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The
Johnny Clegg Band Johnny Clegg has been both a musician and an enemy of apartheid since he was a teen. Born in Lancashire, England, Clegg moved with his mother to Zimbabwe and later to South Africa, where, at 13 or 14, he fell in love with the traditional Zulu music and Inhlangwini dancing he saw performed on the streets. Latching onto one Zulu street musician named Charlie Mzila, Clegg began learning to play guitar, following Mzila to perform among South Africa's migrant labor population.
In the late '60s and early '70s, the political climate of South Africa was not exactly receptive to a white, English-speaking boy playing Zulu music with black Africans in an open forum. Clegg soon teamed up with Sipho Mchunu, a Zulu migrant worker, and the two formed Juluka, South Africa's first interracial musical group. Blending languages, cultures and musical elements from Africa and the West, the band was a blatant slap in the face to the militant, pro-segregationist government. Juluka disbanded in 1985 and Clegg formed Savuka, continuing his commitment to marrying traditional African music with that of other cultures. After Savuka's breakup in 1993, Clegg reunited with Sipho and they decided to give Juluka another shot. This time, the band worked even harder to break down musical and cultural barriers by incorporating elements of hip hop, techno and rock into traditional Zulu melodies. For this tour, Clegg is playing with some outstanding musicians from fittingly diverse backgrounds. Andy Innes, on guitar, mandolin, and vocals, began playing with Clegg in Savuka in 1992 and has recorded with Jackson Browne, Queen and U2. Concord Nkabinde, on bass and vocals, has an impressive university pedigree and has played with a host of Afro-pop bands, including Hugh Masekela and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Barry Van Zyl, on drums and percussion, has been playing with Clegg since 1999 and earned his credentials from the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. Brendan Ross, who plays sax, keyboards, EWI and also contributes vocals, is originally classically trained and has since played with musicians from America, Britain, and South Africa. More than 30 years of struggle and triumph in the epicenter of discrimination have earned Clegg top status in the pantheon of musical ambassadors. But really, it's the quality of the music itself that has kept the whole thing going. Clegg's upbeat soul-reggae is nothing less than the sound of world harmony.
Just
Like Johnny Appleseed If there were a universal checklist of qualifications for being a rock star, guitar pioneer Dick Dale could mark off every item. His name is in the White House Congressional Hall of Records, on a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and in every self-respecting history of rock and roll. Though Dick Dale is most famous for inventing surf guitar (a term he didn't coin and doesn't use) in the 1950s, the accomplished guitarist experiments with everything from heavy metal to South American love ballads. His latest record, Spacial Disorientation, is a reflection of that variety, as will be his next project, a collaboration featuring Dale's 13-year-old guitar prodigy son Jimmy. But to get the true Dick Dale experience, it's best to see him live.
"People go, 'Holy shit, who is that madman?'" Dale says. Every performance is a new experience for fans, because Dale makes it a point never to make a set list or repeat a show. After every concert, Dale stays behind to speak with fans who want to chat, and he answers his hundreds of daily e-mails instead of going to parties. Even when he's not playing music, Dale isn't the sort to sit around. Dale has surfed and practiced martial arts for most of his life, but has added skateboarding, raising endangered animals such as lions and tigers and piloting twin-engine planes to his multitude of interests. Dale's home, the Dick Dale Sky Ranch, even contains a hangar, which Dale lends to young artists as a recording space free of charge. And Dale makes sure to tell budding musicians that instead of signing to major labels, they should do what Dale has done — create their own record labels in order to bypass agents and contracts. "I preach to them to do their own thing, and agents don't like me for that," Dale says. Agents aren't the only targets of Dale's distaste. If you ask — and maybe even if you don't — Dale will tell you, without batting an eyelash, exactly how he feels about HMOs, intoxicants and corrupt politicians. "The way I speak about the government, it's a wonder they didn't whack me," Dale says. Instead, they gave him a place in the Hall of Records. But in spite of the numerous awards he's received, Dale remains a humble man. "To the day I die, I will always be for the underdog," Dale says. "The grassroots people are the ones who made this country."
Stone Foxes While watching a Golden Gods show, you shouldn't be surprised to see guitars exploding in band members' hands. As a matter of fact, if you head to their show at John Henry's on Monday night, you should be prepared for anything. Aside from the visual effect of pink boas and floor-length white fur coats over spandex pants, expect to have your tender ears assaulted by licks so hot your chest hair will probably catch on fire. That's how the Golden Gods roll.
