Trying Out This Whole Charity Fad | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Trying Out This Whole Charity Fad

There was plenty to do on Saturday night with Tentareign's big rock show at the Tower, music at both martini bars and the Silver Moon,

There was plenty to do on Saturday night with Tentareign's big rock show at the Tower, music at both martini bars and the Silver Moon, but still, there was a big crowd at the Tulen Center. And where the big crowds go, so does Sound Check (for the most part) which is why we found ourselves among a horde of well-meaning folks at the benefit show for Britt Leis and Lia Koehn, the Bend couple who was attacked while traveling through Ecuador.

We missed out on a set by Anastacia, but did catch Mark Ransom and The Mostest, who for this performance were approaching double digits in numbers. Long a staple of the local music scene, The Mostest seemed tight as ever as the all-star lineup plucked from other local acts that included a killer percussion section of Lindsey Elias on the kit (Empty Space Orchestra) and Shireen Amini (Estrola) on tambourine and hand drums. If anything, this set was a reminder of just how good Ransom and company are for a party like this.

While music took a literal center stage at this show, there seemed to be a general consciousness of what the event was all about. Pictures of Britt hung on the wall and people, many of whom didn't seem to personally even know Britt or Lia, lined up to buy raffle tickets to help the cause. When all ticket and raffle funds were counted, organizers told us they may top $15,000 in donations. Wowsa.

Still, most of the focus was on the stage where the increasingly buzzed about Dirty Words played a set that showcased their soft-to-hard-and-back-again live ability. These dudes sounded like older Primus at the top of their set and featured hints of the Decemberists by the time they wrapped up.

The night also saw a spirited set from hip-hop super group Person People (yes, that's probably at least the ninth time we've referred to them as a "super group" in the past two months...but we think it's apt, so we're sticking with it) who, as always, got the crowded room moving in style. The night closed with a set from the gutted version of Larry and His Flask that has been playing just about everywhere lately - including a Friday night set on the Longboard Louie's porch. These punks turned raucous folkies are playing everywhere short of your grandma's living room to raise some awareness and cash for their upcoming tour. With only two microphones on stage for the entire ensemble, LAHF- although technically acoustic - rocked the jam packed room.

We left into the cold pre-Thanksgiving weekend night warmed by the fact that we, along with a sizable chunk of Bend's live music community, had donated some cash and energy to a good cause. Does that make Sound Check a bunch of heroes? Hmmm...that's a tough one. But yeah, it kinda does.


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