WHAT’S
A quick scroll through their tour
schedule for the past three years
reveals F lo at er likes to play these
cities: Portland, Seattle, Bend, Chico,
Boise, Mesa, Los Angeles, Salt Lake
City and, of course, Eugene.
Sprinkled in there are shows in
Corvallis, Veneta, Ashland and
Grants Pass, meaning these guys
reward their Oregon constituents
with ample opportunities to see
them live. We last saw Floater at the
McDonald in late October, debuting
their latest album Stone by Stone.
Since then, the guys have been — big
surprise — working on new tracks!
True to the band’s self-sufficient
nature, lead singer Rob Wynia (pic-
tured) is offering new solo tracks for
sale on his MySpace page. Though
it’s fitting for the reigning de facto
Oregon rock band to be in the state’s
largest city, maybe it’s time Floater
moved back to Eugene, replanted
their roots and nurtured their fer-
vent followers. We can’t get enough
of them. See Saturday Calendar.
Back in 2005 we traveled to
Mongolia to volunteer at the national
radio and TV station. We attended a
few traditional concerts, many of
which featured an exalted perform-
ance by a rotund man with a deep
voice. But we were somehow always
more amazed by his backing band,
usually consisting of at least one
woman who could play Beethoven on
a horsehead fiddle with as much pas-
sion as Jimi Hendrix on a
Stratocaster. Add to this mix female
throat singers, simply unheard of in
the male-dominated Mongolian and
Tuvan cultures, and you have the
prime ingredients for kick-ass cross-
cultural punk rock: traditional cul-
tures, unique vocals and feminine
empowerment. All this and more
takes place at Saturday’s T y v a Ky z y show at Tsunami Books. Described as “throat
singing at its stupefying best,” this quintet of world touring Central Asian women
(Damyrang Ailanmaa, on the fiddle, pictured) will raise the hairs on the back of
your neck. The show promises to be a treat … and a nice balance to those less
Floater-inclined. See Saturday Calendar.
PHOTO BY DEAN YARNELL
happening
Last week we recommended the Last Friday Artwalk,
and now here we are touting this week’s F i r st Fr id a y
A RT W a lk . We’re either walking hypocrites or just
really like those events that get us on our feet and in
the streets. Besides, art walks are great entertain-
ment; they’re like bar hopping for the genteel crowd.
This week’s tour starts at Opus6ix and is led by
Opus6ix curator Robert Canaga, who will discuss the
opening of the 6ix’s exhibition of contemporary
Mayan paintings. Stop #2 highlights the “Tokaido to
Oregon” exhibit of prints and watercolors by Walt
Padgett at White Lotus Gallery. Stop #3 pauses at
DNA Photographic for a look at Rick Maday’s recent
photographs of the “feminine form” (a two day exhib-
it, so see it on the walk or on Saturday). The final
stop has Holly Werner’s floral paintings (pictured
below) on exhibit at La Follette Gallery. So get out
and do some walking, be it for art, civic engagement,
free wine or whatever. See Friday Calendar.
FEBRUARY 1, 2007
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