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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 2003)
FAIR SPECIALS CONTINUED IN OUR STORE PRICES GOOD THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST PONO AT LUCKEY’S AUG. 28. Superior Products For Your Home Husqvarna Viking Pellet, Gas, Wood Stoves BY VANESSA SALVIA Energy Efficient! “Simple is better.” 484-6006 Miele Vacuums & More Sewing, Vacuum, Spa & Stove 1963 W. 6TH • EUGENE Sonic Interference Pono, Flashlight headline the week. I MONQUI.COM PLUS SPECIAL GUEST CARLA BOZULICH’S RED HEADED STRANGER SEPTEMBER 4 McDONALD THEATER TICKETS AT TICKETSWEST 503-224-TIXX • ALL AGES 22 AUGUST 28, 2003 don’t know how Luckey’s Cigar Club & Tavern is finding the quirky, obscure bands they’ve been booking there late- ly, but I’m glad for it. It definitely makes the musical texture of Eugene much more interesting, from my perspective. Pono, in the band’s words, is “two parts Yo La Tengo, two parts Death in Vegas, one part X, 3/4 parts VU [Velvet Underground, for those not in the know] plus inspiration derived from philosophy (Derrida in par- ticular) situation, art, love, Henry Miller, roaches, movies, masturbation and bubble baths.” After listening to a sampler CD I received, I can’t argue with that at all, at least in terms of the musical references. Pono formed Aug. 14, 1998 when bassist/vocalist Barbara, guitarist/vocalist Ellard and drummer/vocalist Poopy decid- ed to stop talking and start making music. That music sounds like its being played underwater, and we the audience are the hapless whales being beached by the sonic interference. Except that we’re happy about it, and we want to stay. There have been two recordings by this group so far: 1999’s Mao Tse-tung’s Bar Mitzvah Was 13 Years, 13 Months And 13 Days Before Gandhi’s Circumcision (yes, that’s the name of the CD!) and Aisle 3, released in 2001. Pono is on Zeitgeist Rekords and is on a short tour right now, being joined on all dates by fellow Zeitgeisters Pillow Pusher. According to the band, Pono will break up Aug. 14, 2008, exactly 10 years after their forma- tion. If you ask me, that 10 years is mere- ly a pupal stage, and they’ll then emerge into something much more terrifying, and proceed to the second stage of their plan–world domination. I can’t explain the fixation with swordfish and ravioli, but if you go to the show Thursday, Aug. 28, you can ask them. The meaning of all this will then be revealed. John Henry’s Rock Palace in Eugene welcomes Flashlight Brown to town on Friday, Aug. 29. Canadians Fil, Matt, Mike and Tim were bored kids in a small college town and decided to do something about it, namely start a band. They imme- diately turned heads in their sleepy town and high-tailed it to the big city of Toronto. They felt swallowed up by the town, and strove to get themselves noticed, to no avail. Their solution? They created a fictitious booking agency and named themselves the sole clients. Calling clubs with a name to throw around, albeit a made-up one, gave them the influence they needed to get gigs in Toronto and across the country. As the four guys toured, they lived the unadorned life on the road, eating junk food and sleeping on cold floors night after night. But they real- ized they liked it, and the constant togeth- erness tightened their performances and brought them to a new level of musician- ship. That music sounds like its being played underwater , and we the audience are the hapless whales being beached by the sonic interference. Recently the foursome experienced a payback of sorts for all their sacrifice and hard work: Rob Cavallo, who produced Green Day, Alanis Morisette and Goo Goo Dolls, wanted to record two songs with them. The band went from flat broke in Calgary to recording in L.A. in what seemed like a heartbeat. The two songs turned into a whole album as Cavallo became gripped by the band. This resulted in My Degeneration, a testament to six years of life spent on the streets and not giving up on a dream. According to their press release, “Fueled by the energy of punk, the power of the great guitar bands, the irreverence of the Simpsons and the surprisingly profound, this album reaches out to everyone who’s ever struggled to find their place in a world of borders and cliques.” Remember the name and catch this band, but go early enough to see the great local openers. They’ll be playing along with 2 Bucks Short, Capgun Suicide and Low Tolerance. ew
