A Show for Rocketmen and Tiny Dancers

If “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting,” then Friday night is an excellent time to “Crocodile Rock” with a tribute to one of the greatest performers of all time. Electric Elton is coming to the Hult Center, to deliver all of the best Elton John songs of his heyday, at half the cost of seeing the real thing. The show is a multimedia experience, with a large screen, a full band, dancers and essential costume changes complete with feathers and platform shoes. “We just try and do the best representation of the original songs as we can,” Sean Trombley says, otherwise known as Electric Elton himself. Trombley discovered John’s music as a child. “I remember my parents set me up in piano lessons, and they usually want to teach you royal conservatories,” he says. But he went to the record store and found the sheet music for Crocodile Rock. When his teacher saw the music, “she wouldn’t teach it to me,” he says. “So I quit piano.” Years later, he rediscovered John’s music, and eventually learned it “well enough to perform it in front of people,” he says. Now, with the addition of gaudy flair, so much glitter and, in Trombley’s words “maybe a little flourish,” you can say “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and hello to Electric Elton.

Electric Elton is 7 pm Friday, Oct. 3, at The Hult Center. Tickets begin at $49 and are available at HultCenter.org.

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!