WHAT’S
happening
Have you seen the fi lm Little Miss Sunshine? Do you remember those wordless scenes
in the Volkwagen bus as the family contemplated the scenery (and their lives) fl ashing
by, all set to a beautiful soundtrack of fi ddles, mandolins, Sousaphones, piano and
accordion? Well, you were listening to the Denver-based gypsy-folk revivalist group
DeVotchKa, who were asked by the directors (who had only worked in music videos
previously and needed music to inspire their imagery) to score Little Miss Sunshine.
DeVotchKa last played Eugene in December of ‘06 at the WOW Hall, so perhaps
you’ve seen ‘em and could care very little. Well, here’s the kicker: Not only do
they have a kick-ass new album out, A Mad and Faithful Telling, but Basia
Bulat, the Canadian folk-fi recracker, opens their show at the McDonald
Theatre. And if there’s anything we know about Canadians and
gypsies, they’re damn fi ne with their musical instruments. Don’t
curse yourself for missing this show. It’s going to be a magical
evening. See Tuesday Calendar.
Eugene’s fashions are usually the mocked variety: fl owy drapes, hemp-centric fabrics or hideous tie-dyed
concoctions that wore out their welcome 20 years ago. Amidst this stereotype, Eugene’s fashion scene
has been quietly churning out original, colorful wearables in local boutiques like Infi nity Mercantile, Better
Yet, Deluxe and others. The owners of Deluxe decided to throw a fashion show last year (Deluxe’s District
Mode) to a sell-out, standing-room-only crowd. This year the show, renamed Cirque De Luxe to honor its
ever-expanding participants, will be staged at a larger venue (Wheeler Pavilion) with even more fashionistas
displaying (and some even donning) their clothing, jewelry and accessories in the product fair and runway
show. More than 25 designers and boutiques are on board this time around (including designs, pictured
right, by Moria Wheeler) and, with the ECRG’s roller derby earlier in the evening, the opportunities for funky
fashions are unlimited at the Lane County Fairgrounds. See Saturday Calendar.
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MORIA WHEELER
While we’re debating whether New Zone Gallery
really wants to be a Last Friday Art Walk stop
instead of a First Friday ARTWalk haunt, it’s
important to understand how really beside the point
it all is. Sure, New Zone holds its closing reception
for its “Zone 4 All” nonjuried exhibit (it’s like
the Salon des Refusés, only without the thrill of
rejection by the Mayor’s Art Show) on Friday, but
there’s a bevy of Last Friday artiness going on a bit
more west of center, including didactic paintings
(pictured) by James Herman at Gallery Obscura,
photographs of urban decay by James Horn at
Wandering Goat and a new bonus feature of the Art
Walk: Find the artwork by the third artist with the
name of James and win a prize! Well, it’s not really
an offi cial prize or anything. In fact we made it all
up, except for the art walk parts. What? We’re not
stooping to Margaret B. Jones levels here. Sheesh.
See www.lastfridayartwalk.org to print a walking
map and see Friday Calendar.
EUGENE WEEKLY APRIL 24, 2008 21