Author Archives | Casey Miller

Podcast: The Bachelorette episode 2 recap

This time on the Emerald Podcast Network Casey Miller and Sarah Urban discuss the second episode of Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette. This week Rachel continued her search for love on two group dates and one one-on-one date. There were babies, basketballs, and Barkfests; but mostly there was a whole lot of drama you definitely don’t want to miss. Tune in to catch all the highlights and hear about who we think will end up winning Rachel Lindsay’s heart.

This episode was produced by Franziska Monahan.

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University Day brings community spirit to campus

On the first sunny day after a mid-May week of rain, the area outside the EMU  was filled with music, pop-up tents and good vibes. Thursday was University Day, where hundreds of students, faculty and community members worked to beautify the campus. Each spring, University Day is hosted by the Division of Student Life to prep for senior commencement ceremonies and landscape for the summer season.

This year, volunteers met on the Collier Lawn in front of the EMU from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. One hour of work earned each volunteer a free University Day shirt decorated with ducks. According to University Day Committee Chair Erin Petit, the funds for this event come straight from the Division of Student Life.

“My supervisor and team work in the office of Major Student Events, which is in the Division of Student Life,” she explained. “Our budget was $5,000 and we met under it.”

Volunteers paint rocks to brighten up campus. (Casey Miller)

From planting flowers to cleaning up litter, volunteers got their hands dirty. Landscapes near the library, Rec Center and other campus corners were given the special treatment, with weed pulling and resoiling. Additionally, each University Day has a special project, and this year’s project was rock painting. Under the check-in tent, rocks were scattered across a fold out table with a variety of paints. After the event, University Day committee members scattered the decorated rocks around gardens on campus.

To get the word out about the event, there were a few hoops to jump through, Petit said. They began with a grassroots campaign, directly contacting heads of departments to send out emails to their students. Within university groups, there are a few restrictions for event organizers can market.

“So we really pushed emails through major departments, and also tried on Facebook,” Petit added. “We created a Facebook event and shared that event with fraternity and sorority life, students groups, and different departments on campus.”

Petit hopes that University Day will have a long-term effect on campus life. The main goal for today: for students to feel like they made a difference on their own campus.

“I don’t really care about numbers. I don’t care if we have two hundred or a thousand students come out and participate. I just want everyone to feel like they were able to give back to their community in some form. I think that’s my biggest measurement of success today,” Petit said.

University Day committee member Kevin Zumwalt spent his Thursday working bag check at check-in, so that students wouldn’t have to carry around their backpacks while doing outdoor work. Zumwalt had high hopes for the effects of the University Day event, both physically on campus and in terms of community spirit.

“The biggest difference I want to see today is a community mindset,” he said. “I think a lot of times in college it’s easy to get focused on you and your goals and what you’re trying to get done, and that kind of microcosm isn’t always conducive to a [campus] culture. I just want to see people working together and interacting with each other that normally wouldn’t do that.”

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Review: Harry Styles channels Mick Jagger on debut solo album

With his self-titled debut album finally out, Harry Styles has nearly completed his transformation into a young Mick Jagger replica. Styles already wears funky patterned suits to his promotional events, maintains his soft locks in a long and wavy fashion, and lives the bachelor lifestyle of a young Rolling Stone in London — but Styles is no imitator. This album is Jagger’s persona in sonic form, but at the same time, it allows Styles to prove he is a one-of-a-kind performer.

Between heartbreaking ballads like “Sign of the Times” and raunchy rock songs like “Carolina,” “Harry Styles” is an album full of Rolling Stones similarities but with a modern, younger and more individual perspective. It’s an album with universal appeal. Styles sings with a familiarity to fans who have known him since his One Direction days, but with more mature lyrics for a broader, more mature audience. As Rolling Stone magazine said in its review of the album, Styles is officially a “true rock & roll prince.”

Lyrics like these would definitely not be on any One Direction album, and Styles is using his own voice with confidence and no censorship. After all, the One Direction fans who have stuck with the band since they formed in 2011 are now older, generally more mature and ready for a different approach to love and life. They can relate more to lyrics like, “She worked her way through a cheap pack of cigarettes / Hard liquor mixed with a bit of intellect” than before.

