Picture this: School’s out. The weather is to die for. The days are long, the nights are warm and you’re ready to be entertained.
Yes, boys and girls, it’s almost summer, which means that there will be live music aplenty ’round these parts.
There are a whole lot of big names coming to the Pacific Northwest this summer. The ever-popular Gorge Amphitheater in George, Wash., is hosting a few of these heavy hitters. Get your alterna-teen fix with Matchbox 20 on September 22, or with everybody’s favorite naked punk rock trio Blink-182 on August 17. The mighty Radiohead will be stopping by June 23 to support their latest alienation-rock opus “Amnesiac.”
One of the most innovative events of the summer will be Moby’s Area: One Festival, which is coming to the Gorge August 3. Artists scheduled to appear include The Roots, New Order, OutKast, Orb, Paul Oakenfold and Moby himself. Get out your glow sticks and be prepared to dance the night away.
However, the Gorge’s most popular draw this summer will most likely be Dave Matthews Band’s three-day stint on August 24, 25, and 26. With a successful new album (“Everyday”) and an ever-expanding fan base, Dave Matthews Band appears to be utterly unstoppable in terms of drawing crowds to its epic concerts.
Portland’s Rose Garden arena has its own share of marquee-filling superstars coming through this summer. Janet Jackson’s “All For You” tour will be rolling through on July 7, and ’80s synth-gloom pioneers Depeche Mode will stop by on July 27 in support of their new album “Exciter.”
Baby boomers should all hyperventilate when they hear that God himself, Eric Clapton, will be gracing the Rose Garden August 7 for his “Reptile” tour. In a recent interview, Clapton said that this tour would be his last, so catch him while you can.
Backstreet’s back, all right, and they’ll be at the Rose Garden August 10. Make sure to ask your parents’ permission first.
These acts are just the tip of the iceberg. There’s tons of other artists coming our way this summer, from Counting Crows to Coldplay to Ray Charles.
Locally, Eugene’s summer music schedule ain’t too shabby, either. Coming to our very own Cuthbert Amphitheater on July 3 will be former Grateful Dead bassmeister Phil Lesh. Original Righteous Babe Ani DiFranco will stop by on July 9, and prog-rock holdovers The Moody Blues will appear August 28.
The 2001 Lane County Fair, always a good time, will run from August 14-19. This year’s featured performers include Collin Raye, Jaci Velasquez, .38 Special, Oak Ridge Boys, Pat Benatar and Wynonna. Yes, that’s right. Pat Benatar will be in Eugene.
Eugene has always been proud of its Oregon Bach Festival, and with good reason: It’s become one of the most important celebrations of Bach’s music in the United States. The Bach Festival will take place at the Hult Center and at the University’s own Beall Hall from June 22-July 8. This year’s festival will feature a very special guest: vocal sensation Bobby McFerrin. Yes, he sang “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” but the musical stylings of the 10-time Grammy winner have been decidedly more classical of late.
Finally, Eugene’s local bars and clubs will be providing the same low-cost, high-quality musical entertainment that they offer year-round. Cafe Paradiso in particular is completely remodeling its music venue, upgrading the sound system and stage and getting bigger-name acts. They’ll be offering beer and wine this summer, too.
So whatever tickles your musical pickle, you’ll have the opportunity to be entertained this summer. Whether it be rock, country, classical or guitar-slinging hippies on East 13th Avenue, musical bliss is only a stone’s throw away.