|
THIS WEEK AT THE
CLUBS:
 |
|
DRIVE
BY TRUCKERS
After an early
acoustic performance by guitarist Muriel Anderson, the Drive
By Truckers take the stage under the auspices of spreading "Southern
Rock," an affliction that starts in your Alabama and moves,
if untreated, into your Lynyrd Skynyrd. If fully ignored, listener
may suffer bouts of drinking, driving and dying young, shaking
along the hip line from the rock 'n' roll the National Review
says "doesn't get much better than this." Wednesday, WOW Hall.
—BF
|
 |
|
CHEAP
TRICK
Cheap Trick!
The band comes with an untarnishable image and more instruments
than a music store. Cheap Trick! In 1999 band members celebrated
their 25th anniversary with 15,000 fans, and Billy Corgan (Smashing
Pumpkins), Slash (Guns N Roses) and Art Alexakis (Everclear)
pitched in as well. The resulting two-CD set, Silver,
was released in February, 2001. Cheap Trick! Rock and roll!
Arrgh! Tuesday, McDonald Theatre. —BF
|
 |
|
MINUS
THE BEAR
Opening for the alternative rock of
Piebald, along with Noise Ratchet and My Chemical Romance, Minus,
purveyor of young travelling songs and wet, late-night glances
of suggested love also plays alternative in Eugene. Hear the
Bear sing "Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister", and
"I lost all my Money at the Cock Fights." The first song never
mentions America's most favorite lard and through the second
never a rooster does pass; instead, one hears jumbled images
of parties, sees wispy shadows of women. Thursday, Wild Duck.
— BF
|
 |
|
SPENCER
BOHREN
From under a
pile of Bohren promo materials I write: Though this mysterious
Delta bluesman with numbers like "Born in the Biscayne" (not
to be sung to the tune of the Doobie Brothers' classic), recorded
his latest CD, Solitaire, while in Germany, his output
never wavered once from traditionally Bohren-esque music, spinning
Creole tales with strings of gospel exclamations. Saturday,
Cafe Paradiso. —BF
|
CLICK
HERE FOR CLUBS LISTINGS
Evolving
Violets
Local
artists achieve high success.
BY
VANESSA SALVIA
Four luminaries of the Portland
music world are quickly garnering more
and more critical attention and have created a beautiful new album
that will make them famous. Indeed, songs from the High Violets'
new release, 44 Down, will be featured on two MTV shows —
"Road Rules" and "Real World" — during the month of January.
The High Violets, in existence for three years, evolved
from a few of our area's well-known acts. Vocalist and rhythmic guitarist
Kaitlyn ni Donovan performed in Portland for many years as part of
bands and as a respected solo musician. Clint Sargent and drummer
Luke Strahota met in Eugene and both performed in bands around the
area in the early to mid '90s, including Marshal Plan and The Bella
Low. Bassist Allen Davis adds kick to the foursome's approach.
 |
| THE
HIGH VIOLETS PERFORM AT JOHN HENRY'S THURSDAY. |
These new songs showcase wonderfully the mesmerizing
music the High Violets create. The opening chords of "44 Down" writhe
and shimmer, then the thick guitar kicks in, keeping pace with a pulsing
rhythm that instantly grabs your attention. It gets even better when
ni Donovan's ethereal vocals merge and float above the swirling music.
The CD sampler I received contained two other songs from 44 Down,
"Wheel" and "Fa," both equally great.
The Oregonian described this CD as "seven
tracks of shimmering sonic sensuality." Comparisons with The Jesus
and Mary Chain or Spiritualized come to mind, but ni Donovan's lacey
vocals set the High Violets miles apart from other bands doing similar
things, adding the perfect contrast to music that's dense and lush.
Sargent's fluid guitar churns the depths but offers enough substance
to give each song plenty of forward velocity. This is not shoe-gazer
music: The pulsating rhythms and energetic eddies command too much
attention. The High Violets' music will instantly engage you and leave
you wanting more. The Violet's Thursday, Jan. 23 show at John Henry's
will be the first on a 10-show tour leading toward San Francisco.
New Orleans-based (Nawlins if ya'll know what's up)
recording artist Spencer Bohren will make a return visit to
town, stopping in at Café Paradiso Saturday night. Bohren's travels
have carried him a long way from his upbringing in Wyoming, and his
immersion in music began at an early age. His parents and siblings
played music in church, and music was simply something that he always
took part in. Bohren began his professional career early, in 1964
at the tender age of 14, when he began performing at church functions,
county fairs and the like.
