Queen of the Ivory Keys

It is said that Gabriela Montero began playing piano at age 0. That is, she was just seven months old when she first laid her finger on a key and by eighteen months she’d already learned to play the National Anthem of Venezuela — her country of origin. Montero’s forte is, undoubtedly, improvisation — a talent that she supplements with an unbelievable ear for music. She can improvise around the structure of anything from piano masterpieces such as Rachmaninoff’s “Third Piano Concerto” and Chopin’s “Nocturne in C minor,” to standards like “Happy Birthday” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” It’s this skill that truly separates her as one of the greatest and most versatile classical pianists of our time.


Montero has charm, elegance and grace both in her playing and the way she carries herself. She can effectively pull an audience into the experience of classical piano while maintaining the poise of a truly great show-woman. Montero’s Jaqua Concert Hall performance will be a solo recital to back the release of her 2010 recording Solatino. The album itself is a collection of Latin American compositions taken in by Montero and made all her own. In a recent interview about the collection, Montero described the recording process as “a voyage of who we are and what we’re made of, and the way that we express ourselves.”

Gabriela Montero will play at 7:30 pm Friday, April 29, at the Jaqua Concert Hall; $12-$36.

EW 4/28

I'm Still High?

Wading through a sea of shitty comedians is a drag these days. Just flipping to the “Comedy Central Presents” marathon — which seems to fill at least one day’s worth of airtime per week — doesn’t cut it anymore, so it’s always exciting when someone actually worth listening to pops up.

Enter Doug Benson, star of the parody "Super High Me", sixth-place finalist on “Last Comic Standing” and all-around funny man. His style maintains elements of that generic stand-up presence and obvious joke-filler, while remaining in league with the irreverent greats of the past. His routines range from that “what’s up with airports?” type shit to witty and endless riffing on the possibility of a guy wanting to jack off to High Times magazine. It’s this versatility and ability to keep you guessing that makes him engaging.



Marijuana has become something of a calling card for Benson, so there’s little chance of escape for those of us with supple, virgin ears. But that’s what stand-up is all about: laughing at shit you never thought could be funny. When asked by EW last week if he wants to be known as anything besides the pot jokester, Benson said, “I’d settle for funny comic.” On the other hand, he currently hosts a podcast discussion of movies that usually breaks down into wacky hijinks by the time it’s run its course. So there’s something for everyone with Doug Benson — even the completely unrealistic dude who goes through life trying to avoid all mention and/or use of drugs could have a good time.

So whatever your tastes, there’s bound to be at least one joke worth chuckling at when Benson hits town. Who knows, maybe Doug will be so fried from 4/20 that he’ll just lie on stage and sleep? It’s all a mystery waiting to be solved.

Doug Benson performs at 7:30 pm Thursday, April 21, at WOW Hall; $20 adv., $23 door.

EW 4/21

Swing Your Razor Wide!

The origins of the character Sweeney Todd stretch back as far as the eye can see: a speculative history which frames the original character as an entity closer to some sort of cryptozoological mystery creature than a barber. Nevertheless, Sweeney Todd remains a long-enjoyed face of stage performance and as such his menace lives on through musicals, movies and plays alike.

The demon barber was brought to life before my eyes at the Cottage Theatre on April 9 during a rendition of the 1979 Sondheim-Wheeler musical adaptation. Cottage Grove’s bone-chilling performance of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street didn’t just linger in my mind for the next few days; it was all I could think about. With the words “attend the tale of Sweeney Todd” bouncing around in my brain, I was constantly reminded of the precision with which the musical had been directed and performed.



Don Kelley threw down a maniacal performance, offering multiple crowd members (included my bearded self) the most terrifying proposed shave of their lives, while supporting cast members Karen Snyder (Mrs. Lovett), Ken McClintock (the Beadle) and Paul von Rotz (Judge Turpin) saw that the hilarity, horror and heart of the tale never faded. Nick Forrest’s performance as Tobias Ragg took the cake for me, though; his singing was delightful, his accent blazed with Cockney enthusiasm, and his ability to create chemistry with each of his colleagues became a show stealer.

The Cottage Theatre’s foundation of community volunteerism stands at the core of shows such as this, and upon arriving with this in mind I turned to my fellow spectator and divulged that I was not expecting much from the evening.

I stand entirely corrected. Bravo, Cottage Theatre.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street runs from now until May 1 at the Cottage Theater in Cottage Grove; info and tickets at www.cottagetheatre.org

EW 4/14

In the Dog House

A wiener, a bun, and then some

Upon walking into Dog in a Box on the corner of 17th and Pearl, I was greeted with the smell of freshly cooked sausages, two smiling faces and a large sign reading “Legends,” beneath which hung framed portraits of history’s better known jazz musicians. From outside, the view had been of windowpanes packed from left to right with prices, drawings and signs — an intriguing hole-in-the-wall appearance that welcomed me inside.

When I sat down to try the “Oktoberfest” hot dog that the employee kindly recommended; I was pleased to find that it was hot, with a fresh bun and evenly distributed condiments. In short, it had the all the characteristics and qualities of a legit hot dog

“We wanted variety, we wanted originality, we wanted quality and we wanted to control the process from beginning to end, which we did,” says owner, founder and self-proclaimed delicatessen hound Steve Solomon. “All our hot dogs are custom made to our own recipe.”

Dog in a Box boasts two Eugene locations, each of which is partly solar powered and stacked with options including vegan and vegetarian alternatives. With almost 15 entirely Oregon-grown and Oregon-made hot dogs from which to chose, there’s sure to be something fitting everybody’s tastes.


[Photo by Trask Bedortha]

Since first opening in 1993, the restaurant over time has garnered influence from cuisines around the world, with especial focus on European sausages and the beloved, traditional all-American hot dog. There’s been demand for hot dogs in the U.S. dating back to 1870, when original hot dog badass Charles Feltman sold sausages in buns on Coney Island. And while they may not have Feltman’s added attractions of the beach, boardwalk and Cyclone, Dog in a Box wieners still know how to draw a crowd.

“We’ve been in business 17 years, and every year it gets greater and greater, demand is very strong,” Solomon says. Demand, the crucial counterpart to supply, is definitely an important thing to consider, and there should be no shortage of it with the prices listed on Dog in a Box’s menu: A fat, condiment-slathered wiener will run you about five bucks — a fair price considering the quality and rate of service. Throw in a drink and you might even be able to pay with a card, considering they have a $5 minimum on debit and credit (be wary of this fact before going in, cash is preferable). If a trip to the ATM is all that’s separating you from an awesome and reasonably priced hot dog, I’d say it’s worth it.

From the checkerboard floor to the glossed-leather stools, Dog in a Box has that homey, vintage appearance you hope to find in a traditional hotdog and European sausage joint. Oh, and there’s this — all aesthetics aside, the food rocks. Charles Feltman would be doggone proud.

Dog in a Box has locations at 195 E. 17th Ave. and at 210 W. Sixth Ave.; more information at www.doginaboxeugene.com

[EW Chow! Restaurant Guide 4/7]