According to the band's online bio, the Golden Gods were born when a certain Colonel Craig Heitkam made a bet with a certain Saudi Prince Al-Fizel. $19 million were riding on the chance that "The Colonel" would find "the greatest rock band ever" within a year. Long story short, the Prince ended up writing a fat check to the Colonel after the Colonel played him the newly formed Golden Gods' "Bitchin' 5 Song Demo." The rest is fairly current hard rock history. Classic mega-rock bands like KISS and Foreigner immediately come to mind while listening to the Golden Gods thrash their axes to shreds, but their single "Stone Fox" is more reminiscent of Foghat's "Slow Ride." So much so that if you're not listening closely, you might think that instead of yelling "stone fox" the band is shrieking "slow ride." All the same, the song still makes you want to throw up your rawk fist. So, given the outrageously hilarious bio (if you want to check the whole thing out, go to www.thegoldengods.com) and the almost farcical quality of their music, one question springs to mind: Are these guys serious? The long answer is this: yes. And why shouldn't they be? In a world of too-cool-for-school "indie" bands, there is a genuine calling for more bands who worship their guitars and the ground they rock on. Or maybe not. Either way, the Golden Gods are gaining a substantial following of fans across the country — one exploding guitar at a time. The Golden Gods play with Black Mamba and Satin Fury at 10 pm Monday, Aug. 22 at John Henry's. $3. — Emily Freeman
Colorado Bluegrass Without the Altitude Ahh, bluegrass music. Keeper of Americana, Breaker of Hearts, Maker of Moonshine, must you torment us so with your high and lonesome sound? Your old-time traditions give way to young stalwarts who pick up their stringed instruments with reverence and respect for what has come before them. A rare treat in today's music world. Of course, there's also the moonshine…
In that grand tradition, Sam Bond's Garage welcomes the Hit and Run Bluegrass Band to Eugene on Sunday. Hailing from one of the unofficial bluegrass states, Colorado, this quartet has been winning fans and music competitions since their inception in 2002. With original songs such as "Trouble and Pain" and "How I Curse That Man (I Thought Was Mine)," Hit and Run seems to have tapped directly into that authentic yet modern bluegrass feel which somehow always seems to lead to severe pain and heartache. There are, of course, the instruments: banjo, bass, guitar and mandolin. Yet what sets these folks apart is the instrumentation. Bluegrass music is, by definition, difficult to play. It takes a very steady hand. Oh, wait — that was the old Operator game. It does take very nimble fingers, though. Check out John Frazier's mandolin work. His soaring and mournful leads echo the very mountains of Colorado itself. The interweaving of male and female vocals is, in a word, hot. And that's OK. Hit and Run has performed alongside some of the bluegrass greats (Sam Bush, David Grisman, Del McCoury) on some of bluegrass's finest stages (Rockygrass, Telluride, Grand Targhee). Their time is now. I cannot stress enough the import of their original songs. So many talented pickers play the hell out of the old standards, yet it's something else entirely when a song came directly from the performer in front of you. This is where these folks shine. Their confidence and commitment is evident in their recordings. I expect and hope it wil carry over onto the stage. From within the relatively crowded bluegrass scene, Hit and Run Bluegrass Band is emerging, surging, even possibly purging. Their summer tour is a duality of wholesome outdoor festivals and seedy rundown bars. Come catch 'em at Eugene's own unofficial bluegrass headquarters, Sam Bond's Garage, at 9 pm Sunday, Aug. 21. $7. BYOM (Bring your own moonshine). — Jeff Winicour
BADA BING'S BLUE LUNA CLUB CHARLIE MAC'S CLUB ROCK CLUB TSUNAMI CORNUCOPIA All Ages COUNTRY SIDE BAR & GRILL COUNTRYSIDE PiZZA & GRILL
COZMIC PIZZA@THE STRAND All
Ages DIABLO'S DOWNTOWN LOUNGE EMBERS SUPPER CLUB EUGENE WINE CELLARS GOOD TIMES JAXX THE JAZZ STATION JO FEDERIGO'S JOE'S BAR & GRILLE JOGGER'S BAR & GRILL JOHN HENRY'S THE JUNGLE LAVELLE'S WINE BAR & BISTRO
LUCKEY'S CLUB CIGAR LUNA
MAC'S AT THE VET'S MAX'S TAVERN MCSHANE'S BAR & GRILL MULLIGAN'S PUB O'DONNELL'S IRISH PUB OVERTIME GRILL PEABODY'S PERUGINO QUACKER'S RED LION INN ROSE'S DINER
SAM BOND'S GARAGE SAM'S PLACE STACY'S COVERED BRIDGE TAP 'N' KEG TAYLOR'S BAR AND GRILL TINY TAVERN WETLANDS WORLD CAFÉ All
Ages WOW HALL All Ages
CORVALLIS AJ'S BOMBS AWAY CAFE IOVINO'S RISTORANTE PLATINUM
karaoke TH: The Cooler, Countryside Pizza (River Rd.),
Da Houze, Duck Inn
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