Thursday, 5
Substitute and Mightiest Monster, Bombs Away Café, 2527 NW Monroe Ave. 9 p.m. Free
Former Bombs owner John Huyck is up to no good with his Who tribute act live on stage. This night has the smell of nepotism all over it, but I do love the Who, and I like a Who show I don’t have to pay for even more. Bring your squeezebox and your pinballs; this rock ‘n’ roll revival is going to something something Boris the Spider. Oh duh, Substitute… I just got that.
509J District Student Art Show, La Sells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th St. 5:30 p.m. Free
The Giustina Gallery at La Sells will be the site of this non-juried art show for students from elementary, middle, and high schools around Corvallis. All mediums will be showcased, and if your kid is one of the artists being showcased, I’m sure you’ll be there anyway. I like to go with 10 or 15 of my really fit and well-dressed friends and then walk around chuckling rudely at the work. It may hurt their feelings now, but in the long run we’re going to make great artists out of these kids.
Friday, 6
Triptych Trio, Bombs Away Café, 2527 NW Monroe Ave. 9 p.m. $10
Rob Wynia is Corvallis’ renaissance man. This guy has more projects than Los Angeles, and his ranged skill set makes shows like this a surprise every time. This time around he’s got Skip vonKuske from Vagabond Opera and Portland Cello project as well as Don Henson of Pink Martini with him for a night of experimental and eclectic musicianship. Don’t sleep on this show.
Meet the Author: Jenny Boully, OSU Valley Library, 201 SW Waldo Pl. 7:30 p.m. Free
Boully’s books, including The Body (2002) and The Book of Beginnings and Endings (2007), have won her international acclaim for her creativity and form-bending ingenuity. See her speak live at the Valley Library and get a book signed. Take my advice and don’t show up with 20 copies of each of her books and ask her to sign them all but to “leave the name blank.” Not only will she not do it for you, but signed books aren’t worth anything anyway. It’s not 1993 anymore.
Saturday, 7
The Moonshine and Scratchdog Stringband, Bombs Away Café, 2527 NW Monroe Ave. 9 p.m. $5
Folk bands, Corvallis, folk bands. What can I tell you; if you’re not in the mood for some sort of folk band on any given night, you may want to invest in starting your own non-Americana slinging outfit. In the meantime, Mr. or Mrs. Picky, you’ll just have to settle for these really quite talented bunches out of Portland. This show will be a good one to attend with a beard, if that’s in your repertoire. The Moonshine is an enjoyable genre-bender that feels a bit like if Paul Westerberg started a folk band. Only, you know, I might actually go to see this group.
http://www.reverbnation.com/themoonshinemusic
Corvallis Folklore Society Contra Dance, 4515 SW West Hills Rd. 7:30 p.m. $7 ($6 for students)
The name of this group is a little misleading, right? They’re more about contra dancing and roots music than dwarves and faeries, and I’d much rather this was a freaky LARP dance. Still, contra dancing is crazy fun, and it’s more rewarding than your current plan to sit at home and make YouTube videos of yourself ranking the different brands of mayonnaise by blind taste test. I mean, the production value is surprisingly good, and I never expected your extensive use of green screens. But I am worried about your cholesterol level…
http://corvallisfolklore.org/home/
Sunday, 8
Heart of the Valley Children’s Choir Concert, First Methodist Church, 1165 NW Monroe Ave. 7 p.m. Free
I hate to be the one to advocate hecklers for the kids, but American exceptionalism is suffering from the touchy-feely European socialism of patting these kids on the back all the time. The HVCC kids are a talented, hardworking bunch, but I just don’t think they’re going to take the next step unless we unload some needlessly cruel punishment on them. But let’s keep the criticisms music-related here, people. I want to see catcalls about intonation, phrasing, and timbre, not about fashion or any other aesthetic touches. We’re trying to create superstars…
The Music Man, Corvallis High School Theatre, 1400 NW Buchanan Ave. 7 p.m. $10 ($8 for students, $5 for youth)
Speaking of torturing kids to improve their performances, I’ve actually seen this show, and these kids are damn good. Somebody’s clearly already tortured them with the high expectations of the American stage tradition. That or they’re just competently managed and directed by a caring bunch of professionals. I’m betting on torture, though. The Music Man is being produced live this year by NBC, and is a classic of the stage and screen, so you’ll have plenty of material to compare these kids to. It’s the American way.
