THIS WEEK AT THE CLUBS:   Gabriel Blue Described as "a seventeen song...excursion chronicling the conquests and wanings of life" the new Gabriel Blue CD, Runaway Sun, includes stylings of rock, folk, pop, punk and country. Come on out and celebrate its release. Friday, WOW Hall.   Pass Out Kings The Kings are promising a free CD to the first 100 audience members through the doors at John Henry's this weekend, and they even have a singing radio commercial to promote it. Now that's what we call style! Saturday, John Henry's.   Easy Target Their press info talks about tight punk riffs with poppy sing-along lyrics, but we're having a hard time getting past the crayons up their noses. The Eugene four-piece released their debut album last year, titled Inappropriate Classroom Behavior. I'll say. Saturday, WOW Hall. CLICK HERE FOR CLUBS LISTINGS A Strong Case Neko shines bright in dreary winter. By Dave Gingold   .   The winter gloom that sits upon the valley sits too upon the music scene, where things slow to a crawl and everyone sleeps more and more, apparently. One of the few rays of full-spectrum light beaming through is Neko Case and her Boyfriends, who play Sam Bond's Garage the 18th. The latest from Case is Furnace Room Lullaby, her second CD, where the singer brings her strong twangin' tear-in-her-beer delivery to a solid collection of modern country songs that she wrote or co-wrote. Case records for Chicago's Bloodshot Records, the self-proclaimed "home of insurgent country," whose roster has featured The Old 97's, Whiskeytown, Robbie Fulks, etc. The Boyfriends are a changing crew of studio and touring musicians who bring big-reverb guitar to "Set Out Running" and nervous chugging to "Mood to Burn Bridges," on Furnace Room, rendering the CD a tasteful country effort throughout, spared of affectation. Though Case's isn't the biggest voice around, and it's not the best idea to thin it out and filter it down on the tiny delight "No Need to Cry," her obvious familiarity with and affection for Patsy Cline serves her well. Case was born in Virginia but spent most of her life in Washington State -- she drummed in Vancouver punk band Maow and was recently washing dishes in a Seattle club, before Dotcommie-creep wreckingballed her pad and forced her to flee to Chicago -- and in "Thrice All American" she gives a surprisingly affectionate nod to Tacoma. "A dusty old jewel in the south Puget Sound/where the factories churn and the timber's all cut down." Maybe a town where you can drink inside a giant coffeepot isn't so bad after all. Case's current tour finds her opening a bunch of dates for, alternatively, Blue Rodeo and The Jayhawks, and her record has drawn positive review in People and Time magazines. This week: Thursday the 11th, there is a Benefit for Earth First! Journal at the WOW Hall, with Jim Page, Citizen's Band, Timothy Hall and Danny Dolinger laying down the folk. The journal is celebrating 20 years, the last eight spent here, and is now moving to Tucson. Can't say I blame 'em, weather-wise. The bluegrass of Honeybuckit (note new spelling) and the world beat and roots rock of Abakadubi are at the Wild Duck the 11th. Gabriel Blue celebrates