Arts: Page 252

Stellar Soloists

From an uilleann piper to an American Songbook crooner

Music
Olga Kern

The New Year opens with a series of ace instrumentalists strutting their chops around town. At 4 pm Sunday, Jan. 3, First United Methodist Church (13th and Olive) brings a renowned instrumentalist, uilleann piper Eliot Grasso, to its annual handbell concert. That unusual ensemble is alone worth seeing, but this year’s show also features trumpeter Chris Peters and the church’s own organist, Julia Brown, an accomplished recording artist. Grasso is one of the acknowledged masters of the haunting Irish bagpipes and has performed all over the world.  Continue reading →

Painting the Political

Visual Arts
'Feel the Bern' by Jerry Ross

Artist Jerry Ross recently spent a lot of time with Donald Trump’s face. As a Bernie Sanders supporter, this was no easy feat. “I got a lot of praise for that Trump painting because it captured his arrogance,” Ross says. “Also, his jaw, it’s very much like the jaw of Mussolini,” he adds with a laugh, referencing the fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Continue reading →

Book Review: You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)

Books

As a person, Felicia Day has a kind of lovable oddness that translates perfectly onto the page, as exemplified in her memoir, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost). Known best for her appearances in Joss Whedon productions as well as her web series The Guild, Day has written a memoir that is humorous, self-deprecating and strikingly inspirational. The book describes her wayward childhood as a homeschooled oddball who educated herself mostly through reading whatever she could find. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Ghosts Who Travel with Me

Books

The Ghosts Who Travel with Me is a necessary read for all wanderlusting folks of the world. Author Allison Green recounts her story of exploring Brautigan’s route through Idaho from his novel Trout Fishing in America. On her own literary pilgrimage, Green grapples with her deep relation to Brautigan’s writing as a woman, a lesbian and a feminist. She tells of the discoveries in her own life that this literary filter provides her in a voice both poignant and clever.  Continue reading →

Tomorrow, Etc.

Film

Macbeth might not be Shakespeare’s most sophisticated play — it is nasty, brutish and short — and yet, among the tragedies, it remains my personal favorite, if only because it contains the most blunt and chilling expression of nihilism yet registered in the English language. Continue reading →

Farewell Patchy Sanders

Music
Patchy Sanders

The last chance for Eugeneans to hear Patchy Sanders live in all its folksy glory will be this Saturday, Dec. 19. The popular and critically acclaimed indie troupe with Eugene roots is calling it quits after three years. “Eugene is actually our second to last show ever,” says Sara Wilbur, violinist. The band’s final show will be Dec. 20 in Ashland. “The band has been trekking along pretty seriously for three years now,” Wilbur continues, adding, “We were just feeling ready to move on to new chapters.” Continue reading →