Teachers at a new music school are excited to guide budding rock stars. The School of Rock Bend offers music lessons followed by the opportunity to jam with other students in a rock band, even performing in public on local stages. The school, opening Oct. 9, is in the same plaza as Blockbuster on NE […]
Culture
Posted inColumns
My Wife Doesn’t Seem Interested
Advice about how to slow down and meet the needs of your partner
Dear Dr. Jane, I don’t think I can handle this anymore. I adore my wife.. I want to touch her all the time. Unfortunately, it seems like our relationship isn’t a priority to her. She doesn’t seem interested in me. I’m not going to cheat on my wife. I made a solemn vow on our […]
Posted inCulture
Plunge Into Wellness
A new contrast therapy lounge opens this fall in Bend
Cold plunges and thermal lounges aren’t just a trend, they are a lifestyle. And what better place to bring this invigorating practice year-round than Bend? This October, Flux Thermal Lounge will begin its soft opening in Bend’s Westside Century Center, giving locals the chance to enjoy both cold plunges and thermal soaks whenever they choose. […]
Posted inFilm
The Best Fest in the Northwest
A quick peek at BendFilm 2025
To try and describe the exact vibe of the Bend Film Festival is nearly impossible because no two have ever been the same…and I should know because I’ve seen at least one movie at every fest since the first one in 2003. That year, I sat in a frigid Midtown Ballroom and watched a midnight […]
Posted inCulture
Black Currant Releases New LP, ‘Fast Ceremony’
Songwriter and artist of Black Currant shares powerful insights into her music and the need to slow down and be present
Bend artist, Kelly Martin of Black Currant, released her new LP, “Fast Ceremony,” on Sept. 21. Her new release is a joining of musical antitheses: pop and experimental, dark and danceable, joyous and haunting. By adding urgent, percussive synthesizer rhythms, she forms a backdrop to ethereal vocals and melodies, which at times may best be […]
Posted inColumns
A Few More Love Lessons
Would we feel satisfied without the comfort and security of love?
As you probably know, love is my favorite topic. I need to keep it in the front of my mind or it slips to the back of it. There are tons of things that are important in life. Tons! Food regularly. Education, ideally forever. A job, to pay for much of what we need and want, […]
Posted inCulture, Film
Post-Modern Romance
Two love stories of equal or lesser value
One of those little cliche nuggets of wisdom about cinema that people like to bandy around has been stuck in my head after watching two romances back to back this week: movies are a visual medium. Obviously, that is a true statement because the illusion of a motion picture doesn’t even work unless you are […]
Posted inCulture
Free Will Astrology Week of Oct. 2
It’s time to celebrate Libras
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In ancient Egyptian myth, the goddess Maat ruled truth, divine law, harmony, and moral order. After death, each person’s heart was weighed against Maat’s feather of truth on a scale in the Hall of Judgment. If the heart, which embodied the essence of a person’s actions in life, was equal in […]
Posted inCulture
Book Censorship Is So 1984
“Every dictator gets rid of the artist first… They burn the books and execute the artist first… Art might do something. It’s dangerous.” ~Toni Morrison
In 1949, George Orwell published a little book called “1984,” a dystopian novel about a totalitarian state under the constant watch of Big Brother. It proceeded to become the most banned book of all time. Why? The most commonly challenged reasons include inappropriate sexual content and controversial social and political themes. This year, Banned Books […]
Posted inCulture
Fall Arts & Style: Music
Blind Boys of Alabama with Cory Henry Recognized world-wide as living legends of gospel music, the Blind Boys of Alabama are celebrated for their soul-stirring harmonies and remarkable blend of traditional and contemporary sounds. With a career spanning over seven decades, they’ve won multiple Grammy Awards, been inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame […]
