Gossip Should Have No Friends

[January 24th, 2007] SLICK CHICK Think Mandy Moore, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a barrel of vegetable oil, and what comes to mind might not be biodiesel. However, Lovecraft Biofuels is L.A.'s hippest new scene—a "conversion station" on Sunset where glam stars and flex-happy guvs are trickin' their vehicles out to run on SVO—straight vegetable oil. On March 10, Tacee Webb (the gal behind Red Light who is currently bringing more American Apparel shops to the Rose City and across the nation) will bring all the chic of conservation to Portland by opening a branch of Lovecraft Biofuels on Southeast 12th Avenue and Division Street . "I think it'd be cool to have a bunch of cute girl mechanics," Webb said about the future Portland crew who'll wrangle Lovecraft's easy-to-install conversion packets, which cost $425 and give the engine of your diesel ride a makeover—allowing it to run on veggie oil, bio- or petro-diesel. And smell the future, friends: Webb also plans to include a scented-car option with the conversion kit.

THEIR LIPS AREN'T SEALED The shabby, dusty era of vaudeville meets highbrow French lyric opera in the Saturday, Feb. 10, debut showing of Opera Theater Oregon 's new "opera cabaret troupe," the New Bellini Cavalcade of Beautiful Losers . According to OTO artistic honcho Katie Taylor, this PG-13 scripted revuesical (at the Someday Lounge) includes a slate of guest stars, including Helena Greathouse , a former darling of Czech National TV who performs in Liza Minnelli-inspired spangles with her husband on the accordion. >> Speakin' of songsters: It seems Portland Opera just can't hold onto its singers . After giving the boot to tenor BÜlent BezdÜz from the title role of last fall's Faust (for throwing punches at conductor Vjekoslav Sutej , say company members), there's a new Druid diva being flown in for the company's next show, Bellini's grand opera Norma (Feb. 10-17 at the Keller). Soprano Brenda Harris replaces European singer Hasmik Papian , waylaid in Vienna "due to illness," according to the company's press release.

YES, THAT CHRIS KLEIN Oregon has been called home by such obscure filmmakers as Gus Van Sant and John Cameron Mitchell—but you haven't truly hit the big time until you host your own Hallmark Hall of Fame TV special. Consider that TV cherry popped: The Valley of Light, a 1940s romance starring Gretchen Mol and Chris Klein, which premieres Sunday, Jan. 28, at 9 pm on CBS, was shot primarily in our fair state's countryside. The movie claims to be set in rural North Carolina. But that's only because the actors were trained to speak with Southern accents by dialogue coach Mary McDonald-Lewis, a P-town resident. Y'all come back now, yuh heah?

CORRECTION Despite what WW might have told you, Julie Sabatier's local radio show/podcast, DIY, Portland, airs on the third Thursday of the month on KBOO 90.7 at 10 am, not 10 pm. Our apologies.Get an earful of past shows at myspace.com/julieontheradio.

WHAT YOU MISSED THIS WEEK ON WW'S LOCALCUT.COM Alela Diane plays hard to get, and the gals in Swan Island mind their beeswax during the debut video for "Crumble." >> Laura Gibson makes her way down the Western Seaboard. >> Xiu Xiu and Grouper procreate for a local label's "Pregnancy Series." >> Band of the Week the Headliners aren't so bad after all, and free MP3s from the likes of Dakota Slim, thebrotheregg and the Hunches tickle your eardrums.