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THIS WEEK AT THE
CLUBS:
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ADAM
AND KRIS
Hot off Oregon Country Fair 2002, one
of Portland's favorite duos revisits Eugene for further musical
antics, this time toting extra guests to supercharge the show.
Jambands.com says they're " ... long on lyrical passion
in their performances. Adam & Kris play music that's often
left of center without being dogmatic or sectarian. A blend of
acoustic guitars, harmonicas, and djembe when it's just the duo,
or with a rhythm section added in as Sweet Juice." Right on. In
this comfy venue they should be a hit, but will we see the bullhorn?
Friday, Cafe Paradiso. -BF |
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MICHAEL
ROSE
Hey!
Mr. Rose is back. This sweetly named reggae icon's been playing
his unique style at the forefront of the genre for the last
25 years. So when you were when you were sipping Kool-aid in
your Underoos, Mr. Rose was "Stidlya-woi, stidlya woi-ing."
It's his personal style, however poorly it translates into type.
This ex-frontman for Black Uhuru lent so much to that group
that they're still touring without him, half on their own expertise,
half on the memory that he left behind. Expect new stuff as
well as old, such as "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and "Shine
Eye Gal." With the Funky Babylonians. Tuesday, WOW Hall.
-BF
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LUTHER
WRIGHT AND THE WRONGS
EW:
Your press release says you're ruthlessly handsome. Is that
true?
Luther: Between 11 at night
and 2 in the morning there's no denying the ruthless handsomeness.
EW: Give us some words to describe
your music, if you will sir.
Luther: I guess we've evolved
into old-style country and Western punkabilly rock show.
EW: Just how much ganja are you
all smoking everyday, anyway?
Luther: Just enought to keep our
88 straight.
Sunday, Sam Bond's Garage. -BF
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DARCY
LEE AND MOTHERFUNCTION
Missus Lee and her R&B
functionites get down almost every week at Eugene's Black Forest
Tavern, but for this show they're moving downtown to the plush
sofas, tricky appetizers and tall drinks with the little umbrellas.
After all these years you think they'd have learned the cardinal
rule on taking press photos in the sun: Don't forget your dark
shades. Fellah on the left's got the idea. Playing smooth rhythm
and blues. Saturday, Luna. Wednesday, Black Forest Tavern.
-BF
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CLICK
HERE FOR CLUBS LISTINGS
Lonely
Highway
Portland's
Valhere at Diablo's.
BY VANESSA SALVIA
Greetings dear readers! Valhere,
from Portland, has recently released
a CD, entitled This Lonely Highway, on Portland's Subtonic
Records. The CD has a very modern feel; it would be right at home
on a KNRQ listener's shelf next to Matchbox 20 and other similar bands.
The band has a nine-year history together — it comes across
in their tight melodies and start-and-stop dynamics. The band —
Andy Koontz on vocals and guitar, Randy Bowden on bass, Scott Phillips
playing guitar, vocals and harmonica, and Mike VanYserloo on drums
— recorded, produced and mixed the whole CD by themselves.
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PORTLAND'S
VALHERE ARE AT DIABLO'S ON FRIDAY.
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When they finally did bring in an outsider, it was
none other than Bob Ludwig working from Portland, Maine, who was also
responsible for mastering albums by Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls
and The Rolling Stones. Not only did they approach all this work by
themselves, they also do their own promoting, booking, artwork and
web design. The band members must be good friends who trust each other,
because in 1997 they bought their own house and built their own 24-track
recording studio. Whew! This Lonely Highway follows on the
heels of their first release, a five-song EP entitled Instantly,
Promise!
Additional players on mandolin and organ joined Valhere
during the making of this CD, giving their music an additional depth.
Chris Seefried of Joe 90 and Counting Crows teamed up with Valhere
in the studio to record some backing vocals for an acoustic version
of one of the CD's songs, "Come On." This acoustic version is offered
as a bonus track on the CD. The band's bio states that This Lonely
Highway is a "grassroots approach to pop songwriting, yet dives
into the heavier and sometimes darker edges of rock and folk," and
I agree. Valhere performs Friday at Diablo's.
