Back Beat

Straight-A students: The A3 Group, an advanced nine-piece instrumental music ensemble from the Springfield Academy of Arts and Academics, will fill the Wildish Theater with the sounds of “Bass Folk Song,” “Django’s Castle” and other music by A3 student composers 7:30 pm Friday, Feb. 28; $5 students and seniors, $7 general. Local favorite Mood Area 52 takes the stage next, performing its signature blend of jazz, American folk, Brechtian cabaret and classical music. The groups will cap off the night with a joint performance of “St. James Infirmary” and “Occluded Pets.”

EW’s 2013 Next Big Thing winner Sol Seed kicks off a West Coast tour Feb. 27 for the reggae-fusion band’s latest album, Family Tree. The tour ends in Eugene with an album, release concert April 11 at Cozmic. Speaking of Next Big Thing, the 2014 competition opens May 1 with new categories and a 72-hour Music Video Film Fest with the Bijou. Details to come.

Tori Amos once said of fellow musician Willy Porter: “Willy plays rhythms that make me want to crawl inside his guitar and sleep there forever.” Well, perhaps not forever, but how about an evening? Porter, a singer-songwriter and rock guitarist, plays with Carmen Nicholson 7:30 pm Sunday, March 2, at Cozmic; $16.50 adv., $18 door. Please, only one person inside his guitar at a time.

Don’t miss: Greensky Bluegrass, the 5-piece band that Rolling Stone says represents bluegrass “for a whole new generation,” plays with Tumbleweed Wanderers 9 pm Friday, Feb. 28, at WOW Hall; folk veteran and environmentalist Alice Dimecele plays 8:30 pm Sunday, March 2, at Sam Bond’s; The Coup returns to Cozmic, dropping G-funk hip hop with a political edge 9 pm Monday, March 3.

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!