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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.

chris@bendsource.com
Posted inMusic

Local Love: A Q/A with Bend Singer Songwriter Pete Kartsounes

Releasing a new album of love songs earlier this year, guitarist Pete Kartsounes chats about his musical background and Central Oregon’s musical community
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Had some bands that were on the verge of some big success and a lot of bands break up,” recounts local musician Pete Kartsounes. “Longevity is the key to success.” A mainstay in Central Oregon’s acoustic music scene since 2017, Kartsounes cut his teeth in Colorado’s jamgrass scene where he “played with all kinds of […]

Posted inBest Of Central Oregon

Best Japanese

Kanpai
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Chef Justin Cook started in the restaurant business in 1986 and has focused on sushi since 1993. Opening River West’s Kanpai almost two decades ago in February 2005, Cook describes the vibe of his bamboo-adorned sushi joint as, “busy, but chill. We’re all about the locals and creating a positive culture for our team and […]

Posted inBest Of Central Oregon

Best Law Firm

High Desert Law
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David Rosen founded High Desert Law, a personal injury law firm, after experiencing an accident himself. “When I was 25, I was hit by a car while riding my bike resulting in a fractured knee among other injuries,” Rosen tells. “When I started High Desert Law, my goal was to provide for clients what I […]

Posted inBest Of Central Oregon

Best Roofing Company

Deschutes Roofing & Insulation
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Winter of 2017 was harsh. Carlos Simpson remembers heavy snowfall and saw an opportunity… for his daughter, “to earn some extra cash for her Pokémon hobby,” he tells. “So I took her through our neighborhood on Awbrey Butte to offer to shovel some driveways and walkways. She certainly earned plenty shoveling snow, but what struck […]

Posted inBest Of Central Oregon

Best Open Mic

Silver Moon Brewing
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With not one but two open mic nights every week, Silver Moon Brewing offers a platform for performers to try new material or just get some experience in front of a live audience. Every Sunday, longtime Bend musician Jeshua Marshall hosts a music-focused open mic from 4:30 to 8pm, while Mondays are reserved for comedy, […]

Posted inMusic

Growing the High Desert Music Community

From pandemic times to today, the High Desert Music Collective continues to look for opportunities for local musicians with a relaunched website
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On March 9, 2020, I boarded a bus to Seattle with some very mixed feelings. There was a lot of uncertainty in the world at that moment, but what we did know was that a nursing home in Kirkland, a suburban outpost just east of Seattle along the shore of Lake Washington, was possibly the […]

Posted inMusic

Nathaniel Rateliff Bares His Soul

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats were defined by their neo-soul energy, but on “South of Here,” the acclaimed singer/songwriter gathers strength from the past to face the future
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South of Here” may refer to a physical place—Hermann, Missouri, to be specific—but it also occupies a space in Nathaniel Rateliff’s mind. “I grew up in Missouri, which the Mason-Dixon line runs through,” Rateliff explains. “So, you know, it’s the Midwest, but it’s also a bit of the South.” Located on the banks of the […]

Posted inMusic

St. Vincent: DIY ‘Till You Die

Annie Clark finds joy in making music — with and without her friends — all while reckoning with the impossibility of the human experience
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Seven records and three Grammys in, St. Vincent decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. “All Born Screaming,” released in April, is Annie Clark’s first self-produced album and her first release on her own label, Total Pleasure Records. Clark has worked with some stellar collaborators over the years (David Byrne, anyone?), […]

Posted inMusic

Coming to Fruition

With a record out this August, the longtime Portland five-piece will share tunes new and old, at Munch & Music Aug. 1
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From origins busking on Portland street corners and playing impromptu gigs at taco shops and wing joints, Fruition’s Americana sound has grown up. That’s to be expected when you’ve been a band for more than 15 years and rocked sold-out shows and festivals across the country, sharing tunes from a solid string of studio records, […]

Posted inMusic

Gathering for Music and Community

Central Oregon’s “largest locally owned and operated outdoor venue,” General Duffy’s, brings national headliners to Redmond all season long
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It’s not uncommon to spot teenagers snacking on fries or ice cream on a warm afternoon, while gentlemen in Stetson hats, silver belt buckles and cowboy boots wander into the watering hole at Redmond’s General Duffy’s. The Highway 97-adjacent bar, food cart pod, sit-down restaurant and concert venue has a little bit of something for […]

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