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Words by Bryan Kalbrosky • Photos by Brinkley Capriola Much like the music itself, memories from the Odesza concert at McDonald Theatre on Tuesday are perfectly fragmented into pieces of an unforgettable night. Continue reading
Colorado producer, DJ and electronic musician Michal Menert is called “the Godfather of Electro-Soul.” “It’s a title the fans have given me,” Menert tells EW via email. He says his work with trendsetting artist Pretty Lights put him at the forefront of the white-hot EDM (electronic dance music) scene. “It’s a flattering name that got placed on me, and I wear it with a smile,” Menert says. “I never refer to myself as that, but will gladly take it.” Continue reading
There’s a new sound in the underground and it’s taking foothold in Eugene. The sound is called electro swing, or e-swing, a blending of modern techno, bass and house music with vintage jazz and swing music of the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. For Eugene’s plentiful, dance-hungry audiences, this combo is a no-brainer. Continue reading
Straight-edge bands get a bad rap. Often unfairly branded as a general crankiness toward all things fun, the straight-edge, or “sXe,” movement is largely anti bar, house party or any other place where drugs or alcohol might rear their ugly heads. It isn’t a scene particularly synonymous with “ragers.” Continue reading
If music is the universal language, the voice is the universal instrument. Continue reading
Owners Mike Hergenreter and Danny Kime have announced that their new 700-person capacity music venue, Hi Fi Music Hall — featuring two stages, a full-service bar, restaurant and patio — will open in early May at 44 E. 7th Ave. Continue reading
“People won’t commit to your music if you don’t commit to it first,” says Sam Wartenbee, Eugene rapper and Crushkill Recordings artist. If you’ve paid attention to local music for any length of time, chances are you recognize Wartenbee (aka Sammy Warm Hands), whether from hardcore punk band This Day’s End or local hip-hop act The ILLusionists. Ten years ago, Wartenbee started his own recording studio and record label, Take 92 Music. Continue reading
With a gender twist on the Adam and Eve story, Montreal’s experimental techno musician Marie Davidson offers us the apple of temptation. This time, the apple is minimalist electronic beats and soundscapes that evoke danger, sexuality and darkness. And, frequently, her sound has an undeniably killer groove — like on the track “Excès de Vitesse” from Davidson’s upcoming release Un Autre Voyage (out April 15 on Holodeck Records). Continue reading
In the early ’90s, drag star RuPaul was dazzling the club scenes in Atlanta and New York City and Jennie Livingston released her award-winning documentary Paris Is Burning, which captured the culture of New York drag balls. In Eugene, the first Damsels, Divas & Dames drag show was performed at the Hult in 1992. In 2000, Imperial Sovereign Court of the Emerald Empire — one of Eugene’s oldest LGBTQ organizations — revived the show and it has continued to be an annual event benefitting HIV Alliance. Continue reading
At first listen, Portland’s Ages and Ages seem to provide the perfect indie-pop soundtrack to a lazy afternoon spent in careless sun-soaked abandon. But, an underlying darkness looms. Much like the joyous gloom-tinged rock of Denmark’s Alcoholic Faith Mission, frontman Tim Perry and company craft songs that are harmonious, lush and joyous while heavily colored with angst, strife and the difficulty of remaining a decent human being. This is particularly so on their 2014 sophomore release, Divisionary. Continue reading