One thing that Eugene offers to the thousands of college students is a plentiful and diverse number of concerts throughout the school year. And though seeing live music can be very exciting, sometimes going to a venue you know nothing about is not.
Here are couple of Eugene’s most popular venues, and what they are most commonly known for.
McDonald Theatre
1010 Willamette St.
(541) 345-4442
One of the most historical buildings in Eugene, the McDonald Theatre was built in 1925 and has been offering theatrical performances for the city ever since. Shifting from a stage performance theater to a movie theater and now to a concert hall, the McDonald offers audiences a theatrical environment with a wide variety of bands and a floor holding up to 700 people. With it’s “sky bar” balcony for ages 21 and up, as well as its draw of big names such as Fleet Foxes, The Flaming Lips and the upcoming Blitzen Trapper/Dawes co-headliner, one thing is for sure: the McDonald Theatre provides college students with a moderately priced venue dedicated to bringing indie, rock and reggae shows to Eugene.
The Shedd Institute
East Broadway & High Street, Eugene
(541) 687-6526
“Do a lot of (students) like jazz? Because we do a lot of it,” said Jim Ralph, Executive Director at the John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts (also known simply as “The Shedd”). But that’s not all that The Shedd does — this venue is dedicated to bringing a large variety of musical genres through Eugene. “We bring a lot of world music, we bring a lot of Hawaiian music … you name the genre, we bring it,” Ralph continued, citing bluegrass, classical, swing, rock and country as some of the other styles that the venue hosts. Offering more than 500 seats, the main floor seating is made up of what appears to be old church pews with padded seats facing a stage that can host a loud and intense rock set or an unplugged a capella song with ease.
Cuthbert Amphitheater
601 Day Island Road, Eugene
(541) 762-8099
Attracting big names this summer such as Kid Cudi and Jethro Tull, the Cuthbert Amphitheater is Eugene’s outdoor rain or shine concert venue that provides concert-goers with a festival-like atmosphere. With a capacity of over 5,000 people, the Cuthbert offers seating on sloped grassy areas in front of the stage, where people can bring blankets or short chairs, while beer gardens and vendors are arranged toward the back of the ampitheater.
WOW Hall
291 W Eighth Ave.
(541) 687-2746
From a church in the late 1880s to an organization headquarters in 1906, Woodmen of the World Hall (or “WOW Hall,” for short) became a concert venue in the 1970s, and today is almost entirely owned and run by volunteers of the Eugene community. One of the smaller venues in Eugene, WOW Hall features a rare floating dance floor, and brings a variety of different acts and dance classes through Eugene such as Cold War Kids, Blue Scholars and the upcoming The Head and the Heart. “Because music is a love of so many people, if you like music you are definitely going to see someone you like come through here,” said Donna Carbone, who has been volunteering at WOW Hall for nearly 17 years.
The Hult Center
1 Eugene Center
(541) 682-5000
“The programming that we have is really to enrich your life … we have so many different types of performances that there’s something different for everyone,” said Libby Tower, Hult Center spokesperson. Though not strictly a concert venue, the Hult Center for the Performing Arts includes three venues in one — the Silva Concert Hall, the Soreng Theater and the Studio — and offers college students a discount on many performances with a valid student ID. Though touring bands such as Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and the upcoming Tech N9ne are featured at The Hult Center, it also hosts seven resident companies, including The Eugene Ballet and The Eugene Symphony, as well as welcomes stand-up comedy such as the upcoming David Sedaris.
A newcomer’s guide to all-age concert venues in Eugene
Daily Emerald
September 18, 2011
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