Jared’s 14 Favorite Films of 2014…And Some Runners Up
Who the hell am I to say what the best movies of 2014 were? Just a guy…who watched around 300 movies in total across the year. But what the hell does “best” even mean? Instead, I’ll say these were my top 14 (because a top ten is so 2013) favorite movies of 2014. Opinions are…
Friday Mixtape! Top 100 Albums of the Year
Listen to a song from each of the best albums of 2014
New Year’s Eve Parties
CinderBlue 7 pm. Faith, Hope and Charity Vineyards, 70450 NW Lower Valley Dr. Terrebonne. With Americana rock ‘n’ roll from CinderBlue and a sit-down dinner from our guest chef. 21+. $115. SNOWBALL NYE Party! 8 pm. Old Stone Church, 157 NW Franklin Ave. The inaugural SNOWBALL, a celebration of safety in the snow. Showing Pretty…
Top 5 City Council Decisions
1. Establishing a Vacation Home Rental Task Force Certainly one of the most contentious issues of the year, vacation rentals occupied a significant portion of City Council’s time in the latter half of 2014. Council took a step in the right direction when it voted to create a 23-member Vacation Home Rental Task Force, including…
Our Picks 12/24-1/1
thursday 25 Christmas Releases MOVIES—Although the terrorists have taken our Seth Rogen away from us (and The Interview release has been canceled for the time-being), Christmas has eclipsed July 4 for the best day of film releases of the year. Check out Into the Woods and The Hobbit, page 23. Various times. A theater near…
Top 5 Moments in Local Theater
Les Misérables (Tower Theatre) “From the sumptuous and layered opening notes of ‘At the End of the Day,’ it was very apparent that the months of rehearsal have created not just an excellent piece of theater, but an event unlike any on the Central Oregon stage.” —Jared Rasic, Shakespeare in the Park “With witty fools,…
Some of the Best Films of 2014
Nobody needs another “Best Films List” that includes the Interstellars, Birdmans, or even Boyhoods of 2014—all great films you should check out. Instead, I want to champion some must-see foreign and truly independent films of 2014. The two must-see foreign films are Force Mejeure and Ida. I had the pleasure of seeing Force Majeure at a…
Top 5 Moments at Tin Pan
Don’t trust me. I’m biased. I work a lot of shifts at Tin Pan Theater, and help program the movies we show. But heck, with that said, here are my top five favorite moments this year at Tin Pan Theater. 5. Spaghetti Western Wednesdays: There’s no substitute for watching people eat spaghetti while laughing. Sometimes…
Top Ten Albums of the Year
Way Out Weather Steve Gunn Wrapped up in a blanket of hushed vocals and rich musicianship, the 2014 release by Brooklyn singer/guitarist Steve Gunn is the kind of album that carries with it the heart of America. There’s an Allman Brothers’ vibe to songs like “Wildwood” and “Milly’s Garden,” and the cascading warmth of his…
Bands That Played Central Oregon in 2014 That You’d Never Heard of, but Should Remember
Devil Makes Three Possessed By Paul James Charlie Parr Willy Tea Taylor Blitzen Trapper Moondog Matinee Esme Patterson Shakey Graves Wheeler Brothers Graham Wilkinson Terrible Buttons Howlin’ Brothers Hong Kong Banana Shook Twins Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas Polecat Sassparilla Rose Windows Zachary Lucky Hip Hatchet Christopher Paul Stelling
Local Bands to Keep an Eye on in 2015
Isles: This ambient rock group has a new concept album in the works titled Wounded Tropic. All You All: Every time I’ve seen this young rock band in the last three years, they’ve gotten better. Expect big things in 2015. Harley Bourbon: This band made a triumphant return to the Bend music scene in 2014…
How Bend Is Still Bend a Year Later
With the population booming and a four-year college campus on the doorstep, Bend is quickly changing. But really, does it seem that different from the year before? Or, the year before that? Oh sure, the color—and bulkiness—of the puffy coats may have changed slightly from 2013, but here are our five choices for what has…
Top 5 Lessons from the Campaign Trail
1: Be likeable: Studies show what we all intuitively know—politicians stand a better chance of being elected if they are likeable (having good hair helps). While likeability may seem like a superfluous and irrelevant quality, good people skills play a vital role in political leadership. You can’t bring people to the table if no one…
People We Will Miss Most
Robin Williams (1951 – Aug. 11, 2014): Emerging from San Francisco’s standup circuit, Williams became an icon of the ’70s and ’80s, and widened his appeal to subsequent generations—to Generation X’s buck-authority as the rogue prep school teacher in Dead Poets Society and fast-mouthed deejay in Good Morning, Vietnam, to the sardonic sense of humor…
Top Letters to the Editor of 2014
“WHATEVER, MOM” CORRECTLY TITLED “Whatever Mom” is not newsworthy. In an attempt to make it so, Taylor Thompson writes about killing a harmless scorpion in her house [“Whatever, Mom: I’ve never been much of a girly girl”]. This was gut-wrenchingly upsetting. Out of ignorance and fear, Thompson chooses killing over simply dropping a glass or…
Whatever, Mom
There’s one woman in my life that tops all the rest. One calm, wise woman that knows a thing or two about patience. One woman that embodies the qualities of an incredible mother in ways I can only hope to mimic for my sweet Cade. And I owe this woman all the credit in the…
RIP: A few Central Oregon businesses that closed this year, we’ll miss ya!
