This weekend, Bijou Metro will host the 22nd Annual University of Oregon Queer Film Festival. The festival features independent, short, feature-length and documentary films from and about the LGBTQ community. Three to four films are screened on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights starting at 6 p.m., and admission is free. This year’s festival features 10 films.

On Friday, be sure to catch “Out Smart,” a short comedy by Los Angeles director Dawn Cobalt and “Little Bi Peep,” a feature-length film that tells the story of a bisexual girl struggling with her job. Saturday will offer “Sassy Pants,” a feature film about a girl who forms a relationship with her father’s boyfriend. The film’s director, Coley Sohn, will be available for a Q&A following the screening. Sunday finishes with “The Cycle of the Witch,” a short documentary about director Cheri Gaulke’s personal story, coming out in a Lutheran household, and “G.B.F.,” a film following the “gay best friend” trend.

Feb. 7-9 UO Queer Film Festival, Bijou Metro Cinema (43 W. Broadway), free admission, 6 p.m.

In Eugene

On Campus

Feb. 7 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Watch Party: Catch the exciting start of the XXII Winter Olympics with pizza. Living-Learning Center South, Performance Hall (1455 E. 15th Ave.). Free admission, doors open at 7 p.m., ceremony starts at 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 8 Vertical Circus Climbing Clinic: This rock climbing event features events like one arm, blind folded and three-legged climbing. Student Rec Center Rock Wall (1320 E. 15th St.), no charge, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Off Campus

Feb. 7 The Essentials & Vandella: West coast nine-piece soul band, The Essentials, rock out with San Francisco band, Vandella, at Sam Bond’s Garage (407 Blair Blvd.), $5, 9:30 p.m.

Feb. 7-8 Annual KLCC Microbrew Festival: Sample over 150 beers from 65 of the West Coast’s best breweries. Lane Events Center (796 W. 13th Ave.), $12 in advance, $15 at the door, Friday: 5-11 p.m., Saturday 1-11 p.m.

Feb. 8 Polar Plunge Eugene: Participate or watch this fundraiser for Special Olympics Oregon, which involves jumping into the freezing cold Willamette River. Maurie Jacobs Park (301 Adams St.), 11 a.m.

Feb. 9 2014 Eugene Record Show & Exhibition: Browse through and buy thousands of records, tapes and CDs. Hilton Eugene (66 E. Sixth Ave.), $3 admission, 10 a.m.

In Portland

Feb. 7 The Wood Brothers & Amy Helm: Catch this Americana Blues brother duo and singer-songwriter. Crystal Ballroom (1332 W. Burnside St.), $20 in advance, $22 day of show, 8 p.m.

Feb. 8 Augustines & My Goodness: Rock out with Brooklyn-based Augustines and rock duo My Goodness. Doug Fir Lounge (830 E. Burnside St.), 21 and over, $12 in advance, $14 day of show, 9 p.m.

Feb. 7-8 Rock ‘n’ Roll Trailer Show: A collection of three-minute shorts originally screened before films, featuring The Who, The Beatles, Talking Heads and more, presented by the Academy Film Archive. Hollywood Theater (4122 NE Sandy Blvd.), $8, 9:30 p.m.

Feb 7-9 Middle Names: Check out this play which is part of the Fertile Ground Festival, which puts on new works from Portland artists about three strangers in a motel room in the middle of the desert. Action/Adventure Theatre (1050 S.E. Clinton St.), $15, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday

Feb 7-9 37th Portland International Film Festival: Featuring 128 films, this diverse film festival is sure to entertain. NW Film Center (934 S.W. Salmon St.), $10 for students, $11 general admission, Friday 6 p.m – 12. a.m., Saturday 1 p.m. – 12. a.m., Sunday 12:30 – 8 p.m.

The Oscars allow musical achievement to be recognized even after the Grammys, with the annual award for Best Original Song. This award is more of a writing award, similar to the Grammys “Song of the Year,” as it is given to the songwriters and/or composers, and does not award the performers.

