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There are not many muses as evocative as the salty, salty sea. With that Pacific mistress nearby, The Crescendo Show knows this well. “The ocean is always tied into a lot of our music,” says Ricky Carlson, banjo, guitar, drum and back-up vocal Renaissance man for the Corvallis-based indie folk band. “It’s a pretty vast subject to write about it.” Continue reading
After hitting major gigs like the Northwest String Summit and the High Sierra Music Festival this summer, the whiskey-shooting, feet-stomping, heart-pounding Americana group Fruition returns to Eugene to tour its new album Just One of Them Nights. Stomp-worthy tracks like “The Wanter” and “Boil Over” showcase the group’s signature high energy, but where Nights shines is in its more thoughtful, introspective folk moments. “We enjoy the space of a song and the intimacy of a song,” vocalist and guitarist Kellen Asebroek explains. Continue reading
John Oldman is either a “caveman, a liar or a nut.” A tenure-track professor quite suddenly announces his departure from the university where he has comfortably taught for 10 years. His fellow professors insist on the ritual of cheese, crackers and a proper going away, only to have their party ruined when John works up the courage to tell them the truth. He is 14,000 years old. He never ages, never dies and has been adrift in the world since the late Paleolithic age, learning about himself as the world comes to understand its own history. Continue reading
When Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, he probably did not foresee it being told via acrobats, stilt dancers and jugglers. But that’s exactly what Portland’s Wanderlust Circus is doing, accompanied by bohemian chamber orchestra 3 Leg Torso, with “A Circus Carol” 8 pm Friday, Dec. 13, at McDonald Theatre. In what other context are you going to see Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future (as well as Hanukkah Past) doing aerial stunts? Humbug? More like hum diddly! Continue reading
UPDATE: The Boreal surpassed its goal $3,500 with time to spare! A much needed new venue has been proposed for Eugene: The Boreal will be an all-ages, DIY, collectively-run music and art space at 450 W. 3rd St. near Crux Rock Climbing Gym and REI. The venue will have a capacity for about 80 people, expects to host upwards of 10 shows a month and plans to open in January 2014. As The Boreal Kickstarter page stages: Continue reading
“Why Star Trek?” asks Christina Allaback, an adjunct theater professor at the University of Oregon. “Why not Star Trek?” Continue reading
Duck confit, duck charcuterie, duck-fat ice cream … sometimes you have to break a few duck eggs and eat a few fowl in order to protect ducks and their habitat. On Dec. 11, local restaurant Party Downtown is teaming up with conservation group McKenzie River Trust (MRT) for an evening of duck feasting and river saving, along with celebrity hunter, gardener and cook Hank Shaw. Shaw is on tour promoting his new book, Duck, Duck, Goose: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Waterfowl, Both Farmed and Wild. Continue reading
Darkness comes early in December, now that midwinter is upon us. Remembering that Solstice isn’t until four days before Christmas, long nights are going to be around for a couple of months. We treasure clear, chilly nights when the stars put on a show from early in the evening. I mark the yearly cycle with only one constellation: Orion of Winter. It is the easiest to recognize, after the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. Orion has three bright stars decorating his belt; his sword marked by four close, smaller stars angling off below. Continue reading
I‘ve written so many of these columns (nearly 200 — zot!) that I can properly claim some traditions. This being December, annually I offer suggestions for seasonal winestuff for Giftmas. I’ve borrowed that term from a prodigy, Taryn Bazurto; it captures the vital thrust of this season without undue damage — I hope — to various religious inclinations among some readers. Continue reading