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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2007)
WHAT’S happening In our culture, nearly every holiday can be boiled down to an edible candy creation. For Easter, there are chocolate easter bunnies. For Christmas, there are candy canes. And for the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday held on Nov. 1 and 2, you eat chocolate- or sugar-based candy skulls. Yummm! And to commemorate this holiday, the Maude Kerns Art Center hosts its own Día de los Muertos juried exhibit, made up of art relat- ed to this celebration of souls passed on (including whimsical clay sculp- tures by Texas artist Tamra Kohl, pictured left). The art center hosts a spe- cial fiesta opening on Friday with entertainment from Ballet Folklórico Infantil and Ballet Folklórico Xochiquetzal dance troupes. In addition to the juried show, the exhibit includes special altars created by individuals and community groups. One of the groups, the Amigos Multicultural Services Center, will give a presentation on the inspiration for their altar on Wednesday. See Calendar. JOHN FISCHER SHERYL NIELDS In case you haven’t noticed yet: We’re turning 25 this year. Yes, that’s us. The proverbial “we,” as in EW spelled backwards and which, by and by, includes your trusty calendar editor (who writes this column week after blessed week). Our 25th birthday party bash is at the Indigo District (you know: party central!), and we know you like to party, especially on Thursdays, and especially when it’s FREE. Come hobnob with some of Eugene’s finest miscreants as we toast a quarter century of what’s happening and ask the eternal question: What did happen? See Thursday, Oct. 25 Calendar. Long ago (if you consider the mid-‘90s as such) Meshell Ndegeocello landed on the pop music scene with her collabora- tion with John Cougar Mellencamp on a bass-thumping duet for a cover of Van Morrison’s “Wild Thing.” With her appearance on Madonna’s Bedtime Stories and a guest stint on the Rolling Stones’s LP Bridges to Babylon, Ndegeocello’s status in the pop world has been more than solidi- fied. Her latest disc, The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams, moves away from the slap-funk of her early career and covers more loops, beats and ethereal space-pop (think Thievery Corporation meets Victor Wooten). “Ndegeocello” means “free like a bird” and her website is titled “Free My Heart.” The only thing that’s not free is a ticket to her show at the WOW Hall. Get one soon and see Wednesday Calendar. JAMIE FLOYD JAMES BATEMAN Local celebrities pair up and do their darndest at social dancing in the Upstart Crow Studios premiere fundraising event, Dance With the Stars, at the Wildish Theater Saturday night. While you won’t be doing any dancing (as the title mislead- ingly implies), your attendance will be supporting the wonder- ful work UCS provides to Eugene-Springfield area kids, a good chunk of whom are at-risk or in financial need. “The whole event was created to be a light- hearted event to raise money for the children that Upstart Crow Studios serve,” says organizer Sarah Byrum in a press release. “The stars are working hard and have all been great sports.” Indeed, the stars include KEZI-TV anchor Korenza Burris, meteorologist John Fischer, Ninkasi Brewery owner Jamie Floyd and UO Soccer Athlete of the Year Nicole Garbin. See Saturday Calendar. OCTOBER 18, 2007 21
