Our World: Tiny, Round

The world is flat, right, we all know that. The world is also very small. The latest example of that is this: I have a good friend in Brooklyn who has a pretty expert grasp on my taste in, well, most things, or at the very least books, movies and music. We don’t always agree (that would get boring!) but when we disagree, it’s usually for a reason that’s worth discussing (with the exceptions of those times when Toby just kind of nods, folds his arms in a friendly way and says, “Hrm” in a tone that simultaneously expresses bafflement and shows it’s non-judgemental bafflement).

The thing about having a friend with a really good grasp on your taste is that, should that friend be inclined to gift-giving, they give you really good gifts. My birthday/Giftmas package this year included a book that’d been recently written up in the Portland Mercury and thus caught my attention, and a CD by a band I’d never heard of before: The Narrator. “Hrm,” I thought. “It’s on Flameshovel, and so was that Bound Stems album I effing loved last year. Toby must be on to something.”

At first, I was a little skeptical. Angular boy rock, woohoo! (This is said with both love and a tiny bit of wink-nudge derision.) But then I got to the track that only has two lines, which I heard as, “All the tired horses in the sun / How’m I s’posed to get any writing done?”

You smartypants readers already know this is a Bob Dylan cover, and that it actually says “ridin’,” not “writing.” But I didn’t know that (until just now, actually). I heard “writing.” Awesome. Sold. You win, The Narrator! You win with a cover I didn’t even know was a cover, because of the approximately 7,392 Bob Dylan albums on our CD wall, I’ve never pulled down Self-Portrait.

It wasn’t just this that made me finally fall for the album; it was the half-finished sound of the vocals, which fall somewhere between melodic talking, the occasional singalong and a few grumpy shouts; it was the way the record sounds like a Chicago band record (even though the Flameshovel website is quick to point out that none of the band members are actually from Chicago); it was the way the melodies wove and tumbled. It was a lot of those things that are hard to put into words, especially when you’re at a desk and the damn CD is in the car.

So what does this have to do with it being a small world? Simple: the first thing I did, when I got this CD, was look at the band members’ names. Why? I dunno. It sounded like a band an ex-roommate of Toby’s would be in, even though said ex-roommate is in a totally different band. For whatever reason, I looked. And who should turn up in the liner notes but EW’s newest music freelancer, Jeremy Ohmes, who plays keyboards on a few songs.

It’s a small world after all.

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!