Alpenglow Cafe Caldera/Bond Street Grill Sears Pure Kitchen Sabor a Mi Roberts on Wall Street Woodgrain Millworks Blue Pine Red Dog Depot Rays Food Place Pakit, we think we’ll miss you most of all, you wonderful junkyard/venue.
Top Source Burns
1. I shall gleefully continue to burn this crap in my woodstove all winter long. Keep up the good work! —Chris Haindel 2. Whoever is “PB,” terms come to mind…twit, jerk, ass, etc. —Linda Gillard 3. What were you thinking, or were you? —Bob Stillson 4. I hesitate to even waste my time replying to…
Top 10 Source Stories of 2014
1. Clipping the Crow’s Wings: City denies Crow’s Feet Commons’ plaza lease renewal 2. Solar storms may produce Northern Lights viewing in Oregon tonight 3. 2014 Best of Central Oregon 4. Beerpocalypse: Understanding the visceral reaction to the sale of 10 Barrel 5. Anheuser-Busch Acquires 10 Barrel Brewing 6. Local Artist Natalie Fletcher WINS Skin…
Two-by-Four
Four Impressive Local Additions to Recreation: Whychus Creek reclamation: On October 1, Deschutes Land Trust publicly announced an ambitious goal to fully reclaim and restore Whychus Creek, a cold water tributary that runs northeast from Sisters into the Deschutes River. The mellow stretch of river—and riverside trails—will be a boon to butterfly and bird watching,…
Out of Town 12/24-1/1
portland through saturday 27 Golden Girls Live: A Christmas Special Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia—all played by adult men in pantyhose—celebrate Christmas the only way they know how…with quick witted comebacks and holiday cheer. Twenty two years after the show went off the air, the foursome’s bitchy banter is as sharp and hilarious as ever.…
2014: The Year in Review
It’s that time of the year when we look back at what’s changed, what’s stayed the same and the top 5 of, well, just about everything. For your end-of-year reading pleasure, check out our 2014 Year in Review. Here are a few to get you started: Top 5 City Council Decisions Top Source Stories Top…
Most Cosmopolitan Moments
Red Man|Method Man Concert More specifically, hearing B-Real of Cypress Hill announce that Measure 91 had passed in a very smoky Domino Room. Black Flag (NO MOSHING) As one of nearly 60 other cities hit by the revived band on its Victimology Tour with new lead singer Mike D, Bend can now say it has…
Top Local Dishes from 5 Fusion Head Chef Joe Kim
It is hard to deny the good luck of numerology when considering that this year the popular downtown sushi bar 5 Fusion celebrated its fifth year—and, coincidentally, its head chef, Joe Kim, was nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award. Considered the Oscars of the food world, a nomination is an extremely impressive honor. Kim,…
Top 5 Additions to Bend’s Growing Food Scene
Stihl (550 NW Franklin St.): A warm blend of earth tones and copper, the downtown speakeasy (well, technically, its legal) whiskey bar has more than a wide selection of drinks; it also has a surprisingly confident menu of pork chops and rough-cut fries that are perfect for an urban cowboy. Dogwood Cocktail Cabin (147 NW…
Five Best New Bend Beers of 2014
10 Barrel Jamaican Me Pumpkin Worthy of note both for symbolism (it was 10 Barrel’s last seasonal release before the AB-Inbev buyout) and for its irresistible mix of pumpkin spice and rum flavors. A masterpiece of barrel aging. Bend Brewing Co. Salmonberry Sour It’s a tight contest these days, but this flavorful yet approachable beer…
Top 5 Books of the Year
“The Painter,” by Peter Heller An amazing novel that masterfully connects fly-fishing, high art, murder, revenge, and unimaginable loss into one breathless read. Heller’s powerful descriptions are bleakly beautiful, and illuminate the nature of art, and the art of nature. Great read for the modern western man, and the women who put up with them.…
