Saturday Market #20: Day of the Women Drummers

I do book the Market Stage, but I really have always approached it as running the schedule book for the music community rather than setting specific people on specific dates to make specific line-ups. Frequently this makes for wonderful unintentional coincidences that make the day flow in a special way.

Last Saturday's fine conjuction was that most of the performers and all of the drummers during the day were women! I wish that were not such a rare event, but it's just true that women drummers are rare (as are women bass players...). From what I see when school bands and youth music showcases happen, this will be less of a rare event in the future and that's just great.

Anyway, it was a fun moment as it started to dawn on us that girls would rock the day. And here they are, most expertly keeping time under control, and the music pulsing:

Here's Matricia Armitage from Bajuana Tea


This is Kimberly Cullen, playing with Sun Bossa


This is Sharon Greve, with Soulicious


And Paula Vaden in the middle there, also with Soulicious


It was a hot day, for here anyway, in the upper 90s, so I appreciated the help keeping my spirits up all afternoon. It's so easy for us west Oregonians to get melty over 80 degrees! Tomorrow 85 or so, I bet I can handle it... See you there!

Saturday Market #19: Good Thing I Got Photos

Because somehow today I'm not finding words. Markets are rolling along easy and sunny and sweet. Commerce is occurring, conversations are happening, music is playing, food is being gratefully devoured. So here's my favorite pic from last week, Paul Biondi, "Ramblin" Robert Paslay and Brian the bass player having a great time playing bluegrass music.



Today, looking for bloggy inspiration, I walked down to the Park Blocks, and there were a few folks around, hanging out, talking on cell phones, laying on the grass. And 24 hours later it will be a jubilant explosion of commerce, conversations, music and food. I find that idea to still be inspiring, not so much for today's blog, but for our common life in general! Hooray for Saturday! See you there.

Saturday Market #18: What You Get When You Stick Around

Sometimes Market moments come at the verrrry end of the day. For me, sensory overload has usually set in by 4:15 and that last 45 minutes can be so long. But in the late afternoon the light is delicious and dramatic, and the vibe is mellow. And Saturday Eleven Eyes was playing, definitely keeping me awake and alive and happy. So at 4:45 I was standing on the west side of the stage, and decided to take as many interesting photos as I could standing in that one spot, in that warm, long light. Here are the best of them, turning clockwise:











So then 10 minutes later, Eleven Eyes wrapped it up and the day seemed done, and then in from the East Lawn parades a group of musicians, two on brass cymbals,



two on long drums,



three on gamelan bells mounted on the most fantastic metal harnesses.



They proceed to play for 10 minutes or so, earthy, pulsing, celestial, ethereal all at the same time! Drums and brass bells in complex rhythms with fascinating visuals, like Samba Ja meets Indonesia at Burning Man. It was blissful fun for me! And their music was the perfect segue from Eleven Eyes somehow. It was fun to watch the crowd too, bemused, enthralled, astonished. Turns out they are members of Gamelan X, stirring up interest in their gig at Cozmic Pizza that night. I already had family commitments, or I would have gone, even on a Saturday night. I'll keep my eye out for them in the future, though.



So sometimes, there are special rewards for those who stick it out to the end of the day. Wonder what this week will bring?

Saturday Market #17: What's New!

Oh, late again with the blogging, I started this last week and never finished it up. Guess I'll blog twice this week... Here goes:

Every month, as part of the Market website update, I get out and take pictures of new stuff at Market. The best part about it is meeting bright shiny new Market vendors, and getting to chat about their stuff and how new and cool it is. It's good for me to get out of my stage-side comfort zone and meet new folks. So Saturday I zipped out during sets and took a tour of the 4'x4' booths along South Park and met lots of great artists!

Davo Prince paints these amazing shirts. I am in love with the chicken portrait!



Laura Damiani has found something wonderful to do with her great photos of Oregon, she makes them into lovely pendants. Even the packaging is great!



It just makes me happy that you can be walking down the sidewalk in Eugene, Oregon and buy a gorgeous, handmade lute! Josh Humphrey handcrafts all kinds of wooden musical instruments.



Callyann Casteel says she likes to think of her birdhouses as jewelry for trees. I think they are whimsical and wonderful and would be fun to live in!



There's so much more cool stuff out there every week, it's really amazing how many talented folks live and create in this town. You can see the rest of what I discovered on the New Products Page at the Market's website. Or better yet, come take a walk at the Market and have a look for yourself.