Soul’d Out Music Fest 2016
Our favorite moments from this year
Music: Page 118
Elvis Costello live
at the McDonald Theatre in Eugene OR
His Aim is True
Elvis Costello takes a ‘Detour’ to Eugene
He descended on the Carter era of gas lines and bloody carpets and post-love funk like some infernal geek bastard child of Buddy Holly and Johnny Lydon, spitting out lyrical venom over gorgeous hooks and bellicose riffs that plumbed the deepest, darkest wells of pop music — billboard fuzz attacking itself with newborn impunity — all of it churned out with a churlish amphetamine sneer that belied his antediluvian genius for melodic universalism within the three-minute cliché of radio-radio rock. Continue reading
Musicking Around
A plethora of early music performances hits Eugene
Eugene has long been one of the beacons of so-called early music, which includes basically anything composed (in Europe) before J.S. Bach died and Mozart was born in the mid-18th century. The Oregon Bach Festival has been the big kahuna, but the city boasts an indie early music scene consisting of historically informed performance practice musicians in outfits like the Oregon Bach Collegium, Vox Resonat and the University of Oregon’s splendid early music program. Continue reading
Back Beat
In music venue news, The Barn Light East (845 East 8th Ave.) has announced they will be hosting live music. Barn Light co-owner Thomas Pettus-Czar tells KVAL-TV: “As opposed to other environments in which [music is] sort of in the background, this is an opportunity where folks can grab a beverage, sit down and really pay attention to the artists.” Look for show announcements soon. Continue reading
Alt-Rock Double Bill
The sensual rock tunes of Cape Cod’s Highly Suspect and Luz Elena Mendoza
Get ready to feel some serious butterflies from the sensual rock tunes of Cape Cod’s Highly Suspect and Luz Elena Mendoza (of Y La Bamba) coming to WOW Hall April 9. Mendoza has a wispy, sultry voice that will woo you into a trance. She’s also very Portland alt-rock. Her songs are stories that build by layering vocals with sometimes whimsical, sometimes dark, melodies. Now on her third album with Y La Bamba, Ojos Del Sol, Mendoza has a sound that is easy to swallow but at any given moment could send chills down your neck. Continue reading
Coldest White Rapper
G-Eazy talks to EW about being poor, being rich and being white in the rap game
G-Eazy is such a big deal that iconic rapper Lil Wayne remixed a song from his new album last week and NBA superstar Kobe Bryant greeted him at a recent Lakers game. On Billboard’s website, Nielsen Music charts hip-hop and R&B songs using a metric that calculates radio airplay, streaming and music sales. Each week since Feb. 20, G-Eazy’s “Me, Myself & I” ranked higher than any other rap song save Drake’s “Summer 16” and Rihanna’s “Work” (which also features Drake). Continue reading
Back Beat
On April 9, Old Nick’s celebrates its one-year anniversary. Over the past 12 months, the Whiteaker rock club across from Washington Jefferson Skatepark has upped Eugene’s punk, metal and hardcore game. “We would like to thank all of the local bands, DJs, comics and burlesque performers in the Eugene scene for supporting Old Nick’s with your amazing talent,” says Tim Kinney, Old Nick’s booker and co-owner. “We will continue to bring in great music and keep Eugene rocking.” Continue reading
UO Musicking
Early music conference and more in Eugene this week
From April 12-16, the UO is hosting its first free and open to the public early music conference, Musicking, which includes lecture series, master classes and other coaching opportunities, along with stars from the admittedly geeky early music world, scholarly sessions and, of course, concerts, not to mention a “period-instrument petting zoo.” Continue reading
Back Beat
Farewell John Evans. The former Oregon Bach Festival director (2006-2014) and head of music for the BBC’s classical network passed away from a heart attack March 20, reports Slipped Disc, a classical music site, and Eugene Art Talk, a site by local arts writer Bob Keefer. Evans was 62. Originally from the UK, Evans was a preeminent scholar of British composer Benjamin Britten. He compiled the 2009 book Journeying Boy: The Diaries of the Young Benjamin Britten 1928-1938. Continue reading