Folks, bluegrass is getting more and more popular
these days, and in recent months I've written quite a lot about bluegrass
bands and their attendant shticks, but Luther Wright and the Wrongs,
who play Sam Bond's Sunday, have one line of approach I have not seen
before. The title of the CD gives you an idea of what the band is
doing, but it won't really adequately prepare you for the whole experience.
Their CD, Rebuild the Wall, is a song-by-song deconstruction
of Pink Floyd's The Wall, redone with banjos and bass fiddles,
and Luther Wright's deep and twangy hillbilly voice. Yes, folks, the
entire CD is presented here, "Young Lust," "Run Like Hell," "Waiting
For the Worms" — all 26 tracks of it, with pedal steel and a
banjo plucking away throughout the whole thing. This approach surely
gives many new interpretations to these songs. The song "Mother,"
with a Hee-Haw-type woman singing the mother's lines, is creepily
redneck.
"Goodbye Blue Sky" kicks up the tempo and emerges
as a rousing barn burner. One of my favorite songs from the original
CD, "Young Lust," transpires as a bluesy number that would fit right
in on any new-country jukebox. Parts of this CD are hilarious. In
the original, the groupie girl walks into Pink's trailer and says,
"This place is bigger than my whole apartment." Here, she says with
no indication of irony, a Gomer Pyle "Gooolly, what a spread. Are
all them your guitars? This place is like a barn." On "Comfortably
Numb," Luther Wright sings, "Howdy ... is there anybody in there?"
"Vera" actually works quite well, done in a slow ballad style, with
pedal steel. The CD features barnyard sounds scattered throughout,
so it's not your imagination if you think you hear a quietly moo-ing
cow in between songs. "Bring the Boys Back Home" picks up the tempo
right away, with a big yee-haw and a parental plea to not "leave them
children on their own."
Perhaps the first difference you'll notice upon picking
up this CD is the artwork, which sets the tone for the whole experience:
There's a bleached-white cow skull with red-painted horns atop a crossed
banjo and guitar. And the bricks? They've been replaced with bales
of hay, of course. I'm still not sure how I feel about this CD, so
I suggest you experience it for yourself.
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Not
So Slack
Hawaiian
sounds and funk resound through town.
BY
GLENN SHIRES
If you appreciate the sounds
of acoustic guitars, Friday night is
your chance to witness some truly masterful performances. Hawaiian
slack key guitarists George Kuo, Martin Pahinui and
Aaron Mahi have joined forces to display their brilliant instrumental
chops at the WOW Hall.
Slack key originated in the 1830s when Spanish and
Mexican cowboys arrived in Hawaii to teach the native cowboys (paniolos)
how to manage an overpopulation of cattle. The newcomers brought their
guitars with them, and the Hawaiians quickly adopted the guitar into
their own culture, devising many ingenious tunings to fit their own
music.
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| MARTIN
PAHINUI, GEORGE KUO & AARON MAHI PERFORM AT WOW HALL
ON FRIDAY.
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"Slack key" means that some strings are slacked from
the guitar's standard tuning, resulting in unique Hawaiian tunings
such as "G Major Taro Patch" and "C Major Mauna Loa." The thumb plays
the bass notes while the fingers play the melody. Today's players
draw from family techniques and tunings handed down through the generations.
George Kuo, probably the best known of Friday's performers,
just won a Hoku Award (the Hawaiian Grammy) for his innovative work.
Now 47, Kuo began playing the guitar in the early 1970s, a time when
native Hawaiian culture experienced its own mini-renaissance. Kuo's
early teachers included several old-time Hawaiian guitarists who had
honed their craft during the 1930s and '40s. Many of them had never
before shared their knowledge publicly.
"I feel a lot of appreciation for the old style of
slack key and the lifestyle of my grandparents, granduncles, grandaunts
and all the older players," Kuo says in the liner notes of his CD,
Aloha No Na Kupuna (Love For The Elders). "There's a special
'aloha' for them that I try to convey in my style of slack key."
On the CD, Kuo performs a mixture of original tunes
and traditional Hawaiian standards. Although most Hawaiian music recordings
have included slack key guitar as accompaniment in a group setting,
Kuo's CD brings his solo guitar to the forefront, showcasing his nimble
finger-picking talents.
