On ‘Sacred Ground’ at 16 Tons

Nestled in the foot of Eugene’s South Hills, 16 Tons Cafe and its concert patio had been home away from home for Lea Jones and his music partner, Kennan Dorn, as the duo Buffalo Romeo, and Jones almost worships the venue. “The patio for me is like sacred ground,” he says. “It’s like the best outdoor venue in the area, and it’s not even close.” Dorn now lives in Portland, and Jones was going to take the stage this summer to perform solo work at 16 Tons until health issues forced him to step back. Instead, Jones created the Tipping Forward Concert Series, a collection of blues and rock concerts on select weekend nights that started in July. The finale of the series is Sept. 13 and Sept. 14 when The Southtown Saints and David Helfand (pictured) & the Majestic Ensemble take the stage. The Saints play a variety of django, jazz, blues, bossa and pop music with a lineup of Brian Price, Michael Anderson and Anthony Proveaux. Helfand plays the Celtic harp, and the other members of Majestic Ensemble are Tanya Bunson on violin, Jeff Schenck on bass and Ron Dannanbaum on percussion.

The Southtown Saints perform 6 pm Friday, Sept. 13, and David Helfand & the Majestic Ensemble play 6 pm Saturday, Sept. 14, at the patio of 16 Tons Cafe, 2864 Willamette Street, the final weekend of the Tipping Forward Concert Series. There is no cover for spots at the back of the patio, but you can reserve tables for four up front at $20. They can be purchased directly at 16 Tons or through Paypal via BuffaloRomeoMusic@gmail.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.

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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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