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Calendar:
TONIGHT!!! : Sir Richard Bishop and His Freak of Araby Ensemble
University of Oregon Cultural Forum rental. SHOWTIME: 9:00 PM, PRICE: Free for U. of O. Students; $4 Public. BUY TICKETS NOW 
7/03 : Art Reception for Ian Coronado
For the month of July, the CCPA Lobby Art Gallery will feature Works by Ian Coronado.
Ian Coronado is an artist who works in time-based and non-linear forms. He locates his work at the intersection of photons and pressure waves, propelled by the inertia of the Dadaists, Pop art and Fluxus. Ian works as an adjunct instructor at Lane Community College and the University of Oregon and his work has been seen in venues from San Francisco to Clermont-Ferrand. Ian resides in Eugene, OR.
An opening reception will be held on First Friday, July 3, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The Lobby Art Gallery is open for viewing during office hours, noon to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday.
SHOWTIME: 5:00 - 7:00 PM, PRICE: FREE .
7/04 : West African Dance
SHOWTIME: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, PRICE: .
7/06 : West African Dance with Lareina Rose
Lareina Rose, former director, dancer/drummer of Waaw Kumba and dancer of Foli Kan, is back at the WOW Hall teaching West African Dance on Monday nights 5:30 - 6:45 pm!
Lareina was first introduced to West African Dance during her time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal, West Africa. She has also studied extensively with master instructors nationally and feels blessed to be sharing her knowledge and skill of the dances and rhythms of Guinea and Senegal.
Class is beginning level and is suited for all body types. Lareina is well known for her excellence in her teaching style combining positive, vibrant energy with clear instruction in movement and knowledge of the West African culture. Lareina's intention is to create a safe space for people to explore and celebrate being in their bodies thru the power and beauty of african dance. Classes are accompanied by drummers, some of who have studied West African djembe
and djunn-djunn rhythms extensively with Master teachers in Guinea and
the US.
Cost is $8/class drop-in; $7/class if you ride your bike to class! or $7/class registering for 4 or more classes. When there are shows at the WOW, class will be at Celebration Dance Studio, 1840 Willamette, same time. Come join in the celebration of life thru dance! For more info: (541) 345-3575 or
lareinarose@gmail.com.
SHOWTIME: 5:30 PM - 6:45 PM, PRICE: $8/class drop-in; $7/class if you ride your bike to class! or $7/class registering for 4 or more.
7/06 : Northwest Institute for Community Energy (NICE) Think Tank
The NICE is an exciting new project in Eugene which brings together student interns and community members to move forward energy conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy projects. Global Exchange is our fiscal sponsor. You can check us out at http://thenice.org
Meets weekly in the basement.
SHOWTIME: 4:30 - 6:30 PM, PRICE: .
7/07 : Fundraising Committee
Meets at noon at WOW Hall. SHOWTIME: , PRICE: .
7/10 : Oregon Country Fair
WOW Hall closed for the Oregon County Fair! Visit the WOW Hall/KLCC booth across from Main Stage.
Pack check $1.
KLCC will Broadcast the Oregon Country Fair July 10, 11, 12
Can't come to the Fair? Let KLCC take you there!
KLCC 89.7 FM will bring musical highlights and ambience of the Oregon Country Fair to anyone with a radio or internet connection. Mainstage performances will blend with regular favorite KLCC programming for a weekend of solid entertainment and information.
On Friday KLCC will broadcast Mainstage performances by Joanne Rand, Lewi Longmire Band, Soul Sisters, and Chicago Afrobeat Project. KLCC will break from the Fair at 4:30 p.m. to air NPR's All Things Considered, returning to the Fair to broadcast the closing act, BK3 featuring Bill Kreutzmann of the Grateful Dead, along with James "Hutch" Huchinson and Scott Murawski.
On Saturday KLCC will broadcast Mainstage performances by Abbey Road LIVE!, LoCura, March 4th Marching Band, and Pimps of Joytime. KLCC will break from the Fair at 5 p.m. for NPR's All Things Considered, and return for the closing act, The Gourds. A special Dead Air from The Fair airs at 7 p.m.
On Sunday KLCC will broadcast Mainstage performances by Bongo Love, Izabella, Manooghi Hi, Fareed Haque & the Flat Earth Ensemble, and Heavyweight Dub Champion.
With KLCC streaming live on the web, the Oregon Country Fair can be enjoyed throughout the world. Visit www.klcc.org and click on "Listen Live."
The broadcast is funded by generous sponsors from the KLCC business community. Keep the magic of the Oregon Country Fair with you, courtesy of KLCC 89.7 FM Eugene.

 SHOWTIME: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM, PRICE: $18 Advance.
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7/11 : Oregon Country Fair
WOW Hall closed for the Oregon Country Fair! Visit the WOW Hall/KLCC booth across from Main Stage. Pack check $1. SHOWTIME: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM, PRICE: $21 Advance Only.
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7/12 : Oregon Country Fair
WOW Hall closed for the Oregon Country Fair! Visit the WOW Hall/KLCC booth across from Main Stage. Pack check $1. SHOWTIME: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM, PRICE: $18 Advance Only.
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7/16 : Facilities Committee
Meets at Allann Brothers (5th Ave). SHOWTIME: 6:30 PM, PRICE: Free and open to the public..
