With the arrival of spring term comes a new season of concerts and events across Eugene. Unfortunately, many of the best shows are already sold out, but if you missed a chance to score Snoop Dogg tickets, never fear. The Emerald has compiled a list of the best spring concerts and events in Eugene that you can still purchase tickets to.
Saturday, April 8: Moon Hooch at Hi-Fi Music Hall
Saxophonists Mike Wilbur and Wenzl McGowen, and drummer James Muschler make up this trio, all of whom studied at New York’s New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. But Moon Hooch ain’t easy-listening jazz. The group formed after their busking turned New York subway stations into impromptu raves with their stupefying and ingenious take on EDM, electronica and rock with volatile stops, starts and bold change-ups. Check out their Tiny Desk concert to hear what it sounds like when a saxophone is choked with a road construction sign, or just catch them at Hi-Fi. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 on the day of the show. — Emerson Malone
Thursday, April 13: Whitney at WOW Hall
Indie-folk band Whitney will make a stop at WOW Hall in a couple weeks. Last year was a big one for the band, which is comprised of former members of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Smith Westerns. Whitney released its debut album, the hazy and fun “Light Upon the Lake,” and performed at a slew of festivals, including South by Southwest. In 2017, the band is on tour and has a new EP of covers, including Dolly Parton’s song, “Gonna Hurry (As Slow as I Can).” Catch Whitney at 9 p.m. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are online and go for $12 each. The band’s Portland show is sold out, so get tickets for the Eugene one before they’re gone. — Sararosa Davies
Rapper Ab-Soul will perform at WOW Hall on Saturday, April 15. (Courtesy of David Chachere)
Saturday, April 15: Ab-Soul at WOW Hall
Currently touring in support of his fourth studio album, “Do What Thou Wilt,” Ab-Soul will drop by WOW Hall on his Y.M.F. tour in mid-April. The Southern-California rapper is signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, the same record label as Kendrick Lamar, Isaiah Rashad and ScHoolboy Q. Known for his spiritual and transformative lyricism, Ab-Soul likes to take his audiences on a journey of self-discovery during his live performances. Tickets for the all-ages show are $23 in advance or $27 the day of the show. — Zach Price
Monday, April 17: of Montreal at Hi-Fi Music Hall
Indie-electro band of Montreal is the glitter-smeared brainchild of frontman Kevin Barnes and a rotation of backup musicians. The group (who are from Athens, Georgia) has had a prolific stretch of albums including this year’s EP “Rune Husk,” its 15th album and eighth in this decade alone. Of Montreal is known for its hallucinatory, off-the-wall live show spectacles with elaborate set designs and costumes, which are only matched by Barnes’s chaotic mannerisms and visceral, linguist-fetish lyrics. It’s bound to get real weird. Tickets cost $16. — Emerson Malone
Diet Cig will perform at The Boreal on Wednesday, April 26. (Shervin Lainez)
Wednesday, April 26: Diet Cig at The Boreal
Diet Cig will be bringing spring to Eugene’s DIY venue, The Boreal, this month. Alex Luciano’s fuzzy guitars and wailing voice crash into drummer Noah Bowman’s beats like waves crashing onto the shore. Coming from the same New York scene as lo-fi acts Frankie Cosmos and Porches, Diet Cig is sure to satisfy anyone looking for some indie-pop in their life this spring. The two-piece group is touring in support of its first full-length album, “Swear I’m Good At This.” Though the band’s East Coast upbringing (look to songs such as the snarky “Harvard“) may be unfamiliar to west coast students, its rambunctious and fun sound will make up for it. The all-ages show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $10 at the door. Eugene’s Shisho and Lisa Prank open. — Sararosa Davies
Friday, May 5: Daniel Tosh at Matthew Knight Arena
Controversial comedian and “Tosh.0” host Daniel Tosh has been deliberately offending audiences since the late ’90s. Nothing is off limits for the comic, whose topics range from international politics to rape. Tosh is a frequent subject of debate among both comedians and audiences. In 2012, a rape joke aimed at a female audience member made headlines and resulted in an apology. “I’m not a racist or misogynistic person,” Tosh explained in an interview, “but I do find those [kinds of] jokes funny, so I say them.” Tosh will bring his “college_tour-2017,” to Matthew Knight Arena. Expect a politically incorrect set that’s sure to both offend and entertain. Tickets start at $45. — Dana Alston
Friday, May 5: Life During Wartime at Hi-Fi Music Hall
The real-life David Byrne has maintained a relatively low profile in recent years; luckily, we have Portland’s own Talking Heads tribute band, Life During Wartime, who have committed themselves to performing the art-rock group’s landmark show depicted in the 1984 rock-doc “Stop Making Sense.” The lively show features a young Byrne doing aerobics, calisthenics, flailing around his rubbery limbs and jogging around the stage. It’s exhausting just watching him. Feel the Byrne at this Hi-Fi show. Tickets for this 21+ show are just $12, or $15 on the day of the show. — Emerson Malone
Tuesday, May 9: Oddisee & Good Company at WOW Hall
Oddisee has started to gain a strong cult following among the indie-rap scene for his songs positive messages and clean lyrics. Currently touring his most recent album, “The Iceberg,” DC-area rapper Oddisee is set to make a stop at WOW Hall in early May. Pitchfork calls the critically acclaimed album a “focused beam of live-band and hip-hop soul that rattles loudly in our present political moment.” Tickets for the all-ages show are $12 in advance or $14 the day of the show. — Zach Price
Wednesday, May 24: Modest Mouse at The Cuthbert Amphitheater
Sometimes life imitates your own art. In 2004, Isaac Brock sang, “I backed my car into a cop car the other day” on Modest Mouse’s best album “Good News For People Who Love Bad News.” Last summer, days after playing at the Moda Center, Brock fell asleep behind the wheel in Portland and hit a City of Portland pick-up truck “which hit a Subaru, which hit another Subaru, which likely hit a 5th car that left the scene,” according to The Oregonian. Brock, who “sings like someone is chasing him with a garden hose,” according to Twitter user @fart, will be playing the Cuthbert Amphitheater. This is the band’s first time back in Eugene since Brock hugged it out with a drunk audience member at the McDonald Theatre in 2009. The all-ages show is $45 in advance and $50 the day of the show. — Emerson Malone
Tuesday, June 6: David Blaine at The Hult Center for the Performing Arts
Famous for his mind-bending street tricks and death-defying stunts, magician David Blaine will bring his first ever North American tour to the Cuthbert Amphitheater. Blaine first gained popularity after his show “Street Magic” captivated cable audiences with his never-before-seen sleight of hand tricks. As his show grew in popularity, Blaine upped the level of difficulty and danger to his tricks. In 2008, he held his breath underwater for more than 17 minutes. In 2016, he released his TV special “Beyond Magic,” which featured Blaine performing tricks for famous athletes and celebrities. Tickets for the all age show start at $34. — Zach Price
Saturday, June 17: Alice Cooper at The Cuthbert Amphitheater
What better way to celebrate commencement weekend than by singing “School’s Out” with the infamous shock-rocker himself? Hint: There is no better way. The Spend The Night With Alice Cooper Tour will swing through the Cuthbert Amphitheater for Cooper’s first Eugene appearance since taking the opening slot on Mötley Crüe’s Final Tour at Matthew Knight Arena in July 2015. This show promises to be a spectacle complete with guillotines, blood and nightmarish rock music to clash with the picturesque setting at the Cuthbert. The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets begin at $47. — Craig Wright