Recordings made by Mississippi Delta bluesmen came
into his life, and Bohren became enraptured with the style. The rest,
you could say, is history. After graduating from high school, Bohren
traveled around the country for nearly three decades before becoming
permanently entangled in the allure of New Orleans, which has been
his home ever since. Over the decades, and with more than a dozen
albums bearing his name, Bohren has explored many facets of the blues
genre. His most recent CD, Solitaire, came about as a result
of a fortuitous circumstance. All set to tour Europe, his dates were
unexpectedly canceled. At this same time, he received an invitation
to record for a notable German label, Valve Records.
The 11 songs from Solitaire represent some
of the best songs from his concert repertoire, performed solo and
acoustically. Solitaire pulls the listener through Bohren's
history (the Bohren-penned autobiographical Born in a Biscayne)
as well as blues history. Blind Willie McTell's legacy is represented
by the selection "Broke Down Engine," while Hank Williams is honored
with the inclusion of "Long Gone Lonesome Blues." There's even a Rolling
Stones cover, "No Expectations." This new CD will be a welcomed addition
to any fan's collection, as well as a great starting point for anyone
unfamiliar with Bohren's loving approach to traditional American music.
Back to Top
Opening
Groove
Newcomers
Tympanic add even more luster to Welnick show.
BY
GLENN SHIRES
Next Saturday, Feb. 1, Grateful Dead alumnus
Vince Welnick visits the Wild Duck with opening support from
local luminaries Tympanic. A self-described "alt-rock-jam"
band, Tympanic, an eclectic four-piece, has played more than 50 shows
up and down the West Coast since forming in early 2002.
"We're still evolving and trying to find our sound,"
says bassist/lead vocalist John Craig. "At our core we're a rock band,
but we try to incorporate a lot of musical styles into what we do:
groove, funk, roots, blues, jazz, bluegrass and even some Middle Eastern
sounds."
It would seem that Tympanic has picked the right combination
of sounds for success in Eugene. The quartet's popularity has literally
skyrocketed since it began playing Eugene clubs a little less than
a year ago. Whereas the band's first few performances drew an average
of 30 people, attendance at Tympanic concerts now ranges between 300
and 400 bodies — no mean feat for a relatively unseasoned group.
Much of Tympanic's growing renown can be attributed
to circulation of the band's stellar live recordings. Guitarist/vocalist
Harvey Rogers admits that Tympanic's two brief studio experiences
haven't yielded anything satisfactory to the band.
"Studio recordings require a lot of time and money,"
Craig says. "So we don't necessarily want to jump off with a studio
album that won't represent us to the fullest."
Instead, Tympanic has self-released the soundboard
recordings from nearly a dozen of their live shows. Band members and
their managers burn CDs at home, sometimes affixing artwork and selling
the CDs for only a couple of dollars. Sometimes, Rogers says, "we
just write our name on the discs and give them away," effectively
putting CDs into the hands of anyone who wants a copy.
 |
|
Tympanic
opens for Vince Welnick Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Duck.
|
The band members, most of whom are seniors at the
UO, plan on moving to Portland and recording a studio album within
the next two years. When the time is right, they say they will hunt
for a record deal. For the time being, however, they remain dedicated
to pursuing an independent route.
"As the saying goes, you start losing control when
you have other people paying your bills," Rogers says. "At this point,
we're doing well enough that we can promote ourselves and succeed
on our own."
Part of Tympanic's success stems from their devotion
to the road. By the end of 2002, Tympanic had already performed —
and received much praise — in Seattle, Portland, Ashland, San
Francisco and Los Angeles.
Another key element to the band's widespread appeal
lies in their knack for spontaneous improvisation and catchy arrangements
that transcend stylistic boundaries. Craig, as the band's primary
songwriter, usually brings the lyrics, melody, and framework of a
song to his bandmates.
"When I bring a new song to three other people with
their own artistic visions, it usually turns into something I hadn't
expected, which is almost always better," Craig says. "I think that's
why we've met with some success. People don't come to hear a specific
genre at a Tympanic show. We're always hopping back and forth between
a lot of different styles and sounds."
Craig's lyrics touch on a variety of topics. "When
I make social commentary, I like to keep it abstract and metaphorical,"
he says. "A lot of our stuff is based on relationships, but not always
about love. We write about friendships, too. When people are curious
about the meaning of a song, I'm always happy to talk to them after
shows."
