Stephen ‘Pancho’ Buettler
FRONT MAN WITH PANCHO + THE FACTORY
AGE: 36
Stephen “Pancho” Buettler fronts Pancho + The Factory,
one of Eugene’s hottest live acts and just one of many local
bands having a moment right now — bands like VCR,
Surfs Drugs, Snow White, Le Rev and many more.
If you saw Pancho open for Ty Segall or performing
last year at the Whiteaker Block Party, you understand
the campy blend of everything from ’60s girl groups, The
Cramps and even Rocky Horror Picture Show has the whiff
of historic inevitability.
Most important, Buettler works hard to support and
foster Eugene’s scene. In fact, he moved to Eugene five
years ago because of our “great legacy when it comes to
the counterculture.”
“If Eugene continues on the trajectory it’s on right now,”
Buettler says, “the music scene could be comparable to a
place like Athens, Georgia — a similarly sized city known
for churning out big name acts like REM and The B-52s.”
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A pril 13, 2017 • eugeneweekly.com
What would help take Eugene’s scene to the “next level”
— not just a small college city with surprisingly good
music, but a true music capital.
For Eugene to become a “next level” music scene it has
to not only think locally but regionally. The Northwest is
brimming with talent. I believe it would mutually benefit
everyone to “open up the I-5” and create more reliable
booking opportunities between Eugene, Portland and
Seattle.
I’d like to establish connections with venues in those
cities and hold similar events, so Eugene musicians can
find it easier to break into their scenes.
It’s often branded a “hippie town,” and I would certainly
consider myself a hippie in spirit. But sometimes I think we
forget that the essence of this spirit is to adapt and evolve
— we don’t always have to look to past forms to draw
inspiration. Being a hippie means you celebrate the values
of love, inclusivity and a progressive imagination.
Why is it important socially or even economically for
Eugene to support its music scene?
In Korea people and artistic forms can be placed on a
registry of “intangible assets” and receive official funding
and support from the government. This is a recognition that
these assets are nothing short of the invisible architecture
that makes up a location’s identity and culture.
In this sense, it’s Eugene’s — or any city’s — existential
duty to foster a music and arts scene. Without that support
we are quite literally conceding our identity. Beyond that,
it’s just good business. Concerts benefit virtually every
kind of business and help make a city more of a destination.
I don’t believe there’s any one “Eugene sound.” But, in my
opinion, that’s a good thing. What you can find in Eugene are
excellent examples of any kind of popular genre. Historically,
sounds and genres arise out of a melting-pot situation. So,
who knows, maybe a few years down the line people will be
talking about the unique multi-genre sound of Eugene.
Gone are the days when you move to a larger city to
make it. For me the only size that matters is how big your
imagination is.