According to Academy Award rules, “an original song consists of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the motion picture. There must be a clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition (not necessarily visually presented) of both lyric and melody, used in the body of the motion picture or as the first music cue in the end credits.”

The nominees for Best Original Song are normally from a wide range of films, and some go on to become hits afterward. Past winners include “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz,” “Falling Slowly” from “Once,” “Lose Yourself” from “8 Mile,” “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from “Dirty Dancing,” and “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic.” Could this year’s nominees possibly hold the same fate?

“Happy” from “Despicable Me 2,” by Pharrell Williams

Nothing describes this song better than its title. Compared to other 2014 nominees, this song just makes you feel good. It uses simple hand percussion combined with Williams’ buttery vocals and a funk sound. The innocent lyrics combined with those lovable minions may give Disney, Karen O and U2 a run for their money. Look out for the peppy live performance at the Oscars.

“Let It Go” from “Frozen,” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

The Disney darling of the bunch, belted by the insanely talented Idina Menzel in several flawless key changes, is sure to end up on playlists for years to come. Since “Pinocchio’s” ”When You Wish Upon A Star” in 1940, Disney films have often been the favorites to win in the Best Original Song category, including “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Pocahontas,” “Tarzan,” “Monsters Inc.” and “Toy Story 3.”

“The Moon Song” from “Her,” by Spike Jonze and Karen O

Indie artists rarely get Academy Award nods, and Karen O’s heart wrenching and intimate lullaby more than deserves it. The amount of emotion packed into only 2:35 minutes is astounding and speaks greatly to O’s writing abilities. The song is used in the film as Joaquin Phoenix’s character plays his ukelele and sings along with Scarlett Johansen’s voice. O and director Spike Jonze have also worked together on “Where The Wild Things Are,” which received both Grammy and Golden Globe nominations, giving this song a good chance for a win.

“Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom” by Paul Hewson

This entrancing and funky, yet reflective jam by U2 surprisingly does not feature any of Bono’s famous vocals. “Ordinary Love” proved itself by taking home the Best Original Song award at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards. This track could also win purely for its historical context: Mandela died less than a week after it was released. This is Bono’s 2^nd Academy Award nomination, the first being in 2003, for Best Original Song for “Gangs of New York.”

Eugene’s Hult Center will host the 2014 West Quarterfinal International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) on Feb. 1. Try singing that in four-part harmony.

If you like musical puns, tight harmonies and vocal percussion, this could be your night. Although YouTube, “Glee” and “The Sing Off” have increased the popularity of college a cappella, the ICCA — which began in 1996 — is still the only international a cappella competition for college students.

Groups first compete in regional quarterfinal competitions, which is what the Hult Center is hosting on Friday. The top two groups go to a semi-final round, and those winners participate in the finals, which take place in New York City in April. The winning group is given the coveted “International Championship” title.

Each group has 12 minutes to impress the judges, who rate the performances on vocal performance, visual performance and subjective rank. Special awards are also given for outstanding soloist, outstanding arrangement, outstanding vocal percussion and outstanding choreography.

Friday’s lineup consists of UO’s own co-ed “Mind the Gap,” as well as “15 Miles West” from Western Oregon University, “Blue Light Special” and “The Sirens” from Linn-Benton Community College, “Dulcet Southern” from Southern Oregon University, “HeadBand” from Willamette University, “infrared” from University of Utah and “The Green Note” from Portland State University, with special guests, UO’s “On The Rocks.”

International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella: West Quarterfinal, Hult Center for the Performing Arts (7th Ave. and Willamette St.), $25, 7 p.m.

On campus

Feb. 2 UO Emerging Artist Series: Every year, exemplary students from UO School of Music and Dance are chosen to participate in this recital. Beall Concert Hall (961 E. 18th Ave.), free admission, 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Feb. 2 Superbowl XLVIII Watch Party: Don’t have a TV in your dorm? LLC has got you covered with a Superbowl screening and pizza. Living-Learning Center South, Performance Hall (1455 E. 15th Ave.), free admission, 3 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Off campus

Jan. 30 – Feb. 1 The Language Archive: See this comedy about a linguist who can speak 12 languages but doesn’t know how to talk to his wife. Very Little Theater (2350 Hilyard St.), $12 for Jan. 30 show, $17 for Jan. 31-Feb. 1 shows, 8 p.m.

