Eugene Weekly : Calendar : 03.17.05

A singer, songwriter, guitarist and percussionist, Vinicius Cantuaria was born in Brazil, where he grew up listening to imported Beatles records and learning to love an influential quartet of musicians — Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Bill Evans and Antonio Carlos Jobim. His music, a new kind of post-bossanova, remains faithful to traditional Brazilian melodies and rhythms but introduces elements from hip hop, electronic music and more. Cantuaria has collaborated with a cross-section of stellar contemporary musicians, including Laurie Anderson, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Bill Frisell, with whom he plays in the Intercontinental Quartet; he wrote Caetano Velosa's hit "Lua e Estrella" and played in Velosa's band for eight years. Cantuaria and his five piece band perform at The Shedd this weekend. See Saturday Calendar.

Czechoslovakian composer Antonin Dvorák began work on his Symphony #9: From the New World during his first winter in New York City, where he'd moved to serve as director of the National Conservatory of Music. Since its hugely successful premiere at Carnegie Hall in 1893, the symphony has remained widely popular, and is a heartfelt, stirring tribute to America and to new beginnings. The Eugene Symphony performs this piece and two others — Rodrigo's "Guitar Concerto," featuring guest artist David Tanenbaum, and Dvorák's "Carnival Overture" — tonight at the Hult Center. See Thursday, March 17 Calendar.

"Two Years Too Many!" says the flyer for this Saturday's Cottage Grove Peace Procession. Half a dozen groups have come together to plan the procession, which is part of a global day of action marking the second anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Volunteers have spent time over the past few months creating "prayer flags" bearing the names of all the American and coalition soldiers, as well as the names of several hundred Iraqi children, who have been killed in the war. The flags will be carried in the procession, which begins at Cottage Grove High School and travels to Opal's Park. The Cottage Grove Armory is the "hometown" of the largest contingent of the Oregon National Guard currently deployed in Iraq. The planners behind the Peace Procession intend their event to support their troops and highlight the need to bring them safely home. See Saturday Calendar.

Eugene favorites Toad in the Hole bring their story to a close with a final St. Patrick's Day performance at Luckey's. (We have to admit some surprise that Luckey's actually is an Irish bar — founded in 1911 by the son of immigrants from Northern Ireland, in fact.) Luckey's is sending the band off in style: the bar has permission to set up a backyard beer garden, where Irish Car Bombs, three Irish beers and an Irish dinner will be served. For some people, that might not be as exciting as the fact that the beer garden will allow smoking, with Irish whiskey-flavored cigars for sale. Toad in the Hole, corned beef with cabbage, friendly bartenders serving Jameson's on the rocks or a nice pint of Guinness — what more could you want for St. Patty's? See Thursday, March 17 Calendar.