8-Track Minds

Music nerds of Eugene unite! For all of you who raid House of Records looking for deleted Smiths singles and original (not rereleased) Frank Zappa albums, who own vinyl, cassette, CD and 8-track copies of the same album and especially for those who caught the High Fidelity reference, the time has come to commence under the roof of the Analog Resurgence Tour at Luckey’s on Thursday, Sept. 5. Running the show are two longtime members of underground DIY music culture, Russ Forster and Skizz Cyzyk. Their mission is simple: “Let’s be the Pied Pipers of the analog cause,” Forster says.

The night will include music courtesy of Forster’s punk band RAKEHELL and Cyzyk’s ukulele-based band Go Pill, and the two Renaissance men will be showing experimental short films they’ve produced including Cheese Tweezer, Well Intended World and Springtime for Eva. Also on the evening’s menu is the release of a new issue of 8-Track Mind Magazine, Forster’s music zine, which is an 8-track lover’s Bible but with more new releases.

Even though he’s an analog purist, Forster was surprised at the analog second coming. “If you would have asked me 10 years ago, I would have said no,” he says. The Illinois native has been involved in the underground music scene since the 1980s. He directed the 1995 documentary So Right They’re Wrong, which details obsessive 8-track collectors or “those passionate few for whom the ’70s never died.” Cyzyk is a musician and filmmaker who has produced music videos for the likes of Beach House and The Young Fresh Fellows. Vinyl continues to sell and Forster believes it’s because there is a more impacting experience gained through analog listening. “No one gets sentimental with CDs, but they do with vinyls and 8-tracks,” Forster says. “Analog and emotion are more closely aligned than digital.”

The Analog Resurgence Tour has stops throughout the West Coast including Olympia, Wash., and Berkeley, Calif., and it’s Forster’s way of giving life back to a fading format. “I feel like I’m a music archaeologist for things that are 30-40 years old,” Forster says. But the music format speaks for itself. “If you want an Al Green song to really knock your socks off,” he says. “I think vinyl offers that in a way that digital never really has.”

The Analog Resurgence Tour hits 10 pm Thursday, Sept. 5, at Luckey’s.

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!