What’s better than bacon, bluegrass, and beer? The only thing that makes it better is getting to try a NEW beer from Boneyard! Beergarden’s 7th annual Bacon, Bluegrass & Boneyard Beer Fest is the place to be through February 26, with live music, bacon, events, bacon, music, bacon, and new beer, and bacon! There’s other stuff going on too, like a world premiere played by Eugene Symphony, a Shakespeare-inspired play that is selling out fast at Actors Cabaret written by a local playwright, and the return of Cyrille Aimée, aFrench jazz vocalist, to the Shedd.
February 16
Eugene Symphony: Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto | Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, which also features the world premiere of First Symphony Project Composer Angélica Negrón’s first-ever symphony, “Sinfonía Isleña.” Hult Center, eugenesymphony.org
February 16
Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowout 2023 | Grammy nominated and two-time Blues Music Award winner Mark Hummel returns with the 30th annual edition of his always excellent Blues Harmonica Blowout. This year’s stellar lineup includes Magic Dick, Sugar Ray Norcia, Anson Funderburgh, Bob Welsh, John Nemeth, Aki Kumar, Randy Bermudes and Wes Starr. The Shedd, theshedd.org/BluesHarmonica
February 17 & 18
Actors Cabaret’s “Something Rotten!” | Two brothers set out to write the world’s first musical in this hilarious mash-up of 16-century Shakespeare and 21st-century Broadway. Welcome to the Renaissance and the outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce, “Something Rotten!” Dinner also available. Actors Cabaret, actorscabaret.org
February 17, 18 & 19
Very Little Theatre’s “Ladies Shakespeare Club” | By local playwright Dorothy Velasco, this heartfelt comedy takes place between 1920 and 1963, with a brief epilogue in 2000. The play is full of action, surprises, and laughter through tears. Over the years the caring, quick-witted club members discover their study of Shakespeare enables them to strive for women’s rights, experience war and loss, and life’s afflictions with dauntless care and humor. Very Little Theatre, thevlt.com
February 17
Cyrille Aimée | The Shedd Institute is pleased to welcome French jazz vocalist Cyrille Aimée back. Her first appearance here back in 2015 was quietly, solidly stunning. “A voice like fine whiskey,” writes The Washington Post, “— oaky and smooth, with a hint of smokiness”. And Wall Street Journal: “Astonishingly creative….with a brilliant sound, fresh ideas, impeccable rhythm and an overall approach that honors tradition without being shackled to the past.”This concert is a part of The Shedd’s Free Jazz For Youth program. The Shedd, theshedd.org
February 18
John Whelan | A house concert of an artist often hailed as one of the world’s best living Irish button accordion players. He has recorded more than 15 CDs and spent several weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard World Music Charts. Tickets at eventbrite.com or [email protected]
February 18
Jacob Joliff Band | Since 2021, Jacob’s main focus is The Jacob Jolliff Band. This ensemble is a group of virtuosic pickers that play Jacob’s original instrumentals, as well as showcase his singing. They tour nationally in the US and have also traveled to Scotland and Australia to perform. The Band’s date with Tsunami is sandwiched between month-long tours in Australia and the West Coast, so we expect an exceptional performance. Tsunami Books, tsunamibooks.org
February 20 – 26
Beergarden’s Bacon, Bluegrass & Boneyard Beer Fest | Beergarden will host their 7th installment of their epic 7-day event: Bacon, Bluegrass & Boneyard Beer fest. Every year the Beergarden food trucks go bacon crazy and this year is going to be better than ever. Each night of the event, Beergarden will host entertainment. Every year the delicious Boneyard brews take over Beergarden’s taps. In celebration of 7 years running, Beergarden beer buyer Brianna Gordon and some of the beergarden crew collaborated with Boneyard on a brand new IPA that will be released at this event! Beergarden, beergardenme.com
February 21
Molsky’s Mountain Drifters | Folk multi-instrumentalist Bruce Molsky and his Mountain Drifters return for another fine evening of old-time music. The Drifters packs a punch with three of the most captivating performers in the most recent generation of old-time and American Roots music: Bruce Molsky, (Grammy nominated, revered Old-Time music ambassador and Berklee College of Music Visiting Scholar), master of the claw hammer banjo, Allison de Groot (of The Goodbye Girls), and Reed Stutz on guitar, mandolin and vocals. The Shedd, theshedd.org
February 22
Lunasa | The traditional Irish band Lúnasa is renowned for stunning shows featuring superb musicianship, inventive arrangements, and bass driven grooves which have steered Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory. The Shedd, www.theshedd.org/LunasaImage: lanusa.com
Through February 25
Margaret Coe’s “Works” at Karin Clarke Gallery | Margaret Coe’s new show, simply called “Work,” represents her pandemic-era oils on canvas, painted between 2020 and 2022. Most of these were painted in her own backyard which backs up to the woods of Southeast Eugene. See Coe’s work as part of the First Friday Artwalk. Karin Clarke Gallery, karinclarkegallery.com
Opening in February
Spring Museum’s “Stories of Labor in Springfield” | “Working Springfield: exploring labor in Springfield through local voices” is a new exhibit on display at the Springfield History Museum through July 1, 2023. Curator Maddi McGraw says that this exhibit is “a celebration of Springfield’s labor history over the past 175 years, and of the people who have made Springfield into the community it is today.” Springfield Museum, wheremindsgrow.org