7/16 : The Abyssinians, Etana, The Roots Revealers, Medium Troy
On Thursday, July 16, the CCPA and KLCC welcome Jamaica’s best old and new reggae artists as The Abyssinians return to the WOW Hall with special guests Etana and The Roots Revealers plus Eugene's own Medium Troy.
The Abyssinians with their anthem – Satta Massagana – are one of the premier roots reggae vocal groups of all time. Bernard Collins, Donald Manning and David Morrison are highly talented vocalists, with excellent harmonies, deep spiritual vibrations and inspirational messages. The Abyssinians are the roots of reggae music. They are well loved and respected worldwide.
The Abyssinians were formed in 1968 by Donald Manning, Bernard Collins and Linford Manning. It was in 1969 with their release “Satta Massagana” (a Rastafarian hymn based on the Ethiopian Amharic language), recorded on Coxson Dodd’s Studio One label, that launched them into the ranks of Reggae music greats. “Satta Massagana” became one of reggae’s most popular songs; becoming an anthem that was heard on the radio, in the dancehalls and in the churches of Jamaica.
What followed were a string of hits of which included "Declaration of Rights”, "Yi Mas Gan” and “Let My Days Be Long”. Early albums were a collection of singles recorded throughout the 1970’s on their own label—Clinch, which include Forward On To Zion (1976) and Arise (1978).
The group separated in 1980, but got back together to record the album $19.95 + Tax. Artists Only! Records realized the importance of this album and in 1998 re-titled and rereleased it as Reunion, which now stands as one of The Abyssinians greatest albums.
In 2004, Donald Manning and Bernard Collins reunited on stage for the first time in over ten years and, along with singer David Morrison, began to tour again as The Abyssinians .
"Satta Massagana," has been referred to as "reggae’s national anthem." The Amharic is a result of Donald Manning’s Rastafarian influence on the group. The study of Amharic in Kingston in the 60s was a function of the postcolonial, Pan-African identity and Rastafarian awareness sweeping the ghetto after Haile Selassie’s 1966 visit to the island.
The Abyssinians were featured performing "Satta" in a capella style in the film Roots, Rock, Reggae in 1976 and again in Rockers in 1978.
Etana is the new upcoming female sensation dominating the Jamaican airwaves. She is the #1 artist in Jamaica – no doubt about it. She is young and bright, with a powerful voice and good songs. In Jamaica she is very popular. This year she won every single female artist award in Jamaica -- best singer of the year, best album of the year, etc. -- six awards. Fresh and gifted, this twenty four year old spirited and soulful singer/ songwriter is now loved and accepted by the people in Jamaica and abroad.
After an initial audition with Fifth Element Records, the recording and Management Company behind Richie Spice and Chuck Fender, Etana was asked to tour with Richie Spice as a background vocalist. Etana’s debut single from the recording studio, “Wrong Address”, released in 2006, quickly caught interest in the reggae world. The song struck a resounding chord with reggae listeners and helped Etana produce a string of hit singles that have been riding hard and strong on the charts.
Etana says she is “humbled and happy” at the honor bestowed on her at the International Reggae and World Music Awards (IRAWMA) held in New York. Etana triumphed in the categories: Best Female Vocalist and Best Album.
“Every time someone thinks of me and my work with such high regard that they believe I deserve an award, it's just a humbling experience,” says Etana.
She recently released videos for the songs “Blessings”, which features Italian-born Rastafarian reggae crooner Alborosie, and “Caltariba System”, both from her debut VP Records album, The Strong One.
Arguably the most prolific female reggae vocalist in the present day, reggae singer/ songwriter Etana has been described by critics as the truth, one who will bring about real change with her powerful voice that at times seems flawlessly pure. Rebellious in her approach to denote systematic oppression against all races, Etana feels strongly that her responsibility as a recording artist is to express positive vibrations in her music.
Born Shauna McKenzie, Etana attended school in Jamaica until 1992, when she migrated to the U.S to start a new life Miami, Florida. During her studies at Broward Community College, Etana became extremely passionate about music. She found inspiration in Whitney Houston, Lauren Hill, Jill Scott, Sizzla Kalongi, Marcia Griffiths and the legendary Bob Marley.
In 2000 Etana attempted a shot at stardom when she joined a sexy girl group named GIFT which was being courted by Universal Records. It wasn't her ideal fit, but she conformed to the record labels requests and gave in to her group’s glamorous appeal, until one day while on a video shoot for their lead single, she could bear it no more. She walked away from the spotlights and returned to her native place of birth, Kingston, Jamaica.
Etana still wanted to do music, but she wanted to send out a meaningful message, and portray a more eloquent look. Etana’s pivotal opportunity came in 2005. Auditioning for a shot at becoming the backup vocalist for Richie Spice, Etana vocally floored his management team. The ensuing fifteen months enabled Etana to soak up valuable experience as a stage performer in Europe and North America.
Eager to make her own mark, one day Etana started writing. The song idea had been floating in her thoughts for weeks and eventually the melody for her debut smash single “Wrong Address” was born. A fusion of jazz and reggae, in 2006 “Wrong Address” received heavy radio rotation and reached the #1 position on several local charts. Her second major hit, “Roots”, was an intriguing mix of African and reggae cultural sounds, fused with Jamaican Creole. Videos for these first songs helped bring Etana to the forefront of the reggae world, and she made her mark as a solo artist performing at international events like Reggae Sumfest, Fully Loaded, ATI Live Concert, Irie Jamboree, Welcome to Jamrock and Guinness Sting.