the release of its CD The Runaway Sun (no surprise these guys are from Eugene, eh?) at the WOW on the 12th, with Courtesy Clerks and Funnel opening. Also on the 12th, The Danged and Joshua James and the Runaway Trains are at the Tiny Tavern. The WOW offers the pop punk of Easy Target the 13th, with Second String opening, and the superlative jazzy funk of Freedom Funk Ensemble is at Chez Ray's. Blues ripper Coco Montoya is back the 18th at the Wild Duck. Adam's Place 30 E. Broadway * 344-6948 Barnes & Noble 1163 Valley River Dr. * 687-0356 Friday: Walker T. Ryan--7, Blues Saturday: Poetry Open Mic--7, Shel Silverstein poems Bacari Restaurant 1210 Willamette * 343-8404 Beanery 152 W. 5th * 342-3378 Friday: Walker T. Ryan--11am, Blues Saturday: Moonstone--8, Folk Beanery 2465 Hilyard * 344-0221 Black Forest Thursday: The U-Gene Band--9:30, New Old-time Music Friday: Roy G. Biv--9:30, Psychedelic Experience Saturday: The Tony Rae Group--9:30, Power Blues Trio Sunday: Open Mic--9 sign-up Monday: Emerald City Open Jam--9:30 Tuesday: John Barley & Pete Weinberger--9:30, Rock Wednesday: Patty McCulla--9:30, Blues Bliss Steak Ranch 2891 W. 11th * 484-6657 Friday: The Electric Flies--9, Rock Saturday: The Electric Flies--9, Rock Borders 5 Oakway Center * 345-6072 Friday: John Shipe--8, Rock Saturday: Don Latarski--6, Jazz; Solo Flight --8, Jazz Sunday: Gus Russell--4; Barbara Dzuro --6; Joe Manis Quartet--8, Jazz The Brickhouse 4136 4th St. Spfd. * 988-1612 Buzz Coffeehouse EMU, UO * 346-3725 Cafe Paradiso AA NS 115 W. Broadway * 484-9933 Thursday: Jessica Plotkin--8:30, Singer-songwriter Friday: Jim Hershey--8:30, Singer-songwriter Tuesday: Open MIc--8:30, Acoustic Wednesday: Robert Bander--8:30, Jazz Guitarist Chantrelle's 5th & Pearl * 484-4065 Friday: Gill Herrera--10, Jazz Tuesday: Blues Jam w/ Byron Case & friends--10 Chez Ray 44 W. 10th * 344-1530 Thursday: Muraga--10, Tribal Belly Dance Friday: Carmizin--9:30, Acoustic Fusion Saturday: Freedom Funk Ensemble--10, Funk Monday: Open MIc featuring Sean Shanahan--8:45 Tuesday: Taper Tuesday hosted by Jeff Harrison--9:30 Wednesday: Andras Jones.com & Sandman--9:30 Diablo's 959 Pearl * 683-3855 Doc's Pad 165 W. 11th * 683-8101 Friday: Nautical Sauce Posse--9:30 Saturday: DJ Dancing--9:30 Monday: Rooster's Blues Jam---9 sign-up Tuesday: Karaoke Wheel of Doom--9:30 Wednesday: DJ Dancing w/ Ty B.--9:30 Duck Inn 1795 W. 6th * 342-5729 Thursday: Karaoke--8 Saturday: Karaoke--8 Fool's Paradise 460 Willamette * 338-9733 Foxfire 4740 Main, Spfd * 747-7900 Thursday: Forrest T. Black--9:30, Rock Friday: The Symtoms-9:30, Rock Saturday: The Symtoms-9:30, Rock Sunday: Karaoke--7:30 Monday: Forrest T. Black--9, Rock Tuesday: Open Jam--8:15 sign-up Wednesday: JC Rico--9:30, Blues Groucho's 100 E. Broadway * 484-1747 Friday: DJ Mario Mora--10, Salsa & Merengue Hagen's 50 E. 11th * 343-8108 Hilton Lobby 66 E. 6th * 342-2000 Saturday: Forrest Moulton Duo-9, Jazz Hollywood Taxi 535 Main, Spfd * 747-0307 Tuesday: PELT--9:30, Rock Jakes Restaurant 605 W. 19th * 431-0513 Jim's Landing 303 Main St. Spfd * 726-7570 JoFederigo's 259 E 11th * 343-8488 Thursday: Jo Fed's Jazz Jam--9:30 Friday: LaZoo-9:30, Jazz Saturday: