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THIS WEEK AT THE
CLUBS:
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Willow
Not just a looker on a pile of leaves, she's a singer/songwriter
fresh from 240 hours in the studio. When she emerged, Sweet Dark Demon was
born, though maybe it should've been called "Sweet Dark Demon on a pile of leaves."
Friday, Cafe Paradiso. |
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Mick Taylor
Mr. Taylor sidels up to teach Eugene a thing or two about sidelong-glances
and fine fret fondles. He rolled with the Stones, and now rolls into our town for
one night. Tuesday, WOW Hall. |
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Poetry Gong
Show
Who's the freak in the paper bag? Who else, but the Unknown
Poet? Prizes and accolades to those brave enough to challenge the great brass gong.
The Second Poetry Gong Show with its candy-canded hook, panel of celebrity judges,
and of course Dan, the Dancing Man, could be addictive. Wednesday, Sam Bond's Garage. |
CLICK
HERE FOR CLUBS LISTINGS
Bad
Boy of Music
Antheil's Ballet
Mecanique sets sparks.
By Brett
Campbell
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George Antheil, the bad boy of
music.
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Moby. Sonic Youth. The 1966-67 Beatles. Miles Davis. These days, we
tend to associate musical trailblazing with smart pop musicians. But around the time
Lindbergh flew to Paris, a so-called "classical" composer nearly blew the
roof off Carnegie Hall with a notorious piece that radically rewrote the rules of
music, sparked riots and shocked the bluehairs. And this Friday night, you'll get
to hear it when the Oregon Festival of American Music presents George Antheil's notorious
Ballet Mecanique at the Hult Center.
As a teenager in post WWI New York, Antheil fell in love with a
girl whose parents whisked her away to Europe to foil the romance. The only means
Antheil could think of to follow her there was to become a concert pianist. The naivete
of this decision is only slightly less astonishing than the fact that it worked.
He practiced like crazy for months, then sailed for Paris, where he forgot the woman
and fell in with the 1920s avant garde, befriending the likes of Igor Stravinsky,
James Joyce, and Ezra Pound (who wrote a book about him).
Smitten by Stravinsky's detached, anti-romantic neoclassicism and
the Futurist artists who took such detachment to the extreme of mechanistic provocations,
Antheil began performing fiery original piano pieces with such titles as "Mechanisms"
and "Airplane Sonata." The Paris public, always up for a noisy scandal,
launched "riots" at many of his shows. "The Bad Boy of Music"
(as Antheil titled his autobiography) later confessed that his calm demeanor at these
melees partly derived from the presence of a pistol in his tuxedo.
This brash youngster drew raves from London to Berlin to Budapest,
becoming the first American avant garde composer taken seriously in Europe and in
America by the likes of Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson.
The experimental film director Fernand Leger thought this was just
the provocateur to accompany his revolutionary "mechanical" film. It included
images by Man Ray and in it, and Leger sought to shatter the continuity and narrative
form of conventional cinema through repetition, shocking juxtapositions, and general
non-linearity.
Although film soundtrack technology hadn't yet been perfected,
Antheil reasoned that, since both the pianola (a player piano) and the film projector
ran on sprocketed wheels, the two machines might be synchronized. He composed a piece
for a half dozen synched pianolas and percussionists, but alas, the synchronization
failed, so the two artists abandoned their collaboration and Antheil rewrote the
piece for four live pianists and a battery of percussionists. The instruments included
sirens, alarm clocks and propellers.
The Ballet Mecanique's Paris debut in June 1926 ignited
one of the great scandals in music history. But because of overblown publicity and
mechanical problems (the propeller, for instance, nearly blew some audience members
out of their seats), the American premiere at Carnegie Hall (which included Copland
on one piano) a few months later proved a debacle, and Antheil never really got over
it.
He disavowed his early radicalism for neo-romanticism, never fulfilling
his early promise, though he wrote some compelling works, including film music. In
fact, his attempts to synch music to film led to his invention with the actress Hedy
Lamarr of an anti-jamming device for use in radio-controlled torpedoes during WWII.
The technology became the basis for today's wireless communications, including faxes
and cell phones.