Etana is currently promoting her new singles “I Am Not Afraid” and “Don't Forget”, off her recently released debut album The Strong One on VP Records.
Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 at the door. Doors open at 8:30 pm and showtime is 9:00.
SHOWTIME: 9:00 PM, PRICE: $17 Advance, $20 Door.
7/17 : Pistol Whipped Prophets CD Release Party with Gloria, Brother Bear & The Skitzo Punx
On Friday, July 17, the Community Center for the Performing Arts and U. of O. Campus Radio 88.1 FM KWVA proudly welcome the Pistol Whipped Prophets CD Release Party to the WOW Hall with special guests Gloria and Brother Bear & Skitzo Punx.
The Pistol Whipped Prophets formed in Eugene in 2005. Billed mostly as punk, P.W.P. has also been labeled as a shock rock outfit due to the intensity of their stage show --not uncommonly laced with nerve numbing flesh stunts involving hooks, spears and even ice picks. Always high energy, Pistol Whipped Prophets' catchy old school hardcore punk rock songs are delivered with a fury that turns every stage into an Altar of Dionysus.
P.W.P. released their first album, Devil's Dozen, in true DIY fashion in 2008. Later that year they where included on the United Underground Volume 2 compilation (PB Records/Crash Assailant Records; released in 2009). On July 17 P.W.P. will celebrate the 2009 release of their second full length album 666 along with the 2009 rerelease of Devil's Dozen.
P.W.P. has performed with Agent Orange, Dr. Know, The Detonators, The Mentors and The Enigma's Electric Acid Theatre. Originally founded as a three piece, with a unique rock lineup of drums, bass and vocals, most of their work has been done as a four piece adding guitars. The group has changed members over the years, including the recent departure of guitarist Big Ern, but has always maintained the powerful core trio. Front man and lead singer Ale Boy, born Alexander Harrington, is extremely decorated with a face you'll never forget and a deeply simple lyrical ability that uncovers plain truths hiding in the open. Known largely for his body modification and suspension acts, Ale Boy and his identical twin brother, Matthew, have played all kinds of music from dark industrial jazz, to the short lived, highly controversial grunge metal band Psycho~Kraft. Matthew, dubbed “Spooky”, plays “mutant bass” and the trio is accented by the eclectic abilities of Jeremiah Harris, who also performs with Los Mex Pistols Del Norte and Mood Area 52.
Eugene based band Gloria has been around since 2006, rocking the town with their high octane stage shows reminiscent of the Stooges and the Dead Boys. They've opened for the Prophets so many times, they wrote a song about them called "The P.W.P." for their upcoming new CD titled Space Drunks. Gloria consists of Chris T. "The Cute One" on guitar, Grambo "The Face Tickler" on bass, Mickey "Hurricane" Wallace on drums and "Drunken Loudmouth" Billy D on vocals.
Straight out of Eugene Oregon, formed in late 2008. Brother Bear and Skitzo Punx play hardcore punk mixed with a variety of other styles including, surf, funk, grunge, thrash, and 70's jam rock. With offensive lyrics discussing topics such as religion, skateboarding, drinking and smoking weed, Dr. Phil, Andy Warhol , politics, toiletries, and the story of David Bowie's childhood. Have opend for bands such as Ninth Moon Black, Witch Hunt, Dissentary, and plan to tour this summer with the Skeevies. Lineup consists of, Brother Bear on the bass instrument, Lion on percussion, Max Oceantoole on guitar and Johnny Appleseed on vocals.
Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and are available at C D & Game Exchange, C D World, House of Records, U. of O. Ticket Office, WOW Hall and www.ticketweb.com. Doors open at 8:30 pm and showtime is 9:00. The WOW Hall is located at the corner of 8th and Lincoln in Eugene and is open for all ages (6-11 half price at the door when accompanied by parent or adult guardian; five and under no charge). Adult refreshments are available downstairs. For more information please call 687-2746.
SHOWTIME: 9:00 PM, PRICE: $8 Advance, $10 Door.
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7/18 : Rootdown feat. Paul Wright, Caleb & Sol, Jackson
On Saturday, July 18, U. of O. Campus Radio 88.1 FM KWVA welcome Rootdown featuring Paul Wright for a CD Release Party with special guests Caleb & Sol and Jackson.
Rootdown is celebrating the release of their second EP, Summer of Love.
If you are looking for a good time and some live music then you need to come to a Rootdown show. The infectious enthusiasm of the group's performance will have you smiling and moving your feet from the door to the dance floor. Combining elements of pop, rock and reggae, Rootdown's music creates an excellent backdrop to your night. Their live performance is like a vibrant mood of sunshine even where it rains most of the year.
Rootdown was created in 2007 by solo national touring/recording artist Paul Wright while living in San Diego soaking in the southern California culture. Since conception their live show has caused a quick buzz as they have been asked to open for Pepper, The Wailers and many more gracing many different venues. Wright has been touring himself seven years full-time playing alongside bands like TobyMAC, Switchfoot, Shawn McDonald and many more in every state except Maine.
Rootdown's music falls into the “pop/rock/reggae” category of band and genre, a well-developed musical culture with roots stretching back to the early days of Bob Marley, through the years of Sublime, and into today with many different bands spearheading the direction like Pepper and Slightly Stoopid. Think Beastie Boys meets Beach Boys.