Jan. 31 Last Friday ArtWalk: This month’s ArtWalk strolls through the Whiteaker Arts District in a guided tour of its 20 public works of art. Whiteaker Arts District (1172 W Second Ave.), free, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Feb. 1 Zion I with Sol: Enjoy a night of energetic electronic and hip-hop at the Masters of Ceremony Winter Tour, also with MKSMTH, Aileron and Eugene-based DJ, Undermind. WOW Hall (291 W. 8th Ave.), $15 in advance, $18 day of show, 9 p.m.

In Portland

Jan. 31 Cascade Festival of African Films: Grigris: Catch a screening of this Cannes-winning 2010 film about a partially paralyzed African man who dreams of becoming a dancer in his war-torn country, by African filmmaker Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. Hollywood Theater (4122 NE Sandy Blvd.), free admission, 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Jan. 31 – Feb. 1 Laser Pink Floyd: See a choreographed laser light show to Pink Floyd’s The Wall. OMSI Planetarium (1945 SE Water Ave.), $7.50, 9:30 p.m.

Jan. 31 – Feb. 1 Portland Seafood and Wine Festival: Enjoy fresh Oregon seafood, wine and live music. Oregon Convention Center (777 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.), $12, 2 p.m. – 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Feb. 1 USS Improvise: Watch the improv troupe, “The Unscriptables” spoof Star Trek in “The Next Generation the Musical.” Funhouse Lounge (2432 SE 11th Ave.), 21 and over, $10, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 1 “Come As You Are” – ’90s Dance Flashback: Grab your jean jacket for a night of dancing to the music videos of Nirvana, Snoop Dog and Matchbox Twenty. Crystal Ballroom (1332 W Burnside), 21 and over, $6, 9 p.m.

Wednesday night, Lillis 182 was fuller than the first day of a BA 101 class. Every seat was filled, every inch of standing room taken, with people anxious to hear Alexis Ohanian — co-founder of hugely popular social news site Reddit — talk about his new book, “Without Their Permission: How The 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed.”

For 40 minutes, Ohanian charmed the crowd with his self-deprecating sarcastic humor, collection of Internet memes and most of all, his entrepreneurial success story.

Ohanian, who apparently knew his talk would qualify for many classes’ extra credit, gave a friendly “What up Ducks?” greeting, and opened by saying, “This is the first time anything involving Reddit will be for credit!” encouraging students to use the #WTPBook hashtag.

Ohanian explained Reddit’s trials and tribulations, all while using examples from his journey to encourage young entrepreneurs to use the power of the Internet to create start-ups. He said that we, as millennials, have the asset of Internet fluency, providing insight to the title of his book: Nobody has to wait for permission to start anything. He illustrated this point by asking the crowd, “Who has something they’re doing that they’re passionate about?” He brought up a student who raised his hand, who then shared his idea with the room.

“He had a really good sense of humor,” said Kieran McCann, a freshman majoring in business and interested in marketing and entrepreneurship. “He shows that it’s really easy to start from nothing.”

Ohanian was able to illustrate his unique business method best to the audience by making them laugh. He claimed that waffles had changed his life, causing him to skip out on an LSAT prep course and instead go to a Waffle House. He also admitted that he had no idea what he was doing when he and his partner, Steve Huffman, started the company.

Ohanian continued to cite examples of the power of the Internet could be harnessed to share ideas, be it Grumpy Cat, the photographer behind Humans of New York or Zach Anner, a comedian with cerebral palsy who put a video on YouTube and now has a show produced by Rainn Wilson.

Adam Green found the talk particularly inspiring. “I was already a huge Reddit fan and I’ve seen Alexis’ podcasts,” the junior computer science major said. “It was really inspirational.”

After the talk, students had the opportunity to meet Ohanian to get their book signed or just talk with him and share ideas. For over an hour, he signed books, took photos and cracked jokes.

