On Thursday, WOW Hall will kick off “Eugene LIVE!,” a new six-month series of concerts highlighting local performers. The first event, “A Night of Local Jamz,” features Dirty Skeeze, The Graduating Class, The Juniper Berries, Lofty, The Macks, Novacane and smear.

Lori Hawley, WOW Hall’s programming manager since August, said that the venue is trying to schedule this series on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month in order to keep a spotlight on local talent. As a graduate of Lane Community College’s music program and Northwest Christian University’s focus in contemporary music, she is passionate about providing opportunity and exposure for local musicians.

Each of these bands playing Thursday features musicians either new to or from Oregon:

The Graduating Class

Eugene-based indie R&B band The Graduating Class band members first toured the country in 2013 under the name Hemlock Lane while promoting a single with producer Mark Needham. Now with a few lineup changes and a musical overhaul, the band performs “a more mature, stylistically diverse set of music.” The Graduating Class’ wide influences include Prince, Miles Davis and Childish Gambino. The band has spent the past year working out a new set of music and expects a new single out this winter. Nearly six years after forming, the Graduating Class describes themselves as “one of the oldest new bands in the world.”

smear

In early 2018, the longtime guitar noise collective smear joined forces with Eugene bassist Yonboi Gonzales and drummer Tater Chestnut. Drawing inspiration from a range of sounds between Sonic Youth and Gorillaz, smear's music includes fuzzy jams, lo-fi vocals, heavy psychedelic guitars and driving rhythm. Recently signed to SPACECASA Records, the group is set to release their debut EP soon.

Dirty Skeeze

Dirty Skeeze is a four-piece bar band producing “real Alaskan rock.” Founded in August 2015 on the streets of Sitka, Alaska, the band has recently moved to Eugene to kick out their rock jams.

Lofty

Lofty, a new Eugene piano trio, is driven by jazz harmony and improvisation. Lofty flows between different genres, with a focus on funk, hip-hop and Latin. They perform various versions of songs at live shows, weaving through many different sounds.

The Juniper Berries

The Juniper Berries are a four-piece garage-pop band from Ashland. After self-producing their debut record in 2017, the band has endlessly jammed, appearing either on tour or producing in the studio. The band features inventive lyrics, a coiled, lo-fi lead in building up to a furious climax. The band says that a typical Juniper Berries show “begins in a whisper and ends in a stage dive.”

The Macks

The Macks are a four-piece Portland garage rock band who has developed a dedicated following in Corvallis, Eugene and their hometown. The Macks self-released their debut EP "Happy Camper" in 2016 and debut album "Camp Poppa" in 2017. Influenced by the likes of The Black Keys, Led Zeppelin and Ty Seagall, the band mixes an angry, intelligent verse with a rowdy blues guitar and pounding drums. On describing their shows, the bands says that “The Macks play fast, The Macks play loud, and The Macks will get you moving one way or another.”

Novacane

Hailing from Eugene, Novacane has found quite a loyal following with the college-age crew in Eugene. Returning from their first West Coast tour, the band features driving psychedelic jams, enormous soundscapes and animated live shows. Forming when band members were 15 years old, Novacane features a tight sound indicative of dedicated musicians crafting what they describe as their own “brand of self-titled ‘psych pop.’”

Attendees at Eugene LIVE! will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite band. After the show, whoever has most votes wins entrance into a final battle of the bands in either late spring or early summer. The grand prize for the winning band receives a recording package at Ninkasi Recording Studio and a spot in a future 2019 EventStar Productions festival.

Follow Matthew on Twitter @MatthewDDenis. Email mdenis@registerguard.com.