music
Airstream 4 Lyfe
Considering the fact that the entirety of
Hymn for Her’s new album Lucy & Wayne and the
Amairican Stream was recorded inside a 16-foot
Airstream, it’s shockingly well engineered. Sure,
the acoustics within such a small, metal place were
probably useful, but it’s a testament to the talent
shared between Maggie Jane and Pierce Ternay that
the album turned out the way it did. The music is
different from the Americana fl oating around these
days, mostly due to the distortion that fuzzes the
acoustic instruments on almost every song. Hymn for
Her clearly had country traditions in mind, though
they added a rock twist that makes everything more
fun. This isn’t just a collection of weakening croons;
it’s a solid record of unique music.
How about that Airstream thing, though, right?
So cool. It makes perfect sense that Hymn for Her
are touring right now because, well, they’re always
touring. They literally live in an Airstream — no,
that’s not just a gimmick — and travel from place to
place across the nation recording their music and
fi nding inspiration. It’s clear, too, that they drew
from multiple sources while recording their newest:
sounds of the Delta, sounds of the Northeast, sounds
of Arizona and the Southwest, burlesque, country,
classic rock, they’re all in there somewhere. It’s
fun-loving hillbilly rock, and if this is what a mulch
of different parts of the U.S. sounds like, maybe the
whole country should collaborate some time.
Hymn for Her plays at 10 pm, Friday, Feb. 11, at
Diablo’s Downtown Lounge. — Andy Valentine
Razing the Roof with New Neu-Metal
While the Baby Boomers of Eugene are dry-cleaning their bellbottoms and dusting off their platforms for Elton
John, the kids are getting ready for that “other” show kicking off the entertainment side of Matthew Knight Arena. The
ominously titled Nightmare After Christmas tour is bringing to town some of the biggest hard rock and metal bands in
the business today. And the roof of the new arena will be tested, because these guys are going to try to blow it off.
Avenged Sevenfold is one of the foremost bands in what is being called the “New Wave” of American heavy metal.
The Southern California band has been shredding it for more than 10 years now — combining the scream-o bark of
hardcore, the riffage of Mötley Crüe and the double-bass-drum attack of Megadeth. All this is doused with a radio-
friendly sheen, making Avenged Sevenfold one of the most commercially successful bands of the new millennium.
Joining Avenged Sevenfold are Hollywood Undead and Stone Sour — both “new rock” radio staples. Stone Sour
is equal parts `90s era bubble-grunge balladry and epic
heaviness, while Hollywood Undead plays that hip-hop/metal
hybrid sound innovated by Korn and perfected by Linkin Park
— but with a party-friendly edge.
We often see bands in Eugene that are either ascending
or descending in their careers, but rarely do we see a bill of
bands at the height of their commercial and artistic success.
So, let’s practice our air guitar, throw up some devil horns
with our fi ngers and hope Matthew Knight Arena continues
to be a welcome addition to the music scene in Lane County.
Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, Hollywood Undead and
New Medicine play at 6:30 pm on Sunday, Feb. 13, at Matthew
Knight Arena; $25-$39.75. — William Kennedy
Peace Out, Brooksy
Long-time Lane County resident and fi ngerstyle
guitarist extraordinaire Brooks Robertson says
farewell to our beloved city on Feb. 12 when he makes
a break for the stars up in Portland. LaVelle Wine
Bar, a recurrent host of Robertson, plans to make
the event as fi tting as possible while we see off
one of the area’s most talented and unique artists.
Brooks has been named the Buster B. Jones of his
generation, and this seems apt considering how
smoothly and impressively he makes his guitar hum.
Jones was also a mentor of Robertson from an early
age, and so the legacy of virtuosic fi ngerpicking will
live on for years to come.
There’s something about the power and raw
energy of one dude sitting in a chair with just a six
string and a bunch of intense chops that makes the
heart sing. Brooks has made this feeling a reality for
years in Eugene, and there’s no doubt he’ll do the
same up in P-town. His reputation is already large,
and it’s boosted magnifi cently by his memorable
second-place overall fi nish at last years “Yamaha Six
String Guitar Theory Competition,” an international
event that draws guitarists from almost fi fty
countries worldwide.
The evening-long “Bon Voyage” event at LaVelle
features a meet-and-greet with Robertson starting
at 5 pm, a set by local country-pop band Apropos
from 6 to 6:45, and a two-hour Brooks set worthy of
this momentous sendoff beginning at 7. Food will be
available for purchase all night, and everything else is
free. Could you really ask for more?
So let’s doff our hats to Brooks for supplying us
with one of the coolest guitar techniques around.
Thanks for all the good times, dude.
The Brooks Robertson “Bon Voyage” concert
starts at 5 pm, Saturday, Feb. 12, at LaVelle Wine Bar;
FREE. — Andy Valentine
30
FEBRUARY 10, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
Weird Banjos and Furrowed Brows
If you’re a fan of modern-banjo country rock, you’ll be pleased to hear that Danny Barnes is rolling through town
this week. Fans of unexpected covers will probably be pleased, too, though for haters of the above, it might behoove
you to just stay home and get drunk — Barnes’ banjo style is strange (to say the least) and his songwriting is even
stranger. While it’s clear that he has a comfortable grasp of both country and bluegrass traditions, he tries to peel away
the layers of each genre and create an entirely new sound which, to put it bluntly, is really fucking weird. Though a
step up from the likes of Big & Rich and Jason Aldean, Barnes’ big saving grace is his experience. From a young age he
began garnering knowledge and skill with country, bluegrass, jazz, rock and even punk, and so a mélange of styles is
able to shine through the country harmonies and banjo chunk.
Despite an array of solid testimonials from the likes of Sam Beam,
Dave Matthews and Keller Williams, among others, I found myself
with furrowed brow as I listened to his most recent release,
Pizza Box. The album is redeemed mostly by its use of guest
musicians and some of the more rockin’ riffs — beyond that
I found it hard to imagine myself ever wanting to pick up
Danny Barnes again. As previously stated, fans of this genre
will certainly get a kick out of this one; to each his own,
that’s what makes music great. As for the aforementioned
covers: check out his (almost weirder) version of Beck’s
“Loser” from 2003’s Dirt on the Angel. Beyond all this, I’ll
leave it up to you to decide.
Danny Barnes plays with Betty & the Boy at 8:30 pm
Friday, Feb. 11, at the Axe & Fiddle; $10. — Andy Valentine
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