This is not a (fire) drill. But the team behind Cotto does, surprisingly, have the fire marshal to thank for the situation they currently find themselves in. Itโs no secret that The Podskiโs Mikel Lomsky likes to collect Bendโs finest at his centrally located, Old Bend gathering place for carts and locals, and Cotto has […]
Chris Young
A journalist and editor, Chris graduated from the University of Oregon and has worked in local, community-focused media and publications for 15 years. He founded Vortex Music Magazine, a quarterly print publication that covered Portland's vibrant music scene, in 2014. He's since moved to Bend where you can find him going to concerts, hiking, biking and trying to keep up with his kids.
Rookie Food Cart of the Year: Cotto
This is not a (fire) drill. But the team behind Cotto does, surprisingly, have the fire marshal to thank for the situation they currently find themselves in. Itโs no secret that The Podskiโs Mikel Lomsky likes to collect Bendโs finest at his centrally located, Old Bend gathering place for carts and locals, and Cotto has […]
Bringing Cello to the People
Countless classical music organizations around the world struggle to answer the question of how they will bring what’s seen as an aging artform to younger audiences. Big-city symphonies frequently collaborate with pop, rock and hip-hop stars for one-off gigs where string sections accompany 808s and electric guitars. As special as these symphonic showcases may be, […]
‘No Burger Left Behind’
There was excited, salivating chatter around the Sourceโs office in preparation for Burger Week, presented by Steakhouse Elite. With imaginations running wild for smashed or thick patties, bite-sized sliders topped with oozing cheese or beef balls infused with onions and bacon, this Thursday, April 3 to next Wednesday, April 9 will see 26 Central Oregon […]
Sleepwalking and Making ADM Music with Billy and the Box Kid
It was 15 degrees outside and the night before Valentine’s Day. I was running late and pretty sure I’d already missed band practice. When I opened the door, the members of Billy and the Box Kid were lounging around the living room. Whiskey-filled colored glasses and quarters were stacked in neat towers before them, ready […]
‘Half a Hundred Years,’ and Then Some
“I never thought I’d last a half a hundred years,” bellows the smooth baritone of Ray Benson on Asleep at the Wheel’s “Half a Hundred Years” โ not a lot of folks have had this kind of longevity in the music industry. From behind a big white beard, Benson’s answer to his showbiz success is […]
Central Oregonโs Bluegrass Scene Unites
Austin Quattlebaum plays what he calls “weird-grass. More accurately, it’s probably indie folk with a bluegrass edge,” he explains. He’s been performing in Bend for over a decade โ often with James Rossi on fiddle, Josiah Payne on mandolin and Mark Karwan on bass โ and always had the desire to create a local bluegrass […]
BendreTheGiant Wadesinto the Deep End
Take a quick glance at a photo of BendreTheGiant and itโs easy to see why Ben Estrada goes by this moniker. Heโs got a head full of tight brown curls framing his round face, reminiscent of the larger-than-life pro wrestler of yore. And the opening track, โMove,โ on his new four-song EP recounts how heโs […]
Rock for All Ages
No matter the decade you grew up in, we’ve all grabbed a broom and played it like a guitar, or sung at the top of our lungs into a comb in front of a steamy bathroom mirror, or shook our head violently while playing the air drums in the back of a car. The common […]
Every Central Oregon Brewery Will Be at Drake Park This Memorial Day Weekend
When Brian Yaeger published “Oregon Breweries” a decade ago, he documented 190 breweries and brewpubs from sea to high desert. Today, we’re closer to 300 in the Beaver State, he says. Yet, the massive brew fests of the aughts and twenty-tens have gone the way of the dodo, including Portland’s waterfront Oregon Brewers Festival and […]

