BEAUTIFUL AND AFFORDABLE
Handknit Sweaters
Great select ton of new
styles and colors in wool
and alpaca for men
and women both' Also
hats, scarves, gloves,
rrutlens. vests and
ponchos for
fom at f‘i4kw»Ys
Fifth St
Public Market
uutmrsTAIIti
683 2204
FOLKWAYS IMPORTS
». V .• * I ' ■ « l._ . A .V ^ 5 •* .• A ’ ■
The Newest Mexican Restaurant
(Free Machos with dinner entree)
Live Latin American Bands Fri-Sat 9:00 pm
RfSTAURANT A LOUNGf u lab nw *vihui luona. onscm tn01 Ml
ENTERTAINMENT
Comedy night to highlight
1990 homecoming weekend
By Ming Rodrigues
Emerald Reporter
An evening of laughs will open this
year's homecoming parent's weekend.
The University Student Alumni Associ
ation will present two of the Northwest's
finest comedians in a Comedy Night to
night at 8 in the KMC Ballroom.
Sharing the limelight will be lake
Johannsen and Arnold Mukai. two come
dians with very distinct styles
"There's a ( mug need for comedy here
on campus." Cliff Milbank, Alumni Pres
ident said. "It has great potential at such
a culturally diverse University communi
ty that's open to all sorts of entertain
ment. I fed that comedy with its myriad
of genres would lx- a great idea .is such.
esjHH ially too when college students are
always ready for a good lime."
"1 don't think they'll stop sodomy by
sending guys to prison: that's pretty
much headquarters."
That's the heart of his act - more of
halting discourses than strings of jokes.
And his ill-at-ease but resolved persona
•ells
"Woody Allenesque. but he’s very
heartland and gentile." radio personality
Alex Bennett said.
Comedy Competition producer Jon Fox
said. "He has a sophisticated edge but his
subject matter is universally appealing -
waiting for the telephone repairman, cut
ting yourself shaving He manages to be
intellectual without losing the audi
ence."
Meanwhile the .San Francisco Examiner
pinned lake down as "a storyteller who
follows one weird detail with another and
puts it all across with his demented nerd
at-the s< ience-fair delivery."
‘(Comedy) can actually be quite a learning experience
amidst all the fun. ’
— Cliff Milbank
Milbank hopes the coneept takes off
and plans to work on presenting a series
of comedy nights for the University next
year
Comedy. Milbank believes, is more
than a laugh a minute "There's a world
liness and increasing ethnicity flavoring
comedy It can actually be quite a learn
ing experience amidst all the fun. when
you get all these comedians coming on
stage with their different wit. style, and
ethnic background."
With his bookworm glasses and kitchen
haircut. Iowa native- lake Johannsen pro
jects the classic, clean-cut. stammering,
earnest reasonableness you’d get if young
Henry Fonda or |immy Stewart had done
stand-up Watching him, you just want to
encourage him, give him a pat on the
back and root him on
This isn't a stage character
"It's an honest impression of what I
am - nervous with people," )ohannsen
said "I think the only way you can be
different is to lie what you are; anybody
can go up there and pretend to Inc a mani
ac."
lie doesn't so muc h deliver gag lines as
he? seems to stumble over them with a
kind of owlish amiability.
Deciding against any career that in
volved bosses. lohannsen went to San
Francisco in D(82 determined to become
a comedian, although he admitted he
wasn't sure why. " I was only kind of
funny as a kid but then I began doing
open mike and it seemed like a fun thing
to do and it is." he said.
In 1‘iHti. (ohannsen won the 11th annu
al San Francisco Stand Up Comedy Com
petition and he has appeared in the HBO
Young Comedians Special and on public
television's "Comedy Night".
A year later. Johannsen made his net
work television debut on “Late Night
with David Letterman" which was fol
lowed by four more appearances on the
show the following year lust last year as
well, he debuted on the "Tonight Show
Starring Johnny Carson”.
This year, lohannsen preformed for
President Hush at the White House.