On November 20, 2007 Rootdown released their first self-titled 4-song EP, produced by Jeffery David in LA, under their own label Ocean Ave Records. The EP has been downloaded over 10,000 times since then.
Eugene twins Caleb and Sol Rexius released their debut CD early this year at the Shedd. The 24-year-olds both sing and play piano and Caleb also plays guitar. Their band features Hunter Gray on drums, Scott Frantz on electric guitar and Marisa Frantz on violin and bass.
The twins were outstanding athletes at Churchill High School and both were members of the University of Oregon football and track teams before deciding to concentrate on music. Caleb was part of the a cappella group On the Rocks, but their desire was to sign about God.
“In order to appeal to a broader audience, some Christian songwriters are less blunt about what their songs are about,” notes the Register Guard, “that is not, and won’t be, the Rexius style.”
“For us, we have a very clear calling,” says Caleb. “It’s really an evangelical tool for us. People have shared personal stories about how the music has led to deep truths about salvation.”
The material ranges from acoustic singer-songwriter stuff to a spoken word/hip-hop style.
Jackson is Jackson Michelson, a Corvallis-based singer-songwriter who also plays in Rootdown.
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 7:00 pm and showtime is 8:00.
SHOWTIME: 8:00 PM, PRICE: $10 Advance, $12 Door.
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7/21 : William Fitzsimmons & Jenny Owen Youngs
On Tuesday, July 21, the CCPA and KRVM proudly welcome William Fitzsimmons to the WOW Hall along with special guest Jenny Owen Youngs.
William Fitzsimmons is one of the oddest people you will ever meet. Born the youngest child of two blind parents, William Fitzsimmons was raised in the outskirts of Pittsburgh. Due to the family's inability to communicate through normal visual means, William's childhood home was filled with a myriad of sounds to replace what eyes could not see. The house was suffused with pianos, guitars, trombones, talking birds, classical records, family sing-a-longs, bedtime stories, and the bellowing of a pipe organ, which his father built into the house with his own hands. When his father's orchestral records were not resonating through the walls, his mother would educate him on the folk stylings of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Simon and Garfunkel. By the completion of his schooling, Fitzsimmons had become well-versed at a variety of instruments, at the minor expense of social standing, interactional skills and a knowledge of proper shaving technique.
Fitzsimmons' path into music was likewise unusual, forsaking the hobby for many years to work with the mentally ill and pursue an education in the field of mental health. It was during his last semester of graduate school that William pooled moneys from past birthday's, holidays and snow shoveling outings, and bought cheap home recording equipment to begin creating songs again (the first collection of which eventually became his debut album). After finally achieving his goal of becoming a practicing therapist, William left, and returned again to his love of crafting and playing songs. Using songs to address matters that he believes need to be addressed, he felt that is where he most belonged -- somewhere between a singing therapist and a counselor who writes songs.
William draws from those early folks stylings of his mother's music, and the embellished instrumentation of his father's. He is often compared to contemporaries Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, and the late Elliott Smith, not only for his unique style and skill in writing and proclivity to deal with substantive and evocative subject matter, but also for his use of organic and colorful melodies and arrangements. His first two records were completely self-produced and his new album, The Sparrow And The Crow, is his first studio recorded work. While his lyricism deals often with darker undertones, a measure of hopefulness is always carefully blended in.
William has received mention in publications such as Billboard, Paste Magazine and Performing Songwriter Magazine, and his music has been featured on several television programs such as Grey's Anatomy and Army Wives.
Jenny Owen Youngs is touring in support of her new album, Transmitter Failure, released May 26.
Following in the tracks of her 2007 debut Batten the Hatches (which earned her a record deal with Nettwerk and a song on the TV series Weeds), Transmitter Failure begins with a knowing nod to the past – in the ukulele, double bass and jaunty percussion of the 40-second intro, "First Person" – before quickly launching ahead into the album's next track, "Led to the Sea," a powerful rock/pop single aimed in a brand new direction. Jenny pulls off the transition without missing a beat. One listen will have you believing this is the kind of music she's been making all along.
As Youngs explains, "The first track is kind of meant as a fakeout. At the same time, it's an excerpt from 'Last Person,' which comes much later in the record."
For Transmitter Failure, Jenny calls on her longtime producer friend Dan Romer (Batten the Hatches, Ingrid Michaelson, The Woes) to create a lush aural landscape populated by gut-thumping bass lines, electric guitars, sunny keys, booming horns, digital drum tracks and even flute, glockenspiel and a full string section at times.
Where Batten the Hatches plays like a beautifully distilled, 40-minute diary entry backed by singular drum tracks, acoustic guitars, banjo, cello and spare digital elements, Transmitter Failure picks up with thicker arrangements and more electric production than fans might be used to, but deliciously malleable vocals, unique instrumentation and the songwriter's trademark caustic wit remain.
As the title implies, Transmitter Failure hums with the notion of contradiction. Messages of missed/mixed communications are conveyed with a referential look at the past and a fixed eye on the future.
"As we were forming the record, it started to become very apparent to me that the thickest thread running through the songs and holding them together was the theme of communication – its success, its complete and total breakdown, and the ways in which it affects relationships,” Jenny recalls. “So once I opened my eyes and saw that, using ‘Transmitter Failure’ as a title track made a lot of sense to me."
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 pm and showtime is 8:00.
