Back Beat

Hear ye! Hear ye! Get thee to Lane County Fair. EW’s 16 Next Big Thing semi-finalists will be competing at the Community Stage. Music acts in order of appearance include, July 26: Scott Austin (4 pm), Paris Green (4:45 pm), Those Willows (5:30 pm), Tita Luisa (6:15 pm), The Crescendo Show (7 pm), Robert Meade (7:45 pm), Dubious (8:30 pm), The Great Hiatum (9:15 pm); July 27: Caroline Bauer (1:45 pm), Michael Conley (2:30 pm), Elena Leona (3:15 pm), Edewaard (4 pm); July 28: Speaker Wave (1:45 pm) Sol Seed (2:30 pm) Steel Wool (3:15 pm), Barefoot Leroy (4 pm).

Small Howl brings another indie eve to Wandering Goat (8:30 pm Saturday, July 27) with three bands from near and far: Gossimer (Oakland, Calif.), Har-di-har (Cedar Falls, Iowa) and L’Ile Pica (Olympia, Wash.). Watch Har-di-har’s music video for “Once Branches,” a catchy ditty that sounds like Joni Mitchell paired up with the Bad Plus.

Booked! The Cuthbert has locked in wandering folk commune/band Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros for Sept. 18. Opening for the band will be electronic outfit Thievery Corporation.

Need an excuse for a road trip? Head Northeast to the Wolf Run Ranch for what NBC News deemed the millennial generation’s “Woodstock,” also known as What The Festival (July 26-28). The electronic-heavy line up includes A-Trak, Purity Ring, RJD2, PANTyRAID, Flosstradamus and local favorites Medium Troy.

Don’t miss: North Carolina bluegrassers Town Mountain, whose track “Diggin’ on the Mountainside” made the Putumayo Presents Bluegrass album alongside songs by Alison Krauss and David Grisman, at Sam Bond’s (July 28); the Passion Pit-meets-David Bowie indie pop of Portland’s NTNT at Luckey’s (July 26).

Portland’s Grammy-nominated pianist Weber Iago headlines “Keys for the Village,” a benefit concert for Opportunity Village, 6 pm Sunday, July 28, at Wesley United Methodist Church.

Jay Farrar or Jeff Tweedy? Them’s fightin’ words for some. But if you think about it, Uncle Tupelo’s long-lamented demise just gave Americana lovers two bright shiny things to be happy about instead of one. Farrar and Son Volt play the WOW Hall July 26. Those in the Tweedy camp will have to catch Wilco some other time…

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!