Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (June 29, 2017)
INDIE-ROCK MICRO-FEST “Everyone I talk to, there’s something different in the air,” says Bri Childs, guitarist with Eugene/Portland instrumental act Childspeak. She’s talking about the energy in Eugene’s indie-rock scene. “Bands are really supporting each other,” she continues. “The music community is growing so fast.” So Childs, along with Hi-Fi Music Hall, hatched Mini-Merica, what Childs calls a “mini-rock fest” happening July 4 at Hi-Fi. Childs describes Mini-Merica as “a showcase of a lot of the working Eugene bands” and “a celebration of the air that’s in our music community right now.” The event features 10 bands, a dizzying array of local talent: from Thom Simon and Spiller to Critical Shakes and Muscle Beach Petting Zoo, plus a whole lot more. What’s apparent is that, despite Eugene’s reputation as a capital of hippie music, the town has a vibrant indie-rock and garage-punk scene. Childs says Mini- Merica was strategically planned so that between Hi-Fi’s lounge and main hall music will always be happening. “There won’t be any silence,” Childs says, adding that “the idea is that you can catch at least some of every band’s set.” And part of the show’s cover will go to mix and produce an online video of the concert. “Someone will be able to find this video online,” Childs explains, “and it will have a song from each of the performing bands.” Childspeak’s Mini-Merica is 8 pm Tuesday, July 4, at Hi-Fi Music Hall; $10 adv., $12 door, 21-plus. — Will Kennedy TOM CH A MBERL AIN THURSDAY 6/29 B&B LOUNGE Karaoke— 9:30pm; n/c THE BARNLIGHT Karaoke w/ Breezy Bee—9pm; n/c BEERGARDEN The Jive Masters—7:30pm; blues, n/c BLACK FOREST AKA Faceless, North by North—10pm; n/c COWFISH Dirty Thursday w/ Diemos—9pm; dirty-house, electronic, n/c CUTHBERT AMPHITHEATER Rebelution, Nahko & Medicine for the People, Collie Buddz, HIRIE & DJ Mackle—6:30pm; $35 DEXTER LAKE CLUB Karaoke w/ Jared—9pm; n/c FIFTH ST PUBLIC MARKET RIFFLE—6pm; blues, R&B, rock, n/c HAPPY HOURS Crystal Harmony Karaoke—8:30pm; n/c HI-FI LOUNGE Pluto the Planet w/Slow Corpse, Joseph Hein— 10pm; indie rock, $5 JAZZ STATION Portland Jazz Series: LaRhonda Steele— 7:30pm; jazz, $12 LUCKEY'S Grateful Dead Family Jam—10pm; dead covers, open jam, $3 MAX’S DJ Victor—10pm; hits, old standards, requests, n/c MCSHANE'S Acoustic Underground Open Mic— 7:30pm; n/c OAKSHIRE Fiddlin' Sue Band— 4:30pm; bluegrass, folk, n/c OLD NICK'S Eugene Order of Steel Happy Hour Bout—6pm; n/c. Orchards, Critical Shakes, The Meridians—9pm; post-hard- core, punk, shoegaze, $5 OVERTIME BAR & GRILL Blues Jam w/Dave Roberts, ft. Gaye Lee Russell—7pm; n/c POKER LOUNGE Karaoke w/ Sassy Patty—7pm; n/c SAM BONDS FOUNDRY Dan Cioper—6pm; singer-songwriter, n/c SAM BONDS GARAGE Leadbetter & Young—9pm; $5 SHADOWFOX Open Mic—8pm; n/c TERRITORIAL VINEYARDS Easy on the Ears—7pm; pop, jazz, origi- nals, n/c