music shorts
Unkle Nancy
Green is for Go
Gypsy Circus Rock
Following in the tradition of Tom
Waits’ ramshackle circus train or Gogol
Bordello’s gypsy rock is Eugene’s Unkle
Nancy, the vision of a songwriter by
the name of Joey Stewart. Somewhat
a man of mystery, Stewart left his job
two years ago to pursue music full
time; he’s since discovered a prolifi c
muse and has written thousands of
songs.
And there’s bizarre poetry in
Unkle Nancy’s world. It’s wobbly and
wonky, crooked and cobbled together
from spit and worn out shoe leather,
composed of cello, washboard, fl ute,
kazoo, resonator, guitar, banjo and, according to Stewart, “three-part harmonies, profane sing alongs,
beatboxin’ chickens, drunken children songs and so much more.” There are songs like “Stumblin’ Drunk,”
with a queasy guitar line and girl-done-me-wrong hopelessness. “Don’t Hold Me Down” is a plucky tune
about a rambler who just can’t stay in one place too long. Then there’s “Bobby Bumbleton,” with a haunting
Waits-ian strangeness. Always, Stewart’s voice seems to be scrubbed with sandpaper.
In April and May, Unkle Nancy embarked on a “Dance or We Will Fight You!!!” tour of the West Coast.
They’re set to release their third CD, Vagabond Tramp, on July 3, followed by another West Coast tour.
Looking ahead to the fall, Unkle Nancy will be working with Naima Muntal from Bad Mitten Orchestra on a
new project called Dandylion Eyes.
Unkle Nancy plays at 9:30 pm Friday, July 3, at Sam Bond’s Garage. 21+. $5. — Vanessa Salvia
Do Pass Go, Collect $200
Not-So-Wild Horses
A confession: I didn’t believe it when I was told
that High Diving Horses are an actual thing. I
guess I was just a little too old for Wild Hearts Can’t
Be Broken, the early ’90s Disney movie about a girl
who rode horses off a towering platform in Atlantic
City. I’m still not quite sure what equines leaping
into pools have to do with the music of Danny Allen
and Laura Jean Allen — there are no death-defying
stunts in their loose-limbed, carefully unpolished
songs.
High Diving Horses
A band playing toy pianos and guitars, stomping
their feet for rhythm and shaking the occasional tambourine might sound like just another night on the
rock-slash-Americana circuit. But in the six songs posted to their MySpace account, High Diving Horses offer
something with a slightly different tenor, somewhere between jovial ’70s rock and the ominous shudder of
Spoon in their gloomier moments. Danny does most of the singing, but Laura Jean pipes up in harmony
on “Manifest Destiny” and the charming “Laugh Cry Etc.,” on which that tinkling toy piano and a whistled
section turn “You will laugh / You will cry / You will fade away under blue skies” into a promise full of
possibility. “Hope All is Well” offers the same juxtaposition of warning and joy: The verses are steeped in
regret, the chorus tempered by Laura Jean’s brighter voice. The Horses’ songs are relatively spare and a
bit on the familiar side, but somehow, they seem to take up more space than they really ought. You’ll have
to catch one of the pair’s shows to see if they can do the same on stage. High Diving Horses play at 8 pm
Thursday, July 2, at the Axe & Fiddle, Cottage Grove (free), and with Z Buffalo and The Physical Hearts at 10
pm Friday, July 3, at Luckey’s ($5). Both shows 21+. — Molly Templeton
Rocking a banjo, fi ddle, guitar and no lyrical fi lter, the
two-man musical experiment Green is for Go has been
playing together for fi ve years and building a steady
local following, playing more than 80 shows in town over
the last year and a half. That’s saying something, given
that they’re only 21 years old.
While the bluegrass/comedy/rock band’s lyrics can
be silly and sophomoric (think Tenacious D), the songs
are loose, light and fun, with an energetic rock factor
that’ll get most up and dancing. For slower, more serious
cuts, think Guster with a banjo — a layered, technically
impressive acoustic sound.
Matt Barnhart and Jeff Masterson groove together
like a well-oiled machine, unifi ed in their mission of
merriment. While their self-deprecating and at times
juvenile humor will resonate best with the college crowd,
they are undoubtedly a pair of talented young musicians
who aren’t afraid to put it all out there. There’s something
charming in their lack of pretense, their refusal to take
themselves too seriously, and their music seems to be a
celebration of all that is young, silly, fast and fun. If for
nothing else, come for the free CDs at the release party.
Green is For Go play with 45 RPM at 9:30 pm Saturday,
July 4, at Sam Bond’s Garage. 21+. $5. — Katie Kalk
everybody dance now....
Qualifying week 1: “Who’s Bad?”
The District Dance-Off
(So you’re sort of sure you’re able to kinda dance)
12-week contest begins July 4th at 11:30 pm
Grand Finale winners: $500 1st place/$250 2nd/$100 3rd
DJ Phoenix hosts and spins
details at www.thedistricteugene.com
July 1 Fashion show 6pm benefi t for
Coff ee for Canines $5 presale, $8 door
July 2-3 Bohemian Sound rocks The District dance parties
H ULTC ENT ER .ORG
or 541.682.5000
Also at UO’s EMU Ticket Offi ce
Special $10
college student tickets for
Selected events presented by:
Eugene Ballet Co., Eugene Concert Choir,
Eugene Opera, Eugene Symphony,
Hult Presents, Oregon Mozart Players,
Oregon Bach Festival
no cover for dance parties | 21+ | dress to impress
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EUGENE WEEKLY JULY 2, 2009 21