Bieber Fever Strikes Eugene, then Moves to Portland
With a whole week of rumors and supposed “Bieber sightings”, the 22-year-old Canadian juggernaut Justin Bieber has moved on from his week of rehearsal in Matthew Knight Arena to perform this Sunday, March 13 at Portland’s Moda Center.
As early as last Wednesday, rumors buzzed around the Bean and Hamilton dorms (those closest to Matthew Knight Arena) of suspicious activity involving a very famous singer, who maybe-possibly is spending a week in Eugene to rehearse in the Arena, because the Moda Center was overbooked for the week leading up to his performance.
At first, these were all rumors sung from the hearts of freshman girls. Then it became more suspicious: his DJ’s Instagram appeared to show the wall of Taylor’s Bar on 13th Street, and one UO student seemed to recognize the lamp in the back of Bieber’s Instagram as one from the Inn at 5th in Eugene.
This all lead up to two nights straight of fans lined up at heavily guarded barricades at the beginning of this week to catch a glimpse of Bieber in his tinted black SUV. Supposedly, he could be briefly seen through the windows.
And now, Bieber is to perform at the Moda Center on Sunday night after a week of rehearsal in little old Eugene. Tickets have yet to completely sell out, and some are being sold online for just $50.
Eugene:
Jauz at McDonald Theater, Friday at 7 p.m. (1010 Willamette Street) $20-30.
Jauz, a 21-year-old DJ known best for his genre-blending beats, is coming to the McDonald Theater this weekend. He has guest mixed on Diplo’s radio show and created remixes for some of the biggest musicians in today’s industry, including Childish Gambino and Ed Sheeran. Those two are completely different genres – Gambino’s millennial-baiting rap versus Sheeran’s crowd-pleasing pop – but Jauz manages to work with all types of music to create his own style. Fans of almost all types of music will enjoy Jauz’s show on Friday. His personal motto? “Music has no boundaries.”
Belly Dance at Wildish Theater, Saturday at 8 p.m. (630 Main Street) $15.
For the 25th anniversary of the Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene , a gala show will be performed at Springfield’s Wildish Theater on Saturday. A variety of Middle Eastern dance cultures, from folkloric to fusion, will be presented. 35 performers will be present from all across the state, and live music will be performed with the dances. With a “highly entertaining evening of dance” promised, it will be a unique cultural experience with “colorful costumes, group dances, soloists and musical performances on oud, kanoon, and Egyptian tabla drum.
tobyMac, Sunday at 7 p.m.., Matthew Knight Arena, Sold-out.
Anyone passing by Matthew Knight Arena over the past few months will have seen the promo screen advertisements for Christian hip-hop/pop singer tobyMac’s Hits Deep Tour, and now tickets for his nearly sold-out concert have soared to more than $100. The Grammy-winning artist is touring with his greatest hits after releasing his seventh album last year. At this year’s Grammys, his most recent album This Is Not A Test won Best Contemporary Christian Album. Fans of gospel and/or more common pop will enjoy tobyMac’s special performance in Eugene.
Portland:
St. Patrick O’Chocolate McWhickey, Friday 6 p.m. (306 SE Ash St.) $25 in advance, $30 at the door, 21+.
An evening of chocolate, whiskey and Irish fare is in store for those aiming to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day before finals and get a little relief from studying! Your ticket includes chocolate pairing with fine whiskey, in addition to Irish fare like shepherd’s pie. The event is put on by the Portland Chocolate Mob, who are “a passionate group of Chocolate Makers and Chocolatiers on a collective mission to share quality chocolate with the world.” The chocolate tasted with the whiskey is guaranteed to be mouth-watering and delicious.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Orlando Magic, Saturday at 7:30 p.m., 1 N Center Ct St., $32+.
Going 33-31 this season, the Portland Trail Blazers face off against the 27-35 Orlando Magic on Saturday night in the Moda Center. By Saturday, the Blazers will have come off from Friday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors and the NBA’s golden boy Steph Curry, who lead his team to their 45th consecutive regular season win at home during their game against Orlando Magic this week. The Blazers stand at #7 in the Western Conference NBA rankings, and have been one of the NBA’s hottest teams since February.
2016 Portland Holi Hai, Sunday at 3 p.m., 105 NW 3rd Avenue, $12 in advance, $25 at the door, 21+.
Like the annual Holi festival in India, participants are encouraged to wear all white in preparation to be doused with bright color. This event, held in Portland’s Barrel Room, is hosted by Bollywood entertainer Prashant. Holi marks the beginning of spring, so just pretend it won’t still be raining this weekend! There will be a special Bollywood dance lesson at 3:45 p.m., and the Jai Ho! Dance Troupe Holi performance at 4 p.m. After that, with the color packets provided, the Festival of Color will begin!