Intro

I write a lot of things on the internet. Mostly bawdy nonsense that I think up while sitting in this coffee shop or that. This is one of the few things I've thought of writing that has a specific focus behind it, i.e. to give my impressions of the various forms of entertainment in the city of Eugene, Oregon. A modest goal to be sure, but I think I can manage to make it stoke my own ego to a satisfying extent.

A little history on myself and my qualifications. I was born and raised in Oregon and have lived in or near Eugene for most of my life. I went to college here and wrote about arts and entertainment for my college paper. Had some strong ties to the art and music communities. Knew most the venue owners in town.

Then I left town for three years and lived in Grand Forks, North Dakota. My reasons are my own.

In the end I moved back to this area. I'm currently living just outside Eugene, with plans to move back into town as soon as I can find gainful employment. I'm starting to reconnect to the city after my absence, catching up with old friends, stopping in at old hang-outs. Eating the food. Breathing the air. Absorbing the indescribable ethereal atmosphere. Chilaxing. This blog will deal with this process and describe for anyone interested some of the more compelling activities in this corner of the Northwest.

For a little introductory nod, here are some of my favorite spots in town:

For Coffee: Espresso Roma on 13th near the UO is my favorite for atmosphere and essential coffeehouse aesthetics. The coffee is motor oil, no subtlety but enough kick to make me a happy caffeine junkie. Great pastries as well. For actual good coffee, Full City is my local fav (though I've heard good things about Wandering Goat, and there is a shop in town near the 5th Street Market that is bringing down Stumptown coffee from up Portland way).

For Music: Depends on the mood. Sam Bond's Garage is a favorite for the decent country sounds they bring in (something lacking in this town, unfortunately. Bluegrass is an art, people. Respect the twang.). The WOW Hall get a lot of the good small level acts and is nice if you can stand the underage crowd. Nothing too thrilling on the calender right now though, for me anyway. Not a big fan of The Shedd, as it's mostly Old White Guy music, that particular brand of jazz and blues that caters specifically to the Boomers. If I want something respectable, I'll shell out for tickets to a decent traveling show at the Hult Center. There used to be some good jazz/jazz fusion acts roaming the city, but I haven't heard any word on them since I got back.

For Food: Taste of India, Laughing Planet, Burrito Boy, Ta Ra Rin, Rennie's (the burgers, dear god the burgers), the Bier Stein (the beer, holy christ the beer), the Oregon Electric Station and others that will be spoken of later as I reconnect to them.

There are more that I'll call out as time goes by. I'll be updating pretty infrequently at first, but once I get a job and place in town, I'll be making a stronger effort here.

Cheers.