The Carnivàle Comes to Town

Jason Cowsill was never pressured into music, despite his family’s storied musical history. A descendent of America’s family band, The Cowsills, he spent a lot of time bouncing around recording studios. But the moment he picked up his first guitar, there was no turning back.

With his most recent project, Troupe Carnivàle, Cowsill joins his wife, Jackie, for an exploration of the Vaudeville aesthetic drawing influence from Old West medicine shows when traveling teams of entertainers and medical salesmen would hustle “medical cures” between circus acts and concerts.

Troupe Carnivàle is more than just a collective of musicians — they’re entertainers. “We like the idea of kind of a neo-Vaudeville, where it’s not just a band playing at an audience. It’s an experience that the audience takes part in,” Jason Cowsill says.

“It’s dark, most people call it dark,” he says. “People have described it as great music to drink by.”

This focus on immersion transcends both their live performances and their studio recordings. “In my mind I was trying to create this sort of timeless piece of entertainment,” Jackie Cowsill adds.

The two also have a duo act where they perform nostalgic covers of 1950s and ’60s classics, but they feel they have exhausted many of the venues they could play. From a musical wanderlust sprang Troupe Carnivàle; the band recently recorded their first album, Skaal Krush, with the help of Eugene producer Billy Barnett of Gung Ho Studios.

This niche sound shimmers in their instrumentation: Drummer Don Elkington prides himself on developing new percussion pieces to accompany the live performances, Stephen Andresen riffs on electric and resonator guitar, Whitney Moulton is a master of the upright bass and Torrey Newhart mans the keys and toy piano. Jackie and Jason Cowsill top it off with moody vocals and guitar. To fully grasp their aesthetic a live show is a must. Think of it as the soundtrack to a mellow, post-apocalyptic carnival, complete with haunting tones and lyrics that dig deep into your soul.

Troupe Carnivàle host their CD release party with openers Mood Area 52 at 9 pm Saturday, May 18, at Sam Bond’s; free.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!