In this album, Styles isn’t singing about the girl who caught his eye in the club, but about the after-hours emotions that come with a blurry night out, or everyday romance. In “Sweet Creature,” the most emotional track on the record, Styles sings about “two hearts in one home” that just aren’t on the same page. It’s a more mature perspective from someone who has now been through many relationships since the beginning of his musical career.

Then there are songs like “Kiwi,” a hard-rock track about a wild woman with whom he’s madly infatuated. He compares her to a stripper at one point and she claims to be having his baby. It’s a far cry from anything Styles has written about in the past, with One Direction or otherwise, and it’s how Styles is demonstrating his new sound of rock and maturity in lyricism.

He’s a solo act now with a soft-rock soul and it drips into each track. Whether it’s a quietly powerful melody like “From the Dining Room table” or the rowdy “Only Angel” where he shouts about a woman who’s an angel elsewhere but a “devil in between the sheets.” This album seems like it is exactly what the passionate rocker Styles wanted it to be, as he sings, co-writes and strums the guitar on nearly every track.

Get ready for the next few decades of Harry Styles, a former boyband star breaking out of a Mick Jagger-shaped shadow to be a contemporary rock artist with an old London style.

Watch the video for “Sign of the Times” below:

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Things to do this week: May 11-17: Spring Student Dance Concert, Zepparella at Hi-Fi and Dogs at the Duck Nest

Thursday, May 11, through Saturday, May 13: Spring Student Dance Concert (1484 University St.), 8 p.m., students/seniors $8, general admission $12

The University of Oregon’s dance program will present a spring performance in the Gerlinger Annex’s Dougherty Dance Theatre as a culmination of the year’s work from multiple advanced student dancers. Each dance will be choreographed and performed by students. The concert itself is produced entirely by students from the program. The show will highlight a range of diverse works from these advanced dancers.

The performance is open to all students, faculty and the general public. Tickets to the concert are available in advance from the UO Ticket Office in the EMU or can be purchased at the door.

Friday, May 12: Zepparella at Hi-Fi Music Hall (44 East 7th Avenue), doors open at 7 p.m., tickets $16 advance, $20 at the door, 21 +

Paying tribute to a band as sacred to rock as Led Zeppelin is harder than it sounds. Zepparella, an all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band, has what it takes. Formed in the 2000s by the drummer, known simply as Clementine, the group brings relentless musicality to every one of their shows, capturing Zeppelin’s spirit while making the music their own. Fellow members Anna Kristina (vocals), Gretchen Menn (guitar) and Nila Minnerok (bass) exhibit enough onstage chemistry to make their performances endlessly entertaining.

Armed with “the desire to incorporate the vocabulary of their heroes into their own,” Zepparella continues to tour across the U.S. and abroad, using Zeppelin’s mythic style of metal to bring audiences to their feet. With hundreds of shows and two live albums under its belt, this band is sure to entertain Zeppelin fans of all ages. 

Tickets are available here.

Dazed and Confused by Zepparella from Ms Zepparella on Vimeo.

Saturday, May 13: Dogs at the Duck Nest (EMU, Duck Nest, Rm 041), 11 a.m.

It is quite difficult to find someone who doesn’t like cuddling with lovable puppies. PAAWS, a Eugene-based support and networking organization, partners with the University of Oregon to bring therapy dogs to campus. For multiple Saturdays during spring term, students will be able to unwind by wrestling with a playful pup or enjoying the positivity that radiates from the loyal animals. Therapy dogs can be incredibly helpful for anxiety, so getting unconditional love and comfort from some furry friends will be a refreshing and energizing outlet for UO students. These dogs will vary in breed, size and age, but all share the ability to bring peace to a hectic end of the term.

