Back Beat
Now that Eugene has recovered from our “was-he-or-wasn’t-he-really-here” Justin Bieber fever (Bieber-fieber, if you will), it’s time look ahead at the upcoming week in live music. But first some show announcements: Continue reading
Arts: Page 247
Immigrant Punk
New York’s Gogol Bordello
Musical traditions, like cuisine, say a lot about a culture. Pay attention and learn of pinnacles, invasions, conquests and declines. The recipe for great music and food is often the contradiction of outsiders celebrating their own lousy situation, mixing in ingredients that in different contexts might not make sense. New York’s Gogol Bordello has long been one of rock’s tastiest stews — a culture unto themselves. Continue reading
Vibrant Voices
Opera, symphony and choral concerts bring vital vocals
We usually hear one dimension of Peter Tchaikovsky: his melody-drenched ballet scores, especially that one that cracks up every Christmas. Continue reading
Murder on the Menu
Mystery Mayhem Theater Company’s dinner show Murder on the Campaign Trail
With perfect political timing, a new dinner theater company brings Murder on the Campaign Trail to town The newly minted Mystery Mayhem Theater Company’s dinner show, Murder on the Campaign Trail, opens in Springfield this weekend, with a sendup of the political process and whodunit rolled into one. The show’s co-producer, Tony Stirpe, cut his teeth on shows like this. Continue reading
Tragedies and Statistics
University Theatre's Scorched looks unflinchingly at the side of war we don’t often see, or want to
Clocking in at nearly four hours, University Theatre’s production of Scorched is something of an endurance test, and the stamina it requires is more than just physical. Bloody and unrelenting, the play transports the audience front and center to hell on earth, and its emotional impact is undeniable, like a seizure of post-traumatic stress that won’t let you go. Continue reading
Face Time
Artist Bret Pendlebury puts a fresh spin on portraiture
We’re all well acquainted with portraits. We’ve all seen da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and Van Gogh’s self-portrait with bandaged ear. We’ve been subjects in our own portraits, from selfies snapped at wild house parties to those bizarre, neck-cricking high-school IDs. Portraits are displayed in magazine ads, on business cards, in mugshots, passports and newspaper headlines. Continue reading
New Cherry Poppin’ Daddies music video features Eugene swing dancers
[Above: A still from the Cherry Poppin' Daddies' new music video for "That Lindy Hop" — see the full video at the bottom of this post.] It’s not everyday you get an email from a musician you love, but last fall local swing dancer and instructor Nick Davis checked his inbox to find an email from Cherry Poppin’ Daddies singer-songwriter Steve Perry. Continue reading
Word Crazy
March in Eugene is filled with events for writers and readers
The third annual Wordcrafters Conference returns to Eugene this week. Wordcrafters aims to provide “writers and readers opportunities to strengthen their craft, deepen their connection with literature and share their knowledge with each other and with future generations.” The conference features two days of workshops and on Friday, March 4, bestselling author of Two If by Sea, Jacquelyn Mitchard, speaks at 7 pm in the UO Baker Center downtown, 975 High Street; FREE, wordcraftersineugene.org. Continue reading
Spring is in the air, and dance offerings are starting to bloom
Spring is in the air, and dance offerings are starting to bloom, beginning with “In the Studio” with DanceAbility, an inspiring demonstration from their Everybody Can Dance teen program. Celebrate with local teens across a full spectrum of abilities and disabilities as they enjoy the art of dancing together. Guest professional dance artists led by DanceAbility teacher Jana Meszaros will also show an inspiring choreographed mixed-abilities piece with dancer Kelcie Laube. Continue reading
Drama at the Movies
If this were a movie, it might be a complicated and acrimonious courtroom drama called A Tale of Two Theaters, in which a pair of once-united independent movie houses splits over irreconcilable differences, becoming two separate cinemas run by different ownership. Continue reading