Rising Again

What does one do after breaking up a successful and influential band? If you’re Christopher Hall of The Dreaming, you start again, but this time as a supergroup. In the late ’90s, Hall’s previous project, Stabbing Westward, took modern-rock radio by storm with singles “Shame” and “Save Yourself” before calling it quits in 2002. Unwilling to remain idle, Hall and drummer Johnny Haro formed The Dreaming later that year.

Since then, Hall and Haro have seen their share of small lineup changes. “I’ve had a great career of touring and making records and I’m not going to deny that opportunity to my friends,” Hall says.

Those friends have included members of Black Veil Brides, Murderdolls, American Head Charge, Deadsy, Orgy, Kuza and others. Perhaps the most notable addition to the lineup is Hall’s Stabbing Westward bandmate, Walter Flakus, who joined as keyboardist last year.

The result is 2015’s Rise Again, a synth-heavy alterna-rock record that will appease fans of The Dreaming and Stabbing Westward alike. Coming to terms with the ghosts of projects past can be tricky, Hall admits.

“It’s an advantage to tap into that fan base but at the same time I want people to see and hear The Dreaming for what it is, not how it compares to a 15-year-old memory.”

Whether it’s to reminisce or revel in the new stuff, catch The Dreaming with London’s Die So Fluid and Eugene’s Pistol Whipped Prophets at 10 pm Friday, March 6, at Black Forest, 50 E. 11th Ave.; free. 21-plus.

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.

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None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

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Thank you for standing with us!