BEND: BEER, BRATS, AND BACKS-TO-THE-BAND
I’m trying to brace myself for another active summer of live music events. Not easy here. So I’ll start by expressing my admiration for the local bands here that are making a concerted effort at demonstrating real talent, in spite of the Bend vibe. Coyote Willow, Honey Don’t, Burning Moonlight, Moon Mountain Ramblers, Kim Kelley, Mai and Dave, etc. I could go on and on with the dedicated folks trying to make a go of it here. I appreciate all of you guys and sympathize with you when you are continuously met with the most undeserving, disrespectful people (I won’t call it an audience) imaginable as you work your way through the local venues. I respect the resilience you must have to play in a midst of general ambivalence—typically intoxicated and/or otherwise unconscious people with their backs to you, oblivious to your music, and doing everything in their power to talk over the “noise from the band.” Add to that the new-age parenting standard so prevalent here that makes it OK to drag restless, hyperactive kids (of all ages) to any free event and let them have their way, having switched them over to “auto.” No, they’re not “dancing to the music,” they are blowing off steam and distracting lots of serious music lovers in the process. In other words, they are as oblivious to the musicians as you are.
So what’s a real live music lover to do in Bend? Confine yourself to the Volcanic Theater, Domino Room, or the other handful of 21+ clubs that seem to feature pop/punk bands? Limit yourself to exorbitant fees to see good acts at Les Schwab, sans kids at least? Go to Eugene or Portland? It’s unfortunate that those are the options and that more clubs, brewpubs, and promoters aren’t providing a venue for all of this great local talent by creating a listener’s environment in their places. Since it’s clear that Bend’s entitled millennial class is content to drive across town to the west side at the drop of a hat, bringing their noise (and noisy kids) no matter who’s appearing, provide space where the listening audience can focus on, and communicate with, the artists. There will always be space left for the non-stop chatters and kids. Just not in front of the stage, high-jacking the event. And eventually you might surprise yourself with a place that promotes and honors talented artists. Not a bad reputation for a tourist town to have. As a town that prides itself in attracting more and more people (another issue), there will be a need to satisfy a growing number of folks who seek a more mature approach to entertainment.
And [all] we can do is wish.
—Anonymous Music Lover
KTVZ DIVIDING BEND?
KTVZ’s reporting of the stabbing underneath the Franklin Bridge this week, and many other stories they report made very clear that the stabbing took place in Northeast Bend. However, what could amount to a matter of a few feet would have placed this unfortunate incident in Northwest Bend. Based on their track record, had the incident happened on the other side of the tracks they would have reported the incident as happening in “Bend,” not NW Bend. The Bend Bulletin also reported the incident and they did not feel the need to differentiate between East and West Bend. Why must KTVZ always separate East Bend from West Bend?
Although Bend has grown over the years, we are not New York City identified by burrows or New Orleans divided by Parishes. We are Bend, Oregon, and we all strive for the common good that is the love for the outdoors, good neighbors, strong community and a belief that we give back to our community. My husband and I both volunteer in this community and we live in Northeast Bend. My husband and I, and so many of our neighbors, are professionals and business owners engaged in the community. Yet, KTVZ’s reporting of all things Bend and all things East Bend tends to leave the majority of the Bend community feeling they somehow have chosen to live in a lesser community. I would like to point out that the majority of the registered voters in Bend live on the East side. We happily live in NE Bend and are becoming increasingly tired of KTVZ’s reporting and the unnecessary divisions they seem to be infusing between East and West Bend.
—Monica Melkonian
OSU-CASCADES
Why not put the OSU campus where Mirror Pond is? Let the river run through it! And kill two birds with one stone! Not to mention the geese….
—Brian Joseph Mecey
BEND LACROSSE PROGRAM
This year, my husband and I decided to coach a lacrosse team for Bend Park and Rec (4th, 5th and 6th grade boys). Neither of us had even watched a game, but we decided to give it a try. And because we don’t have kids, we have had no experience with the youth program.
We walked away in absolute awe of this program. Bend Park and Rec provided excellent training for coaches. Rich Ekman, the head of the program, constantly answered our questions and helped us to connect to resources and people.
The overall program was exceptionally well organized (can you imagine dealing with fields, equipment, coaches, parents and referees for 600 kids?). And the program was centered around ensuring that all games were both safe, fair, and fun for the kids. The program was focused on having kids participate, not on winning.
In addition, Bend Park and Rec uses high school students for referees. We thought this was amazing because for many of these youth, this was their first job. I can’t think of a better way to encourage youth to take on responsibility and learn to make the “hard calls” of a referee.
As a community we are extremely lucky to have someone like Rich Ekman who uses his organizational and motivational talents to benefit our youth. Congratulations to Bend Park and Rec for yet another outstanding program. And a million thanks for Rich for his continuous support throughout the season.
These programs do an outstanding job not only at teaching kids how to play lacrosse, but moreover, how to be part of a team, work hard, focus, and communicate; all skills that will clearly serve them well later in life.
—Linda English
This article appears in Jun 17-24, 2015.
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TO THE SOURCE: Please stop posting anonymous opinions. They hold no value to your loyal readers. If a person can’t put their name on it, why should I waste my time reading it!
Rondo,
I’ll give you a couple good reasons why anonymous opinions are relevant – some of us have positions in the community or are associated with non-profit groups that rely in large part on the good will of the majority. Anonymously I can still speak freely without my personal opinions being associated with my work or the organizations I volunteer with.
The basis of that is similar to having confidential sources in the news or protecting the identity of witnesses. Do you dispute the value of that to our society?
And the second reason I, like others, prefer anonymity is that as the civility of our society has degraded some of us have had to deal with harassment or threats for speaking controversial opinions openly. It’s a sad state of affairs when this becomes necessary simply to exercise our rights as guaranteed under the First Amendment. Regardless, it’s a precaution I’ve learned is necessary.