When asked about his waffle-eating habits, Ohanian said, “I’m a purist. I like butter and maple syrup and I’m willing to pay for the good stuff.”

He also invited people to join him at Rennie’s afterward.

“Without Their Permission” is available to order through the Duck Store.

The 2014 Sundance Film Festival wrapped up last Sunday in Park City, Utah. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the festival, which honors creative work and documentaries by independent filmmakers. Comedy’s quirky couple Nick Offerman, who plays the famous Ron Swanson on “Parks & Recreation,” and Megan Mullally, who plays the spunky role of Karen on “Will and Grace,” hosted the festival.

The festival, known for celebrating the year’s independent films and filmmakers, presented 118 films from all over the world in ten days. 37 awards were given, for everything from an award for Unique Vision to Intuitive Filmmaking. There are separate awards given for U.S. films and International films. The festival also awards directing, screenwriting, editing and cinematography. Unlike other award shows, the two categories films fall under are Dramatic or Documentary.

Past Sundance success stories include the premiere of Quentin Tarantino’s “Resevoir Dogs” (1992), “Saw” (2004) and “500 Days of Summer” (2009). Look out for these new Sundance-certified films, which usually have a wide release later in the year.

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Documentary was awarded to “Rich Hill,” about three boys in rural Mississippi. The award in the Dramatic category went to “Whiplash,” which is about a young jazz drummer and his instructor, played by J.K. Simmons. Last year “Whiplash” won the U.S. Fiction Short Film category. “Whiplash” also took home The Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic category, and is one of only two films to win more than two awards. The other is “Watchers of the Sky,” which won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Use of Animation along with the U.S. Documentary Editing Award. The film tells Raphael Lemkin’s story, a Polish Jew who was heavily involved in the creation of the Nuremberg Trials. The film links his success with other humanitarians. The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize went to “The Return to Homs,” which follows two young activists living in Homs, Syria over three years. The award for Dramatic film was awarded to “To Kill A Man,” which is by a Chilean filmmaker and tells the story of a quiet man who goes to great lengths to protect his family.

The Audience Award for U.S. documentary went to “Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory,” about the effects of music on fighting dementia. The Audience Award for World Cinema Dramatic went to “Difret,” which takes place and was filmed on location in Ethopia, and is about a lawyer advocating for women, and a 14-year-old who gets abducted and fights back, killing her perpetrator, but getting punished by the law. The Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary went to “The Green Prince.” The tension-filled story brings the book “Son of Hamas” to life — a political autobiography about an Israel secret service informant forced to betray his father.

The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, which is named after Waldo Salt, who wrote “Midnight Cowboy” and was blacklisted during the era of McCarthyism, was given to “The Skeleton Twins,” starring Bill Hader and Kristin Wiig in serious roles, about two estranged, suicidal twins who reconnect.

For a complete list of winners, visit the Sundance website. 

It’s no secret that the Oscars has its favorites. Meryl Streep has been nominated for 18 Academy Awards, and we all remember 2003 — the year the third “Lord of the Rings” cleaned up with 11 Oscars. But every year holds surprises. Last year, 9-year-old newcomer Quvenzhane Wallis was the youngest ever to be nominated for Best Actress for her first acting performance in “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” This year brings a new crop of underdogs. Look out for E! True Hollywood specials on these latest underdog stories.

Barkhad Abdi — Best Supporting Actor for “Captain Phillips”

Abdi’s success story is one Hollywood could make into an Oscar-winning movie. Abdi, who was born in Somalia, played the role of a Somalian pirate in the heavily nominated “Captain Phillips” alongside Tom Hanks. When 28-year-old Abdi was cast, he was a Minnesota limo driver who also worked at a Mall of America store and who had no prior acting experience or aspirations. This year he was nominated for 17 various awards for his performance, and is competing in the same category as Bradley Cooper and Jared Leto.

