Whats-Happening: Page 638

Stage Hand

Local and Northwest bands flock to celebrate Block Party

Culture

Like any good block party, the Whiteaker Block Party has much to satisfy the aural senses — perhaps too much for one person to make sense of, and thus here are some (stage) handy picks to check out on this wet, hot American summer day and night. But be a good community member and check out all the stages — Blair Alley, Slash and Burn, Hostel, Uncle Brad’s Secret Stage, Territorial — and get to know your neighbors.   G-spot Stage Continue reading →

Runway Party

The fashion show that crowds can’t get enough of

Culture

Like most things in the Whit, the neighborhood style stands out from the common threads running through the rest of the city. The same can be said for the Whiteaker Block Party Fashion show. In years past, spectators have been privy to a no-holds-barred runway spectacle where parasols, antelope horns, corsets, guns (as accessories) and, of course, last year’s now notorious feather headdresses can all be de rigueur. Continue reading →

Half-Broken

Film

Broken begins with loosely shuffled snippets of character and drama. When the film snaps into narrative focus, it’s with a sudden act of violence: On a quiet cul-de-sac, a young man washes his car. A passing neighbor girl says hello. The boy appears not quite all there: He has a hard time putting words in order, but he seems kind. As the girl departs, another neighbor appears, pulling his shirt off before knocking the young man halfway across the car. Continue reading →

Back Beat

Music

EW’s Next Big Thing is one step closer to choosing a winner. Between curly fries and sno cones, judges at the Lane County Fair narrowed down the 16 semi-finalists to two talented outfits: the reggae-fusion Sol Seed and indie-grassers The Crescendo Show. Cheer on your favorite during the Eugene Celebration at the Eugene Weekly-KVRM stage 1 to 2 pm Saturday, Aug. 24, as the bands battle for first place.   Continue reading →

By Way of Texas

Music

Beth Wood is a local singer-songwriter by way of Texas, and her brand of Americana, country and folk music has been getting people’s attention across the nation for nearly two decades. She has released eight albums, appeared on OPB’s Art Beat, received rave reviews from the likes of the Washington Post and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, won the 2006 Sisters Folk Festival Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest and been a finalist in the Telluride Troubadour Contest. Continue reading →

Bats and Birds

Music

The drive from San Francisco to Portland is more than 600 miles, and the inspiration to keep moving can range from energy drinks to mix CDs, but for Eric D. Johnson, frontman for the indie rockers Fruit Bats, the inspiration is Eugene’s Fisherman’s Market. “That is one of my favorite places ever,” he says. “I often find myself doing these really long, crazy, balls-out San Francisco-to-Portland drives all the time. That’s like my treat to myself on the home stretch. Continue reading →

Lullaby Lovett

Music

Nobody’s quite like Lyle Lovett. The Muppet-faced singer-songwriter plays, for lack of a better term, country music. But it’s a country must for A Prairie Home Companion fans, for Texans who vote Democrat and insist Austin is just different. Or to put it another way: Lyle Lovett plays adult-contemporary-country. But if you’re a Lyle-head I don’t need to tell you this; you are well familiar with his gentle tenor and literate take on American music — referencing Leonard Cohen, Kris Kristofferson and Townes Van Zandt.  Continue reading →

Betrayal and Blood — Staged Poolside

Free Shakespeare in the Park

Theater

A brilliant politician who would be king is brutally stabbed to death by a group of senators … right in the middle of Amazon Park? Now that’s drama. With daggers at the ready and poetry popping from their lips, it is time again for Shakespeare in the Park’s annual show. This year they take on the bloody, ever-relevant The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. I managed to fire off a few questions to Artistic Producing Director Sharon Se’love as she raced about in the final week before production. Continue reading →