Adrian + Meredith bring forthright folk to Bend
Adrian Krygowski pens songs of the everyday working man (or woman) because he’s not so far removed from that life. A few years back he was going through the motions like most Americans, commuting to a day job with Verizob to pay the bills and giving his evenings and weekends to his passion—in this case,…
Bend selected as host city for 2016 and 2017 USATF Cross Country Championships
USA Track and Field has selected Bend to host the 2016 and 2017 USATF Cross Country Championships, Visit Bend announced today. “Bend proved to be a wonderful host when the city staged the Club Cross Country Championships in 2013,” USATF CEO Max Siegel said in a release. “Our athletes had a great experience and we’re…
Decemberists, Ryan Adams coming to Les Schwab Amphitheater in May
The Les Schwab Amphitheater just announced two more concerts in its 2015 lineup—The Decemberists (with Spoon, The Districts) and Ryan Adams (with Jenny Lewis). The Decemberists play May 22, with promo tickets going on sale Thursday, Feb. 5 and general tickets available Friday, Feb. 6. Ryan Adams comes to town May 23, with promo tickets on…
Harper Lee to publish “sequel” to “To Kill a Mockingbird”
In case you haven’t heard, Harper Lee will publish her second novel—the first since her 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning debut “To Kill a Mockingbird”—on July 14. The book, “Go Set a Watchman,” was actually written before “To Kill a Mockingbird” and is centered around the same main character, Scout, returning to her hometown as an adult.…
The Drinking Issue
Drinking is hard business. No, really, it is. We have dedicated a lot of work-hours to pull together our semi-annual Cocktail Compass, calling to check happy hour times and offers and, in this issue, expanding our coverage to include a Beer Booklet. Sort of a no-brainer, right? Um, hello. We live in, like, the beer…
Field of Dreams
As a young girl, Sue Fountain spent many a winter’s day ice skating on Troy Field, across the street from what was then Bend High School. When the weather sunk below freezing, firefighters would fill the field with water to build a skating rink layer by layer, she recalls in her memoir “Too Cold to…
A Movie About Music
Over the past two years, there has been a minor trend in documentary films, with a slew of films giving a glimpse behind the scenes of the music business, and especially focusing on the recording studios (Muscle Shoals, Studio City) and the backup groups (like last year’s choice by the Academy for Best Documentary, 20…
Side Notes 1/28-2/4
Those blue recycling cans you see at Bend parks? More illusion than reality. Their primary purpose is to stroke your nature-loving ego. Because people either don’t know how or can’t be bothered to properly separate trash from recyclables—and because Bend Park and Rec can’t afford to dedicate staff to sorting through your rubbish—both cans go…
No Mickey Mousing Around
Taken as a whole, the five entries for this year’s Academy Awards for animated shorts and an additional three “highly recommended” films tell a story that is much different than what blockbusters like Frozen would have you believe about the state of animation. No, instead, these films—a collection that’s enchanting, yet dreamy and at times…
Bridge 99 is on the Road Forward
Tucked away in a commercial section of Bend’s east side, natural-colored juniper siding frames an otherwise bland commercial building, and hints at a keen craftsmanship that spills (yes, pun intended) over into the beer and characters of Bridge 99 Brewery. A little more than a year ago, co-owners Trever Hawman and Rob Kramer, who work…
A Philosophical Sage
Paul William “Sage” Francis lives up to his knowledgeable nickname with his personally and socially brutal and honest rap. His songs and lyricism are aware of his surroundings, and are cut and dried on issues like abuse, personal insecurity, social injustice and empowerment. Striking a balance of content and composure, the sometimes-heavy content of his…
Surly But Happy in the Twin Cities
Less than a decade ago, if you wanted a decent locally-produced beer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, your only choices were Summit—a ubiquitous standby, founded in 1986—and maybe a couple things from Surly on tap, if you were lucky. A few years, some key changes in Minnesota alcohol laws, have changed everything. Surly is…
The Difference Between Violin and Fiddle
