Last week, we gave you a sneak peek of this year’s Sisters Folk Festival lineup. This week, we’re back with Pick’s Picks โ Sisters Folk Festival edition. Gangstagrass โ Hip hop meets bluegrass? Yes, that’s a thing and is more successful than you might think. Emmy-nominated outfit Gangstagrass features MC hip-hop beats in sync with […]
Anne Pick
Music Writer | The Source Weekly
Digging Deeper
Travis Ehrenstrom has been a part of the Central Oregon music scene since age 14, attending Sisters High School and taking part in the Americana Project. He remembers playing shows with Mark Ransom and Leif James and other Bend music scene strongholds from a young age, and now continues to evolve as an indie folk-rock […]
Dream Playlist
For Bend’s indie rock lovers, this weekend will go down as one of the best of the summer, thanks to back-to-back performances from alternative rock titans Portugal. The Man Friday night at the Les Schwab Amphitheater and Cold War Kids Saturday night at Oregon Spirit Distillers. In prep for the big weekend, I accumulated a […]
Drink Up
“It takes a huge level of commitment with every step you take with music,” Victory Swig bassist Barrett Dash says. “We try to balance our daily schedules, work schedules, recreation schedulesโeverything people do in Bendโ as well as book the gigs and get the most fun shows. It’s a lot of work to make it […]
Best Place to Work (under 50 employees)
In Bend, we place as high a priority on the health and wellness of our pets as we do on ourselves. It takes a lot to stand out among the pack with a large number of excellent veterinary clinics in town, yet Bend Veterinary Clinic continues their โBest ofโ win streak by fetching the prize […]
Best Indoor Music Venue
It seems whenever you hear anyone talking about the live music scene in Bend, the words โbest music year in Bend everโ escapes their lips. Thatโs thanks in part to the hardworking people within the industry, busting their behinds to bring you rad musicians. All year long, Volcanic Theatre Pub brings in quality bands, singers, […]
Best Job (When you don’t wanna work in Bend)
In Bend, it’s typical to hear someone mutter, “Doesn’t anyone work in this town?” Well, friend, why live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth if you’re going to sit in an office all day? Many Bendites have found ways to make a living without working a traditional 9 to 5 desk job. […]
Best Pet Store
Before Julie Hunter started Bend Pet Express in 1993, her dog became very ill. She worked with a vet locally and looked at what she was putting in her dog’s body versus what options were available. Her research and continued education resulted in the birth of what would go on to become the Bend Pet […]
Best Local Band
Back in the day, Best Local Band was a category readers could vote for. Past winners included Larry and His Flask, Mosley Wotta and Corner Gospel Explosion. This year, Best Band is a staff pick category, so I’m writing a special “Pick’s Picks.” Chris Fraser on vocals and lead guitar, Devrett Gupta on bass and […]
Best Silver Lining on a City Council Decision
If you’ve been keeping up with the ongoing, dramatic saga surrounding noise and concerts in the City of Bend, then you know that earlier this year the City Council voted to limit the number of Temporary Change of Occupancy permits. What does this mean to the live music community? The Century Center, one of the […]