Watching Arnold Mukai, on the other
hand, is like seeing Toshiro Mifune play
ing the life of llarpo Marx as filmed by
David Cronenberg - all the funny little
gnomic details make up an eccentric and
hilarious comic dreamscape.
The Japanese comedian who tells his
luces own album
By Mia Bartelsen
Emerald Contributor
Stephan Mendez, a young new artist
in Eugene, has sharp criticism for local
bends. He is “bored with the music
scene because there is a lack of anything
interesting."
"The music here is too complacent
and not creative." he said.
So, he decided to change that. He hit
the studio and. as of Oct. 15, this 19
year-old l.ane Community College stu
dent had his own album.
He used his musical talent to produce
an album entitled "Songs from Purgato
ry" for his band Fathom. The idea was
to provide an alternative to the "garage
band” sound that local hands are pro
ducing.
He describes his music as a "sinister
version of Depechu Mode." It is experi
mental sound, often with a dark, harsh
rhythm. It could be labeled as industrial
music, which is known as being visual.
Mendez, however, hesitates to catego
rize.
Mendez has played once at WOW
Hall and would like to continue gaining
experience and exposure playing live.
"It is more a mo-oriented band,”
Mendez said, explaining the lack of a
back-up band, “it's not overly impor
tant that 1 find a back-up band, but it
would help me with my desire to play
live more often."
It took him three months to write the
music for the album. "The hardest part
for mo was writing the vocals,” he said.
"The writing ot the actual music,
though, came much more easily because
I really enjoy it.”
Ptmlo bv \ndr» Kniiwn
Stephan Mendez takes a break after writing and producing his own album.
The next step in the process was nam
ing the album, which, for Mendez, be
came a personal experience.
Although he is not Catholic he fell
that the term "purgatory" described the
mental state he was in while composing
the album.
"I wanted to develop my music skills
and in the state I was in. I felt removed
from reality." Mendez said.
The message in his music closely con
nects to the state he was in during the
dMtum-inaking process.
The songs and messages deal primari
ly with personal relationships. He dis
cusses the games people pluv and con
centrates on the "negative side of rela
tionships because it is better to get it out
into the open to deal with it."
Reflecting back on pre-album times.
Mendez remembers his first influential
musical experiences, the ones he had
while listening to Skinny Puppy.
"They were one of the first bands to
influence my music,“ he said “1 was
listening to pop music like Ah-lla and
then one day 1 discovered Skinny Pup
py At first it was really strange, but
then it grew on me and I learned to like
it,"
Mendez, a Eugene native, studies mu
sic and art. He would like to pursue his
music career by using the profits from
this album to produce another.
His album Is currently available at
House of Records. 258 E. 13th.
audience their bones will turn to tofu if
they don’t drink milk, gives an unpre
dictable mishmash of material to chuckle
at.
Stalking the comedy stage. Mukai chal
lenges the audience to trivia contests, do
ing uncanny impressions, quick-quipping
and sliding his face around like a rubber
mask being mangled by five angry hands,
all accompanied by a stream of surreal
vocal sound effect.
‘Tve always done impressions and
noises since I was a little kid," Mukai
said. “1 think all little kids are great mim
ics. Well. I guess I'm still a grown-up
kid I still want to make noises."
A sampling of his repertoire includes a
human blow dryer. Kermit (he Frog sing
ing a ballad and hung Fu expert Bruce
Lee.
Perhaps his almost childlike, endearing
style may be accounted for by the fact
that by day Mukai runs a day care center
with his wife.
Mukai, who grew up in Seattle, got his
itch for comedy more than a decade back
"I was at a comedy club, and 1 thought I
could do as well or better than those
guys. So I asked the emcee how 1 could
get into comedy.”
Soon he was in the Seattle l.augh Off.
where he finished 12th out of t>5 contes
tants. Since then he has been traveling up
and down the West Coast
Spreading liis interests as well. Mukai
made a movie. Snowballs in 1984 with
Fred Williamson and he has done open
ing acts for Dionne Warwick and James
Brown, lie has also made numerous col
lege appearances
Of his appeal, Mukai said. "Being of
Japanese descent is an advantage because
l>eople want to hear what 1 have to say."
