Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 2005)
The SLUG Queen, food vendors and local music groups highlight Eugene's 23rd annual Eugene Celebration, which begins Friday BYTREVOR DAVIS PULSE REPORTER Lots of food and live music. What else could a student ask for? Answer: Watching a U.S. Congressman scooping up slug slime. Students will get a taste of what their quirky city is all about atthe colorful 23rd annual Eugene Celebra tion, one of the biggest civic celebrations in the Willamette Valley. "This is a special town. This is a special communi ty," said Matt Purvis, who sits on the board of direc tors for Downtown Events Management, Inc., the non profit organization that puts on the celebration. "The Eugene Celebration is a rallying point for Eugene to come together and have a blast." Organizers went out of their way to attract Universi ty students this year by revamping the schedule. "U of 0 is a big piece of the community. We've made a real effort to reach out to the U of 0 communi ty," said Purvis, who has been involved with the celebration since 1991. In the past, the event was held in early September when the school year hadn't started yet at the University. This year, event organizers made sure the celebration took place on a week end when the University was in session and did not interfere with any home football games. One of the goals of the celebration is to attract the people of Eugene and the surrounding area to down town with offerings of food, art and music. "We hope the celebration will be part of the effort that will bring people back to the center of Eugene," Purvis said. The festivity will offer a mixture of local music — Purvis estimates 75 percent of performers are from the Eugene area. "For students, especially (those) new to the community, you can... see an awful lot of the best local acts in the community," Purvis said. He said the event would be a good resource for students who want to get familiar with the local music scene. One of the headliners this year will be the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, a swing revival band that experi enced international success with its 1998 hit "Zoot Suit Riot." The band originated in Eugene in 1989. The Daddies will play two sets starting at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at the City Hall stage on 8th Avenue between Pearl and High streets. The celebration will also feature local acts such as folk singer Laura Kemp at3 p.m. on Sunday and The Rock 'N' Roll Soldiers at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, both at City “For students, especially (those) new to the community, you can ...see an awful lot of the best local acts in the community. ” Matt Purvis | DEMI board member Hall stage. The "uniquely Eu gene" parade is a must for newcomers to the event. "The trademark event is the parade, Purvis said. In the spirit of having a good time, Purvis said he hopes participants create floats with a comical twist. "We encourage people to make their point with hu mor," he said. One of the most humorous events will be the ap pearance of the SLUG Queen, or Society for the Legit imization of the Ubiquitous Gastropod Queen. This year’s SLUG Queen is Shandi Sinnamon, a.k.a Frank Tim Bobosky | Photo editor Julia O'Reilly, the artist for the Eugene Celebration poster, holds her work at its unveiling at the Oregon Wine Warehouse on Sept. 2. Slug-snotra. The SLUG Queen reigns overthe celebration,typi cally in drag or in a wacky outfit, and has been long associated with the event, but the queen has no offi cial duties during it, according to Purvis. The SLUG Queen is "someone with a great sense of humor. ...Entertainment is probably the major require ment (of the SLUG Queen)," Purvis said. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio will be trailing the SLUG Queen during the parade. "He's got a wheelbarrow and shovel and walks be CELEBRATION, page 11 ■ In my opinion : Si 'iiM6. _ _ '4 *. SSSt Celebrity-focused, tabloids feed readers’ needs for gossip tidbits BY AMY UCHTY PULSE EDITOR All right I'll be the first to admit it I am addicted to celebrity gossip. I'm really not sure why—ask me and I'll tell you how much I hate half of those people. But you could also ask me anything about their lives—from who I think is gay to who was reportedly at Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher's wedding Saturday—and I could tell you. But it really isn't my fault! In a society like ours, UCHTY, page 9 PULSEMUSIC PULSEMUSIC Coheed and Cambria. "Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV. Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness": books that lead singer Claudio Sanchez has written to accompany his music, the story feels convoluted. But Coheed and Cambria are not often remembered for their story. The band has a distinctive sound. They are known fortheir high-flying guitar arrangements and indelible battle-cry choruses. Sanchez's impressive range has garnered him numerous comparisons to Rush's Geddy Lee. On "Good Apollo" itseemsthe band has made a conscious effort to distance themselves from the distinctive sound that set them apart from the other emo-core bands that have blossomed overthe last few years. The change is forthe worse and much of the album is forgettable. However, the album isn’t all bad.The singles "Welcome Home" and "The Suffering” are reminiscent of old Coheed. The six-minute "Welcome Home" is appropriately epic, complete with staccato strings backing a squealing guitar. Sanchez's vocals propel the song forward as it lurches and stutters to its grand conclusion. Although "Good Apollo" has its moments, they are few and far between. After listening to "Good Apollo" I did get the urge to toss Coheed's debut "The Second Stage Turbine Blade" into my CD player, but this new release wears out it's welcome after a couple spins. — Andrew McCollum Today Lil' Bit and the Customatics The Whopner County Country All-Stars John Henry's 10 p.m. Friday Winard Harper Luna 8 p.m. Saturday Eugene Celebration: Wisdom. Genus Pro, Lafa Taylor 10:30 p.m. WOW Hall NEW MOVIES "Into The Blue" "Proof" "Oliver Twist" "The Greatest Game Ever Played" "A History Of Violence" NEWYORKTIMES BEST-SELLERS 1: James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, "4th of July" 2: Nicholas Sparks, "True Believer" 3: Sue Monk Kidd, "The Mermaid Chair" 4: Dan Brown, "The Da Vinci Code" 5: Mary Higgins Clark, "No Place Like Home" ITUNESTOP 5 1: Nickelback, "Photograph" 2: Kane West (feat. Jamie Foxx), "Gold Digger" 3: Black Eyed Peas, "My Humps" 4: Green Day, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" 5: Fall Out Boy, "Sugar, We're Goin Down"