Antheil later revised the Mecanique, producing a richer,
tighter version, which OFAM will perform this Friday under the direction of UO percussion
master Charles Dowd. The music will accompany Leger's film a combo which, though
not perfectly synchronized, works much better than I expected when I saw it at OFAM
last year. Friday morning, you can see the film along with Antheil's version for
two player pianos, in a free show at the Hult Center's Studio One.
Influenced by ragtime and dada, the Mecanique may give you
a thrill or a headache, but it's certainly explosive. This is a rare chance to see
and hear one of the great in-your-face statements of musical history, by a Bad Boy
with a rock-and-roll attitude two generations ahead of his time.
MTV
and Me
Plus Kids and spoken
Jello.
By Vanessa
Salvia
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The Wristrockets open Friday's
show at WOW Hall.
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I was 10, and my family wasn't cool enough to have cable television
this week 20 years ago when MTV first began beaming images of leather-clad rock and
roll into living rooms all across the fertile but unprovoked landscape of the American
'80s. A year earlier, my mom, a moderate Beatles fan, had given me her tattered vinyl
copy of Sergeant Pepper's, which promptly began my love affair with music.
I played it over and over, memorizing each and every nuance. The only other records
I had were disco, which, of course, I was completely over by then, so other than
my beloved Beatle's records, music was strictly one dimensional limited to what
came out of my tinny transistor radios.
When we finally got cable television a couple of years later, my
next love, Billy Idol, was brought to me each day on heavy rotation, in full stunning
color and effect. I was hooked. I became so fanatical that I actually convinced my
mom to let me travel two states away (with a cool, older cousin) to see Billy Idol
in concert at the tender age of 12.
I grew up and discovered myself along with my favorite bands while
watching MTV; even when they stopped playing all different types of music jumbled
together and switched to formatting, I stood by them, staying up late on Sunday nights
even though I had school the next day in order to watch "120 Minutes."
It's been a long time since I watched any kind of TV with such
fervor as I did then, but whenever I go home to my Mom's place, I always switch the
channel right over to MTV, just like old times.
Locals The Wristrockets warm up the WOW Hall stage Friday.
They've got a cool, simple but rapid-fire three chord punk structure and Scott Von
Rocket's got the teenage meltdown songwriting acumen down pat. There's songs about
girls, stupid parties, psycho girls, alien girls, turning into an alien, going steady
with girls, breaking up with girls ... all done in the fine and upstanding tradition
of Screeching Weasel, The Groovie Ghoulies, and other awesome Lookout! label pop/punk
bands. Go early for the 'rockets and stay for Detroit's Thee Trash Brats,
Makalas, and Lower East Side Stitches.
The third album by Portland's The Pinehurst Kids, Bleed
It Dry, is a must-have for any fans of the band's rambunctious yet meaty indie-rock.
While they do seem to wrestle every last bit of feeling out of their tight chord
changes and confessional lyrics, the Kids delve into a wide sonic territory, having
more in common with Jets to Brazil's hard-to-classify guitar-oriented indie-rock
than Sunny Day Real Estate's emo championship title. Emotional? Yes. Emo? No. Good?
Yes!
The Kids appear Saturday, Aug. 4 at John Henry's.
With acerbic wit and unceasing effort, "political provocateur"
Jello Biafra continues to tackle the country's moral guardians in the spoken
word medium, which is perfectly suited to his dripping sarcasm and ballsy outspokenness.
Always a thorn in the side of folks who seek to oppress artistic freedom of expression,
Biafra humorously and vociferously champions free speech of all types. Biafra's no
stranger to controversy as vocalist/songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band
Dead Kennedys, he began tirelessly fighting pro-censorship forces.
Lately, he's been rallying labor unions, addressing the Green Party's
National Convention, reporting for the Independent Media Center, and speaking out
about the WTO protests and how corporate media suppressed activists' viewpoints.
He appears at WOW Hall Sunday, and in Portland with Ralph Nader on Saturday.
