Why not Why?

Can vulgarity be artful? Can obscenity be beautiful? Who decides these things anyway? Who knows? Indie hip-hop/rock experiment Why? is pushing the boundaries, trying to find out. “I don’t see Why? as a hip-hop group,” says Josiah Wolf, who forms the core of Why? with his brother Yoni. Josiah says his brother grew up on rap, while his background is in jazz. The two combined these styles with a shared interest in rock ’n’ roll to form Why?

Josiah feels hip hop is definitely the blueprint for what the group does, expanding on the rap formula with diverse instrumentation tailored for live performance and showcasing Yoni’s words. And while Why? has a lot to offer musically, it’s the lyrics that make the group distinctive. Yoni is sometimes crass and vulgar, and other times confessional and layered — mixing Eminem’s snot-nosed insolence with the heart-on-the-sleeve emotion of an indie singer.

From “Strawberries” on their latest album, 2012’s Mumps, Etc., Yoni starts juvenile: “I don’t wear rubbers and I don’t wear sunscreen,” before he turns introspective: “I want to heat my hide, not hide under something.” Later he sums up adolescent angst perfectly with: “The shit I said to high school counselors haunts me,” capping it with the melancholy refrain: “and I am not OK, boys.”

Why?, Astronautalis and Dream Tiger play 8 pm Monday, March 4, at WOW Hall; $15 adv., $18 door.

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!