Cooper the dog at the Duck Nest. (Courtesy of PAAWs)

Sunday, May 14: Mother’s Day 5K (100 Day Island Road) 9 a.m., $25 with pre-registration, $30 the day of the event

One of the drawbacks of the quarter system at the University of Oregon is not being home in time for Mother’s Day like many of our semester system friends. However, one option is to invite your mom up to Eugene this weekend for a Mother’s Day 5k at Alton Baker Park. The race is sponsored by Parenting Now!, which provides parenting education and support to families with young children in the local Eugene-Springfield area. The event starts near the Duck Pond, passes by Autzen Stadium and the Willamette River before ending back near the Duck Pond. It starts at 9 a.m. and refreshments can be enjoyed at the finish line. It’s a family-friendly event, so dads and siblings are also welcome to join in on the fun-filled morning.

Monday, May 15: Professor C.W. Anderson lecture on Data Journalism  (Allen Hall room 141), 6 p.m.

College of Staten Island Assistant Professor of media and culture, W.C. Anderson, will discuss the history of data journalism for the School of Journalism and Communication’s Demystifying Media seminar series. The talk will mostly focus on his soon-to-be-released research findings titled “The Apostles of Certainty: Data Journalism and the Politics of Doubt.”

Anderson, who considers himself an ethnographer and historian, studies how the rapid pace of technological advancements affect the economy, the news, journalism and culture. He is currently making stops at several universities on the West Coast to speak about his studies and findings. Along with teaching, researching and presenting lectures, Anderson is also a published author. He has either authored or helped contribute to four books, which all focus on the ever-changing landscape of journalism.

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Kehlani, Ella Mai and Jahkoy deliver an emotional, memorable WOW Hall performance

In what may have been the best night WOW Hall has seen this year, Kehlani blew minds with her soulful music and inspirational words on Friday with her first performance in Eugene. Not only did Kehlani bring her best to the stage for the Eugene stop on her “SweetSexySavage” tour, but she also brought fantastic openers and mid-set DJs to keep the crowd grooving all night. 

The first opener was Jahkoy, a Toronto R&B artist with a flair for reggae and “elements of house,” as self-described in an interview with the Emerald. His performance consisted of songs from his debut EP from October’s “Foreign Waters.” Much of the audience seemed unaware of Jahkoy’s music except for his collab with ScHoolboy Q on “California Heaven,” but Jahkoy’s energy was absolutely infectious. Jahkoy busted out with provocative dance moves, interacted with the audience and sang with a passion in his voice that brought smiles to everyone dancing along. After his set, he took photos in front of Kehlani’s signature “SweetSexySavage” neon sign with newly converted fans.

After Jahkoy’s energetic set ended, Ella Mai took the stage for a soulful pop performance. The native Brit was discovered on Instagram by DJ Mustard and signed to his label 10 Summers (part of Interscope Records), and she spent all of 2016 releasing EPs. Her most recent EP, “Ready” was released in February and her debut full-length album is due soon. Like Jahkoy, Ella Mai won the hearts of the audience with her captivating voice and dynamic stage presence. She bounced around the stage with a rambunctious spirit and pointed the mic at the crowd to shout her lyrics back at her.

But while the openers left the audience wanting more at the end of each set, Kehlani rocked WOW Hall with hers. Not only was her voice just as graceful, clear and soulful as on each track of “SweetSexySavage,” but she brought the soul to the stage outside of her songs as well. The best and most unique part of this concert was the level of intimacy between Kehlani and the audience.

Between nearly every song, Kehlani would share stories about her past with the audience in an attempt to connect on a personal level. She spoke for 10 minutes about how to separate negative thoughts to maintain a level of self-esteem without dependency on the support of others and gave a remarkable monologue about her experience with the LGBT. During these deeply emotional talks, audience members cried and hugged their friends and loved ones and shouted, “We love you!” to Kehlani.

With each song, everyone in WOW Hall sang along with passion, until half the room was filled with Kehlani’s voice and the other half with the voices of the audience. The performance’s intimacy certainly made it a memorable experience, and Kehlani, Ella Mai and Jahkoy made it easily one of the best concerts to come to Eugene this year.