"I like to play a nice, relaxed easy style," he says.
"Not too much fancy stuff, keep it within the melody."
That "not too much fancy stuff" could very well be
the understatement of the year. Guitar aficionados ranging from acoustic
purists to shred-happy metalheads will undoubtedly be awed by the
intricate, technical nature of Kuo's slack key guitar playing.
If guitar wizardry isn't your forte, check out Kawaida
(pronounced Ka-wa-eeda) Friday night at the Wild Duck. This fiery
nine-piece funk ensemble features bass, drums, Latin percussion, keyboards,
saxophone, trombone, flute, turntables and multiple vocalists. Occasionally
guest guitarists join Kawaida on stage, but the band has yet to add
a permanent six-string player.
"There aren't many guitarists who can just sit back
in the groove and support the rhythm," explains drummer Julian Fritz.
"Most guitar players want to have that shining solo, and we wanted
to get away from a rock 'n' roll context altogether."
Not having a guitarist allows Kawaida's vocals, keyboards
and horn section to take a more prominent role in the mix. Since forming
a year and a half ago, the Eugene-based outfit has spawned an animated
brand of funk laced with elements of hip-hop, reggae, jazz, Afro-Cuban
salsa and plenty of improvisational moments.
According to Fritz, the name "Kawaida" comes from
an ancient West African philosophy that emphasizes (among other things)
the importance of unity, self-determination, creativity and collective
work and responsibility — all principles that the band members
try to apply to their work together.
Because many of Kawaida's vocal parts are delivered
in a hip-hop style, they have encountered some close-mindedness from
fans who prefer psychedelic jams. Some promoters have even asked them
to not play hip-hop for fear of "ruining the vibe."
"Unfortunately, when you say 'hip-hop,' a lot of people
immediately focus on the aspects that they don't like," Fritz says.
"They think hip-hop is all about negative lyrics. In our lyrics we
range from government and politics to life and love. We're just trying
to put out a positive vibe andcombine our many influences to create
something new."
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BAGEL BAKERY
AA
760 Blair Ave. * 342-4390
Su 8/11: Three Rivers Showcase--10; Acoustic
BLACK FOREST
50 E. 11th * 344-0816
Sat 8/10: Zawadi--9:30; Reggae
Su 8/11: Open Mic--9:30
Mo 8/12: Emerald City Sessions--9:30
Tu 8/13: Jessica & Shadow--9:30
We 8/14: Darcy Lee--9:30; Soul, R&B
THE BRICKHOUSE
4136 4th St. Spfd. * 988-1612
Thu 8/8: Karaoke--10
Sat 8/10: Broken Sylence, Grynch, Basic Assumption--10
CAFE PARADISO AA
NS
115 W. Broadway * 484-9933
Thu 8/8: Hollowbody--9
Fri 8/9: Adam & Kris and Friends--9
Sat 8/10: Sean Flynn--9
Mo 8/12: Jim Hershey's Showcase w/Hollis Ann Vipond--8:30
Tu 8/13: Open Mic--8
We 8/14: Mark Alan--8:30
CHANTERELLE'S
5th & Pearl * 484-4065
Thu 8/8: Skip Jones & Friends--9:30 ; Blues
Fri 8/9: Olem Alves & Friends--9:30; Jazz
