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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2004)
Jucifer plays the Indigo District this Friday. BY VANESSA SALVIA Kickin’ It John Henry's, Indigo District host pure, joyful rock. K Records artist Mirah returns to WOW Hall on May 12, this time with supporting artists Tara Jane O’Neil and Liarbird . Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn (Mirah rhymes with the former Italian currency, lira, and her middle name means “good day” or “holy day” in Hebrew) grew up in suburban Philadelphia, but moved to the green shade of Olympia, Wash., to attend Evergreen State College in her late teens. After graduating, Mirah stayed on in Olympia, taught herself to play guitar and compose, and released her first album, Storageland, on YoYo Recordings in 1997. K snapped her up in 1999, a move that allowed her more creative freedom in experimenting with recording and produc- ing. She has since released three records for K: You Think It’s Like This But Really It’s Like This, Advisory Committee, and her lat- est, C’mon Miracle. Mirah’s trademark lo-fi indie pop has only strengthened with time. C’mon Miracle opens with “Nobody Has To Stay,” showcasing her fresh, girlish voice, pluck- ing guitar and beautiful cello. She brings in drums and a rock vibe for the next track, “Jerusalem.” “The Light” throbs over a scratchy, electronic landscape. Mirah’s songwriting defies categorization and zips between ghostly confessional, experimental digital rock, or guitar-driven pop. Fans of Mirah will love it, and for new listeners, it’s a great place to start enjoying her unique sound. Tara Jane O’Neil began her musical life as a solo performer in Louisville in the early ‘90s, then played bass and sang in Rodan and Drinking Woman (before age 21!). She migrat- ed to New York City, played with Retsin and the Sonora Pine, who broke up after recording their third album. The split freed O’Neil to become a solo performer once more. Liarbird’s music is soft, poetic and contem- plative. The upright bass, violin, two guitars, percussion and vocalists merge into one entity. Local hip-hop artist Michael Kay , who once went by the moniker Scoob from BMF, is an influential man among his north- west contemporaries. His documentary, Mastermind of His Time, follows Kay and his hip-hop journey from his childhood days into manhood and projects into Kay’s future and the future of hip-hop. The documentary will be shown at the Bijou on Saturday, May 8. It’s loaded with interviews, live stage per- formances, free-styling and dancing. Kay has proved to his fans and to the world that you don’t have to be a gangster to be real and keep it true to the streets. His philosophy is you can have it all; you can be wise and spir- itual and know God without being owned by religion; a man can have a family and free- dom; and life has a balance. His lyrics reflect homage to his homies, odes to hip-hoppers who came before him, the reality of the current “crazy generation” of thugs and drugs, and, of course, the heavy reality of living in a country at war with a faceless, formless enemy. Kay’s film is not rated, but has no pro- fanity and is suitable for most ages. The show is being promoted by Eugene-based Northwest Beat, whose stated “soul” pur- pose is to aid in the growth and develop- ment of a flourishing urban music and enter- tainment industry in the Pacific Northwest. My first experience with Jucifer live on stage left me slack-jawed for days, body tin- gling, $10 less in my wallet but with an incredible EP (Lambs) that proved to all my friends who hadn’t been to the show that I had witnessed the heaviest band ever, Melvins and Godheadsilo included. There is no more lovely trickster god- dess in all of rock and roll than Jucifer’s 5’ 4”, vintage clothes-wearing guitarist Amber Valentine . This small package can dupe even the most astute listener — there is no bass in the band’s line-up. All the floor-rattling, chest-crushing noise Jucifer creates emanates solely from Valentine’s guitar and her partner Ed Livengood ’s drums. Full Bar Organic Café Mam Coffee Organic Menu for Lunch & Dinner Wireless Internet Locally Owned & Operated MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMM MM MM MMMM MMMM MMMMMM 13th & M Oak (formerly Field’s) • 434-6553 30 MAY 6, 2004 The pair exists in the realm of bone- crushing volume where the music becomes psychedelic by sheer force. In fact, Valentine has stated in past interviews that it was this body high that got her and Livengood hooked on playing with stacks and stacks of bass and guitar amplifiers in the first place. The band’s stadium set-up, which she and Livengood tote around by themselves every night, ensures that her guitar throttles everyone within a square mile. The bass-loving two hail from Athens, Ga., talk with a gentle Southern accent and live in an RV with two dogs. Jucifer’s recently released War Bird is the most expansive effort yet, though limit- ed by its short length. Valentine, who once split her vocals between angelic whispers and devilish, gutteral utterances, actually sings throughout most of War Bird, even plucking a banjo at one point and crooning like Loretta Lynn. Jucifer appears at Indigo District on Friday. John Henry’s will host another powerful night of rock on May 11 when the Hangmen return to the stage. The L.A.- based band has been doing cowpunk for more than a decade. The L.A. Times describes the latest CD, Loteria as “bluesy, punk-flavored, slide guitar-drenched tales of street level love and woe.” Or, imagine the Supersuckers getting high with Neal Young, while X and the Rolling Stones rolled their splifs in the back room. There’s no studio flash on Loteria, it just kicks in with solid energy on the first track and doesn’t let up. Original Hangman Bryan Small (vocals/ guitar) is joined on stage and on the CD with his new band- mates Todd Haney (drums), Angelique Congleton (bass/vocals), and Rane Raitsikka (guitar). ew BEETHOVEN NINE: ODE TO JOY T H U R S D AY, M AY 2 0 , 8 P M Giancarlo Guerrero, Conductor Eugene Symphony Chorus BEYOND All Expectations Esther Heideman, soprano Two hundred performers pack the stage for Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9—the Olympian, heaven-storming “Ode to Joy.” Don’t miss the mighty pinnacle of Beethoven’s career and a thrilling season finale. Let your spirit soar! Carolyn Gronlund, mezzo-soprano Scott Piper, tenor Mark Kaczmarczyk, bass Call now fo r t icke t s 6 8 2 .5 0 0 0 —Co nce r t s e lling o ut ! Concert Sponsor Artist Sponsors David Weza Family Brockett Family
