Pulse Editor:
Ryan Nyburg
ryannyburg@dailyemerald.com
Thursday, July 29, 2004
— Oregon Daily Emerald
PULSE
Hot Picks:
Actors Cabaret performance
'Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'
Friday 8 p.m., $12
996 Willamette St.
Cinema out of doors
Impact! Arts offers outdoor showings of film favorites
RYAN NYBURG
PULSE EDITOR
Oregon has never been the best
place in the world for outdoor
film viewing. But with the hot
summer months and parched weather
conditions, the idea of open-air cinema
has been taken up by local children's
art education program Impact! Arts as a
way to raise funds and build awareness
about their organization. But it's not the
first time Impact! has ventured into the
world of film.
"We started doing the Family Fun Film
Festival at the McDonald Theatre during
the winters," Impact! Education Director
Katina Paxino said. "We decided it would
be fun to do it outside."
The idea of an outdoor film festival in
Eugene didn't originate with Impact!,
though. The plan was first developed by
Downtown Eugene Incorporated, an asso
ciation of downtown business owners
with the goal of revitalizing Eugene's
downtown district.
"Our executive director brainstormed
the idea of an outdoor festival and we pre
sented it to Impact! Arts, who decided to
use it as a fundraiser," DEI marketing
director Michelle Emmons said.
DEI remained onboard the project,
helping Impact! gain the proper permits
for the performance and helping with pro
motion of the three film showings. But the
showings themselves, entitled Moonlight
Serenade & Cinema, are organized by Im
pact! And the reaction has been good, if
the turn out for the first showing on July
23 is any judge.
"We had a fabulous turnout," Paxino
said. "There were close to 400 people
there. We had a great time."
Impact! General Manager Randy Lords
said that the popularity of the first showing
the 1975 horror classic "Jaws," can be attrib
uted to the crowd-pleasing nature of the film.
"When the shark pops out of nowhere,
you could see everyone jump and shake at
the same time," Lords said. "At the end
people applauded."
The other two films in the series were
also chosen for their popularity with audi
ences. According to Lords, during the Fam
ily Fun Festival shows, Impact! to
recommendations for future showings.
Please see IMPACT!, page 8
Jared Paben Editor in Chief
Impact! Arts presents the 1975 horror film 'Jaws' on Friday, July 23. Future showings include 'Dr. Strangelove’ and
'Modern Times.’
Eugene music scene
embraces fresh
international flavor
Eclectic releases include jazz, rock, guitar
and Cajun music from varied artists
RYAN NYBURG
PULSE EDITOR
CD
REVIEW
Some people seem to suffer from the misconception that the Eu
gene music scene is a waste and that all the good shows take place in
more happening places. Some people also believe that winged devils
cause headaches, so maybe we shouldn't
put too much faith in the belief systems of
others. Here's a round-up of new releases
from bands who will soon be visiting our
fair city, each one worth checking out.
- The first is "Djangolotry" from acoustic
swing/jazz band Zazou. It seems that as
modem music grows more stale, bands dig deeper into the past to
find what has worked before and what might work again. Zazou's
sound is straight out of the 1920's, mixing a range of European and
Latin American styles from that time period into a pleasant, cohesive
whole Everything from the lyrics to the choice of instrumentation
sounds 75 years old at least and the only modem aspect to the whole
thing is the production, which is surprisingly crisp considering (if I'm
reading the liner notes correctly) it was recorded in some guy's house.
Nothing really stands out in the mix, and the arrangements work
due to the band's interplay rather than from any particularly inter
esting soloing. The group has complete reverence for musicians of
the past, especially (as the title implies) Django Reinhardt. All they
lack is the technical skill, but that would be asking a lot of them,
considering Reinhardt's status as one of the greatest guitarists of the
last century. Though they never give a reason why anyone would
want to listen to them rather than the music they emulate, they still
give an excellent performance. They'll be playing at Sam Bond's
Garage at 407 Blair Blvd. at 9 p.m. August 26.
Now if you want to talk about digging into the past, the duo E
Muzeki has just about everyone beat You know that music you some
times hear at Renaissance festivals? That's these two. The music on
their latest album, "Mavra Mafia," is interpretations of classic tunes
from Eastern Europe and the Middle East, reworked on bouzouki,
guitar, violin and other stringed instruments. The songs range from
the past couple hundred years to 16th century and beyond, with the
majority of them coming from the Greek or Celtic hinterlands.
The album is a well-constructed collection, covering a wide range
of styles but bringing it together through consistent approach and
sound. A talented pair of multi-instrumentalists, the duo trades off
rhythm and lead parts to accentuate their particular skills, making
Please see CDs, page 8
Courtesy
The recorded work precedes the live performances of four bands that
will hit Eugene this summer offering an array of sounds.
Visiting bands
and Eugene's own
enliven local stages
Local acts like the Cherry Poppin Daddies
and Floater will perform in the coming weeks
RYAN NYBURG
PULSE EDITOR
Here is a roundup of concert dates for the next month here in
Eugene.
Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers will play at the Mc
Donald Theatre at 8 p. m. on August 13. The San Francisco-based
band plays classic and original jazz and has been voted one of
that city's best bands by numerous publications. Whoop-dee-do.
Tickets for the show are $ 18 in advance and can be purchased at
TicketsWest outlets or at the theater box office on the day of the
show for $20. The show is 21 and over, so all you 18-year-olds will
just have to stay home and get drunk instead. (The Emerald does
not endorse underage drinking.)
Also coming to the McDonald is Eugene's own Cherry Poppin'
Daddies, who will be playing at 8 p.m. on August 28. The Dad
dies have been a mainstay on the Eugene music scene for more
than a decade, playing a mix of ska, punk and swing. Tickets are
only $5 and the show is for all ages. The McDonald is located at
1010 Willamette St.
The WOW Hall has a whole bevy of shows ready for the com
ing month. On August 6, Eugenean expatriate band Floater will
be performing another damn acoustic concert featuring new ma
terial. Tickets are $ 10 in advance and $ 12 at the door. Doors open
at 8:30 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m.
On August 11, singer/songwriter Janis Ian will perform a
Wednesday night concert for some reason. Once called a prede
cessor of Jewel by Rolling Stone magazine (is that a good thing?),
Ian has been recording her songs since the late 1960s. Tickets are
$18 in advance and $20 at the door. Showtime in 8 p.m.
Finally, indie rockers Xiu Xiu will be performing their moody
like-Thorozine music on August 31. T ickets are $7 in advance and
$8 at the door, with the show starting at 9:30 p.m. The WOW Hall
is an all-ages venue and is located 291 W. 8th Avenue.
John Henry's will host a handful of concerts through the dog
days of August. On August 6, the Organic Assault Weapons, the
Cleveland Steamers and other delightfully named bands will be
performing at 10 p.m. Tickets are $3 at the door. On the seventh,
the bar presents "Freaks in the House," a performance by a col
lection of weird-ass DJs playing twisted techno tunes. Spinmas
ters include the Audio Schizophrenic, DJ J-Ray and DJ Steve
Sawada. The show starts at 10 p.m. and is free to all. John Henry's
is located at 77 West Broadway and is a 21-and-over venue.
Sam Bond's Garage also has its collection of upcoming
Please see CONCERTS, page 8