Lupita Nyong’o — Best Supporting Actress for “12 Years a Slave”

Nyong’o comes from the production world of film. She graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in Film & Theatre studies after working on the production crew for “The Constant Gardener” (2005) and “The Namesake” (2006). She made a film for her thesis project before going on to act at Yale. Although she has years of theater experience, the only other film acting experience Nyong’o has is a short film in 2005. This year, she’s not only nominated for an Oscar for her role as Patsey but 48 other awards, and she’s already won 29 of them. She may just give Jennifer Lawrence and Julia Roberts a run for their money.

June Squibb — Best Supporting Actress for “Nebraska”

Squibb is this year’s oldest nominee, and at 84 she is receiving her first award nomination, and if she wins she will be the oldest star to receive a golden statue. Squibb played Kate Grant, the cranky wife of Bruce Dern, who received his last Oscar nomination in 1978 and is up for Best Actor this year. Squibb started out as a 1950s theater star, appearing in the original production of “Gypsy” and several other successful Broadway shows. She didn’t appear on screen until 1990 in Woody Allen’s ”Alice.” After that she had small parts in various films and TV shows. This year she was nominated for 19 various awards for her role in “Nebraska.”

Chiwetel Ejiofor — Best Actor in a Leading Role for “12 Years A Slave”

In 2013, Chiwetel Ejiofor starred as Solomon Northrup in “12 Years A Slave,” which is nominated for nine Oscars, and “Savannah,” which received an eight percent critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This British actor has years of experience in theater, TV and film, some of which are commercially successful, and many of which are not. Ejiofor is a talented actor who has perfected his craft and showed it off in a true and brutal story of slavery. Ejiofor’s finally getting the recognition he deserves, but going up against some intimidating Oscar veterans: Christian Bale, who won Best Actor in 2011, and Leonardo DiCaprio, who has received four nominations, but no wins.

On Wednesday night, Reddit’s co-founder will be taking over Lillis with a speech and readings from his new book, Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed, about using the power of the Internet for good. It also provides advice for young entrepreneurs.

Eight years ago an innovative website hit the net. One that allows viewers to submit content and vote on each post to determine its rank on the site. Reddit quickly became “the front page of the Internet,” and is now the place to find everything from a photo of the Norwegian Curling Team’s Olympic Uniforms to a campaign to name a humpback whale “Mr. Splashy Pants.” Just last year, Reddit received more than 40 million posts and 56 billion page views.  

Ohanian, a University of Virginia graduate, had only been legally going to bars for a year when he co-founded Reddit in 2005. In 2012, the site was speculated to be worth $240 million. Not too shabby for a 29-year-old. Inspiring entrepreneurs as well as anyone interested in media may be interested in hearing this young success story speak.

Junior Max Thompson, a business major turned journalism major and avid Reddit user is excited to learn more about the media world.

“When I saw that it was the founder of Reddit that would be speaking I knew I had to go. The best way to learn about a particular field is from the people that have first hand experience, so an opportunity like this is just too good to pass up,” he said.

Freshman business major Shelby Deffterios is interested in learning about the business side of Ohanian’s talk.

“I’m extremely interested in entrepreneurship. I’d love to hear about how he came about creating Reddit and how that became such a success,” she said.

Interestingly enough, UO didn’t recruit Ohanian. The tour list for the book was posted on Reddit and asked for people from the schools listed to help organize it. Foster Boone, an MBA student in the Lundquist College of Business who also works for the communications department for the Business Graduate School, responded.

“I use Reddit a fair amount. It’s definitely my main source of news so it’s not that outlandish that I saw it posted there. That’s the cool thing about Reddit—the ability for random people to meet and collaborate,” Boone said. “Entrepreneurship really excites me, and I’m excited to hear his take on how the openness of the Internet plays a part in that.”

Eugene is one stop on Ohanian’s five-month, 65-university bus tour. Taking college students across the country by storm, wearing jeans, flannel shirts and Converse, Ohanian is “Making The World Suck Less,” one of his taglines, by giving students the advice he wished he had in college.

See Alexis Ohanian on Wednesday, Jan. 29 in the Lillis Business Complex at 7 p.m.. Three hundred seats are available in Lillis 182. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/767165063297633/.

