Entertainment Editor:
Jeremy Lang
jlang@gladstone.uoregon.edu
Oregon Daily Emerald
No Promo Photo of the Week??
This week’s selection has been demoted to
the Emerald’s Web page due to little space.
A nice crowd
makesfora
better show
First, rumors that local house
party rockers Compact 56
have disbanded are not entire
ly true. The group has made a
slight line-up change and relocated to
Portland, but they are still ready to
rock ‘n’ roll.
Now, on to the week, which this
time starts on Sunday at Taylor’s Bar
and Grille. Although the corner cam
pus watering hole is a prime place to
spot some Emerald
staff members, Mr.
- Lang usually does
n’t find the joint to
be his cup ofJaeg
germeister.
But Sunday, Tay
lor’s hosted an
acoustic storytime
| session with for
| mer Soul Coughing
Lang
lead singer/song
writer Mike
Doughty, who
rolled out old hits
The Be-In such as “Is Chica
go,” “Soft Serve” and “Circles,” along
with some solo work from his new al
bum, “Skittish.” About 60 people sat
on the floor and in chairs around the
small platform stage to hear Doughty,
alone with only an acoustic guitar to»
protect him, deconstruct the Soul
Coughing songs into amazingly crisp,
jazzy chords and notes that matched
his trademark jumpy, raspy vocals.
Although he graciously indulged
the crowd’s desire for the familiar
songs, he quickly established that he
would take no guff, stopping in the
middle of his first song to give a “shh
hhh” to two guys talking near the
stage, then picking up the song again
without missing a beat.
But his multiple profanity-laden
cries for silence didn’t stop the crowd
from calling out continued requests
for his biggest hits, even though his
set list was quite evident laying on
the stage next to him. This included
one gid who whined to hear “Cir
cles” over and over even after
Doughty said it was on the list.
If you, dear readers, take anything to
heart in this column, let it be this call
to reform and become more civilized
concertgoers. Practically, the band has
a set list for a reason — to play those
songs. Philosophically, the people you
see on stage have chosen to share their
music with you. Sure, you paid your
money to get in the door, but that does
n’t mean you can take that money and
throw it at the act and demand it dance
for you like some monkey in a cage. Be
glad when someone like Doughty
comes to Eugene at all — and is even
willing to play old songs from his for
mer band that doesn’t exist anymore.
Also, a good audience member
doesn’t shout out quippy little one
liners at the act. Fight the urge, no
matter how funny or poignant you
think your comment is. Resist the pe
nis envy of the band being on the
stage and you being on the floor. We
came to see a rock show, not improv
stand-up night at the comedy hole.
Now, less rant, more music.
On Tuesday, Eugene indie acoustic
go, Is Not Chica
Turn to Lang, page 6
Jessie Swimeiey Emerald
Duke, the manager of The Hollywood Taxi in Springfield, takes a moment to look around the stage. With bands performing six nights a week, so everything must always be ready.
MUfMU
FREAKS
-f ROM THE
HOLLYWOOD
SCENE
Anything goes at The
Hollywood Taxi, which is
drawing a wide variety of rock
acts and rock fans alike
By Jeremy Lang
Oregon Daily Emerald
There’s a place where about
300 people can cram in to see
shows from the likes of Dee Dee
Ramone, Eric Burden and the An
imals, and local acts like The
Snukas and The Courtesy Clerks.
The decorations on the walls
are just as varied as the bands
that play among them. Album
covers from Simon and Gar
funkel share the same space as
The Scorpions and U2’s “War”
record. Legends like John Wayne
and The Marx Brothers watch
from their painted-on spots
against the wall as the audience
members grab a drink and crowd
around the small stage to watch
the night’s act play.
To find this place, just get in
the car, jump over the bridge and
head for Springfield.
With the help of its acts and
atmosphere, The Hollywood
Taxi in Springfield is an emerg
ing venue to see live rock music
and small-time acts that could
be the next big thing.
In the driver’s seat of the Taxi
is a manager named Duke — just
Duke, he said.
“You don’t ask Madonna for
her last name,” he said, shyly
skirting away from the lens of
the photographer taking pictures
of the place.
Duke’s been part of the local
music scene for about the past
20 years, working with stage,
sound and light systems for a
number of bars and venues in
the Eugene area. But eventually,
he said, he got tired of just lug
ging equipment around and
wanted to put his knowledge to
use on a venture of his own.
“I wanted a place where I
could go myself,” he said.
“There’s nothing like the energy
of a really good show.”
Duke got the name for the Taxi
from ’80s rock staple Poison.
Frontman Bret Michaels report
edly named his Harley Davidson
motorcycle the Hollywood Taxi,
and Duke figured the name’s his
tory would fit well with the rock
‘n’ roll style he wanted the place
to have — and the venue’s row
dy past.
Before he took over in October
1997, the venue was a coun
try/western bar with a mechani
cal bull and an occasional bar
fight.
Although the audience
shouldn’t hold its breath for a
country act to walk onstage,
Duke said he wanted to create a
place that featured much more
than just hard-core rock.
Turn to Taxi, page 8
‘Spaced’ invaders landing at 32nd Country Fair
■Themed ‘2001: A Spaced
Odyssey,’ this year’s fair will feature
music, vaudeville and an
educational ‘Energy Park’
By Kara Cogswell
Oregon Daily Emerald
By tomorrow, the ordinarily sleepy
Veneta countryside will be trans
formed into another world where
mimes, jugglers and acrobats abound,
where the food is all-natural and
clothing is optional.
Friday kicks off the 32nd annual
Oregon Country Fair, which will run
through Sunday. Held in the woods
of Veneta several miles west of Eu
gene, the event is a local tradition
with a reputation for being an event
unlike any other.
Fair organizers say this year is
shaping up to be no different. There
will be 12 stages, with entertainers
scheduled to appear every day of the
fair from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Entertainment acts scheduled in
clude juggling and vaudeville acts as
well as musical performances featur
ing a wide range of styles such as
gospel, reggae, swing, Latin funk and
“psychedelic rock.”
All food sold at the fair — from 50
vendors — will be made on the site,
spokesman Robert DeSpain said. In
addition, there will be 700 artisans in
250 booths selling various hand-craft
ed jewelry, art and other items.
The theme of this year’s fair is
“2001: A Spaced Odyssey.” Fair or
ganizers chose the theme as a parody
of the movie “2001: A Space
Odyssey,” and as a nod to the stereo
type of the “spaced hippie,” DeSpain
said.
Last year, attendance at the fair to
taled 41,000, said Lisa Lawton, a
spokeswoman for the Convention
and Visitors Association of Lane
County. She expects attendance lev
els to be similar this year.
Eugene resident Sandra Koelle said
she decided to attend the fair for the
first time this year after hearing about
it from others.
“It has a reputation of being an ex
perience not to be missed,” she said.
While the fair is known for fun and
entertainment, organizers also con
centrate on raising social awareness.
This year, in response to recent ener
Turn to Country Fair, page 6
Emerald
The Oregon Country Fair has a reputation tor uniqueness, and fair
organizers expect this year’s event to uphold that tradition.