Primus live [5.24.13 Cuthbert Amphitheater]
Whats-Happening: Page 651
It’s About Time – June 2013
June is a big gardening month. Early winter greens have been used up and cleared away while the sugar snap peas should reach maximum production. The solstice, June 21 this year, marks when the bush beans should have been planted. I like both peas and beans because they are so easy to grow from seed. The critical issue is protecting the seedlings from sneaky herbivores like pill bugs and sow bugs. These nonnative pests hide in mulch or between rocks of the raised beds. They creep out at night to devour the tender plumule just as it starts to emerge from between the cotyledons. Continue reading
Beyond Cartoons
The popular perspective on animation tends to lie within the realm of Saturday morning cartoons or late-night adult comedy like South Park or Family Guy. But Portland’s Northwest Animation Festival is trying to change these classic conceptions of animation. And this year, the festival is bringing its expansive, carefully curated program down to Eugene. “We’ve put a lot of effort into building our audience in Portland,” says festival director Sven Bonnichsen. “We’re hoping to do the same in Eugene.” Continue reading
That new old-time feel
When there’s a story — or an album’s worth of stories — inside you, it’s going to find a way to come out. For Vikesh Kapoor, the first several years of his life were spent playing piano. Then, an arm injury. He turned to photojournalism at Boston University. Continue reading
Fully Satisfied
Seattle has become a hip-hop factory — or at least hip hop with a PNW twist: Blue Scholars, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Wanz, Common Market, Grieves, Shabazz Palaces. And, like most hip-hop scenes, Seattle is dominated by male artists. Then there’s THEESatisfaction, an R&B-leaning hip-hop duo made up of Stasia “Stas” Iron and Catherine “Cat” Harris-White. Continue reading
Golden Audacious
Alternative rocker Laura Meyer calls it like she sees it. Religion, greed, life on the road and relationships all get their share of attention on her albums, and her observations will certainly get you thinking. After listening to some of her tunes, you won’t be able to help but be reminded that the life of a rock star isn’t all fun and games, even if she did appear on The Jay Leno Show once. Continue reading
Folk Blitz
There’s a new record that’s pretty much recorded
Eric Earley is of two minds when it comes to talking about the 10th anniversary of Blitzen Trapper’s self-titled debut album. “Well, we’ve only been touring for like five years, and before that we were playing but not really, so for me, when we started touring was when we really started to be a band,” Earley says. “But yeah, the years have definitely gone by fast.” Continue reading
Oakridge Explorations
Spring along the Middle Fork Trail
The Willamette River is the lifeblood of the valley that bears its name — though by the time it reaches major population centers it has been dammed and otherwise mutilated by humans. Thankfully not far from Eugene one can hike or bike along the banks of the Middle Fork of this mighty river. Continue reading
Arts Hound
A wolf in sheep’s clothing? More like a wolf in a hip T-shirt. Sabrina Jackson, the local printmaker behind graphic tee brand Poppy & Moe, is relaunching her company as Wolf Child, featuring a new line of hand-printed shirts with all sorts of symbology: snakes, crescent moons, skeleton keys and the Eye of Providence. The line will make its Eugene debut at Passion Flower Design on Broadway during the First Friday ArtWalk; look for it at WolfChild.com this summer. Continue reading
Back Beat
Kaleidoscope Music Festival has raised the bar for releasing music lineups with a highly produced viral video featuring a woman on a treasure hunt. National acts on the roster include Bassnectar, Los Rakas, Blue Scholars, Afroman, Souls of Mischief, Paper Diamond, Com Truise, gLAdiator and Amp Live. According to OneEleven, the producer-promoters behind the fest, the video was only phase one of the lineup announcements. More musicians will be announced May 30. Continue reading