Take a pinch of Death Cab for Cutie’s honest but evocative lyrical style.  Add a dash of Ben Lee-sounding vocals.  Combine with a vintage Tom Petty feel, and mix with a hint of folk-country twang. Sprinkle with a warm sense of community.  Your tasty result? Eugene, Oregon’s The Stagger and Sway.  With this video, “Sam Bond’s Garage,” listeners get a chance to feel what it’s like to be a Eugene resident as the band talks about their favorite local bar, brought to life with lines like “empty pint jar and a bar stool spinnin’.”  Find out more about the story behind “Sam Bond’s Garage” by checking out our BackStory featuring this song.

Claire Gallgher: Alrighty, who’s who? What are your names, what instruments do you play, etc?

Mike Last: Acoustic guitar, vocals

Jerry "Groove" Abelin: upright bass, vocals

Ken Howe: Drums

Brian Patrick: electric guitar, lap steel

At Sam Bond’s Garage, there are certain things one can always count on: a packed house, and stronger-than-you’d-suspect beer. Local musicians Stagger & Sway know this, and even penned an ode to the notorious Eugene bar that encaptures the weird quirks that make Sam Bond’s special. Now, I’d consider myself a Monday-night bingo and Tuesday-night bluegrass connoisseur, but I soon discovered Friday nights at Sam Bond’s Garage are an entirely different beast.

The Tara Stonecipher Band was the first act of the night. Composed of Tara Stonecipher on guitar/lead vocals and Gregg Vollstedt on electric guitar/vocals (and with a guest drummer for the night), the Eugene-based Band played a mix of Americana/folk/alternative country tunes. In the middle of their set, the Band performed two post-breakup songs that conveyed so much soul and honesty that they might as well’ve came with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s - meaning they would be extremely helpful to have on hand in that situation. As the crowd grew and the night went on, the Tara Stonecipher Band also performed some more uptempo tracks, prompting some patrons to push aside tables (the few that were unoccupied, at least) near the stage to create room to dance. Some of my favorite tracks performed last night include “Carolina” and “California,” which are not available online anywhere (the Band is currently unsigned) but hopefully will be soon.