Eugene's DIY Music Scene

Eugene Music Scene Thrives Against Odds

Despite funding challenges and limited resources,  Eugene’s Do-It-Yourself music scene has grown with the help of passionate volunteers and a desire to create inclusive, all-ages spaces.

The siren of an oncoming train screeches through the melancholy sky, alerting anyone in its way to quickly move aside. Naked trees line the sidewalk of the slightly desolate neighborhood of West Eugene, Oregon.

A few months ago, an empty and borderline decrepit building sat for rent on the corner of the street here. Now it is the Boreal: a welcoming, do-it-yourself music venue, showcasing local bands for all ages. The Boreal is the brainchild of four friends who were eager to give Eugene an alcohol-free, drug-free space where they could listen to bands in their own neighborhood.  Though the neighborhood is not the nicest, the spot is perfect for a venue and for bands to perform, considering the locals are already used to a train passing every ten minutes or so.

The Boreal, though having only started a couple months ago, has just finished up their fourth successful show at the venue. It is an open place for people of all ages and backgrounds, where they can enjoy music and a concert atmosphere without being pressured or denied access due to alcohol. When the four young adults decided to start the Boreal, they said they had no idea how much time and effort it would take.  They spent months combing through listings looking for the perfect spot to set up shop. They found a room the size of a small classroom and started from there. Calling themselves “The Collective,” the four members have spent the equivalent of time a full-time job working on improving the business and creating a name for themselves.  Though they struggled with financial difficulties and time management, they said they have stayed positive and continue to insist that they have no regrets. 

The Boreal is not the first start-up space to pioneer DIY music in Eugene. Behavior Castle started up in the summer of 2012. Founded by the duo of Amelia Hart and Sammy Clatterbuck, Behavior Castle had similar goals to the Boreal. Hart and Clatterbuck wanted to relocate the shows out of their house, and find a home to house all the bands. Their passion for music and featuring local bands were the driving forces that led to Behavior Castle’s establishment. All this work does not come without challenges however, as Clatterbuck says, “I basically stay up till 4 am. I’m at the point where I’m working nine hour shifts. It’s basically a second full time job for both of us.” 

Another venue familiar with long hours is the WOW Hall. Solely run by passionate/dedicated volunteers, the WOW Hall has been providing music to Eugenians for decades. Bob Fennesy, a publicist for WOW, understands the work that goes into keeping the WOW Hall a success. A volunteer himself, Fennesy states that one of the best parts is, “all of the volunteers that come in [who] are excited. I let them know how important that are to the WOW Hall and spreading the word about our shows.”  Thus, a vital component to any performing arts space is to have a network of volunteers who are excited and enthusiastic about bringing local music to the community. Both Behavior Castle and WOW Hall exemplify what it means to turn a passion into action.

In the midst of DIY music venues starting around the Eugene area, one magazine has begun to document and cover all their stories. Exiled in Eugene is a new publication run by two people who have dropped everything to be a part of the movement. The founder, Joshua Finch, moved to Eugene on a whim after seeing a small concert. He decided to quit his job and move away from his hometown. He completely changed his life for the sake of DIY music and the growing scene in Eugene. Finch explains, “I had an engagement end. It kind of absorbs your whole personal life.” While sitting down with Finch and Nicole Colbath, another contributor to Exiled in Eugene, they talked about their personal sacrifices to benefit the magazine and the scene as a whole. Nicole interjects with a story that explains the true sacrifice they have made: one day in the middle of winter, Eugene was covered in snow and travel throughout the city was risky. The two were working on the magazine and were unable to find volunteers to help them.  Without the benefit of any outside help, the two spent three days and three nights writing, editing, and printing the entire issue. Nicole described the love she has for the magazine and began to tear up. “Being a part of something like that, it’s inspiring. But really it’s something that I am super passionate about and when you are working with people that are so dedicated and don’t get paid and are just doing it for the love of it…that is where it’s at.”

Ultimately, the struggle and sacrifice these artists have had to make is creating a change in DIY music in Eugene. The scene is growing and becoming a more welcoming and stable environment. These people, though working on their own businesses and ventures, are all fighting to found a larger collective in which people of all ages can watch concerts and be around bands that are not necessarily exposed to bigger audiences. They are the start of a new era.

Group Evaluation:

Overall, this experience has been both difficult and rewarding.  The time it took to put together the whole project was unexpected but interviewing all of these people that are extremely dedicated and invested in what they do is neat. The process was also a lot more enjoyable than expected. Interviewing and writing a story about such a cool topic makes the entire project immediately more interesting. We learned to always keep an open mind because interviews can pop up at any time. We ended up interviewing the duo from Exiled magazine at the Boreal, not knowing they would be there, but figuring that it would work perfectly for the piece we were working on.