Eugene Weekly : Calendar : 11.22.06

Ever wish you could hear yourself scream with exhilaration in the background of your favorite musician's live concert CD? Often we're not privy to when and where these recordings take place, but come Saturday, you can make your roar heard on local gospel singer DeAndre Cole's upcoming live recording project at Willamette High School. Cole's music is comprised of "joyous get up and clap spirituals" and "soulful Teddy Pendergrass-like ballads" which mine the American black gospel zeitgeist. Area rappers and singer-songwriters Jennifer Spurlock, Nik Fury, C-Major and Incyte will join Cole (pictured) onstage in a concert event not to be missed this Thanksgiving weekend. See Saturday Calendar.

We Americans are known for our willful ignorance of history. Maybe it's a subject that didn't interest us in high school, or maybe we'd rather repeat ourselves (as we endure horrid movie sequels and quickly download the latest version of iTunes). In either case, A Not Too Distant Past, an evening of film, video and discussion presented by the UO's Survival Center and the Arts and Administration Program, will address our historical amnesia and how it is playing out in today's political crisis. Marc Moscato's The More Things Stay The Same follows the life and times of Dr. Ben Reitman, a prominent figure in Chicago's hobohemian counterculture. Vanessa Renwick screens two art videos examining Britton, South Dakota and Portrait #2: Trojan, about the Trojan nuclear power plant implosion (pictured) near St. Helens, Ore. Capping off the evening will be Travis Wilkerson's An Injury To One, about the mysterious death of union organizer Frank Little and the downfall of the prosperous mining town of Butte, Mont. Moscato and Renwick will be on hand to answer questions. See Thursday, Nov. 30.

As the antioxidant-rich cranberry sauce slides its way through our digestive systems Friday, it makes a whole lot of sense to go for a relaxing walk. While the slim majority of us will be squeezed into a behemoth sardine can, searching in vain for a Made in China electronic device, the rest of us will be taking the leisurely stroll through the Whiteaker district's Last Friday Art Walk. Sure, you can buy much of the art you see (and we always support our local arts and crafters), but Friday is Buy Nothing Day, so we suggest you merely ogle. Especially at the art walk's newest venue, the Eugene Glass Menagerie (excellent name), featuring "Glass with Class." If it's the art of fine spirits you're after, head over to the Whiteaker Cocktail Society gathering at the G Spot. And, if the gift acquisition pressure is simply too much to resist, Possum Place Gallery invites you to make your own art from scratch, including holiday cards (sample pictured). Check out www.lastfridayartwalk.comfor a complete schedule and map. See Friday Calendar.