he Whit has more art per square foot than any
other neighborhood in Eugene. Period. A chal-
lenge: Forget Pokémon Go for a moment and catch
all the art you can. There are Whiteaker classics like Kari
Johnson’s ever-evolving mural at 4th Avenue and Monroe;
the “For the People, Of the People, By the People” mosaic
statue in front of the Pizza Research Institute; the rusted-
metal and wood-chunk sculpture that looks like a
spine on Polk between West 3rd and 4th avenues.
Then there are the new staples: Ila Rose’s
jewel-toned mural at 5th Alley and Blair
Boulevard; Eric Keskey’s grinning
skull at Tacovore; the mural on the
north wall of Vanilla Jill’s, so
heartwarming it will melt your fro-yo.
But perhaps even more delicious are
the ubiquitous cheeky and ephemeral ex-
pressions like the birds-on-a-wire stencils
popping up on sidewalks, the pretty witty
graffiti, back-alley murals and even a vintage
gumball machine filled with baby-doll parts.
Here’s some clues: Where’s Waldo? Why, in
the Whit, good sir. You’ll find him grinning like an
idiot along 3rd Alley, where a whole cast of painted
characters live, from narwhals and smiling skulls to ro-
bots and a vinyl-scratching unicorn. Pop up an alley to 2nd
behind Territorial Vineyards and find another motley crew of
T
t’s easy to miss the ugly gray brick build-
ing that hovers like some besieged For-
tress of Rectitude at the nexus of 3rd and
Blair, just across from Pizza Research Insti-
tute. Established at that location in 1976
as a member-owned club for recover-
ing individuals and their families,
the JESCO (Junction City-Eugene-
Springfield-Cottage Grove-Oakridge)
Club is a longstanding hub of Eugene’s
recovery community where bottomed-
out drunks and addicts begin their long,
slow slouch toward the promised land of
sobriety. So if this year’s block party finds
you finally going sideways into alcoholic
purgatory, look no further than the wooden
benches outside JESCO, where avuncular
old-timers will give you a knowing look as
they shoo your sorry ass inside for the next
12-step meeting.
For imbibers, there are plenty of libations
to go round, but remember, unless you’re
in a bar or pub, beer and wine only flow in
certain designated spots of the WBP that
are fenced off and typically have long
lines to boot. Sorry to bust your beer
bubble, but you can’t walk the streets
with a red Solo cup in tow.
If you’re drinking in the heat,
you’ll need a good base. Drop by
some of the 19 places to stuff your
face at the block party. Can’t decide
what to order? Here’s a five-course
meal plan that will keep you fueled
into the night.
murals and street art, including: a “We Live, They Sleep”
alien Donald Trump portrait à la John Carpenter’s They
Live; a tokin’ ode to Alice in Wonderland with a smoking
caterpillar, giggling flowers and a delighted Cheshire fat
cat; Steamboat Willie thumbing his nose; and a derelict
clown sucking down a cig.
Don’t miss the two different fences artfully cobbled
together out of doors; one is on 4th, just east of the
Where the Wild Things Are window painting with the
Whiteaker flag, and the other frames one of the Whit’s new
parking lots at Van Buren and 2nd Avenue. The door fence
is more like a funhouse chain of shrines, with scrappy de-
tails like a Kurt Cobain print, an AT-AT model and a Gol-
lum illustration.
And what about the Whit’s glorious telephone poles where flyering
never died? It feels like Seattle circa 1991. These crusty cultural obelisks
are spongy from layer upon layer of gig posters, fliers and stickers; they
read like a diary to the neighborhood.
You don’t have to be a believer to appreciate the gem that is the St.
John the Wonderworker Orthodox Church, whose blue onion dome is
an iconic part of the “skyline.” Inside, artist Daniel Balter paints saints
in the precise tradition of orthodox Christian iconography (see
EW’s “Sacred Images,” 7/30/15), which he recently studied in Serbia,
Rome and Greece’s Mount Athos. Balter says the church will be open for
the WBP and people are welcome to view his work in progress. St. John’s
will also have its Onion Dome food cart serving Mediterranean fare in
the front yard.
I
FIRST COURSE:
Sweet potato fries at
Toxic Wings & Fries
SECOND COURSE:
Nori wrap at Sushi Star Brigade
THIRD COURSE:
Vegan Philly cheesesteak at
Viva! Vegetarian Grill
FOURTH COURSE:
Barbecue wings at
Hot Mama’s Wings
ace it: While you’ve
been feigning Portland
envy, Eugene has gone ahead and
undertaken a musical renaissance. To put it plainly,
there are tons of really great bands in Eugene right
now, and the WBP is the best place to catch up on
some of what you’ve been missing. Check out the
block party’s G-Spot Stage, specifically the instru-
mental surf and spaghetti western-stylings of the
Egotones (9 pm).
Also at G-Spot, see Eugene’s one-and-only
self-proclaimed Swedish-via-Eugene psyche-
rock band Dick Dagger (6 pm).
Look out for the super-secretive rumored
reunion of a classic and beloved Eugene
band. We can’t tell you much more, but suf-
fice it to say the band’s name rhymes with
“Shmeltsin” (OK, shhh: It’s Yeltsin 6 pm at the
Blairalley Stage).
There will br another return to form: Actor and
musician Cooper Bombadil returns from Los An-
geles to play bass with cabaret-rock six piece Hot
Sauce Holiday 2:30 pm and lead the psych-rock
band Westerner, both on the Board Stage.
The music roster is filled with many more
local favorites, old and new: The
Sugar Beets, Not a Part of It,
Caitlin Jemma and The
Goodness, Le Rev,
F
Pancho + The Factory, Blue Lo-
tus, Sol Seed, Medium Troy and
more.
But if you weren’t present and account-
ed for at the Ghost Tour show July 2 at Hi-Fi Music
Hall, you missed out on a truly magical moment —
the joyous debut of a new local band that, all things
being equal, could singlehandedly punch Eugene’s
music scene into overdrive. A collection of veteran
musicians fronted by singer-songwriter (and some-
time EW contributor) Andy Valentine, this
band brings something new and invigorat-
ing to the table: sharp musicianship, hon-
ey-dipped harmonies and a charismatic
collective presence, all in the service of
smart, sophisticated pop songs that sound
like some dark and delicious 21st-century
collision of Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and The
Beatles. See them at 2 pm on the Main Stage.
Lastly, if you get a chance, thank a volunteer
on your way out. WBP is a free event thanks to con-
tributions like this from the neighborhood.
The WBP ends at 10 pm, but the good vibes con-
tinues over at WOW Hall for the inaugural WBP
fundraiser afterparty; $10 adv.; $15 door.
Eugene native Tiger Fresh, aka Dylan
Peterson, visits from Oakland
to headline with his hip-
hop-infused EDM.
FIFTH COURSE:
Coconut shaved ice at
Paradise Shaved Ice
For the full schedule of events and
attractions, visit whiteakerblock-
party.com.
eugeneweekly.com • A ugust 4, 2016
13