ARTSiVENTERTAINMENT
■ m m
Urban funk and jazz
Seattle’s Omar Torrez
plays flamenco-based
tunes at Good Times, Fri
day at 9:45. $5 admission.
Summer reading
Catherine Brady reads
from her latest book, 7
pm, Aug. 4 at Mother
Kali’s, 720 E. 13th.
The Taxi Delivers
Springfield’s Hollywood Taxi provides an alternative venue for local bands
from both sides of the river to challenge the area’s musical status quo
By Glenn Shires
lor the Emerald
Ahh, Springfield, the promised land. As any lo
cal band can tell you, finding an audience in
Eugene is no easy task. Sure, a few venues are
willing to support local musicians, but attendance re
mains sparse for bands that don’t fall into the status
Courtesy photo
Compact 56 joins other local bands Filthy Few, Monroail and
the Shmelbys for a night punk and pop.
quo of vapid disco or Grateful Dead covers.
However, the Hollywood Taxi in Springfield has
stepped up to fill Eugene’s musical void. The club’s
ongoing “New Rock Tuesdays” series showcases lo
cal and national acts of all genres. Next Tuesday is
no exception, as the Hollywood Taxi hosts not one
but five up-and-coming bands.
Headlining act Zoomer, a “mechanical glam
rock” band from Los Angeles, is sure to entertain
with its witty, cynical lyrics and lo-fi fuzztone gui
tars. But the real action will undoubtedly be provid
ed by the local bands on the
Taxi,” guitarist Ben Clement
said. “Springfield crowds are
a lot more excited to see us.”
Fans of groups such as NOFX
and Blink 182 won’t want to miss
Compact 56, and they should keep an
eye out for an upcoming four-song
recording.
Compact 56 also joins former Eugene
punk band Cigar in September on its
West Coast tour.
The Filthy Few, another Eugene band,
takes a self-described “victory rock” ap
proach to the punk-rock tradition. Fretboard
tapping, guitar solos played with switchblades
and hilarious Judas Priest covers are just a few ex
amples of their outrageous showmanship.
“We’re by far the best band in Eugene,” pro
claimed guitarist/vocalist Joe King. “We’re the
band that will bring in the new generation of
rock ‘n’ roll.”
Local pop-punk acts Monorail and the
Shmelbys are also scheduled to play the
show.
If nothing else, the show is a perfect
opportunity to support the local music
scene and check out a few worthwhile
Eugene bands.
Zoomer, from Los Angeles, plays music de
scribed as a cross between Ministry and the
B-52s. The band headlines ‘New Rock Tues
day’ August 3 at the Hollywood Taxi.
Courtesy photo
bill.
Compact 56, a Eugene
based skate-punk band, pre
cedes Zoomer. Originally
from Portland, Compact 56
rocked around the North
west for three years before
settling on its current line
up last summer. Since then,
the group has played in Eu
gene almost every month,
most recently at the WOW
Hall with a vigorous set
that, by most accounts, put
the more “popular” head
lining band to shame.
While their Eugene
fanbase is growing, band
members are quick to com
pliment Springfield’s mu
sic-friendly atmosphere.
“We always look forward
to playing the Hollywood
What: New Rock
Tuesday
When: Tuesday,
Aug.3,9:15p.m
Who: Zoomer,
Compact 56, Mono*
rail, The Filthy Few
andtheShmeibys
Where: Hollywood
Taxi, 535 Main St.,
Springfield;
$3 cover, call 747
0712 for more info.
In October of 1994, three stu
dent filmmakers disappeared
in the woods near Buikittsville,
Maryland while shooting a
documentary...
A year later their footage was
found.
Directors: Eduardo Sanchez and
Daniel Myrick
Staniii®: Heather Donahue, Michael
Williams, Joshua Leonard
Score: ★★★★*
Beware of the Blair Witch —
genuine or not, she’ll get you
Filmed like a documentary,
movie takes viewers to the
bogeyman in their heads
By Jack Clifford
Oregon Daily Emerald
f | Ihe Blair Witch Project,” an
independent film produced
JL for about the price of one
blown-up automobile in a Holly
wood feature, is creating quite a
buzz. For good reason, too.
