Cosmopolitan Compassion

There’s a certain sunny, sensual quality to Compassion Gorilla’s “gypsy fusion” beats that will vanquish the January doldrums and have you sashaying and samba-ing (can I get a one-uh-two, three-uh-four?) around the dance floor in no time. Or in their own words: “Eight pieces of swirling gypsy delight will tickle a giggle from even the grumpy, and catapult audiences into whole-hearted dance entrancement.”

The band’s size and bohemian quirkiness is reminiscent of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, but the music has an international flair all its own that would be at home in a Barcelona barrio, a Paris café or a Buenos Aires praça (or a Eugene pizza place). To create this variety of sounds, Gorilla uses the talents of Daniel-jo Seph (trombone and vocals), Spyder Fingers (electric guitar, vocals), Fraidy Kat (djembe), C-man on the Frets (charango, acoustic and electric guitars, vocals), Jewel E (vocals), The Wolf (cajón, pandeiro), Smooth Burl (electric bass, vocals) and Stirling Silver (trumpet, vocals).

For the less musically cosmopolitan, let’s break that down: A djembe is a Western African goblet drum, a charango is an Andean lute-like instrument, a cajón is a wooden percussion box from Peru and the Brazillian pandeiro is a hand frame drum. These instruments, along with classical guitar, create a beautiful layered patchwork punctuated by the zesty calls of the trumpet and trombone. The track “The Count of Monte Cristo” from their album Volta! Volta! deftly combines these textures, never muddying the sound, adding imagery through lyrics, “I was once a man. Now I’m just a shadow of a dream I had, waiting there to exhale my last breath.”

The band describes its modus operandi as “Liberating feet and uplifting spirits through danceable grooves.” So go on feet, be free — shed those galoshes and dance.

Compassion Gorilla plays with the Conjugal Visitors 8 pm Tuesday, Jan. 8, at Cozmic; $5.

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!