Music

Prepare to be stomped…again.You can overstay your welcome here in Bend. And I'm not talking about
your ski bum cousin who slept on your couch for three months last
winter. Rather, I'm referring to out-of-town bands that reappear in
town over and over, eventually losing their appeal after that new band
smell wears off. We've seen it with reggae bands from Eugene and jam
bands from the Bay area.

But there are a few bands that we don't mind
letting lounge around the figurative couch that is our music scene.
Perfect example: Portland's gritty blues rock duo Hillstomp. By this
publication's count, the band's show at the Domino Room on Saturday is
its fourth appearance in the last year. One might expect the numbers to
dwindle with each show, but that isn't the case - these guys are
gathering larger crowds each time they cross over the Cascades.

Tim Cash: he could be your future music video director.Hey you there! Yes you, the one holding the newspaper.

Insert ego-stroking self reference. The phenomenon of the multi-platinum, mega-famous rap star is somewhat
of a dying trend, but you wouldn't know it by what's on the marquee at
Midtown for next week. The venue is host to not just one large-scale
rap show, but two in a row. It's former G-Unit member Young Buck
headlining a "Hip-hop Comedy Jam" on Tuesday night, then three members
of the storied rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony taking to the stage on
Thursday night.

We've spilled a good amount of ink in the past couple
of months about the influx in indie hip-hop making its way through
town, we haven't done the same for the big-name, commercial acts like
Young Buck and the Bone Thugs guys. This is largely because mainstream
hip-hop acts don't stop off in town too often. But this isn't to say
there isn't a want for these sort of tours. Hell, even if we're not all
that urban, we can still get all crunked up when we find it necessary.

If you need a reason to hit up this benefit, just look above.The news of the gruesome attack on Bendites Britt Leis and Lia Koehn as they traveled through Ecuador didn't take long to spread through town. The details of the assault were outlined in national news reports and now, weeks later, talk of Leis' miraculous survival has since been a steady topic around town, even though most residents had never met the two.

While Leis survived the more than 20 stab wounds he incurred during the attack, his path to recovery will likely be a long one, and the medical costs for his care (which included being airlifted back to California, where he continues to receive care) are nothing less than staggering. What happened to Leis and Koehn is a tragedy, but the response from the community has been refreshing, especially the reaction from Bend's music community.

You ready for These folks, Tower?It's just after 11am on a recent Saturday morning when Hannah Jacobs, Jason Costa and Andy Hoard of local prog-metal band Tentareign walk into Thump Coffee to talk about their upcoming CD release party on November 22. They've been up until 3am doing a full-blown dress rehearsal for the show and are exhausted and definitely in need of some caffeine. The band, known for their great live performances, stage sets and overall sound, are turning heads in Bend lately with their announcement that they will be debuting their first album - The Power Between - at the Tower Theatre. That's right, metal at Tower. The same place that you can also check out plays like Driving Miss Daisy and A Tuna Christmas or see musicals like In the Mood. Music acts that have played there this year include Taj Mahal and Béla Fleck … not exactly mosh-worthy bands.

Hip-hop fans in Bend know they don't have it as tough as one might think. Of course, there are a few quality local acts to feast on, but it's our proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area that makes Bend the benefactor of high-profile hip-hop tour stops.