Spaghetti Western Opera

Soprano Emily Pulley stars as ‘Minnie’ in The Girl of the Golden West

More than half a century before Sergio Leone, Ennio Morricone, Clint Eastwood et al brought us an Italian view of the American West’s good/bad old days, New York’s Metropolitan Opera asked famed Italian composer Giacomo Puccini to make a new opera from a play of the Gold Rush days. Continue reading 

Folk-Prog-Rock-Jam-Dance

Papadosio

Papadosio is a prog-rock band at its core, but take a closer look; it is so much more than that. The Athens, Ohio-founded quintet could quite easily have tailored its sound for ignorant audiences, but if you want your music to say something, actually spread a message, you gotta go big. Continue reading 

Window on the Emerald Isle

Tap into Celtic heritage at the 11th annual Eugene Irish Cultural Festival

Michelle Mulcahy

More than 50 percent of Lane County residents have some Celtic heritage. At least that’s what Eugene Irish Cultural Festival organizer Peggy Hinsman has found in her research. So put down that James Joyce novel and head out to the 11th Annual Eugene Irish Cultural Festival Saturday, March 8, at Sheldon High School, with an opening concert Friday, March 7, at Beall Concert Hall featuring traditional Irish music. Continue reading 

He Don’t Auto-Tune Live

T-Pain

Yes folks, the father of Auto-Tune is coming to town. If you haven’t heard T-Pain before, there are four basic things you need to know: 1. He loves shawtys; 2. He actually has a good voice but uses Auto-Tune because he thinks it’s cooler; 3. He will buy you a drank if you are a shawty and/or know how to “talk money”; 4. He may or may not be in love with a stripper right now. Oh, he also lost four teeth in a golf cart accident, but that’s neither here nor there. Continue reading 

Ups from Down Under

Anna Lunoe

Australian electronic musician Anna Lunoe grew up discovering music the old-fashioned way: digging through crates of vinyl records at her local record store. “I was trying to find stuff my brothers didn’t know so I could one-up them,” Lunoe jokes on her website.  Continue reading