So, I have a little time here this morning and want to break this letter down from “Anonymous.” Let’s start at the beginning. For purposes of this response, let’s just call the writer “A”. “A” states he wants to “brace “A”self” for summer music events and “it’s not easy.” “A” begins negatively from the get-go. Then “A” continues with a list of local bands that are all very similar. “A” establishes a pretty specific taste in music with the list he provided. Although I have respect for those bands, he failed to mention the tremendous diversity of great bands in Bend that can SELL OUT many shows and have great followings. Wilderness, MOsley WOtta, Broken Down Guitars, Voodoo Highway, Elektrapod, All You All, Woebegone, Harley Bourbon, Billy Mickelson, The Cutmen, The Sweatband, The Kronk Men, 2nd Hand Soldiers, Strive Roots, Blackflowers Blacksun, Isles and new bands like Bravey Don, Corner Gospel Explosion, and Patrimony (excluding many for brevity). These local acts cover a great deal of musical real estate. Indie rock, hip-hop, jazz, metal, experimental, cello, reggae, funk, and straight up rock-n-roll. Eliminating these bands doesnt make “A” a “music lover”, it actually makes him a “music hater” when he is so limited in his taste and environment. Then “A” goes off on some uninformed and unintelligible diatribe about having “sympathy” for local musicians because they are met with unappreciative and disrespectful audiences. “A”” calls audiences drunks, unconscious, ambivalent, oblivious, hyperactive kids, and labels parents as “new-age parenting” (whatever the fuck that means) that allow their children to actually play at events. God forbid a child has a good time when parents attend an event to have some fun and catch up with some friends. I can’t speak for the other places that host live music (I hope they chime in), but I can tell you as the owner of Volcanic Theatre Pub, that I’ve never seen more respectful audiences at any venue than VTP. They come for the event. Period. Regardless of genre. They sit quietly for acts like Alejandro Escovedo, Wayne Hancock, Esmé Patterson, Joseph, The Sweet Lillies, Sweetwater String Band, North Country Bluegrass Band, and Crystal Bowersox (and many many more including the bands he mentioned) or rock out and dance to bands like LARRY AND HIS FLASK, Jelly Bread, Jerry Joseph, Black Flag, Turkuaz, Smokey Brights, Hillstomp, Rose’s Pawn Shop, Orquesta Monte Calvo, and countless others. “A” end his first paragraph with “…they are as oblivious to the musicians as you are.” Who the fuck is “you?” “A” continues with with listing venues that seem to feature pop/punk bands. Now, what the fuck is pop/punk? Does “A” mean pop AND punk? Is pop/punk a genre. If venues have limited themselves to this pop/punk genre, then no one stands a chance to grow a music scene in Bend at all. “A” moves on and states “…it’s clear that Bend’s entitled millennial class” brings their noise and noisy kids to the Westside to listen to music no matter who’s appearing and hijack the event. Well, “A” seems to not get out much. VTP provides a very welcoming theatre with tremendous respect for the artists regardless of genre and home base. Local, regional, nat’l, and international acts have all performed at VTP with the utmost respect and has developed quite the reputation from major talent agencies and talent that also gives gifted local acts to be seen in front of hundreds of people to cultivate an audience here locally. Every musician understands the hard work involved in touring, writing music, and sometimes playing for small houses for little or no money. If you think that’s wrong, just ask the hundreds of bands that take to the road for just the exposure to grow an audience in an area or city. I meet them every week and they are always humble, grateful, and respectful of the opportunity to play their music. “A’ concludes his anonymous letter by stating that Central Oregon’s growing population is an issue and there will be a need to satisfy a more ‘mature” approach to entertainment. “A” signs “And all we can do is wish, Anonymous. Again, many places in town noticed the need for top-notch entertainment for the transpalnts starving for culture. VTP is one of them. The Tower, Les Schwab, and other venues have adapted to the growing population by booking more relevant progressive bands to meet Bend’s changing demographic. VTP built a theatre for all things ART. This includes film screenings, professional theatre, burlesque, comedy, poetry, fundraisers, and of course music of all genres. “A”, the sun does not rise and set in the crack of your ass. Your perfect world does not exist except in the confines of your home watching recorded episodes of Austin City Limits. There are almost 200K people in the Central Oregon metro area. All of these folks have different tastes in entertainment. Some indeed want to ‘blow-off steam”, dance, take their kids out, and visit with friends they have not seen in awhile during a music event…regardless of genre…even this thing you call pop/punk. Signed, You’re a CHICKENSHIT PRETENTIOUS CURMUDGEON.
Dear Anonymous Kid Hater – I believe I’ve seen your drivel on here before. Substitute some other terms for “kids” in your letter and you’ll see how ridiculous your stance is : try “old people”, “dogs”, “gays”, for starters. Hopefully you get it.
Dear Anonymous Music Lover-
Music in Bend has found its way into every nook and cranny of our amazing community. If you can’t find a venue that you feel comfortable listening to one of the bands you named off, then maybe your not staying up to date on your events in town. From the FREE Summer Sunday Concerts at LSA, to the ALL AGES shows at VTP and the Domino Room you can enjoy music in Bend. Our children are the future of the music scene here. My son has Beckers Muscular Dystrophy and is at every all ages event I have ever put on. He dances. He sings. He helps load in bands on my stages. He is immersed in the culture and the scene here that we are all so proud of and have helped create. Music makes his life worth living. If you can’t see the joy that music brings to our children then I think what you meant to say was your attitude is hijacking my commitment to bringing and providing a warm, family environment for people of all ages, races, status to enjoy one thing we all have in common. A love for music.
-Jasmine Helsley, JAH Promotions