Get Whit It

The real G-spot of the block party isn’t just at the G-Spot stage, but rather among all those dwellings lining the Whiteaker streets that host shows featuring everything from screamo country to good ol’ garage rock.

Folks attending these renegade shows can be a bit rough around the edges, including the man with a tattooed head who told me last year that I have “crazy eyes.” But, in between the aerial ballet and the art auction, stop by one of the block party’s nine stages for tunes ranging from a marimba orchestra to EDM.

Dick Dägger and the C Monsters

Take an already cool Eugene garage-rock band and then add the Swedish influence of frontman Dick Dägger — and they get even cooler. The band’s latest EP, 21st Century Bipolar, is a collection of head-bobbing anthems that rival the school-kid energy of The Ramones. Sometimes their sound verges on doo-wop, in the very best way.

Dick Dägger and the C Monsters play 6 pm at the G-Spot stage.

High Step Society

High Step Society isn’t made up of those high-kicking Irish dancers with auburn wigs and high steps, but neither are they all that conventional. The band cranks out electronic swing music, mixing live old-time jazz, trumpet, clarinet and saxophone with EDM beat drops. Hot off two Oregon Country Fair performances and clad in fedoras and vests, this six-piece electro orchestra is here to create some EDM converts. They even have a song called “Echoes of Whiteaker.”

High Step Society will play 4:15 pm at the Blairally Stage.

Dr. Rocket

Dr. Rocket’s glam-rock jams will blast your weird day at the Whiteaker Block Party. Nick Noemi and Mason Kline blend ’60s and ’70s influences with absurd lyrics like “I threw up when you saw me/ You ran over and I said, ‘Oh I’m so sorry,’” all while wearing long South Asian tops called kurtas.

Dr. Rocket play 1 pm at Uncle Brad’s Secret Stage.

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.

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!