The Weekend Review: Jan. 25 to 27

FRIDAY:

Click here for a slideshow featuring classic works by R. Crumb.

Editor Mark D. Fefer reports on the Frye Art Museum's show, R. Crumb Underground:

The Harvey Wallbangers were thrown back as fast as they were set out Friday night, as Frye curator Robin Held continued to explode the museum�s formerly stodgy reputation, this time by importing an exhibit from the Bay Area of the work of R. Crumb. �You guys look like a judging panel,� said one patron to the princess-y interns/work-study students stationed at the check-in table. �Oh we are,� said the bright young thing. �We�re judging people�s clothes.� Crumb would have had fun with them.
-- Mark D. Fefer

SATURDAY:

Photo by Betsy Kornelis.

Mussels hand-plucked from nearby pier were just one of the luxuries we discovered during our weekend on Lopez Island is the San Juans. Even in the winter, the sleepy island is worthy of a weekend trip, especially if solitude is on your agenda. Check out some options here.

Sunday morning on Lopez. Photo taken from the deck of our cabin.

SUNDAY:

Our friend and photographer Damien M. Jones, caught Grynch at Chop Suey. Check out his slideshow here.

Last night I saw a commercial for Southwest Airlines' $59, one-way special to Denver. And no sooner had I said, "Yeah, just in case you want to go to Denver?," Laura Onstot gave me one compelling reason. She says "current snowshoeing conditions in Rocky Mountain National park are so amazing."

Brian Miller reports back on his experience with Warren Miller's Steep:

Far better than your average Warren Miller ski movie, Steep has been held over a week at the Varsity. And in the snow-crazed Northwest, it may run longer. The documentary is inspirational, but not in the mindless, "Whoa, dude, awesome!" kind of way. It treats extreme skiers seriously, explains the history of the sport, and is candid about its risks. (And those risks are huge.) Seattle-raised athletes Mike Hattrup and Ingrid Backstrom are among those interviewed. And Backstrom makes a particularly thrilling run down a sheer slope near Valdez, Alaska. Eloquent on their skis, not all these snow jocks are terribly articulate about their sport -- one reason all the reviews have relied so much on the "adrenaline junkie" cliche. But non-skiers may never understand. And if they label Steep a cult movie, insiders won't mind. That'll leave more snow for the rest of us.
-- Brian Miller