The first month back at school can set the tone for the entire year. Going out of the way to get outside your comfort zone and check out some of Eugene’s finest concert venues can go a long way toward making college feel like home. Eugene is not a traditional tour stop, but it does have some great smaller acts coming by every week.
WOW Hall
WOW frequently hosts smaller acts, making it a great place to catch local bands. The intimate venue is an amazing spot for a night out in Downtown Eugene.
Earthgang opens up their set. Earthgang, supported by Benji and Guapdad 4000, perform on their Mirrorland tour on Nov. 13, 2019 at WOW Hall in Eugene, Ore. (DL Young/ Emerald)
(DL Young /@cinematicsonly)Hawthorne Heights Oct. 11
Emo band Hawthorne Heights will be touring for the 20 year anniversary of its classic album “The Silence in Black And White.” With over a million monthly listeners on Spotify, Hawthorne Heights is one of the most popular bands on the list, making this a must see if you’re a fan of classic 2000s emo music.
Caltucky, Muddy Souls and Dadweed Oct. 17
If you’re a fan of bluegrass music, this will be the first event you’ll want to check out. All three bands come from the Pacific Northwest, and Muddy Souls even hails from Eugene itself. Make sure to get your tickets in advance to save some money.
Hult Center for the Performing Arts
The Hult Center is my absolute favorite local venue. The beautiful auditorium makes it the perfect setting for not only concerts but plays, symphonies and movies, too. This venue also has one of the largest capacities for any setting in Eugene, and a great variety of restaurants and bars nearby in the downtown area.
Fans dance along to Death Cab for Cutie’s “The Ghosts of Beverly Drive.” Death Cab for Cutie takes ‘Thank You for Today’ to the Hult Center on Sept. 24, 2018. (Sarah Northrop/Emerald)
(Sarah Northrop)Destroyer with special guest Katie Von Schleicher Oct. 14
Destroyer makes some beautiful indie rock music and hails from Canada. If I had to pick just one of these events to go to, it would have to be Destroyer at Hult Center. The combination of his beautiful songwriting and the outstanding venue should make this concert an unmissable experience.
Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse Live in Concert Oct. 18
One of the best decisions I made was covering Star Wars: A New Hope last year at the Hult Center with a live symphony. The venue seems perfectly designed to show movies with live instrumentation. Combine this with a fantastic movie like “Across the Spider-Verse,” this showing should be a great time.
McDonald Theater
McDonald is a classic venue known for hosting more popular acts ranging from hip-hop and rock to comedy. Some of the best concerts I’ve seen, from JPEGMAFIA to Tennis, have been at McDonald and it’s always a great time.The stooped floor going down into the stage is a really interesting set up, and like the other two places on this list the venue is fantastic and near some great late night spots.
Cris Jacobs comes out after opening to play with The Stringdusters. The Infamous Stringdusters perform at McDonald Theater in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 9, 2023. (Kai Kanzer/ Emerald)
Tape B Oct. 4
Eugene does not get a lot of big electronic artists coming through, so it’s always worthwhile to check them out when they do. Tape B is coming by with a stacked card including Levity and MYTHM. This should be a fun night out for any electronic music enjoyers.
BabyTron & BLP Kosher Nov. 6
Even though this is a month away, I had to include BabyTron on this list. Over the past few years, Eugene has seen many great hip-hop acts come by from Travis Scott to Amine. While still not the prime destination for massive rappers that Portland is, we have a good selection of talent coming in to check out our city. BabyTron should be a great time for any hip-hop fans looking to get a fix in Eugene.