As Tympanic's following continues to grow, more people
are bound to ask about the source of the band's name. According to
Rogers, the group went through a few lackluster names when they first
formed.
"Everyone was on the lookout for a good name," he
says. "Then I heard the word 'tympanic' somewhere. It has to do with
the ear and how you process sound and rhythm."
"Harvey called me in the middle of the night to tell
me," says Craig. "At first I thought he said 'Pimp Panic.' I was like,
'Uh ... Are you sure about that?' Then he spelled it for me and I
realized it was the perfect name for us."
Back to Top
ANNEX
23 W. 6th St. ‚ 431-1111
Th 1/23: Techno Fantasy--9; Trance, house, breakbeats
Fr 1/24: Cage dance contest--9
Sa 1/25: DJ Tekneek--9; Hip-hop
We 1/29: Syntax--9
BLACK FOREST
50 E. 11th ‚ 344-0816
Th 1/23: Motherfunction--9:30; R & B
Fr 1/24: Battle of the Bands--9; Rock
Sa 1/25: Battle of the Bands--9
Su 1/26: Open Mic--9:30
Mo 1/27: Anton & Friends--9:30; Jam
Tu 1/28: Battle of the Bands--9
We 1/29: Battle of the Bands--9
BRICK HOUSE
136 4th St., Spfd. ‚ 988-1612
Fr 1/24: DJ Kamikaze--10; Dance
Sa 1/25: Grynch--9; Rock
We 1/29: DJ Kamikaze--10; Rock
CAFE PARADISO AA
115 W. Broadway ‚ 484-9933
Th 1/23: Tracy Grammer--8; Folk
Fr 1/24: Mark Ranson Trio--9; Acoustic rock
Sa 1/25: Spencer Bohren--8; Roots, blues
Su 1/26: Norman Mesman--7; Flamenco guitar
Mo 1/27: John Shipe, Ehren Ebbage--8:30; Songwriters
Tu 1/28: Acoustic open mic--8
We 1/29: Tony Kaltenberg--8:30; Acoustic guitar
CHANTERELLE'S
5th & Pearl St. ‚ 484-4065
Fr 1/24: Tao of Jazz--9:30
Sa 1/25: Lori Fletcher's Deco Moon Jazz--9:30
CHAPALA RESTAURANT
68 W. 29th Ave. ‚ 683-5458
Sa 1/25: Lo Nuestro--6; Latin
We 1/29: Lo Nuestro--6; Latin
CHEERFUL TORTOISE
730 E. Broadway ‚ 344-6673
Tu 1/28: Mr. Bill's Traveling Trivia Show--8
DIABLO'S
959 Pearl St. ‚ 683-3855
Th 1/23: L'80s night--9; '80s and request
Fr 1/24: Tremorville--9; Hip-hop, request
Sa 1/25: House night w/DJs Howie Fresh, Anmar--9
Su 1/26: Fetish Night--9
We 1/29: Community Sound System--9; Reggae, dance hall
DOWNTOWN LOUNGE
959 Pearl St.‚ 343-2346
Th 1/23: L80s Night w/ DJs Jon Smith, Turbo Ceez, DMoeFunk--9
Fr 1/24: Darcy Lee and Motherfunction, Eagle Park Slim Band--10;
Blues, soul, R&B
Sa 1/25: D-Moe vs. Dinari--10; scratch, hip-hop
Su 1/26: Fetish Night--10
Mo 1/27: Monster Truck Monday--9; DJs Diablo, Scott Van Rocket
Tu 1/28: Chris Arnold & the Morning After, Living Daylights--9;
Rock
We 1/29: Soulstice--10; Groove, jam
EMBERS SUPPER CLUB
1811 Hwy. 99 N. ‚ 688-6564