Watch Kehlani’s video for “CRZY” below:

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Things to do this week: Annual Hope Conference, Light Up the Night Bike Ride and Ab-Soul at WOW Hall

Thursday, April 13 through Saturday, April 15: 23rd Annual Hopes Conference at the UO School of Allied Arts and Architecture (1206 University St.), 12-8 p.m., free

The theme of the 23rd Annual Hopes Conference is displacement, specifically the global displacement of resources, populations and natural rights. Each panel, workshop, speaker and social mixer will base discussion around how and where to intervene “amid these conditions of change,” and how to harness “opportunities of displacement to cultivate more resilient systems.” 

The main panel is “Divided Cities: Modern Gentrification” hosted by University of Oregon student group STAnDD [Supporting the Advancement of Diversity in Design]. Speakers and hosts include a variety of design professionals, including design principal at NYC-based studio SCAPE Gena Wirth; agriculturalist and soil physician James Cassidy; and United States High Commissioner for Refugees head of the CCCM unit Andrew Cusack. There is also a dinner gathering on Saturday night to close the conference, catered by Falling Sky Brewery. All events are free and open to the public.

-Casey Miller

Thursday and Friday, April 13 and 14: Eugene Symphony: ‘The Damnation of Faust’ at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts (7th and Willamette) 8 p.m., $22-$68.25, student discounts available

The Eugene Symphony will be performing the works of classic French composer Hector Berlioz through its modernized performance of “The Damnation of Faust.” The performance will feature the Eugene Symphony Chorus performing in tandem with a display of digital imagery created by the Harmonic Laboratory.

“The Damnation of Faust,” a story of seduction and damnation, is a pseudo-opera that has long defied classification and has historically been difficult to perform. Modern musicians have strived to recreate the performance as Berlioz originally envisioned it using modern technology and techniques.

You can learn more about the performance at eugenesymphony.org.

-Mathew Brock

Friday, April 14: Light Up the Night Bike Ride (1225 East 18th Ave.), 7-9 p.m., Free

If you are looking for a bike ride unlike any other, the UO Outdoor Program will be a hosting a nighttime ride with all bikes decked out in colorful lights on Friday evening just before sunset. The ride will start on campus and weave over to Alton Baker Park to see the sunset along the river. This event is free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to gather at the Outdoor Program Barn to get strobe lights and reflectors on their bikes before the ride. The group will also start the evening ride from the Outdoor Program Barn.

For more information about the ride or other UO outdoor program events, visit the outdoor program website at www.outdoorprogram.edu.

-Leanne Harloff

Saturday, April 15: Ab-Soul at WOW Hall (291 W 8th Ave), 9 p.m., tickets $23 advance, $27 at the door, $65 for Meet & Greet

L.A.-born rapper Ab-Soul (Herbert Anthony Stevens IV) has made a name for himself by being abstract and unexpected. After signing with the rap powerhouse label Top Dawg Entertainment in 2007, he released four commercially successful albums and received praise for his varied musical style. One-fourth of the Black Hippy supergroup (which includes Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy-Q), Ab-Soul’s production and lyrical content manage to mix the mainstream and metaphysical. His latest project, “Do What Thou Wilt.,” showcases his skill behind the mic while tackling issues of drug use and religion (often in the same song). 

Ab-Soul’s existential, heady style will captivate those looking outside the conventions of popular rap when he comes to Eugene’s WOW Hall on Saturday. Expect a night of philosophical bangers.

Tickets are available here: http://www.wowhall.org/events/ab-soul-nick-grant

Dana Alston

Tuesday, April 18: Worn Wear at Lillis Business Complex, (955 E 13th Ave), 1o a.m.–5 p.m.

UO’s Net Impact chapter has helped arrange for Patagonia’s clothing repair truck to make a stop at UO. The outdoor-wear company has sent its clothing repair truck to visit colleges across the nation in order to help educate students on how to repair old clothing. The campaign’s mission is to inspire a community that focuses on repurposing, reusing and reducing waste of all kinds. Clothing repair technicians will be fixing all types of clothing — with the exception of backpacks and shoes — and from any brand. 

The repair truck will be stationed in front of the Lillis Business Complex following a sustainable consumption conference hosted by Patagonia’s own Rick Ridgeway. A variety of other UO outdoor programs are set to accompany the repair truck on Tuesday. Those who have clothing that needs to be repaired or recycled, but can’t make it to next week’s event can send their items into Patagonia through its website at Patagonia.com/worn-wear . 

