Whats-Happening: Page 620

Back Beat

Music

It’s official: reggae fusion band Sol Seed nabbed the crown for EW’s Next Big Thing 2013 with a final, outstanding performance at the Eugene Celebration Aug. 24. The 6-person outfit — including Michael Lennon (vocals, guitar), Michael Sorenson (vocals, drums), Benny Pezzano (vocals, bass), Kenny Lewis (vocals, guitar), Sky Guasco (vocals, percussion, didgeridoo) and Greame Pletscher (saxophone) — created a bubbly and psychedelic wall of sound that got the crowd swaying and singing on Willamette. Look for them on the cover of the Sept. 12 issue. Continue reading →

Welcome to the Picnic

Local fiber optics company Ants On A Melon lights up festivals across the country

Visual Arts

With all the hoopla of Eugene Celebration and Kaleidoscope Music Festival this past weekend, you probably laid eyes on a whole slew of inexplicable sights. And if you saw a giant glowing jellyfish bouncing around Mount Pisgah, don’t fret — you weren’t having a crazy trip; those dancing tentacles were just the far-out fiber optic artwork of local company Ants On A Melon.  Continue reading →

Arts Hound

Visual Arts

All over the world anarchists, activists, rebellious teens and, of course, hipsters wear T-shirts emblazoned with the two-tone image of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara sporting a steely stare beneath a beret. It is said to be one of the most duplicated images in the world, right up there with the Mona Lisa. Continue reading →

Celebrate Eugene

Culture

Oh Eugene, you’re not happy unless you’re complaining about the heat, the rain, too little to do downtown, too many bars downtown … and the fact that it costs money to go to the Eugene Celebration, Aug. 23-25. Pony up, kids, and get ready for three days of what makes Eugene what it is: SLUG queens roaming the streets, anarchists dancing to local music while the mayor grooves nearby, good eats and good fun.  Continue reading →

ArtsHound 08-22-13

Arts

Kaleidoscope Music Festival, the fusion music behemoth with 80-plus acts (see music), plants itself at Emerald Meadows Aug. 23-25, but more than just the aural senses will be stimulated. Look for the dubstep Wanderlust Circus, the steampunk-meets-cabaret Vagabond Opera and the multimedia dayglo-a-go-go performance troupe The Jezebelles. Eugene-based fiber optic toy company Ants On A Melon brings more eye candy to the meadow with their LED Jellyfish performance group.   Continue reading →

Cars, Cars, Cars

Shiny cars from old to new downtown

Culture

Most people peruse the Eugene Celebration looking for things to buy, food to eat or entertainment to watch. Most don’t think of it as an opportunity to time travel. However, on 8th Avenue between Charnelton and Olive, the Show ‘n’ Shine Classic Car Show will give Eugeneans the opportunity to travel nearly 90 years in one stroll of about 100 cars. At the Celebration, you might expect to see a bike show rather than a car show, but cars still seem to be a timeless way to look at American culture.  Continue reading →

Party Playlist

Celebrate good times downtown

Culture

Eugene has a lot to celebrate: flourishing restaurants and breweries, a refurbished downtown area, leadership in all things green and the friendly vibe, just to name a few. Eugeneans, give yourselves a well-deserved pat on the back. Since our city has so much to sing about, who better to help ring in another glorious Eugene Celebration than a smorgasbord of national and local musical acts? We’ve put together our list of must-see acts that love the city as much as we do. Friday, August 23 Continue reading →

Last Exit at Fruitvale Station

Film

Against my strongest instincts, I will resist saying too much, or anything too fancy, about Fruitvale Station, the excellent new movie based on the 2009 New Year’s shooting of a young black man by a security guard on San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit line. When a critic encounters anything of this rarefied quality, it’s best just to get out of the way. The film is that good. It is art of the highest caliber. It speaks for itself. It has the power to break your heart. Continue reading →

Celebrated Cinema

Inside the ECFilmZone

Film

Gone are the days of ad hoc screenings at the McDonald Theatre; film shorts and features from eight local and regional festivals, past and future, will stay the weekend at the new Bijou Metro during the Eugene Celebration’s “FilmZone.”  From sobering biopics to children’s animation, there’s something for everyone. Roll the dice with two “Secret Cinema” offerings or double down on a sure thing with works by Eliaichi Kimaro, Sándor Lau and E.C. (Ed) Schiessl. Continue reading →