LaZoo--9:30, Jazz Sunday: Mark Alan--9, Acoustic Monday: Open mic--6:30 sign-up Tuesday: Barbara Dzuro--8:30, Jazz Wednesday: Paul Paydos Jam--9:30, Var. John Henry's 136 E. 11th * 342-3358 Thursday: 80's Dance Night--10, DJ Dance Friday: Welsh Rabbit, King of Spain, Lucid--10, Rock Saturday: Pass Out Kings, YOB--10, Punk Sunday: Fells Acres, Harlow--10, Rock Monday: Super 8 Film Night--9:30 Tuesday: Deadbolt, Al Foul & the Shakes, The Danged--10, Rock Wednesday: Iron Fist Crew--10, Dance Hall Reggae Lavelle Wine Bar 5th St. Mkt * 338-9875 Friday: Gus Russell--5:30, Jazz Saturday: John Crider--5:30 The Love Cafe 145 Pioneer Pkwy Spfd * 763-5710 Meridian Building 18th & Willamette * no phone Moretti's 730 E. Broadway * 344-6673 Mystique Restaurant 959 Pearl St. * 343-4361 Nite Owl (Ramada Inn) 225 Coburg * 342-5181 Friday: Valley Boys--9:15 Saturday: Valley Boys--9:15 The Old Pad 3355 E. Amazon * 686-5022 Oregon Electric Station 27 E. 5th * 485-4444 Out of the Fog 839 Lincoln * 302-8194 Tuesday: Sunshine Daydream--6:30, Folkadelic Overtime Tavern 770 S. Bertelsen * 342-5028 Piccolo 999 Willamette * 484-4011 Saturday: Mike Denny Trio--8, Jazz Quacker's 2105 W. 7th * 345-2617 Rascals 211 Washington * 345-2617 Saturday: Beard--9:30, Percussive Rock Tuesday: The Patty McCulla Dave Clark Band--9:30, Variety Wednesday: Westside Blues Jam--9:30 Rick's Pub 20 Hwy 99 N. * 344-3074 Rock 'n' Rodeo 44 E. 7th * 683-5160 Sam Bond's Garage 407 Blair Blvd * 343-2635 Thursday: Peter Wilde, Mare Wakefield & Lewi Longmire--9, In the round Friday: Chip Cohen--5:30; Kerosene Dream--9:30, Folk-rock Saturday: Old Time Jam--5; Three Leg Torso--9:30, Jazz Sunday: Irish Jam--4; Tim Clark's Soul-tet--9, Jazz Monday: Poetry Slam--7:30 Sign-up Tuesday: Bluegrass Jam--9 Wednesday: Bill Mallonee & the Vigilantes of Love--9, Country Sam's Place 825 Wilson * 484-4455 Senor Frog's 444 E. 3rd * 484-2927 Thursday: DJ Dancing--10 Friday: DJ Señor Mix--10, Salsa & Merengue Saturday: DJ Señor Mix--10, Salsa & Merengue Stepina's 1475 Mohawk, Spfd * 744-0811 Taylor's 894 E. 13th * 344-6174 Saturday: Kerosene Dream w/ Caleb from Calobo--9, Rock Monday: DJ TekNeek--10, DJ Dance Theo's Jazz Club 126 W. Broadway * 344-6491 Friday: The Tim Clark Soul-tet--8:30, Jazz Saturday: Miles Ahead--8:30, Jazz Tuesday: Jazz Jam hosted by Matt Shevitz Quartet--8:30 Tiny Tavern 894 E. 13th * 344-6174 Friday: The Danged, Joshua James and the Runaway Trains--9:30, Rock Tsunami Books 2585 Willamette * 345-8986 Saturday: Ty Connor--8, Variety Valley River Inn 1000 Valley R. Way * 687-0123 Thursday: Vanness Express-8, Variety Friday: Vanness Express--8:30, Variety Saturday: Vanness Express--8:30, Variety Sunday: Yacov Golian--8, International Folk Tu & We: Tropic Starr--8, Variety Waterfront Bar & Grill 2210 Centennial * 465-4506 Wild Duck Hall NS 169 W. 6th * 485-3825 Friday: Glam Fridays--9:30, DJ Dance Saturday: Honeybuckit, Abakadubi--9:30, Bluegrass & Roots Rock WOW Hall AA NS 291 W. 8th * 687-2646 Friday: Glam Fridays--9:30, DJ Dance Saturday: Honeybuckit, Abakadubi--9:30, Bluegrass & Roots Rock Back to Top Table of Contents | News & Views | Arts & Entertainment Classifieds | Personals | EW Archive