Adam's Place
30 E. Broadway * 344-6948
Fri: Mike Denny/ Rick Carter Duo--8:30, Jazz
Sat: Tyler Abbott Duo--8:30; Jazz
Mo: Debra Mathis--5:15; Jazz
We: Barbara Dzuro--5:15; Jazz
Ambrosia
174 E. Broadway. * 342-4141
Bacari Restaurant
1210 Willamette * 343-8404
Beanery
152 W. 5th * 342-3378
Beanery
2465 Hilyard * 344-0221
Black Forest
50 E. 11th * 344-0816
Thu: Skip Jones--9:30; Keyboard
Fri: Forrest T. Black--9:30; Rock
Sat: The People--9; Funky jazz
Su: Open mic--9:30
Mo: Anton and Friends--9:30; Jazz
Tu: Patty Mcculla--9:30; Blues
We: Forest Jam--9:30
Bliss Steak Ranch
2891 W. 11th * 484-6657
Borders
5 Oakway Center * 345-6072
The Brickhouse
4136 4th St. Spfd. * 988-1612
Buzz Coffeehouse
EMU, UO * 346-3725
Cafe Paradiso AA NS
115 W. Broadway * 484-9933
Thu: Justin King--9; Solo Acoustic
Fri: Willow--9; Solo acoustic
Sat: Alan Byers Band--9; Rock
Su: Big Mouth Babes Open Mic
Mo: Ashley Raines--8:30; Solo Acoustic
Tu: Open mic--9
We: Orange--9; Groove Rock
Chantrelle's
5th & Pearl * 484-4065
Fri: Hanns, Caffey, Russel Trio--9:30, Jazz
Sat: Justin King--9:30; Jazz
Tu: Blues Jam w/ Byron Case & friends--9:30
Chez Ray
44 W. 10th * 344-1530
COZMIC PIZZA
1432 Willamette * 338-9333
Su: Sunshine Daydream--2; Folkadelic
Crossroads
737 Main St. * 741-3366
Barbara Dzuro--11 am; Jazz
Diablo's
959 Pearl * 683-3855
Doc's Pad
165 W. 11th * 683-8101
Fri: Out of Order, Kana-Ida--10, Hip-hop and Alt. Rock
Double Tree Hotel
I-5 & Beltline * 726-8181
Downtown Lounge
959 Pearl * 683-3855
Duck Inn
1795 W. 6th * 342-5729
Thu: Karaoke--8
Sat: Karaoke--9
Embers Supper Club
1811 Hwy. 99 N. * 688-6564
Fathoms
790 East 14th * 344-4471
Fifth St. Public Mkt.
5th & High * no phone
Fool's Paradise
460 Willamette * 338-9733
Sat: James Zeller Quartet--8:30
Foolscap
780 Blair Blvd. * 681-9212
Foxfire
4740 Main, Spfd * 747-7900
Thu: Forrest T. Black--9; Rock
Fri: Jet Harris and his Hotrod Hellcats--9:30; Rock
Sat: Mixed Blood--9:30; Rock
Su: Karaoke--7:30
Tu: Anton and Friends--9:30; Rock
Gilligan's
990 Oak St. * 342-2659
Groucho's
100 E. Broadway * 484-1747
Fri: Mario Mora--10, Salsa & Merengue
Hagen's
50 E. 11th * 343-8108
Hilton Lobby
66 E. 6th * 342-2000
Sat: Mike Denny/Greg Nathan Duo--9; Jazz
Hollywood Taxi
535 Main, Spfd * 747-0307
Thu: Ozone Baby--9:30
Fri: Ozone Baby--9:30
Fri: Ozone Baby--9:30
Hungry Duck
30 Country Club Rd * 484-6963
Jakes Restaurant
605 W. 19th * 431-0513
Jim's Landing
303 Main St. Spfd * 726-7570
Jo Federigo's
259 E 5th * 343-8488
Thu: Jo Fed's All Star Jazz Jam--9:30
Fri: David O'Toole Boptet--9:30, Jazz
Sat: The Side Project--9:30, Jazz
Su: Mark Alan--9, Acoustic
Mo: Freedom Funk-open mic--6:30
Tu: Barbara Dzuro--8:30, Jazz
We: Latin Flavor Night w/ Paul Paydos Trio--9:30
John Henry's
136 E. 11th * 342-3358
Thu: '80s Vinyl--1;, DJ Dance
Fri: Point Blank Rangers, Nelec and Fury, Strangefolks--10; Punk-hop
Sat: Pinehurst Kids, Fells Acres, Activator--10; Inidie Rock
Su: Man of the Year, Henry Miler Sextet--9; power pop
Mo: Hot for Vinyl--10; Dance
Tu: Raging Family, Basic Assumption--10; Dance
We: Hip Hop w/ DJ Aled; Dance
Kokomo's
44 E. 7th * 683-5160
The Keg Tavern
4711 W. 11th * 345-5563
Lavelle Wine Bar
5th St. Mkt * 338-9875
Fri: Barbara Dzuro--5:30; Jazz
The Love Cafe
145 Pioneer Pkwy Spfd * 763-5710
Lucky's Pool Hall
10th & Olive * no phone
Max's Tavern
550 E. 13th * 349-8986
Meridian Building
18th & Willamette * no phone
Moretti's
730 E. Broadway * 344-6673
Mulligan's Pub
2841 Willamette * no phone
Neighbors
1417 Villard * 338-0334
Nite Owl (Ramada Inn)