Sat 8/10: Tom Cats--9:30; Oldies
Tu 8/13: Blues Jam w/Byron Case--9:30
We 8/14: Nicolette Helm/friends--9:30
CORNUCOPIA
295 W. 17th St.* 485-2300
Fri 8/9: Sweet Papa Low Down--6; Swing
COZMIC PIZZA
1432 Willamette * 338-9333
Thu 8/8: Celtic Jam-party w/Fiannel Cats--6:30, Poetry Lives
w/Ken Zimmerman, Mike McGriff--8
Fri 8/9: Bilongo--7
Sat 8/10: Fiddlin Sue & Tom--7; Fiddle
DIABLO'S
959 Pearl * 683-3855
Fri 8/9: Yummie Bootie Night w/DRock, Tremor--9
Sat 8/10: Big Pimpin w/ Howie, Steve, Anmar--9; Hip house, disco
Su 8/11: Kung-Fu Porno w/DJ Tremor--9
We 8/14: DJs Hanif, Ceez--9; Hip hop
DOC'S PAD
165 W. 11th * 683-8101
Thu 8/8: Ladies' '80s & Retro Night--9
Fri 8/9: DJ Alpyne--9; Hip hop
Mo 8/12: Roosters Blues Jam--8
DON JUAN'S #2
33100 Van Duyn Rd. * 684-8695
Thu 8/8: DJ Music--8; Country, rock
Fri 8/9: Karaoke--9Sat 8/10: DJ Music--9
Su 8/11: DJ Music--9; '50s to present
Mo 8/12: Karaoke--9Tu 8/13: DJ Music--9; '50's to present
We 8/14: DJ Music--9; '70s-'80s
DOWNTOWN LOUNGE
959 Pearl * 343-2346
Thu 8/8: L'80's Night--9
Fri 8/9: XisX, Valhere, Bi Polar Star, Bee Craft--9
Sat 8/10: DJs and Acoustic--10
Su 8/11: Chevron, Courtesy Clerks, Hudson River Schools--8
Mo 8/12: Blue Monday--8Tu 8/13: Grant Langston and the Super Models,
Super 8 Film Night--9
EMBERS SUPPER CLUB
1811 Hwy. 99 N. * 688-6564Thu 8/8: Billy McCoy--9;
Country
Fri 8/9: Michael Anderson Trio--9; Variety, country
Sat 8/10: Michael Anderson Trio--9; Variety, country
Su 8/11: Michael Anderson Trio--9; Variety, country
We 8/14: Billy McCoy--9; Country
FOXFIRE
4740 Main, Spfd * 747-7900
Thu 8/8: Ampt--9:15; Rock
Fri 8/9: Fuzed--9:15; Rock
Sat 8/10: Phaded--9:15; Rock
Su 8/11: Karaoke--7:30
Mo 8/12: Karaoke--7:30
Tu 8/13: Jam with Anton--9:15
We 8/14: The Johnny Wilde Band--9:15
GOOD TIMES TAVERN
375 E. 7th * 484-7181
Sat 8/10: Willamette Project--9:30; Blues
HOLLYWOOD TAXI
535 Main, Spfd * 747-0307
Fri 8/9: Grynch--10
HUMBLE BAGEL AA
2435 Hilyard * 521-3389
Thu 8/8: Charlie Parker--6:30; Jazz
Fri 8/9: Thomas Mackay--6:30; Jazz
Sat 8/10: Charlie Parker--6:30; Jazz
JO FEDERIGO'S
259 E. 5th * 343-8488
Thu 8/8: Jo Fed's All Star Jazz Jam--9:30
Fri 8/9: Ritmo de la Noche--9:30; Jazz
Sat 8/10: J.C. Rico--9:30; Jazz
Su 8/11: Mark Allan--9
Mo 8/12: Chestnut Open Mic--10
Tu 8/13: Barbara Dzuro--8:30; Jazz
We 8/14: Paul Paydos Trio--9:30; Latin
LAVELLE WINE BAR
5th St. Mkt * 338-9875
Fri 8/9: Greg Goebel--5:30; Jazz
Sat 8/10: Barbara Dzuro--5:30; Jazz
LONE STAR BAR & GRILL
33140 Van Duyn Rd. * 686-8686
Thu 8/8: John Michaels--9; Country DJ
Fri 8/9: John Michaels--9; Country DJ
We 8/14: Coyote Ugly Night w/John Michaels--9; Country
LUNA
30 E. Broadway * 434-5862
Thu 8/8: Groove Carnival--9; Hammond Jazz
Fri 8/9: Erik Muiderman--7
Miles Ahead--9; Jazz
Sat 8/10: Erik Muiderman--7
Darcy Lee and Motherfunction--9:30; Funk, soul, R&B
We 8/14: Barbara Dzuro--5:30; Piano
Chestnut Quartet--9; Jazz
MCDONALD THEATRE
1010 Willamette St.
Fri 8/9: The Visible Men--8
OREGON ELECTRIC STA.
