The local DIY music scene has proven resilient as the Omicron variant halted the efforts from concert-starved music enthusiasts to revamp the scene post-quarantine last fall. But with the Omicron surge faded away and the house show scene thriving once more, here are a few noteworthy bands that came to be this year.
Billy and the Kidz
Instagram: @billyandthekidz
Next Show: Dante’s music venue, 5/20
Seven months into its creation — with over 1,700 followers on Instagram as of May 14 — Billy and the Kidz have a successful hold on the Eugene and Corvallis scenes, with shows in Portland as well. The band considers itself a glam rock group, never having a performance without a new set of coordinated costumes with matching, glittery makeup. That said, the band also has a strong punk influence in its music. Frontwoman Billy Titko said she is particularly inspired by Joan Jett, as well as other female rock groups like the Runaways (a band that Jett was a part of).
Besides having a woman at the helm, the band is also unique for its strong performances — with the frontwoman effortlessly moving to the music and engaging the audience, getting them to sing along. For Titko, having this presence and movement on stage comes naturally, as she was a theater kid through high school, she said.
But Titko said the band’s most unique quality isn’t just the way they move on stage — it’s the glam rock.
“I think the main thing that makes us unique is that we have a brand about us, the whole glam rock thing,” Titko said. “I wouldn’t say I’ve seen anyone else that does costumes.”
Titko also said every member of the band is “driven” — determined to make the band their career.
Onion Machine
Instagram: @onion.machine
Next Show: Location TBD, 5/28
The most obviously interesting thing about Onion Machine is its name — certainly one of the most creative names in the scene. Long story short, front person Jackson Fryer had a friend who was passionate about the word “onion” at the time, and “machine” was added on as they passed farmlands on the way to attend a wedding. The name stuck.
While the band originated in 2017 as a backyard jam group playing the occasional open mic, the current group — which now includes a drum kit, an instrument not previously used for the band — has been together for almost a year.
Fryer said Onion Machine’s sound has changed remarkably since it was a backyard band, starting from lighter-sounding music to a full fledged rock ensemble. Now with a full drum kit and three guitar players creating tight and hard-hitting harmonies, Onion Machine will rock your face off.
“We have very powerful guitar riffs matched with very rhythmic vocals, bass and drums,” Fryer said. “You have these rhythmic underbeats and these guitars that are just let loose on to the audience.”
Furthermore, Onion Machine often performs in Drag. Fryer said many of the members do not identify as straight, so performing in Drag “goes with the vibe.” Clark also added that the band members’ identities also lead to lyrics expressing sexuality and discovering your identity.
Left on Read
Instagram: @leftonread541
Next Show: Sessions Music Hall, 5/19
Although Left on Read has loosely been together since 2019, they were not a serious band until this past fall. Founding members Sam Simonett, Jeorge Ancheta and Marchus Escobar met in the dorms freshman year at UO, and after some time of friendship and no-commitment jamming, they decided to form a band with drummer Ryan Arreola.
Arreola is currently studying abroad in Italy with Joshua Wang temporarily replacing him.
In their time together, Left on Read has gained over 1,021 Instagram followers and released two Spotify singles, each with over 1,300 streams as of May 14.
Each member from Left on Read has a slightly different taste in music, though all within the realm of rock. Due to their different musical preferences the band has a difficult time pinning down exactly what genre their music is.
“A lot of people in Eugene like to play indie, psychedelic music, and we reverberate that sound a little bit,” Simonett said. “But we’re fast, we yell, we all love punk music.”
Simonett said psychedelic music and punk music are the primary draws for the band’s sound.
Like Billy and the Kidz, a key aspect of Left on Read is their performances. As Ancheta said, it’s the way the band brings headbanging, audience engagement and an energy meant to make you let loose.
“When we’re on stage, we care the most about creating an environment to consume music,” Escobar said. “We play what we need to play and go off the crowd’s energy, using that energy to fuel how we play.”
Mommy
Next Show: Sessions Music Hall, 5/19
Instagram: @thebandmommy
Similar to Left on Read, the members of Mommy met in the dorms their freshman year at UO, having casual jam sessions in the Hamilton basement. After becoming a full, serious band last fall — and having to replace their lead vocalist during the scene hiatus this past January due to Omicron — the current line up is in full swing with a female frontwoman.
Given that most Eugene bands are composed of men, having a woman in the front makes the band stand out — just like Billy and the Kidz.
As for their sound, guitarist Sam Gaylen said the band squarely falls in the indie music category. When writing and performing, the band’s mindset is focused on ensuring a fun concert for everyone, Smionett said.
“We’re not trying to sit down and write the next best song that everyone in the world is going to listen to,” Gaylen said. “We just want to put on a good show, we want to have fun and we want to keep people dancing.”
However, that does not mean the band does not care about song quality. The members are veterans of jazz ensembles and classic rock bands, so lots of passion and work goes into the songwriting process, Gaylen said.
In other words, the musicians know their role well, and it reflects in their music and performances. You can come to a Mommy concert knowing you will have a positive experience.
Because the scene is run by college kids who come and go, new bands are constantly popping up — especially as we slowly edge our way out of the pandemic crises. Although every new band deserves an audience, these four are almost certain to give you a fun night of dancing and moshing your stress away.