-Zach Price

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Things to do this week: Hawaiian Guitar Festival, Cottage Grove Half Marathon and Sam Lachow

Thursday, March 9: Visiting Artist Lecture Sandow Birk: American Quran at Lawrence Hall (1190 Franklin Blvd.) 6 p.m.

Artist Sandow Birk will be visiting campus to talk about his American Quran project, which is currently on display at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. American Quran is an art piece that overlays passages from the Islamic religious text over artwork depicting contemporary American life. 

After the events of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Birk devoted himself to studying the Quran and Islamic culture by traveling to Muslim countries around the world. The piece is meant to introduce the teachings of the Quran to non-Muslim audiences as well as celebrate Islamic culture. Birk believes regardless of the conflicts between the U.S. and Muslim nations, the Quran carries teachings that have value to all the nations of the world.

Learn more at http://jsma.uoregon.edu/SandowBirk.

Mathew Brock

Friday, March 10: Annual Hawaiian Slack Guitar Festival at the Hult Center for Performing Arts, (1 Eugene Center), 7:30 p.m., tickets on sale at the EMU ticket office

This traveling music festival will make a stop in Eugene before moving onto Portland the following day. The festival will provide UO students and community members with traditional Hawaiian slack-key guitar tunes. This year’s festival will feature native Hawaiian singer/songwriter Bill Keale. His smooth, gentle voice and skilled acoustic guitar playing have earned him the title of  “most popular singer in Central Oregon” by the Source Weekly-Bend for three consecutive years. While he has earned many accolades in the Pacific Northwest, Keale is an established slack guitar player throughout the Hawaiian music community. 

LT Smooth, Stephen Inglis and Bobby Moderow Jr. are set to join Keale on Friday for the festival’s 35th anniversary.

-Zach Price

Saturday, Nov. 11: Sam Lachow at WOW Hall (291 W 8th Ave.), 9 p.m., tickets $12 advance, $15 at the door, All Ages

WOW Hall will welcome rapper, producer and videographer Sam Lachow this Saturday. The Seattle and NYC-based musician, who reached prominence with the Kickstarter-fueled album “Huckleberry” in 2014, is known for using live instrumentation in his production. His first solo-project, “Brand New Bike,” featured live music from a variety of Seattle-based musicians. Lachow released his latest EP, “Friends, Funk & Liquor” in 2016.

Seattle musicians Ariana DeBoo and Romaro Franceswa will join Lachow onstage. DeBoo is a pop vocalist and and songwriter who has collaborated with artists like Lachow and Macklemore on the latter’s single, “Drug Dealer.” Franceswa, also originating from Seattle, is a rapper known for his ability to freestyle and deliver “street-gospels” through hip-hop. Both musicians contributed heavily to Lachow’s latest EP.

Listening to Lachow and watching him perform is like peeking into the history, vibe and music of Seattle. The city has come to define the artist, and on Saturday, Lachow hopes to bring his energy and hometown love to Eugene.

-Dana Alston

Saturday, March 11: Cottage Grove Half Marathon (Bohemia Park, S 10th St., Cottage Grove) 8:30 a.m., $45

This weekend, drive just twenty minutes south of Eugene and prepare for next weekend’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities by running a half marathon. The Cottage Grove Half Marathon is taking place this Saturday on the Row River Trail. Participants are instructed to meet at Dorena Elementary School to be picked up by buses and taken to Bohemia Park for the race.

The “fast and flat” half marathon is on the Row River Trail, which runs 15.6 miles along an abandoned rail line from Cottage Grove to Dorena Lake, Culp Creek and Umpqua National Forest. The event is hosted in support of the United Way of Lane County “Live United” and the “Be Your Best” projects of the Cottage Grove community. Competitors who end the race as the top three men and women overall in each age group will participate in an awards ceremony at the finish line at 1 p.m. Register for the race at cottagegrovehalf.com

-Casey Miller

Sunday, March 12: Mindfulness Day Hike, Depart from the Outdoor Program Barn (1225 E 18th Ave.), 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., $5

With finals quickly approaching, now is an excellent time to escape stress and go for a calming hike in the Oregon forests. The UO Outdoor Program will provide an excellent opportunity for this with a hike along the McKenzie River. Students will hike solo along the trail before meeting up as a group at the end near the waterfalls.