FRIDAY 6/30 5TH ST CORNUCOPIA Caught Red Handed—9:30pm; n/c. Gumbo Groove plays Fungrass—10pm; n/c BLACK FOREST Red Cloud, Last Giant Band, Coyote—10pm; n/c BLAIRALLY Church of the 80s w/Chris, Jen & John—8pm; 80s vinyl, $3 BREWSTATION Sojourner— 7:30pm; indie, n/c BRONCO SALOON Karaoke w/ Lindsey—9pm; n/c BUGSY'S Daddy Rabbit—9pm; 50s & 60s rock & roll, covers & originals, n/c COWFISH Freek-Nite w/SPOC- 3PO—9pm; underground, pop, remix, $5 DAVIS DJ Crown—10:30pm; hip- hop, dance, reggaeton, $5 DOC'S PAD Karaoke w/KJ Power—9pm; n/c DRIFTWOOD BAR Karaoke w/ Slick Nick—9pm; n/c DUCK BAR Karaoke w/Breezy Bee—9pm; n/c EL TAPATIO CANTINA Karaoke w/ KJ Rick—9pm; n/c HI-FI LOUNGE Alder St. w/Left Coast Country—10pm; blue- grass, folk, $5 JAZZ STATION Sarah Burkhart sings Sarah Vaughn—7:30pm; jazz, $10 JERSEY'S Karaoke w/Sassy Patty—9pm; n/c KEG TAVERN Karaoke w/J'Lynn—9pm; n/c LUCKEY'S Ready Steady Soul Club Whole Lotta Soul Dance Party!—10pm; rare soul djs, $3 MOE'S Stone Cold JAZZ w/Kenny Reed—6pm; jazz jam, n/c MOHAWK TAVERN Shatterproof—9pm; rock, coun- try, n/c MULLIGAN'S PUB Christie & McCallum—8:30pm; ameri- cana, n/c NOBLE ESTATE URBAN Jobe Woosley—6pm; americana, n/c O BAR Karaoke w/Jared—9pm; n/c OLD NICK'S Miss Minsky Presents Burlesque w/Real Gone Trio—10pm; burlesque, variety, $8 OREGON WINE LAB Barbara Healy Trio—7pm; original R&B, jazz, blues, n/c SULKY SURF Surf-rock band La Luz is a sepia-filtered road trip down Hwy 101 in the dead of summer. The group mashes together doo-wop, angst and dance jams with an added sprinkle of vocals thick as winter fog. From their Seattle roots to a newfound home in Los Angeles, La Luz creates a balanced stew of purely West Coast sounds. Shana Cleveland (guitar, vocals) and Alice Sandahl (keyboard, vocals) meld together haunting melodies with their cooing voices and wailing, classically ’60s keyboard. Lena Simon (bass, vocals) and Marian Li Pino (drums) bring a contagiously danceable tempo for a balanced concoction of sulky yet playful vibes. “The darkness is part of what I consider to be empathy or compassion,” Cleveland says about the band’s saturated sound. “To ignore the struggle is to be uncompassionate.” She explains that La Luz brings empathy to every show; it’s an experience you can dance to, but also something real. “If I hear music that’s only celebrating the good times, like party music,” Cleveland says, “it doesn’t touch me. It doesn’t feel true to life.” Last year, La Luz took their lovably dreary Seattle sound to Los Angeles, where they are polishing their West Coast vibe — and getting more sun, Cleveland notes. “Seattle had, ya know, the ’90s,” she laughs. “It’s the perfect place to start a band. Los Angeles feels like home.” This sentiment will be reflected in the band’s fourth and upcoming album (details yet to be disclosed), along with a more finely tuned vintage sound. “It feels like us,” Cleveland