KWVA Eugene 88.1FM turns 20 this year and is celebrating with a weeklong music and media festival called BETTERFEST.

The event, which runs May 13-18, includes a kickoff party, record swap, hip-hop freestyle tournament, Small Howl local band showcase and more. It culminates in three main stage concerts at the WOW Hall featuring performances from college radio artists.

The WOW Hall concerts are free to all UO students; Thursday and Friday night shows will be $5 for non-students, and Saturday’s show will be $8. Events earlier in the week have cover charges; a VIP pass can be purchased for $20, guaranteeing entrance to any event or concert.

• On May 16, FUZZ plays with Colleen Green and You Me & Us. FUZZ is a San Francisco group that recalls Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Jerusalem and Wicked Lady. Colleen Green features pure pop and breathy, emotive vocals along the lines of Rose Melberg and Tina Weymouth. You Me & Us is a three-piece band out of Bermuda Dunes, Calif. And a modern take on nostalgic pop.
• On May 17, Ducktails headlines and plays with The Beets, The Memories and White Fang. Ducktails move across a range of expressive pop songs and venture into saxophone leads, synth lines and piano accompaniment. The Beets, a New York outfit, have shared the stage and toured with Pavement, the Vivian Girls and the Mountain Goats. White Fang feature garage rock gold.
• On May 18, The Helio Sequence headlines with Naomi Punk, Weed and Cascadia. The Helio Sequence features a warm, deep sound made by tape and analog delays, spring and plate reverbs, tube preamps, ribbon microphones and analog synths. Olympia/Seattle's Naomi Punk are inspired by their grunge forbearers. Weed is a four-piece sludge pop band from Vancouver, BC. Cascadia features heavy, moody, sad grunge music.

Visit www.kwvaradio.org for more information. For ticket information, visit www.wowhall.org.

- by UO Office of Strategic Communications