) recently released Not One Thing with a special valentine to his hometown: "Eugene (feat. Marv Ellis)." Continue reading
Before telling the crowd at the Hult Saturday night “I consider myself a citizen of the world, but I was born in Eugene, Oregon” (to huge applause), RJD2 said what was on everyone’s mind: “This is really fucking awesome.” (Photo collage by Athena Delene) Continue reading
What can I say about the fashion scene in Eugene? It's slowly but surely growing up. Last Sunday night, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art hosted St. Vinnie's Metamorphose Upcycling Design challenge: 10 local designers on a $40 material budget to be spent at St Vincent de Paul were tasked to create three runway-ready looks in the categories of Ready-to-Wear, Evening Wear and Designer’s Choice. Continue reading
How can you tell if there’s a banjo player at your door? They can’t find the key, the knocking speeds up and they don’t know when to come in (ba-dum ching!). Kids may not know it these days, with its welcome place at the table of popular alt- and indie-rock outfits like The Avett Brothers, Thao and The Get Down Stay Down and Beck, but the banjo was once the butt of the joke in bluegrass circles. Graham Sharpe, banjoist for Grammy-winning bluegrass phenom the Steep Canyon Rangers, says the negative connotations are fading away. Continue reading
Nothing makes art come alive like seeing it strut down the runway. Sunday, May 4, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art hosted St. Vincent de Paul’s Metamorphose Upcycling Design Challenge — in a nutshell, Eugene’s own Project Runway. Ten designers had eight weeks to transform $40 worth of materials from SVdP into three catwalk-ready looks — Ready-to-Wear, Evening, Designer’s Choice — to be judged by a panel of local fashion-forward celebrities. Here are the winners by category, plus an EW pick. Continue reading