Students must sign up online with the Outdoor Program’s sign up sheet. In order to join the hike, students must also attend a pre-trip meeting on Friday, March 9 at 6 p.m. in the Outdoor Program area of the EMU. More information about the trail will be given at the meeting. The $5 fee will also be paid at this meeting. For more information visit the UO Outdoor Program website.

-Leanne Harloff

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Things to do this week—Feb. 23-Mar. 1: Archaeology lecture, Mardi Gras Masquerade and Datsik at McDonald

Thursday, Feb. 23: Demystifying Media Series: Hackers, Data and Code in the age of Trump at the EMU (EMU, 1395 University St.) 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., free

With all the political buzz around ideas like hacking and the use or loss of White House data, it’s up to modern-minded journalists to do what they can to explain and utilize digital information.

Professor Nikki Usher will be leading a talk this week on her new book “Interactive Journalism Hackers, Data and Code” and the future of interactive and data-based journalism. The talk will focus on the deceptive ways data can be displayed, how it influences people and how much damage it can do when abused.

You can learn more at https://calendar.uoregon.edu/.

-Mathew Brock

Friday, Feb. 24: Archaeology Lecture by Erkki Huhtamo at Lawrence Hall, Room 177 (1190 Frank Blvd.) 6 p.m.

This school of Architecture and Allied Arts event will feature media arts professor Erkki Huhtamo presenting a lecture based on his soon-to-be-released book “Screenology, or Media Archaeology of the Screen.” 

Huhtamo is regarded as a pioneer of Media Archaeology, which is a field that attempts to understand new and emerging media through close examination of the past. He will examine how media screens are simultaneously present and absent in today’s society. Much of the Los Angeles-based professor’s work deals with the task of making these media screens present again. This lecture will focus on the methods of researching screens as well as a possible new approach for media studies researchers.

When not lecturing, Huhtamo teaches design media arts, film and television as well as digital media at UCLA.

-Zach Price

Friday, Feb. 24: Eugene Mardi Gras Masquerade Party (Hi-Fi Music Hall, 44 E 7th Ave.) 7 p.m., $15, 21+

Celebrate Mardi Gras early this weekend at Hi-Fi Music Hall’s first annual Mardi Gras Masquerade party this Friday! Beads, masks and party attire are recommended for entry, and all attendees must be at least 21 years old. Featured performances include local musicians Marv Ellis and We Tribe, Soul Vibrator, Eleven Eyes, and Verbs & Nouns. Show up before 8 p.m. for free t-shirt screen printing with Threadbare Print House. Stamped attendees have full access until 2 a.m. to both Hi-Fi’s music hall and lounge.

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Additionally, the New Orleans-style party is sponsored by 20 local businesses and is raising money for women’s health and safety. Proceeds from the tickets go to Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon, Sexual Assault Support Services, Wellmama and Trauma Healing Project. Visit eugenemardigras.org for tickets and details.

-Casey Miller

Saturday, Feb. 25: Co-op Family Center’s Pancake Breakfast and Silent Auction, Co-op Family Center (2250 Patterson St.), 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Adults $8, Kids $3

The Co-op Family Center will be hosting its 23rd annual Pancake Breakfast and Auction this week in order to raise money for making excellent early childhood education more accessible to everyone. The event is open to the public and will begin with the all-you-can-eat pancake, applesauce, orange juice and coffee breakfast at 8:30 a.m. From there it will continue with a silent auction from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. A raffle drawing will take place at 11 a.m.

Donations have been pouring in from around the community for Saturday’s event. The Co-op Family Center began in 1972 by providing childcare services as well as valuable educational opportunities for youth. The main goal is “to raise happy, healthy and socially confident children,” according to the center’s website. Proceeds from Saturday’s event will go toward continuing that focus.