says, “not the idea of what we would be when we first started. La Luz along plays with Savila and VCR 9:30 pm Tuesday, July 4, at WOW Hall; $15 adv., $18 door. — Kelsey Anne Rankin PARK BLOCKS Fridays at the Park Blocks Concert—4:30pm; n/c SAGINAW VINEYARD Living The Dream—6pm; rock & roll, n/c SAM BONDS GARAGE Echo Pearl Varsity, Joy Tribe—9:30pm; math-rock, jazz, indie, $7 SARVER WINERY Peter Giri w/ Lloyd Tolbert—5pm; acoustic & electric songs, n/c SPFD ELKS BTM Karaoke—8pm; everyone welcome, n/c SWEET CHEEKS TASTING ROOM Mike Davis—6pm; acoustic gui- tar, n/c TERRITORIAL VINEYARDS Geo4—7pm; jazzy ethnic funk, n/c VANILLA JILL'S Crystal Bop— 7pm; improvised electronic music, don. WAYWARD LAMB Glamazons Drag Show —10pm; burlesque, cabaret, $5 WHITE HORSE SALOON Karaoke w/KJ Mike—9pm; n/c SATURDAY 7/1 5TH ST CORNUCOPIA Goshwood—9:30pm; n/c AGRARIAN ALES Gumbo Groove plays Fungrass—5pm; n/c THE ATRIUM Temple Under the Stars—2pm; n/c AXE & FIDDLE Rudolf Korv— 8:30pm; n/c BEERGARDEN The Real Gone Trio—7:30pm; rockabilly, n/c BENNETT VINEYARDS The Brewketts—6pm; n/c BLACK FOREST Choke The Silence—10pm; n/c BREW & CUE Sassy Patty, BTM Karaoke—9pm; n/c BREWSTATION Farmer Jimmy & Michael Brennen et al— 7:30pm; greek festival, n/c CITY NIGHTCLUB Crystal Harmony Karaoke—9pm; EDM, n/c COWFISH Sup! w/Michael Human—9pm; hip-hop, electro, top-40, $5 CUSH CAFE Open Mic—2pm; n/c DEXTER LAKE CLUB Christie & McCallum—7pm; americana, n/c DOC'S PAD Karaoke w/KJ Power—9pm; n/c DOWNTOWN LIBRARY Okaidja Afroso—1pm; singer-songwriter from Ghana, n/c DRIFTWOOD BAR Karaoke w/ Slick Nick—9pm; n/c DUCK BAR Karaoke w/Breezy Bee—9pm; n/c HI-FI LOUNGE Mercury's Antennae w/Black Magdalene— 10pm; electronica, darkwave, shoegaze, $5 JAZZ STATION Frank Kohl & John Stowell Trio—7:30pm; jazz, $12 KEG TAVERN Dance Music w/J'Lynn—9pm; n/c LUCKEY'S Fools, TBA—10pm; indie, garage rock, $5 MOHAWK TAVERN Impulse— 9pm; rock, country, n/c NOBLE ESTATE URBAN Skip Jones & Friends—6pm; blues & boogie, n/c OLD NICK'S Caribbean Night w/ DJ Crown—10pm; reggae, dance hall, $3 QUACKER'S Ladies Night & DeeJay—9pm; n/c SAM BONDS GARAGE Giants in the Trees, Ferns—9:30pm; rock, n/c THE SHEDD Nellie McKay: A Girl Named Bill—7:30pm; $28-$36 SWEET CHEEKS TASTING ROOM Olem Alves—6pm; n/c TIME OUT TAVERN The Kilroys— 9pm; n/c VANILLA JILL'S Joseph Heim Band—7pm; americana, R&B, rock, $5 WHITE HORSE SALOON Karaoke w/Sarah—9pm; n/c SUNDAY 7/2 AGATE ALLEY BISTRO Karaoke w/Breezy Bee—9pm; n/c ALTON BAKER PARK Art and the Vineyard: Gerry Rempal Jazz Syndicate—noon; $5-$25. Theo Czuk—2pm; $5-$25. Jake Koelzer—4pm; $5-$25. Edewaard—6pm; $5-$25. Pigs on the Wing—8pm; $5-$25 BLIND PIG Karaoke w/Sassy Patty—7pm; n/c COWFISH Sun Daze w/Aaron Jackson—9pm; bass, house, club, n/c CUSH CAFE Open Mic—2pm; n/c THE EMBERS Karaoke w/Sassy Patty—7pm; n/c JAZZ STATION Sunday Vocal Jam hosted by Dona Clarke—6pm; $5 don. eugeneweekly.com • June 29, 2017 23
