Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros + Thievery Corporation September 18th, 2013, Cuthbert Amphitheater Eugene, Oregon

It was a time-warping evening as summer floated away in Eugene. Thievery Corporation feels like they have been around forever but keep coming up with new sounds. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are relatively new, but sound so timeless it could be hard to pinpoint in which decade they toured. Together, the unlikely duo made for billing with a richness that Eugene rarely sees.

Whether you know it or not, there's an 82% chance you've made out to the warm, spacey beats of Thievery Corporation. Most dedicated listeners will scoff at the mention of “Lebanese Blonde” becoming popular from Garden State and for that reason, I was glad to hear it played as the second song. One of the difficulties of putting on a live show with Thievery's repertoire is the the diversity of the musicians that have contributed. It was a special treat, then, to find that they had a number of vocalists and MCs tagging along to make the live versions just as good as the album versions. Two female singers joined in (most unofficially dubbed 'pink tights' and 'peacock pants') sounding more like fallen angels than humans. “La Femme Parallel” was gorgeous and sounded both foreign and safe. “Vampires” and “Radio Retaliation” reminded even the stoners on the grass that there was intelligence behind the sleekness. 

Once the sun had set, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros took the stage. If getting everyone together from Thievery Corporation on tour is akin to the logistic nightmare of taking the Brady Bunch on a road trip, getting the Zeros all in one spot is the ultimate hat trick. Jamming and hugging since 2007(ish), vocalist Alex Ebert created the alter-ego/persona of Edward Sharpe while in rehab. The revolving cast of a dozen musicians that make up the Zeros include “Crash” Richard, Christian Letts, Seth Ford-Young, Josh Collazo, Orpheo McCord and Nora Kirkpatrick (who, savvy culturalists will identify as Esther, Dwight's girlfriend on NBC's The Office). The voice that holds the show together, though, was Jade Castrinos. Bundled in an oversized, fuzzy jacket and a smile that wrinkles her nose, Castrinos's rich voice played duet with Ebert as easily as it joined the choir in backing up the others when it was their time to shine. Since Edward Sharpe is as fictional as Ebert's undershirt, it dawned on me as “frontman” Ebert humbly went to offer a verse of “I Don't Want to Pray” to the audience, a trumpet, a bass and other various Zeros, that maybe he only borrows the namesake attributed to him. Taking requests from the audience and trading smiles and high-fives across the stage, it seemed like anyone could take a turn wearing the name. The bright lights and psychadelic background of the show, the coeds and aging baby boomer hippies dancing together, the current in the air of fall, for a sweet moment, we were all Magnetic Zeros.

!!! + Ra Ra Riot September 4, 2013 WOW Hall, Eugene, Oregon

Before the show started, Kaitlin, our delightful photographer, and myself were discussing how some music is less accessible. She cited Snoop Dogg a la the 1990s with his murder scandal. “I'd rather get murdered by Snoop Dogg than punched by Chris Brown now-that guy is just a joke.” Other than being born in the 80s, Kaitlin showed the manufacturing of “celebrities” in current media are left emitting the same bland aftertaste. Those that refuse to be formed by hype machines pay a steep price for keeping their soul—radios are reluctant to play them and success means surviving on the fickle waves of the indie and college radio seas.

Ra Ra Riot has proved to be a name to know, producing a blend of pop and rock that assaults but not insults. They Syracuse-formed band could be a cousin of Los Campasinos!, what with their girl on violins and cellos and angsty but catchy tunes. Wes Miles sported an amazingly pink shirt to sing in, while the bejeweled violin made it seem that Rebecca Zeller was sometimes snuggling a misshapen disco ball. There really isn't a good reason Ra Ra Riot hasn't had more success, they're catchy songs and aloof stage presence are not foreign to an audience—where they differ is the thought and execution of the music (in that they do both). Playing to a small crowd, the band played a full set and I had to remind myself a few times that this wasn't even the main event.

Seafarers worth their salt know !!! as the dance-party of a band with a funny name. Though hipsters don't enjoy looking vulnerable, it is worth it to explain the punctuation (if one doesn't know it is pronounce 'chk chk chk') for they are put out solid albums and amazing shows. During the first song, the vocalist Nic Offer hopped off the stage and went dancing with audience members. This delighted and terrified the girls near me; but when a good looking fellow wearing skivvies starts to dance with you, it is your American duty to dance right back. With his curly locks, stinky tee shirt, undies and loafers, Offer didn't treat Eugene like a lame tour stop,

more like we were a crowd of VIPs who got to hang with the band.

After the initial jam, a general sense of giddiness set into the crowd. A guy I would have considered a 'bro' or the 'I never dance' type fully busted some moves in front of his friends who were clearly stunned. But the guy didn't care because no valid human would stand still during “Californiyeah”! The night solidified for me just how good their album Thr!!!ler is, and thanks to Offer's instructions, I'll be working in my jazz hands whenever I hear my favorite song from the album, “Even When the Water's Cold.” It was also good to see Mario Andreoni get love from Offer and the audience, he's definitely the coolest cucumber on stage but is responsible for the most hip shakes. !!! may not be breaking into the top 40 any time soon (though I would support that), but in the wide open sea of music, they are on the best party boat afloat.