Regardless of your taste in music, the Grammy Awards continue to be a national event, whether it’s in our living rooms, in the Twittersphere, or the history books. But like all good music critics, we here at the Emerald have our own opinions of what we’d like to see. Whether or not the bigwigs of the music industry get it right, it’s sure to be a momentous occasion to celebrate the greats of the music world thus far. Here’s what to watch out for:

Record of the Year

“Get Lucky” – Daft Punk
“Radioactive” – Imagine Dragons
“Royals” – Lorde
“Locked Out of Heaven” – Bruno Mars
“Blurred Lines” – Robin Thicke

Who will win: ”Royals.”  The Grammys like smart, slightly edgy singles — and unlike Daft Punk, Lorde isn’t up for Album of the Year.

Who should win: “Get Lucky.” Though “Royals” is arguably a better song, Daft Punk’s gloriously cheesy hit is as much a celebration of music’s long and ridiculous history as the Grammys themselves.

Album of the Year
“The Blessed Unrest” – Sara Bareilles
“Random Access Memories” – Daft Punk
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City” – Kendrick Lamar
“The Heist” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
“Red” – Taylor Swift

Who will win: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis or Taylor Swift. The first thing you should know about the 2014 Grammys are that they sweat Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis — they’re nominated for seven. Taylor Swift has racked up seven Grammys in four years, and her last album “Fearless” won Album of the Year in 2010. She even has a Wikipedia page dedicated solely to her awards.

Who should win: Daft Punk – “Random Access Memories,” the first electronic album ever to be nominated for Album of the Year. It’s kick ass and more diverse than any of the other nominees and a win for this album could give electronic music some serious acknowledgement.

Best New Artist
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran

Who will win: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Despite the fact that Macklemore hit the scene in 2005 and his first hit “And We Danced” was released in 2011 — the same year I graduated high school — the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences still dubs him “new.” Macklemore has been nominated and/or won 39 awards in the past year — 46 if you include the 2014 Grammys. Yet only two of these awards acknowledged his newness: a Teen Choice Award nomination and a European MTV Awards win. He has yet to have been officially initiated by the Grammy powerhouse.

Who should win: Lorde. She’s a 17-year-old whose first album dropped late September, and it only took her four months to get on the cover of Rolling Stone. Since she’s not nominated, I’ll root for Kendrick or James Blake.

Song of the Year
“Just Give Me A Reason” (Pink) – Jeff Bhasker, Pink & Nate Ruess
“Locked Out of Heaven” (Bruno Mars) – Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars
“Roar” (Katy Perry) – Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry & Henry Walter
“Royals” (Lorde) – Joel Little & Ella Yelich O’Connor
“Same Love” (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis) – Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert & Ryan Lewis

Who will win: “Same Love” was both a hit and a social justice anthem, though its chances are reduced by the likelihood that Macklemore & Ryan Lewis will win Best New Artist, I would place my bets on this one. Pink may cause an upset, though it would mean Nate Ruess’s second win in the Song of the Year category in a row following Fun.’s “We Are Young.”

Who should win: “Royals.” A strange yet catchy and ubiquitous pop hit, “Royals” was one of the pillars of this year’s pop renaissance.

Dance/Electronica Album Of The Year
“Random Access Memories” – Daft Punk
“Settle” – Disclosure
“18 Months” – Calvin Harris
“Atmosphere” – Kaskade
“A Color Map of the Sun” – Pretty Lights

Who will win: “Random Access Memories“ and “18 Months“ with roughly equal probability. While “Random Access Memories” was the bigger event by far, Calvin Harris will very likely upset due to his high stature in the pop industry—though he’s a solo star, he’s just as well known for producing Rihanna’s “We Found Love.”

Who should win: “Settle,” the album that almost single-handedly reintroduced the EDM community to its old-school house roots.