SHOWTIME: 8:00 PM, PRICE: $10 Advance.
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7/23 : Board of Directors Meeting
The next board meeting is July 23rd at 6:30 pm at the Growers Market Building, 525 Willamette. Board meetings are open to the general public. SHOWTIME: 6:30 PM, PRICE: .
7/24 : The Weakerthans and Jason Collett
On Friday, July 24, U. of O. Campus Radio 88.1 FM KWVA welcomes a night of Canadian indie rock with The Weakerthans and Jason Collett (of Broken Social Scene).
Canada's favorite indie poet laureates The Weakerthans have announced a string of tour dates that start at the Vancouver Folk Festival and travels down the West Coast. Notable stops include The Roxy in LA, Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, the Aladdin in Portland and our own WOW Hall. Fresh off the Rolling Tundra Review, an exhaustive Canadian tour with the Constantines that spanned two months, The Weakerthans promise to be in fine form.
The Weakerthans are Stephen Carroll (guitars, vocals, pedal steel, keyboards), John K. Samson (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Greg Smith (bass, vocals, keyboards) and Jason Tait (drums, percussion, vibes, glockenspiel, keyboards, banjo, loops). On June 30 the band released a live iTunes session that includes three tracks of their most recent release Night Windows and two off of 1999's Fallow.
The Weakerthans were born a dozen years ago in the cold prairie city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where curling is the preferred pastime. Yes, curling: that noble sport of sweeping and sliding that in the snowier precincts of North America is more like a religion than a sport. (Winnipeg, a city of just 600,000 people, has 21 curling clubs.)
"Tournament of Hearts”, the Weakerthans’ curling anthem, is a perfect example of what John K. Samson, the band's lead singer and lyricist, calls "first-person fiction.” Like Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska or Tom Waits's Bone Machine, the Weakerthans write songs that are finely rendered portraits of fictional characters, none of whom you probably know but all of whom you'll recognize. And there are real-life characters, too, including "Bigfoot!" Many of the Weakerthans’ albums include recurring themes and images, such as missed communications, abandoned buildings and the geography of Winnipeg.
The Weakerthans have long been known for their lyrical ingenuity, but they are, after all, a rock band. There is confidence and comfort here, four musicians sure of who they are and what they want to say.
When Toronto singer-songwriter Jason Collett was mulling over titles for his new album, the by-turns effervescent and elegiac Here’s To Being Here, he stumbled across a line in an anthology of poetry by his friend Emily Haines’ late father Paul, a well-known avant-garde jazz poet.
“I really love the simple sentiment of the title,” says Jason. “I think of it as a toast, a raising of the glass to the notion of being present to the moment. Recording this record was all about that for me. Capturing the bits of spontaneous magic in the studio that are just the happy accidents of the day. For me there's a kind of unadorned celebratory ring to the phrase ‘here’s to being here’.”
After over a decade of honing his sound and style, in the process becoming a key figure in Toronto’s burgeoning indie scene, Collett returns with the long-awaited follow-up to 2005’s critically acclaimed Idols of Exile. But where Exile was one big house party featuring Collett’s Broken Social Scene brethren, the guestlist was scaled back a bit for Here’s To Being Here, which was built largely around Collett’s former touring band Paso Mino.
When it came time to get off the road and begin to record some of the 40-plus tunes the prolific Collett had written over the past several years (the father of three children, the busy musician notes he’s able to find sanctuary and perspective to write while on tour), the recording process took place in two quick but productive sessions in winter 2007.
“I feel this is a rock-and-roll music record,” Jason declares. “I don’t care much for the roots-rock tag or the singer-songwriter one and all the banality those genres conjure up. Rock ’n Roll music encompasses all sorts of influences – country, blues, gospel... all those things, and I’m just part of that tradition.”
Collett logged time in Toronto bands before going on to craft two full-length albums (1999’s Chrome Reflections and 2001’s Bitter Beauty) prior to joining the Arts & Crafts family in 2003. He made his WOW Hall debut that November performing with Broken Social Scene and opened the show with a set from his Arts & Crafts release Motor Motel Love Songs.
“I’m beginning to recognize that I have a body of work,” states Jason. “I’ve always tried to make records with a classic sensibility, so that they’re records you can listen to 20 years from now.”
Tickets are $15 in advance or at the door. Doors open at 8:30 pm and showtime is 9:00.
SHOWTIME: 9:00 PM, PRICE: $15 Advance, $15 Door.
BUY TICKETS NOW
7/28 : Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Warpaint, Moonrats
On Tuesday, July 28. U. of O. Campus Radio 88.1 FM KWVA welcomes Quintron and Miss Pussycat along with special guests Warpaint and Moonrats.
Based in New Orleans, Quintron and Miss Pussycat deliver a colorful, creative show that combines experimental electronic dance music with puppets. It’s not like anything else you will ever see in a rock club.
Quintron plays a custom made Hammond/Rhodes combo synthesizer/organ that he’s built up to look like a car with real working headlights. He’s backed by a simple drum machine and his own patented invention, the Drum Buddy, which is a rotating, light-activated analog synthesizer which is played in much the same way as a DJ spins and scratches records. Miss Pussycat plays maracas and sings backup as well as entertaining all ages with her highly amusing technicolor puppet shows.
