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