Last year was a bit of a slump for Eugene’s show scene. Aaron Carter inexplicably came back twice, as did the usual mob of rappers frequenting the W.O.W. Hall (Earl Sweatshirt, Schoolboy Q). But a promising collection of touring artists, as well as some great local acts you can’t miss, are coming through in the next few months. Here are just a few:
McDonald Theatre (1010 Willamette St.)
March 15: Tycho, the man who single-handedly duped an entire generation of alt-bros into becoming fans of easy-listening music, will be in town. ($20 advance, $25 door. All ages. Doors at 7, show at 8.)
March 20: Psychedelic electronic group Shpongle plays. Mind-bending drugs are encouraged, but not mandatory. ($20 advance, $25 door. All ages. Doors at 7, show at 8.)
May 7: Sax-playing DJ Griz, a very talented individual who would prefer not to be called “the Kenny G of dubstep,” performs. ($15-$20 advance, $25 door. 16+. Doors at 7, show at 8.)
May 26: Shakey Graves, a man whose music sounds exactly like it was made by a dude named “Shakey Graves,” performs. ($15. All ages. Doors at 7, show at 8.)
June 3: Neutral Milk Hotel performs. Snatch up tickets quick, because there’ll always be a few hundred people whose lives In The Aeroplane Over The Sea changed more than yours. ($35 advance, $40 door. All ages. Doors at 7, show at 8.)
W.O.W. Hall (291 W. 8th Ave)
March 19: Talib Kweli and Immortal Technique perform. No word on whether or not Immortal Technique will play that ten-minute song about that guy’s mom your friends always try to creep you out with. ($22 advance, $25 door. All ages. Doors at 8, show at 9.)
April 22: Boston frat-rapper Sammy Adams performs. Come for the music, stay for the hunky bros. ($20 advance, $25 door. All ages. Doors at 7, show at 8.)
May 5: Dan Deacon, America’s second-favorite red-bearded, cartoon-loving man-child with glasses, performs. Just don’t ask him about Adventure Time. ($15 advance, $18 door. All ages. Doors at 8, show at 9.)
May 7: Unknown Mortal Orchestra returns to Eugene. Not an actual orchestra, but they are mortal, so catch ‘em while they’re alive! ($15. All ages. Doors at 8, show at 9.)
May 26: Jenny Lewis touches down from the cosmos. Expect to cry, either because of the music or because you’ll never own a rainbow suit as awesome as hers. ($25 advance, $28 door. All ages. Doors at 7, show at 8.)
Cozmic Pizza (199 W 8th St.)
February 24: Crystal Bowersox and her blond dreads of doom perform in a town where she should fit in perfectly. ($26-$28. All ages. Doors at 7, show at 8.)
March 7: Local fave Soul Vibrator performs. At 10 bucks, it’s a lot cheaper than an actual vibrator! ($5-$10. All ages. Doors at 7, show at 8.)
April 12: Crunk producer Crizzly, who probably has plenty to talk about with Griz about being mistaken for an indie pop band, performs. ($17 Early Bird General Admission. $21 General Admission. All ages. Doors at 7, show at 8.)