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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 2007)
WHAT’S happening Brandi Carlile’s fall tour is billed as the VH1 You Oughta Know tour. Judging from the fact that the 25-year-old has played Eugene three times in the past two and a half years, you oughta already know about Carlile and her countrified pop sound. But if you are, like some of us at EW, a bit new to Eugene and were wondering why Carlile wasn’t featured on the music page, well, there you have it. This is the sec- ond What’s Happening blurb about this artist, whose MySpace page lists Elton John, K.D. Lang, Jeff Buckley and Radiohead (!) as influences. But she’s deliciously good at what she does. She once made a living busking Seattle’s Pike Place Market, and now she’s frequently opening for the Indigo Girls and Shawn Colvin. We headlined an April 2005 article on Carlile “Rising Star Shines Over Eugene,” and, so many years later, that rising star has finally risen, and will land, with a welcoming splash, at the WOW Hall to kick-off a ginormous five-day streak of excellent music. See Thursday, Sept. 6 Calendar. OK, so according to the Creative Vitality Index, Lane County comes in third place in the entire state for our creative output and energy. While we certainly don’t lack for art walks, as there are no less than four monthly walks in our county, we may be lacking in “creative vitality.” Maybe we’re tired of seeing the same artists in a venue down the street with a vaguely similar show as their last. While the First Friday ARTWalk flushes people into downtown’s core (let’s face it, more for the hobnobbing than for the art), the Last Friday Artwalk is more of a casual affair, spread out over many blocks in clusters of houses or businesses like the Art of Glass, which this month features creations (pictured above) by Vicki Komori. Maybe that’s why the press release for Kiki Metzler’s 462 Polk Studio Gallery made it quite clear that she will have cookies for consumption. A little bribe to lure us up off the couch and out to visit a local node of creative action is certainly in order. And speaking of lack of attendance, we counted fewer than six riders in last month’s Critical Mass. C’mon, people! The weather’s gonna be fine. The art … well, at least there will be cookies. See Friday Calendar. Missed last Tuesday’s early morning lunar eclipse because, you know, you were dead tired from this thing called “work” that so occupies your every waking hour? Well, hopefully you’ll have a day off on Labor Day weekend so you can get good rest and stay up later than usual this week, especially if you’re into astronomy. On Wednesday, WREN sponsors a “Stars in the City” Urban Astronomy Program at the West Eugene Wetlands yurt, with amateur astronomer Rick Ahrens pointing out the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter and the waning crescent of Venus. For all you history buffs: If you’re out camping this long weekend (big surprise) and happen to be in the Fall Creek area, stop by Cascara Campground Saturday night for a free presentation on the history of Fall Creek at the amphitheater. See Calendar. AUGUST 30, 2007 19
