Golden Audacious

Alternative rocker Laura Meyer calls it like she sees it. Religion, greed, life on the road and relationships all get their share of attention on her albums, and her observations will certainly get you thinking. After listening to some of her tunes, you won’t be able to help but be reminded that the life of a rock star isn’t all fun and games, even if she did appear on The Jay Leno Show once.

Her latest release, 2011’s Golden Delicious, is ironically titled. This album is anything but sweet. Many of the tracks feature Meyer solo on her guitar striking gritty, bluesy chords, and her observations cut like a knife. Whether she is lambasting society for being greedy while still trying to get their Jesus on in “Jesus Sandwich,” ripping through a song about liars and their lies on the aptly titled “Bulls**t” or sarcastically complimenting someone’s appearance in “Mug Shot,” there is little on this album that is either golden or delicious. But she is not above making light of her working-class struggles on “Rich Men Do” by juxtaposing a jangly, upbeat riff against lyrics like “Any colored collar’s just a decorated noose” when talking about the horrors of the 9-to-5 life.

We glorify and romanticize the lives musicians lead, but as Meyer proves, there are a lot of valleys too. The late-night musings of someone trying to clear her head may not be the most uplifting music in the world, but it sure is illuminating.

Laura Meyer plays 8 pm Sunday, June 2, at Cozmic; $8 adv., $10 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!