“At first glance, Quintron’s high-energy, organ-heavy music might be mistaken for the psychotronic ravings of a calliope operator at a defunct circus, or something you would expect to hear pouring out of the Munsters home on a Saturday night,” states the Miami New Times.
“Much of Quintron’s music is driving, hypnotic Sixties dance music a la The Seeds or Standells... However, don’t mistake Quintron for being totally squaresville retro. He has benefited from 40 extra years of musical history to develop his own richer style and borrowed from a number of other genres to become ... well ... Quintron.”
Pop Matters terms him, “the baddest one-man band in America.”
In the film Being John Malkovitch, the great actor reveals that his true love in life is puppetry. Well, maybe not in real life, but what Malkovitch could only dream of becoming in the movie has been actually been achieved in the body of Miss Pussycat.
“An artist from New Orleans' beleaguered Ninth Ward, Panacea Theriac is one of a handful of performers integrating puppetry with the club scene,” notes Puppetry Journal. “She has partnered with Dionysian one-man-band performer Quintron for over a decade now, opening or closing his alternate rock "swamp tech" music sets with her puppet fables. They are shows beautifully crafted for success in the intimate venues of an indie-rock dance club: tactile, idiosyncratic puppet characters, pithy dialogue, an electronically pixilated soundtrack and charming black light effects create a visual and engaging overture/finale to their music sets. Quintron aids in puppet manipulation and voicing.”
Several of Miss Pussycat’s puppet shows are available on DVD through the website, quintronandmisspussycat.com.
“The Quintron / Miss Pussycat experience is one of barely controlled electronic chaos, “Swamp-Tech” beats, small explosions, incredible clothes and entertaining puppet stories,” reports the New Orleans Times Picayune. “This act somehow has equal relevance in sleazy nightclubs, pizza restaurants and university lecture halls.”
“If Aphrodite really did have a love child, it would have looked and sounded pretty much like Warpaint,” reports Plastique Magazine. “This band is set to change your life with a sound that’s nothing short of heaven sent. Warpaint’s serial lyrics, love plucked bass lines and haunting drumbeats cast a spell that’s hard to shake . . . they have mastered a sound so magical it’s hard to say whether you’re dreaming or not.”
Los Angeles-based Warpaint was founded in 2007 by Emily Kokal, Theresa Wayman and Jennifer Lindberg. They play live with Josh Klinghoffer on drums. Their first EP Exquisite Corpse was released in March 2009. Comparisons have included Mazzy Star, Cocteau Twins, The Cure, Blonde Redhead, Sonic Youth, The Slits and, of course, The Shangri-Las.
“With sounds as hypnotic and unique as these, there’s only one way they can go: up,” states LA Deli Magazine.
Theresa and Emily are Eugene expatriates who met in choir at Roosevelt and attended South together and have been doing things together ever since.
“I used to work the food booth with my mom Ellen at the WOW Hall back when Chris Funk from Decemberists worked there,” recalls Emily. “It’s where I got most of my musical cultural experiences watching the Daddies and Floater and Boogie Patrol and all the touring acts.
“Warpaint is a band that I feel has really done it right, our way,” she continues. “We live in Los Angeles with at least 10 friends from South and around Eugene. We've stuck together. Aja from Nico Vega is one of our oldest friends. We are happy to be playing Eugene for the first time. Also to be playing with our two favorite bands/friends from L.A. and getting to introduce them to communities that have shaped and cultured us.”
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 8:00 pm and showtime is 9:00.
SHOWTIME: 9:00 PM, PRICE: $10 Advance, $12 Door.
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7/31 : Rob Wynia (of Floater), Vinny D. (Dry County Crooks), tba
by Bob Fennessy
On Friday, July 31, the Community Center for the Performing Arts and KRVM proudly welcome Rob Wynia (of Floater) and Vinny D. (of Dry County Crooks) for a night of solo acoustic performances at the WOW Hall.
Rob Wynia is best known as the singer-songwriter and bass player for the renowned band Floater. One of the northwest’s most respected and successful independent acts, Floater will play Eugene’s outdoor Cuthbert Amphitheater on Saturday, July 25 (for more information visit www.thecuthbert.com). Six days later, Rob returns to his old stomping grounds for a show without the stomping.
Floater last graced the WOW Hall for two nights of acoustic shows in January. Long able to fill larger concert halls, Floater periodically plays the WOW Hall because they love it, and their shows have long been a financial linchpin of the venue. I believe it was ex-beer garden manager Andy Strickland who coined the baseball analogy: “If the WOW Hall is the House the Daddies built, it’s the House that Floater maintains.”
So what can folks expect from a Rob Wynia solo show?
“It's pretty basic and stripped down,” says Wynia. ”Really nothing like a Floater show in that sense. At this point it's just me and my guitar for a set of songs. People who have come to Floater acoustic shows have seen a glimpse of this, but there's always the magic of Pete and Dave there too.
“For the solo shows I play some songs that Floater doesn't play, some Floater tunes and some cover songs also. For the most part if you come expecting Floater you'll be wondering ‘what the hell’ but if you come just to hear some music I think you'll be okay. You'll make it out without injury.”
Vinny D is the vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Dry County Crooks, an outlaw country/rock outfit from Portland with punk roots and a blue-collar message that has become their trademark. Touring the western states since 2001, they've played over 300 shows including multiple appearances at MusicfestNW and opening for bands ranging from Eddie Spaghetti to The Tennessee Three.
