Whats-Happening: Page 444

New Wine on the Block

Pinot noir grapes abound at Abbelone Vineyard

Drink
Kristian Ferry at Abbelone Vineyard

“Our property used to be Christensen Brothers Ranch, a working rodeo stock ranch for horses,” says Abbelone Vineyard co-owner Angela Ferry. In the routine operations of running the winery, “we find lots of remnants from those days, like horse bits and fencing,” she says.  Ferry, a financial recruiter, and her husband, Kristian Ferry, a surgical oncologist, bought their 34-acre property in 2002.   “We planted our first vines that spring,” Ferry says.  Continue reading →

The Giving Vine

A look at how the local wine industry gives back to the community

Drink
Alan Mitchell of territorial vineyards

The popularity of Oregon wine, especially our pinot noirs, has soared. From a handful of wineries in the 1970s, we have seen a near-explosion: Now there are more than 400 wineries in the state, with that number increasing almost daily. Wine contributes several billion dollars annually to Oregon’s economy. The wineries and their owners also contribute greatly to various Oregon charities and nonprofits.  How, and how much? Continue reading →

Getting Over It

Dysfunction is raised to the level of art in Jason Bateman’s The Family Fang

Film

Jason Bateman was that kid in high school everybody pretty much liked  — the vice president of the student body who ran track and dated not the prettiest but easily the coolest cheerleader, and who was on friendly terms with jocks and stoners alike (although secretly preferring stoners).  And yet, something about the guy strains against his better angels, as though being nice just isn’t cutting it. His mean streak is only a centimeter wide, but when he finds it, it’s like coming home. Continue reading →

The regional old-time scene is going to have one big hearth to gather round

Music
WOW Hall

The regional old-time scene is going to have one big hearth to gather round May 5-8: the inaugural Willamette Valley Old-Time Social put on by Eugene’s Mud City Old-Time Society. For the uninitiated, old-time music is an acoustic tradition of American music. Fiddle and banjo are the stars, making the sound a perfect catalyst for square dancing.  And old-time is not bluegrass; it gave birth to bluegrass. Old-time focuses on community and participation, regardless of skill level, more than performance. Continue reading →

So Long Portland, Hello Eugene

Music

Portland musician Pat Kearns is feeling reflective. “It’s just been where the songs have been taking me,” Kearns tells EW. “The stuff that I’ve been writing the last couple of years has just been a lot quieter. Maybe I’ll know all of this more when I reach the other side of it.” Continue reading →

The Search for Candy Continues

Aaron Carter just keeps coming back to Eugene

Music
Aaron Carter

It’s easy to get confused by the ups and downs of today’s music scene. We’ve lost foundational icons like Prince and Bowie. Zayn left One Direction (and was kind of a butthead about it) and no one knows what the hell Iggy Azalea is doing. Shit has gotten weird. Alas, there is a twinkle in the far-off distance — hope shining through the dark, cold night. Oh, wait: That’s Aaron Carter and his frosted tips. Yes, folks, Aaron Carter (younger brother of Nick Carter from Backstreet Boys) is coming back to Eugene May 8  at WOW Hall. Continue reading →