Th 1/23: Billy McCoy--9; Country
Fr 1/24: Michael Anderson Trio--9; Variety, country
Sa 1/25: Michael Anderson Trio--9; Variety, country
We 1/29: Billy McCoy--9; Country
FOOLS PARADISE
460 Willamette ‚ 338-9733
Th 1/23: Frogg's open mic--6:30
FOXFIRE
4740 Main, Spfd ‚ 747-7900
Th 1/23: Ampt--9:15; Rock
Fr 1/24: Mr. Wizard--9; Rock
Sa 1/25: Battle of the Bands--9
Su 1/26: Karaoke--7:30
Mo 1/27: Karaoke--7:30
Tu 1/28: Emerald City Jam--9:15
We 1/29: Johnny Wilde Band--9:15
GOOD TIMES TAVERN
375 E. 7th ‚ 484-7181
Sa 1/25: Two Headed Boogie Monster--10; Ska, punk, reggae
Tu 1/28: Rooster's Blues Jam--8
JAKE'S PLACE
605 W. 19th ‚ 431-0513
Sa 1/25: David Rogers--6; Classical guitar
JO FEDERIGO'S
259 E. 5th St. ‚ 343-8488
Th 1/23: Jo Fed's All Star Jazz Jam--9
Fr 1/24: David O'Toole Boptet--9:30; Jazz
Sa 1/25: Paul Paydos Trio--9:30; Jazz
Su 1/26: Mark Allan--9; Jazz
Mo 1/27: Open Mic w/Skip Jones the Boogie Woogie Man--9:30
Tu 1/28: Barbara Dzuro--8:30; Jazz
We 1/29: Latin Flavor w/Paul Paydos Trio--9; Latin jazz
JOHN HENRY'S
77 W. Broadway ‚ 342-3358
Th 1/23: The High Violets--9; Alt. rock
Fr 1/24: Prodd, Sik 9, Nigel--10; Metal, hardcore
Tu 1/28: Rock and Roll Records--10
We 1/29: Iron Fist--9:30; Reggae
JOHNNY OCEAN'S AA
Oakway Plaza ‚ 342-7994
Fr 1/24: Lo Nuestro--6:30; Latin
LUCKY'S CLUB CIGAR
933 Olive St. ‚ 687-4643
Th 1/23: DJ Carl--8:30; Blues
Fr 1/24: Idiot Savants--8:30; Rock
Sa 1/25: System Wide--8:30; Rock
Mo 1/27: Psychedelic-Mondaze–8:30
We 1/29: 3 Rivers Showcase--8:30
LAVELLE WINE BAR
5th St. Mkt ‚ 338-9875
Fr 1/24: Jenny Payne--5:30; Jazz
Sa 1/25: Gus Russell--5:30; Jazz
LUNA
30 E. Broadway ‚ 434-5862
Th 1/23: Ras Gabriel and 4-Word Band--9:30; Reggae
Fr 1/24: Erik Muiderman--6:30; Guitar -- Side Project--9:30;
Fusion, jazz
Sa 1/25: Erik Muiderman--6:30; Guitar -- Ritmo de la Noche--9;
Latin swing
MAC'S AT THE VET'S
1626 Willamette St. ‚ 344-8600
Th 1/23: Christie & McCallum--7; Oldies, country
Fr 1/24: Bourbon Renewal--9:30; Blues
Sa 1/25: Wheel of Meat, Skip Jones--9:30; New Orleans Blues
MAIN ST. BAR AND GRILL
414 Main St., Spfd. ‚ 744-2820
Sa 1/25: Bobby Six Crows and de Riggin' Warriors--9; Logger
rock
Su 1/26: The Crow Jam w/Bobby Six Crows and Crazy Dave--8:30
MCDONALD THEATRE
1010 Willamette St.
Fr 1/24: Arlo Guthrie--8; Folk
Sa 1/25: Richard Thompson--8; Acoustic
Tu 1/28: Cheap Trick--8; Rock
MULLIGAN'S PUB
2841 Willamette ‚ no phone
Fr 1/24: Bobby Six Crows and de Riggin' Warriors--7; Logger
rock
THE O BAR
112 Commons Dr. ‚ 349-0707
Tu 1/28: Karaoke--9
OREGON ELECTRIC STA.
