Oregon daily emerald., August 13, 2002, Image 5

Tuesday, August 13,2002
T
by Hicoiette Ong
lor the Emerald
ho quaint house standing at
"I-. > V
and Villard Street ts like no
other. Instead of furniture, a
cornucopia of colorful art
work fills the walls of
the house.
According to a
pamphlet di$
tributed
by the
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promoting “broader opportunities for peo
ple of Lane County to be active in the cre
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Ml tilde s \ ' nif>r.
Born in 1876, Kerns was from Portland
and was a painter for 75 years, said Karen M.
Pavelec, executive director of Maude Kerns
Art Center.
The Art Center is a non-profit community
center for the visual arts and features exhibits
by the internationally recognized Kerns as
well as works by other artists.
Although various paintings are presented
at the Center, the Salon Gallery is a room
that is dedicated to Kerns’ paintings.
“Kerns’ art collection is dis
played on a regular basis to pre
sei Keins legacy,” said
arts program manner
Shayann Holier.
A student at
the Universi
ty of Ore
Adam Jones Emerald
The Maude Kerns Art Center, at East 15th Avenue and Villard Street, has permanent collections as well as temporary shows, often featuring artists from the University.
John Mayer performs at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
The 24-year-old musician plays
a 14-song set to a sold-out crowd
Friday, showcasing songs from his
debut album
By Brad Schmidt
Oregon Daily Emerald
It’s hard to say what makes John
Mayer so compelling.
It could be his boyish good looks, his
thoughtful lyrics, his self-assured atti
tude or his catchy, folk-pop tunes.
Odds are, it’s a little of each.
Mayer — who only recently found
his way onto radio airwaves in many
cities nationwide — already has quite
a following, as was apparent Friday in
his visit to a sold-out Arlene Schnitzer
Concert Hall in Portland.
While his debut album — “Room
for Squares” — is a tightly construct
ed, meticulous piece of work, Mayer’s
live show revealed his psyche and
true abilities as a musician. Playing a
captivating 14-song set Friday night,
Mayer included 11 of the songs found
on “Squares.”
As expected, the 24-year-old’s vocals
were strong and seemingly identical to
his somewhat-gruff-but-still-silky
smooth repertoire displayed on his stu
dio work. But the most memorable mo
ments in his two-hour live perform
ance stemmed from witty improvisa
tion and captivating guitar licks.
Opening with “Back to You,” each
of Mayer’s tunes displayed his mul
ti-dimensional ability to capture the
audience. Using either long guitar
solos to open or extending already
existing solos within songs, he was
at top form.
Mayer received cheers for his crafty
fingering and left many fans speech
less. On numerous instances Friday,
Mayer delivered jaw-dropping solos
that kept the crowd quietly in awe.
His conversational sense of humor
also kept fans reeling. Mayer quipped
that he went to Powell’s Books hoping
to enlighten himself but ended up
looking at Japanese porn.
He also joked that he’s been told his
sexually explorative “Your Body is a
Wonderland” will lead to an increase
in the country’s birth rate. Nonethe
less, he said he’s unable to use the
tune as an aphrodisiac during his
own adventures.
Mayer played with the crowd, too, at
times sparking fans to finish lyrics. On
one occasion he wryly commended the
Turn to Mayer, page 6
. Courtesy photo