The Nicest Kids You Know
EW catches up with Next Big Thing winners Sol Seed
Michael Sorensen, Michael Lennon, Graeme Pletscher, Benny Pezzano, Sky Guasco and kenny Lewis. Photo by Rob and Tracy Sydor / robsydor.com Continue reading
Alex V. Cipolle
Alex V. Cipolle, aka Alexandra Cipolle, was Eugene Weekly's arts editor from 2012 until 2017. She formerly wrote as Alex Notman.
Author: Alex V. Cipolle
Big Sonic Love
Picture Los Angeles. Highways, rolling hills, scatterings of high rises poking through the smog and a candy-cane striped Big Top tent coloring the skyline? The indie-folkstars Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are joining the circus. Or rather, they are creating one in their hometown. The inaugural Big Top Festival is an experiment, says drummer and vocalist Orpheo McCord. The troupe will play under an actual big top tent on a 360-degree rotating stage with local musicians come Oct. 17. Continue reading
Arts Hound
Sept. 6 marks the first First Friday ArtWalk of the fall season. Hosted by art photographer Karen Rainsong (her work is on display at Goldworks Jewerly Art Studio), the tour kicks off 5:30 pm at MECCA for the 5th Annual Object Afterlife exhibit reception and awards ceremony, where Mayor Kitty Piercy, SLUG Queen Professor Doctor Mildred Slugwak Dresselhaus and others will pick winners. EW’s pick is “Made in China,” by Rogene Manas, an Uncle Sam-meets-technology bricolage. Continue reading
Back Beat
Music news & notes from down in the Willamette valley. Attention all hep cats! Bebop your way to The Jazz Station ’round 7:30 pm Thursday, Sept. 5, for Smokey Beau’s Café. The audience can pick hot tunes from a menu of vintage swing and pianist Smokey Beau Belanksy, vocalist Dona Clark, bassist Eric Richardson, drummer Javier Gonzalez and sax man Fred Wesley will bring them to life. Zoot suits and Lindy Hop dresses encouraged. Continue reading
We The Common
Thao Nguyen wants to challenge the notion that people in prison are monsters. Continue reading
Go Yell It On The Mountain
The inaugural Kaleidoscope Music Festival attracts thousands to Emerald Meadows
Love or hate the idea of Emerald Meadows as a thumping festival hotspot pulsing with thousands of gyrating bodies, there is one thing no one can deny: Eugene has never seen a music spectacle like Kaleidoscope Music Festival (Aug. 23-25) before. EW stared down the barrel of that neon prismatic lens and came out the other end. This is what we saw. Continue reading
Back Beat
It’s official: reggae fusion band Sol Seed nabbed the crown for EW’s Next Big Thing 2013 with a final, outstanding performance at the Eugene Celebration Aug. 24. The 6-person outfit — including Michael Lennon (vocals, guitar), Michael Sorenson (vocals, drums), Benny Pezzano (vocals, bass), Kenny Lewis (vocals, guitar), Sky Guasco (vocals, percussion, didgeridoo) and Greame Pletscher (saxophone) — created a bubbly and psychedelic wall of sound that got the crowd swaying and singing on Willamette. Look for them on the cover of the Sept. 12 issue. Continue reading
Arts Hound
All over the world anarchists, activists, rebellious teens and, of course, hipsters wear T-shirts emblazoned with the two-tone image of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara sporting a steely stare beneath a beret. It is said to be one of the most duplicated images in the world, right up there with the Mona Lisa. Continue reading
ArtsHound 08-22-13
Kaleidoscope Music Festival, the fusion music behemoth with 80-plus acts (see music), plants itself at Emerald Meadows Aug. 23-25, but more than just the aural senses will be stimulated. Look for the dubstep Wanderlust Circus, the steampunk-meets-cabaret Vagabond Opera and the multimedia dayglo-a-go-go performance troupe The Jezebelles. Eugene-based fiber optic toy company Ants On A Melon brings more eye candy to the meadow with their LED Jellyfish performance group. Continue reading
Back Beat
EW’s Next Big Thing 2013 will reach its apex this weekend at Eugene Celebration when finalists The Crescendo Show and Sol Seed compete for the grand prize (cash money, recording time, CDs, gigs, etc.) 1 pm Aug. 24 on the Eugene Weekly-KVRM stage. Catch 2012 NBT winner Volifonix at Oak Street Speakeasy 10 pm Aug. 24. Continue reading