27 E. 5th ‚ 485-4444
Fr 1/24: Don Latarski Trio--8; Jazz
Sa 1/25: Don Latarski Trio--8; Jazz
OVERTIME TAVERN
770 S. Bertelsen ‚ 342-5028
Th 1/23: West Side Blues Jam--8:30
PICCOLO
999 Willamette ‚ 484-4011
Sa 1/25: Group Therapy--8; Jazz
Q STREET BILLIARD
215 Q Street, Spfd. ‚ 988-0294
Fr 1/24: Ozone Baby--9; Rock
Sa 1/25: Ozone Baby--9; Rock
QUACKER'S
2105 W. 7th ‚ 485-5925
Sa 1/25: Jivemasters--9; Jump swing
We 1/29: Quacker's Blues Bash--8:30; Blues jam
RAMADA INN
225 Coburg ‚ 342-5181
Fr 1/24: Coupe de Ville--9:15; Rock
Sa 1/25: Coupe de Ville--9:15; Rock
RUMBA ROOM
100 E. Broadway ‚ 484-1747
Th 1/23: Intermediate Salsa w/Jose Cruz--8
Fr 1/24: Salsa w/Jose Cruz--10
Sa 1/25: Son Mela'o--10
Tu 1/28: Beg. Salsa w/Jose Cruz--8
We 1/29: Beg. Salsa w/Menendez--7
SAM BOND'S GARAGE
407 Blair ‚ 431-6603
Th 1/23: Chris Chandler and Anne Feeny's Flying POetry Circus--9;
Folk
Fr 1/24: Jackstraw, Inara George--9; Bluegrass
Sa 1/25: Honeybuckit--9; Afrocuban grass
Su 1/26: Oregon Peace Festival benefit w/ Peter Wilde, Dan Jones,
Laura Kemp, others--8:30; Variety
Mo 1/27: Bingo--9
Tu 1/28: Tom Freund, Deere Johns--9
SAMURAI DUCK
980 Oak St. ‚ 345-6577
Th 1/23: Cephalopod, Onomoatopoeia, Human Monster--9; Trance
rant
Fr 1/24: Rezjudikata, Eve's 2nd Sin, Minus Mine--9; Rude metal
Sa 1/25: David Nelson Trio--9; Singer/songwriter
Mo 1/27: DJs--9; Shag, '60s-'90s
Tu 1/28: Crosstide, Oliver--9; Indie
We 1/29: Minues Mine, Station Wag--9
SENOR FROG'S
444 E. 3rd ‚ 484-2927
Th 1/23: Family Karaoke--6:30
Fr 1/24: DJ Mario Mora--9; Cumbia, Banda, Merengue
Sa 1/25: Salsa, Merengue–10
SPIRITS
1714 Main St. ‚ 726-0113
Fr 1/24: Roughstock--9; Rock
Su 1/26: Roughstock--9; Rock
SWEETWATER'S
Valley River Inn ‚ 687-0123
Fr 1/24: The Jivelighters--8; Jump blues, soul
Sa 1/25: Greg Nathan, Bill Sabol Trio--8; Jazz
TINO'S RESTAURANT
15th and Willamette ‚ 342-8111
Sa 1/25: Olem Alves, Mike Hanns Duo--6; Jazz
TINY TAVERN
394 Blair ‚ 687-8383
Fr 1/24: The U-gene Band--9; Folk, rock, soul
Tu 1/28: Los Pistoleros--10; Latin polka
WETLANDS BREW PUB
922 Garfield ‚ 345-3606
Sa 1/25: The Koozies, The Danged, The Hellenbacks--10; Alt.
Country, rock
WILD DUCK MUSIC HALL
169 W. 6th ‚ 485-3825
Th 1/23: Piebald, Minus the Bear, Noise Ratchet, more--7:30;
Alt. rock
Sa 1/25: Wish--9:30; Abbey Road Tribute
WOW HALL AA
291 W. 8th Ave. ‚ 687-2746
Th 1/23: After Midnight Crew--9; Hip-hop
Fr 1/24: Pleasure and Pain--7:30 and 9:30; Ben Harper
Documentary
Sa 1/25: Soul Sessions--8; DJ dance
We 1/29: Muriel Anderson, Alexander Green--7; Acoustic guitar -- Drive
By Truckers--10; Southern rock opera
CORVALLIS
CLUBS
THE BEANERY CORV.
500 SW 2nd St. ‚ 753-7442
Fr 1/24: Midlife Crisis--8
Sa 1/25: Siobhan--8
FOX & FIRKIN
202 SW 1st. ‚ 753-8533
Fr 1/24: Hills City Bus--10; Rock
Sa 1/25: Cap Gun Suicide--9; Punk
We 1/29: Clumsy Lovers--8:30; Blue grass
INTABA'S KITCHEN
1115 S. Third St. ‚ 754-6958
Sa 1/25: Sun Bossa Duo--8; Brazilian
NEW MORNING BAKERY
2nd St.‚ 754-0181
Sa 1/25: Bluegrass jam--7:30
SQUIRREL'S TAVERN
100 SW 2nd St. ‚ 753-8057
Sa 1/25: Tim McLaughlin's Eleven Eyes--9; Jazz, hip-hop, electronica
Back to Top
Table
of Contents
| News | Views | Arts &
Entertainment
Classifieds | Personals
|
EW
Archive
|