WHAT’S
happening
The Oregon Festival of American Music’s “Now Hear This” 2003-2004 season
opened in September with Jason Moran. Upcoming events include the John
Zorn Festival, Randy Newman, the Dianne Reeves Trio and the Tim O’Brien
Band. O’Brien was a leader in the roots music revival long before O Brother was
a gleam in the Coen brothers’ eyes. Rising to fame with the 1980s bluegrass
band Hot Rize, and in the ‘90s with albums exploring American mountain music
and its Celtic roots, O’Brien emerged as a strong folk music songwriter, his tunes
covered by Nickel Creek, the Dixie Chicks and others. He plays at the Shedd
Concert Hall. See Tuesday Calendar.
Gillian Welch (pictured), a singer/songwriter armed with a voice and sensi-
bility far beyond her years, is known for her evocative resurrection of
musical styles associated with rural Appalachia. Welch was born
in 1968 in California and grew up with parents who scored
the music for the Carol Burnett Show. As a young
child, Welch became fascinated by bluegrass
and early country music. Touring in sup-
port of her newest album, Soul
Journey, Welch plays at the
McDonald Theatre. See
Thursday, Oct. 9
Calendar.
One of America’s premier
stand up comedians, Jerry
Seinfeld, performs at 7 and
9:30 pm Oct. 3 in the Hult’s
Silva Hall. Celebrating the
release of Comedian, a doc-
umentary on the re-making
of his career, Seinfeld tours
his material across the
country in 2003. See Friday
Calendar.
Eugene poet and teacher Joseph Millar will host “ The Blue-
Collar Special ,” an evening of poetry by West Coast poets
who know a bit about work, at Tsunami Books. Stephan
Torre (Iron Fever), Clemens Starck (China Basin and a new
chapbook), and George Hitchcock (One-Man Boat: The
George Hitchcock Reader) will read. Both Torre, who has
read at Tsunami before, and Hitchcock’s work include ele-
ments of the surreal, Millar said. See Friday Calendar.
First Friday Artwalk features a free guided tour of down-
town art galleries and visual art attractions. The walk begins
at 5:30 pm with the 2003 Mayor’s Art Show at the Jacobs
Gallery. At 5:50 the walk moves to Scan Design, for work by Anne
Teigen and Faith Rahill. Then at 6:10 it’s Images of Mexico, paint-
ings by Ellen Gabehart at Circle of Hands: Inner Circle Gallery. The
last stop, at 6:30, features the Salon des Refusés. Here’s work by
Faith Rahill, at Scan Design. See Friday Calendar.
OCTOBER 2, 2003 21