-Leanne Harloff

Sunday, Feb. 26: Datsik at McDonald Theatre (1010 Willamette St.), 8 p.m., tickets $33 in advance, 16+

Dubstep and EDM superstar Datsik will make his way to the McDonald Theatre on Saturday, continuing his Ninja Nation Tour into the Pacific Northwest. Datsik is using the tour to promote his most recent EP, “Sensei,” released in 2016.

Originating from British Colombia, Datsik (born Troy Beetles) rose to prominence with a series of EPs and singles during the EDM boom of the late 2000s. Success came quickly; Beetles found success less than a year after beginning his music career. His sound fits comfortably into EDM and Dubstep, but occasionally ventures into darker and more robotic textures. Datsik has collaborated with acts like Infected Mushroom, Korn, Skrillex and Excision. His shows generate enough energy and noise to bring the house down, no matter the venue.

Tickets are available here: http://www.bandsintown.com/Datsik

-Dana Alston

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Who were the winners and losers of the 2017 Grammys?

In a word, the 59th Annual Grammy Awards show was complicated. This year’s show was filled with both subtle and overt political protests, major snubs to what should have been obvious winners and plenty of Adele; it was overwhelming and genuinely entertaining.

James Corden of Late Late Night on CBS, hosted in a comical but responsible way. He was clearly well-prepared, and almost every single joke landed perfectly. The only bump in Corden’s performance was trying to get a handful of celebrities to sing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” with him to promote his new Carpool Karaoke series. Luckily Blue Ivy Carter saved the day when she ran into the Jennifer Lopez-led group and earned a collective “Awww!” from the audience in-house and at home.

Beyoncé, mother of Blue Ivy Carter and incoming twins, may have had the most beautiful performance of the night. Decked out in golden material, crowned with gold metals and almost literally glowing six months into her pregnancy, Beyoncé’s performance of “Love Drought” and Sandcastles” was beyond impressive. Even without her usual quick-choreography performance (which backup dancers made up for this time), her vocals shone through the breathtaking visuals to truly encapsulate why people call her “Queen Bee.” 

Other captivating performances included Bruno Mars’ boisterous and enthusiastic Prince tribute, Chance the Rapper’s gospel-rap performance and Katy Perry’s best Grammys performance yet. Dressed in Prince’s iconic sparkling purple coat and white guitar from Purple Rain, Mars played Prince perfectly — including a hyper-sexual guitar solo to close out “Let’s Go Crazy.” 

Chance took home three Grammys and inspired the audience with a performance of “How Great” and “All We Got” from his newest album, Coloring Book. Perry displayed a new hairdo and a whole new look, wearing a “Resist” armband as a form of protest against President Donald Trump. Her dance moves, new song and stage display were a change of pace for Perry, and it was one that the audience clearly appreciated, as evidenced by a standing ovation. 

In terms of winners, Beyoncé was snubbed again for her numerous nominations, except for Best Music Video and Best Urban Contemporary Album. Like in 2015, she was nominated for Best Album of the Year, but lost to Adele. Adele managed to sweep all of the awards she was nominated for, once again starting the conversation of racial inequality in the Grammy nominations committee. But Adele ripped her award for Best Album in two and gave half to Beyoncé.

Regardless, Adele definitely received the most camera time. She was responsible for the George Michael tribute but hit the wrong note and let a swear word slip. The orchestra then restarted the song and she finished without error. She also opened the show with a low-key performance of “Hello” — which, as many pointed out, was released in 2015. Grammy guidelines state that anything released between Oct. 1, 2015 and Sept. 30, 2016 was eligible for the 2017 Grammys. The song took home the award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. 

Lastly, the performance by A Tribe Called Quest must be mentioned. Along with Busta Rhymes and Anderson .Paak, A Tribe Called Quest performed a powerful rap/R&B song with political focus. They started by thanking “President Agent Orange” for an “unsuccessful attempt at the Muslim ban,” and soon broke down a wall on stage as a symbol against Trump’s anti-immigration policies. Soon, the stage was filled with women in hijab, Mexican men and others. A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes and .Paak ended the performance by raising their fists for black solidarity.

