Come August 18th, the mercury will be rising inside McMenamin's Father Luke's Room here in Bend and the heat wave is going to last seven days.
From that Thursday into the following Saturday, and then Wednesday of the next week, three shows from the 83Music Concert Calendar will grace the local venue famous for hosting ridiculously great and free performances. All three acts are sure to provide Bend residents with powerful songs and opportunities for dancing and sweating.
August 18th: The Parson Red Heads
Rectifying a double booking in their schedule that prevented one of Portland's darling folk bands from playing at this year's Bite Of Bend, The Parson Red Heads will head into Central Oregon and kick off this week of sure fire hits. Conducting passionate and catchy folk cuts, TPRH's will keep the audience smiling and most likely bring them to their feet at least a handful of times. They will be supporting the release of their new album Yearling, which becomes available the Tuesday before the show. Right now, you can stream a few songs from that album over on the band's FACEBOOK page. This show will be FREE and starts at 7pm. Head past the break for info on the two bands rounding out the McMenamin's schedule, including a video from the must see pick of the group.
August 20th: Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
Returning to Bend the following Saturday, will be North Carolina native Sallie Ford with her band The Sound Outside. The last time this band played Father Luke's Room, the dance floor was enormous! Ford blends her crazy strong and unique voice with a blues folk rock sound that's a little bit North Carolina and a little bit Portland (where she now calls home). This is the lone show of the week that has a cover, but if you caught her show last May, you know it will be well worth the ten bucks you'll shell out to dance your Saturday night away. This show starts at 8pm.
August 24th: Jared Mees & The Grown Children
On the next Wednesday, the final of the three shows will feature a fantastic and unique band who is currently a staple of the Portland music scene, playing venues and festivals across the city. Jared Mees and his band combine horns with lifting crowd sing-a-longs and traditional lead singer theatrics that bring together one heck of a live show. The fun kicks off at 7pm, is FREE, and based upon my experiences seeing them in Portland is my must see pick of the bunch. Check the music video below for their song "Hungry Like A Tiger", from their latest album Only Good Thoughts Can Stay.