Vinny D's anthems are the ignition system in the hopped up pickup that is DCC. Influences Johnny Cash, Social Distortion and The Pogues are hot wired into tales of rural American characters, greased up broken hearts, alcoholic binges and knife wielding street fighters.
In 2003 The Dry County Crooks self-released The One That Got Away on Blue Collar Heart Music and followed in 2005 with Wrong Side Of The Tracks. Their new album, When Hearts Break, is now out on the MastanMusic label.
This is a seated concert. Tickets are $12 advance, $15 at the door and $20 for front-of-house reserved seats. Doors open at 8:00 pm and showtime is 8:30.
SHOWTIME: 9:00 PM, PRICE: $12 Advance, $15 Door, $20 Reserved Seating.
8/01 : KLCC and Dead Air present Jerry Day with Cap'n Trips
On Saturday, August 1, KLCC and Dead Air present "Jerry Day" with Cap'n Trips: A Birthday Tribute to Jerry Garcia.
The event will be hosted by Downtown Deb of KLCC's Dead Air, who will be broadcasting her show live from the KLCC studios from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. The show will be playing at the WOW Hall (when doors open) as the "warm up band" before Cap'n Trips. Expect something visual like a Dead DVD or GD slide show while Dead Air plays in the background.
At 9:15 pm Deb will walk down to the WOW and introduce the band and maybe do some door prize giveaways from the stage. The band will then play for the rest of the evening.
Cap’n Trips is Tom Lemmon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Marcy Andrews (mandolin), Trey Longstreth (bass, vocals), Anthony Forcellini (lead guitar, vocals), Carlito Sway (drums) and Terry Fingerprince (keyboards).
“The band has been together for one year, but we are all middle-aged musicians who have been playing our whole lives, with lots of other bands,” states Tom. “Together, all that experience comes shining through, and we can really groove.”
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was born on August 1, 1942. One of its original founders, Garcia performed with The Grateful Dead for their entire three-decade career (1965 to 1995) and also founded and participated in a variety of side projects, including the Jerry Garcia Band, Old and in the Way, the Garcia/Grisman acoustic duo and Legion of Mary. Garcia co-founded the New Riders of the Purple Sage with John Dawson and David Nelson. He also released several solo albums, and contributed to a number of albums by other artists. He died of a heart attack in August 1995 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead in 1994. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked Jerry 13th on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Hosted by Downtown Deb, Dead Air is the music of the Grateful Dead and much more. Featuring obscure, rare or just plain excellent selections from their legendary live concerts, it’s place where Deadheads can gather together every week to stay connected. Dead Air is now in its 23rd year, 18 years on KLCC!
Before moving to Eugene in 1983, for several years Downtown Deb worked for the band in the Bay Area. In 1986, the original Dead Air radio show in Garberville, CA, had to go off the air. This was the brainchild of Grateful Dead soundman Dan Healy, studio producer and concert sound mixer, whose board tapes were the core of its programming. Dan offered Deb the name of his show to carry on the tradition. She got in touch with a favorite radio station and mentioned her collection of quality soundboard recordings of the Grateful Dead... and the rest is history.
After being on and off several commercial stations in the Eugene area, Dead Air found a home on KLCC in 1991. The Guardians of the Vault have faithfully added to her tape and CD collection over the years and the privileged access she enjoys is reflected in the quality of her show. She accommodates listener requests whenever possible and sometimes focuses the show on a special tribute or theme.
Since the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, Dead Air has become even more essential as a gathering place for the extended community of listeners throughout western and central Oregon -- and via the web, all corners of the world.
Doors open at 7:00 pm. Admission is just $10 advance or at the door.
SHOWTIME: 7:00 PM, PRICE: $10 Advance; $10 Door.
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8/02 : Zimbabwean Traditional Dance with Jennifer Kyker!
Beginning in August, the Eugene dance community with have the unique opportunity to study traditional Zimbabwean dance. Instructor Jennifer Kyker, a Eugene native, has lived in Zimbabwe for over four years studying traditional music and dance. She recently returned from a year-long trip to Zimbabwe, where she studied and performed with various performing groups. She brings a wealth of knowledge of traditional rhythms and dances to share with the Eugene community.
Zimbabwean dance features intricate and exciting rhythmic footwork, and dancers will learn to dance both with and without leg rattles to accentuate the percussive aspects of the dance. All classes will be accompanied by live music, including marimba, mbira, and drumming. Zimbabwean dance is a wonderful introduction for students unfamiliar with the world of African dance, and a great complement for students already taking West African dance classes. Classes are open to all ages and levels. For more information, please contact Jennifer at jennifer.kyker@gmail.com
Classes are Sundays 3:00 to 4:30 pm. Cost is $12/class drop-in, $60/six class punchcard.
SHOWTIME: 3:00 - 4:30 PM, PRICE: $12 Drop In.
8/07 : Bootfest II: Only Nightmares, Torture Box, New World Sinner, Carion Remains, Still Dead, Desteria
SHOWTIME: 7:00 PM, PRICE: $10 Advance, $12 Door.
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8/17 : Music's Edge Summer Rock Camp
Director Tim McLaughlin hosts the Music's Edge 2009 Summer Rock Camp at the WOW Hall Monday through Friday, August 17-21. The program is designed for ages 10-18.
