In the dimly lit Agate Hall CQ on Saturday night, four bands performed for the Eugene community in an effort to reach people through music and bring different groups of people together.
Created by LightWorker NonProfit Productions CQ, the event featured Basin and Range CQ, a jazz funk group that lit up the stage with its energy and quick pace. Several children joined in on the fun, swinging around on the hardwood dance floor to the soft, sax-based tunes. A young girl with a multicolored hat stood at the edge of the dance floor, clutching her doll, mesmerized by the music.
Linh Renken CQ, violinist of Basin and Range who’s been playing for nearly 15 years, said on stage, her chemistry with the band was undeniable and the group appeared to be having fun. The wailing combo of the violin, drums and guitar melded into a harmonious and catchy beat.
“Nothing makes you feel better than getting a whole crowd dancing,” Renken said. Midway through the show, many adults joined the children out on the dance floor and let their bodies move to the music. Renken said she likes how the musicians work together and how the audience responds to that.
Next in the lineup was Japanese hip-hop artist Ronin Ichikawa CQ. Dressed in an army coat, black baggy pants and sunglasses, she rapped her name repeatedly to the beat of the drums. As Ichikawa jumped up and down, a silver chain dangling from her neck, the walls shook with thumping vibrations.
The third act to perform was Lucidic CQ, an electro-fusion funk band. Their songs “Arithmetic” and “Whales” got the crowd on their feet, rocking out to the music. Women in high-heeled boots and skirts swayed around the dark room, bobbing their heads to the rhythm. Men in snow caps and button-ups watched the instrumentalists with admiration, their own fingers twitching, playing imaginary notes in the smoky air.
University sophomore Mary Bersch CQ enjoyed Lucidic very much.
“They’re amazing,” she said. “They’re a feel-good, experimental group.”
Of the second act, Bersch said “Ichikawa didn’t fit in. The other bands were similar.”
Bersch liked the other bands, and the good apparently outweighed the bad. Bersch said she’d come to another concert, should LightWorker NonProfit continue to bring bands to campus.
Luminous Fog CQ was the fourth and final band to perform. This hip-hop reggae jazz group from Portland was the headliner for Saturday night’s concert. Many of the attendees were drawn to the event through the name recognition of Luminous Fog.
The upbeat, jazzy sound of Luminous Fog revealed positive upbeat messages to match.
From the variety of bands performing, it was evident that the best musicians hold a deep respect for composition and delivery. The business requires natural talent, but passion above all else.
“I realized I wanted to be in the music business,” said Jake Weaver CQ, the director of LightWorker NonProfit and the organizer of Saturday’s show. Weaver got his start by managing the group Lucidic. He then decided he wanted to work with all different kinds of bands. “I had to search within myself to see ‘Is it money I’m going after? Is it status?’ It came down to service,” he concluded. A table set up on the way in to the concert asked for canned food donations. The received items would be donated to FOOD for Lane County CQ. Weaver stated that this is about “people coming together, elevating consciousness and leaving feeling recharged.”
In an effort to appeal to everyone, he works to keep admission bearable.
“I really feel like keeping ticket prices low, and finding ways around the commercial ticket market is effective,” said Weaver, adding that not everyone can afford to pay $30 for a one-night concert.
The hardest part of his job, Weaver said, is promotion.
“It’s easy in that you know what you have to do,” he said, “but it is hard getting people’s attention. That takes the most effort.”
It’s worth it to Weaver, though. “I love music. Music changed my life. It helped me get in touch with my non-religious definition of God.”
LightWorker NonProfit, based here in Eugene, is a fairly new organization; it started a bit more than a year ago, when Weaver founded it.
“We’re building a vibe and showing people exactly what our unique approach is,” Weaver explained.
Saturday night was Weaver’s first time bringing musicians to the University. He said with the University’s diverse campus, he hopes to bring all kinds of different people together through a shared music experience.