Lie Easy in the Shade

There’s something oddly haunting about Casey Neill & The Norway Rats. When considering the song titles on Neill’s ninth album — Goodbye to the Rank and File — it might seem strange that tracks called “When I Came to You,” or “Radio Montana” could be considered haunting, but that’s just it: Casey Neill’s music isn’t designed predictably. Looking at a song title isn’t going to help you learn the words to his choruses, nor will it yield any results for your subject matter expectations. In fact, the only way to really understand what this guy’s all about is to listen through every song with your ears wide open and ready to receive. Along the way, you’ll probably end up figuring out a lot more about Casey Neill than you expected. His ballads are poignant, and his lyrics hold the kind of weight that indicates he’s singing nothing but personal truths.



The Norway Rats, who have been working their way towards becoming a fully fledged collective for some time, have finally been able to spread their wings with Rank and File. Featuring performers from The Minus 5, The Decemberists and Lucinda Williams’ band, the Norway Rats allow the entire project to tie itself up with a bow. The twinge of country in Casey Neill’s voice, those beautiful lyrics and the Rats’ clean instrumentation on Rank and File add up to make this tour all the more appealing. Neill sums it up perfectly, as usual, with lyrics: “My work here is done.”

Casey Neill & The Norway Rats and Ezra Holbrook play at 9 pm Thursday, Nov. 11, at Sam Bond’s Garage. 21+. $5.

EW 11/11

Best of Eugene Winners!

Well, everyone voted, here's a few of the people and places that won:


Eugene Weekly Cover 11/4

Best Band - Medium Troy

Nobody describes Medium Troy’s sound better than the band itself: “A nasally white dude with catchy hooks and sick beats,” says the band’s MySpace. This pretty much sums it up. Those beats are liquid, golden and epic, and the instrumental segments of the group’s show will either have you standing in awe or kickin’ back and nodding your head. The guys throw down some sweet rhymes, get silly, jam out and overall just blow minds. Their shows have a tendency to sell out around here, probably because the mixture of hip-hop, dub, reggae and all those other genres is about as strong as the grass in their songs: “I think I’ll smoke a bowl / that’s just the way I roll / I rock pajamas ’cause they’re oh so much more comfortable.” Well, guys, you’ve been voted best band two years in a row now, and we’re pretty comfortable with that. Visit them HERE


Best Solo Musical Performer - Jesse Meade

Photo from Jesse's website (link below)

Oh, how that voice strums our heartstrings! Jesse Meade has long impressed crowds in our town (and a lot of other places) with his wondrous noodling and beautiful singing. Meade is both unforgettably mellow and a powerful performer who keeps the audience glued to the stage. He could be compared to Jack Johnson, or Joe Purdy, or whomever; but who cares whom he sounds like? He is Jesse Meade, and Eugene thinks he rocks. Visit him HERE


Best Hangover Breakfast - Brails

Brails has been the accepted hangover breakfast spot in Eugene for some time now, and as a result, the place is adorned with plaques, signs and newspaper clippings that boast of their ability to make our crapulous mornings bite the dust. There’s a reason for this: Counting the times that we’ve craved some wholesome greasy spoon action the morning after is a near impossible task, and Brails is always right there waiting to satisfy our desires. Prices are cheap, coffee is bottomless and the service is quick. If you’re in need of a place to help you walk straight, clear the thunderstorm in your head and de-fog your eyes, Brails is without a doubt Eugene’s best.


Best Barista - Thomas Howard, Wandering Goat Coffee Company

Thomas Howard has been working as a barista for the Wandering Goat Coffee Company for just over three years now, and in that time he has managed to gain the respect of customers across the city. Relaxed, refreshing and clearly enjoying the atmosphere of the shop, he’s always down to slide a steamer in your direction. “I love it,” he says. “They treat me well.” Well, Thomas, you’ve been treating us well for a few years now, and our hats are off to you.


Best Breakfast - The Glenwood

Delicious food is on the horizon if you’re on the prowl for some good eats in the morning — or, for that matter, any time of the day — because Glenwood is calling your name. The Eugene legend has two locations — campus and Willamette — monster plates of grub, relaxing atmosphere and fair prices. Don’t be disheartened if the place is packed; not only is this a sure sign that the food is good, but it won’t be too long a wait with the fast and friendly service. When hunger pangs strike on a lazy Sunday morning, the Glenwood is the place to go.


Best BBQ - Papa’s Soul Food Kitchen & Blues Joint


Photo from the Eugene Saturday Market Blog

Where else? Papa’s Soul Food has long been our favorite: that fancy menu, those excellent prices, the complete and utter comfort that can be found in filling our bellies with cornbread, hush puppies and perfectly barbecued meat. We recommend being adventurous; try your best to do the entire menu over the course of your life. From catfish and oysters to fried chicken and pulled pork, there really isn’t a dish not worth trying. Great atmosphere, great food and great times: It’s not hard to see why y’all love it.


Oh, and here's my favorite thing that someone wrote on the ballot:

Best Way To Improve Eugene
If we could get a unicorn, that would be nice.

EW 11/4
Congratulations to all!
There's like a billion other categories HERE

Sweet As Melons

What do you get when you cross a blue-collar girl, a pin up model, a sex activist and a powerful-yet-dainty blues voice? Why, Candye Kane, of course. Since first making her name in the ’80s with the likes of Social Distortion — among others — she’s been causing a riot everywhere she treads. Seriously, every group you can think of is a fan of this woman: Bikers, punkers, drag queens, strippers, escorts, porn lovers, dancers, musicians, feminists and more form her loyal fan base.



With 10 records out to date, many of which contain top 10 Billboard singles, Kane is truly an inspiration. She sings soulfully on tracks such as “Superhero” and “Misunderstood,” a cool groove that for some reason evokes a young Django Reinhardt dancing burlesque. OK, so that might not sound so sexy, but the truth is this pin-up-girl-mother-of-two-activist-inspirational-blues-singer of a woman can really wail, and that’s all there is to it. Candye Kane plays at Mac’s at the Vet’s at 9:30 pm Wednesday, Nov. 10. 21+. $12 adv., $15 door.

EW 11/4

GRRRLZ ROCK! Festival

The month-long GRRRLZ ROCK! Festival, which pays tribute to all of those fabulous female artists out there, will invade Cozmic Pizza this Saturday for the festival’s fourth stop. The night will feature eight chicks (and groups of chicks) getting down artistically in order to promote and celebrate the growth and participation of women in the
realms of music and arts. Among Saturday’s featured artists will be Gemiinii Riisiing (pictured), a single, awesome female known for her skill when it comes to rocking out. She’s previously found her way (with ease) around Zeppelin and Tool covers—to name a couple—and there’s sure to be more rock in store; also featured will be Sub Pilots, The Refreshments and more. With the price set at $1 or three cans of food, why would anyone want to miss this celebration of grrrlz who rock?

EW 11/4