Eugene Weekly : Calendar : 03.24.05

He doesn't want you to compare him to Ron Jeremy, and he's not being ironic. Really. Meet Har Mar Superstar, the alter-ego (or is it?) of Minnesotan Sean Tillman, who kicked the indie-rock habit for a life of sexy ladies, brazen come-ons and really tight pants. Har Mar, like so many talented lads before him, is much bigger in the U.K. than he is in the U.S. The indie scene — which Har Mar described to earlash.com as "like a weird little covetous baseball-card trading club" — doesn't really seem know what to make of him, despite his previous incarnation as guitar-playing Sean Na Na. The mainstream pop world, on the other hand, well, maybe they're just not ready for a crooning 26-year-old sex machine with a little pot belly and a receding hairline. Not just yet. But Har Mar's got disgustingly catchy songs, cool guest stars (including members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and a new album, The Handler, which he tried to make "the most rock and roll R & B album ever." Har Mar, with buddy Ben Lee in tow, takes over John Henry's this weekend. See Saturday Calendar.

It seems like ages since Bill Maher was known only as the host of Politically Incorrect, which received 18 Emmy nominations over the course of its run. The show's celebrity guests, with their unpredictable, wildly funny and sometimes controversial opinions, were a delight (when they weren't making us throw things at the screen). But Maher's wry, pointed observations were the real highlight of the show. Since Politically Incorrect went off the air, he's published several books, appeared in five HBO specials, and earned a Tony nomination for his one-man Broadway show. Maher graces Eugene with an appearance this week at the Hult Center. See Q&A, page 10, and Friday Calendar.

The Last Friday Artwalk expands again this month, with 16 stops from the Firehouse Studio (all the way over on West First) to the Pizza Research Institute. Numbered Stop 13, PRI wouldn't be a bad finale to the self-guided tour — an art-filled walk across town followed by a Chef's Choice slice? Yes, please. This month, Infinity Mercantile joins the fun with the art and photography of Hannah Grace Cole ("John Perry" pictured); The Shady Pines chime in too, with a description that simply says "extreme fun." See Friday Calendar.

Writer Robert Lovato gives the keynote speech next week at the UO's "Homeland 'In'Security" symposium. Subtitled "Race, Immigration and Labor in Post-September 11 North America," the symposium brings together scholars, labor activists and community leaders to discuss the impact of the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent "war on terror." Lovato's speech, "Re-Burdening the White Man (and the Rest of Us): National Security and Race Viewed From Within the Empire," is Thursday evening, while a trio of panel discussions are scheduled for Friday. For a complete schedule, go to http://codac.uoregon.edu/homelandinsecurity.html See Thursday, March 31 Calendar.

BRING Recycling hosts an evening of "Rejuvenation" next Thursday as part of their campaign to build the Planet Improvement Center in Glenwood. The Center will demonstrate green building techniques, including passive solar design and the incorporation of used building materials. With wine from Territorial Vineyards, music from Don Latarski and food from local restaurants, it's a tasty night for a good cause — but the real treat is the appearance of author Barry Lopez, who will speak at the event. Lopez, whose Arctic Dreams won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 1986, most recently published Resistance, a collection of stories about ordinary people choosing to resist the mainstream and thus living extraordinary lives. A limited edition letterpress keepsake of an excerpt from Resistance is the party favor from this night of food, wine, music and conversation. See Thursday, March 31 Calendar.