For the past year and a half, Eugene resident Marc Moscato used his basement to host independent concerts, films and other art events with everything falling under the moniker “My House.” Recently Moscato left the basement, but that hasn’t stopped him from supporting underground art.
He’s starting a new roving event series called “Not My House,” which will show independent multimedia in various indoor and outdoor venues. The first show will commence on Thursday with a three-musician concert sponsored by the UO Cultural Forum. Slated to perform is Mt. Eerie, a one-man band from Olympia, Wash., Japanese singer-songwriter Kazumi Nikaido and Portland folk singer Adrian Orange. The show begins 8:30 p.m. at the Core Star Cultural Center, located at 439 W. 2nd Ave.
Moscato said he began “My House” and “Not My House” to encourage artists who don’t have much money or a record label to perform.
“I’m more interested in what my neighbor has to say than what Sony Pictures Classics has to say,” he said.
Orange, whose stage name is Thanksgiving, played in Moscato’s basement during the “My House” days. He said independent artists deserve just as much attention as big label artists.
“Musicians with more money aren’t necessarily better,” he said. “Musicians should be able to play if they want to and if they’re good at it.”
Orange, who will be opening Thursday’s show, has performed solo and with bands since he was 11 years old. He has released two albums under the name Thanksgiving — “We Could Be Each Other’s Evidence” and “Nothing”– which are both for sale in Portland record stores and at Orange’s shows. He said he incorporates spontaneity into every show.
“Sometimes I bring people from the audience on stage if they play an instrument,” he said.
UO Cultural Forum Regional Music Coordinator Timothy Cooke said he is happy to sponsor “Not My House” because it is a good part of the Eugene community.
“There are plenty of mainstream bands who play in bars in Eugene and shows that the University puts together, but “Not My House” is different,” Cooke said.
Moscato, who has also created his own art and film projects, organized independent art shows for five years before founding “My House.” He hosted a total of 45 “My House” events, including an art show against the war in Iraq inside a Eugene art gallery. The event drew about 500 people. The closing event for “My House” was July’s “A Super Happy Fun Day in the Park,” a 25-act film and music show in the Washington-Jefferson Park.
Included in other plans for “Not My House” is a show called “The Secret History of Eugene,” which will tell stories about lost people and places in Eugene through multimedia exhibits. Moscato plans to create a Web site where people can submit material for the show. He said he hopes to take “Not My House” to other cities and to continue organizing shows that are free from institutional support.
“I love the spirit of do-it-yourself culture,” he said. “It’s self-empowering.”
Thursday’s show is open to all ages with a $3-5 suggested donation. Free soup will be provided.