Pulse Editor.
Jacquelyn Lewis
jacquelynlewis@dailyemerald.com
Thursday, April 17,2003
Oregon Daily Emerald
Mason
West
Selling out
‘American
Chopper’
revitalizes
reality TV
Mason West
Movies/Music/TV Columnist
I thought that reality television was
dead — increasingly unoriginal and
uninspired, but the spirit of the genre
has been reincarnated on a different
channel. The greatest reality show ever
isn’t on FOX or MTV, but on the
Discovery Channel.
The intellectual networks have a per
manent place in my surfing regimen, al
beit a low one. When there’s nothing
good on the “T” stations (TNT, TBS and
TNN), I’m Discovery bound.
The machine shows are giving the
smart channels more priority. Shows
such as “Junkyard
Wars” and “Mon
ster Garage” cater
to the grease-head
inside all of us. But
these competition
shows lack the
dramatic panache
that hooks repeat
viewers.
To this end, Dis
covery found the
Teutul family
which owns and operates Orange Coun
ty Choppers (in New York, not Califor
nia) and created “American Chopper” to
fill my vacant 10 p.m. Monday time slot.
The show evolved from a September
2002 special with the perfect mix of bick
er and biker. They would have been fools
to stop the magic.
Paul Teutul Sr. runs the shop like a
heated football coach trying to overcome
the roar of the crowd. He barks — a term
more fitting to his manner of speech
than any other man — constantly at his
son, Paul Jr., and the other staff. His tem
per flares on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
And when this man is angry, you are
afraid. His barrel chest is the kind on
which you imagine piling 15 men before
yo-ho-ho-ing down a bottle of rum. And
the frighteningly large handlebar mus
tache he sports says, “I could kick your
ass by looking at you.”
Paul Jr., called Paulie for sanity’s
sake, withstands his father’s tantrums
with inspiring patience. The funny
thing is that Paulie is the creative vi
sionary behind OCC’s outstanding
bikes. He is constantly at work, while
his father’s title should be “Head Ass
Kicker in Charge of Barking.”
A big draw to the show is waiting for
Paulie to snap. But on Monday’s show,
the two eased tensions with a touchy
feely talk that had both behemoths snif
fling to hold back tears. Everybody cries
on the stupid Real World, but when me
chanics turn on the waterworks, that’s
good television!
This was a cathartic moment, but ten
sions are usually eased with recreational
activities such as lighting the lawn on fire
with gasoline. One day, Paul Sr. is furious
about late parts holding up work. Paulie
casually suggests going bowling and Paul
Sr. immediately demands everybody
Turn to West, page 8
Courtesy
The Sugar Beets, a nine-member band originally started in the University residence halls, has been producing tunes ranging from folk-rock to pop for 13 years.
Sugar-beatific
The Sugar Beets, a blend of folk, rock
and bluegrass, return to the local music
scene on Saturday with a ‘re-birthday
Aaron Shakra
Pulse Reporter
The Sugar Beets have returned. After an ex
tended hiatus, the local band will celebrate its
“re-birthday” on Saturday at WOW Hall, lo
cated at 291 W. Eighth Ave., — the group’s
13th year together.
Doors open for the show at 8:30 p.m. with
the performance starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are
$10 in advance or at the door.
Singer and guitarist Marty Chilla — who has
played the instrument for 25 years — said the
band originally started in the University resi
dence halls and that some of the members
have been playing together for a third of their
lives. He added the main theme of Saturday’s
show is to “remember and recognize that.”
He said the band’s sound is hard to peg
down, and that the band’s diversity means The
Sugar Beets have a lot of cards to play. The
group consists of nine musicians. Five mem
bers write songs, and six are singers.
“It’s definitely danceable, with lots of differ
ent voices and perspectives coming out,”
Chilla said. “We’re not a jam band. We’re into
crafting good songs, harmonies and tight
arrangements.”
The band’s break was instituted so two band
members — bassist Matt Keenan and vocalist
Megan Bassett — could take time to bring a
baby into the world. Over the break, band
members have remained busy, playing in oth
er group projects. Chilla said this break has al
lowed members to reflect on the band’s future
and direction. The touring schedule has been
pared back in recent years because so many
members call Eugene their home.
“I would say we’ve kind of been kind of re
evaluating what we’re doing,” he said. “Now
that Matt and Megan are having a baby, I think
we’re starting to have dreams for other people
besides ourselves.”
Violinist David Burham, who has played the
instrument for 36 years and also crafts his
own, said playing with the band is one of the
great joys of his life. He said joining the band
provided him with an instant following, some
thing he never had before.
“I love the band,” he said. “The music never
fails to lift me up.”
University African drumming instructor
Brian West — who has also played with The
Cherry Poppin’ Daddies — is the band’s
newest member. He said he considers them a
family, and happily thinks of it as home. How
ever, due the vast amount of Sugar Beets ma
terial, he said he found his role challenging.
The band has released five albums, and ac
cording to Chilla, has somewhere between 60
and 70 songs.
“I’ve been in the band a year and I still don’t
know half the songs,” West said. “I’m always
on my toes — they have such a vast library.”
West matched Chilla’s sentiments regarding
versatility of the band, saying the style of
songs can range from folk-rock to punk-rock,
bluegrass to pop. He added that the band also
dabbles in different rhythmic meters, includ
ing one song which is in a 12/8 rhythm.
The band will open Saturday’s show with an
all-acoustic set — absolutely no electricity in
volved — then will play two sets of material,
Turn to Sugar Beefs, page 7
Courtesy
Electronics bands Surrounded By Ninjas and kooken & hoomen will
be performing on Friday at the Wild Duck Music Hall.
Electronica acts serve
eclectic ‘aural treats’
Bands Surrounded By Ninjas
and kooken & hoomen epitomize
a wave of ad hoc electronica
Jacquelyn Lewis
Pulse Editor
The first glimmers of electronic music
can arguably be traced all the way back
to the 1600s (and perhaps even earlier),
but electronica as we know it today has
its roots in the innovative 1950s and
1960s. With the help of computers, the
experimental scene has swelled to popu
larity in recent years. And now, if artists
like Surrounded By Ninjas and kooken &
hoomen are any indication, the genre is
at the dawn of a new era, where live elec
tronica catapults experimental sounds to
a new level.
Both groups are similar in that each
creates eclectic, electric aural treats.
They do it live, which is somewhat of an
oddity considering electronical usual ex
tensive production regiment. The groups
have each released a new album recent
ly, and they will both perform on Friday
at the Wild Duck Music Hall. Beyond
this, kooken & hoomen and Surrounded
By Ninjas differ wildly in their choices of
noise and style.
The term “electronica” cannot encom
pass all the elements kooken & hoomen
cram into their music —jazz, punk and
Turn to Electronica, page 8