Oregon daily emerald., August 01, 1972, Page 8, Image 8

No place to play means little work for musicians
By STEPHEN MILLER
Of the Emerald
Wheatfieid, a local musical group that
“plays everything from folk to acoustic
rock 'n roll,” finds work scarcer after the
Odyssey coffeehouse closed Sunday
according to group member Will Hobbs.
“One frustrating thing about Eugene—
there are a lot of really good musicians
but there aren’t places to play,” says
Hobbs, "I don’t think people in Eugene
realize the caliber of musician that exists
in this town.”
“The Sun Shop, Chrystal Ship, other
places like that sell just thousands of
record albums people are really into
music but they don’t realize there’s such
good live music around But there’s no
place to play where people feel com
fortable going ”
The situation would improve, says
Hobbs, “if some people would get together
and open up coffee houses and get other
sorts of trips like that going.”
Closed by urban renewal
The Odyssey, according to Don Ross,
another of Wheatfield’s three members,
was the only coffee house in Eugene
serving that function. He called it “a
stopping off place, a local forum for
musicians.”
" The Sunday night broadcasts on KZEL
I 'M" Hobbs added, “were big, they drew a
lot of good people.”
The members of Wheatfield met last
October in the Odyssey, simply played
together, and "bang, the group was for
mod ” They were soon “passing the hat at
the student union.” They have since
played at Duffy’s Tavern, The Grower’s
Market, the Wesley Center, Scarborough
Kaire, the Bavarian, the E M U. and
private parties They have also performed
m California and Corvallis. Band member
Peter Wolfe, however, stressed that they
are, “not playing as much as we should be,
as much as we nearly want to be."
Wheatfield is currently trying to “widen
its audience with a single record.
“Ashland,” a melodic protest song, con
cerns a friend of Hobbs’ in an Ashland,
Kentucky prison. The flip side, “Time
keeper,” is also by Hobbs. “It grew out of
my experiences on the road,” says Hobbs.
Record Released
The record was released two weeks ago.
The group itself is distributing it to radio
stations and stores but wants “to plug
into” distributers situated in larger
markets.
SUMMER SALE
/
PANTS .
SHIRTS .
T-SHIRTS.
JACKETS.
WOMENS TOPS
DRESSES.
1 /3 off f
.1 /3 off (L
1 /3 off c
25% off
1 /3 off
1 /3 off
Mlb<_.
HATS, BELTS, SWIMSUITS, SHORTS,
WATCHBANDS, AND TIES 1/2 off
STARTS TUESDAY, AUG. 1st
TUES FRI. 10-9:00 SAT 10-6:00
Wheatfield produced the record itself
with added musicians, engineers and the
general help of friends. It was made at the
group’s expense in a private home rather
than a recording studio.
The record can now be heard at the
E M U. jukebox.
Currently composed of three acoustic
guitars, the group is considering using
other instruments such as an electric bass,
piano, mandolin, and flute more
frequently.
Wolfe, 22, and Hobbs, 24, grew up less
than 20 miles apart in Indiana but, oddly,
first met at the Odyssey. Wolfe describes
his main interest to be “harmonizing.”
Hobbs feels his is the “poetic end” of the
group.
Don Ross, 22, is from Sacramento. He
usually plays lead guitar and pinpoints his
interests as, “instrumentalizing to fit the
melodies.” Ross has played at the
Odyssey for four and a half years.
Wheatfield will next appear this Friday
in Newport at Canyon Way. Saturday they
will be at WOW Hall, Eighth St. and
Lincoln.
Photo by James Link
SKRAP Theatre presented its seventh free performance in Eugene Monday night.lt was part of a
program sponsored by the Eugene Parks and Recreation Department. The theatre presents several
different selections, some of them in mime. This act is called “In the good old daze.” The next per
formance. their last, will be tonight at Sladden Park.
BLOCK III
1233 ALDER St.
ON CAMPUS