Oregon Daily Emerald
Thursday, April 21, 2005
“Think of me as Chomsky
with dick jokes. ”
Bill Hicks | Comedian
Get your
Transcending the top-40 dance scene and getting
‘ ^people to dance are at the heart
\J *-8^ of two Eugene DJs'visions
BY JOSH LINTEREUR
PULSE REPORTER
Last summer, two local D Js set outto establish an unburdened alternative to the stuffy top-40
dance club scene. So far, their unstifling consortium of audio-visual sorcerers, robots and big blue
bunnies has been a step in the right direction.
Dubbed "Freaks in the House," the performances by D Js Shawn Mediaclast (aka the Audio
Schizophrenic) and Steve Sawada have grown from a monthly event to a weekly sta
iafo ^|f rn, pie at John Henry's. The downtown bar, at 77 West Broadway, hosts
the free show every Saturday at 10 p.m. for audiences 21 and
a older. The brainchild of Mediaclast and Sawada, "Freaks"
also features an array of guest DJs, visual projection
^ artists and an imaginatively dressed audience.
The scene they've puttogether is quite different from
anything you'll find in Eugene, said Keith Martin, book
agent for John Henry's. "It has a big city feel to it. It's not a
top-40 dance night.”
i&L According to Mediaclast, tran
* ilHr scending the predictable dance club
circuitwasattheheartof
their vision when creat
ing "Freaks."
jj "We just wanted to
'' wl till a gap with what we
b a
saw in the dance floor
Photos by Danielle Hickey
Compilation by
_ Jonah Schrogin
FREAKS, page 9
■ In my opinion
RYAN NYBURG
BUDGET RACK
Unmentioned music
a Zoloft alternative
The great thing aboutthis job is that I get a
chance to experience everything our culture
has to offer. But if you apply the old adage that
90 percent of everything is crap, that doesn't re
ally bode well for my long term sanity. Imagine I
did this full time and had to listen to every album
that came across my desk. They would more
than likely be scraping my gray matter off the
office ceiling with a rake by the end of the week,
provided I didn't OD on a Zoloft/caffeine bender
first, my eyes bulging out and my ears leaving
dark puddles of blood on the carpet from trying
to comprehend the soul-deadening mediocrity
of it all.
Still, I do wish I could do more. I wish I could,
NYBURG, page 11
PULSEMUSIC PULSEMUSIC
The Visible Men, "Love:30": A Eugene super-group of sorts, The Visible Men have been
making a name forthemselves on the local scene with their mix of jazzy instrumental interplay,
pop song craft and moody ballads, Including some of the hardest-working musicians in town,
trio Dustin Lanker, Dan Schmid and Jordan Glenn has puttogether another collection of key
board-driven pop with their sophomore effort, "love:30."
The album further reveals the group's considerable promise but doesn't quite fulfill it.
The songs are well-crafted and engaging, though the lyrics are often stilted—when they
register at all — and the occasional dynamic rhythm and stylistic shifts make the album sound more confused
than eclectic.
That aside, "Love;30” holds much value forthe patient listener. The musicians all work at the top of their abilities and
the occasional appearance by other members of the Eugene music scene (including Zoot Horn Rollo, who adds some
nice Jerry Garcia-style groovesto "Paper Cup") helps loosen up the piano/bass/drum arrangements on a fewtracks.
Despite its faults,the album still works as a pleasant and occasionally groovy collection of jazz influenced pop bal
lads. I would hate to be any other band in town if The Visible Men ever hittheir stride.
— Ryan Nyburg
INSIDE PULSE
Peabody's Pub offers a good
neighborhood bar atmosphere
and warm ambience.
"Jade Empire" creates a
unique digital world for game
players to explore.
You
Be Prettie
"WeThoughtYou Would Be
Prettier" is full of witty obser
vations about the author's life.
Today
Mark Hummel and
Johnny Dyer
Cozmic Pizza
8p.m.,$5
Blues harp and vocals
Friday
Jake the Cat
Luna
9 p.m., $5
Funk
Saturday
Hawaii Club Luau
McArthur Court
5 p.m., $18
Hawaiian dinner, music
and dance
Sunday
Alter Ego
Cafe Paradiso
7 p.m.,$3
Rock
TOP 5 MOVIES
1: "The Amityville
Horror"
2: "Sahara"
3: "Fever Pitch"
4: "Sin City"
5: "Guess Who"
a,
NEWYORKTIMES
BESTSELLERS
1: Mary Higgins Clark,
"No Place Like Home"
2: Sue Monk Kidd,
"The Mermaid Chair"
3: Matthew Stover,
"Revenge of the Sith"
4: Dan Brown,
"The Da Vinci Code"
5: Ian McKwan,
"Saturday"
BILLBOARDTOP 5
1:50 Cent,
"The Massacre"
2: Faith Evans,
"The First Lady"
3: Beck,
"Guero"
4: Various Artists,
"Now 18"
5:112,
"Pleasure & Pain"