Two Oregon bands stop in town while on tour
A seven-piece band will transcend its audience into a high-flying and beat-dropping space with a psychedelic, hip-hop performance this Friday night. High Step Society performs with Free Creatures May 31 at McDonald Theater. High Step Society brings jazz to a dance party with the new single “Demon on the Dancefloor.” As a three-piece band, Marv Ellis’ Free Creatures fuses alternative hip-hop, indie jam, psych rock and EDM to create Umami music. Listen out for songs, including “Inviting You In” and “Get It Done,” from the 2023 album While We Can. Hear Free Creatures perform “Oregon Knights” as the band travels back to its roots in this homecoming show. The bands unite while on their separate tours all around the country. Eugene, prepare for an energetic, whirlwind of a show with these two bands.
High Step Society and Free Creatures perform 8 pm May 31 at McDonald Theatre, 1010 Willamette Street. Tickets are $20 at McDonaldTheatre.com.
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!

Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