This will be the WOW Hall’s third year hosting the very successful Music's Edge Rock Camp for budding musicians. The camp goes full-steam all week and ends with a full-blown, rockin' show on Friday, August 21, with all the lights and sound that would make any rock star proud. A second performance will take place at the Eugene Saturday Market on Saturday, August 22 from 2:00 - 3:00 pm.
“It's meant to be life changing to some degree,” reports the Eugene Register Guard. “It can take a lifetime to learn some of these skills.”
Music's Edge at the WOW Hall is interested in all skill levels and all instruments. Tim McLaughlin, bandleader of the acclaimed group Eleven Eyes, heads up a very pro staff that includes Zak Johnson, Ehren Ebbage, John Shipe and daily special guests. Music’s Edge will feature different workshops each day with music industry professionals and performers.
Notes the Register Guard: “In an age when reality TV show contests spotlight the glamour of the music business, the camp participants seem focused on the right things.”
In the words of one Music’s Edge Camper: “Tim McLaughlin is the best band leader I've ever met. He knows how to control a group this size and rein it in. "
The Facts:
The camp lasts from Monday through Friday and goes from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm. The students will be divided into four different bands based on age and ability. The week will be spent rehearsing a set of rock, metal, funk, jazz, blues, hip-hop and pop tunes to be performed on the WOW Hall stage on August 21. Each group plays music that best suits their ability and interest as well as what fits their style.
Daily Schedule:
Monday-Friday 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
9:30 - noon: Warm-up, chat, rehearse in ensembles
noon -12:20 pm: Lunch
12:20 pm - 1:00 pm: Guest musician performance
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Rehearse in ensembles
Payment:
Payment by check is to Community Center for the Performing Arts/WOW Hall.
To pay by Visa, Master or Debit card please call the WOW Hall office at 687-2746 between 2:00 and 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
The Instructors:
Tim McLaughlin
Tim McLaughlin is a multi-instrumentalist and sought-after area musician, active in recording, teaching, performing and composing. Since graduating from the U. of O. School of Music in 2002, McLaughlin has appeared on numerous recordings, as well as toured the western US multiple times. McLaughlin currently performs with Eleven Eyes, Everyone Orchestra, Halie Loren, the Essentials, the NOW!, Tim McLaughlin/Sean Peterson Duo, and as a solo artist. As a music educator, McLaughlin hosts a full private teaching studio, co-directs the Willamette High School Jazz Program, directs the Marcola School District music program, conducts weekly clinics, workshops and classes, and directs multiple jazz/rock ensembles. McLaughlin has been a strong advocate for supporting youth in music by helping to develop the Kidz Rock music series as well as developing and directing Music’s Edge at WOW Hall.
Ehren Ebbage
Ehren Ebbage has been playing and teaching music professionally for more than a decade. A graduate of the University of Oregon School of Music, Ehren has toured the US many times, has written, recorded, and performed with numerous national and international artists, and has released two recordings of his own material.
Zak Johnson
Zak Johnson has played music professionally for ten years and has taught for five, working with students privately and at such institutions as OFAM/AMI and Lesson Factory. He is an accomplished songwriter and musician and plays guitar, upright bass and electric bass in various groups, including the U. of O. Gospel Ensemble, the West Coast Rhythm Kings and his own rock group, The Dead Americans, touring extensively throughout the West Coast. He’s worked with Tim McLaughlin since the beginning of the Music’s Edge camps, and his emphasis on ear training and improvisation helps students hone their skills as live performers.
John Shipe
John Shipe has an original 200-plus song repertoire, 15 years of touring, radio airplay and nine recording projects. After a few thousand gigs, both solo and with various bands, he’s played all kind of stages — coffee houses, performance halls, amphitheatres, festivals and arenas. Shipe has shared the bill with Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal, Blind Melon, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Keb Mo, Cake, Tower of Power, Jerry Joseph, Jimmy Cliff, Derek Trucks, Los Lobos, Tony Furtado, Hootie & The Blowfish, Patty Larkin and many others. Thirty John Shipe tunes have played on one hundred independent and commercial radio stations, without the support of a major record label. John Shipe combines his massive experience into a great teaching style that is fun and like no music education that can be found elsewhere.
For more information and to register, please call the WOW Hall office at 687-2746 between 2:00 and 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
SHOWTIME: 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM M-F, PRICE: $249.00.
8/20 : Moonalice
SHOWTIME: 9:00 PM, PRICE: $10 Advance, $12 Door.
8/28 : MONSTERS OF ACCORDION!
An international mob of squeezebox wielding maniacs is launching an all out attack on Eugene. Geoff Berner, of Vancouver, is a self described "Klezmer mongrel" playing his original take on traditional Jewish folk music fueled by his wry, biting humor and more than a few shots whiskey. Former Gogol Bordello member, Stevhen Iancu of Tokyo sings fiery rhythm-driven songs marrying his Gypsy roots with traditional Japanese styles. Eric Stern, the devilishly virtuosic leader of Portland's Vagabond Opera, displays his acclaimed operatic tenor to the accompaniment of French musette, Balkan, and Arabic accordion stylings. These three are joined by infamous accordion howler, Jason Webley, of Seattle. Webley, who organizes the annual tour, is known for his passionate voice, his caterwauling squeezebox and his ability to get a room of strangers to throw their arms around each other and sing with abandon.
The monsters will be joined by special local guest Mood Area 52.
SHOWTIME: 8:00 PM, PRICE: $10 Advance, $12 Door.
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