Too Short
thursday 23
No matter how you feel about this particular genre, we must reiterate the fact that a rap music legend is coming to Bend. His name, you ask? Too Short, the dude who pretty much invented the pimp image that so many other hip-hop artists have emulated over the years, including Snoop Dogg. This ain't his first rodeo in these parts either, he played here in 2004 and 2007. Also on the bill are Mistah Fab, Tha Jacka, Kenny Mack, Top Shelf, Mikey Vegaz, Double 00 & Koshir. Hosted By DJ Fatboy. All ages. 8pm. $24/adv, $29/door. Midtown Ballroom, 51 NW Greenwood Ave.
Bend Roots Fundraiser
thursday 23
Help raise money for this year's Bend Roots Revival. See the Liner Notes column for more info. 7:30pm. Tulen Center, 20 NW Greenwood Ave. $10 donation.
Soul Majestic
friday 24
This ultra-spacey reggae band is coming up from Santa Cruz for what should be a set of cliché-dodging reggae music. The band are dedicated to the island vibe, and went as far as to travel all the way to Jamaica to lay down their record. Look out for what's sure to be a packed dance floor that's accompanied by a rare Tulen Center full bar. 9pm. $8. Tulen Center, 20 NW Greenwood Ave.
BMC Cascade Cycling Classic
through sunday 26
This annual cycling event takes up most of this week with all sorts of racing events around the area, but the highlight is always the downtown criterium on Friday night (women's race begins at 5:45 and men race at 7pm), which sends racers flying through the downtown streets. And this year is extra special considering riders like Tour de France veteran Floyd Landis and youthful sensation Taylor Phinney are both slated to compete.
A Night for the Otino Waa Orphanage
saturday 25
Head over to the Tower Theater to hear live music from Julliard graduate and award-winning violinist Rebecca Jackson and Emmy-award composer John Wineglass. And it's for a good cause. Hosted by Path Ministries International, attendees will learn about the Otina Waa (meaning "our children" in the Luo language) Orphanage in Uganda and how to contribute to the cause. 6:30pm. $20. Tower Theater, 835 NW Wall St.
Music is Life Presents - All these bands!
sunday 26
If you haven't heard about this new nightspot in Redmond (we hadn't) and you happen to be a fan of metal and hardcore music, then head up on Sunday night for this mega show featuring not one, not two, but NINE bands. Here's the lineup: Up Down Left Right, Knuckle Children, Never Heard the Shot, The Cradle Robbers, Less Than Perfect, Mary Magdolene, Broken Over Haunted Seas, In the Advent of Horror, R.T.I. 5:30pm. $11. Six Nightclub, 349 SW 6th St., Redmond.
Jeff Johnson: Tattoo Machine
monday 27
Check out our Culture profile on Jeff Johnson this week and head down to the Bend Public Library on Monday night for a special reading from his new book Tattoo Machine: Tall Tales, True Stories, and My Life in Ink. 6:30pm. Brooks Room, Bend Public Library, 601 NW Wall St.
Holy Rolling Empire
tuesday 28
Psychedelically influenced indie rock with plenty of pep. See the On Stage column for more. 9pm. Silver Moon Brewing Co., 24 NW Greenwood Ave.
Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo
wednesday-saturday 29-1
It's that time of year again! Prepare yourself for the annual four-day event filled with carnival food, midway games, rides that make you want to throw up, and of course all those lovely animal exhibits. Celebrating the 90th anniversary this year, the fair should be filled with even more family fun. For admission and event information, visit http://www.expo.deschutes.org. 10am-11pm. Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, 3800 SW Airport Way. 548-2711.
Jamie Ford
wednesday 29
The Panama Hotel, which was once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown, has been boarded up for years. The new owner makes an incredible discovery - the belongings of Japanese families left behind when they were taken to internment camps during World War II. Henry Lee watches the owner open a Japanese parasol he's certain belongs to his long-lost friend Keiko. In Jamie Ford's novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet we experience this tender and endearing story of Henry and Keiko, set in a volatile time in American history. Ford presents his debut novel and signs copies. 5pm, Sunriver Books & Music, 57060 Abbot Dr.
Sugarland
thursday 30
It's big-box country music at its very finest to kick off the ticketed portion of the Les Schwab concert series when Sugarland makes a redemptive appearance in Bend, making up for their 2007 cancellation. See this week's Sound story for more. 5pm gates, 6:30pm show. Les Schwab Amphitheater, 344 SW Shevlin Hixon Dr., $36/general admission, $79/reserved. All ages.
Peter Frampton
thursday 30
Do you feel like we do? Damn right you do, because the king of the talk box is playing the fair. Check out this week's Sound story for more. 7pm. Deschutes County Fairgrounds 3800 SW Airport Way. Listen to 98.3FM "The Twins" for free ticket info.
