“The Gothic community in Eugene is fucking awesome. Excuse my French,” Nikki Brackett, goth frontwoman for local darkwave band Stariana says. “Everyone I’ve met, just from going to other shows or my own shows, are really supportive. They might look scary or whatever, but they’re actually so fucking sweet. Don’t put the F word in the paper.”

Some believe that “goth” is a subculture surrounding politics and philosophy. “It’s about not being discouraged by gloom, acceptance of mortality,” says goth Ariana Blanc, otherwise known as DJ Refugium.

Others believe that goth is about makeup and fashion. “Everyone I know wears eyeliner except for me,” says Jim Johnson, one half of Eugene darkwave synth pop band Rabyd Rabbyt.

Blanc says that a lot of the fashion “is a visual code for seeing people

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