Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield live at Crystal Ballroom [Portland, Oregon – 3.27.15]
Words by Rick Levin • Photos by Todd Cooper Continue reading
Whats-Happening: Page 525
Cory Branan, Jenny Owen Youngs and Tim Barry live at Doug Fir Lounge [3.25.15]
The Story of Civic
The rich history of Civic Stadium and its ties to lumber
Jim watson of Friends of civic stadium stands beneath the stadium’s wooden beams. Photo by Trask Bedortha. Continue reading
The Art of Possibility
Could Civic Stadium become an arts playground?
Crossing 20th Avenue and heading south on Willamette, the back walls of Civic Stadium seem to rise from the east side of the street. Most who pass it on their daily commute probably no longer notice; others might deem it a ramshackle eyesore. Or as Greg Ausland, of the Eugene Civic Alliance, puts it: “Right now, it looks like a beached whale.” Continue reading
Sexually Transmitted Demon
In his groundbreaking 1996 movie Scream, director Wes Craven — with help from Kevin Williamson’s cheeky postmodern screenplay — peeled back the mask on modern horror, revealing a set of previously unspoken rules governing the mayhem in teen slasher flicks. Among those rules to avoiding murder (“Don’t do drugs!”), perhaps the most resonant for a generation living under the specter of AIDS was this: No premarital hanky-panky. In other words, when it comes to surviving a horror movie, always remember that sex equals death. Continue reading
Musicians Behind Bars
Local talent not only graces our stages, but pours our drinks
Would you like a gin and tonic with that guitar riff? How about a rum and Coke with that rhyme? “In Eugene, you’ll see a bartender onstage everywhere you go. We all play music,” says Casey Lynch, Level Up Arcade manager and bartender. Lynch is a prime example. Known to most as KI Design (emcee and ringleader of local hip-hop crew, The Architex), he has played countless shows, including a weekly residency — “Private Stock” at Luckey’s Club — going on four years now. Continue reading
Are You LEXperienced?
LEX
Pop quiz: What do Joseph Campbell, Blade Runner and Trent Reznor have in common? Answer: The L.A. synth-pop quartet LEX. “A lot of our inspiration comes from movies such as Blade Runner, The Neverending Story and Labyrinth,” bandmember Leah Chrisholm tells EW via email. Chrisholm grew up in Eugene. LEX is touring in support of their debut self-titled release produced by Peter Franco, who also worked on the last two Daft Punk records. The band describes its sound as “fantasy synth.” Continue reading
Near Greatness
Geographer
Geographer exists somewhere between the emotive synth pop arias of Depeche Mode and the earnest coffeehouse-meets-arena-rock of fellow Bay Area acts Train and Counting Crows. With echoes of The Killers, Geographer’s latest release, Ghost Modern (out now on Roll Call Records) tries to sound big — U2 big, the kind of watershed record that burns up the charts while soundtracking a generation. Continue reading
Country Roots
Singer-songwriter Iris DeMent brings her brand of roots-folk to Cozmic
No one has a voice quite like Iris DeMent — an aching, soulful twang reminiscent of a bygone era. “She’s the best singer I’ve ever heard,” Merle Haggard has said of the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. DeMent has done timeless duets with John Prine and Emmylou Harris, and her songs have graced both the silver and small screens (2010’s True Grit and Northern Exposure). Via email, EW caught up with DeMent, who plays March 29 at Cozmic, to chat about music collaborations, her music roots and her latest project. Continue reading
Delgani Debut
Discover Eugene’s new string quartet, the sounds of South India and music for Holy Week
String quartets might be the most common classical music chamber ensemble, but it’s hard to find a quartet that performs regularly hereabouts and thereby develops the kind of chemistry that can really make the music sing. That hole in Eugene’s musical tapestry will be repaired at 7:30 pm Tuesday, April 7, at United Lutheran Church (2230 Washington), when the new Eugene-based Delgani String Quartet takes it opening bow. Continue reading