It was a Pittsburgh cop that named The Urban Pioneers, a pair of string musicians on banjo and fiddle who play chugging, simply constructed Appalachian songs with a technical twist. “The first week we were there we went to the laundry mat and someone stole Liz’s phone,” explained banjo player Jared McGovern. “When the police…
Smithy and the Hendersons
In this stunning debut novel from Portland author Smith Henderson, “Fourth of July Creek” takes readers into the shadow of the Rockies, where social worker Pete Snow tries desperately to help a family who has lost itself in the wilds of rural Montana. The epigraph, a quote from Henry David Thoreau, reads, “If I knew…
Flipping Out
With reporting (pinball playing) by Kayja Buhmann I am terrible at arcade games. Really, really bad. But the string of curse words that spewed into Reed Pub after one of my in-play balls ricocheted off the Temple of Doom and straight back into the gutter of the Indiana Jones pinball machine last weekend would convince…
Out of Town 1/29-2/4
friday 30 Star Trek: Oregon Symphony Set your phasers to geek! If this event is actually interesting to you—a top-notch symphony covering the soaring soundtrack from the final frontier—then you probably care that the specific soundtrack to be covered (and film simultaneously shown) is the 2009 J.J. Abrams’ movie, with music composed by Michael Giacchino.…
Source Suggests 1/28-2/4
¡Chiringa! It’s been a while since this formerly local band graced a Bend stage with its Latin-infused presence. Singer and bandleader Shireen Amini who assembled the crew for the Cinco De Mayo festival in 2012, has since left Central Oregon, but returns with more flair than ever, worldly covers and originals with plenty of dancing…
Our Picks 1/28-2/4
thursday 29 Hopeless Jack and the Handsome Devil ROCK ‘N’ ROLL—Have you ever gone to a show and realized that behind the spit and shine of the studio, the band sounds like those teenagers down the street putzing around in the garage? Yeah, that’s not happening here. This Portland-based duo is 100 percent all-natural rock…
Trouble in Paradise
On the whole, Bend residents are happy with their quality of life, according to a 2015 survey conducted by DHM Research and presented during a work session at last week’s City Council meeting. The survey polled 400 Bendites by cell phone and landline, and revealed a general upward trend in many major indicators (livability, economic…
Letters 1/20-1/27
SLAVERY IS ALIVE AND WELL The recent statements by the Republicans in Congress concerning Obama’s plans to increase taxes on the rich and raise the minimum wage belie the truth and suggest two things: the Repubs are either far more ignorant than is believable or far more greedy than anyone could have imagined. Their moaning and…
Whatever, Mom
We’ve all done it—in the grocery aisle, at the park, in our cars, at our kids’ schools… It’s called mommieotyping—the observation, judgment and categorization of mothers. You can refute it all you want, but you can’t hide those criticizing eyes in the checkout line at Walmart. Don’t worry, no one’s judging you for it. Oh,…
Too Bad We Can’t Ski on Tears
“I think it’s obvious to all of us who are skiers and have skied in Central Oregon for a while that there is a change in the weather patterns,” says Matt Fox, who helps coach the Mountain View High School Nordic team. Every Wednesday for the junior racers is an “on snow” day, and so…
Not At All For The Birds
From high desert to sub-alpine, Central Oregon hosts a wide range of ecosystems making it one of the best places in the state to spot a diverse range of birds, even in the middle of winter. With snow levels unseasonably low, many of the best birding spots in the region are easily accessible. Brothers Oasis…
No More Killing Coyotes for Sport
In mid-January, the second annual Harney Coyote Classic encouraged what can only be called a “coyote slaughter.” The event, held near Burns, is yet another example of some sportsman’s desires gone haywire. Over the past 100 years, stories of coyotes being the worst nemesis of ranchers and farmers have been so blown out of proportion…
Film Events 1/28-2/4
The Wrecking Crew This documentary follows the career of a group of mostly anonymous studio musicians that played in recording sessions in Los Angeles during the 1960s for some of the biggest artists of all time. They did film scores, TV and radio jingles, and theme songs, while recording for a diverse lineup including Sonny…
