Entertainment is arguably as large a part of our culture as education or politics. The entertainment world is the billboard for our culture, displaying the best, worst and weirdest facets of humanity and its pursuits. The Emerald has gone in depth, capturing the thoughts and ideas from several facets of the Eugene entertainment community to give their own verbal description of our community’s entertainment billboard.
Mare Wakefield, Mare Wakefield Band
Since the age of 6, Mare (pronounced Mary) Wakefield has been creating rhythms, from the start of her professional career in Bend with the band Sister Southpaw to her current trio that composes the Mare Wakefield Band. For Wakefield, music is a full-time love in addition to her day job, and she fills every minute of her non-working life performing at shows including the Oregon Folklife Festival, Oregon Country Fair and Saturday Market.
For Wakefield, entertainment is “any creative force that opens your eyes or makes you think in a different way.” She chose Eugene as her entertainment playground because “it’s a very creatively nurturing community.” Wakefield is continuing that creative nurturing by conducting songwriting workshops to encourage other music lovers.
“There is a pretty strong artistic community and the population in general is supportive of the arts,” Wakefield said. But she noted that “it’s hard to make a living as an artist,” a fact reinforced by Wakefield’s 8-to-5 jobs, similar to many other performers and artist in the community.
For improvement, Wakefield said “it would be nice to see more funding set aside to help support the people in their artistic endeavors.”
Jon Sharpy, student actor and Double-0-7 band member
Sharpy is a junior at the University and juggles his spare time between acting and his band. His summer calendar was jammed with practices and performances for Mad Duckling Theatre, where he starred in “My Emperor’s New Clothes” and “Schoolhouse Rock.” And in addition to amusing the kiddies with his talent at musical comedy, he caters to the grown-up crowd with music from his band Double-0-7. And it’s not hard to catch that Sharpy loves to entertain.
“Entertainment is anything people can do as a recreational activity,” Sharpy said. “Where people can interact or watch performances.”
Double-0-7’s performance resumé has extended beyond the realms of friend’s parties to include such up-and-coming venues as the WOW Hall, the Wild Duck, and the Country Fair.
Eugene is “a good place to start because there are so many outlets here, like community theatre,” Sharpy said. “Almost any activity is encouraged.”
Sharpy expressed that one thing the community lacks is age-friendly entertainment.
“I’d make it so people of all ages could do things, like all-ages concerts, and not cater to just the over-21ers,” Sharpy said.
Steve Perry, member of local band the Daddies
Leading the band with his vocals and talent on the guitar strings, Perry is the classic example of “small town boy makes it big.” And the best part, is he’s still living here in Eugene.
After the release of their third CD “Kid’s on the Street” the Daddies were gaining attention opening for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. But second wasn’t good enough, and the release of their fourth CD in 1997, “Zoot Suit Riot,” catapulted the band into the ranks of fame that include a platinum title and interviews on the Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman.
For Perry, his idea of entertainment and culture are as creative as the lyrics he belts out on stage.
“Entertainment should be the sugary shiny layer on the pill that doesn’t stick to your throat,” Perry said, “while culture is the important stuff inside.”
Perry chose Eugene as his “entertainment playground” after starting at the University. Despite not making it through to graduation, he stayed on in Eugene because it was inexpensive to live here. And “you’d see more shows in basements, a thriving cultural scene,” than what Perry feels exists today.
And with that garage band/basement aspect of our culture slipping away, Perry noted what he would change about the Eugene scene.
“I would go backwards to the more funky kinds of business and such, be a little more bohemian,” he said.
Leigh Anne Jasheway, humor columnist, stand-up comic
Jasheway is a woman with many talents. Before beginning her current career as a humorist, stress management expert and motivational speaker, she worked as a health educator running the wellness program for the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center.
Jasheway feels that entertainment is “Anything that inspires, changes opinion and makes your life more pleasurable.” With that definition, it’s obvious she’s given her life to the pursuit of entertainment.
Besides teaching comedy workshops, Jasheway’s columns regular appear in The Comic News and Family Circle. She’s also featured occasionally in publications including Good Housekeeping and Readers Digest.
The stand-up comic chose Eugene as her home base because “the artistic community here is so strong you can feel it in the air.

“It’s palpable even if you don’t know it,” Jasheway said.
And she’s contributing to that sense of artistic community, teaching comedy workshops and performing with The Comedy Workout, a self-proclaimed ragtag team of stand-up comics.
When asked what would be one thing that could enhance Eugene’s community, Jasheway replied “more diversity.”
“We can benefit from more cultural diversity such as African-American or Hispanic activities,” Jasheway said. “We really need to have more of that. In comedy, you need to have more exposure to people’s identities.”
Tony Pimble, artistic director of the Eugene Ballet Company
For England native Toni Pimble, entertainment is “something that expresses the culture or times and has something to say about it.” And Pimble, artistic director of the Eugene Ballet Company since 1978, has been a vital part of Eugene entertainment.
After dancing for three German ballet companies during her professional dance career, Pimble moved to Eugene to run the Eugene School of Ballet. From there, she started what is now the Eugene Ballet Company, performing for local high schools. Since its inception 22 years ago, the EBC is now one of the top touring companies on the West coast.
“I would make the support for the arts greater,” Pimble said about the one thing she would change in the Eugene arts community. “For the size of the city we have pretty good support, but more would be better.”
Joe Klune, Fashion and Art Photographer
Klune has lived in Oregon most of his life. His hobby was word-working, until the day he decided to buy a camera instead of a new table saw. A decade later, he’s won numerous photography awards, had his work published by National Geographic and in various promotional publications for Oregon.
For Klune, “entertainment culture is the result of current fads. It’s in pursuit of making money by amusing people’s thoughts and minds.”
And for the fashion side of photography, Klune has to keep up on current fads. But it’s his love of art and scenic photography that keep him in Eugene, rather than living and working amidst the hustle and bustle of the photography business in LA or Seattle.
“Eugene is centered in the middle of the versatility of the Oregon environment,” Klune said. “The options for photography Eugene offers in close proximity are the Cascade Range, the coast and all of the green in between.”
With working in a smaller community, Klune does recognize the limitations that arise in any line of work that derives from creative endeavors.
“I would like to see art more exposed to people who don’t normally take it very seriously,” Klune said. “I would like to see other institutions and organizations such as businesses
support artists by promoting more art shows.”
Jason Kansier, School of Music Student
Kansier is a sophomore at the University studying business and music. The multi-instrumental musician can play about anything with a string, keys, or mouthpiece, but excels particularly in trumpet, piano and guitar (electric and acoustic).
Besides participating in the Oregon Marching Band with his trumpet, Kansier executes the complicated scales of Metallica and Dave Matthews in his spare time on electric guitar.
For Kansier, Eugene was an easy pick for the University’s music program, though he felt most students don’t realize what a challenge the program is, and how dedicated students must be to their music to make it through.
Because Kansier finds most of his time devoted to school, marching band and his fraternity Lambda Chi, finding any extra time to pursue starting a band — like the one he was involved with in high school — is tough.
However, the guitar comes out of the case occasionally for events such as Anchorsplash, where Kansier played last year, and at the request of women who’ve heard about his incredible rendition of Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven.”
Kansier plans on auditioning for the Green Garter Band, a select group of 12 musicians and full-time University students who play for women’s basketball and volleyball games, as well as serving as the core unit for the Oregon Basketball Band.