Of Legends and Locals

The new classical music season, from Beethoven to the blues, is here

Bassist DaXun Zhang

Just as the arrival of shorter, cooler days signal autumn, the arrival of some big names, at least in the little world of classical music, tells us that the 2014-15 classical music season is underway. The Sept. 28 Eugene Symphony concert featuring the legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman playing Beethoven’s majestic Violin Concerto offers a chance to see one of the last of the really big-name classical soloists (there’s Yo Yo Ma and not many others left) who can fill up a venue as cavernous as the Hult Center on reputation alone.  Continue reading 

From Dust

Bay-Area singer-songwriter Sean Hayes released his last album, Before We Turned to Dust, in 2012. Dust is an engaging collection of indie folk and soul — cooler than skinny-dipping off the Northern California coast. Since then, Hayes tells EW via email, he’s left San Francisco, had another baby and began work on Dust’s follow-up.  Continue reading 

The Smiths

Rising Appalachia

For sisters Leah and Chloe Smith of Rising Appalachia, there was no “aha” moment when they realized they could sing. They simply grew up doing it.  “Our family was very musical and our mother used to sing harmony notes into our ears so we would begin hearing the many layers of sound organically,” Chloe Smith says. “She also had a fantastic women’s singing group meet at the house once a week for years for simply the joy of singing in harmony, and Leah and I sat in with them as late teenagers to try out our own voices.” Continue reading 

To the Moon

Fly Moon Royalty

Whatever you might think Fly Moon Royalty sounds like because of their odd-couple image, ignore it. This duo surprises with frenetic soulful performances; they get down like it’s 1953 — before TV was in most American living rooms. “Back in the day you could have an ugly motherfucker singing like an angel on the radio, not needing to look like a movie star,” says Mike Sylvester, producer and MC for the Seattle duo. Adra Boo fills out the act with upbeat vocals. Continue reading 

In case you missed The Band of Heathens last night

Oh, wait, I KNOW you missed The Band of Heathens last night because it was pretty much just me and 20 other people at the WOW Hall on a Tuesday night. You missed a great show and the Heathen's new Tom Petty-esqu song "Carry Your Love," which debuted on Texas Monthly yesterday a couple hours before the Eugene performance. Click the image to listen: Continue reading 

Mare Wakefield in Eugene Saturday

Former Eugenean Mare Wakefield and her husband, Nomad, are back in town this weekend and will be performing at 7 pm Saturday, Sept. 15, Out On a Limb Gallery, 191 E. Broadway. Mare and Nomad have a new video out, recorded in their studio in Nashville. Find more videos, including some from their earlier tours through Eugene, on YouTube. Continue reading 

Swan Song

Swan Sovereign

Featuring members of the popular, now-defunct Portland group Dirty Martini, Swan Sovereign plays taut, guitar-based indie pop, mixing ’60s girl-group harmonies with the sound of ’90s-era rock bands like Throwing Muses, Belly and The Breeders.  Continue reading