Best Rock Album 
“13″ – Black Sabbath
“The Next Day” – David Bowie
“Mechanical Bull” – Kings of Leon
“Celebration Day” – Led Zeppelin
“Like Clockwork” – Queens of The Stone Age
“Psychedelic Pill” – Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Who will win: Probably “Psychedelic Pill” – people love Neil Young and with good reason. Any album that starts with a 27 minute song is most likely a good one in my book. Not to mention Young also received an achievement award from the Recording Academy this week.

Who should win: “Like Clockwork.” While the rest of the list — with the exception of Kings of Leon — are some of rock’s greatest legends, the Queens of The Stone Age have only been rocking since the mid-90s — the same time Black Sabbath’s last album “13“ was released. The album is hauntingly beautiful, addictive and features guest artists from Alex Turner to Elton John.

Best Alternative Music Album

“The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight…” – Neko Case
“Trouble Will Find Me” – The National
“Hesitation Marks” – Nine Inch Nails
“Lonerism” – Tame Impala
“Modern Vampires of the City” – Vampire Weekend

Who will win: “Modern Vampires.”  It’s the most visibly acclaimed album of 2013 and Vampire Weekend’s recent inclusion in Rolling Stone’s Greatest Albums Of All Time list (as well as their top albums list for 2013) suggests they’re now officially part of the rock Illuminati.

Who should win: “Lonerism.”  Though it technically came out in 2012, it was one of the best albums of that year and one of the best major psych-rock albums since The Flaming Lips’ “Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots.”

Best Rap Album
“Nothing Was the Same” – Drake
“Magna Carta…Holy Grail” – Jay Z
“Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” – Kendrick Lamar
“The Heist” – Macklemore
“Yeezus” – Kanye West

Who will win: “Nothing Was the Same“ or “Magna Carta…Holy Grail.” I can’t imagine a more perfect real-life example for “Started from the Bottom.”

Who should win: “Yeezus.” Kanye’s album is ballsy, which may be why he got snubbed on a lot of other awards — his only other being for “New Slaves” for ”Best Rap Song.”

Ken Kesey is not a name you can go four years at the University of Oregon without hearing. He is one of the most visible icons of the 1960s and a tie-dyed slice of Oregon pride. As so much of the hippie movement was about youth empowerment and creativity, Kesey’s story is still relevant today — especially for Oregonians. While there have been many movies and documentaries that celebrate Kesey’s life, the newest version pays homage to his old stomping grounds: Eugene.

OPB’s “Oregon Experience” is a show which features places, events and people who define the Beaver State, including an episode dedicated to Reed College, The Suffragists and Portland Noir. Its latest episode pays tribute to Oregon’s very own Merry Prankster. After writing two of America’s most famous books, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Sometimes A Great Notion,” Kesey became even more famous for ushering in the hippie movement. The episode chronicles the life of the writer, following as he travels across the country in his rainbow-painted bus, “Furthur,” conducting electric Kool-Aid acid tests. Furthur II made its way to campus last week to promote the Eugene screening of the episode.

But the episode also delves into Kesey’s personal life, offering little known facts and intimate interviews with Kesey’s biographer, widow, mother, son, daughter, granddaughter and friends. Archival footage is taken from the cross-country Furthur trip, Kesey’s musical and theatrical performances and old Kesey interviews.

The episode begins by focusing mainly on Kesey’s luminous writing ability. There are several sequences that are haunting and poetic as Kesey reads his early work. It then switches focus to countercultural Kesey in the 60s, and the drugs, music, multimedia dance parties and creation that came with it.

But by far the coolest aspect of the episode is that it chronicles Kesey’s life as a Eugenean. Kesey lived in and went to high school in Springfield and performed small plays at the McDonald Theatre. Surprisingly, he was a straight-laced speech and communication student who got married his junior year of college, was on the University of Oregon’s wrestling team, and graduated in 1957.  Footage shows the Register-Guard article announcing the release of Kesey’s “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.” And in his later years, Kesey would put on workshops for kids at the Eugene Public Library.

This episode is comprehensive, including everything from Kesey’s struggle trying to make it as an actor in Hollywood to his influence in the birth of the Grateful Dead. It’s like everything cool about Oregon is wrapped up in this one man and everything and everyone around him. But if you’re expecting a chewed up E! True Hollywood Story, think again. Like Kesey, the episode is completely authentic — OPB’s way of celebrating a true Oregonian.

