Old Friends

I’ve never been to Austin, Texas, or Athens, Georgia. But one day I hope to, and when I do I think the music of Alejandro Escovedo and Peter Buck — two musicians closely associated with these cities — will soundtrack my trip.

Alejandro Escovedo embodies Austin’s reputation as the indie-est of indie music havens. Building a career around a Texan take on punk-edged three-chord bar rock, Escovedo is a rock ‘n’ roll survivor with a loyal following, a songwriter whose work recalls greats like Dave Alvin or Elvis Costello.

“You just do your good work, and people care,” Escovedo says in a press release. “I always believed, when I was a kid, that if you just worked hard, you would find fulfillment.”

And that kind of blue-collar sentiment is all over Escovedo’s latest studio release, 2012’s Big Station. “Austin’s changed its tune,” he sings on track “Bottom of the World.” He continues, “Show me what hasn’t” — like a just-off-the-clock grease monkey at your favorite dive bar.

Born in Berkeley and now living in Seattle, Peter Buck made his name with a little band from Athens, Georgia —you might’ve heard of them: R.E.M. One of the most well-respected and influential guitarists of the post-punk era, Buck now dabbles in various side projects, most notably with the baseball-themed group called The Baseball Project.

Performing together, Buck and Escovedo are two old friends making a delightfully garage-y noise. You’ll hear Escovedo tunes, and maybe a cover or two, like The Stooges’ classic “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”

Alejandro Escovedo and Peter Buck play 8 pm Sunday, Oct. 26, at McDonald Theatre; $25 adv., $30 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!