Opening the show tonight will be local
comedian Drew Marks.
Tickets. $5 for general public and $4
for students, art; available at the HMD
main desk and at the door. University
Housing is also selling tickets to dorm
residents for $3.
THE STEREO UA. HOMECOMING
LOFT SAVINGS
from The First Name in
Digital Audio-introducing
2 NEW CD PLAYERS from
DENON— DCD660 and DCD860
STARTING
AT
$29900*
Step up to quality ■ step up to the Loft
THE STEREO LOFT
30 E 11th, Eugene, 342-2463
NAKAMICHI-DISCOUNTED & DISCONTINUED
AUTO
ICO 760
AM/FM CD Player..
•R0360
Auto Reverse Dolby B
RD460
Pullout Dolby B A C..
TDSOO
Cassette 20 21K Response
TD 560
CO Coot 20-20 Response
PAI02
14x2W 008“. THO
PA202
40x2 or 80x1 005% THO
PA302
80x2 or 160x1 005% THD
EC 200H
Electric Crossover
Compatible with EC 100
was
*1299 $975
was
*430 S339
was
*549 $429
was
*800 $649
was
*950 $769
was
$149 $99
was
*349 $259
was
*&49 $429
$185
HOME
TA 1A
35 Watt Receiver .
TA3A
75 Watt Stasis.
CR-3A
3 Head Dolby B A C
OMS tA
Entry level CD Player
with remote
ICDP-2A
Oual 16 Bit DAC
with 4 times
oversampling and remote
was
*369 $259
*aso $699
was
saoo $695
was
*350 $189
was
*550 $419
TKE
Who???
TAU KAPPA EPSILON
Who???
WORLD'S LARGEST FRATERNITY
Sat. Nov. 3rd
THE LAST TAILGATER
OF THE SEASON!!
(Bash the Bruins)
Where? Autzen Stadium
For more information Please call the Teke Hotline
at 343-7086. Ask for Kirk. lay or Derek
*
r.INtMAUK TMtATPfS
MEChA
PrrsenI*
:
Dia de Los Muertos
Day of the Dead
free
drinks
A cultural celebration
Dance to the lights and sounds of
LEGACY
D I.
$1 at door
NOVEMBER 2, 1990
Friday 9:30 pm - ???? free
1236 Kincaid (next to bookstore)! *> 7ya
for information 346-3508
53
,*» common
-FWtSM AMO ACCOtf
PUSMDI AkacMMBdl
THE
UNBELIEVABLE
TRUTH
4<42
E )3lh
686
2458
toy Ift Hin nigf»0twm §n* mmm*
novto • warm, wondwfuldrarvtt about low*
md darn. droMTo And
L Wtttu t 10 • k«i M*l 4 00
■ ■ m\§ 'VotAtiA And cM
,1 L V lc«d *! the i«rw
bL|r ] »r<Hl>tagAnd
•■NU/Atmg on
(•riAinina ut At
much At I intormt
ut About ttantoof
\hm ftm Spoocft
Movomfit *
ninN tl/THC Al AMO
V
i«yjgg!
Our Turkeys ^
Don’t Do f 9
Drugs.
Most growers teed their turkeys a variety ol antibiotics,
hormones and growth stimulants to boost the weight ot
their birds (primarily by means ol water retention) so thoy
can be sold a little earlier. Drugs and water, it turns out.
cost less than turkey teed.
Shelton’s, on the other hand, does nothing ol the sort
Out turkeys get the finest natural diet we can provide,
with no chemical shortcuts The result Is fabulous flavor
and optimum food value
Tlirkeys
Order yours today. Limited supply.
Sun. Nov. 25 Hult Center
Tickets on sale at Hult Center Box Office and all
Hult Center outlets. Charge by phone 687-5000
A Cloud 9 Production
Avoid long lines at the post office
Buy stamps at the
UO Bookstore.