Whats-Happening: Page 677

Brotherly and Sisterly Sunshine Love

Music

The tunes from the California-based band He’s My Brother She’s My Sister are so sun-drenched and punchy it will make you want to burst out your front door in skivvies, popsicle in hand, and declare to the neighborhood that “Summer is here!” OK, it’s January in Oregon, so put a robe on already, flick on your sun lamp and drop the needle on their 2012 EP Nobody Dances in This Town. But I couldn’t possibly describe their music better than LA Weekly: “Their voices mingle like glamour in the desert,” and “party music for coyotes drunk on champagne.” Who doesn’t want to party Continue reading →

A Gallant Departure

Music

Fans of San Francisco-based folk-rock duo Two Gallants: Be sure you’ve listened to their 2012 album, The Bloom and the Blight, before heading to their Eugene show. In their first album since 2007, the band’s style has changed a lot, to a more rock-heavy style than before — think Two Gallants with a dash of Black Keys. It’s good music, but don’t show up expecting a cookie cutter version of the earlier stuff. Continue reading →

It’s About Time – January 2013

About Time

Migration is the word for this month. The ponds and reservoirs in the valley are teeming with winter residents. Nothing makes having nice binoculars pay off more than feasting the eyes on the intricate patterns of a male green winged teal, shovelhead or bufflehead. I never get over the flash of amazement at how quickly a bufflehead can spin over and disappear under the water on a dive. Similarly startling is a cormorant suddenly coming up like a submarine periscope breaking a glassy surface. Continue reading →

The Art of Restorative Justice

Eugene conference illustrates how the arts can teach and heal

Arts

More than 130 years after Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote The Brothers Karamazov, UO professor and UNESCO chair Steven Shankman explored the meaning of the Russian novelist’s text within the walls of Salem’s Oregon State Penitentiary. Shankman describes it as “one of the extraordinary moments in class,” or the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, in which Shankman brought students from the UO to discuss literature and ethics with Salem inmates. One passage in particular left a lasting impression on the students: Continue reading →

Robin Williams at the Hult Center

Comedy

If the reach of your Robin Williams fandom extends no farther than Mrs. Doubtfire, then sorry to say it, but shame on you. While the old-school comic-turned-actor has made a lucrative career out of his (often family-friendly) portrayals on the silver screen, it should never be forgotten that his stand-up shows are iconic. Dancing from voice to absurd voice, bit to feverish bit, alcoholic yearning to reformed learning, Williams’ stand-up is near unmatched. Continue reading →