Ethan Maffey

On the surface, not much changes from seasonal festival to seasonal festival here in Bend. Like clockwork, streets are closed off, artisans sell their wares, food carts sprout up and music is played.
It’s really the lineup of bands that makes one festival better than another. This year’s Fall Festival, held Oct. 5, 6 and 7 in downtown Bend, is poised to stand out. Expect to see some of Portland’s best talent, funk from 3,000 miles away, and a favorite local band that’s been away far too long.

If you’ve ever watched a high energy Southern Baptist preacher or even remember the Arsenio Hall character Reverend Brown from Coming to America, you’ve got an idea what to expect when Tango Alpha Tango lead singer Nathan Trueb takes to the rock-n-roll pulpit at Bend’s Fall Festival Oct. 6.
Trueb will make you believe in something, namely the power of rock. He uses his marauding, almost Bob Dylan-like voice and restless stage presence to infuse TAT shows with a certain larger than life fearlessness. Backed by a group of unassuming rockers that include his wife Mirabai on bass guitar and his brother Aaron on keyboards, Trueb is clearly the lead performer here. It’s a skill that, early on, caught even him off guard.

Six years ago I met a guy named Chris Chabot. In the time between then and now, the guy known for his heartfelt one man acoustic guitar and harmonica shows in Bend has found a father, changed his name and come into his own
as a powerful songwriter. In fact, if you’ve heard live music at a coffee shop or restaurant in town, chances are he was the first to play there.
After living in Bend since the fall of 2005, the singer, now known as Chris Beland, is saying goodbye and moving back to his home state of California. Before he goes, he will release his third album on Sept. 29 at the Old Ironworks building at 50 Scott St. next to Sparrow Bakery.

The latest release from troubadour and Brighton United Kingdom native Mike Rosenberg, who records under the moniker Passenger, is an amusing British folk album that uses jaunty, string-laden ditties as a vessel for heartfelt themes.
Though Rosenberg now lives in Sydney, the merry banjo and graceful guitar on All the Little Lights make the kinds of sounds more typically associated with a Scottish bar or an Irish cobblestone street.

The ability to listen to music in your car or your home, even as you walk around town definitely has its merits.  But millions of people strongly prefer to hear their music another way—live.  We here at the Source want to help facilitate your journey into the magical world of live music. To that end we are launching a new series. Every so often we’ll introduce you to one of best local venues or share ideas for where to can catch a killer out-of-town show. Consider it a running PSA that promises to always steer you toward the very best in live music entertainment.

At 38-years-old, Portland singer Matt Ward has rarely been without a guitar in his hands. Two decades ago, the gospel, folk-rock singer was at the center of the burgeoning Indie scene with California band Rodriguez. After releasing solo albums that at first struggled to gain attention, Ward is now collaborating with heavy hitters like Neko Case, Cat Power and Norah Jones.
It’s a journey that Ward has been infusing into his music from the beginning of his career.
He begins his seventh studio album A Wasteland Companion with the track “Clean Slate,” echoing that theme as he sings “When I was a younger man I thought the pain of defeat would last forever. But now I don’t know what it would take to make my heart back down.”

“Cast us as the monster, and bride of Frankenstein. You’re gonna try to take us, now we’re off the leash. You’re gonna to try break us on these city streets.”
On the surface, these lyrics from MOsley WOtta’s new concept album KinKonk, refer to King Kong on the loose in New York City clutching Ann Darrow in his hands. But dig deeper into the LP that drops this week and you’ll find they relate to exploitation in a much bigger sense. It’s an album Bend audiences should clamor for unlike any other produced locally in recent memory.

Maine folk singer Slaid Cleaves is a soft-spoken storyteller with a guitar.
His songs are honest replications of everyday life and emotions that aren’t bogged down by confusing imagery. As a result, his hymns quickly cultivate connections with listeners and become harbors for personal exploration. It’s for that reason Cleaves has been invited back to the Sisters Folk Festival for performances on Saturday, Sept. 8, and Sunday, Sept. 9.
Cleaves, who is currently on a summer break in Maine before heading out West, stepped away from a boiling pot of $2.99 per pound lobster long enough to talk about life on the road and his current songwriting process. He’s developed a method that works, he said.

Musicfest Northwest, Portland Oregon Sept. 5-9
Every September the heart of the Rose City buzzes for the better part of a week with psychedelic and indie rock nouveau, avant-garde electronic beats and impassioned folk music.
Now in its twelfth year, the festival has become the third largest indoor festival in the country. Over the years, MFNW has attracted such acts as The Smashing Pumpkins, Built to Spill and Band of Horses.
This year, MFNW expands to five days of music and for the first time includes Portland Digital eXperience, which is like a PDX version of a TED conference with speakers focusing on tech and digital creativity.