Carrying On
It’s hard to believe that the band that helped to give voice to the fertile musical ground of Laurel Canyon, California, in the late ’60s is still going strong. There must have been something in the water back then. Continue reading
Vanessa Salvia
Author: Vanessa Salvia
The Zombie Next Door
I dare you to not bang your head to the opening strains (after the moaning stops) of White Zombie’s 1995 hit “More Human Than Human.” And yet, despite the fact that Rob Zombie crafts killer songs, at some point we’ll have to stop referring to him as a musician. In 2014, his acting, directing and filmmaking credits eclipse his musical offerings. Continue reading
Be Their Guest
The Oregon Electric Station, one of Eugene’s bastions of fine dining since 1977, reopened Aug. 9 under new ownership, and people have taken notice. “We expected to be busy,” General Manager Paolo Ruffi says, “but we have been beyond busy. We’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction of the people.” Continue reading
From Ghana with Love
UO Prof Habib Iddrisu acts as international ambassador for West African history and dance
Habib Iddrisu has a slender, compact body, an unlined, youthful face and a headful of small, short dreads. The University of Oregon adjunct dance professor travels the world with traditional African singing and dance groups and actively teaches African history. But he won’t reveal his age. “I keep that to myself,” he says. Continue reading
Everything but the Bathroom Sink
Miranda Lambert is one of country music’s top female artists, but she has a gutsy-ness and grittiness that many women in country lack. She’s got sass and strength as well as suffering and insecurities, and isn’t afraid to reveal any of it in her lyrics. Lambert, who is performing at Sweet Home’s Oregon Jamboree, just released her fifth album, Platinum. She also just turned 30, and along with that milestone came self-scrutiny and pangs of aging. Continue reading
The Trailblazer
Taking you down to Emerald City where the grass is green and legal
When David Evans checked his mail on March 22, what he found made him want to shout from the rooftops. “We have it! We have it finally!” Evans recalls thinking, adding, “When it finally arrived in the mail I had this really unusual sensation of having this wonderful secret that only I knew.” Continue reading
How Bloody Can You Get?
Taste-testing Eugene’s Bloody Marys
The Bloody Mary, that quintessential tomato and vodka drink, is no longer considered just a hangover corrective. When well garnished with vegetables and perhaps a shrimp (and even a hamburger, as I found at one Junction City spot), it’s a darn good approximation of a soup and salad — virtuous enough to provide some vitamins while smoothing out any roughness of the day. Continue reading
Urban Dweller in an Apartment?
Yes, even you can grow your own food
Anyone can grow fresh food year-round, even apartment dwellers. It just takes a bit of know-how and planning. Amy Doherty, a master gardener and graduate of the UO Landscape Architecture program, specializes in adaptive urban gardens. “There’s a lot you can do with container gardening on a sunny balcony or in a window,” Doherty says. “The only limit is how much space you have and how much light you can get.” Continue reading
Timeless Tresses
Vintage hairstyles are increasingly popular for brides and grooms
At Dawn Baby Salon in Eugene, the past comes back to glamorous life for brides and grooms seeking vintage style. Stylist Dawn Baby specializes in vintage hair; more couples are turning to hairstyles from the 1920s through the 1960s. Leslie Stonelake is the epitome of 1950s style wearing a dress she made and with her hair in a simple, glamorous short style. Continue reading
Waste-Free Weddings
Mount Pisgah is a local leader in sustainable wedding practices
Despite the cold and rain that enrobes Eugene for many months of the year, outdoor weddings are growing in popularity here. And there’s one venue that is more popular than nearly all others — Mount Pisgah Arboretum. Peg Douthit-Jackson, the arboretum’s education and special events coordinator, says they have been “swamped” with interest in recent years and that it consistently fills its wedding schedule. Part of that growing interest is the arboretum’s response to the desire for more sustainable weddings. Continue reading