Eugene is home to various music performances throughout the year. From WOW Hall to Monster House, anybody can feel the rhythm of the “E.” With multiple events happening term after term, have you ever wondered what goes into creating these iconic shows? Adam Zacks, an alumnus of the University of Oregon, may have a clue. 

Zacks’ journey in the music industry began long before his role as a prominent concert promoter. Starting in 1991 as a freshman at the UO, he immersed himself in the local scene– designing concert posters, volunteering at WOW Hall, and reaching out to CD stores about upcoming bands. In sophomore year, he became the national music coordinator for the EMU Cultural Forum, booking his first major show in the EMU ballroom starring Public Enemy and Rage Against the Machine. Fast forward to today, Zacks is the Chief Programming Officer at the Seattle Theatre Group, and started multiple festivals in the Seattle area, such as the Thing…

Award season has just begun and with the upcoming Oscars, now is the perfect time to highlight some music within the movie world. So many wonderful films were released this year, from giant blockbusters such as “Deadpool & Wolverine,” as well as some hidden gems like “Dìdi.” The importance of music in film is often overlooked by the average person. A soundtrack or score of a movie can make or break it for many viewers including myself. Music can often elevate scenes to the next level, and without a fitting song it may leave an impactful moment bland. While music and film are highly subjective I wanted to share the musical moments of 2024’s movies that stood out to me the most throughout the year. 

Challengers: Match Point - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Challengers

A photo of Beyoncé holding two Grammy awards. This year Beyoncé is nominated for 11 Grammys.  Photo by Robyn Beck via Getty Images.

On February 2nd, 2025 the 67th annual Grammy Awards will be held. A lot of familiar names and faces are expected to be in attendance as well as some fresh, unfamiliar faces. With 94 categories, there is a lot of buzz about who will win what. It can be hard sometimes to refresh your memory regarding all the new releases and nominations this year. Within the notable categories, here is a list of all the songs, albums, and artists I believe are worth listening to before the awards take place.

Record of the Year

The Record of the Year category spans across many different music genres creating one of the most diverse categories. From The Beatles to Charli xcx, this category is truly a toss-up. The new release from The Beatles, “Now and Then,”…

Bonnie Donaville | Sunday Live Session Recap

Music Video / Full Performance

On January 5th, friend of the station Bonnie Donaville came in to perform on Live Sessions the day before the start of Winter Term. Bonnie has previously played on Live Sessions back in November, where she debuted some new songs. She came back once again to debut "the best new songs I've ever written" in a fun set that included a cover of a song by TikTok user Irsch Monahan.

Bonnie will soon be releasing her previous Live Session as a Live Album, and plans to record new songs in the future. Bonnie will be playing at Claim 52 Kitchen this month on Thursday, January 30th.

Baby Grendel | Sunday Mini-Live Session Recap

Full Performance

On December 15th, a few members of the PNW group Baby Grendel stopped in for a short performance on an unscheduled day during the Live Sessions block. Though they were not there as a full group, the 3 songs they performed were very sweet and genuine. They recently released a self-titled EP. 

The Baby Grendel recording project was formed in 2022 by Jonathan Suarez and Joe Mengis. The band now consists of Jonathan on Rhythm Guitar and Vocals, Colleen Johnson on Keys/ Backing Vocals, Tomás Sakatani on Lead Guitar, Faith Loomis on Bass and Zach Cardenas on Drums.

The 11th annual Hip-hop Jam poster, posted on Instagram on November 15th by @uohiphopjam.

The UO Hip-Hop Jam is a special event that happens near the end of Fall term each year. It originated in 2014 by the Hip-Hop and Politics of Race FIG (First Year Interest Group) and is still run by the FIG students each year. It’s open to everybody of all ages and completely free! The hip-hop jam is truly a special space to celebrate the culture that surrounds hip-hop.  Hip-hop is a genre born from the streets of the Bronx in New York City in the 1970s. The lyrics of the genre were based on political messages along with social and economic issues within the city. There are four important aspects throughout the history of Hip-Hop. The first is the DJ, who uses turntables to create and mix beats. This would then provide the basis for the MC who would rap and rhyme over the DJ’s beats. While this is taking place break-dancers are…

KWVA Music Blog sits down with Eugene natives and brothers Dana and Alden McWayne to discuss their upbringing’s influence on their music, returning to The Jazz Station as professional musicians, and their efforts to introduce young listeners to jazz aesthetics. Together, they are Dana and Alden and are opening for Remi Wolf on her upcoming tour.

How have Eugene and KWVA influenced and affected the music you make? 

Dana:

I think first off, we have to give a big shout-out to KWVA. We definitely grew up listening to 88.1. I mean, I remember, like, back in high school, I'd be in my mom's minivan driving around late at night, listening to whoever was on, and people would have, their whole squad in the studio, and they would end up playing like three songs in an hour because they were just talking so much. And, yeah, I love KWVA, we played in the little studio there back in…

Henry's Uncle | Sunday Live Sessions Recap

Full Performance / Interview / Live Music Video

On December 8th, new-to-the scene rockers Henry's Uncle joined us for the last Live Session of the Fall term. The group is known for their catchy and Rush/Green Day-inspired jams, and for tearing up living rooms in many houses on campus. The group is looking forward to recording their original songs sometime in the near future.

The Live Session was hosted by KWVA's Music Director, DJ Fud (check out the charts he makes here) and featured Sadie and Timothy as production assistant and camera operator, respectively. Additional photos by Timothy and DJ Taco, taken on digital and film.

GRRRLZ Rock Showcase '24 | Sunday Live Sessions Recap

Full Performance

Last month, a selection of GRRRLZ Rock artists from the non-profit MEPAA joined us live in the studio to perform some original music for Eugene and Springfield. Among the performers was the MEPAA's Executive Director and Founder Matrisha Armitage, Singer-Songwriter Maya Vagner, and a group known as Femme Dagger. The MEPAA previously featured a KIDZ ROCK showcase earlier this year, and we were so excited to have their organization back on the air. This was the first Live Session that I, DJ Taco, had to miss due to sickness (hence, no video…

Peter Iredale | Sunday Live Sessions Recap

Music Video | Full Performance

Peter Iredale (Colby) is a musician known for previously being in the group Deaf Telepathy, and now performs as a solo act. His unique vocal style is punctuated with excellent guitar chops. We look forward to his future recorded music coming in the near future! Three songs are included in the music video.

(The polaroid didn't turn out so good this time whoops)