27 E. 5th * 485-4444
Fri 8/9: Don Latarski Trio--8
PLANET GOLOKA
679 Lincoln St. * 683-7155
Su 8/11: DJ Viran, DJ Kalia--6; New sounds of India
QUACKERS
2105 W. 7th * 485-5925
We 8/14: Blues Jam--8
RAMADA INN
225 Coburg Rd. * 342-5181
Fri 8/9: Rock-it--9:15; Rock
Sat 8/10: Rock-it--9:15; Rock
ROADHOUSE
3018 Gateway * 746-6000
Mo 8/12: Family Karaoke--5
RUMBA ROOM
100 E. Broadway * 484-1747
Thu 8/8: Advanced Salsa w/Mike & Simona--8
Fri 8/9: Fiesta Latina--10
Sat 8/10: Una Aventura--10
We 8/14: Beg. Salsa w/Shannon & Emilio--7
SAM BOND'S GARAGE
407 Blair * 431-6603
Thu 8/8: 5 Year Space Effort--9; Rock
Fri 8/9: Caroline Aiken, Ashleigh Flynn--9:30; Americanna
Sat 8/10: Old Time Jam--5, Will Clarke Trio, Jimmy Bennington
Group--9; Jazz
Su 8/11: Luther Wright and the Wrongs--9; Country Pink Floyd
Mo 8/12: Eugene All Star Affair--8:30
Tu 8/13: Bluegrass Jam--9
We 8/14: Ferdinand the Bull--9; NYC Jazz
SAMURAI DUCK
980 Oak * 345-6577
Thu 8/8: Blind the Fold, Thirty3, FGIT Face, Count Down to Live--10;
Doom core
Fri 8/9: Wristrockets, Capgun Suicide, Burp-ups, Handgun Bravado--10;
Punk rock
Sat 8/10: YOB, Mandroid, Gruss--10; Doom sludge core
Mo 8/12: DJ C4's Explosion--9
Tu 8/13: Uteri, Last Chapter--10; Rock
We 8/14: Community Sound System--10; Dancehall, roots reggae
SENOR FROG'S
444 E. 3rd * 484-2927
Thu 8/8: DJ Karaoke--6:30
Fri 8/9: DJ Mario--9; Cumbia, Banda, Merengue
Sat 8/10: Salsa, Merengue--10
SWEETWATER'S
Valley River Inn * 687-0123
Fri 8/9: Cynthia Rae Trio w/Gus Russell--8
Sat 8/10: Kenny Reed & Stone Cold Jazz w/Dzuro, Hanns--8;
Jazz
TACO LOCO
7th and Blair * 431-3871
Mo 8/12: Fuzz--7; Funk, jazz
TAYLOR'S
894 E. 13th * 344-6174
Mo 8/12: DJ Tekneek--10
TINO'S RESTAURANT
15th and Willamette * 342-8111
Sat 8/10: Olem Alves, Mike Hanns--6; Jazz
TINY TAVERN
394 Blair * 687-8383
Mo 8/12: Detura Blues Band--9; Experimental jazz rock
WETLANDS BREW PUB
922 Garfield * 345-3606
Sat 8/10: Genus, The Burn Unit, Kenny Wilson, Shortround, more--10;
Hip hop
WILD DUCK MUSIC HALL
169 W. 6th * 485-382
5Fri 8/9: Kawaida--9:30; Funk, jazz
WOW HALL AA
291 W. 8th * 687-2746
Thu 8/8: The X-Ecutioners--9:30; Hip hop
Fri 8/9: The George Kuo, Martin Pahinui, Aaron Mahi Group--8:30;
Hawaiian slack key
Sat 8/10: Flamenco de la Mision, Flamenco International--9:30;
Dance
Tu 8/13: Michael Rose, The Funky Babylonians--9:30; Reggae
YUKON JACK'S
4th & Broadway * 935-1921
Fri 8/9: Wish--9; RockSat 8/10: Wish--9; Rock
CORVALLIS
CLUBS
THE BEANERY
500 SW 2nd St. * 753-7442
Sat 8/10: Acoustic Showcase--7
BORDERS CORVALLIS
777 NW 9th St. * 738-0580
Fri 8/9: Anandi--8
SWEET'S BARBECUE
225 SW. 4th St. * 754-3663
Thu 8/8: Live Jazz w/Neal Grandstaff-6:30
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