Monday, 9
The Jordan World Circus, Benton County Fairgrounds, 110 SW 53rd St. 7 p.m. $18 ($14 for children)
I love a good circus. The clowns are terrifying, and occasionally profound. The animals are tragic and depressing. The ringmaster is underwhelming and unintentionally hilarious. And I may be suppressing some traumatic event from my childhood, but I have the distinct feeling that acrobats are evil… plus I get nausea and vertigo whenever I smell hay or cannon fuse burning. Aaaaaanyway… the circus is in town… yay.
http://www.thejordanworldcircus.com
Science Pub, Old World Deli, 341 SW 2nd St. 6 p.m. Free
The title of this edition of Science Pub is “In Hot Water: Investigations Beneath the Earth’s Surface Using Electromagnetic Methods.” Wake me when it’s over, right bros? Anyone? No? Oh, this is a really awesome and popular event, you say? My bad… misread the crowd. Okay then, let’s try this again; don’t miss this fascinating and fun science night out when it returns to the Old World with speaker Adam Schultz from CEOAS at OSU. You’ll be smarter and, if their business strategy is working at all, more full of sandwiches for your trouble.
https://www.omsi.edu/sciencepubcorvallis/030915
Tuesday, 10
Community Movie Night with Ygal Kaufman, Darkside Cinema, 215 SW 4th St. 7 p.m. Free
Before these shows begin, Ygal frequently likes to give a “tasteful racism” warning. Some of the classics of CMNYK and the film reels and other goodies he shows beforehand have some old-timey offensiveness in them. Well, let me do him a favor and give that warning extra early this week. It’s Abbott & Costello’s Africa Screams (1949). The two extremely white comedy legends go on a safari adventure, in a continent that’s one unending string of stereotypes, in search of diamonds. Racism and hilarity abound. This film is a Kanye-composed score away from being a deep satire on exploitation. As it is, it’s just kind of offensive and amazingly entertaining.
https://www.facebook.com/freemovienightcorvallis
Celtic Jam, Imagine Coffee, 5460 SW Philomath Blvd. 7 p.m. Free
If you show up to this event wearing Notre Dame gear, things will legitimately jump off. I’ve been to this thing, and while they seem like a pleasant bunch of low-key artist types, they will absolutely sock you in the face if you wear gear that’s offensive to the Irish. Oh wait, am I writing about Celtic Jam right now? Never mind, I was thinking of Irish Poet Cliché Night at O’Malley’s. But that’s next Tuesday. The Celtic Jam at Imagine is totally safe for you no matter what you’re wearing.
Wednesday, 11
Chuck Holst and Gary Rowles, Bombs Away Café, 2527 NW Monroe Ave. 7:30 p.m. Free
If there was a Mount Rushmore of Corvallis musicians, it would have Gary Rowles’ head and a bunch of people who were employed to keep his head clean and make sure there was a giant endless bowl of green M&M’s underneath it at all times. And that’s it. Which is to say, he’s a pretty big deal. Don’t miss him and his ace Chuck Holst at this laidback free gig. Or if you do, at least have the good manners to send a card or a fruit basket announcing you regretfully couldn’t make it. It’s called manners.
Wednesday Acoustic Live, Les Caves, 308 SW 3rd St. 8 p.m. Free
It’s the Brutal Bridges Band for this installment of Alliteration by Candlelight—er, I mean, Wednesday Acoustic Live. I know I’ve been dismissive of folky acoustic rock in Corvallis before, but… I don’t really have a great way to end that sentence. Les Caves does have yummy food and good taste in live entertainment, so I would hit this up. Additionally, I’m open to some sort of free endless hot pretzel deal in exchange for less sarcastic admonitions to go to this show every Wednesday. Hint, hint…
https://www.facebook.com/BrutalBridgesBand
Thursday, 12
Andra Taylor and Nate Dodge, Bombs Away Café, 2527 NW Monroe Ave. 9 p.m. Free
This romantic and whimsical couple of nuts sold their earthly possessions and moved their whole lives onto a bus to tour the world playing each other’s music in a tag team performing consortium. That sounds like a better pilot for an HBO show about young artists cutting their teeth than it does a show I’d actually go to. But I’m much more discerning and hermitish than you. Plus I haven’t showered in 12 days. So I have an excuse to skip this. You don’t. Oh, and there’s an Oakshire Brewing tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. that’s free, too. Soooo, I guess what I’m saying is, can I use your shower?
http://andrataylornatedodge.com
Katie McNally Band, Majestic Theatre, 115 SW 2nd St. 7:30 p.m. $22 at the door ($20 in advance)
One magazine described McNally as “the new face of Scottish fiddling in the USA,” which is something I had always hoped to be myself one day. So I’ll be pettily and immaturely skipping this show to stay home and pout. You’d be pretty stupid to skip it though, because she’ll be busting out her not inconsiderable fiddle game with the excellent Neal Pearlman on piano and Shauncey Ali on viola. Sometimes the most talented musicians also make the best music.
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