Eugene weekly., March 15, 2012, Page 25, Image 25

music
Soulful Truckers
The term “three-axe attack” is only scary when it isn’t referring to music. Southern rock band Drive-By
Truckers specializes in this attack (a term that describes the arrangement of three guitars alongside bass
and drums) and is scheduled to roll into Eugene for a show at the McDonald Theatre.
Formed in 1996 by childhood friends Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, DBT has suffered through the rock
band cliché of a revolving-door list of musicians, recorded a Southern rock opera (the aptly named Southern
Rock Opera, an album that uses the rise and fall of Lynyrd Skynyrd as a means of analyzing the cultural
deterioration of the South during the 1970s), and earned a reputation for witty, hard-rocking tunes.
The Truckers are on tour to promote an 11th studio album. Go-Go Boots relies on the strengths of
songwriters Hood, Cooley and former bassist Shonna Tucker to create d ark, narrative-driven pieces surging
with a special blend of country and soul.
As Hood writes on the DBT website: “It’s the album where we finally fully embrace the music of our
original hometown area of Muscle Shoals, exploring the waters of country/soul and that mystical intersection
between two dominant poles of our shared musical heritage.”
In addition to its heavier emphasis on country roots, the album features two covers — a rarity in DBT’s
large and diverse catalog. Both tunes were originated by fellow Muscle Shoals artist Eddie Hinton and mesh
beautifully.
As for the show, long-time Truckers fans are used to the changing lineup though Tucker’s spark is sure to
be missed. Matt Patton (bassist for the Alabama-based rock group the Dexateens) will be filling in and
slapping along in what’s sure to be a soulful and engaging evening.
Drive-By Truckers play 8 pm Sunday, March 18, at the McDonald Theatre; $20 adv., $25 door.
— Jackie Varriano
In His Father’s Footsteps
Complex Relations
Robert Schwartzman (pictured right) not only played Anne
Hathaway’s best friend’s little brother in Princess Diaries, but
he’s also got a damn cool music career going. He founded
Rooney in 2003 and has worked with the group until recently.
Now he’s touring solo with Brian Bell (Weezer) and lighting up
the stage with his own brand of dance-pop-electronica that has
some serious mothafunkin’ groove power behind it.
Brian Bell is the guitarist of Weezer. His new project, The
Relationship, is mellow, balladic and beautiful. It’s pretty much
not what one would expect considering the nerdy brilliance that
Weezer once emanated, but it’s this music that’s establishing Bell
as a genius songwriter. Without the shadow of Rivers Cuomo, it’ll
be interesting to see what Bell is able to come up with live.
Both guys cut their teeth in the music world with successful
touring groups, and now that they’ve flown the coop — at least
temporarily — it’s time to either watch them soar or see them nose dive into a lake of fiery criticism. My money’s
on the former, especially where Bell is concerned. In the meantime, why not check out the Princess Diaries kid
and Weezer’s guitarist at WOW Hall on St. Patrick’s Day?
Robert Schwartzman and The Relationship play 9 pm Saturday, March 17, at WOW Hall; $8 adv., $10 door.
— Andy Valentine
W H I S K E Y
R I V E R
It is sacrilege to talk about Afrobeat without
mentioning Fela Kuti, the Nigerian father of the genre
who used the thick mix of jazz, funk and rock as a
musical platform to combat the military dictatorship in
his native country. Volumes could be written about
Kuti’s effect on the political climate of his homeland —
he formed his own political party, was banned from
entering Ghana, his studio was destroyed by the
Nigerian military, he was jailed, severely beaten and it’s
said that his mother was killed (flung from a window) in
retaliation for his scathing attacks on the Nigerian
government.
Simply put, Kuti was a revolutionary who went all
the way, using music as a catalyst for civil rights and
justice. Fela Kuti died in 1997 from complications due to
AIDS. But his legacy lives on in the music of his son,
Seun Anikulapo Kuti.
Picking up where his father left off but with his own
brand of distinguished, provocative flare, Seun is
heading up Egypt 80 (formerly known as Africa 70, and
first fronted by his father) and embarking upon a
massive 30-date tour. As lead vocalist and saxophonist,
Seun will be looking to make his own mark on his artistic
patrimony. In a sense, he has already done this, given
the wide success of From Africa with Fury: Rise, released
in June of 2011 — but in sticking with the tradition of his
father, a lion of the stage, Seun is in the process of
cementing his prowess as a performer. The significance
of this is historic in a Marley-esque way, and arguably
just as outstanding.
Seun Anikulapo Kuti and Egypt 80 play 8 pm
Sunday, March 18, at WOW Hall; $18 adv., $20 door.
— Dante Zuñiga-West
R A N C H
P R E S E N T S
THE
HANK SHREVE
$5
BLUES SHOWCASE
with
jarrod kaplan
(Trillian Green, Hanuman, Taarka)
special guest
Elizabeth Yandel
TONIGHT LINDA DUFFY MAR 22 HENRY COOPER
EVERY THURSDAY FROM 8PM TIL MIDNIGHT • 4740 MAIN STREET, SPRINGFIELD
WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
EUGENE WEEKLY
MARCH 15, 2012 25