Check out the Ken Kesey episode of “The Oregon Experience” on OPB, channel ten. The next airing is Friday at 4 a.m., but more showings are likely to come.

This Friday night, the WOW Hall welcomes two bluegrass fusion bands to its stage.

The first is Hot Buttered Rum, the five-piece San Francisco bluegrass band that formed on a backpacking trip through the High Sierras. The band’s sound is intricate and lively, featuring classic Americana stings, woodwinds, drums and bright vocals.

Eugene local band Alder Street will also be joining Hot Buttered Rum. Alder Street got their start seven years ago while living at Alder Street’s Campbell Club Student Cooperative. Since inception, this six-piece folk-rock bluegrass jam band has released two albums and completed a national tour. You won’t be able to stop yourself from dancing when lively Americana songs like “Booth Shot Lincoln” and “Moonshine Moonlight” play.

You can catch bluegrass fusion fever Friday night at WOW Hall on 291 W. Eighth Ave. Tickets are $14 in advance or $18 at the door. The doors open at 8 p.m, show starts at 9 p.m.

In Eugene

On campus

Jan. 24, Public lecture: Juan Eduardo Wolf, UO assistant professor of ethnomusicology is giving a lecture about brass band music and how bands in northern Chile choose to define themselves as “indo” or “tropical,” Collier House (1170 E. 13th Ave.), free admission, 3:15-4:30 p.m.

Jan. 23-26: “Landscape of the Body”: Catch University Theatre’s non-linear show about the collapse of the American Dream; Hope Theater (1231 University St.), free admission for students, show up 30 minutes early, $14 general admission, 7:30 p.m.

Off campus

Jan. 24, Kappa Alpha Theta presents Casino Royale: try your hand at blackjack while supporting Court Appointed Special Advocates; Kappa Alpha Theta house (1472 Kincaid St.), tickets $6 at the door, 6-8:15 p.m.

Jan. 24-25, “The Wizard of Oz”: See Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion at a local Eugene theater; The Red Cane Theatre (1077 Chambers St.), tickets $10, 7 p.m.

Jan. 25, Hideaway Bakery Farmers’ Market: Tired of Eugene Saturday Market? Check out this intimate food-centric market behind Mazzi’s Restaurant; 3377 E. Amazon St., free, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Jan. 25, Leigh Anne Jasheway & Friends: Catch everyone’s favorite grammar professor in a comedy routine funnier than class; Sam Bond’s Garage (407 Blair Blvd.), free admission, 5 p.m.

In Portland

Jan. 24, Kim Richey & Balto: See Americana singer-songwriter Richey and Portland-based master guitarist Daniel Sheron, lead voice in the band Balto; Doug Fir Lounge (830 E. Burnside St.), 21 and over, $16 in advance, $18 day of show, 9 p.m.

Jan. 24, ‘80s Video Dance Attack: As the Bowling for Soup song “1985” tells us, “There was U2 and Blondie and music still on MTV.” Grab your leg-warmers; Crystal Ballroom (1332 W. Burnside St.), 21 and over, $6 at the door, 8 p.m.

Jan. 24-25, Leonard Ruder: Paintings: Catch this rare gallery viewing of school custodian and talented American painter’s work from the ‘50s and ‘60s; Augen DeSoto Gallery (716 NW Davis St.), open 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 25, Best! Of Portland 3: See teen bands from Portland’s own School of Rock and Rock N’ Roll Camp 4 Girls; Wonder Ballroom (128 NE Russell St.), tickets $13-$16, doors open at 7 p.m.

Jan. 25, The Living Newspaper: Comedians take real headlines and improv the events; Brody Theater (16 NW Broadway St.), tickets $9-12, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 26, Dent May, Jack Name: Straight from Oxford, Miss., check out this psychedelic pop artist; Mississippi Studios (3939 N. Mississippi Ave.), tickets $8 in advance, $10 day of show, 9 p.m.