Mr. Brightside

The music and aesthetic of London-via-New York musician Gustav Ahr, better known as Lil Peep, is such a Frankenstein’s monster of rap, emo and indie rock that it’s tempting to suspect it came from a coldly calculating music industry boardroom rather than the creative voice of an independent artist.

Nevertheless, Peep’s been an organic internet sensation since around 2015, and he comes to Eugene behind this year’s heavily hyped full-length debut, Come Over When You’re Sober Pt. 1. The album features the musician half-singing, half-rapping on adolescent and nihilistic tunes like “Better off (Dying)” and “Problems.”

And Peep’s open about a level of substance abuse that makes Amy Winehouse seem like a teetotaler. From “Problems” he slurs, “Every time we’re together I black out.” And on “U Said” he whines, “I get high all week without you.”

Highlight single “The Brightside” has a trap music-style backbeat and a lush, turquoise blue guitar sound recalling British bands like The XX, but is ultimately traceable back to The Cure. In fact, the bass-line intro to “U Said” could be lifted right off Cure classic Faith.

Overall, Come Over When You’re Sober succeeds on Peep’s genuine rock-star charisma that skirts the edge of danger. He smells like teen angst, with undeniable impact potential on his generation: a sad-boy Johnny Rotten or Kurt Cobain for young, post hip hop, genre-agnostic music seekers sourcing their new tunes from Soundcloud, Youtube and online mixtapes.

Lil Peep plays 8 pm Wednesday, Oct. 4, at Hi-Fi Music Hall; $20 advance, $25 door, all-ages.

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!