This year’s Grammys presented an excellent platform for political speech while also allowing the fun and silly performances to create an atmosphere of inclusivity and love among the performers and the audience. 

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Things to do this week: ‘The Maltese Falcon,’ Lotus and UO Art MFA Exhibit

Monday, Feb. 6, through Friday, Feb. 24: UO Art MFA Exhibit: “On The Wall” (44 W 7th Ave.),  free, all ages

The University of Oregon Master of Fine Arts program will be hosting an art exhibit this month. The exhibit — which is titled “Off the Wall” — challenges the commonly held notion that two-dimensional art is limited and bounded by a frame. For this project, students resisted the urge to be polite or tame while creating their works. Whether it be painting, sculpting or other artistic mediums, these students were challenged to create art meant to be hung on a wall without conforming to the standards of two-dimensional pieces.

The exhibit will feature a wide variety of works that showcase the diverse interests and skills of students in the UO art program. Exhibiting Artists include Ron Linn, Mandy Hampton, Alex Wurts, Andrew Douglas Campbell, Sumer Kham, Stephen Milner and Daniel Miller.

-Zach Price

Saturday, Feb. 11: Lotus at McDonald Theatre (1010 Willamette St.), 7 p.m., tickets $24 advance, $25 at the door, all ages

Eclectic electro band Lotus makes its way to Eugene on Saturday night, hoping to showcase its multi-genre jams to a packed crowd. Founded in 1999 in Indiana but now based in Philadelphia and Denver, the group’s impressive musical chops have remained prominent over its nine albums.

With a musical style rooted in forward-thinking classic rock, the band promises to appeal to a wide audience while still offering some experimental soundscapes to the crowd. Their songs, which usually end past the five-minute mark, explore multiple genres. Traces of the Allman Brothers’ gentle guitar-driven style can be heard amid a fusion of funk, jazz and electronica. Fans of “jam” bands such as Mowgli and Real Estate will find plenty to love at a concert that is sure to be unique and exciting. Up-and-coming jam group El Ten Eleven will open the show.

Tickets are available here.

-Dana Alston

Friday, Feb. 10: UO Peacejam’s JAM for PEACE at Global Scholars Hall Great Room (1710 E. 15th Avenue), 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., free

The University of Oregon Peacejam Club will host a night of free music, food and fun on campus during the first ever JAM for PEACE. Artists from around the Eugene and Springfield area will perform throughout the night. In addition to great local music, guests can enjoy free food and drinks provided by UO Catering. The event will serve as a fundraiser for the UO Peacejam Club.

Peacejam is an international organization dedicated to the education of peace studies, conflict resolution and more. The organization is led by 13 Nobel Peace Prize winners, including the Dalai Lama. Their focus is on “creating young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities and the world,” according to the Peacejam website. For more information about Peacejam visit Peacejam.org.

-Leanne Harloff

Friday, Feb. 10: Radio Redux: The Maltese Falcon at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts (7th and Willamette), 7:30 p.m., $23-$25, student discounts available

Three devious criminals, a femme fatale and a priceless ancient relic. Take a look at this stage adaptation of the hit that helped kick off the film noir genre with The Maltese Falcon, presented by Eugene’s own Radio Redux. Whether you’re a fan of the original 1941 film or just noir in general, you won’t want to miss this adaptation, performed live on-stage as a dramatized radio play.

Can’t make it Friday? Never fear, there are additional showings on Saturday and Sunday too. Learn more at radioreduxusa.com or buy your tickets online at hultcenter.org.

-Mathew Brock

Saturday, Feb. 11: Hop Valley 8th Anniversary Party at Hop Valley Brewing Company (990 W 1st Avenue), 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., free entry, 21+

It’s iconic local brewery Hop Valley’s anniversary this weekend. The party will go until 4 a.m. at their Eugene tasting room on 1st Avenue with food, drinks and more fun. Live music will be performed by rock and roll band PTO and R&B/jazz musician Greg Nestler. During the party, brewery tours will be given, trivia will be played and new “barrel aged beers” will be released. Prizes for blind tasters and trivia games will include Hop Valley branded gear and a massage package from Bello Spa.

-Casey Miller

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