Pulse Editor
Jacquelyn Lewis
jacquelynlewis@dailyemerald.com
Thursday, January 9,2003
Oregon Daily Emerald
On Tuesday
Winter boredom?
Try board games!
‘Joe Millionaire ’
oozes ‘absurdity, ’
‘skullduggery’
Mason West
Movies/Music/TV Columnist
It’s funny how life has a way of’giving you what you
need right when you need it. Just when I was thinking to
myself, “Gee. I’m not really seeing enough lying and
cheating on television,” FOX steps in like an old friend
with new programming to satisfy my sadistic impulses.
Bless them.
Meet “Joe Millionaire,” a.k.a. Evan
Wallace, a 28-year-old bachelor who
recently inherited $50 million and is
looking for love — or so 20 women
believed when they flew to a chateau
in France to woo this handsome heir.
In reality, Evan Marriott (Wallace is
his middle name, used to conceal his
identity) is a salt-of-the-earth workin’
man who makes $19,000 a year doing
construction. I think a “yee haw” is in
order.
The series premiered Monday at 9 p.m., when the audi
ence was introduced to Marriott and given a brief sum
mary of his transformation from shmoe to Joe. Then we
met the; 20 prospective suitorettes and quickly latched
onto our favorites and shunned the “less congenial” ones.
I know this because a friend of mine called me during the
show to discuss just that while we were watching. We’re
gunning for Zora and we don’t like that Heidi girl. I felt
like a gossip at a knitting bee.
The climax of the show was at a ball, where Marriott
would choose 12 women to continue on the show. But
before that, there was glorious drama when the women
fought over 20 dresses for the one they would wear to the
ball. Mwuahahaha!
More tension occurred when at the ball, one of the
women asked Marriott’s middle name, but since he is
using it as an assumed last name he stumbled into a long
pause. Suspense! At the last moment he beautifully cov
ered by giving his mother’s maiden name, “Elder,” saying
he hides it because it “doesn’t roll off the tongue.” Oh,
Evan. For a nice honest boy, you sure can spin a tale.
Not since “Temptation Island” has there been such
malice and skullduggery on the part of television execu
tives. Not surprisingly, “Joe Millionaire” was created by
the same team. I’ll see them in hell.
There are only six more episodes of the show, which is
good because I’ll probably stop caring in about half that
time. Guilty pleasure and total waste of time are separat
ed by that proverbial thin line. The show’s hook of love
competing with money doesn’t hold fast when facing the
utter absurdity of the circumstances: Gan the girl Evan
chooses see through the millions and love him for who he
really is — a lying bastard who can’t get a date?
Excuse me if I sound bitter, but Evan is already
expressing sentiments of regret and moral conflict about
choosing to do the show. Lying is bad, blah blah blah... I
have morals, blah blah blah...
BOO FRIGGIN’ HOO!
Where the hell was I when they signed up for this? He
has beautiful women throwing themselves at him, and
he’s having a conscience crisis. Yeah, I’m real sympathet
ic, pal. Sure, he’s a hottie biscotti with his Peter
Gallagher/Dolph Lundgren good looks and Patrick
Warburton voice, but I myself have been likened to a
crispy cookie on occasion, and I make even less than he
does! One more reality show that doesn’t want Mason
West.
When Marriott picks his dream girl and breaks the bad
news, I hope she kicks him in the kiwis. That’ll teach him
for taking my sho... I mean, deceiving those poor women.
MwuahahaHAAAA!!!
Contact the Pulse columnistat.masonwest@daUyemeraJd.com.
His views do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald: • •
Mixing it up
With a brand new building
and a variety of musical
entertainment John Henry’s
always offers something ‘fresh’
Aaron Shakra
Pulse Reporter
On a given night, John Henry’s can be
dark, cavernous and loud. If this doesn’t
sound appealing, don’t worry; much like
the variants of alcohol the bar serves,
there will always be a different flavor.
John Henry’s opened the doors to its
new location at 77 W. Broadway on Dec.
5. Construction on the building—which
was originally an art gallery in the 1970s,
and was most recently occupied by
Greater Goods — began May 3 and end
ed the day of its opening.
Greater Goods vacated the space two
years ago, and the building was dormant
until December. The electricity has been
rewired and new plumbing has been in
stalled. Velvet Thunder created the
sound system to fit the room.
One notable design element of the bar
is its stadium-tiered seating, which, on its
higher levels, allows customers to see the
entire expanse of the oblong building.
John Henry’s has a history deep-root
ed in punk rock and do-it-yourself cul
ture. It was opened in 1992, at 136 E.
11th Ave. A few of the original performers
were The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and
Billy Jack. The venue remained at that
location for 10 years. However, the origi
nal building, owned by St. Vincent de
Paul of Lane County, was in a state of dis
repair that made a move necessary.
Despite John Henry’s punk roots, the
bar is designed as multipurpose facility
and focuses on music of all varieties, pri
marily local performers.
“We’re keeping it fresh — there’s al
ways something different going on,” own
2 & M&,
Jeremy Forrest Emerald
John Henry's is located at 77W. Broadway and hosts a variety of theme nights such as the
popular 80's night on Thursdays.
er Keith Martin said. Martin co-owns the
bar with three others, including his
brother Mark Martin.
“We don’t cater to any one group of
people,” he said.
The venue runs a bevy of weekly
events. On the first and third Monday of
each month, John Henry’s hosts deejay
variety nights. Tuesdays typically feature
rock ’n’ roll records. The Martins en
courage customers to bring their own
vinyl albums to spin. On Wednesdays,
the bar presents a “Dance Hall Reggae.”
Turn to John Henry's, page 7
‘Dreamy’44 down delivers smooth lyrics
CD review
Jacquelyn Lewis
Pulse Editor
Critics — and even the band’s own
press materials — label The High
Violets’ music as “pop,” “shoe-gazing,”
or “British-inspired.” However, these
musicians’ sounds far transcend the
realm of any prescribed style. In
fact, they may not even inhabit the
same galaxy.
Demos from the recent release, “44
down,” reveal out-of-this-world, glis
tening vocals and swoon-worthy gui
tars. Tracks like “44 Down” and “FA”
prove ethereal and haunting — a com
bination that renders the songs slip
pery and difficult for the mind to
grasp. The High Violets experience
leaves the listener with a dreamy after
taste — a sort of first-kiss deja vu that
makes one wonder if it really hap
pened at all. The band’s secret lies in
this drifting, mirage-like mood it so
deftly creates.
Layered guitars, drums and soft
vocals produce aesthetically pleasing
waves of sound alive with meaningful,
albeit muted, lyrics. Light and sound
shower from the speakers in a gentle
.explosion., Although the tracks are
' somewhat ’ homogenous,, ■ listeners
won’t tire of these songs easily. The
sound is capable of bypassing numer
ous musical boundaries, pleasing fans
of various genres.
Publications such as The Oregonian
and Willamette Week have showered
the band with praise, and national
acclaim is sure to follow. Fans who
Courtesy
already own the album “44 down” are
probably craving more, and the group
plans to deliver a new full-length
reec>rd in the near future.
In the meantime, the musicians are
relatively easy to see live in this area.
Turn to Violets, page 8