225 Coburg * 342-5181
The Old Pad
3355 E. Amazon * 686-5022
Olympus Night Club
23 W 6th * 683-2746
Oregon Electric Station
27 E. 5th * 485-4444
Fri: Don Latarski Trio--8; Blues
Sat: Don Latarski Trio--8; Blues
Our Place Tavern
796 Hwy 99 N.
Fri: The U-Gene Band--8; Old skool street soul
Out of the Fog
450 Willamette * 687-0709
Sat: Ashley Raines--8; Folk
Mo:Open Mic--6
Tu: Sunshine Daydream--7
We: Songwriter Open Mic--6
Overtime Tavern
770 S. Bertelsen * 342-5028
Piccolo
999 Willamette * 484-4011
Quacker's
2105 W. 7th * 345-2617
Rascals
211 Washington * 345-2617
Sat: The Sink-9:30; Rock
We: Westside Blues Jam--9:30
Rick's Pub
20 Hwy 99 N. * 344-3074
Fri: Open Jam, Murton Smurl--9
River Rd. Grill & Bar
645 River Rd. * 463-8375
Thu: Marian Pearl--7, Piano & Vocals
Fri: Marian Pearl--7, Piano & Vocals
Rock 'n' Rodeo
44 E. 7th * 683-5160
Sat: Jimmie JJ Walker, Mike Wally Walter--8, Comedy
Safari Room
3280 Gateway * 726-8181
Sakura
844 E. 13th * 343-6817
Sam Bond's Garage
407 Blair Blvd * 343-2635
Thu: Ian Moore--9; Austin Rock
Fri: Tom Burris, Peter Wild--9:30; Super Pop, Americana
Sat: Demi-dreyer, Dan Jones, The Green Rays, Tom Heinl Band--9; Alternative country,
folk
Su: Irish Jam--4; Bingo--9
Mo:Danny Dolinger--9; Acoustic
Tu: Bluegrass Jam--9
We: Poetry Gong Show--9
Sam's Place
825 Wilson * 484-4455
Senor Frog's
444 E. 3rd * 484-2927
Thu: DJ Karaoke--6:30
Fri: DJ Dancing--10, Ranchero, Banda Cumbia
Sat: DJ Jose Cruz--10, Salsa, Merengue
Shakers
1195 Main, Spfd. * 736-5177
Starbuck's
205 E.18th * 465-9813
Stepina's
1475 Mohawk, Spfd * 744-0811
Taylor's
894 E. 13th * 344-6174
Tiny Tavern
894 E. 13th * 344-6174
Sat: Roy G Biv--9, Psychedelic Relics
TJ'S Lounge
365 E. Oregon * 895-3109
Toshi's Ramen
1520 Pearl * 683-7833
Tsunami Books
2585 Willamette * 345-8986
23:6
23 West 6th * 484-9669
Valley River Inn
1000 Valley R. Way * 687-0123
Tu: Lauren James--8; Jazz
We: Lauren James--8; Jazz
Waterfront Bar & Grill
2210 Centennial * 465-4506
Wild Duck Hall NS
169 W. 6th * 485-3825
Thu: Jesse Colin Young--8:30; Rock
Sat: Barrio Latino--9:30; Salsa and Latin Jazz
Su: Toots and the Maytals--9; Roots Reggae
WOW Hall AA NS
291 W. 8th * 687-2646
Fri: Lower East Side Stitches, Trash Brats, Makalas, Wristrockets--9:30; Punk
Su: Jello Biafra--8; Spoken Word
Tu: Mick Taylor--8:30; Blues Rock
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