The movie, with a $20,000 price
tag, was presented at the 1999 Sun
dance Festival as a documentary,
allegedly recorded by three stu
dents seeking to uncover the Blair
Witch legend of Maryland’s Black
Hills. When the students disap
peared during the filming, their
tapes were left as evidence.
Initially, Artisan Entertainment,
which bought the film for $1 mil
lion from co-writers and co-direc
tors Ed Sanchez and Dan Myrick,
tried to keep the myth alive, so to
speak. In a marketing ploy that is
now certain to be copied ad nau
seam, the studio launched an In
ternet site with updates on the
“missing persons case” to keep up
the fagade.
Some of the current numbers on
the film, which opened in 24 se
lect markets July 16 and is re
leased nationwide in 800 theaters
Friday, are staggering. The Web
page has received more than 22
million hits, while the movie has
grossed close to $2 million with
nary a television ad.
Obi-Wan who?
Critics are hailing the cheaply
produced, yet finely crafted film
with phrases such as “creative, in
ventive and ingenious,” “an in
stant classic” and “scarier than
‘The Exorcist.’ ”
While the concept behind “The
Blair Witch Project” definitely
rocks the world of horror movies,
comparing this film to the genre’s
all-time masterpiece misses the
point entirely.
Sanchez and Myrick hatched
this brain-child about two years
ago, after honing their craft on sev
eral similar undertakings. The sto
ry they have fashioned here is re
ally a simple slice of genius, and
every moviemaker who has
poured millions and millions into
making a scary motion picture
should be embarrassed.
More psychologically creepy
than visually arresting, the
moviemakers weren’t satisfied
with the ordinary slasher mentali
ty found in today’s fright flicks. In
fact, other than a brief glimpse at a
bloody glob of flesh no bigger than
a peanut, the guys eliminated the
red stuff. The exclusion of gore
Turn to “BLAIR,” Page 8
Music satisfies the mind;
money supports the cause
By Sara Jarrett
Oregon Daily Emerald
Rock hard Friday night at Jam Aid ‘99, an all-ages concert, and
support both Womenspace and HTV Alliance. Proceeds will be split
evenly between the two non-profit organizations.
Donating their talents to the WOW Hall event are Moth, Grind
stone and Six Degrees. Stacey Stanley, Jennifer Osterhout and Kim
Maxwell make up Triple Venus Productions, the benefit’s promoter.
“Moth really has a good local following,
and they were willing to donate their time
and talents for this cause,” said Osterhout.
That was the biggest motivation in choos
ing which bands to book, she added.
HTV Alliance is the only non-profit orga
nization in Lane County that provides a
comprehensive response to the challenges
of HIV and AIDS. Its programs include edu
cation, prevention, client services and
health care.
Womenspace provides shelter and ser
vices for abused women and their children.
Its mission is to end domestic violence by
empowering women and children and by
changing community standards.
“Jam Aid ‘99 subscribes to the concept
What Jam Aid ‘99
When: Fridy, July 30
Where: WOW Halt,
292 West 8th. Ad
mission is $6-12,
sliding scale; show
begins aft 9 p.m.
that music brings people together, especially in times of need,” Os
terhout said.
Moth released its first album in 1996, and its second is due out
this summer. The group was also among the final contenders in last
year’s Sonic Xplosion.
Six Degrees, from Seattle, made its Eugene debut last year when it
opened up for Henry’s Child. Six Degrees combines computer elec
tronics with traditional pop song formats which should appeal to
both techno lovers and hard rock followers.
From Portland comes Grindstone for their first appearance at the
WOW Hall. Fans of hard-rock musical groups like Tool and
Soundgarden are sure to enjoy the sound of Grindstone.
Jam Aid ‘99 provides the opportunity to simultaneously enter
tain yourself and support those in need.